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Vern’s contributions:
A few days ago we got an e-mail this week from the people representing a doctor Zubin Damania, aka ZDoggMD; they thought we would be especially appreciative of his new medical-reform music videos because I’ve occasionally written about healthcare reform. This doctor “left a promising career at Stanford to recreate the healthcare system, and he uses Youtube as a way to make his voice heard” … and guess what, you might be surprised at how fucking great his first two videos are!
This latest one confronts “end-of-life issues.” As Zubin writes on his accompanying blog post:
“Lacking a coherent view of how people might live successfully all the way to their very end, we have allowed our fates to be controlled by the imperatives of medicine, technology, and strangers.”Dr. Atul Gawande, Being Mortal
To anyone who cares for patients, or for those with loved ones who’ve faced the end of life, this statement rings tragic and true. Strip away the political posturing and nonsensical talk of death panels and the like, and we’re left with a stark truth: that we too often fail to have those difficult but crucial discussions about dying, and this failure leads to untold human suffering and billions in squandered resources. We are failing as caregivers, we are failing as family members, and we are failing as individuals—failing to simply have a conversation that ensures that we direct our own destiny. Plainly put, we need to talk about dying. [more here…]
NOW, check out the video, a re-write of an Eminem hit:
This follows a very popular video on the problem of repeat hospital re-admissions or “Bounce Backs,” which he set to “Ignition” by R. Kelly. He blogs about this video, which has already received a million views:
…the bane of every hospitalist, resident, and intern. And now, with Medicare clamping down with financial penalties and Obamacare all up in it, the Medical Industrial Complex is taking serious notice. One could spend hours discussing why hospital readmission rates are so high, but luckily for your sanity (and ours), ZDoggMD Industries once again cuts to the chase—with a smooth R&B anthem addressing 73.5% of it! And despite being a parody of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix),” there is MINIMAL urination in the video: “p”<0.005 #TadDumCHING!
Well, Dr. Zubin, we welcome you to Orange Juice Blog’s extended family, where you will probably be filed right after ZENGER. David Zenger, that is, our concise, prolific and devastating commenter, the bane of Kleptocrats as well as fine impressionist painter. For some reason it REALLY BUGS the klepto crowd that David can also paint so well (just as I assume they wish I didn’t play piano so well.) Well, starting this weekend David and his plein-air cohorts are taking their art “Nosebleed North” all the way up to Diamond’s stomping grounds of Brea; if you come you may run into me or Greg!
Also, the same artists will be featured on the afternoon and evening of Thursday Aug. 6 at Laguna Beach’s Forest & Ocean Gallery (below) and City Hall across the street, in conjunction with Laguna Beach’s ArtWalk.
and Greg’s contributions:
Three nice articles for you this week:
[1] This Year’s El Nino Will Be MUCH Stronger than 1997’s
[2] College Board Concedes: Less Slavery in AP U.S. History, More “American Exceptionalism”
[3] Cincy Cops on Campus Conspire to Concoct Confabulation to Keep Crazy Killer’s Keister Copacetic
Many people like to say that “most cops are good.” I’d like to agree, but let’s look at the numbers. Sure, all of the cops other than Crazy Ray Tensing are better than he is — which is a low bar to clear. But is concocting a story to justify Tensing’s apparent unprovoked murder of Sam Dubose really “good”? Because it seems to me that it’s BAD.
…and finally, “Anaheim Insider”…
Please try to come out Saturday August 8, BEFORE YOU GO TO LAGUNA WOODS FOR THE JOHN DEAN TALK, to help out our friend, the persecuted and inspiring neighborhood activist Yesenia Rojas, at a classic Anaheim yard-sale fundraiser. Her young friend Guera writes on the Facebook event page:
An amazing community member from the city of Anaheim needs our help to raise funds for her recent legal issues. She has done a lot for the community and we refuse to see her go anytime soon. Please help us by donating clothing, toys, electronics, household objects, etc that can be used to be sold at this yard sale! If you’re able to donate money wonderful! But if not all of us have those few things we’ve been meaning to take to goodwill but havent had the time to. Please donate to our yardsale and also stop by and check it out you might find some great stuff. If anyone has donations please message my personal facebook and let me know. See y’all soon ! (:
Thanks for the plug, Vern. ‘Preciate it.
That second image is actually of the Forest & Ocean Gallery in Laguna Beach. There is going to be a Laguna Plein Air Painter’s Association show there and at City Hall (across the street) on the afternoon/evening of the 6th in conjunction with Laguna’s Art Walk.
OH! I had no way of knowing. Lemme fix the text…
Fixed.
Another Koch sponsored retreat at Dana Point:
” Five Republican candidates will attend a retreat held by Freedom Partners, a key cog in the political network of the Koch brothers. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Texas senator Ted Cruz, former CEO Carly Fiorina, Florida senator Marco Rubio and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker will all attend a gathering of well-heeled GOP donors at a luxury resort in Orange County, California. Kentucky senator Rand Paul was invited but declined to attend, citing previous commitments to campaign in Iowa.”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/01/republican-candidates-koch-brothers-backing-donor-retreat
*We would rather see close ups of the Pluto fly by. At least we know those
are real.
I guess the OJB editors have not been checking FB. I heard that the protest has been extended through Monday.
“The Koch brothers have promised to spend almost 1 BILLION dollars on the 2016 Presidential Election. They are hosting their annual SoCal confab in Orange County this coming weekend, August 1-3. Let’s “welcome” the attendees with a good ole’ OC demonstration letting them know that we do NOT approve of our Presidents being bought.
WHEN: Saturday, August 1st 11:30 am till 4:00 pm
WHERE: Intersection of Pacific Coast Hwy and Niguel Road, Dana Point you will find paid parking. The St. Regis Resort is .6 of a mile on Niguel Road. Resort address is 1 Monarch Beach, Monarch Beach, CA’
Also the Washington Post has this interesting report :”Charles Koch assails banking industry for embracing ‘corporate welfare’”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/01/charles-koch-assails-banking-industry-for-embracing-corporate-welfare/
Yeah, it’s bad.
But on the other side the candidate is also bought/sold – through the blatant shakedowns, bribes and manic fund-raising and check bundling that inevitably leads one to the conclusion that the Clinton’s are, and always have been, explained as the cash nexus in operation.
*From the Capital Weekly Roundup today:
Joe Dunn, a former lawmaker who ran a highly visible investigation of California’s electricity market during the market meltdown nearly 15 years ago, may be a candidate for Congress.
From the OC Register’s Martin Wisckol: “Former state Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Santa Ana, may be the next to join the race to replace Rep. Loretta Sanchez, the Orange Democrat now running for U.S. Senate….”
“Dunn was elected to the Senate in 1998, upsetting Republican incumbent Rob Hurtt. He was reelected in 2002 and ran unsuccessfully for state controller in 2006. He then served as CEO of the California Medical Association until 2010, when he was appointed executive director of the State Bar of California.”
“Dunn was fired in November 2014 and filed a lawsuit against the bar, with both sides claiming malfeasance by the other. The bar and Dunn are now in arbitration, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. In June, the state released an audit critical of the bar for inadequate discipline of members and raised issues with the purchase of a $77 million building. Dunn was leading the bar for most of the period covered by the audit.”
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We fully support Joe Dunn….but it could be a huge struggle to get campaign cash for Joe. Kamala, has pretty strong head start.
*Instant Correction: Obviously, Kamala is running for the US Senate seat. Joe wil be running to fill Loretta’s shoes in the 46th. Joe takes that seat in a walk. He still needs some strong campaign support however. We love Joe Dunn!
Yeah, well, the Boob Brandman makes anybody look good.
Michelle Obama writes:
I certainly DO wish the President a happy birthday — but I have no desire to get even more email from the OFA mailing list, and I’m not willing to pretend that that is not what this email is actually about. This is why we cannot have nice online public birthday cards.