Monday, Indianapolis, Indiana

It wasn’t the first time it’s happened, but yet again there was a shopping mob that went ballistic and trampled an innocent victim to death! At a Wal-Mart store on Long Island a drooling gang of lunatic shoppers - fearful that they would miss out on a sale of laptops - steamrolled a worker as they poured into the store. In the middle of their frenzy none hesitated to check on the condition of the felled victim. They all just plowed ahead.

While it may not be possible to bring criminal charges against these idiots, we can only hope that each is wracked with painful guilt for what they have done. And isn’t it time that the managers of these stores figure out how to manage these situations? Why are they still opening the store by all at once unlocking the doors to let the crowd literally run amok inside? They do this every year with the same results. What did they think would happen this time?

It is a distressing revelation that America’s values have become so distorted that consumer success appears to trump all other achievements. What is the essence of modern life? We work for money to spend on stuff…and work some more to buy more stuff. Needing the stuff or even being clear that we can afford the stuff is secondary to getting the stuff. Buying: this summarizes the essential meaning of life…for millions. Even with borrowed money or delayed credit, getting, having and getting some more is the urgent life necessity.

With this as a priority, it’s no wonder we would trample anyone that got in the way between us and the stuff. Sickness.

Sunday, West Lafayette, Indiana

One of the arguments against the candidacy of Barack Obama and the Democrats is the traditional worry that they are too soft and lenient when it comes to international threats - especially in the age of terrorism. So despite his dramatic win, there is anticipation while we await his posture facing enemies of America. So on top of the deep worries about the economic seizures we also have angst about our safety.

In such a situation many already nervous individuals become vulnerable to elevated levels of panic. How are you handling it all? Some ignore such matters, focusing on the concerns of their daily life. Others embrace a the uncertainty with a sense of resignation, acknowledging that in the end, we cannot individually control such events. But for those who are unable to shut it out of their mind or come to terms with the fragile nature of human life, these times are debilitating. Perhaps you or someone you know struggles with what mental health professionals call Panic Disorder.

See if you can you relate to these symptoms of Panic Disorder

Symptoms: A  discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within ten minutes:

 1.  Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate:
 – Your heart rate is so fast, rabbits approach you without fear.
 – You can only tolerate listening to music whose percussion is in  time with your heartbeat.

 2.  Sweating:
 –  After exercising at the gym, the staff must mop up your areas.
 – You must launder your clothing at least twice each day.

 3.  Trembling or Shaking:
 – In order to focus your eyes to read, you must lean against a  solid object.
 – Unbeknownst to those you meet, your vigorous handshake requires no energy on your part.

 4.  Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering:
 – You can only fall asleep without covers.
 – When listening to your breathing through the phone, others suspect that your dog is nearby.

 5.  Fears of choking:
 – You are terrified of eating chicken or fish.
 – Activities such as scratching your face or trying to apply lipstick triggers your gag response.

 6.  Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint:
 – Even while standing perfectly still. You weave from side to  side.
 – You pass out into unconsciousness at least seven times each week.

 7.  Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself):
 – You don’t always really know it’s you in the mirror.
 – You often have a strong desire to step aside away from yourself.

 8.  Fear of losing control or going crazy:
 – You only feel completely secure when you are physically  attached to a solid object or another person.
 – Even though you do not have panic disorder, this test is causing  you to develop the illness.

 9.  Fear of dying:
 – Your funeral arrangements have been made and prepaid since you  were 20 years old.
 – You spend every free moment of spare time sitting still in a chair  in your basement.

 10.  Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensation):
 – In order to lift something, you must look at your hand to insure that it is really grasping.
 – Every few minutes you make a little jump and cry "Wooo."

Tuesday, West Lafayette, Indiana

Everyone I know, with the exception of those who are simply tuned out, is holding their breath for the results of the election next week. Some of my friends and family are passionate Obama supporters and, I must admit that those I know who are Republicans and for McCain seem pretty demoralized. Whatever side they are on, the tension of waiting seems almost unbearable.

I have a suspicion, however, that once the election is decided, other than the most disappointed partisans, most Americans will breathe a sigh of relief and find a new energy to move forward. It’s the unknowing that is the hardest. And clearly, unless there’s some shocking development, it looks as if our next president will indeed be Barack Obama. And I for one believe that such a result will electrify the nation and the world about America.

For one thing, our friends and enemies will know that the electorate in America has had it with the direction of our country for the past eight years. It will also be a relief to me that the ugly, hate filled partisanship — making absurd allegations about character, religion and associations — has essentially been rejected. Only a small amount of uneducated, stupid fanatics will continue to grouse, fueled by their heroes on the radio and television (by the way, millionaires all!).I’m happy to listen to intelligent disputes about policy and the direction of our country. I’m always open to hearing varied opinions about how we should spend our money and raise our money. But if I hear one more mental midget try and claim that they are afraid we might elect someone who they’ve been told is essentially a terrorist, I think I’ll puke. As far as character is concerned I was far more alarmed about the story about how John McCain treated as disabled first wife, and his eyes for younger women than I was about Obama’s conversations with some disreputable characters.

The shame of it all to me, is that for almost all of his career I have been a big fan of John McCain. But like many others, I am so disillusioned with his unfettered appeal to an ideological base that is inflexibly rigid and obsessed with some few intractable issues at the expense of the larger concerns of the nation’s health. This is not the John McCain I was eager to vote for — the iconoclastic voice that put the country before party. He’s gone, and I’m now listening to a shrill old man who has aligned himself with some of the worst elements in the culture.

I have nothing against “Joe Sixpack” or any other working class person. I’m from a staunch, working-class blue-collar family from New York myself. But my “Joe Sixpack” family pressed upon me the value of education, learning and insight. In 2000 we elected someone who clearly does not value education, learning and insight (and who, by the way is from a multi-millionaire family with an Ivy League education!). Look where this has gotten us. Uneducated and unreflective people have the right to vote — this is what makes our country great. That doesn’t mean I want them running the country. You may admire Sarah Palin, but if the thought of her actually becoming the president of the United States doesn’t give you pause — you and I are on different planets. It’s time for the junior high school name calling campaigns to be over. It’s time we had adults step up to solve our mounting problems. If it’s Obama - he’s got my respect and loyalty. He will be my President. If somehow McCain rallies and prevails, he will be my President and I will stand up for him. But if that happens I just hope he quickly turns around and tells the worst of his base to now shut their drooling pie holes.

Tuesday, West Lafayette, Indiana

Every Presidential election rouses strong feelings. Over my lifetime there have been 15 elections (including the current contest) and I was old enough to be aware of 13 of them. From the squeaky close victory of the charismatic John Kennedy through the Nixon debacle, the surprising emergence and power of Ronald Reagan, the head spinning adventure of Bill Clinton and the mind boggling style of George Bush, I have witnessed and felt the passions of the country throughout it all.

And as intense as the Bush versus Gore controversy was in 2000, the present contest has more toxic fuel percolating in it than any I can remember. It has been well documented that this campaign - especially as we have seen in the coverage of the crowds following  John McCain - has become over heated in its venom toward Barack Obama. I understand the tactical decision to be aggressively critical of your opponent, but the pathological fervor being tapped among the deranged, the stupid and the easily provoked is unnerving to say the least. It is, as one critic noted is “playing with fire.”

At a time when the country is demoralized and frightened about our future, playing to the most base impulses of the worst of us is more than unseemly - it is dangerous. There are plenty of reasons to be uncertain about which candidate’s philosophy   and approach will be best for us, but appealing to the mob is the wrong way to go. Many of the idiots yelling out bile are unpatriotic and don’t deserve to have their voice heard.

Monday, Providence, Rhode Island

Well, well, well!

Another politician goes down the sewer in a sex scandal. Joining the ranks of former President Bill Clinton, outed New Jersey Governor James McGreevy as well as disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards, of all people joins the ranks of men who can’t keep it zipped. What an embarrassment!

I realize that many people are rightfully upset with what this reveals about his moral character. And Edwards deserves to be excoriated for that - especially in light of the image that he carefully managed to project as a candidate over many years. But what bothers me the most is the abject stupidity of men in my age group who become smitten with someone other than their spouse.

And of course, cliche as it is, it is all too frequently middle-aged men and women young enough to be their daughter. And although the press has not zeroed in on them, some of the other high character leaders in this category include former New York Mayor Rudy Gulliani and presidential candidate John McCain.

I am not such a prude as to object to people in different age categories falling in love. Although, as a therapist, it certainly makes me wonder what is going on with the sense of self, and the evident lack of moral discipline of these aging men. And, of course, there are the women in this equation who evidently are themselves smitten with Daddy.

What is especially troubling is the plight of the loyal spouses who have been rejected and left behind as their immature husbands “upgrade” to a new model. Everyone of these men left their spouse for a mate younger, more attractive and, in some cases wealthier. Well bully for them; it seems to be working out fine, doesn’t it?

And now John Edwards, another in a long line of “Mr. Clean” populist leaders, is being vilified for his “mistake” and “indiscretion.” It is all such a rerun!

I admire the citizens who have not succumbed to cynicism about the state of leadership in America. From the dumb to the debased, the individuals steering the ship of state don’t give us a lot of cause for optimism. What has happened to our glorious system, overrun by ambulance chasing lawyers, amoral, scandal chasing media scum and obscenely wealthy power brokers who function with the character of sociopaths? No wonder the cretins swe elect are the best we can do. No wonder our best and brightest would never think of subjecting themselves to the meat grinder of public service.

Oh, and did I mention Senator Larry Craig? Remember him at the Minneapolis airport men’s room?

"I am not gay! I have never been gay…"

Thursday, Providence, Rhode Island

Finally!! The other shoe dropped and Brett Favre is now with the New York Jets.

For weeks the legendary Packers Quarterback was in the middle of a soap opera of his own making. After twice retiring from the team and twice coming back to play, Favre gave the team fits about his plans for the future. And for several tense days he was hanging around the Packer’s training camp, doing what the other guys are doing: running sprints, practicing his throws. You know, the usual stuff of a preseason athlete.

However…

Obviously there is a difference in this case. Favre’s presence was, quite frankly, an embarrassment to the team and millions of sports fans everywhere. With the exception of some percentage of fanatic Brett fans in Green Bay, he became unwanted in Packer Land. As a result of his approach to seeking reinstatement, Favre has become a poster child for the self serving athletic superstar - putting self interest above all else - even at the expense of other people.

Favre has generally become persona non grata in the Green Bay organization. And football fans who formally had great admiration for him have now lost their good feeling about Favre. The reason for the animosity is that it was just a few months ago that Favre made a tearful and adamant announcement that he was retiring from football. The fans and the organization celebrated his great career and wished him good luck. And they did what you would expect - they moved on with plans for the future of their franchise.

But now Favre pulls a fast one and decides that he changed his mind. No matter the impact on the management, his replacement quarterback and the teammates - it’s about what is in his interest - a gloried Hall of Fame millionaire celebrity who has second thoughts about his certain decision.

I always admired Brett Favre. But as far as I am concerned, I am happy the Packers shipped him out. He deserves boos for his nonsense.

Friday, Indianapolis, Indiana

Although I am certainly a person with clear opinions, I am also willing to admit readily but for many large social problems I operate the way most citizens do: on the basis of the (usually limited) knowledge available to me. So while I have a point of view about such hot button issues as the war, politicians and global warming, in fairness I have to say that my information is based on impressions gleaned from the media I can access. I have no friends in the CIA or any others who operate “behind the curtain” of secrecy. So with that caveat, I am pretty convinced nonetheless that the American Healthcare system is an abominable mess. Further, I have no confidence that too few people are profiting obscenely at the expense of the rest of the population getting screwed to the wall by our system.

Our community is very fortunate to have two brand-new, state-of-the-art hospitals opening up within the next year. This sounds pretty great, except that the two hospitals have a long standing, fiery and nasty competition with each other. In a nutshell, they can’t stand each other. And for the majority of us citizens here in town it means that we are at the mercy of each one’s acrimonious tactics to gain an edge against the other. It’s pretty revolting.

Now I am certainly not anti-competition. Quite the contrary. I love that our local Best Buy and Circuit City have to compete for my business. It’s in my interest to have both stores do well. But obviously this is not the case with our local health-care providers. For several years before I was on Sally’s health-care plan, I had to pay for our coverage independently. Although we are not young, we are very healthy. About five years ago my monthly premium for health care was around $650. Two years ago, the last year we were covered, my premium was $1350! This is just nuts! It’s damaging, obscene and from my point of view immoral.

This horrendous cost for routine coverage is a scourge on society, more troubling to me than even paying $4 a gallon for gas. And if health care costs are putting the squeeze on someone in my position, I cannot imagine what even a minor medical problem does to a working class family, paying their taxes and doing what they’re supposed to do for their kids. I don’t resent for a second giving generous compensation to the brilliant professionals who do incredible, nearly miraculous things to save lives and repair broken bodies. They all deserve to be highly paid and highly esteemed by society. To me the doctors and nurses are not the problem. I don’t know who is making millions in the system, but something has to change. This issue has made me put the matter of health care reform near the very top of my list of priorities as a citizen and voter.

I want what everyone else wants in this country: an end to the war, a plan for security against terrorism, a serious approach to alternative energy sources, and, LEADERS WHO WILL STAND UP AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH THE MEDICAL SYSTEM IN AMERICA. It’s way past time!

- Meals at the hospital are from a fast food hamburger chain

- The receptionist is a chain smoker

- The local ambulance has a standard transmission

- Your hospital only accepts cash

- Your family physician moonlights as a barber

- When you call for a doctor’s appointment they ask if you can bring your own thermometer

- Your nurse admits she faints at the sight of blood

- Your community has not yet adopted the 911 system

- After each use, equipment is wiped off on the doctor’s bloody lab coat

- When you refer your doctor to an article in the A.M.A. Journal he asks what those letters mean

Thursday, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

An annual survey asks young children what they would like to be when they grow up. And, not surprisingly the recent trend reveals that what kids mostly want to be is “famous.” We are not surprised are we? Children in America most desire to become celebrities. Gone are the days when children emulated the jobs or careers of their parents, the idea of growing up to be a fire fighter, astronaut or physician.

Obviously the idea for becoming a famous person comes from exposure to television. But it raises the question about the parents and the influence they are having with children and their aspirations. While it is certainly appropriate for parents to encourage their kids to dream and follow their dreams, it seems that the influence is solidly weighted on the side of the visions depicted in pop culture. Being a famous actor, a musician or athlete has become the passion of American children. And cautions about the limited opportunities to actually make this happen seem to have little effect on their fantasies of glory.

It is not that parents believe this is a good trend. Less than ten percent believe the dream of fame is wise or realistic. Is anyone surprised really? Is it not a measure of where we have come as a society that children aspire to be celebrities? And further, we are well aware that many of America’s celebrities enjoy their notoriety detached from personal accomplishments.

What are the worthy achievements of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kim Kardashian, or Brandon "Greasy Bear" Davis? The study does not make clear that kids desire to be famous is tied to any sense of effort and sacrifice to get to their goal. The feeling is that the longing is to have already arrived at fame, the accomplishments of meriting the fame are in the rear view mirror.

At the risk of hysterical ranting it seems that this survey gives pause to parents about the need to speak out more boldly against the antics of the celebrities their children see in the media. It’s time to be more forthcoming with our opinions. If your child is more enamored with an actor than their teacher, with a professional athlete more than their physician, it’s time to step up and speak out.

I don’t have data to support it, but my anecdotal experience with the international students at Purdue gives me the feeling that their youngsters are more focused on their math and science skills than the style and behavior of Brittany Spears.

Wednesday, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

This week we remember two infamous stories from the world of crime and politics that became sensations in media and popular culture. It was on this week in 1972 that a team of screwball operatives broke into the Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington to gather intelligence (hah!) to use in the Presidential election. They were caught and set in motion the unraveling of Richard Nixon’s Presidency.

This week in 1994 also saw the start of the unraveling of another celebrity, football hero O.J. Simpson who failed to report to the police for questioning in the vicious murder of his wife and an acquaintance, opting instead to attempt an escape. Like the Watergate morons, Simpson reminded America that he was no brain surgeon by refusing to stop his vehicle and leading the police on a now famous “slow speed chase” watched by the country for several hours.

The event began a new lunacy in media, where millions of ordinary citizens stopped doing everything else in their life and hung on a sick soap opera that dragged on for years. America was focused on Simpson and the actors in his trial, ignoring the murdered victims. All day long television coverage fed the debased appetite of viewers reveling in the antics of a cartoon judge and showboating lawyers making fools of themselves at the expense of the victims.

It is very uncomfortable to accept the fact that, despite our most diligent efforts to be creatures of social competence and civility, human beings struggle with our periodic eruptions of impulses of cruelty and depravity. Even when we abide by the discipline of civilized behavior - resisting those impulses - they are there and can be felt, even if controlled. Mostly they emerge in our fascination and riveted curiosity watching illustrations and depictions of human depravity. Whether films, television or YouTube videos, we can’t seem to turn away.

It is important to understand these impulses and bear in mind that social behavior depends on acknowledging them and exercising vigilance for ourselves and,especially our children. Giving into this side of our psycho-biology is dangerous and the cause of most acts of heinous violence. In the end, and despite the cynicism of many, this is the critical social role that faith communities and religious practice have played in civilization. Repression of these impulses depends on NOT repression the recognition that they are there. Have a peaceful day!

Friday, Lafayette, Indiana

It seems that finally, the era of the nut job pastors is coming to an end. The righteous repudiation of “Reverend’s” Wright, Hagee and Rod Parsley by the candidates is long overdue. These entertainers, getting their ego’s stroked as celebrities in their churches have hidden behind their robes and…especially scandalous…behind the cross, the Christian symbol of humility, in order to attack, judge and instigate hate among the hungry seekers in the pews.

Years ago the Christian Coalition was launched and their intentions sounded noble. As one of their leaders suggested, they were not looking to dominate politics, they just “wanted a place at the table.” And that is more than fine; it is as it should be. The voice of moral authority is essential for a nation’s leadership. However, over the past two decades the role that religion has often played is so out of balance, dominated by the most legalistic and inflexible voices, that it has become a scourge. Not only are non believers swayed, they are repelled by the self righteous anger of, especially Christian clergy.

When did it settle in that evangelical theology became synonymous with Republican ideology? Who made the decision that mainline protestant churches were aligned with the liberal ideology of the Democratic party? It’s all nonsense, and destructive at that. It bears little resemblance to the message of faith, hope and love that is the centerpiece of the preaching of Jesus.

The church in the public square might simply be embarrassing if it wasn’t turning so many seeking souls away from the joy and comfort that is actually offered in the real lives of ordinary believers across all the denominations each sabbath. The distance between what actually goes on in most churches - caring, service and love - is a chasm away from how the Church is heard in the media in public.

- Your pastor wears a large diamond pinky ring

- His children are instructed to address him as “the Reverend Doctor Father”

- Your pastor has written 10 books (although none have been published)

- When reading a transcript of sermons you realize that the most common phrase is “the Lord told me…”

- Their front tooth is embossed with a ruby

- When you spot your pastor at the grocery store they are wearing an embroidered robe

- Your pastor drives a Bentley with a clergy license plate

- When preaching they arrange one piercing light shine down from above illuminating their face

- When attending church conferences out of town your pastor insists on flying on a private jet