Wassup w/happiness? (long, but fast read!)

I asked myself why I've been writing so much lately about happiness.

I realize it's because I'm happy - and I see so many people who are not only unhappy, but who actively make unhappiness happen in their lives.

They get in their own way, sabotage themselves, cut off healthy people and choices in their lives-

I guess I remember how I used to do the same thing way back when and how deeply I wished I had someone like me to show me the way, to turn on the light for that road less taken.

I do have more to say on the subject, but for now, I'm putting it to rest because whether Proust or Patrick, we all have to make the decision on our own, as I did, that happy is the way I want to feel, live and how I wish to deal with life.

As thousands of books, Oprah, Dr. Phil and the million other people who have found their own way to happiness know: it is no secret: making the decision to be happy - to have the desire to make the most of who we truly are live it to the fullest - is the first step.

Learning just how to be, behave and live that way day after day, minute by minute, has been the most challenging and enlightening path for me to take - and it's all been worth it.

I know I've said it before, but it's true: I wish you happiness.

The more happy people there are, the kinder we will treat ourselves and one another; the kinder we treat ourselves and one another, the more we will understand one another. The more we understand one another, the better we will get along. The better we get along, the less violence there will be. The less violence there will be, the fewer the wars will break out. The fewer the wars break out, the more we will focus on real issues in the world: health, education, the environment, self sufficiency and how a variety of cultures can live together in peace.

Interestingly, many people believe that we "need" war to keep economies stimulated. A lot of people mae a *lot* of money from waging war.

What they don't get is that if our economy shifted focus to thrive economically from promoting environmental welfare, empowering and educating people to become self-sufficient, healthy, understand each of us has a positive role to play in the world - that each of us belongs here - and capable of determining our own futures, the planet would thrive as we do.

The earth is the little canary in the world's coal mine.

If you listen carefully, you will hear that the little guy's song becoming weaker and weaker.

If you don't listen because you have better things to do? You will not only be shocked when he dies, but part of the reason he suffocated and mad as hell at all those "other people" who killed him because they wouldn't stop deforestation, polluting, overpopulating, killing off hundreds of species who are indicator animals.

"Indicator animals" are those whose welfare indicates the state of the environment in which they live.

There was a huge fight in the Northwest about the status of the endangered spotted owl, which relies on old forest growth to survive. If the spotted owl is in trouble, so is its environment. Loggers wanted to continue to harvest logs while environmentalists said that logging had to desist until the spotted owl's environment was healthy again.

Old forest growth takes decades - if not centuries - to thrive without interference other than clearing brush.

The media fight became between the "greedy" timber industry and the "idiot tree huggers" who don't make a living from the land. The stories almost *never* mentioned the spotted owl is an indicator species.

Like if the loggers keep logging without conisdering the future of the spotted owl? Um, no more logs, no more living off the land, and another area is deforested which reportedly contributes to more global warming.

If the environmentalists figured out a way to preserve the old growth forests in a way that would allow a healthy way to preserve the forests' integrity and - ultimately - maintain a thriving logging industry; if the logging industry came in with the attitude of needing to preserve its source of income by protecting the spotted owl, rather than just wanting to clear cut a forest then moving on to another area? The negotiations and media coverage would not have been so vitriolic.

As always, the enemies dehumanized one another at the outset - "Those greedy bastards don't care about the environment!" "Those tree-hugging hippies don't care about putting people out of work!"

The government stepped in by making proclamations rather than inviting all parties in before any proclamations were made so there would be a clear understanding of why the spotted owl needed to be protected. More, why wait until the species is endangered before taking action?

Let's face it - negotiators from all sides were un-happy! Unhappy people feel attacked instead of viewing a problem as a challenge.

They push people to take sides like two immature parents fighting over the custody of their kids in a nasty divorce.

Of course the innocent owl was caught in the middle - as its habitat was being destroyed, and by extension, the future of the logging industry there as well as contributing to the environmental illness of the world.

My wish is that one day I'll read the headline, "HAPPY PEOPLE MAKE PEACE BREAK OUT!"

I know it sounds woo woo and laa laa and tie-dye print and artsy fartsy to a lot of readers.

Believe me, it's not.

As you can see from my one very simple example, it's a totally left-brain, logical way to reason and think and negotiate.

We just have to teach people how to reallign their philosophies and reasoning systems.

But, as with happiness - they must make the decision they want to live, work and thrive as happy, educated, truthful people whose goal is to improve life for individuals and communities.

As it is, the unhappy "bad" conservatives supposedly only want what is best for the individual - generally the wealthy individual - those who have, keeping government out of our lives as much as possible (until it comes to intruding in our bedrooms, religions, women's bodies and other private matters) -

And the unhappy "bad" liberals supposedly only want government enforcing what they believe is good for the group - making government responsible for the welfare of everyone, including the "have nots." Of course, the folks who have to pay for it should be the "haves," only the "haves" have enough power to make sure the folks who end up paying more than their fair share are the "have nots."

Thus, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

I wish others would join me in understanding that it's time to rethink how we deal with all parts of a system wherein the people who are supposedly "in charge" of a republic - voters - are only left to feel constantly betrayed, lied to, powerless, helpless and .. dare I say it? UN-HAPPY!

My apologies for the length of this blog! Peace out! -cp

CBS radio fires Imus

Don Imus is now without employment.

He's been fired by both his employers - CBS radio network and MSNBC-TV cable network.

I worked in radio and television. And people who work in those industries are fired *all the time.*

People who usually only guess how to make money for station owners are put in decision-making positions. They seem to feel free to fiddle with employees' lives in an attempt to find the new big thing to attract advertising dollars.

Media sales people are always trying to convince advertisers why they should spend money on their station, personality, music format, etc., whether or not it ever pays off for the advertiser.

Radio and TV folks can be canned for no other reason than the manager wants his/her pal to take the spot. Or the station management changes. Or the format changes. Or the program director is jealous of the news director/morning anchor who gets more attention than she does at parties. Seriously. Been there, done that, even when ratings were climbing.

The audience isn't given a second thought - nor are co-workers who may try to fight to keep the employee because they're good at what they do *and* the ratings are climbing.

Both screamed loudly and were definitely heard this time.

In addition to extraordinary anger expressed by his audience, the outrage of MSNBC employees is actually credited with Imus' ousting there.

I have to wonder why his co-workers and fellow broadcasters (who understand and are quite sensitive to how much it hurts for anyone to lose such a job) appeared to have so little respect or appreciation for this guy. If they did, he'd probably still be there because they would have fought for him. Instead they demanded his termination.

CBS surprised me because radio is known more for allowing more controversial, shockjocks and outrageous hosts, but apparently he went too far even for them. And what he said about the Rutgers women is not as bad as other racist and sexist comments he has made over the years.

I believe the deeper issue and our outrage don't have as much to do with Imus' comments - as odious as they were - as much as an overwhelming sense that hit the core of US sensibilities:

we are (FINALLY) fed up with people who have power abusing it.

We are tired of the cartels, governments and oil companies abusing us; charging more than $3.00/USD a gallon for gasoline.

We're tired of reading the death count daily of Americans, our allies and innocent Iraqi's being killed in a senseless war.

We're tired of "leaders" who are incapable of leading us, but only exploit us.

We're tired of a president and government who don't listen to us when we tell them specifically and directly invading Iraq was a mistake.

We're tired of "leaders" incapable of figuring out how to bring our troops home safely.

We're tired of "leaders" neglecting the institutions and cutting the staffs that care for our valiant men and women in uniform when they come back mutilated, wounded, and suffering mental problems that any normal person would after witnessing what they have.

We're tired of "leaders" who can't seem to figure out how to get us from point A to point B without being trapped in traffic congestion, but who continue to tax us to supposedly take care of these problems.

We're tired of listening to so many people pay lip service to erradicating racism and sexism while powerful people of all colors and genders in the entertainment industry - music, TV, radio, magazines, and the internet - demonstrate bigotry daily.

We're tired of the hate speeches from "leaders" who want only to manipulate us by calling us "unAmerican" or "betraying the troops" if we say we want them brought home soon - alive and well.

After making our desires clearly known in the last election, after being lied to and hurt over and over again by powerful people in business, religion, health care and government who abuse their power and only continue to ignore us?

We're tired of media who went from being the president's abused lap dog to suddenly realizing that he has been lying to us all along; that features "news talk shows" only featuring biased people who want media attention more than they do to find or tell the truth.

We are left now with few ways to express our outrage, our demand for justice, our need to be heard, in a loud and meaningful way.

Yep, we are effing fed up.

Don Imus just got in the way.

She's the antidote for morning misery!

Personally, I like awakening with a smile - then feeling good about the day ahead.

My two Pomeranians, Mistletoe and JR, and my kitten - Allie Cat - make awakening with a smile happen. Each weighs about five pounds and pounce all over the bed, my head, and smother me with little kisses.

I like to think it's because they're as crazy in love with me as I am with them - but I have a feeling breakfast is the real reason for all that affection.

Feeling good about the day ahead happens because I love my work and life - and I listen to Stephanie Miller's hysterically funny radio program between 6-9am (PDT) Monday thru Friday.

Even "night people" convert, learning to get up early so they don't miss the show.

There have been listener complaints of hot coffee, tea, yogurt and cereal milk snarffed through noses because they could not stifle their laughter; drivers are warned to pay extra special attention to stay on the road because hilarity does reign - and a punch line is thrown when you least expect it. Pow!

Adult diapers are also recommended for anyone commuting a long distance because it is pee-your-pants funny.

The program is billed as a show to help us "Take Back America!"

"Steph" works with two other hosting partners-in-crime:

Jim Ward, whom she calls a "voice diety," because he is indeed a god in the world of mastering vocal modulation. Jim can create and re-create voices of everyone known and unknown, as well as any accent from any nation - again, known and unknown.

And executive producer "boy toy" Chris LaVoie, so named because he's cute and youthful.

The program is impeccably produced - I have worked in morning drive time radio as a news personality and this show has to be the envy of any team working in radio. Tight, terrific music, and laser sharp timing.

Politics, gossip, show biz, politicians, pop culture, electioneering, government, foreign and domestic affairs (in the political and sexual sense), war, peace, religion, family and every other topic that is supposed to be off-limits at a civil dinner are all fodder for this trio.

While the program's point of view is generally progressive (left of center), Stephanie is the daughter of former Republican U.S. Representative William Miller, Barry Goldwater's running mate in the 1964 Presidential election.

She believes that her father and Goldwater - considered the most solid conservatives in their heyday - would not recognize the Republican party or politics of today. She tells stories of Goldwater and her father working closely with their Democrat friends "across the aisle" - that there was not the extreme division of parties there is today.

Fortunately, all three condemn passing on unconfirmed, eyebrow-raising gossip!

Many's the time the boys have chastised Stephanie for mentioning the idle, nonsensical, unproved rumor that President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice are an "item!" I can assure you that I, too, firmly disapprove of passing on such ridiculous tales - and it's good that she says that she has heard Rice and Bush are hooking up - then discounts the story as no more than gossip, rumor and innuendo!

And I certainly won't pass on any more fabrications about Rice and Bush liaisoning...

Thanks to the internet and podcasts, Stephanie, Jim and Chris have fans all over the world.

Unlike other politically-oriented shows, the three have outspoken disagreements! Each has a specific talent and unique point of view - there are no "yes men" or women here. But there is a lot of accurate, serious information you cannot not hear anywhere else, as well as just plain silliness.

Stephanie also loves and adopts huge dogs, and is a supporter of Gentle Giants Rescue. Run by Burt Ward, who starred as Robin "The Boy Wonder" in the 1960's TV series Batman, and his wife, Tracy Posner Ward, Gentle Giants rescues and places extra large dog breeds in healthy adoptive homes.

The Stephanie Miller show has become so popular, top political and entertainment personalities have called in to speak with her about significant subjects.

And she has received death threats for being so humorously outspoken.

She acknowledges that growing up she was not particularly attractive. In fact, she was well known for her shaggy unibrow. Apparently a pneumatic drill was needed to get rid of the excess above-her-nose hair.

As a child she was a big fan of Woody Allen's films. Her celebrity family met him when she was six. When she shook his hand, he only stared and said, "Sorry, kid. Not interested."

She openly admits that, as a lonely, childless, heterosexual (not that there's anything wrong with that ..) spinster, she enjoys the occasional box of wine with her TV dinner as she sits and drinks alone in the shadows, watching Wheel. Of. Fortune, surrounded by her drooling megahounds.

She is also credited for turning all but one of the men she has dated gay. And he has since become a woman. Several gay organizations have given her "You See? It Isn't Us" awards for being a one-woman recruiting phenomenon, finally putting to rest the old myth that they are out to sign anyone up.

Seeing how attractive and, frankly, hot she actually is, few people believe her - but that's her story and she sticks with it.

Some folks on the far right wing of American religious-political ideology have accused Stephanie of broadcasting "hate speech," but I haven't heard it.

A woman of faith and (reasonable except when it comes at the expense of a really good joke) conscience, she loves people who do what she calls "The Lord's Work." That is, folks who help other people and animals and try to do the right thing for our country and work for restoring democracy in the US - regardless of where party lines fall.

Stephanie, Jim and Chris have agonized over what they consider the needless loss of life from the incursion of Iraq by President Bush and the outright lies told repeatedly by members of his administration, which they have continued to spread - even after the truth has exposed them to be lies.

The trio has also kicked the tires of liberal politicians if they deserve it, as well as given props and kudos to Republicans who have committed positive, constructive acts in government, their personal lives or the world!

I guess an open mind and sense of humor are prerequisites to get the biggest bang for your listening buck, and there are occasions when Stephanie, like all comedians, goes one toke over the line. But the gruesome twosome at her sides are right there to point, disapprove, hoot, chastise and ridicule her - just as any good friend would! ;-)

So, Stephanie - thanks for all the great information, insights and laughs!

And most of all, for not singing.