Morning Notes

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A couple of interesting things on the Imus Show this morning that deserve repeating.

● Sunday evenings on WABC Radio, Richard Cohen (married to Meredith Vieira) hosts a radio conversation building on his chronicle of people living with chronic diseases, Strong at the Broken Places. We're seeking further information regarding schedule and availability, will keep you posted. [We have confirmed that the show airs from 6-7 p.m. Sunday evenings on WABC am 770 in NYC, and it will be streamed online.]

Cohen's personal story of living with multiple sclerosis was the basis of his earlier Blindsided and he is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist. Constrained by serious illness, Cohen has chosen not to be contained, and this new venture at WABC Radio holds hope for giving voice to others who deserve their stories told and their concerns discussed.

● Col. Jack Jacobs has retired from two different careers, the first, obvious, being military. The second on Wall Street, and he has the cred to talk candidly about both. Which he does, and in the doing, shows to those who will see the linkage between Big Oil's war in Iraq and the current state of our economy. He's equally blunt discussing wind farms off Cape Cod and Gitmo.

On Guantanamo and the management of the war. "...we gotta be able to show...either we show why we've got these guys in jail...or win the war. We decided to take the easy way out [my bold] and that's why they're in Guantanamo. If we'd done the right thing in the first place we wouldn't be in this problem.

"The guys who dreamed up that strategy had no more idea than the man in the moon and thankfully they're not in business anymore."

On the economy and the state of the stock market, Jacobs is equally unequivocal. "I'm surprised it's as high as it is" which he attributes to big institutional buyers. It's gonna get worse, predicts Jacobs. Wouldn't be surprised if it drops below 10,000...America's in a worse situation than a lot of the rest of the world because the dollar is so weak. [We'll be watching for a link for the entire interview and update.] UPDATE: Here's the conversation between Imus and Jacobs today.


We decided [over the protestations of too many ordinary Americans and not enough of the Very Important Americans] to take the easy way out. Sounds like the model for the entire BushCo way of governing.

I hope Barack Obama has reached out to Col. Jacobs, Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam veteran, successful investment banker in international residential development. This is the kind of counselor, informal or in a seat of government power, who would give him real straight talk, reality based, and demanding of standards. I have no idea what his politics are, but his credentials in economics and military issues are strong. Sure would give the McCainiacs pause if he were, oh, say, a veep or SecDef prospect. And he's the kind of action-oriented thinker who could clean up the Chee-knee culture in the Pentagon.

He strikes me as a man who'd relish the challenge...if he can be talked into taking the pay cut.

● A viewing note: Kerith Foster mentioned to Imus that Michelle Obama will be a guest host today on "The View. " Not sure what the program and guests will be covering today, but one guest I'd like to see: Mary Joe Matalin. Imagine these two Chicago-style strong women as Ms. Matalin tries to b.s. her way through the Rethuglican spinpoints. Maybe they can discuss their roots among the "little people" as Matalin calls them. Telling it is that Obama celebrates her roots, Matalin...?

UPDATE: Here's Michelle Obama on The View via Huffington Post. I tried to link to the original source, honest I did, but The View's website is...well, visit for yourself, if you dare....

We'll update with links as they become available. Part 3 of our series on Fatherhood is in the works....

Strong at the Broken Places

Because we live with disability in the Sunshine household, Richard M. Cohen's appearance this morning on the Imus show caught our attention. He's touting his new book, Strong at the Broken Places, which recounts the life experiences of five people who live with chronic illnesses.

Cohen himself [Mr. Meredith Vieira of Today Show fame--and The View infamy?] lives with multiple sclerosis and now blindness.

He hit some hot buttons we understand...the disabled are not looking for a hand...or a handout. We, disabled and caregiver alike, just want to be treated like everybody else. With this book, Cohen offers, in fact, a hand out to the "normal" community but more importantly, a reaching-out to others who daily endure the challenges of life lived as fully as possible despite the crap that is disability and chronic illness.

In their conversation, Imus and Cohen amplify a telling point: these are the stories the general public--and doctors!--don't hear enough.

Don't know about you guys, but I'm planning to get this book as soon as the local bookstore opens this morning--and if they don't have it yet, I'll be ordering it online. One for us, one for the local library, one for Mr. Sunshine's doctors, one for.... well, you get the idea. This is a long overdue subject for discussion.

Kind of like the whole business of turning the page on the status quo in politics. Enough of healthcare--and living--being dictated from the top down. Patients and caregivers' voices must be heard, and Cohen offers a much needed catapult to the conversation.

And yes, there's a website. I've already stopped by, and I hope you will, too. Tell 'em Prairie sent you... Strong at the Broken Places