July 18, 2017
01. The Worship of Personal Responsibility
02. Medical Coverage Isn’t Enough
03. Do Govt. Policies Really Affect Your Health?
04. Trump Crazy? No, but 25th Amendment Talk Is
05. The Partisan Divide About College
06. OJ Hearing: Will they Cut the Juice Loose?
07. Real Dangers of a Cyber Attack
08. Vacationing with Family: Rules of Engagement
09. July is Family Reunion Month
10. How to Keep Your Grad from Moving Home
11. Surprising Things that Age You Faster
12. Prevent Alzheimer’s in 10 Minutes a Day
13. Doc: Teens Do Dumb, Dangerous Stuff
14. Teens and Faith
15. Sharks are Everywhere (On TV, Anyway)
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1. ==> The Worship of Personal Responsibility
The Senate’s vote on Health Care Reform has been
delayed once again, ironically over the health of one
of the “yes” votes, Senator John McCain. Terry Heaton
says McCain’s blood clot surgery at the Mayo Clinic is
a timely illustration of what happens when a person of
means is confronted with a life and death health
dilemma. He says, “The GOP promise to overturn
Obamacare has nothing to do with healthcare. The driver
is the Christian GOP’s worship of personal
responsibility.” He’ll discuss the idea of personal
responsibility as a moral contract with culture, and
how conservatives – especially Christian conservatives
– use it in considering social issues or problems. “At
core, it states that human beings choose, instigate, or
otherwise cause their own actions. It’s a neat, black
and white, and ordered principle that ignores time and
chance in the events of life, and has become more of a
yardstick for measuring others than a genuine operating
philosophy for life.” He says it also functions as a
form of moral superiority for the rich, because it
leads to the argument of the American Dream of
prosperity. Terry Heaton is a retired television news
executive, news consultant, and the author of seven
books, including his latest, “The Gospel of Self: How
Jesus Joined the GOP.” The memoir draws on his
experience as executive producer of The 700 Club in the
1980s, up to and including Pat Robertson’s run for
president in 1988. Contact him at
theaton@reinvent21.com, @TerryHeaton
2. ==> Medical Coverage Isn’t Enough
It’s well known that the bill to repeal the Affordable
Care Act (ACA) now making its way through the Senate
would deny coverage to tens of millions of Americans.
But Dr. Donald Berwick says less well known is that it
would make quality of care worse. “Despite the best
efforts of the extraordinary American health care
workforce, the care system is riddled with problems in
quality that no other industry would think of
tolerating: safety hazards, wild variations in
practice, abusive waiting times, inequities, and
failures to respect individual patients’ and families’
values. Tens of thousands of American die each year
from errors in their care.” Berwick has worked on
‘delivery system reform’ – changing the processes of
care, and says the ACA includes reform measures while
the Senate and House bills do not. Donald Berwick, MD,
MPP, FRCP is president emeritus and senior fellow at
the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), which
he co-founded and led for 18 years. He served as
President Obama’s appointee as administrator of the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and
has served on the faculties of the Harvard Medical
School and the Harvard School of Public Health. Contact
Sandy George at (617) 413-6126;
sandy@cxocommunication.com
3. ==> Do Govt. Policies Really Affect Your Health?
As Republicans continue to push their version of
health-care policy through the Senate, 30-year career
environmental consultant Ellen Moyer, Ph.D., says
America is nowhere near a solution to putting health
back into health care. Moreover, she points out, the
U.S.’s current unaffordable health-care system focuses
too much on treating disease after allowing it to
happen rather than on preventing disease from occurring
in the first place. Invite Moyer to discuss the strong
connection between government policies and public
health. “Taxpayer-funded food subsidies are primarily
used to promote junk food that makes us sick rather
than foods that make us healthy. Meanwhile, government
agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture end up protecting
industry from citizens rather than citizens from
industry.” Moyer will discuss realistic ways to promote
health and reduce health-care costs that involve
education and reducing air and water pollution and
industry influence on food and medicine. Ellen Moyer is
a registered professional engineer with a B.A. in
anthropology, an M.S. in environmental engineering, a
Ph.D. in civil engineering, and 30 years of
environmental engineering experience. “Our Earth, Our
Species, Our Selves: How to Thrive While Creating a
Sustainable World” is her third book. Contact her at
(413) 862-3452; ellenmoyer@em-green.com
4. ==> Trump Crazy? No, but 25th Amendment Talk Is
Talk of impeaching Donald Trump has mostly involved
charges he’s crooked, but Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has
a different plan: he wants to remove Trump on the
grounds that he’s crazy. Raskin, a former law professor
and now a member of the House Judiciary Committee,
favors invoking the 25th Amendment’s provisions for
declaring the president “unable to discharge the powers
and duties of his office.” The bill now has 25
cosponsors, but Cato Institute VP Gene Healy sees it as
little more than a publicity stunt. “Raskin has a point
when he charges that Trump’s ongoing ‘bizarre litany of
events and outbursts’ has raised legitimate concerns
about his temperament and stability. But the 25th
Amendment wasn’t designed for ejecting ‘merely’ erratic
or untrustworthy presidents. Introduced in the wake of
the Kennedy assassination, it aimed at situations of
total disability, whether temporary or permanent. The
worry with Trump isn’t that he’s ‘unable to discharge’
the powers of his office—it’s that he’s reckless and
immature enough to do enormous damage while he does
so.” Gene Healy has appeared on PBS’s Newshour with Jim
Lehrer and NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and his work has
been published in numerous publications. Healy is the
author of “The Cult of the Presidency.” Contact him at
(202) 789-5200; ghealy@cato.org
5. ==> The Partisan Divide About College
Nobody who follows politics is surprised that a Pew
Research study showed stark partisan divides in the way
Republicans and Democrats view institutions, with 58%
of Republicans saying colleges and universities have a
negative effect on the direction of our country. As a
professor with a background in politics, Lara Schwartz
is familiar with academia being a right-wing media
whipping post. But, she says, the partisan divide about
college reflects our dislike of each other.
“Longstanding but increased Republican dislike of
academia isn’t about academia at all; it’s about
liberals. It’s a problem because attacking the liberal
academic straw man harms students themselves—many of
whom are facing the economic uncertainty that pundits
insist propelled Trump to the White House. Colleges and
universities aren’t brainwashing the few people who
come through our doors, and Republicans actually want
their kids to attend.” Lara Schwartz teaches law and
government at American University School of Public
Affairs specializing in constitutional law, civil
rights, politics, communications, and policy. Contact
her at (202) 885-5950; (202)885-6682 or
lschwartz@american.edu
6. ==> OJ Hearing: Will they Cut the Juice Loose?
A parole board in Nevada will decide whether OJ Simpson
should be released from prison after serving nine years
of his 33-year sentence for armed robbery and assault
with a weapon in a botched bid to retrieve sports
memorabilia. Invite Los Angeles-based criminal defense
attorney, Alaleh (Ahh-La- Lay) Kamran to discuss who
will decide OJ’s fate, what will be taken into
consideration, and what will come next if he’s released
on parole. Alaleh Kamran has handled a number of high-
profile cases over the past 25 years. Many of her
clients are rap and R&B artists, and other celebrities,
including those in film and television. She’s appeared
on numerous shows including Access Hollywood. Contact
Cherie Kerr at (714) 271- 2140; cherie@kerrpr-
execuprov.com
7. ==> Real Dangers of a Cyber Attack
Imagine what would happen if suddenly there were no
cell phone service, no electrical power, no water and
no food. But that’s not all. Imagine if there were no
functioning banks and financial institutions,
automobiles, trucks and computers stopped working,
railroads were unable to roll and airplanes were unable
to fly, hospitals were unable to function and grocery
store shelves went unfilled. According to Robin Burk,
Ph.D., MBA, such a scenario is possible should portions
of America’s computer networks, electric grid etc. be
hit by a short burst of electromagnetic energy from the
type of nuclear weapon North Korea has already tested –
or by crippling cyber-attacks. She says it is only
prudent to start planning now for potential attacks
that could badly disrupt the systems we rely on. Burk’s
message is all the more powerful because of who she is:
She was in charge of the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency’s interdependent networks research and is an
expert on network science. The DTRA is an organization
tasked with safeguarding national infrastructure
against weapons of mass destruction. Robin Burk has
been featured in Wired and on MSNBC. She is the author
of the upcoming book “We Don’t Have to Collapse but We
Could: How to Fix the Complex Systems We Rely On.”
Contact her at (703) 346-4448;
robin.kowalchuk.burk@gmail.com
8. ==> Vacationing with Family: Rules of Engagement
At its best, summer vacation should be a time for
relaxing and recharging. For many, it may mean feeling
forced to spend time with insistent parents. The author
of “Coping with Un-cope-able Parents,” and the only
child of a demanding, formerly alcoholic father, Carol-
Ann Hamilton will answer the question: how much do you
really owe your troublesome folks? Her advice spans
opening one’s own abode to disagreeable family members,
surviving a stay in the childhood home and or traveling
together to a separate location all in the name of
vacation. Carol-Ann helps adult children to set
boundaries, find “me time,” end long-standing
traditions they dislike and focus on aspects of the
vacation that will restore their sanity. Contact her at
(905) 822-2503; carolann@carolannhamilton.com
9. ==> July is Family Reunion Month
Half of all family reunions take place in the summer
when children are out of school; weather conditions are
less restrictive; and people are more willing to travel
to meet up with cousins, uncles, aunts and assorted
other relatives they may see infrequently, if at all,
according to the travel booking website
GroupTravel.org. Event planner Lynn Fuhler is a big fan
of family reunions. “If they’re done right, they can
bridge the geographical and emotional distance in
today’s mobile society.” She adds, “Thanks to online
surveys and online invitations, pulling off a well-
received family reunion is now easier than ever!”
Invite Lynn and learn how long you should plan in
advance, great places to hold reunions for families of
all ages, and how to delegate tasks so you’re not doing
all the work! Lynn Fuhler is the former tourism
director of Clearwater Beach, Fla., and former chairman
of the largest free jazz festival in the Southeast. She
is the author of “Secrets to Successful Events: How to
Organize, Promote and Manage Exceptional Events and
Festivals,” which has been used as a college textbook.
Contact her at (336) 499-6372; contact-
lynn@lynnfuhler.com
10. ==> How to Keep Your Grad from Moving Home
Did you know that half of all new college grads end up
underemployed in positions that do not require a degree
(think Uber driver)? No one wants that to happen to
their kid—especially with all their college debt—nor to
have their recent grad take up permanent residence in
their basement. Diane Huth can help. She teaches
millennials all the self-branding skills they need to
find good jobs using a six-step system. Diane, a
marketing and branding guru who teaches at two
universities, demystifies the black hole of the online
application process, sheds light on using social media
to gain the job-hunting advantage and discusses
networking skills most new grads don’t even think about
acquiring. For students still in college, she’ll
explain the one essential step students need to take
well before graduation that can give them a critical
edge. Diane became an accidental career expert while
teaching marketing to college students when she
discovered that they lacked basic skills for finding a
professional job and getting hired fast. She is the
author of “BRAND YOU! To Land Your Dream Job: A Step-
by-Step Guide to Find a Great Job, Get Hired &
Jumpstart Your Career.” Reach her at (210) 601-7852 or
diane@BrandYouGuide.com.
11. ==> Surprising Things that Age You Faster
No one wants to set themselves up for premature aging.
But, as healing arts practitioner Marie Knoetig
explains, there are many decisions we make without
thinking that can lead us to grow old in the worst
possible way. According to Knoetig, everyday choices
like what shoes we wear, the quality of the living room
couch we sit on and the mattress we lay down on can
have dire consequences. “These are all things that can
help you grow old gracefully but no one gives them much
thought,” she says. “The foundation of good health does
not involve going to the gym. No, the foundation for
good health is living your life by keeping your body
straight. If your hips and spine are out of position,
then everything else is off—your economy of movement is
off, cleaning is harder, you have no energy. The good
news is that making simple changes can alter the
outcome.” Marie Knoetig is the author of “The Missing
Piece to Health and Aging Gracefully.” Contact her at
(603) 851-8217 (NH); marie.bodywithin@gmail.com
12. ==> Prevent Alzheimer’s in 10 Minutes a Day
More than 5 million Americans are currently living with
the memory-robbing disease known as Alzheimer’s.
Moreover, their numbers are expected to reach nearly 14
million by 2050. But what if there was something you
could do to prevent this dreaded disease? And what if
no one was telling you about it? There is such a
therapy and you can interview one of the pioneers.
According to Michael Morgan, his research shows strong
evidence of the promise of craniosacral therapy in the
treatment of at-risk people and those in the early to
mid-stages of dementia. He’ll explain what craniosacral
therapy is (it’s also being used by NFL players, and
children with autism) and ways it can increase
longevity. Morgan is the author of “The BodyEnergy
Longevity Prescription: How CranioSacral Therapy Helps
Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia While Improving the
Quality of Your Life.” Reach him at (312) 543-4719;
media@bodyenergy.net
13. ==> Doc: Teens Do Dumb, Dangerous Stuff
As a young trauma surgeon, Akram Alashari, M.D., has
had to repair the consequences of poor decision making
made by teens who end up on his operating table. He is
now making it his mission to help parents step up their
game to not only help their children succeed
academically, but to say no to such dangerous behaviors
as gang activity, binge drinking, distracted driving,
and drug abuse. Dr. Alashari will discuss how parents
can get their kids eager to learn, how foster healthy
decision-making and resilience, and the most common
mistakes made when parents try to motivate kids. Dr.
Alashari, the youngest double board-certified surgeon
in the United States, created the online course “Peak
Performance for Parents: How to Get Your Children to
Achieve Straight A’s”
He’s the author of “The Power of Peak State.” Contact
him at (407) 617-4795;
thepeakperformancedoctor@gmail.com
14. ==> Teens and Faith
J.F. Tucker is hoping his new YA novel will help shine
a light on teen struggles and the role of spirituality
in a teen’s life. His book, “Revelations,” is about a
16-year old girl traumatized by the sudden death of her
best friend. The story touches on self-worth,
questioning faith, and finding love, even in the
darkness. (It also features fantasy elements like
demons and ancient religious orders.) Tucker says the
struggles are rooted firmly in contemporary teenage
reality and he hopes “Revelations” can be a valuable
resource for parents and teenagers to confront and
discuss social pressures and depression – while finding
hope with God and family. Contact him at (619)
213-3143; jasminflorestucker@gmail.com
15. ==> Sharks are Everywhere (On TV, Anyway)
From Shark Week to Sharkfest, it seems July is all
about the shark, at least on TV. After watching you
might wonder whether it’s safe to venture beyond the
shoreline. Invite George Burgess, director of the
University of Florida Program for Shark Research to
help put things in perspective. He’s one of the top
shark attack experts in the world and even manages the
official Shark Attack File of all known attacks on
humans! He’ll tell you how to avoid a shark attack,
survive one, and whether shark attacks are increasing.
In the meantime, be reassured: your chance of getting
attacked by a shark in your lifetime is 1 in
11,000,000. So it turns out that it is safe to go back
in the water, as long as you’ve got the facts! Contact
Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137;
johanna@jrbcomm.com