BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

by Toni Bernhard, J.D. The Stigma of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I've been sick since 2001 when I failed to recover from what appeared to be an acute viral infection. It has left me mostly house-bound, often bed-bound. In effect, I've had the flu without the fever for almost ten years: the aches and pains, the dazed sick feeling, the low grade headache, the severe fatigue. It cost me my career as a law professor; it cost me the ability to be active in the lives of my children and grandchildren. Because I meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) case definition, I've been given the diagnosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Although there have been some promising developments (a possible connection to a retrovirus; the presence of unique proteins in the spinal fluid of CFS patients), as of this writing, there's no proven cause and no cure. This is not surprising, given that so little money is allocated for research into this debilitating illness. Why? One reason i...

This article rang true for me and how I have spent the last 6+ years of my life. I hope you get something from it also. - Barbara The Point of Return by Rosally Saltsman We can take the most insidious penchant, and nurture it into a positive and restorative force. Frank Abagnale, the "hero" of the book and movie Catch Me if You Can , was one of the most infamous contemporary outlaws. He successfully eluded the FBI, Interpol and the Justice system of 26 countries for five years, while amassing millions. After being caught and serving five years in prison, he was offered a chance to redeem himself by working for the U.S. government, uncovering the kind of schemes that he himself had perpetuated. He went from master criminal to crime prevention, protecting companies around the world from people like himself. Moreover, he paid back all the money he stole. Abagnale's success story is paralleled in the Talmud. Reish Lakish was a successful bandit known for his unusua...

The tea party protests continued last week, as Congresswoman Michele Bachmann held an anti-health-care-reform rally on the steps of the Capitol. While she estimated that 20,000-45,000 people attended the event, the Washington Post reported it was actually more like 10,000. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis Still, that is a sizable number of Americans exercising their right to free speech and assembly, and that warrants news coverage. But Sean Hannity and his team did more than cover the event. They not only inflated the number in attendance with their words, but actually used footage from a heavily-attended protest this summer to make this health care rally appear more popular. Hannity even pointed out that this was a huge crowd for a Thursday, when the protest footage they used was from a Saturday. HANNITY'S DAMAGE CONTROL “…the ...

The Jewish high holidays -- which end today on Yom Kippur -- are a time when many are called upon to repent and seek forgiveness from others. But in a world where the Internet has increasingly become a way to communicate, some are replacing one-on-one apologies with Facebook and Twitter updates during the Jewish holy days. That concerns Rabbi Jason Miller of Congregation T'chiyah in Oak Park, who sees some using the impersonal nature of the Web as a way to avoid real interaction. He plans to talk about the issue today to his congregation during services on what is known as the Day of Atonement. "We've lost the personal touch," said Miller, who also is the rabbi of Tamarack Camps in Michigan. "There should be an effort, a little challenge to go up to another person and seek forgiveness, to admit our wrongdoing." Miller often uses social media himself and blogs at blog.rabbijason.com, but cautions against overdoing it. He notes one Facebook update he got Frida...

Releasing Guilt We all know what it feels like to feel guilty about something and many of us struggle with feeling guilty all the time. Guilt makes us feel that we are somehow unforgivable. While this experience is common, it is detrimental to our overall well-being. Feeling guilty generally promotes a sense of powerlessness-an anguished agonizing over a past action that cannot be changed . The problem with this is that it doesn't inspire us to forgive ourselves, make amends for mistakes, and move forward free of emotional baggage. Originally, guilt referred to the fine paid for proven wrongdoing. Once you made the payment, in time, amends or money, for what you had done , you were free-free of the sentence and free of the guilt. The problem with guilt as it is often experienced now is that it becomes a permanent state of mind for some people. In this case, it is a neurotic preoccupation rather than a fair assessment of wrongdoing followed by a course of action that leads to repa...

I've been on the recieving end of that blame-the-victim 'defense.' Didn't you all know that "hell hath no fury" and I'm a "scorned woman, a psycho, a horror, a liar" and more? Then I am glad I have illuminated you as to my allegedly 'true' character... and character assassination is a crime in my book. When a large corporation does it it's UNCONSCIONABLE In this case "blame the victim" becomes "blame the insurance company for blaming the victim." Say that 10 times fast. Excuse me, Marriott? There's a little something called taking responsibility for your actions. Read up on it. A corporation with a shred of true integrity would have never let that lawsuit go out the door, even under pressure from an insurance company. (and insurance companies are known for being soul-sucking, heartless, ponerized organizations... just ask me. I have personal knowledge about that too.) A corporation with even moderate i...

Have we all heard about Chris Brown beating up Rhianna? You haven't? Then please come out of your cave because I am about to vent. I have been there and been called all the same names Brown is calling Rihanna as well as being the recipient of the lamest "apologies" ever. Mr. Brown, no matter " what kind of person " Rhianna " really is " or how she's " crazy " or a " scorned woman " - nothing, I repeat NOTHING justifies you beating her up. All bets were off the minute you laid a hand on her. And frankly, we are all getting damn tired of you abusive, manipulative, selfish jerks calling women archaic names just to take the heat off yourself. You're an ABUSER, Mr. Brown... man up and take some responsibility for your actions. And your apology? Let me thank you for yet another great example of NARCISSISM at work. It's meaningless... doesn't take ANY responsibility for your actions... doesn't own or acknowledge ...

Dear Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin: This is my public apology to John McCain, Sarah Palin, Republican voters, Christian evangelicals, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Mike Gallagher and everyone else in the non-Jewish universe who stands four-square behind the State of Israel. While you have written, spoken and, yes, even prayed in strong opposition to any retrofitting of American policy on behalf of the Jewish state, nearly eight out of every 10 American Jews failed to demonstrate similar resolve on Election Day. Those dancing along with the Democratic faithful in Grant Park included Jews from almost all sectors of American life: young and old, Reconstructionist and Orthodox, wealthy and poor. So enamored were the revelers of the symbolism of electing a man of color to the Oval Office that they fatefully overlooked what he stands for and,worse, what he will not stand against. Who would have ever imagined that it would fall to our non-Jewish neighbors to take up the cause of Israel’s survival a...

by David R. Blumenthal Teshuva (Repentance) Teshuvá is the key concept in the rabbinic view of sin, repentance, and forgiveness. The tradition is not of one mind on the steps one must take to repent of one's sins. However, almost all agree that repentance requires five elements: recognition of one's sins as sins (hakarát ha-chét'), remorse (charatá), desisting from sin (azivát ha-chét'), restitution where possible (peira'ón), and confession (vidúi). "Recognition of one's sins as sins" is an act of one's intelligence and moral conscience. It involves knowing that certain actions are sinful, recognizing such actions in oneself as more than just lapses of praxis, and analyzing one's motives for sin as deeply as one can. For example, stealing from someone must be seen not only as a crime but also as a sin against another human and a violation of God's demands of us within the covenant. It also involves realizing that such acts are part of deep...

Cross posted in support of HARRY's PLACE Last Friday, in the wake of a closely argued debate about whether Mohammed Sawalha, the President of the British Muslim Initiative, had used the phrase “Evil Jew” or “Jewish Lobby” in a speech, Harry’s Place received a letter . The letter is from Dean and Dean, a firm of solicitors who are acting for Mr Sawalha. Mr Sawalha has demanded that we take down certain articles from Harry’s Place, and publish an apology “in the attached wording”. The solicitors have failed to attach the apology that Mr Sawalha insists we publish. That omission matters little, as we have no intention of apologising to him at all, nor of taking down any article. We have responded to Mr Sawalha’s solicitors, through Mishcon de Reya, who are acting for us. Mr Sawalha claims that we have “chosen a malevolent interpretation of a meaningless word”. In fact, we did no more than translate a phrase which appeared in an Al Jazeera report of Mr Sawalha’s speech. When Al Jazeer...

There Are Some Who Don’t Say Sorry I read this story and thought, "wow - I could have written this myself! " It's always powerful to read the inner thoughts of others in emotionally & verbally abusive relationships. The loneliness and emptiness of being in this sort of relationship is soul crushing. And as this piece below says, ' you don't recognize yourself. ' In counseling, I have met at least 25 women who all say the same things, in essence 'I didn't know what I was doing when I was with him. I can't believe I did those things. I was so brainwashed. It just wasn't like me to behave like that.' No, I believe it - I have been there. Bruises, blood, marks - are easy to see. But the pain inside is invisible... and I can tell you unless your abuser makes REAL & GENUINE amends - you can't heal, you can't move on and it never, ever heals. You adapt, your pain & anger empower you in some ways - but only the abuser ...