“Widows Weep, but they look for another Husband” South American Proverb
As Rio tries to pull off a trouble-free Olympic party, a few obstacles are getting in the way.  Many wondered why the diving pool water was green and smelly.  Excessive amounts of copper sulfate was the culprit. Though the swimmers and divers were top in their fields, some of the pool staff were not.  Then swimmer,Ryan Lochte and a few friends said they were robbed at gunpoint while in the city, but it seems this story was fabricated to cover up their gas station altercation with a bathroom door. This story is still unraveling as I type. What’s not in doubt is that the country is in a deep recession and their leadership is in disarray.  But the games continue and the Brazilians are positive and upbeat.  Not like their neighbors to the north.  Venezuela, according to UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon, is experiencing a Humanitarian Crisis. There is severe political unrest, financial despair and an extreme lack of food and medicine. To top off the crisis, they are experiencing an outbreak of Malaria due to desperate people going into swampy minefields in search of black-market gold. In 1961, Venezuela was the first country (even before the US) to eradicate malaria from its populated cities. But today, cases of malaria have risened 72% and the victims are lacking medicine to cure and relieve pain from this potentially deadly disease. http://goo.gl/rTpEZQ

“All Good Things Must Come to an End.” Geoffrey Chaucer (in the year 1372)
After 30 years (half his life), Artist and creator, Tyree Guyton, will be dismantling his/our (Detroit famous) Heidelberg Project of random abstract art installations on abandoned homes.  It has been a survivor, just like the city it lives in, enduring fires, vandals and attempted governmental shutdowns.  As the project took form over many years and was constantly evolving, it will take time to dismantle and change direction.  Tyree says it should take two years to painstakingly remove and reminisce about each display in preparation for the new version of Heidelberg 3.0 which he hopes will be more collaborative.

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” Thomas Dekker 
I will get to the topic of sleep in a moment, but first…will the Huffington Post be the same without its founder, Arianna Huffington, as she steps down from her namesake to focus on a new entity.  The HoffPost which started in 2005 is popular but losing audience and readership to the new guys on the block.  Changing with the times seems to be Arianna’s theme as she started out as a conservative player and now tends to lean liberal. Though I must commend her for her most passionate focus of Sleep in her new book, The Sleep Revolution, transforming your life, one night at a time.  Sleep is the key component to a healthy life and most of us don’t get enough. “Only by renewing our relationship with sleep can we take back control of our lives.”according to Ms. Huffington.  Most people need 7-9 hours of sleep, yet chronically lacking in sleep could cause serious health risks like Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Depression.  Here are 11 signs that you might need more sleep…
1. Always hungry
2. Weight gain
3. More impulsive
4. Shotty memory
5. Difficulty making decisions
6. Clumsiness
7. Emotional over-react
8. More sickly
9. Vision problems
10. Skin issues
11. Drowsy driving
If these symptoms are all too familiar, you need to change your sleep habits and find help at learning how to gain some Rapid Eye Movement (REM sleep).  Hope this helps: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/how-to-sleep-better.htm

“You’ll drift apart, it’s true, but you’ll be out in the open, part of everything alive again.” Philip Pullman
If we’ve managed to sleep the suggested 8 hours per night, that equates to 1/3 of our lifetime.  And once our (hopefully long) life is over, yet we are in need of the option of Assisted Suicide, should it be available to us?  It is legal in Oregon, Montana, Washington, Vermont, California and several foreign countries. 18 years after it was defeated on our Michigan ballot, the potential for a Michigan law in favor of Assisted suicide is back in our forefront.  Two Lansing area Democratic State Reps have presented bills to legalize physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill  patients. Our current Michigan legislature (both our house and senate) are republican including our Governor and Attorney General so the likelihood of this type of bill passing now if slim to none.  But maybe in the future, we will evolve with more compassion.  http://michiganradio.org/post/assisted-suicide-creeping-back-conversations#stream/0

In 1965, LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act (VRA) into law.  In 2013, SCOTUS gutted the law which then created a vacuum for States to pass discriminatory laws.  “Throwing out the Voting Rights Act when it has worked…is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet” – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Over a half century later, it is time to restore the VRA to its glory and protect the voting rights of all Americans.  And Bravo, this week, to our US 6th District Court of Appeals for maintaining our Straight Ticket Voting option,  in essence keeping our lines short so those with limited time aren’t discouraged from voting.  The largest group of voters using the straight ticket option are inner-city minorities who mostly vote as democrats.  Two Courts and 4 judges have now ruled the voting ban law discriminatory (which the Republican legislators instituted) but this isn’t stopping our Michigan Attorney General, Bill Schuette from continuing the fight with an emergency appeal.  I will keep you updated on this issue.

“The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.”  Thomas Jefferson
Not only do we need to restore the Voting Rights Act but we need to repeal the Citizens United decision.  A little history of this disaster.  Back in 2008, when Hillary ran for president the first time, the conservative non-profit organization Citizens United produced an unflattering documentary called “Hillary, the Movie” and planned to release it just before the Dems Primaries.  But this “campaigning” was illegal under the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.  Citizens United wouldn’t take “No” for an answer so they fought the Federal Election Commission and brought the battle to SCOTUS. In 2010 they won which also gave the right for corporations to make political donations (just like people) and they have done so in excess ever since.  To help repeal CU, we must have Hillary in the White House so she can appoint levelheaded Justices to our highest court.  While at it, let’s also take back the Senate and work on gains in our House. To do this, we must all Vote* (see important voting info below)

“The Earth has Music for Those Who Listen” Shakespeare 
This week’s musical selection is a bit self-centered and presumptuous regarding our Jewish musical influences throughout history and the world.  But it’s all true (I assume) and a bit surprising.  Did you know Harry Connick Jr. had a Jewish mother.  Here is an 8 minute historical whirlwind of Jewish music from all streams and all corners of the world.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rToAwMfKOLg