Medicare pays for $93,000 Drug That Extends life 4 Months?

Medicare will now pay for a prostate cancer drug called Provenge that costs $93,000 and only promises to extend life for 4 months?

What's wrong with this picture?

According to the linked article, "Medicare is legally prohibited from considering price when deciding whether to pay for a new treatment." If I were CEO of a pharmaceutical company, I would see this rule as a license to print money, as I'm sure the forward thinking folks at Dendreon Corp., the company that makes Provenge, obviously did. They estimate $1 billion in sales next year alone!

Question: Is death so frightening that a person would spend $93,000 to stave it off just 4 months?

Learning About Non-reaction from Coach Cal

I'm learning a lot from this guy.

I've watched just about every minute of of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball coverage this year, as I often do when I'm in Lexington. Apart from the excitement of the games, I'm extremely impressed with the character of the coaches at this level of play.

Particularly Coach John Calipari of our Kentucky Wildcats. We get to see a bit more of him in local news coverage here in Lexington, and we're the better for it.

BE Your Body to Ward Off Disease?

Wow. This article is exactly what I'm talking about.

High BMI? What it means for your child, and what you can do about it

Apparently, Michelle Obama needs a doctor to tell her that her kids are getting too fat. I feel sorry for these girls later in life.

Occasionally, I sit with my mom, who is in her 70s, and watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. While I will happily admit to enjoying them from time to time, it's clear from the commercials that these shows know exactly which demographic is watching: old people. Every other ad is for something having to do with bladder control, bowel movements, dentures and all sorts of exotic prescription medication with a list of potential side effects that take up the second half of the thirty second spot, and read at double speed at that.

My mom and I often joke that the announcer ought to just come right out and say it: "If this medicine doesn't kill you, it might just cause your psoriasis to itch a little less."

Response to Canadian Therapists Concerns About Eckhart Tolle

Here is an article from Integral Options Cafe, discussing a piece by Douglas Todd, originally written for the Vancouver sun:

Canadian Therapists Worry that Clients Use Eckhart Tolle as a Spiritual Bypass

Here is my response:

This is a thought provoking article, but the main argument is a straw man. Tolle doesn't say you should gloss over the past. He simply urges people to deal with the past as it arises in the present, or "in the now." Negativity in the past, if it was dealt with effectively then (if it wasn't grieved and processed at the time), will inevitably resurface as what Tolle calls a "pain-body" attack. This occurs in the present and can be dissolved through awareness, allowing it to be, while focusing on the uncomfortable sensation that it causes (emotion, Tolle says, is the body's reaction to a thought). Inevitably, too, this process brings to mind the unconscious thoughts that are causing the pain and the sufferer awakens a bit further.

You are right when you point out that Tolle's philosophy is more sophisticated that some of his followers realize. But it is not a sophistication of the head, it is that of the heart. Tolle says we learn from the past but we should not live in it, nor the future.

Interview with Readers of The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder

I interviewed a couple of local readers about my book, The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder. See what they had to say:

The Reviews Keep Coming on Amazon!

Jeana of Lexington writes:

"Beautifully spun web of "self-improvement" book synopses, theology, mystery and murder. A creative, well-written and engaging concept. Mr. Wright's story telling ability makes it unnecessary to have read each of the "self-improvement" books....but he leaves the reader with a desire to add each to their reading list. A+++"

Thanks, Jeana!

Another Review on Amazon!

From Delia C. of Lexington, Kentucky:

I loved the book...couldn't put it down! Wright's description of a 'self-improvement book thinly disguised as a murder mystery' is totally spot-on! The characters were perfect vehicles for presenting the foremost points in each self-improvement book for the reader to agree with or argue (as the characters did so well with one another), from either a philosophical, a religious, or merely a personal standpoint. This book not only makes me curious to read more of Wright's future publications, but also makes me want to completely read each of the 'self-improvement' books so cleverly outlined in this novel as well. It actually IS an easy, and interesting read, and in turn may make the novels mentioned in it more interesting and easy to read for me in the future. Enjoy!

Thanks, Delia!

Reviews are coming in on Amazon!

From Darla O. of Baton Rouge, LA:

Do you enjoy reading? Do you enjoy a murder mystery? Do you enjoy knowing what makes different people tick? Would you enjoy an intelligent read that is 100% non-offensive in language or actions? Do you struggle with finding new, fresh reading material that is worth spending your time reading? Do you want to read a book that is truly a joy to read? If you answered yes to any of those questions the good news is this is the perfect book for you! It is a page turner and you will wrongly guess time and time again who is the guilty party. In our hectic, fast paced world, time is at a premium ... But you will be glad you took the time to read this book. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel ... There are many veteran writers who will never produce a product near this captivating. There are certain authors whom I will buy simply because it is their work ... John Grisham, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Maggie Lamond Simone and now I gladly add Todd Wright to that list. Thank you Mr. Wright for such an immensely enjoyable read!

Thanks, Darla!

Book Club Murder Now Available at Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky, is now carrying The Self-Improvement Book Club Murder.

It's also available for order from any book store across the country through Ingram Book Wholesalers. I would be grateful if you would ask your local shop to carry it. That would give you an opportunity to take a look at it before you buy.

The opposite of a 'Tiger Father': leaving your children behind

Frank Rizzuto

Frank Rizzuto says that he never wanted to be a father.

"I had this idea that fatherhood was this really all-encompassing thing," he explained on the Today Show, where he was talking about his new memoir,"Hiroshima in the Morning." "I was afraid of being swallowed up by that."

Ten years ago, when his sons were 5 and 3, Rizzuto received a fellowship to spend six months in Japan, researching a book about the survivors of Hiroshima. Four months in, when his children came to visit, he had an epiphany: He didn't want to be a full-time father anymore. When he returned to New York, he ended his 20-year marriage and chose not to be his kids' custodial parent.


[This is a parody!]