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August 5, 2011:

THE CANCER OF CANCER

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, if we may forego frivolities for a moment, I feel a rant coming on. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, feel a rant coming on. I don’t know that this rant will make anyone happy, I don’t know that anyone will care about this rant but rant I shall, nonetheless. Yesterday morning, I received a call from my friend Barry Pearl, telling me we’d lost our mutual friend Annette Cardona to cancer. Say what? I’d just seen her earlier this year and she was in great shape. He then told me that she’d been diagnosed just four weeks ago, that it was, according to the doctors, widespread. She underwent one bout of chemotherapy and was in such pain that she just said “Forget it.” And then she died. Were we tremendously close friends. No. I adored her and have known her for over forty years. We went to Los Angeles City College together, and she played Rosemary to my Finch in How To Succeed (along with fellow cast mates Linda Hart and Michael Lembeck). She began working professionally even before she’d gone to LACC, and right after leaving she was in the national tour of Promises, Promises, then played the Acid Queen in Tommy at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood. But her biggest claim to fame would come a few years later when she played Cha-Cha in the film of Grease, where she met Barry. I saw her a few times over the years and always had fun with her. But more recently, we’d become reacquainted when she performed in Glittering Diamonds, the celebration of LACC’s Theater Department’s 75th anniversary, which I co-directed. It was great being around her again, and we re-created Been A Long Day for that show. It was like no time at all had gone by. Then I invited her to be part of a panel of successful theater academy graduates – one of our LACCTAA events. She was smart, beautiful, and delightful, as always. We said that we should have dinner, but she was a very busy therapist and I was consumed with my stuff, so we never quite got around to supping. I saw her a couple of times at the Hollywood Show. And earlier this year, I saw her at Paramount Studios for the private screening of the sing-a-long Grease that Barry and I attended. We all went out after, and once again we said we should try to sup. It didn’t happen, and now, of course, I really wish it had. Her card is still sitting right in front of me next to the computer.

I am heartily sick of cancer and it claiming the lives of people all over the world and also of people I know personally. Two of my favorite singers and people, two people I was incredibly close to are both dead of cancer – Laurie Beechman and Michelle Nicastro. My mother died from a form of cancer. I have friends who are currently fighting it and other friends who lost the battle. At least one of our beloved dear readers fought it successfully and we all pray every day that she stays cancer-free. But here’s the damn thing: Cancer was first written about 1200 years ago by Hippocrates. Let me say that again – 1200 years ago. We live in a world now where technology is unbelievably amazing, complex, and seemingly able to do anything, from computers to personal devices and sophisticated cell phones and hi-def TV and virtual reality games and the ability for the government to know everything there is to know about everyone, and the ability for identity thieves to steal people’s entire lives. But cancer? Nah. Can’t cure that. Not for 1200 bloody years. Something is surely and sorely wrong with this picture, just as there’s something wrong with the picture of not being able to cure the common cold. And, like many people in the world, at some point you just become cynical about it and why shouldn’t people become cynical? Cancer is a billion dollar a year industry. There are alternative ways to treat the disease but the cancer industry does not seem to want you to know about them. All I know is that the cancer industry, with trillions of dollars and decades upon decades of research, hasn’t found a cure. I found online a few interesting quotes from a few interesting people who believe in alternative ways of curing this disease. They’re worth reading. For example, from the Natural Treatment For Cancer:

“They (the Cancer Industry) don’t want to CURE cancer, certainly not with free/low cost natural treatments. Rather they want to CONTROL it, using expensive pharmaceutical drugs which generate huge and, most importantly for them, repeat profits. Were a natural cure for cancer be presented to the world tomorrow, the mega multi billion dollar Cancer Industry would come crashing down; the gravy train would be derailed, and the thousands of people who make a good living off the back of other people’s suffering would lose their cosy, well paid jobs. Too many people have vested interests in the status quo being maintained for that to happen. For them cancer is the goose that lays the golden eggs! This is the reason information about wonderful natural treatments (like Essiac, the Hoxsey Cancer Treament , Laetrile etc. etc.) is purposely suppressed. When information on such things does seep out it is met with a barrage of lies and misinformation, and proponents of such treatments suffer harrassment, blackballing and character assassination.”

Here are some quotes from doctors and scientists:

“As a retired physician, I can honestly say that unless you are in a serious accident, your best chance of living to a ripe old age is to avoid doctors and hospitals, and learn nutrition, herbal medicine and other forms of natural medicine. Almost all drugs are toxic and designed only to treat symptoms and not to cure anyone. Most surgery is unnecessary. In short, our mainstream medical system is hopelessly inept and/or corrupt. The treatment of cancer and degenerative diseases is a national scandal. The sooner you learn this, the better off you will be.” – Dr. Allan Greenberg

“As a chemist trained to interpret data, it is incomprehensible to me that physicians can ignore the clear evidence that chemotherapy does much, much more harm than good.” Dr. Alan Nixon Ph.D , former President of the American Chemical Society.

“A study which shows the majority of oncologists who refer patients for chemotherapy for lung cancer would not themselves take chemotherapy for lung cancer. And in fact if the chemotherapy involved cis-platen, something like 75% of them said they wouldn’t take it. But what do these people do all day long? They’re sending people for cis-platen” – Ralph Moss PhD

“I had a brain cancer specialist sit in my living room and tell me that he would never take radiation if he had a brain tumor. And I asked him, “But do you send people for radiation?” And he said, “Of course. I’d be drummed out of the hospital if I didn’t.” – Ralph Moss PhD

“The pharmaceutical companies are a hundred billion dollar [a year] business in this country. They have a tremendous control over what is taught in medical schools because they give grants to medical schools. By the method of giving grants and research funds, they control them. And so, what you learn in medical school is not how to heal people naturally, but you learn only what drug to give.”
“And all you have to look in is the Physician’s Desk Reference on the bad reactions of drugs. And there are pages and pages, accompanying each drug, describing all the bad things that can happen. And so, doctors are only learning about drugs, rather than natural healing.
Naturally, they can only give you what they have learned, not necessarily what is the best thing for you. And so, there’s a tremendous amount of ignorance within the medical profession, as well as within patients. This is a terrible problem, and I don’t see it being rectified soon because the pharmaceutical companies want to keep their hundred billion dollar [a year] business going. And, of course, fruits and grains and vegetables and these alternative methods are not patentable. And so, they are not a lucrative source of the medical/industrial complex to continue to make their gains with.” – Dr. Lorraine Day

“To the cancer establishment, a cancer patient is a profit centre. The actual clinical and scientific evidence does not support the claims of the cancer industry. Conventional cancer treatments are in place as the law of the land because they pay, not heal, the best. Decades of the politics-of-cancer-as-usual have kept you from knowing this, and will continue to do so unless you wake up to their reality.” – Dr. John Diamond M.D. and Dr. Lee Cowden M.D.

“Chemotherapy is an incredibly lucrative business for doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies…The medical establishment wants everyone to follow the same exact protocol. They don’t want to see the chemotherapy industry go under, and that’s the number one obstacle to any progress in oncology.” – Dr. Glenn Warner M.D.

“Behind this is the weirdest conglomeration of corrupt motives, intrigue, selfishness, jealousy, obstruction and conspiracy that I have ever seen.” – Senator Benedict Fitzgerald (Conclusion of the ‘Fitzgerald Report To Congress’ concerning the suppression of alternative treatments for cancer.)

“Everyone should know that the ‘war on cancer’ is largely a fraud.” – Dr Linus Pauling, double Nobel Prize winner.

Now, are all these people quacks, as the cancer industry would have everyone believe? Are they all conspiracy theorists? I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. All I know is something is wrong somewhere and something has to be done about it. Enough is enough. I apologize for the length of these notes and for the rant, especially if it’s uncomfortable for anyone. But it’s time to stop this and stop it now and maybe I’m naïve, but in the world in which we live, with the technology at our fingertips and the brilliance of some scientists, something’s gotta give. Unless the billion dollar a year industry doesn’t want something to give. It’s certainly something to ponder. I pondered it most of yesterday. End of rant and back to our regularly scheduled notes.

I managed to get seven hours of sleep, and then I got up, got the sad news, and then went on the four-mile jog. I then had to go to our rehearsal at Vitello’s. My engineer was there briefly, as we’re going to record the show – don’t know whether we’ll actually issue it, but they want a professional recording that they can use for audio clips and whatnot. Then we ran the entire act and it was fascinating for Melody and for me and her folks. This particular room is very difficult to figure out. The Gardenia is a very intimate room – everyone is close to you and it’s just a tiny little jernt. Whereas Vitello’s is a much bigger room, much more spread out, and you’re on an actual stage. And so, some of the immediacy is gone and what Melody instantly found was that some of her great energy just gets sucked up in this room, so you have to work a little harder to project that energy. We discussed it at length and she’ll now work on that. You don’t want it to be forced and I made sure she knew that – every room is different and for this room you just have to notch everything up a little bit more than you would in a smaller room.

After rehearsal, I picked up some mail (bills, bills and more bills – many of which I have to pay today), then went to Gelson’s and got a nice piece of halibut. I then came home and made the halibut and it was quite a yummilicious lunch/dinner. It’s fantastic that a big piece of halibut only has about 350 calories, so I had lots of other little goodies throughout the day and evening and still should be all right, calorie-wise. Then I did a ton of work on the computer and had a couple of telephonic calls. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Went The Day Well, a wonderful little British movie from Britain, directed by Cavalcanti, an underrated director, who did a few Ealing Studios films, including stuff for their classic Dead Of Night film. It’s the story of a small town during WWII, said town infiltrated by German soldiers pretending to be British soldiers. Everyone in the town falls for it, until someone finally uncovers the plot. I really enjoyed it quite a lot. It has a very brief but effective score by William Walton. The transfer is great – some damage here and there, but I don’t care one or even two whits about that stuff – it’s sharp, has great contrast, and looks wonderful. There are some more Ealing films coming to Blu and Ray soon, albeit in region B.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must try and get a really good night’s beauty sleep.

Today, I have a bunch of writing to do, and we really have to finish casting this one role that I can’t seem to find anyone for. I’m waiting to hear from one gal, and if that doesn’t work out, then I’m going to someone who’s fun and reliable. I have errands and whatnot to do, and hopefully some packages and an important envelope to pick up, and then I have to pay an absolutely obscene number of bills. After that, I’ll eat something light but amusing and then I hope to just zone out.

Tomorrow, it’s more of the same, and then I’m seeing my pal Lissa Levin’s play tomorrow night. Sunday, we have a dress rehearsal for Melody’s show at a rehearsal hall – for anyone in the LA area who can’t make or can’t afford to see the show at Vitello’s, you can see it for free – just drop me an e-mail and I’ll give you the details.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the four-mile jog, I must write, I must finish casting, I must do errands and whatnot, I must hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, I must pay an obscene number of bills, and I must eat. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start – CD, the soundtrack to Source Code and several upcoming Kritzerland projects. Blu and Ray, next up is Sands Of The Kalahari. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland. RIP, sweet Annette.

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