Category Archives: communications/media

DN, revisited

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Gah, I don’t believe this entire post was eaten in cyberspace! Arrgh!

Okay, since I don’t know which website caused the error, I’ll try adding one at a time…

You’ll have to go to the DN website to see what stories I’m commenting on…

President Obama is once again promising that he will let the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich to expire…yeah, well, we’ve heard that before…

…and we all know the rich don’t want to pay for anything…

Okay, if these two posts hold up, I might have time to put the other links up in the next post…

Supreme Court passes Affordable care

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You know, I’m probably the only moderate progressive who disagrees with this Act.  Not for the same reasons the far right does, but because of the mandate for private insurance, instead of Medicare for All.  Unlike those in this article, I don’t see this as a step in the right direction–as a way to get single payer in the door.

However, I do agree with the right on the issue of gov’t control of healthcare.  They already are violating the Fourth Amendment, so what will hold them back in violating a person’s right to privacy with their health records?  If it were a separate agency, such as Medicare–a well run agency–I would trust it more.

And then we have the growing lack of privacy for employees for everything, including medical.

Here’s a site that answers questions on the rights of employers to ask for medical history:

The HIPPA privacy rule does not prevent your employer from asking you for information about your health if your employer needs the information to administer sick leave, workers’ compensation, wellness programs, or health insurance.

Read that again.  They have it couched as “necessary” for the employer to obtain your private information to buy health insurance or administer wellness programs…

And people won’t refuse this especially in this economy—they don’t want to make waves and will agree to it even if they disagree strongly in handing over private information.  This opens the door for an employer in dismissing someone because of a health reason. Actually, as the lawyer points out, they can fire you for any reason if you live in an “At Will” state.  There’s just no rights of the employees in this and that bothers me a great deal.

Again, if there was a Medicare for All, the employers would not have such monumental power over their employees’ lives.

For me, however, I’m less and less likely to seek out the medical profession for issues, and find the natural plants and organic food that will help me regain my health.  Thank God for doctors like Natasha Campbell-McBride who think outside the box and use that wonderful intuition to come up with solutions that aren’t a) making the pharmaceutical companies rich; and b) aren’t ignoring diet  and the environment as a major factors in health.

The medical profession is set up to try to rein in the horse after it’s left the barn, instead of fixing the gate (diet and healthy environment).  That makes no sense to me at all.

 

DN! today

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DN has this up today.

Let’s only hope that the carbon emissions news is followed by actual, you know, action.  Because if anything this administration is famous for–it’s tough words with no backbone.  The other day, I was listening to Limbaugh rant about the immigration law and Arizona and how the Obama Administration was instituting an “800” number for anyone observing a police officer violating someone’s civil rights.  Limbaugh was all for civil rights and said it was about time that they started doing something about it.

bwahahaahahahahahaha. *snort*

Um, okay, he really didn’t say that.  He was incensed that the Obama administration was actually trying to provide a way for folks to speak up.  He immediately said it would be the sniveling liberals who would be calling in and the police officers would be afraid of lawsuits, yada, yada, yada.

My heart was lifted at the news of an “800” number…but then I recalled all the past “strong” words by this administration, followed by…no action.  So, yeah, unless there is a full time staff behind this 800 number, and the people at the other end of the phone are actually empowered to DO something, well, I don’t see it providing much help.  And it might even hurt someone who calls in thinking they are doing a service for the community, give their name, phone number and they themselves are harassed.  I’m just saying this is a possibility.  An administration that allows illegal wire-tapping against the Fourth Amendment leaves me doubting the sincerity of this program.  Why now? Especially after record deportations?

Onto the other stories on DN:

The Tar Sands pipeline being once again pushed by Big Oil and the Obama Administration going along is another red flag that this administration continues to say one thing and do another.  I’m just cynical enough to wonder if the sudden decrease in gas prices has anything to do with the Administration’s agreeing to Tar Sands?

Lawmakers making money off of legislation? No way. They’re the most fine, upstanding individuals ever to walk the Earth. /snark

You see, entitlement only applies to little old ladies trying to collect Social Security and the poor trying to collect food stamps to eat.   They make the laws, so members of Congress are entitled to make profits off of it.

Sorry to see Nora Ephron has passed.  I was watching “When Harry Met Sally…” last night.  Peace to her.

Philosophy of Life

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Cary Grant and Sophia Loren starred in a movie called “Houseboat”.

The script heavily played on Sophia’ figure and was a little uncomfortable in parts with how much it played on her.

There was plenty of sexist comments in the movie which didn’t sit well with me, but there were some moments that showed Sophia had a brain–she invented things to help around the house.  One was a paint sprayer attached to a long pole so that the trim on the houseboat they occupied could be painted.

In the midst of the sexist stuff was this gem:

Grant and his “son” Paul Peterson, were at odds with one another because Grant was always down on him.  (Grant was separated from his wife when she died in a car accident and the children hadn’t seen him on a regular basis, so their relationships were strained.)

Loren had implored Grant to lay off the kid and try to talk to him.  Peterson’s character is fishing off the side of the boat.  And Grant comes to him.  During the conversation, Grant tries to explain death to him.  He had a pitcher of water and tells his son to make it “disappear” (like death).  Peterson pours it into the river.  Grant says it’s not really gone, but is now part of the river.  Then Peterson pours it onto the boat.  Grant waits a moment, and the Peterson says “Oh, I get it.  It evaporates and then becomes part of the clouds, and then becomes rain.”    Then Grant says “Everything’s constantly changing.  Our souls leave our bodies and we go back into God’s Universe for the security of being a part of all life, all nature.  So for all we know, that life is very beautiful…”

Wow. In the midst of this non-serious movie was this great moment of depth.

 

China Syndrome

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… they lied…as DN reported before.

I wonder how much of that radiation made its way to the U.S. via the ocean and the air currents?

Here’s a link on the subject…if they detected it as far as Massachusetts and North Carolina, you can bet there was much more radiation over the western half of the States than is being admitted.  I wonder how many folks have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer since the accident?  And if they are diagnosed, how many doctors are doing detective work to find the cause?  My bet is that they will blame the patient or will not even recognize thyroid issues and instead diagnose the patient with psychosomatic illness?  Nah, that can’t happen…/snark.

 

Sometimes…

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…getting a migriane is a blessing instead….(well, not really, but the stunning news out of Wisconsin would have probably given me a migraine anyway…)

I don’t see a victory here. At all.  I don’t know why it would be viewed as such.  If anything, it’s a stunning defeat of a popular uprising.

…to say nothing of how he was voted in?  I mean, nearly 1,000,000 signed a freaking petition trying to get this creep out of office…how in the world can he be put back in office?

CMD would like to say that it was money.  Perhaps.  But with all the attention from the firefighters, unionists, teachers, etc., Walker had enough negative against him to overcome the money issue.

I would say the problem was with the other candidate they put up.  And Bill Clinton coming to campaign for him didn’t help, at least in my view.  If Clinton campaigns for anyone, I’m automatically skeptical that person is a true Democrat/progressive.  Clinton brought us NAFTA, folks, and the jobs disappeared….how he could be associated with job growth is beyond me.