Sara Robinson on Thom Hartmann: Health Care in Canada

“A Moral No-Brainer.”

Sara was interviewed yesterday by Thom Hartmann on health care in Canada. Wonderful stuff.

And at Campaign for America's Future where she's a Fellow, Sara blogs on the same topic with The Health Care Debate: Another Country Heard From.

Enjoy.

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Pathetic Gesture in FDA Legistlation Puts People Last

The House passed a very weak and pathetic food safety bill. It was supposed to help the FDA get some teeth, resources and authority after the beef, spinach, pepper and peanut calamities of the last 2 years. It was supposed to help prevent food borne illness from spreading. Food borne illness that killed kids and seniors in the case of the peanut paste recall. We should be trumpeting this, except...

WASHINGTON -- The House passed legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration more authority and resources to prevent food-borne illnesses after a string of outbreaks involving peanuts, spinach, hot peppers and other foods.

The 283-142 vote came after lawmakers from rural districts won concessions that would exempt farms from paying a registration fee, curb the FDA's access to farm records and limit its ability to set production standards to only the foods most likely to be contaminated.

The legislation also exempts farms and food facilities regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Senate isn't expected to act on similar legislation until later this year.

So let me get this straight, the FDA can't...
inspect farms
inspect farm records
and is limited in setting any production standards for farms and food facilities
and can only inspect foods and facilities that are most likely to be bad? And who determines that?

Meanwhile big industrial food companies grow and grow, factory farms are free to keep up their unhealthy practices. Be ready for a new recall or scandal soon ladies and gents. This bill will do very little to change anything, and the system as it stands in unsustainable.

cross posted from FL

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Conversation With a Conservative

We Were Talking About Race, Police, Personal Freedom

And shit like that. On Friday I'm playing the harp and the pipes at a funeral for a local kid (23) who was gunned down on the border. He was a Border Patrol Officer, and the place he was shot is a hot spot for smugglers of all types.

My friend was gigging me, since my views on immigration are best described by saying "Desajunes Solos." (leave us alone) I wish that the federal government, the Minnitmins (I refuse to equate those racist, and often criminal thugs to our founders), and everybody who doesn't live on the border with us would just go the fuck away and let us live our lives, together.

It's not going to happen anytime soon. I've ridden search and rescue stuff with the Border Patrol, I've worked with them when the water stations that we keep in the desert were being vandalized. I find them to be decent, for the most part honest folks who have been tasked with an impossible and thankless task. None of that means that when a young officer of that patrol is gunned down for no good reason that it doesn't make me grieve, and nothing would stop me from doing what I can to help his family in this horrid and sad time.

We got around to talking about the Gates case and my friend, who is foursquare in personal liberty and responsibility was saying "Gates shouldn't have mouthed off to the police."

I said "Dude, there wasn't any crime there until the police arrived."

I would hope that something like this would provoke an involved and thoughtful debate on the whys and wherefores of both race relations but our relationship with the police. Respect the badge? Only to a point. I've seen too many police departments which are covers for uniformed street gangs.

I hope that the meeting, over a few beers, at the White House might be able to provide more than a silly photo op. Police Sergeant Crowley is by most accounts a thoughtful and sensitive man, Professor Gates is the same. For them to meet, reconcile and come together would chart a path for the rest of us.

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Harry Reid Says No Heath Care Bill Before Summer Break

In a move that did not surprise me at all, spineless Senate Majority Leader, Hopeless Harry Reid, went on the record that there will be no heath care bill before the August recess.

WASHINGTON AP– Senate Democratic leaders on Thursday abandoned plans for a vote on health care before Congress' August recess, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's ambitious timetable to revamp the nation's $2.4 trillion system of medical care.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., delivered the official pronouncement on what had been expected for weeks, saying, "It's better to have a product based on quality and thoughtfulness rather than try to jam something through." His words were a near-echo of Republicans who have criticized the rush to act on complex legislation that affects every American.

It kills me that on top of ignoring one of the top priorities that were the reason these guys are in the majority now... it kills me that he used GOP talking points to defend his pathetic position. Just like the Democratic Party weakness on Iraq over the last 9 years, just like their shameless preservation of the same old politics as usual on so many critical issues-- this one is going to cost American lives, literally. People with no insurance, or inadequate insurance will suffer while these folks delay. People will get sick, be unable to pay their bills, and yes, even die because of our lack of adequate heath care in America.

Chellie Pingree a freshman member of the House, explains why the delay is so disasterous and why the president should stick to his guys and get the congress to work through august if needs be;

If we go home for recess without passing this bill, we will give special interests and their lobbyists five weeks to dump millions of dollars into ad campaigns that spread misinformation and fear and confusion.

We will give them 5 weeks to do everything they can to kill the best chance we have had in a lifetime to more forward on significant health care reform. We must pass this bill now, we absolutely can not afford to wait.

Call and Write your senators and representatives, today.

cross posted from Fighting Liberals

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Old Friends

Email today from two old friends, first contact since 1979 when I was still an Army medic in the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell, Ky. Wow...

Last week I was contacted by a woman (then a girl) whom I briefly kissed at a New Year's Eve dance 1976-1977. She's single with five kids and lives in Virginia. When I knew her she was single and very innocent. Today she's still sweet. *smiles*

I like how social networks allow old friends to make contact twenty-thirty-forty years later. I think I have some friends on Facebook I've known 40 years. I'd have to check to be certain. I am certain I have some friends I've known 35 years. http://www.facebook.com/jwende

And even though I rarely tweet, people keep attaching to http://twitter.com/JesseWendel *shrugs*

Mostly I use social networks as a means for people to find me, and occasionally for me to find others. Once I'm in contact with the people I want to stay in touch with, I normally do so through email, texting, and telephone. And in person. That's what works for me. It isn't to say I don't sometimes tweet or post to Facebook; I do. And I'll look at people's photos and their posts, sometimes as well. However if a month goes by without my having opened Facebook or Twitter, well, that isn't what I consider a loss. On the other hand, I check my email account 3-5 times a day EXCEPT when I'm ill or taking the day off, or sometimes on weekends. Then, sometimes, I'll let a day or even a day and a half go by without bothering. This past week for example I spent all week home sick, didn't go to work at all. While I did look at my work email, just to make sure nothing major came in which I missed, I left my personal email alone almost completely. I think all week I haven't sent out more than 10-15 emails. Normally I send out 30-50 a day and that's when I'm not really paying attention.

Anyway, it was GREAT to hear from these old friends today. The interesting thing is how different I am now from how I was then. Doesn't mean I can't still be friends with these people -- my best friend in the world is a women who is my best friend as a boy's older sister. We have very different beliefs in a number of areas especially compared to what we believed in at 8, 9, 10 or even at 14-16 although I had already started to shift my behavior if not my beliefs. Yet now, 35 years later, she and I believe very differently but we're best friends and we simply put aside where we don't agree because our friendship matters much more to us than all that other crap.

We'll see if these other old friends are committed to being friends, or are committed to their belief structure. I hope its friendship. I really like these two -- we were great pals back in the day.

Cheers.

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Little Men

The Jesus General takes the prize this weekend for this brilliant post today; (prob. not safe for work)

Oppressing Patriots And Their Tiny "Little Soldiers"

Minutemen Bikini Battalian from JC Christian on Vimeo.

What a tough guy. And those swimsuit model shots! Future Pinup of the radical racist right! Yes I think we have a winner!

crossposted from fightingliberals.

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Conservative Democrats Have All the Qualities

Of a Dog, Except Loyalty

The "Blue Dog" Democrats of the Congress, are selling all of us out and down the river to safeguard their contributions from the Pharmacologists, the Insurance Industry, and anyone else with more money than us.

They have begun to call their little cabal dedicated to blowing up any last lingering hope of a rational and workable universal healthcare system "The Coalition of the Willing."

That's right, they've named their group after the bullshit label George W. Bush dreamed up so when he hoped he could fool people into thinking that our invasion of Iraq was anything but a U.S. run, U.S. led, U.S. bled operation.

When my kids were teenagers I used to tell them that the thing that pissed me off the most was when a major factor in their plans to pull something over on me was that I was supposed to be stupid. They are not only trying to ruin the legislation we need to begin reforming a broken system that is a drag on the economy for all of us, and the single most common reason for personal bankruptcies, they want us to be stupid enough to buy their cover stories.

If you are represented by a blue dog, tell that motherfucker to heel, and keep them on a tight leash.

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Quote of the Week

goldsmith-2003-hersch

Seymore Hersch Has Spoken

From The Daily Beast

I said what I said, they can always say what they say,” Hersh told TheDaily Beast. “The last time they said the government doesn’t torture, this time it’s the government doesn’t assassinate.

Hersch was right about My Lai, he was right often enough that he has yet to be successfully sued for publishing any untruth.
If it comes down to whom a rational actor would believe between Hersch and Cheney the choice is simple. Grunts in Vietnam talked freely to Hersch because he was one of the very few people there who was interested in the truth. They are doing the very same thing right now.
I think that the time for Special Prosecutors has passed. I don't have enough faith left in our Justice Department's committment to the rule of law. I would prefer turning things over to the World Court at the Hague.
A fair trial and open hearing for the people who denied them to others would be the perfect way to re-assert our national ideals. Who knows? Some day we might even try to live up to them.

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Tuesday Open Thread

I'm home sick.

The kids have been working on getting my belongings packed and the home and yard clean so I can put the house on the market. Another two-three weeks and we'll be ready.

Once my house sells (which I expect to happen fairly quickly as I'm pricing the house to sell) I'm moving from this big 2500+ family home with front and back yard on a quiet residential street in a good neighborhood five walking minutes from the elementary school, the park, and the swimming and tennis club, to a one bedroom apartment within a block or so of my office, or a nice quiet one or two bedroom within a block or so of a major bicycling trail within five miles of my office. The point being to make it easy to get to work, by bicycle, by electric scooter, by hobbling using my cane, or by car when I drive without having to get stuck on the freeways or in major intersection traffic. Also if gas jumps back up to $4-6/gallon, I don't want to be hosed again, no pun intended.

Once the real estate market finishes collapsing, say in another 18 months, I might buy a small home or condo, at the very bottom of the market, one that is a "distressed" property at a very good price, and then have my kids or other family fix it up. But for now once I move, I'm just going to rent at the lowest possible price I can, and wait while the market continues to collapse.

Maggie's home sick.

MB's working on a major post; it's in the editing phase.

Sara wrote What Religious Progressives Bring To The Party last week. Totally kicks ass.

And if you want to see a bunch of we GNB Bloggers, make sure you're at NETROOTS NATION, August 13-16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It too shall kick ass. *smiles*

Starting to get light outside. Birdies are beginning to chirp. Chirp birdies, chirp.

Open thread. Have fun.

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Life is Just

(click to embiggify, and truly understand)

Yeah, It's That Good

The strikingly beautiful and wonderfully kind April has arrived, and is eating a breakfast of Temecula strawberries, Irish Oatmeal, and buttermilk. This afternoon my dear friend "Chaplain Charlie" is coming to grab some perfectly fresh fish stuff at the legendary Point Loma Seafood.

So, despite the insanities that seem to mount with every new day, the looming crush of debt devaluation, the stupidity of a media empire which, while Obama and Putin meet for the first time and actually begin to make some progress on arms control devotes an entire coverage day to Micheal Jackson's funeral (done on L.A.'s broke ass dime).

Nope, today is good.

My life is sweet for today.

I fucking insist.

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Red State Swoons and Swan Songs

Over on C&L they pointed to a long-ish post on Red State by Erik Erikson where Erikson rambles on and on about poor Sarah Palin, and the mean-old Media, and us damn lefties and comics torturing her kids-- and then he posts his own theories about why Caribou Barbi actually stepped down. This one was the cherry on the pity-party sundae;

I’ve had this running thought all day, perhaps because I was watching it on TV in HD for the first time, that this is kind of like Ben Kenobi letting Darth Vader strike him down. Palin is not going to run in 2012, but by doing this she can now become Barack Obama’s worst nightmare, and help rebuild the opposition to Obama. How? Because were she to remain a 2012 contender, she’d keep having stories by anonymous McCain campaign staffers and other 2012 contenders going after her and her family. Take that ambition off the table and it neutralizes a lot of that. So she can focus on candidates and ideas without an ulterior motive focused on 2012.

I did almost choke to death on my tea over that one. really- Sarah as the wise elder who is willing to die to save the universe, because she knows she will then be joined into a cosmic energy force for good? It is really time for Erik to put down the action figures and comic books, take off the blast shield helmet and put down his toy light saber.

Whatever Sarah's reasons are, and I am sure more details will begin to seep out soon... they will turn out to be twisted and self serving as usual, which will be the same pattern as her entire political and professional career.

cross posted from Fighting Liberals

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America's Shame

Forty-three percent of homeless men over 25 are veterans, although veterans represent only 27% of men over 25 in the population at large.

(Photo: Odonnell Parker, homeless Vietnam veteran, Vietnam Memorial, Washington, DC,
by Evan Robinson, Group News Blog, 20090602)

This is Odonnell Parker. I met him at the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall on a Tuesday afternoon. He was feeding the squirrels with peanuts that he gets free from a local vendor. He knows all the numbers about the Wall -- how many names, the oldest, the youngest, how many women -- and he comes here every day to visit 27 friends.

Mr. Parker is wearing a 101st Airborne cap with Special Forces and LRRP insignia on it. He's missing most of an index finger and has scars on his face that look like shrapnel entry wounds. He speaks slowly but otherwise seems perfectly present and aware. He explains that his wife has been dead for years and he recently lost his only son to a motorcycle accident, so he no longer has family to stay with. He's here partly because he has to leave the homeless shelter every day between 6am and 7am and they won't let him back in until the evening. His basic VA benefits have apparently run out and there's nothing more they can or will do for him.

According to a CNN article from 2008, there are nearly 200,000 homeless veterans nightly in America. The majority are veterans of Viet Nam, but an increasing number of Iraq/Afghanistan vets are finding it difficult to find affordable housing upon their return. It's estimated that as many as 500,000 veterans were homeless as recently as 2004, and the Veterans Administration had only capacity to serve 100,000 of them.

So a host of other organizations have sprung up to assist veterans, many of them started or operated by veterans. The VA is partnering with military and civilian organizations across the US to operate Homeless Veteran Stand Down events where they provide free services like haircuts, meals, health services, clothing, and sometimes housing to homeless veterans for short periods.

I believe Odonnell Parker when he tells me his story, but even if his story isn't true, it's clear that there are plenty of homeless veterans that we need to take care of. Their service demands no less, and our failure to adequately care for them speaks volumes about the morality of America and the American political and economic systems.

If we will not take care of our soldiers who have returned home, who will? If we will not care for them in their illness, their age, and their solitude, who will?

[Update 20090704 1053PDT: Link to a discussion of Mr. Parker from 2005]

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Travel Day

The Weapons Are Polished


One of the truths of a musician's life is that days when you all celebrate, party, and do other significant stuff are days at the office for us.

This is a big ass Narcotics Anonymous convention and I'm backing two performers who have some impressive time clean and sober. I have 16 years, these guys make me look like a beginner.

I have noted with pride that I am the only backing player to land both gigs. That makes me king of the lunchpail player's club for the weekend.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July. Celebrate what freedoms we haven't had taken from us. In the manner of the ancient Greeks you might want to pour a libation on the ground for all the homies who didn't make it:

Haebeas Corpus
Due Process
Privacy
No Cruel or Unusual Punishment


No, wait, that's a bad idea. If we started pouring libations for lost freedoms we'd all die of thirst.

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Another Word Now Rendered Meaningless

Overheard in Buenos Aires: "Yess, yess, he vass my SSSOULMATE!"


For more reading, check out Jill's post at Brilliant at Breakfast. What she said. Plus, I'm so glad Republican Christianist heterosexuals are preserving the sanctity of marriage for all of civilization, aren't you?

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