Health Care Debate

The cost of health care will increase by $30Trillion+ over the next 10 years without reform. Taxes, premiums, out of pocket, one way or another we will pay it. So, investing a couple of trillion to make a system that slows that down is not a good idea? There will be no free health care, we have to pay somehow. But it is extremely inefficient to pay an insurance company who pays doctors and hospitals who charge not only for my services but also for the services they have to provide for the un or under insured. I agree that cross state deregulation seems to be a good idea and maybe that is an alternative to the public option.

It takes reasonable debate to get there and there are some who are more into the politics and ratings than the debate. Right now the noise is drowning out the reasonable debate.

This country has been debating health care since Teddy Roosevelt. None of the ideas in the plan are new. Even the life counseling issue has been around for years and was initially brought up by a Republican. The only thing that has changed is that finally the American people elected a Congress with the power and will to do something. It is time to do it before the will is lost to politics again.

The system is broken. My 99 year old grandfather has excellent medical coverage because he has been smart about his finances and insurance and has had great medical advice by really good doctors. On the other hand, a couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law died when the hospital sent her back home with some Maalox for chest pain. She has always had medical coverage issues, has always fought with the insurance companies, was her coverage a factor for why she died? I shouldn't even have to ask the question.

Uppity Atheists

Calling the new atheists violent or strident serves EXACTLY the same function as calling an african-american “uppity”. We’re standing up for our views and being really insanely polite about it considering the effects of religion.

I am speaking out more face to face. I can't hide anymore. When religion comes up, I am no longer silent. Not stident or abusive. But my position is clear. I am atheist.

Glen Beck is so stupid

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44D at school?

44D going to school? No, just getting washed.

The Burka

We reject muslim values because they are degrading and offensive.

The whole point of female consealment in Islamic society is that men are not expected to take responsibility for their sexual urges, so that any woman who is not covered up from head to toe is asking to be raped. The Burka therefore ligitimizes rape, it apologizes for rape, it justifies rape. (Are you listening feminists?) This makes it as offensive a public statement as a Klu Klux Klan uniform or a Nazi Swastika and should be treated with exactly same revulsion and contempt.

Muslim men must start treating women as equals, not as possessions.

This comes from Pat Condell's latest YouTube video. It doesn't mean a lot here in this coundry but in Europe, Islamic rights and sensibilities are in debate, appearently. It applies here in the sensibilities Christians demand of their religion, same crap, different problems. The teaching of evolution/creationism in schools, moral authority, abortion and conception. The discussions have been getting more heated and pointed. I hope the American people come to their senses sooner rather than later.

I am fed up.

I am so fed up with the right wing. I seriously don't understand them. Do they really think the health care system we have today is working? Does it make sense to have uninsured/uninsurable people walking around emergency rooms? People who get health care anyway, just paid for by higher insurance and hospital costs? HOW IS THAT NOT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE? What part of 1 + 1 = 2 don't they understand?

The rowdies at the town-hall meetings... I haven't been to one yet. But if they are denying people the right to speak and not participating in the discussion, then they don't have any right to wear any American flags or colors on their clothing. That is about as un-American as you can get. Liz and I want to try to get to a meeting one of these days. I want my congressperson to see I support HR 3200. I have already written to Eshoo that I do.

Limbaugh and Beck. How anyone can stand listening to either of them much less agree with them is a mystery to me. They are morons. No, not morons. Un-American fascists. Very scary people. More scary is that people listen to them.

Obama is blowing it I am afraid. Some kind of push for health care needs to be made. Simple for the simple minded. I wish they had pushed for a single payer plan and just skipped the "bi-partisan" effort. That turned out to be a mistake.

Shit.

I CreoZerg'd all day today

Col Dr PZ Myers and nearly 300 atheists visited the Ken Ham Creation Museum in Kentucky today. I watched via Twitter in between work things. The place is amazingly stupid. They believe dinosaurs roamed with people, everyone was a vegetarian, and the universe was created in 6, 24 hour days. Amazing.

They have a Triceratops with a saddle.

If they didn't eat meat or kill, where did the leather come from? Whatever, I don't care what their explanation is.

Jennifer here has some good pictures:
http://blaghag.blogspot.com/2009/08/creation-museum-hilarity.html

And more here:

http://camelswithhammers.com/2009/08/07/creation-museum-highlight-tweets-130-630pm/

More disturbing is the outright lying they do there in teaching this crap to kids. Kids are born gullible and wired to believe what their parents and elders tell them. To me, what they do to kids here is child abuse.

Moon

MOON: Movie Trailer - Celebrity bloopers here

This is one damn good movie! Classic science fiction at its best. A question is asked, what if. The answer is explored. Beautiful.

The music is also haunting, it is on my iPod now, I play it all the time! :-)

Atheist Bus Ad Pulled in Iowa

http://www.kcci.com/video/20301777/index.html

They didn't like a bus ad that said:

"Don't believe in god? You are not alone."

Too bad, much more publicity received (and for free) than if they had left it alone.

Didn't have a picture of this bus, so below is a English one from last year.

Malkin slapdowns.

CO2 Now - CO2 Widget - Charney 130

CO2 Now - CO2 Widget - Charney 130: "

"

Birthers

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I can't believe they are still whining about Obama's birth certificate.

I do NOT trust in god

Congresswoman Eshoo,I wish to express my disappointment at your Aye vote for H CON RES 131 "Directing the Architect of the Capitol to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the National Motto of “In God we trust” in the Capitol Visitor Center".

Millions of Americans do not trust in any god. I fail to understand why anyone would trust the god of the bible if there is one. If anything, it should be "In God we are wary" since it seems (if it existed) to be pretty cruel and cold.

As you know, this motto and the "under god" in the pledge was added out of fear of communism in the 1950's. "E Pluribus Unum" ("from many come one"), our original motto from Jefferson, Adams and Franklin is and should be our only motto.

I would be very interested in your support of a bill to rescind CON RES 131, or to at least stop it's funding from my taxes. The religious world is perfectly capable of paying for this themselves. But on the other hand... this whole issue is going to the Supreme Court if not stopped sooner, it will cost a whole lot more to install, if ever, than the $150,000 appropriated.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,

ISS over Ben Lomond

I tried again to capture the Space Station. I don't know if this is any better.
These were taken at 1/1600 sec at ISO 1600 on a Cannon Rebel XTi through a 5" 1500mm telescope.

4th of July Young Eagles

A very nice day for Young Eagles. 51 kids flown by about 6 planes and pilots. Good weather. Nobody hurt.


Nobody hurt much anyway...

Somebody (to remain nameless, not me!) taxied their airplane into a Porche. The plane is totalled, the Porche is probably fine.