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mstaggerlee,
Re: "Amazing how the things that piss us off the most when we see them in others are our own faults."
Yes, that seems to be one of life's harder lessons. "Help me to be humble and respectful" are at the top of my prayer list. I so often fall short...
Re: Organs from Prisoners
Here in the state of Virginia you can use prison labor to build your non profit's building.
Loretta, Quark, Ricahrd A. -
It sort of amuses me when Rasta claims that Thom is an allegedly "rabid, Zionazi", i. e., one who subscribes to a strict, pro-Israel, anti-Palestinean ideology.
Obnviously he fails to realize that his own strict adherence to a dogma that demands the destruction of Israel makes him exactly the kind of idologue he accuses Thom of being - the only difference is the dogma adhered to.
Amazing how the things that piss us off the most when we see them in others are our own faults. :)
Here is a good geeky science issue: transparent aluminum, 2 days ago
Here is new report from Executive Office of the President Council of Economic Advisers RE The Economic Effects of Health Care Reform on Small Business and Their Employees http://learn.linkedin.com/CEA-smallbusiness-july24.pdf
Have a read and join us in a live chat today with Christina Romer http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/sbolinkedin/
The following is from the Wikipedia page in Executive Orders -
To date, U.S. courts have overturned only two executive orders: the aforementioned Truman order, and a 1996 order issued by President Clinton that attempted to prevent the U.S. government from contracting with organizations that had strike-breakers on the payroll. Congress may overturn an executive order by passing legislation in conflict with it or by refusing to approve funding to enforce it. In the former, the president retains the power to veto such a decision; however, the Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds majority to end an executive order. It has been argued that a Congressional override of an executive order is a nearly impossible event due to the supermajority vote required and the fact that such a vote leaves individual lawmakers very vulnerable to political criticism.
I just had a thought. I think it is interesting that the right wing says that states should assert the 10th Amendment to prevent health care refrom. I think we need to turn this back on them. There are US laws on the books that supposedly prevent states from adopting a single payer system of their own. Well, states should put them in place and say that the US laws are unconstitutional based on the 10th Amendment.
Obama is a corporatist Democrat. The fiat of health insurance industry is outside of his mindset and desires. There is no evidence to the contrary.
Human activity is driving Earth's 'sixth great extinction event'
Population growth, pollution and invasive species are having a disastrous effect on species in the southern hemisphere, a major review by conservationists warns Earth is experiencing its "sixth great extinction event" with disease and human activity taking a devastating toll on vulnerable species, according to a major review by conservationists. Much of the southern hemisphere is suffering particularly badly, and Australia, New Zealand and neighbouring Pacific islands may become the extinction hot spots of the world, the report warns...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/28/species-extinction-hot...
On Health Care, Energy, and every other important issue, the best advice I can give to any one is in the words of Jerry Riopelle a singer from Cali.
"May the strength of your words, come from your deeds."
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/
Howard Dean
Like Kuccinich, I once had doubts that Dean could work with congress as president.
But he sure proved me wrong as the chair of the DNC. He was fantastic in that rold.
So, Loretta, I'm conceding that you could be right!
Loretta,
OK, maybe I'm wrong. I'd like to be wrong!
I have appreciated Kuccinich through a couple of his runs for president but which of his legislation has he gotten passed into law?
Can you imagine--they'll take the healthcare money--give it to the insurance companies so they can give it back to the feds who will hoard it and then no one will get healthcare. Sorry --I'm going off here and not being useful or helpful to our cause but I was really hoping for the milions and millions of jobs that Obama promised. I am going to indulge myself in cynicism for one day. I guess that's shaming Obama so I contradicted my own self-righteousness. Oh brother.
I'm going to go for a bike ride.
have a good day everyone many blessings.
Wow! I didn't realize that Rush had so few stations. I heard that first show.
I kind of hate to admit it, but I like listening to Rush back then, even though I was a liberal.
I can't stand him now.
Have I changed or has Rush?
I agree with this guy but have my doubts that we are worse than in the "good old days" -- Yellow Journalism comes to mind.
L Grace,
Kuccinich may prove you wrong since he's making good progress with the amendments he is getting passed in committees! And maybe having states provide single-payer first is the best way to go considering how the Tarp money is being handled.
Richard,
It seems clear to me that we have lost our Democracy to the corporations. Both parties are bought and paid for. How do we get our Democracy back? (Or is it lost forever, leaving us with only the facade of a Democracy)?
It seems to me that by choosing the lesser of the two evils will only work in the short run. Eventually there will be no difference between the two parties.
My conversation with Barbara Boxer's office this morning:
"If, by healthcare reform, you mean that you personally will be re-doubling your efforts to remove the words "over sixty-five" from Medicare law, repealing Medicare Part D and popping the FICA cap to fully finance universal single-payer healthcare AND Social Security . . . You have my support."
@Richard, I hear what you say, but I don't quite agree. I believe we need to help direct energy in whatever ways possible to positive action instead of shaming. I think shaming feeds trolls in a complicated way.
I left the "O" outta option . . . Dag Mabit . . .
Obama-care is little more than a life-raft for the corporate leeches presently sucking the life (literately) and wealth (ditto) straight from our Great Nation's people.
We, the People, deserve representation . . . My last reading of the Constitution did NOT start with the Preamble:
"We, the Corporate Entities, . . . "
Richard,
Maybe there is a typo in your link -- anyway, it didn't work for me.
Try this one
http://www.citizensforapublicoption.com/
L Grace,
That’s great! One more active voice they have to listen to!
...and one more person "out there" watching them!
This was my reply to the Reich-winger who challenged Thom's parenthetical comment::
"There is a possibility that in the parenthetical note Hartmann was engaging in hyperbola, assuming tax-free bond interest, or was at worst inadvertently factually inaccurate.
However, Warren Buffet made $46 million and was taxed at 17.7% while his receptionist's tax rate was 30%. Forbes 400 member $1 million (proceeds to charity) that the average federal tax rate (income and payroll) paid by The Forbes 400 is less than the average rate of their secretaries and receptionists. Buffet told Forbes, "So far only three close friends, all 400 members, have made the calculation for me," "They all came up with results similar to mine but have no interest in being identified." So Hartmann's assertion there is tremendous tax inequity ("taxing the way the ultra-wealthy make money" versus "taxing the way that everybody else makes money.")and he is 100% accurate on that point.
And of course you have to engage in your juvenile and inane ad hominem puppycr@p both toward me and your non-existent fictional 'leeches.'