Lost in Translation

•November 1, 2013 • 3 Comments

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I’m very lucky to have friends who are conservative and friends who are liberal and all kinds of degrees in-between. What I find most interesting is the way they share news or thoughts on the same topic.  One friend posts “Millions lose health insurance due to Obamacare.”  Then my liberal friend posts, “Insurance notices sent out to people who need to change policy to meet requirements.” Well – those are very different messages.  Later listening to Ted Cruz talk about how the Texas law IS constitutional IF you look at how you define the constitution — I thought, “Wow – he doesn’t hear the same words the court said at all.”

It is no wonder it is so hard for politicians to work together (if they ever really want to work together) because when one sides says A and the other reports it as Z — there’s a whole lot of letters left floating in the middle.

Posted in Abortion, Administration, Agenda, Fox News, Ideas, Media, Misinformation, Tea Party
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Website Woes

•October 25, 2013 • 5 Comments

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Wow – to see all the fuss in the media – you’d think another war had been started. But no – it’s just the website woes and glitches of Healthcare.gov that has everyone in an uproar. It is a major website trying to deal with thousands of people at one time. Of course it crashed.  But, gee, to hear the GOP carry on about the problems you would think this was the first and only crash ever to happen on the internet.

What’s even crazier is that while the GOP carries on about the website not working which means people can’t get registered right away – the GOP tried to do away with the whole program, which means no one would get coverage. Of course, with the shutdown costing 24 billion dollars and not doing one productive thing for the nation — they’d just rather you think about the website and all its horrible issues.

 

Posted in Administration, Agenda, Health Care, Jobs, Media, Obama, Politics
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Wait….What?

•October 11, 2013 • Leave a Comment

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No – the comic isn’t really closing. At least – I think not.  Media has played a huge role in the shutdown – from the President’s speeches on TV to the news pundits battling in out.  But by far the weirdest things are the Republican Commercials that come on.  They claim the Democrats are the one holding up the funding (not the House which won’t pass a clean CR), and that if Obama doesn’t defund Obamacare HE isn’t willing to negotiate.  (I’m not sure that word means what the House GOP thinks it means).   At the end there is a number to call and they say “Tell Obama to Defund Obamacare and open the government back up.”  Really???  You can just pick up the phone dial this special number and BAM – tell the President of the US what to do? That’s amazing.  It reminds me of when I was a child and my mother used to pick up the phone and pretend to call Santa and tell him I was bad.

Look – the HOUSE is holding up the bill. The HOUSE is holding up vote. and only the HOUSE is going to fix it. So, if you want to call someone. Call the house. But, be prepared to wait. Rumor has it they only talk to people with the power to defund Obamacare. Everyone else waits on line.

Posted in Agenda, Boehner, Congress, Entertainment, Fox News, GOP, Health Care, Image, Media, Obama
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House Bill of the Vanities

•October 4, 2013 • 2 Comments

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With great love for the book of Ecclesiastes, I’ve been thinking about the “vanity of vanities” all week as our government plays the blame game and our government is shut down.   I’ve seen so many facebook posts from Republican friends that say “Obama/Dems aren’t willing to negotiate on Obamacare” – as if it is normal for the makers of a law to continue to beg for it after it’s been voted in.   Let’s be clear.  The government is not shutting down because the Senate won’t negotiate a law that is already in existence. It is shutting down because the House won’t give up a conversation that has been over for years.  And NONE OF THAT has anything to do with the budget.  A clean bill about the budget is all the Senate is asking the House to provide. It isn’t too much. It’s the right thing to do, and no amount of facebook posts and dictionary entries about facism are going to change the facts.

In other news — Pirates in the Playoffs!!!!  Let’s hope they can win – and they don’t have to keep playing until everyone in the country is either broke or happy.

 

Posted in Administration, Agenda, Congress, Economy, Health Care, Medicare, Politics, Tea Party
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Cruz Story

•September 26, 2013 • Leave a Comment

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Apologies to “Love Story,” Erich Segal and Ali McGraw.   So – Cruz did his amazing 21 hour speech full of nonsense, Dr. Seuss readings and lots of grand-standing for the camera in order to prevent a vote on a House Bill.  In the meanwhile, the government has until Monday to get the bill done or it will be defunded, and it’s all linking to the 4 year running Republican Hissy Fit over losing on Obamacare.  It’s fine for Cruz to keep people from getting healthcare – he’s got a government plan. It’s great he is going to send the country into default – He’s got enough money to get by.  What’s most important is the he gets lots of press.

People like Cruz are the main blockage for progress and recovery in this country.  I hope the voters remember his name, just like he wants, in future elections – and I hope they vote against him and the rest of the Tea Party Terrorists.

Posted in 2014 Election, Agenda, Health Care, love, Media, Politics, Tea Party, Voting
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The Double Standard Meal Deal

•September 20, 2013 • 2 Comments

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So – the House voted for a bill to cut $40 Billion out of nutritional aid (SNAP) and force states to use drug testing and other criteria to ensure the people who get it really have to jump through hoops.  Because for the 1% that screw the system – the 99 must pay.  Here’s the thing – for every dollar that might get misused from SNAP – at least 10 dollars has been wasted on a congress that does nothing but vacation, obstruct the country’s progress and fight with one another.  I say – leave the money in the food program – and cut $40 Billion out of Congress.

Posted in Corruption, Economy, Health Care, Medicare, Politics, Rights
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Burden of Proof

•September 6, 2013 • 4 Comments

proof1Proof 2Proof3Proof 4Proof 5Proof 6Syria is a tough question all the way around. We can’t let the use of chemical weapons go unchallenged. At the same time, there doesn’t seem to be much corroborating evidence in the US case. I think waiting for the UN inspection team to make a definitive answer is a good call. However, it never ceases to amaze me how Republicans continually say there is not enough proof considered Bush (the younger) made claims about 9/11, weapons of mass destruction, genocide and chemical warfare against Iraq — without a shred of evidence  – and congress handed him the keys to his own personal war machine.

It’s a tough situation, and I’m glad it’s not mine to decide.

 

Posted in Administration, Agenda, Drones, Politics, Terrorism, World politics
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A Coin on its Edge

•August 23, 2013 • Leave a Comment

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Normally, the big news of the week would have been that Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years for giving away classified documents in one of the largest prison sentences ever handed down for breach of confidentiality. But, that rarely seems to register as all the transgender issues, confused messaging, childhood trauma is brought up at trial, and the declaration made that Bradley Manning is no more – and Chelsea Manning is who we are really talking about.   While media outlets fight over he/she (and the really loser one’s just keep referring to her as “the soldier”) (that’s you, Fox News), I am left to wonder if there is any real power in her purpose left.

To me: it is tragic Chelsea Manning grew up in an alcoholic home, had gender issues, and was in a hostile work environment.  However, none of that explains or excuses the choices that were made. I would have been more impressed if the defense stuck with the “I believe in freedom and was trying to stop the war. I’m willing to pay the price for my ideals.” line than “I couldn’t help it, I was all messed up and no one helped me.” line.  Many people have lifted Manning up as a HERO fighting for transparency and fairness. But I don’t think you get to be a hero if the reason you did it was because you were confused and unfit for duty. Then, you’re the goat.

It comes down to this: Chelsea Manning chose to give up those documents and should go to jail. She’s not a “transgender hero”. She’s not a patriotic hero. She’s not even an hero sandwich.  She’s also not the scourge of the military or everything that’s wrong with the Army.  She’s a human being, making her way.  Her cred. as a catalyst for anti-government thought is over. She wasn’t making a stand. She was standing in la la land. There are now too many issues to raise the flag cleanly.   It’s time for Chelsea to fade into her sentence and deal with her issues as best she can.

Edward Snowden, on the other hand – his time in the spotlight has just begun.

Point of Education:  The proper thing to do is refer to someone as the gender they tell you. As such – Chelsea Manning is and should be referred to as “she” from now on.

Posted in Administration, Chelsea Manning, Communication, Edward Snowden, Fox News, GLBT, Image, Politics, Wikileaks
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It’s the Thought that Counts

•August 16, 2013 • 3 Comments

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I know. I’m hard to please.  You’d think I’d be happy Eric Cantor and several prominent GOP leaders have stepped up to say it is wrong for the GOP to block government funding after September 30 unless the Health Care Act is not funded.  In fact, it seems like we should throw a party because some members of Congress actually  figured out obstruction and shutting down the government isn’t a great way to do things.   BUT – look at the reasons they give:

1. Cantor cites the fact there aren’t enough votes in the Senate for the obstruction to work.

2. When the government shuts down, the military goes without pay, and American people won’t like that. They might blame the Republicans who are standing in the way of funding for…standing in the way of funding.

3. If they public gets mad at the GOP because the country goes into economic collapse – the GOP might lose their House majority in 2014 and Nancy Pelosi would be Speaker of the House again.

SOOOOO — they aren’t opposed to shutting down the country because it would damage us, or it would be wrong not to pay the military, or it could ruin our fragile economic recovery. They just don’t want to lose their majority and the ability to bully their agenda.  Hopefully, when 2014 comes along – even if they don’t shut down the government – we the people will remember they wanted to.

Posted in 2014 Election, Administration, Agenda, Congress, Eric Cantor, Ideas, Image, Obama, Partisanship, Tea Party
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Three Strikes, Yer Out (maybe. later. if ever…)

•August 9, 2013 • 2 Comments

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If you look at the situation tearing apart Major League Baseball, and you take it out of the polarizing context of A-Rod, the Yankees, and Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) – you can see clearly the sheer fallacy of letting a known cheater continue to play while his well-documented drug use is on appeal.  A-Rod is damaging baseball every time he takes the field. He offends the game, its integrity and the process by which he was charged and found guilty. Why have an inquiry if the verdict doesn’t matter? Why have an umpire if strikes don’t count?  It cheapens the Yankees to play him, and it steals from good players – like the Pirate’s Pedro Alvarez who manages to hit home runs WITHOUT CHEATING,  Allowing A-Rod to continue glorifies greed and arrogance. Fans should boycott everything A-Rod (including the Yankees) until he is off the field and out on his cheating rear.*

*Conflict of Interest Statement:  The Beaglez do want to inform you this recommendation may contain a conflict of interest as the Beagles are all die-hard – happy howling Pittsburgh Pirates fans.   Favorite Players;

Briscoe:  Pedro Alvarez, El Toro!

Buddy: Andrew McCutchen (class act all the way).

Belle: Russell Martin – (a catcher who can hit!)

Cosette:  A.J. Burnett (she always picks the rebel).

Let’s Go Bucs!

And MLB —  Stop telling us you’re serious about stopping PED’s until you actually enforce the suspensions you hand down, and remove the records of those who used PED’s to obtain them. Take the MVP from Braun, and give it to Kemp.  Go through all of A-Rod’s stats for the period you can prove he cheated and wipe those numbers off the boards.  Cycling was right to ban Lance Armstrong – and even better – take his titles way. Only by making things right will cheating every be stopped.

Posted in Corruption
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