America.  Synonymous with freedom to the people of oppressive nations all over the globe--or was, once. These days, we’re seeing examples of the erosion of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights and freedoms with frightening regularity, and citizens of those oppressive nations are… Read full post »

 As the Occupy movement eases past the two-month mark, everyone seems to be discussing the future of the Occupation. Individual trends and motivations are apparent for each of the major groups involved in the conversation, but a common theme has also emerged. Setting aside the obvious pos… Read full post »

 Since the Occupy Wall Street movement began--and since the mainstream media [MSM] actually began to cover it--one thing that really stands out to me is the effect mainstream media labels have on the perspective of the population. Labels are words that, when used, evoke some type of… Read full post »

One of the most effective tactics on the part of the anti-#OccupyWallStreet and #wearethe99% movements is attempting to shame participants into silence. Got laid off? Your own fault, and go take a shower, you filthy hippie. And get a haircut and a job, while you’re at it. Lost your home?… Read full post »

 In the wake of the We Are the 99 -- #wearethe99%--the internet is bristling with pics from the opposition movements that have stolen its creative format: details of the effect Wall Street’s actions have had on people’s personal stories, recorded on signs that usually hide a p… Read full post »

 It's incredibly unlikely that you are actually one of the 1%, but an awful lot of "regular" people seem to think they qualify.  These 1% wannabes have taken it upon themselves to vehemently oppose the actions by the #OccupyWallStreet and #wearethe99% movements, and in… Read full post »

                                                  &… Read full post »

President Obama recently released his plan to create jobs. Basically, he’s playing politics by giving Congress a bad bill and urging them to pass it quickly. As usual, he left it up to Congress to work out the details and to figure out how to pay for it. Or, more… Read full post »

 America is in the crapper. Our freedoms have been eroded, our Constitution violated, unemployment is high, underemployment is higher, our economy seems to be circling the drain, our right to privacy is a thing of the past, and the only action of which our POTUS appears to be capable is r… Read full post »

 America’s current situation has resulted in a lot of debating over our system of taxation. Most of us seem to agree that the government needs to stop spending so much, and that we need more tax revenue. Then, the divide begins.

The Republicans generally argue that 50% of Americans… Read full post »

 Social Security has been a hot topic lately, and, as is usual for controversial issues, the discussion includes a LOT of misinformation.  It's argued that Social Security is “broke”, that it is a “pyramid/Ponzi scheme”, that it’s “doomed… Read full post »

I had an interesting discussion today regarding what the Bible has to say regarding profanity, and which words God considers profane. I was left with questions, and decided to do a little research. Google wasn't terribly helpful, but the lack of information helped me determine my own po… Read full post »

Current President Barack Obama successfully campaigned on healthcare, though his plan wasn't much good then, and has since evolved into a giant, gift-wrapped, insuance company stimulus package.  His political stock in freefall, Obama tossed the hot potato … Read full post »

Since the news of the Haiti disaster first reached us, we have been innundated with calls for donations to help the people of Haiti. While donations are wonderful, it seems to me that the greatest need in Haiti at the moment is people with the ability to cut through red… Read full post »

My cat drools on my keyboard

As I sit and read OS

Were it just a tad, I shan't complain,

 But he does it to excess.

 He lies in wait for me to find

A post I get involved in;

Then leaps upon me, open-mouthed

Saliva dangling from within.… Read full post »

This is the final post in the series, Healthcare: Yes We Can.....But We Probably Won't.

PAYING FOR SINGLE-PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE 

There are approximately 306, 902,000 Americans living in 111,162,000 households (2007) as of July 2009. (census.gov) The average family health… Read full post »

This post is Part Four of the series, Healthcare: Yes We Can.....But We Probably Won't. 

THE PROBLEM WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE

 There are many problems with private healthcare insurance, the most troubling being that private insurers exist to make money rather than to ensure that subscrib… Read full post »

This post is Part Three in the series, Healthcare: Yes We Can.....But We Probably Won't. 

WHY MEDICAL COSTS ARE SO HIGH & WHY THEY RISE

Why does an aspirin cost $7, a Bandaid $19 on your hospital bill? The hospitals aren’t trying to gouge you; they are covering the&… Read full post »

This post is Part Two of the series, Healthcare: Yes We Can.....But We Probably Won't.

HEALTHCARE REFORM ISSUES

Affordability is a major issue that needs to be addressed. Under the current system, having more money means better access to quality care. No other developed nation allows their wealthy to… Read full post »

This post is Part One of a planned series about healthcare reform in the United States. The series covers detailed problems with the current healthcare system, including specific issues and obstacles to reform; the type of healthcare system needed to benefit every American citizen, justifications for… Read full post »

He drowns, as I watch.

I endeavor to extricate, to deliver, to rescue, to save .

But I fail.  I disappoint.

I am his light, his dawn.  Inside his dead, unfathomable eyes, the man he was breathes at my advent.  For a moment, I see him, the one I loved more than life;… Read full post »

Recently, the New England Journal of Medicine released online early findings from a pair of long-term medical research studies.  The results of the studies, Mortality Results from a Randomized Prostate-Cancer Screening Trial and Screening and Prostate-Cancer Mortality in a Randomi… Read full post »

After reading the enlightening post, "Breaking Up With Bank Of America" by Lisa Kern--which I highly recommend--and the numerous comments detailing additional unfair practices of the banking industry, I discovered that many people have had their credit severely damaged or destroyed by… Read full post »