So, now that we are not gonna dither and probably send thousands of troops into Afghanistan, lets talk about paying for it.  

Well, it seems some Democrats are proposing, in the same way that we have to find the money for social programs, that if we want to continue and… Read full post »

Maziar Bahari, a Canadian based film maker and journalist, was arrested and tortured by the Revolutionary Guards of Iran. Bahari gave an interview to 60 Minutes and writes a compelling account of his ordeal in prison.  

Watch the  interview on 60 minutes and read his account in Newsweek,… Read full post »

 

 

Dear OS Comrades, 

Welcome to OS, a little microcosm of America.   I have been here since March of 2008.  A group of folks was here before me, does not matter at this point.  

I am here to not bash or bury OS, I am here… Read full post »

Sixty votes needed to move the healthcare bill forward.  The debate finished.  

We are at the M's.   Is anyone watching?  

 

 "The vote to end a Republican filibuster on the motion to proceed, should it reach the 60-vote threshold, will double as the vote on the motion t… Read full post »

 

The couple was not at home. Why, the wife was in a car accident. Right here in Santa Rosa, a couple hires a crane company to remove and aged oak tree and they get the surprise of a lifetime.  

 

Last year, Reliable Crane… Read full post »

One of the trends that I have seen from conservatives, libertarians, Republicans, right wingers, the other side of the aisle, teabaggers,  dildo ditto heads, or whatever they call themselves is a basic mistrust for the Constitution.    

Lets look at one component and how… Read full post »

Enough with actors.  What is an actor?   A shell molded by director to speak a writer's words and made to look good by a cinematographer.     What do we know of them?  Their essence other than what we glean from the gossip columns.    

 Anyway, most of the… Read full post »

On Friday I went to the concert of a lifetime:  Leonard Cohen.  He is 75 years old and performed for three and half hours.  A lifetime of songwriting and performing.  No pyrotechnics, no splash, just a bunch of incredible musicians and a man's body of work.  

Still sensual as… Read full post »

Do you ever think, what is the purpose Political Correctness?  If we are not Politically Correct what are we and what do we strive for as a society?  

If memory and experience serve me right, Political Correctness bundles together a number of social virtues , or lets call them social… Read full post »

 

 

I just read in Salon an article by Jeff Shalter, The Democrats' New "Family" Values .  When I posted on Sunday,   American Theocrats Use Healthcare to Control Women  I knew this was a big deal. 

This is a planned and concerted effort to take away… Read full post »

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The Center For Responsive Politics, just released a report that describes the wealth of our elected officials in Congress. 

• 44% are millionaires.
• 237 members are millionaires.
• Some had losses in Net worth this last yea
… Read full post »

 

Once again the theocratic wing of America  has found a way to diminish women.  64 Democrats, the party of choice, voted along with the theocrats. Women were held hostage, and for the good of the whole, on…

Read full post »

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My friend, Chris, has an unbelievable collection of the Day of the Dead figures and other Halloween trinkets.  Collections of such items tend to be dull and commercialized.  Yet, she manages to pick beautiful pieces and she creates quite a… Read full post »

Nothing, nothing will change in this country if we do not change campaign financing laws.  

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Take the Mayor's race in New York yesterday,  100 million, the most expensive race in US History.   Here I am looking for headline/… Read full post »

Although this is indirectly about the healthcare debate, I want to step back and ask my friends on the right about their ideas on "government" and the Reagan cry that you hold dear: "government is the problem, not the solution" 

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I am conf… Read full post »

A friend in Egypt Twittered it.  It is from a blog that I read regularly, South/South.  

 

Tell me what you think.  

How to Prevent Sexual Assault

1. Don’t put drugs in people’s drinks in order to control their behavior.

2. When you see someone walking by themselv… Read full post »

I did not want the first summer in this garden to end, I don't think my cat did either, but it did and we both love it.  

 

Figs release a little white milk when they are not completely ripe, my mother warned me:  "don't eat figs… Read full post »

Watch the video of Nancy Pelosi announcing the House Bill with Public Option.  

Here is the actual Affordable Healthcare Act  .  

The work is not done.  There are still negotiations and deals that will be made.  We… Read full post »

Remember AIG?  AIG the big insurer that we bailed out?  Bloomberg did a bit of investigating using the Freedom of Information Act.  Yes, folks, journalists can still do investigative work.  

Let's break it down cause the way people write about this stuff, it sounds like us m… Read full post »

Michael Moore has done more to give Americans class consciousness than all the socialist and communist parties in America combined.  Why?  Cause he lays it out in a simple and very clear way for people to see the political and economic situation. 

Moore has put together a letter spell… Read full post »

Back to Healthcare. Where are we? 

The Senate Finance Committee (the Baucus Plan) released the proposed bill on October 19th with official name and everything: America's Healthy Future Act, AHFC, all 1,252 pages.  This will not be the final version because remember there is a version i… Read full post »