Over at NOLA.com, there’s a spectacular overview of Alex Chilton’s life in New Orleans, where he lived mostly anonymously and quietly for over 28 years. I recommend you read it if you care about music at all (because you should care about Alex Chilton if you like music at all). This part, however, kind of struck me: At least twice in the week before his fatal heart attack, Chilton experienced shortness of breath and chills while cutting grass. But he did not seek medical attention, Kersting said, in part because he had no health insurance. So, rock...
Continue reading...United States
Decoy proms: Just like the good old days
Well, speaking of outrage: To avoid Constance McMillen bringing a female date to her prom, the teen was sent to a “fake prom” while the rest of her class partied at a secret location at an event organized by parents. Let’s see what led to this. Itawamba County School District in Mississippi was going to have a prom. Constance McMillen wanted to bring her girlfriend to the prom. Consequently, school cancels the prom. The ACLU sues. the court rules on the side of McMilllen, but gives the school a pass because some parents organized an alternative prom...
Continue reading...Forget sacrifice
I don’t tend to have a hard time getting outraged or upset about things. While walking around at the tea party protest a few weeks ago, one women proudly held a large poster of what I can only describe as a mangled fetus. I glanced at it, assuming it was another ridiculous “Obama=Socialist/Communist/Nazi/philatelist” sign, but it wasn’t, and I immediately had to turn away, as one more nanosecond of seeing it would cause some “projectile distress” from my stomach. I screamed “You should be ashamed of yourself!” and probably would have screamed more if Estes hadn’t had...
Continue reading...Just some quick numbers
So many folks have been saying all year that health insurance was not a high priority, and that the White House should have put off health care and worked on employment instead. Now, of course it’s more important to have a job than health insurance, but there is just one quick comparison I want to make: Over 46 Million people in the United States do not have health insurance. Over 16 Million people in the United States do not have a job. Just a little perspective.
Continue reading...Drill, Barry, drill?
Well, it’s happened again. Started writing something, then came across something better written arguing the same thing I was going to argue. I was going to write about how Obama’s decision to drill is a pragmatic one that takes both sides of the argument into account but satisfies neither (much like many of his decisions and policies). But, heck with it. Today’s New York Times editorial, “Drill, but Not Everywhere,” says it pretty darned well: For years, the debate over offshore drilling for gas and oil has been a war of sound bites between the “drill now,...
Continue reading...Weapons of mass destruction
When reading about the arrests of the Hutaree militia group members who had planned an attack against law enforcement professionals, it was mentioned (in the headline and the body) that they were charged with attempting to use “weapons of mass destruction,” but the stories explained that they had planned on using Improvised Explosive Devices, which are generally conventional in nature. “Weapons of mass destruction” is a term that is generally used to describe nuclear, biological or chemical weaponry. So, how are these so-called “militiamen” being charged with such an offense? Well, Brian Palmer, writing for Slate, explains,...
Continue reading..."Well now I feel the pain of racism"
I’d never heard of Doc Thompson until today. The only reference I can find of him in a very quick Google search is that he hosts some talk radio program out of Richmond, Virginia. However, apparently he was given the reins of Glenn Beck’s radio program yesterday and decided to make a name for himself. The type of name that will resonate with the Glenn-Beckers and Tea Partiers and nutters out there. Perhaps the type of name that will rescue him from Richmond and land him a gig on Fox News. That is, at the very least,...
Continue reading...I'm sorta disgusted.
I was fed up with the actions and rhetoric of the left when Bush was in office, despite sharing many of their concerns. I’m fed up with the current tactics of the right, and share none of their concerns. And yes, sadly, I’m still fed up with the left. I’m having trouble understanding how we move forward from such insanity. President Obama answered the question quite diplomatically this morning, as he often does. Noting that there is a divide in the ‘tea party’* movement between the truly insane (birthers, etc…) and the more rational (deficit hawks, etc…)...
Continue reading...Best. Week. Ever.
With the awesomeness surrounding the passage of healthcare reform, new DOT policy should not be overlooked. Increased commitment to and investment in bicycle facilities and walking networks can help meet goals for cleaner, healthier air; less congested roadways; and more livable, safe, cost-efficient communities. Walking and bicycling provide low-cost mobility options that place fewer demands on local roads and highways. DOT recognizes that safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities may look different depending on the context — appropriate facilities in a rural community may be different from a dense, urban area. However, regardless of regional, climate,...
Continue reading...This isn't over
With the Senate passing the House’s bill with fixes to the health care reform package, and the House ready to take it up tonight (and likely pass it tonight as well), it almost feels like this long, national nightmare is over. It’s not. Not by a long shot. You see, while this health care bill does not take over one-sixth of the economy, as its critics may speciously claim, it is gigantic, and it does touch a great number of sections of the U.S. budget. If you remember your civics correctly, you’ll note that the Congress votes...
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