More on single-payer health care

To increase your chops in debating this issue, here is another resource.

Turning over the rock...

I have been just going crazy over the right wing trying to characterize the Obama administration as being a "Fascist" regime -- "socialist" was bad enough, but this takes the cake.

However, I realized that my thinking and current knowledge on the subject of fascism had dreadfully eroded since my "political science major" days as an undergrad. So I decided to restore/update my chops on this subject.

In pursuing that quest, I found the following site, which explains the subject perfectly. Applied to Obama - forget it! Applied to eight years of Bush - Yep.

Making me smile

Check it out.

I just love the little guy who can barely get his nose above ground-zero of his axe.

Get on board everyone!

Today, I heard that Senator Feinstein was making public statements to the effect that a health care bill with a "public option" will not make it through the Senate. If this is true it is bullshit. Accordingly, I just composed and emailed the following to MY Senator:

Dear Senator Feinstein:

I have been a long-time supporter of yours going back to seeing how magnificently you handled the horror of the assassination of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone.

I am writing because I am very concerned to have heard that you are making public statements saying that the "public option" for health care cannot get enough support to pass through the Senate. This, in spite of the fact that polling shows the 72% of Americans favor it, and a majority says they would accept higher taxes to pay for it.

I have no idea how much money you are receiving from the health insurance industry, or how much you are being influenced by their lobbyists, but I would like to believe that the answer is "zero" on all counts.

You MUST show some courage now and support a robust public option that will compete with the insurance companies, but more importantly, will also provide decent health care to the almost 50 million who have no coverage at all. In fact, with your seniority, prestige, and power, it is your duty to step up to the plate and lead the charge.

I just turned 65 and I am now (as are you) in a single-payer system: Medicare in my case, and an even better system in your case. It seems to work really well, far better than the Blue Cross program I was in before. But my children and grandchildren cannot wait until they are 65! They need (and deserve as a fundamental right) a public option. And, it must be a true public option that is designed to compete head-on with the insurance companies as opposed to some watered-down "co-op" abomination.

Senator, PLEASE maintain my long-standing faith in your courage and wisdom. Rise to the occasion without fear of the insurance companies. Serve us all well at this critical time.

Your long-time constituent,

Tom Wilson

I encourage anyone reading this to send a similar email to his or her own Senators and Congress Persons. If you send it "as is" please say something like, "My friend, Tom Wilson, sent this to Senator Feinstein, and I totally agree with him" or words to that effect. Or, you can edit it to reflect your own thoughts more accurately. At this point we all know that we will never be able to get a "single-payer" bill through, but if we can at least get a single-payer public option passed, it will be the proverbial "foot-in-the-door" for a true single-payer system. (This is why the insurance company's are fighting the public option tooth and nail).

I'm in California where all my representatives are on board, except for Sen. Feinstein, so it's not so critical for me, and I've just done my part on that front. But for those of you in States where your representatives are not on board or are waffling, please take action of some sort to let them know that you DEMAND a bill that has a robust public option component.

Rant over,

Tom

Geography lesson?

Here is a little known fact: The Appalachian Trial actually winds its way through Argentina! See the following for verification of this strange geological anomaly.

Jing - How can you pass it up?

Because of the work I do, I need a top-notch, full featured screen capture program. I use "Snagit," which is the best I have found. However, it turns out that the creators of Snagit are marketing a FREE screen capture program for both PC and Mac: Jing. Here is how they explain it:

"If Snagit were a fancy SLR camera, Jing would be one of those compact point-and-shoot deals."

Anyway, if you need a great free screen capture program, download Jing here.

How can you pass it up?

Revolutionary Road & Gran Torino

I saw "Revolutionary Road" on DVD last night. What a great movie. It is a tough watch, but so worth it. The script was super, music perfectly composed and utilized, cinematography beautiful, and direction flawless. But the actors, top to bottom, were fabulous. DiCaprio and Winslet were amazing, and Michael Shannon as the "oh-so-wise-yet-fucking-crazy guy" certainly stole the scenes he was in, particularly the last one. I thought the movie was going to be good, but it was far better than I imagined. I went back and read the review by Mick LaSalle, the critic for our SF Chronicle, whose opinions and tastes usually track with mine; I had forgotten that he pegged the movie as his pick for the best film of 2008. Here is his review.

I also watched "Gran Torino," and was underwhelmed to say the least -- not one of Clint's better efforts. I can't pick out one particular fault. Let's just say that it was Clint trying to combine the "deep-down nice guy in spite of himself" (like Nicholson in "As Good as it Gets") with a geriatric Dirty Harry, topped off with the "aliens in America" theme of a host of movies depicting Mexicans/Arabs/Africans/ or other "foreigners" trying to assimilate in the good old USA. Better than the orangutan movies Clint made, but not by much.

Just sayin' ....