Daily Dose of Health Care

Ahem, it's come to my attention that spelling it "healthcare" is incorrect. So, from now on I'll type it correctly, but I am definitely not editing my old posts for something so minor.

On to the medicine. I spent a whopping five minutes out of my day calling both my Senators and letting them know I support a public option on health care. I also told the receptionist for one senator of my own experience without health care and said, "We need a public option." She said, "Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to let the Senator know."

Maybe that "Yes" was just a conversational sign of sympathy for my situation or maybe it was an indication that my Mel Martinez is gonna do the right thing on this one. I don't know. But it took less than five minutes and it goes in the "Yes" column that every Senate office keeps of how their constituents feel.

Go here to find contact information for your Representatives and Senators. Right now the health care reform bill is having the biggest challenge in the Senate. I never promised not to be political on this blog, but honestly, this is a human life issue. Either you care if people die or you don't. Either you care if people are suffering or you don't. You don't get to say "The health care system is fine the way it is" and expect to be treated with respect by the adults in the room. You certainly won't get any respect by comparing our mandate-elected Constitutionally-legal President to the Fuhrer of Germany. That is disgusting, hateful, and vile and you full well know it.

Remote Access Medical facilities were designed to provide quick and dirty medical care in third world countries. The doctors and medical volunteers behind this great organization are having to spend their time more and more on US soil treating uninsured and under insured tax-paying employed non-illegal alien Americans. (You can donate to their work around the world by clicking the name RAM.)

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Sunday School 3

Now gather round, my children, for today we'll learn many new and exciting things. Or at least you'll have cookies and juice with a coloring page while I read Bible verses out of a teacher's book. Oh wait... we're not having that kind of Sunday School you say?

Okay then, we'll just have to go the Anti-Theist route instead. My son was coloring on the walls in Sharpie this morning (having already used every tube of lipstick I own to go all Trading Spaces on the place *yesterday*) so I tossed the Sharpie (how'd that ever survive the past *year* in this apartment?) and pulled out a coloring book from my mom. It's... a Sunday School coloring book! And you know, there are a lot of pictures of just animals, like one of a donkey in a meadow under stars. And then, right next to it is a picture of an angel (flying) next to a woman and gabbing to her. Suddenly I realized that there are adults - parents - who seriously believe that a physical flipping angel - with wings! - talked to Mary.

My kid knows the word "cranium" but not the word "angel". He tries to say "graduated cylinder". He hides a map in his cowboy hat, and uses a plastic instrument piece as binoculars, points to the myriad stains on the carpet and declares, "Look, tracks!" And then her runs off, and when he gets "lost" in the living room, he pulls out his map and uses it to find his way back home to his bed. And he has no idea what an angel is. I am kind of awesome, you know. I'm huge in Japan.

Vjack at Atheist Religion brings us news on the C Street cult and its present threat to the democratic process. I have to admit I tend to unquestioningly presume a high level of patriotism for politicians, public school teachers, firefighters, and police. But these guys are theocrats all the way - and we elected them to public office.

I don't know if you guys are aware, but in college I was a Middle East studies major. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict especially got my interest and it's amazing how little the average American (including me before this class) really knows about the conflict. This news story on HuffPo sheds light on the side most Americans aren't aware of.

Just Bill runs Ask the Scientologist, an excellent Xenu info blog. This week he tells What It Means to be a Scientologist.

Ron Britton over at Bay of Fundie brings us Teabagging for Jesus, an excellent image post of the insane (misspelled) posters of teabagger protestors. (The people who don't wanna pay taxes, but still want to drive on roads, use the post office, take Medicare, etc.)

Heaving Dead Cats is at it again, this week bringing us the new US currency suggested by an atheist graphic designer. Here's what the new 20 would look like under this arrangement.



On the "face" of each bill, along with the Pres. or founding father is a quote from the Bill of Rights. Very rad ideas here. (Yes, I did just say rad. I watched Saved by the Bell as a kid. So sue me.)

And finally, dear Sunday students, I'd be remiss if I left you without a funny religiously themed video of the week. Here's two for good measure!






Seriously, I want a job where I get millions of dollars to shove people! He might be an evil charlatan but damnit he gets paid to do something we learned not to do on the playground. It's kind of like the guy who made a couple million bucks off of painting eyes on rocks.

And then there's the lovely River Tam.



That's all for today kids. Therefore, go ye and sin some more!

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Iran: Weekend Update

There's more information coming in than I can track. I'm trying to verify everything (as best as I can) before posting here or retweeting (RT) on Twitter.com. For pretty well verified, constantly updated information check out Nico Pitney's LiveBlog. For other interesting sites, information, etc.
Check out the following:

Time Mag re: How Obama Should Respond

Time Mag re: Neda Becomes Cause (explains Shiia martyrdom and mourning history)

Mother Jones eye-witness account of Police and Workers Aid Demonstrators

Search Engine Journal re: How to Follow Iran Online

Press TV (Iran State media source) re: Parliment Speaker criticizes Guardian Council

BBC re: Today vs. 1979

Guardian Weekly eye-witness account

Press TV re: Ahmidenijad thanks Leader for Support

One blogger's approach to Get Info INTO Iran

I'm off to tweet #IranElection. Best wishes, safety, and freedoms to you all.

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Iran!

Here's what I'm obsessively following and doing.

Tweeting
Check out Five Ways Tweeters can Help Iranis. These pertain to passing on reliable information, helping with secure IPs, etc. I'm personally RTing (or "re-tweeting") only critical information, such as a map to the foreign embassies in Tehran that are protecting and treating injured protesters, information regarding secured IPs and anonymizers, First Aid insutructions (English and Farsi/Persian) for bullet wounds, chemical burns, and broken bones. I am NOT making statements of a political nature - I am keeping in heavy circulation items that relate to the safety of the peaceful protestors, and their right to have their voice heard without threat of bloodshed. But seriously, focus on First Aid stuff and don't get too swept up in "Allah o Akbar". Especially if you're one of MY readers...

Keeping up with Nico
If following #IranElection on Twitter is way too intense for you (literally hundreds of new tweets each minute) Nico Pitney at Huffington Post has been LiveBlogging the Uprising for days. This is an excellent resource and through volunteer Iranian-Americans, most of what Nico posts has been translated into English. His reporting seems to be pretty well confirmed information (and NOT some of the fear-inspiring rumors shooting around right now).

Trying to Understand
BBC article "Consequences of Engaging Iran"

Tehran Times (state media) claims "Police Were Lenient"

NY Times Op-Ed by Roger Cohen (Brilliant - definitely worth reading.)

As always when posting about current events, tragedies, or personal times of woe, I must mention that I don't believe in prayer. If you wish to do so for the people of Iran, of course that is your RIGHT. But I entreat you, please, DO something as well. Even if it's just keeping track of things, trying to understand our fellow homo-sapiens across the globe, or Tweeting first aid tips.

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