Reality Me

A juggling technophile shares personal stories, challenges, humor and perhaps some political commentary.

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"Murphy was an optimist!"

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The US Healthcare System is the Best in the World! June 13, 2011 11:19 am

Well, actually it’s ranked 37th.

Evidence that other countries perform better than the United States in ensuring the health of their populations is a sure prod to the reformist impulse. The World Health Report 2000, Health Systems: Improving Performance, ranked the U.S. health care system 37th in the world…

It is hard to ignore that in 2006, the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy. These facts have fueled a question now being discussed in academic circles, as well as by government and the public: Why do we spend so much to get so little?

[Source, , ]

Is this really the simple difference between right and left? June 3, 2011 6:56 pm

Listen to the words of Kirsten Haglund (Miss America 2008) between 3:50 and 3:58. Does she sum up the difference between liberal and conservative beliefs in 8 seconds? If so, I’ll be happy to be labeled left, leftie, liberal, what-have-you. Just push play below and it should already be cued up to 3:50.

But it’s a basic difference in world view in that usually liberals and people on the left, Secular Humanists, believe that human nature is ultimately good. But conservatives believe it’s not.

[Source, Youtube, Fox News - Elmo & Big Bird Are Too Liberal & Make Gay Boys Want To Be Prom Queens quote by Kirsten Haglund 3:50-3:58]

I do believe in the goodness of people.

Now this is good politics! May 20, 2011 11:39 am

Can you imagine how great the US Congress would be if they modeled themselves after the Ukrainians? CSPAN would become profitable! They could consult with the WWF.

Note of record: At the time of my first viewing of this video, only 58 people had watched it.

Ministry of Truth to be created in California March 17, 2011 1:57 pm

A California corporation has been awarded has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom) to build the Ministry of Truth. "The project has been likened by web experts to China’s attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet."

The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers should be able to operate false identities from their workstations "without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

Now, before you grab your tinfoil hat (and mine is shinier than yours), note that "said none of the interventions would be in English, as it would be unlawful to ‘address US audiences’ with such technology"

…any English-language use of social media by Centcom was always clearly attributed. The languages in which the interventions are conducted include Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Pashto.

In his evidence to the Senate committee, Gen Mattis said: "OEV seeks to disrupt recruitment and training of suicide bombers; deny safe havens for our adversaries; and counter extremist ideology and propaganda." He added that Centcom was working with “our coalition partners” to develop new techniques and tactics the US could use "to counter the adversary in the cyber domain".

[Source, guardian.co.uk, Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media]

See also: Inspector General – Information Operations Contracts in Iraq page 9, Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) – online engagement, The man behind Operation Earnest Voice, and Operation Earnest Voice Part III.

This does not make me proud February 17, 2011 6:34 pm

The land of the free, the promised land, the place people once longed to visit or immigrate is quickly becoming the land to stay far away.

going to the US is more unpleasant than going to Soviet era Russia or even Iran 10 years ago. Sure, you sometimes have to bribe people, but at least I’ve not had gear stolen off me during security checks or had people break my gear without at least compensating me.

And taking pictures. Well, let me put it like this: you are 20 times more likely to get hassled for whipping out your camera anywhere in the US than in, say, downtown Teheran.

I offer this as an observation from the outside. The US is isolating itself and it is becoming a very, very unpleasant place to visit. I often talk to fellow travellers and even a lot of business types in nice suits often relate how they’d rather not travel to the US if they could help it and that they’d rather work with people in Europe or Asia. I can relate to that.

[Source, Reddit, Why I stopped travelling to the US and I largely stopped doing business in the US.]

My fellow Americas. Can we please return to the pre-9/11 sensibilities we once had?

To remove any doubt, WMDs evidence was a lie February 15, 2011 10:55 am

In case there is still any doubt, Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi has admitted to lying about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction. As I read this and watch the video, as an American citizen I feel heavy in my chest; despite my protests at the time, I feel guilty.

The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story, then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war.

[Source, guardian.co.uk , Defector admits to WMD lies that triggered Iraq war]

You should watch the video.

Florida produces a winning 2012 presidential candidate January 18, 2011 5:09 pm

Ryan Lipner wants to be president of the United States but he is only 27 and the Constitution requires a candidate to be 35 years old or older. Is he qualified?

Lipner is known for his obsession with Hallmark stores as a teen and for opening branches without the company’s permission, leading him "to grand theft, bankruptcy, imprisonment, and possibly insanity — all before his 18th birthday," according to a 2001 New Times story.

[Source, Broward Palm Beach NewTimes]

He at least sounds qualified for Congress.

Seen on Reddit Regarding the Nov 2 Election Results November 3, 2010 9:43 am

The thread

America is like the girl that keeps getting back together with that abusive moron everyone hates.
…but he’s going to be different this time, he swears!
[Source, Reddit, majikmixx]

The commenter who probably has it correct.

The GOP was supposed to sweep the demms and get some insane majority, they have the house but not the senate and it wasn’t a giant sweep in other contests. Furthermore the two parties as they are aren’t terribly different.

My prediction, more of the same shit we’ve seen for many years. If this is one of your first elections it might come as a shock but this is really how it’s been going. As long as Obama doesn’t fuck around with interns I think he’s still in good shape.

And the Dems will be back in control in two years because lets face it, things aren’t going to get better anytime soon. I’m not sure anyone can change that.

[Source, Reddit]

We shall see…I just hope they don’t succeed in making those Bush tax cuts permanent.

Postcards from the Pledge September 24, 2010 7:56 am

As the Republicans prepare for a battle to reclaim some power in Congress, they have announced a pledge discussing what the Republican party will do for this country. Jon Stewart with the Daily Show covers this very artfully! This is a must watch.

What will you do in November? July 31, 2010 4:31 pm

BBC explains why people vote against their own interests January 30, 2010 9:40 am

The BBC has delivered some excellent commentary on what we are living in American politics. These quotes hit the nail on the head:

[Thomas Frank] believes that the voters’ preference for emotional engagement over reasonable argument has allowed the Republican Party to blind them to their own real interests.

Right-wing politics has become a vehicle for channelling this popular anger against intellectual snobs. The result is that many of America’s poorest citizens have a deep emotional attachment to a party that serves the interests of its richest.

[Source, BBC, Why do people often vote against their own interests?]

…whatever disadvantaged Americans think they are voting for, they get something quite different:
"You vote to strike a blow against elitism and you receive a social order in which wealth is more concentrated than ever before in our life times, workers have been stripped of power, and CEOs are rewarded in a manner that is beyond imagining." [Source, BBC, Why do people often vote against their own interests?]

And here’s my favorite. One for the history books:

"It’s like a French Revolution in reverse in which the workers come pouring down the street screaming more power to the aristocracy." [Source, BBC, Why do people often vote against their own interests?]

The Rape Belt October 18, 2009 11:10 am

I live in a state that supports rape in the workplace. See the info graphic at Republicans for Rape.

What killed the public option? September 30, 2009 10:52 am

$19 million and 5 purchased votes shot down the best change that could have ever come to this country.

Max Baucus got $7,734,102, Blanche Lincoln received $4,190,592, Ken Conrad took in $3,287,891, Bill Nelson was given $2,414,895 and Tom Carper accepted $1,592,380 from health industry interests. [Source, Intershame.com, Bought by the Insurance Lobby]

These Senators clearly voted against the wishes of their constituents who 81% favor the public option. Is this another example of the Government of the Corporation? In CEO We Trust.

What happens when you yell “liar” at the President? September 10, 2009 7:58 am

Question:If you, Republican Joe Wilson, show a utter lack of respect for the office of the presidency, a breech of protocol, a total lack of decorum, and a complete disregard for the level of professionalism expect by your elected position, what happens?

Answer: In less than 12 hours, 1362 people raise $45,475 to help elect Democrat Rob Miller as your replacement in the House of Representatives.

Update: 20 hours later, 4531 people have donated $155,362.

Update: 24 hours later, 5832 people have dontaed $203,070. Along with other Rob Miller campaigns on ActBlue, volunteers have donated a total of $592,075 to see Democrat Rob Miller displace Republican Joe Wilson in South Carolina’s 2nd district US House Representative.

See also: Joe Wilson is your pre-existing condition and career finance.

Update: Wilson health care industry darling and this is not the first time he has gone off at the mouth. See also and 2002 Joe Wilson lies about Saddam.

Update: Rich points to a youtube video of Democrats applauding during a state of the union address about blocking a bill as an example of Wilson like behavior. I understand their message in applauding goes against the President’s desires but it matches the excepted decorum on the Senate and no one outright demeaned the President.

The House is considering responding to Wilson’s actions.

"It is a clear violation of the rules of the House, and it needs to be resolved on the floor of the House either by an apology or by a resolution," said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

House rules and precedents provide substantial guidance on how a House member can and cannot refer to the president while speaking on the floor, and the guidelines state that it has been found impermissible to call the president a liar. The House was in formal session at the time of the speech.

[Source, New York Times, Heckler’s Behavior May Bring Action in House]

The White House has stiffened its stand against providing health care to illegal aliens. Whether this is what Obama said he was going to do or a response to Wilson won’t ever be known but is irrelevant as the end result is the same.

Here’s a tricky one. Joe Wilson Voted to Provide Taxpayer Money for Illegal Immigrants’ Healthcare. This is the crap that happens in our Congress.

However, in 2003, Wilson voted to provide federal funds for illegal immigrants’ healthcare. The vote came on the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, which contained Sec. 1011 authorizing $250,000 annually between 2003 and 2008 for government reimbursements to hospitals who provide treatment for uninsured illegal immigrants. The program has been extended through 2009 and there is currently a bipartisan bill in Congress to make it permanent. [Source, OpenCongress, Joe Wilson Voted to Provide Taxpayer Money for Illegal Immigrants' Healthcare]

The misleading part of this is that the bill was "a much larger bill that contained many Republican priorities." Our bills should not be large bills with unrelated or concession type riders that force our lawmakers to let things slip through. I do not think this serves the people as much as it opens doors to serve the politicians and lobbyists with back scratching. "I’ve vote YES to your bill if you add this minor section."

Craig Ferguson’s response to Wilson.

Dropping Public Option is NOT an Option August 17, 2009 9:56 am

Contact your representative today! It’s easy. Just click here. Tell your representatives that giving up a public option is NOT an option. A pubic option is indispensable! Government run health care is not about jobless people or illegal aliens. Government run health care is about the millions of people who cannot get insurance and therefore cannot get affordable health care. The reasons people cannot get insurance vary from being self-employed (living that American dream!) and either not having enough employees or enough profits to get affordable health care, to pre-existing conditions which may or may not even be a factor in their health care (did you know being on anti-depressants 10 years ago could be enough of a pre-existing condition to deny you insurance coverage even if you no longer use the drugs?), to working jobs with inconsistent work schedules which cause the employee to be laid off for lengthy periods of time such as construction and fisheries (that lobster you enjoy so much was probably caught by a U.S. citizen without insurance), people who have maxed out their insurance such as the mental ill (just because they are ill doesn’t mean they should be shoved away), and the elderly.

50 million people is a lot of people. That means you probably know several people without insurance or health care. They are probably ignoring conditions that could be treated which will result in more expensive care in the long term or early death. So if you don’t believe we need government backed health care, have lunch with one of these people today, look them in their eyes, and explain it to them.

Remember, these people do not want insurance! They want health care!.

Update: My apologies for the numerous grammar errors and word omissions in this post. I believe most have been corrected. I was a bit rushed this morning and really did not have time to be posting but felt this issue deserved attention. It definitely won the "2009 post in greatest need of an editor" award.

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