"Murphy was an optimist!"
Me Likes July 2, 2007 12:29 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Of InterestI’m digging Pandora! Just heard Luv Luv Luv.
add a commentPeople sing about luv luv luv
And it sounds like blah blah blah
Because they really mean sex sex sex
Off to kill some birds June 30, 2007 10:33 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Of Interest, Sarah, ScoutsKill some birds?! From 11am to 2pm we will be at the Bearden Middle School courtyard cleaning out the gardens, washing walls, and bashing cement with sledge hammers. Feel free to join us!
add a commentMichael Moore’s Sicko Review June 30, 2007 12:10 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Health, Of Interest, Touchy Subjects, TV / MoviesA really big thank you needs to be extended to R Neal and Mrs. Neal for putting together this opportunity for the blogging community to gather.
The first thing that hit me was my overwhelming inability to put faces to online personages. (Sorry to anyone that I shoved the camera in your face and took a picture. I was doing what I was told “take closeup pictures” and it only occurred to me later that I could stand back and use the zoom.) Then I was hit with the nostalgia of Downtown 8. Wow! That theatre hasn’t changed in years. The lack of stadium seating and the click-click-click of non-digital projection really took me back.
I have never seen a Michael Moore film so I truly did not know what to expect. I thought this would be a dull documentary. It was a well narrated, well filmed and entertaining story. From all the controversial and negativeness I have heard, I truly expected the film to be terribly lopsided. On the contrary, I found the information well presented and it seemed very fair. Yes, perhaps the "average" family in France did not truly represent an average family but it made its point well. In January (and other times), I have read and looked into alternative ways health care is provided around the world. I am no expert but Sicko’s information seemed to match my reading.
Cathy and I are two of the 50 million uninsured Americans and we suffer because of it. The children are covered by insurance but I live under constant fear that something will happen to us before I can change our insurance situation. I personally connected with this film on several levels. I laughed. I was awed. I nearly cried. The film documented a future I fear for Cathy and myself. 
But it goes beyond us. As a cash pay in the doctor’s office, I have noted the different ways we are treated. While an insurance company may deny a procedure, cash never gets turned down; however, it gets frowned at and somehow I feel like I end up in the hands of lessor trained doctors while the insured get the cream of the crop.
Before this film came out, I felt that the health care system in America needed a dramatic change. Yes, I favor a more socialized approach. I feel that if we take care of our citizens then our citizens will take much better care of our society and we will be an even better country. I left the theatre in high spirits knowing that I am not alone in my hopes that one day we will put people’s health above profit. Even if you are a Michael Moore hater, I encourage you to see this film!
I almost took a picture of the near full theatre and could kick myself for not doing so after reading Michael Moore’s letter asking for pictures. I did a rough headcount and gather that there were between 80-100 people watching. In attendance (links to reviews/opinions in bold):
Saw the show
- Reality Me (see also) -review-
- Domestic Psychology -review-
- Tommy -review-
- Sarah -review-
- KnoxViews -review-
- Jonathan Hickman -review-
- Katie Allison Granju (see also) -review-
- JustJohnny
- a.k.a MountainGirl
- Tennessee Jed -review-
- Bbeanster
- D Mac
- the Mister
- TennesseeValuesAuthority
- Tamara Shepherd
- WhitesCreek Journal -review-
- Brian Arner of Resonance
- KO
- Justin
- bizgrrl
- Socialist With A Gold Card
- Russ McBee -review-
- Stan G
- 38 more…let me know who you are in the comments
Did not see the show
Update: Cnn Analysis of Sicko. "numbers mostly accurate; more context needed"
As we dug deep to uncover the numbers, we found surprisingly few inaccuracies in the film.[emphasis added] In fact, most pundits or health-care experts we spoke to spent more time on errors of omission rather than disputing the actual claims in the film.
…
As Americans continue to spend $2 trillion a year on health care, everyone agrees on one point: Things need to change, and it will take more than a movie to figure out how to get there.
[Source]
In a nutshell, Moore’s argument comes down to this: the insurance companies are making a killing at their customers’ expense.
…
Having “enjoyed” first-hand experience of two of these three health systems — the British and the Canadian — I can attest that they’re not quite as idyllic as Mr. Moore paints them. Except in comparison with the U.S. system, of course, and that’s the point.[emphasis added] Moore is a master of overstatement, but his comic shtick hits the target more often than not. It only hurts when we laugh.
…
With four times as many health lobbyists as there are congressmen, and with multimillion-dollar campaign donations at stake, the prospect of universal care seems a distant hope.
…
It’s not impossible that this bitterly funny, bitterly sad call to alms could move reform back up the political agenda. For that reason alone, you owe it to yourself to see this movie. [emphasis added]
[Source]
Some doctors are for national health care: Physicians for a Nation Health Program
Update: Slate: Michael Moore and the Beige Bomber
KnoxBlab discussion
More at Knoxviews
Betsy Pickle – KNS reviewer
Sicko – Well done! June 29, 2007 9:39 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Interest, TV / MoviesI’ll have more later. Michael Moore made an exceptional movie!
4commentsHeading to Sicko tonight! June 29, 2007 1:15 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cathy, Daily Life, Family, Of Being Dad, Of Interest, Politics, Sarah, Tommy, Touchy Subjects, TV / MoviesWhen Tommy declared, "There should be a law that you have to speak English in America."
I ranted at him for half an hour. I didn’t force my view upon him rather made an effort to open his mind to another perspective. I used examples such as "if you went to Spain, you should have to speak Spanish"
and he’d retort "but I am not living there"
so we went through what-if scenario after scenario and using examples such as the nice people who work at CiCi’s pizza and do not speak a word of English yet they communicate with the patrons just fine. Eventually Tommy was begging to end the conversation and I released him content that maybe he’d heard something; more than likely, he will simply think twice before raising such issues in front of me again (which would be a shame).
Since Tommy will vote for our next President, and since he gets plenty of far right opinion for other relatives, I felt it prudent that he and Sarah begin their political education. How fortunate that R. Neal of Knoxviews.com offered up some tickets to Michael Moore’s Sicko! I’m sure their grandfather will deprogram them afterwards. It is not the point-of-view that I want to impress upon the children as much as I want them to appreciate that there are multiple ways to see a subject, multiple solutions to a problem, and that they should try to see everything as if they were in that other person’s shoes. See you at the movie tonight!
10commentsBoycott the iPhone! June 29, 2007 12:45 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Communications, Gadgets, Of Interest, TechnologyI hate AT&T but I love Cingular therefore I am an AT&T customer. And if I had the money and the time to stand in line we would probably have 4 or 5 iPhones in the house tonight.
Working Assets is a really top-notch organization, and they’ve nailed one of the reasons I’ve been skeptical of the iPhone since the start. Handset locking sucks, and AT&T sucks more: These people are criminal traitors who helped wiretap the nation, neutricidal maniacs bent on wrecking the Internet, and convicted monopolists besides. [Source]
See also (
Steve Jobs addresses new AT&T/iPhone controversy). More iPhone links.
Link Baited! June 29, 2007 11:18 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Of Interest, Politics, Touchy SubjectsBy Michael Silence?!
add a commentThe Omniscient Internet June 29, 2007 8:55 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Music, Of InterestWikipedia knew before the police did!
Investigators are looking into who altered pro wrestler Chris Benoit’s Wikipedia entry to mention his wife’s death hours before authorities discovered the bodies of the couple and their 7-year-old son. [Source]
Thanks Single Dads.
Update: According to BoingBoing, there has been a confession and the change to the article was apparently an ill timed "joke."
add a commentYou old? June 27, 2007 9:16 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Of Interest, PhilosophyApparently I’m Generation Y.
2commentsImmigration Laws Keep Me Unemployed June 26, 2007 8:42 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Economy, Of Interest, Programming, Technology, Touchy SubjectsOver the past year I made several attempts to get out of consulting and back into the corporate world. By being a consultant for a decade, I have evolved a fascinating set of skills which should make me invaluable to most tech companies. However, all interviews ended without an offer.
But immigration laws pertaining to the hiring of foreign workers in the States are tight. And firms have to prove that they can’t find anyone in their back yard to do the jobs they need to fill, before casting their gaze abroad.
This is why U.S. firms hire consultants to publish classified job ads in local U.S. papers, with goal of not finding any applicants.
[Source]
See more comments on the video.
Albeit interesting, that video and information actually has nothing to do with me failing to nail a corporate job. The jobs I missed had more to do with concerns that I could not switch from consulting back to cubeville and a couple required me to do some free work which did not fit into my schedule. Frankly, I failed to market myself well. I believe anyone with a decent skill set can find a good paying job particularly in the tech world.
add a commentI had to do one Transformers post June 25, 2007 11:33 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Of Interest, TV / MoviesThe Best Quote I’ve Seen Today June 22, 2007 8:46 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Humor, Of Interest, PhilosophyAT is a riot! His Bonnaroo posts (and Rich’s) made me long for some live music.
add a commentMan, you people. I got sick of twitter before any of you started with it! [Source]
Can we leave the house? June 22, 2007 2:31 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Juggling, Of InterestI would love to take the children to the Bijou Theatre on July 11th! On a side note, if anyone every watched the "Save the Bijou" video, I’m the juggler.
add a commentAriele Ebacher’s Funambulist Fantasy *** Joel Baker, Clown *** The Musical Wizardry of Frederik Iversen, the world’s only Reverse Organist *** A.J. Silver, the Cowboy from the Boogie Down Bronx Magic Hat Variety 12-Pack
*** Bubbling Burlesque *** Ring Mistress Philomena’s Precision Target Bullwhip Cracking *** Red Hot Fire Eating **** Mr. Pennygaff’s Solid Steel Sword Swallowing *** Unbelievable Orificular Love Poetry: A Wordless Tribute to Love’s Ins & Outs *** Audience Members Risking It All in Our Amazing Beer Drinking Contest *** Arresting Aerial Artistry on the Trapeze *** an amazing All Juggling finale… And MORE MORE MORE! [Source]
Sorry Dean June 22, 2007 1:04 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Health, Mental, News, Of Interest, ScienceI’m smarter than you.
1 comment so farHow’s life? June 20, 2007 9:14 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, Of Being Dad, Of InterestSometimes I want to post intimate details, no not those kind, of my life but to do so would really overstep the bounds of good taste and common sense. I work as an independent consultant. It is a terribly difficult way to live but offers great rewards (otherwise, why do it?). I think people would find the challenges I face intriguing; however, clients relations could be damaged and friends and family would turn up the frequency of the "why don’t you get a real job" question. Psst! Hey Spanky. I’ve got a real job!
We tend to live a feast or famine lifestyle; not much of a middle ground. I know! I’ll write a book. It can be published at a later time when the information will not result in harsh criticisms from those who cannot see the long term benefit of the present day suffering nor will it compromise my relationships with clients and locals. Once upon a time…
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