I happen to think that the best way for the U.S. to go is toward a Single Payer health plan. The idea that people go bankrupt over health care costs, that people die because their insurance will not pay for the treatment that they need, irks the hell out of me. And both have happened within my own family. Also, the limitations of only being able to see doctors within your own health plan (ala Kaiser) is beyond stupid. If everyone in the United States were automatically covered, just by virtue of being a citizen, then I am sure that we could bring costs down, that yes, our taxes would…

The whole AIG thing is bugging, you know?  I know that it’s important to retain your top talent when you’re a huge company with fingers in every pie in the U.S., such as AIG is.  I do understand that.  If they should fail even worse than they already have, we’re all screwed even farther than we already are.  But it pisses me off that anyone in the WORLD thinks they’re worth this much money, let alone taxpayer money.  No one is worth this much.  No one.  But people who took huge chances that resulted in the collapse of our economy, resulting in this huge loss of jobs, why should they…

“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and…

Ted mentioned the other day that our economic situation is so bad, that even if every American man, woman, and child were to chip in $1 or $5, it wouldn’t really help anything.  I thought, but what if every American man, woman, and child were to throw one shoe at George W. Bush? Heck, even if every man, woman, and child in DC next Tuesday threw a shoe, surely at least one would hit him.  THAT’S a movement I could get behind.  You have at least one extra shoe lying around, don’t you?  That you’d be willing to donate to the cause? A girl can dream, right?

  It would be, do your damndest to fix health care in this country.  There are too many stories out there of people truly suffering, losing their houses, losing their livelihoods, due to medical bills.  My mom, for example.  Back in 2004-2005, she had an ongoing medical condition, and found herself hemorrhaging all the time.  She had it treated, it lasted awhile, and then it would start up again.  Months and months.  Actually, on and off problems for perhaps two years.  Try to imagine the stress losing that much blood puts on your body.  She was very ill.  Finally, the doctor decided that she needed to have a hysterectomy.  Due…

That’s the end of my gloating.  But after having my heart broken in 2000 and 2004, I’m thrilled.  And having not just any not-Bush, but a man who I feel like I can truly get behind, a man I respect and admire, win the White House…..well, this is an amazing day indeed. I’ve said this before, but this is the first election in my life where I have had the opportunity to vote for someone I could truly believe in.  I go to sleep happy indeed.

My friend John wrote an interesting post the other day about the Christian response to Proposition 8, which is the ballot initiative in California that seeks to outlaw same sex marriage.  I say the Christian response, but that’s not accurate, because of course not all Christians think or vote the same, any more than any other group that you can classify and lump together and generalize about.  Anyway, go check it out.  I must say that I’m impressed by the quality of comments he receives.  Whichever way they go on an issue, there’s not much (if any) knee jerk reaction, and they spend some time to explain their positions.  Really…

See Jimmy, you can come over to the light without fear!  Join these old boys!

This is totally not going to be an in depth examination of California’s ongoing budget crisis.  No one outside of California cares, and it’s Friday, so no one is reading anyway.  Besides, the country’s economic issues are so serious, and we’re all so screwed for this next little while (how long?  Oh, just long enough to lose your savings if you have one, just long enough to lose your house if you have one, just long enough to realize you’re how screwed you are if you have nothing), that probably the 90% of my readers who don’t live in California have bigger fish to fry.  But if you live in…