Thursday, June 28, 2012

What does eet meeean, man!?

In case you didn't hear, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), including the individual mandate. Reactions are varied, including many saying they'll move to Canada to avoid the universal healthcare. Well, I'll hope that works out for them. Maybe they'll find Canada's universal healthcare more acceptable. Yes... I am being ironic.

For my part, I'm not fond of the individual mandate, but I can see why it may be needed. It's either that or more taxes... although it would take me about fifteen minutes to come up with a list of things we could axe or scale back on to make up for it, starting with a fairly thorough audit on all government spending.

However, on the idea of universal healthcare coverage in itself, I like it. Healthcare is expensive. Very fucking expensive. There are any number of reasons for it... many can be attributed to greed, some of it corporate, some of it belonging to those who are overly quick to run to a malpractice attorney. And it is easy to see why many people think of the insurance companies as being evil. Yes, they are a business, yes, that means they should be turning a profit. But at the same time, what if instead of spending all those extra profits on ad campaigns and lobbying, they spent it on actually taking care of people?

I'll let you in on a little info on myself. I've been without any kind of health insurance for well over two years now, starting when I was laid off from a particular job. The next job I had simply didn't provide health insurance. COBRA wasn't a viable option, as it wouldn't have left me enough money to even come close to paying rent each month. My present job isn't giving me enough hours to qualify for their health insurance. Thankfully, I'm in fairly good health overall, but that can always change... in a heartbeat, so to speak. However, if I were to try for private insurance, I would be denied. Why? Because of the pre-existing conditions. In my case, depression or possibly PTSD, either one's a kiss of death for insurance. Also, having had asthma as a child would disqualify me.

My girlfriend was also laid off from a job a few months ago. She's a little more concerned about the "what-if's" than I am. She tried for private insurance, and after a very invasive phone interview, she was rejected based on having PCOS - a fairly common condition, affecting 5-10% of all women, maybe more, and in her case, not severe. She receives no special treatments for it. But it was still enough to deny her coverage altogether.

With Obama himself, I remember him saying his inspiration for this (other than Romney's own bill in Massachusetts) was his own mother having cancer and being denied live-saving coverage as a result.

So yeah, for me it's personal. It's personal for Obama as well.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Predictions?

So I'm up late (like always... I tend to be a night person), although for whatever reason, I actually feel like I really am up late tonight.

I'm reading through the news, to include the highlighted quotes and deeds one sees from political activists on Facebook. What I'm seeing is making me think back to the crap this country went through during Woodrow Wilson's time in office. While he's considered now to be one of the "Great Presidents," the truth is, by most standards, he would have been one of the worst presidents in this nation's 300+ year history. He pretty much ruled with an iron fist, and accomplished all the things Bush the lesser was trying to accomplish a few years ago. The only reason he is considered a "Great President" is because he had the fortune to preside over the first world war, and our side theoretically won. Never mind that the way it was blundered through led directly to the Great Depression and to the second world war.

Watching events unfold remind me of a comic by Jhonen Vasquez called "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac." There is a part in which Johnny, perhaps ironically, says, "The basic behavior of the modern human is hardly different from that of its primitive ancestors, the only noticeable changes are trends. Whether in a quit or in a loincloth, people are ignorant little thorns, cutting into one another. The seem incapable of advancing beyond the violent tendencies which, at one time, were necessary for survival." For my part, it's not the incapability of advancing beyond the violent tendencies that bothers me so much as the asinine excuses people make for them. Some like to blame religion, but in truth, if not for religion, another excuse would be found.

What I'm seeing now is a lot of power-grabs. A lot of regression. I don't know how many have watched that old "Xena: Warrior Princess" show, or out of those who have, how many would admit to it (I have the first season on DVD - boo-yah!), but I remember an episode in which Ares had been dethroned. With that, warriors were on their best behaviors while non-warriors were picking fights wherever the hell they could. Ares said something about the absence of war causing a lack of discipline among people. I'm not sure how to word it correctly, but in its own way, it made sense. People are hungry for what they don't (or shouldn't) have. Now it seems like people are aching for another big war.

For those who are reading this, I'm curious about your predictions for what's likely to happen in the next ten years or so. There's no time limit on this, so just join in whenever.

Monday, June 25, 2012

2012 Elections and my Endorsement

By now, you are probably tired of hearing about election stuff. I know I am, and there is still a number of months to go. However, that doesn't make it any less important.

Republicans... Republicans. Ugh. They had a chance to get some major victories in. While many of the reasons people hate Obama are basically bullshit, the fact is that a lot of people still hate him regardless. But hate is generally synonymous with stupidity, so it requires only a little rhyme and no reason.

All in all, I'd say that the TEA Party is the worst thing to happen to Republicans and the best thing to happen to Democrats in a very long time. Regardless of how stupid they are, the fact is that they are good at getting their candidates nominated. And said candidates tend to be extreme... like Christine O'Donnell. While such candidates may set the conservatives all afire with glee, it's ultimately the moderates who decide an election. We moderates tend to dislike extremists. Most politicians are aware of this, and thus switch to pandering to moderates once they get the party nomination, never mind how much they painted themselves as an extreme party loyalist during primaries. Just remember... "Independent" isn't spelled with an (R) or (D).

Anyway, generally speaking, the Republican Party didn't give choices to be very enthusiastic about during the recent primaries. The one I liked ended up being shunned as a trouble maker and was generally ignored. Unfortunate for the Republicans, because I think the guy could have won against Obama. No, I'm not talking about Ron Paul - I see him as a hypocrite and religious fundamentalist.

Consider the choices offered, though. Most were TEA Party types. Religious fundamentalists to the core, all logic be damned. Preaching smaller government in the same breath as preaching for more invasive government... sorry, but small government doesn't tell you who you can marry or be in the bedroom with, or dictate religious morals as a whole.

Well, counting out the one I like, I'd say Romney was the lesser of the evils offered... but still evil. It is painfully obvious that he is out of touch with all but the rich and super rich, though he tries to paint himself as being otherwise. Don't get me wrong; I'm not one who hates the rich... I only hate those who are greedy/snobby about it, or painfully out of touch. I still remember reading a complaint from one rich person (not a parody) about how people without money just don't understand how hard it is to live on $250,000 a year. Perhaps he should try living on about $10/hour to see why we're not exactly sympathetic to his plight.

Romney really is a politician through and through, and a painfully out of touch rich guy through and through. He is one of those who really has loved "off-shoring" American jobs for quick profits, and he panders relentlessly, constantly changing his stances. I can respect someone who changes their stance after thinking things through... but his changes in stance have been a result of pandering, not deep thought.

For any who may have been curious about an endorsement from me... I like Obama overall. He did inherit a hell of a mess from Bush the lesser, and I knew before anyone even announced they were considering to run for the spot that the next president would likely be unpopular for making hard, but necessary decisions. That's not to say that I endorse him or entirely approve of his actions. For instance, I am thoroughly disappointed in his decision to not only not overturn, but to instead strengthen the misnamed Patriot Act. As for Obamacare... I'm watching and waiting. I don't like the individual mandate... but other than that, I'm waiting for a better alternative to be offered. "Let them die" isn't an option, else I suggest you volunteer yourself to that philosophy.

If I endorse a candidate, it would be the one I mentioned earlier that the Republicans shunned and ignored - Gary Johnson, who now is on the Libertarian ticket. I don't agree with all his stances, but I do know that 1) he is brilliant, 2) he is fair, and 3) he's willing to think about and reconsider his stances if new evidence is presented (for example, his change in stance on the death penalty, now being against it after finding that his policy also would have resulted in the execution of a specific innocent man). In truth, what more can one ask for in a leader? Check him out and give him your support... and spread the word! Gary Johnson (L) for president, 2012

Nanny-State Spreading...

So yeah, I've been on hiatus a bit lately. It tends to happen when one has a life (and job) outside the internet. That, and I've picked up on an addictive new hobby - home brewing. The sad thing is that I am not allowed to make any money off said hobby... but that's a different post altogether, and I'm already groaning at the subject material I'm wanting to cover in this post.

And I'm still waiting for my Black Dodge Challenger, dammit!

First, I'm going to pitch my bitch about the nanny-state laws. If you haven't heard about it already, mayor Bloomberg of New York wants to ban large drinks... that is, anything more than sixteen fluid ounces. That's smaller than a normal soda bottle, just a little larger than a soda can. To many, this may seem like more an annoyance (albeit a ridiculous one) rather than a cause for any real concern. But, I beg to differ. The thing one has to remember is precedents and the thing I mentioned in an earlier blog about a frog in a pan of water - turn up the heat slowly, and the frog just sits there unaware he is being slowly cooked alive. Similarly are our liberties being whittled away.

There are a lot of politicians out there who are making a lot of laws supposedly "for your own good." They attack the tobacco companies... sure, they had it coming and probably deserved it. They were lying about how harmful tobacco really is. Well, millions or billions of dollars in lawsuits later, along with surgeon general's warnings on the packaging, you would think it's more or less done with. Now people know that smoking is pretty damned bad for you. But, some choose to do so anyway. Now laws are made that target the smokers. Oh well, it's a bad habit anyway, and maybe we can get some more tax revenue from them... and more... and more... and more. Don't want to ban them, though... too much tax revenue. Which kinda shows, I think, that the politicians suffer from the same malady that the cigarette companies did - rather than stopping a bad practice, they'd rather keep the money coming it. Pretty much the same is done with alcohol, and the thing is that with tobacco and alcohol both, they are great targets of opportunity for weak politicians who need a dog to wag. Bust a few bars in sting operations for accidentally selling to underage people, everyone will compliment said politician for being tough on crime, and most who know better will be afraid to seem as though they might be defending the alcohol and tobacco industries in any way. Forget the fact that most people enjoy an occasional drink or even an occasional (if not more) smoke.

I'm not saying that there should be bans on alcohol or tobacco, just illustrating a point about political targets of opportunity. Politicians are using the alcohol and tobacco industries as a golden goose; forget the feigned enmity. Realistically, the same goes for porn.

Now, these set a precedent and illustrate a mentality that gives birth to a nanny state. I know that alcohol isn't good for my liver, yet I choose to enjoy it from time to time... whether it be a good beer, a nice wine, or a nice hard liquor. I think any fool now would also know that smoking isn't good for one's health also (and yes, I have had family members die from it). But, some still make the choice, as an adult, to smoke. Me, I think that's fine and peachy... whatever.

Of course, it didn't stop with alcohol and tobacco, did it? The trendy thing now is the "obesity epidemic." So, people who either have absolutely no sense of personal responsibility or just don't want to work for a living... actually, I suppose it's both. Anyway, they started suing fast food restaurants for the fact that they had become fat-asses. Makes me wonder what would happen if fast food restaurants were to start declining customers for being too fat. I hope that doesn't happen - I like my Taco Bell stuff, and I could stand to lose a few pounds. But, if I were in the mood to blame, I'd blame myself. Not that I lose any sleep over it, anyway.

Then there was the trans fats thing, in which New York, and I think San Francisco, decided to ban trans fats. Now, trans fats aren't great, no doubts there. And they were easy enough to replace with natural oils, like sunflower oil. The reason for so many people using them was simply that they gave a longer shelf life, stuff like that. However, I don't think that it was the business of the government at any level to ban them. Just put the news out there, and I think that the manufacturers would have transitioned away from them on their own.

Think I put too much trust into corporations? Well, consider the whole "pink slime" debacle (don't even get me started on that one). Consider that pretty much every major fast food restaurant has stopped using the stuff... on their own, without any laws being made. The lean beef trimmings (aka, "pink slime") was perfectly healthy and wholesome, but popular opinion was enough to sway them. Like it or not, capitalism is a form of democracy in itself. You vote with your money and withhold it from those you don't like. Couldn't be simpler.

Now we come back to the soft drinks. Hell, I like them. For lunch, I had a mustard Whopper from Burger King with a 32 oz coke. You should've seen my grin when I saw 64 oz drinks being offered at gas stations. Especially when one lives in a hot climate, they're nice to have. Yeah, they have lots of sugar and little in the way of health benefits, but so what? Last I checked, I was an adult, going on old fart. I make my own decisions, and have no desire to have a new mommy telling me what I can and can't have. One mom was more than enough, thanks much.

Of course, like other such nanny-state laws, this bad idea is spreading - Cambridge, MA considering banning large drinks and free refills.

Still not getting the big deal? Okay... first, consider the attacks on alcohol and tobacco. Next, consider the attacks on fast food. Now consider the attacks on drinks. The nanny-state bans/attacks are spreading. What's next on the chopping block?