Wednesday, September 28, 2011

From Kos on Daily Kos...


Every time you hear conservatives talk about the "rights of the unborn," remember this—their opposition to abortion has nothing to do with babies. If it was, they wouldn't oppose funding for pre- and postnatal care. If it was, they'd support wider dissemination of contraception and better sex education and family planning services. After all, the best way to avoid an abortion is to avoid unwanted pregnancies in the first place.

 No, this has nothing to do with babies, and all about controlling human sexuality. If people can have abortions, if they can use condoms, then they will fuck—and that will somehow bring about "social collapse." Forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to full term is, in their minds, a just punishment for being sluts.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Penn and Teller - The Vatican (Full Episode)


This is a full 28-minute show produced for Showtime and is commercial free.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

The absolute wonderment that many of us progressives feel about the relatively-poor class of Republicans voting against their own best interests, is legend. But the answer to the conundrum is summed up well HERE and boils down to this explanation...


It’s usually assumed that the reason Americans specifically don’t want to see taxes raised on the rich is because, in spite of driving a defunct GM brand four-door, they think of themselves as the “soon-to-be rich.” But a paper published in the National Journal of Economic Research in July suggests otherwise. They offer that it’s not hoping to be on top that makes us not want the wealthier to be taxed more – it’s the fear of being at the bottom. It’s referred to as “last-place aversion.”
-

This about says it all...


Elizabeth Warren!
I hear all this, you know, “Well, this is class warfare, this is whatever.”—No!
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody.

You built a factory out there—good for you! But I want to be clear.

You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for.

You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate.

You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.

You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did.

Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea—God bless. Keep a big hunk of it.

But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.

Seen on Eschaton
-

Monday, September 12, 2011

Now this is interesting...

I find the study noted below to be both interesting and conflicting. As a long time union member, I support the right of workers to get what is coming to them - but perhaps over-inflated fees for doctors needs to be studied a bit more. You can read more on this HERE.
The study, being published Thursday in the journal Health Affairs, found that the incomes of primary care doctors and orthopedic surgeons were substantially higher in the United States than in other countries. Moreover, it said, the difference results mainly from higher fees, not from higher costs of the doctors' medical practice, a larger number or volume of services or higher medical school tuition.
Such higher fees are driving the higher spending on doctors' services, the study concluded.

Understanding the health care dilemna in the US

You can view this image larger by clicking on it.

Trying to understand the Chirstian God...


A religious view of the world...


Getting a handle on the Patriot Act

You can view a larger version of this post by clicking on it.

Speaking of climate change...

You can view this image larger by clicking on it.

In a world of fantasy...


You can view this larger by clicking on the image.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Transort Canada - explaining more on US security


Ten signs of an unquestioning Christian


Religion in America - not like Jesus taught


Cannibalism


Who killed more people in the Bible, God or Satan?


The Bible


A great speech for us liberals

Good amd true words

At a panel hosted by Working America and the AFL-CIO in 2010, Chris Hayes pinpointed an important piece of what's going on: "At the bottom of the pyramid," he said, "America is a ruthlessly punitive and accountability-obsessed society. At the top of the pyramid, it is endlessly forgiving. Before trust can be restored, accountability has to be established."

Monday, September 05, 2011

Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Labor Day


My own take - as a former local union leader - the jobs market in the U.S. will continue to be bad until middle-class Americans start rebuilding unions and fighting for job rights on a national level, The US can't be the major player it has always been without a strong middle class and that means well paying jobs for Joe Average.  But that's just me.