Blessed Are The Poor...

Today,I had an eye examine(yes,I am slowly going blind),and I got a new pair of safety glasses for work.Because we have a nice insurance plan,exam,frames,bifocals,transitional lens and safety features only cost me $42.00!

Because I was curious,I asked how much this would have cost me without my very fine insurance....and you guessed it...over $430.00!

This is what I would like to know...this is what I would like to ask my congressman:why does it cost someone poorer than me over ten times as much to afford eyeglasses!?!

I mean-come on.You can be working forty hours a week(fifty,fifty five,sixty)and without optical insurance,you have to pay over TEN times the amount for eye glasses that someone insured has to(let's not further discount the connection,here...anything paid through insurance raises the market price).

Why are people that can't afford insurance forced to pay TEN times the amount of those that are lucky enough to be able to?

It's an outrage.

Under-insured should,at least,only pay what wealthier people pay.

Sure,wealthier people work hard for their benefits-but insurance is just that:a benefit of their employment.Your family's health should not depend on a luxurious blessing of your employer.

I know the G.O.P. is fear mongering us into thinking that universal health care will decide when old people will die(like health care doesn't do that already),but what they aren't telling you is that the people that can least afford to have health care are taking the brunt of the failed health care system's costs.

The same old same old argument of,'I have to work for my insurance,why shouldn't they?' just doesn't hold much water.But the Republicans constantly spew it because the big business lobbyists pulling their strings keep telling them what to say.

Corporate welfare,on the other hand,seems to be OK.Pay banks,mortgage and car companies any amount they want(rumor has it that the Treasury Dept under the Bush administration 'gave' banks over FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS-gave-not lent),and it's good for the country.

But why help ailing businesses and not ailing families?Especially when having health care is more cost effective when illness is caught early on?
Because big business makes more on sick patients.

Those with a Republican lean will bite at any morsel thrown their way.Any excuse to fit their need.And damn if it's better for America.And damn if it's better for Americans.They just spew their hatred for our government all the while they're waving their red white and blue.

It makes me sick.

And I'd be outta luck without health care.

Andrew Jackson Not an American Citizen

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary,Fox news and the rest of the 24/7 un-news channels-instead of reporting real news-are still harping on President Obama(supposedly)not having a real birth certificate.

This is understandable considering-arguably-how un-American the Fox networks truly are.Fox news pretending to be fair and balanced,reacts to every slight against their points of views as amoral and grievant to the decay of the American way of life.Meanwhile,the FOX broadcasting network,one of the leading filth and trash distributors in America,pollutes the minds of the unsuspecting and weak on a daily basis.

Nothing like the un-values station to preach values...

Now..with that little tirade out of the way let be get to the gist of this post,that according to this published article,president Andrew Jackson may not have been an American citizen himself.

Why is this little side bar important?It isn't really,except for the fact that trivial matters seem to hold more news worthiness now-a-days then truly newsworthy topics...like health care.

But why emphasize the trivial when such important tasks at hand as universal heath care are being debated?

To bait and switch the American attention spans,that's why.If so called news networks actually spent as much time on the benefits of universal health care as they did debating the dead issue of president Obama's birth certificate,most people would soon start realizing the benefit of such a plan.Maybe actually writing or calling their congressmen and women.Which may sway enough elected officials to vote to pass the health care plan.

Keeping Obama in power.

What the networks and the politicians of the Big Business party are seeing is their own demise....unless they can propaganda-ize the masses into thinking their way.

So while they are 'mis'-leading the American republic,let me give them a sage piece of advice from one of their own early leaders:You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

I suggest instead of trying to mislead the people,rather,to become true advocates of the masses.

An example:How can you preach against international organizations like the U.N. as being anti-American in nature when you push the agendas of international corporations in the name of Big Business?

This suggests that you care little(if at all)for America and only for the companies that line your pockets via $$$ grubbing lobbyists.

This puts you on the wrong side of history.This shows that you are more interested in maintaining your power and money than you are for caring for American.

The disarming fact that you think that your plan appears be working should be scaring the hell out of you.Alarms in your heads should be going off.You can't fool all the people all the time.

Just why are you trying to fool all the people?

These words should resounding in your head.Why are you trying to 'mislead' the people?

Unless you wake up to the truth,you will get your answer.You will be left behind as America moves forward...birth certificate or not.

The Christian Message Of 'Fight Club'

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...I know I am breaking the first two rules of Fight Club by talking about Fight Club,but isn't the philosophy behind Fight Club: to expose the hypocrisy of such mindless laws,rules and regulations that run our lives?!?

Fight Club is one of my favorite movies.Yes,I have friends that point out that 'Fight Club' is exactly the mindless media hype that it is supposed to to be ridiculing and rallying against{the ultimate 'Life Of Brian',"Be yourself,"group chant-as one of my friends so politely put it}.But,I don't believe shouting Lisa Simpson's famous quote,'How rebellious in a conformist sort of way,"does the movie any justice.

I see 'Fight Club' in a different sort of way.I see it as exposing Christian thoughts and ideals to those whom choose to ignore or not accept them.

A prime example of this anti-God thinking is to ask,"Why would God allow pain and suffering to exist?"

'Fight Club',the movie addresses this point quite poignantly.A main character, Tyler Durden states,"Listen to me! You have to consider the possibility that God does not like you. He never wanted you. In all probability, he hates you. This is not the worst thing that can happen."

Thus explaining away the ideology of God,the rest of the movie preaches why the way of suffering is the most direct route to total enlightenment.

Not buying into the repression of the 'social norms',and rebelling against the media hyped rules of oppression and slavery,are great 'Fight Club' themes.Those with even very little knowledge of the teachings of Jesus' can see similar messages spread throughout his gospels.

You must suffer for your life to have any meaning.You must stay the course and remain true to your core beliefs.Yet,you must be willing to grow in your assumptions and be able to change them as needed.You must treat people equally.That you must even be willing to die for your cause.These are not just strong 'Fight Club' ideals,but ideas that seem to mimic Christian ideology quite well,thank you.

Yes,'Fight Club' can be accused of taking the,'Because you'll buy anything,' Wall-Street message to John Lennon quasi-religious levels,but I feel that 'Fight Club' flies above the level of the agnosticism of all that's media.

'Fight Club' gives to those to whom the media tells to,'work jobs you hate so you can buy shit we don't need,' a fighting chance.

So even if you obey the frist rule of ,'Fight Club'...The word will spread.

http://wechoosethemoon.org/

Suzi & Sam's Wedding And The Foggy Mountain Breakdown...

I love weddings.I simply love them.While some people say that they are going out of fashion,I find them incredibly romantic.There is just something about celebrating love before God and family that is just so joyous.Suzi and Sam's wedding was certainly no exception.
From the rehearsal dinner(70's style fashions and plenty of beer),to the beautiful service,to the kick butt reception(I danced like a fool and drank way too much beer..as did almost everyone else),it was such a fun and wunderful celebration.
Great luck on your fantastic voyage Sam and Suzi:-)
I was going to write more about my niece,Suzi and her fiancee,Sam's wunderful wedding,but I am tired.A third of the way home from their Bethany,W.V. wedding,our Ford Windstar's transmission blew a leak and went kaput.The van had to be towed home(122 miles),and my sister Nora(whom lives in Columbus)drove two hours to pick us up,and take us to her house.We found the rest of our way home by Robyn getting our car via the tow truck guy and coming back to Columbus to pick the rest of us up at Nora's.Whoo...I'm beat...so is everyone us..


The Bride and Groom

Myself with Ms.Brunner,and my wife,Robyn.

Yesterday,at a Democratic dinner,I had the honor of meeting The Ohio Secretary Of State,Ms.Jennifer Brunner.She was the person most responsible for making sure that all the polling stations in Ohio ran fairly and smoothly during the last presidential election...no small feat if you remember the big mess that her predecessor made in the previous election.She is a recent recipient of the prestigious 'Profiles In Courage' award.She is planning on running for the U.S.Senate when George Voinovich vacates his seat in 2011.I hope she does well,and gets the seat.She is doing a great job as Secretary Of State and would make a fine Senator for the state of Ohio.

Happy Forth Of July