I've said all along we wouldn't get a public option and now the AP is reporting that they've reached a deal to drop the public option.  If we still call this reform, I have some four letter words for you all.  Asking telling people like me with pre-existing conditions, in my case MULTIPLE pre-existing conditions, one of which doesn't go into remission and has no cure and costs thousands a month to treat to buy insurance like it or not = a disaster.  I can afford what I am doing now.  I cannot afford what you want me to do.  Assholes.  Oh, sorry, that's more than four letters.

*edit*  Ooh but they've made it all better -- people 55 and older, but not yet 65, they can buy into medicare if they don't have insurance.  That'll replace the public option.  *blinks*  The rest of us, get to buy private insurance or pay a fine.  Which for me is gonna be about enough to pay rent at a second west side apartment every month.  Grrrrrrrrrr. 

*edit #2*  I got THREE emails from the Obama camp and Dems asking for money to keep the health care fight alive today.  SCREW you.  No money from me.  I'm still a Dem because my political beliefs are more Dem than Republican.  It's you guys that are failing.  No money from me ever again.  Not until you fix yourselves. 

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Dear news channels -- It's a tough time to be a news junkie.  It's the holidays, how about you do stories about things like charities?  Our favorite this time of the year is Child's Play.  I highly recommend it. It's in a few countries, it helps kids stuck in hospitals at Christmas to have a good holiday, you can't really go wrong there, now can you?   For the last few years we've sent a few hundred $$ worth of toys to a hospital that way.  Maybe you should suggest people do this, even if they can only afford to send one toy from a list. 

Why am I suggesting this? Because I'm sick to death of Tiger Woods.  I feel sorry for him.  For his wife.  For their kids.  Neighbors.  For me -- yes, me.  Hey I used to like watching your debates about political and news stories and yes sometimes the rare entertainment story -- now you're the Tiger Woods breaking news networks, all of you.   No, he shouldn't have to step up and speak about his mother-in-law getting checked out at the hospital for minor health problems.  STFU.  I maybe have to start watching soap operas.  I bet I'd get more current event news stuff from them than from the news.  Who Tiger Woods screws isn't news in my world. The 911 call about his mother-in-law passing out -- no, no, sorry she's fine now, that's NOT breaking news. 

Now find out that a politician who is against gay marriage is having a gay affair, then we're talking.  Find out that someone trying to get abortion language into the health care reform bills had an affair and paid for an abortion?  Well w00t, then I wanna know who is screwing who.  Otherwise, I don't give a damn.  News people are obsessed with sex.  Stop it.  Or at least link this boring ass, none of my business story to current event stories -- like c'mon I know how you guys sensationalize stuff: Did Tiger Woods' mother-in-law come to the US for medical care?  She's a foreigner getting care in OUR ER, if she can do it, imagine how easy it is for others.   See out health care system IS the best in the world!  yadda yadda yadda.  So easy, I could work for Fox news, easy.  Scary! 
Love,
Me

In other news, the lack of real news has allowed me to finish reading Nightlife (Cal Leandros, Book 1), now onto Moonshine (Cal Leandros, Book 2).  I'm actually not sorry that I bought all four books currently available at once.  Nice characters.  Nice main plot.  Nice supporting characters.  Urban fantasy with a male lead.  Most I've read lately have female leads.  Nice change of pace. 

I broke what I was working on craft wise.  Ooops.  I think I can fix it, but was a good hint to stop for the day before I got frustrated.

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I Guess I'm a Racist

 So many things wrong with that ad.

First off -- Don't use your kids in political ads, speaking for them.  This pisses me off.  Not in serious ads anyways.  It's amusing in spoofs.  In real ads?  It's not cute.  And that is NOT a spoof, it's a real ad, airing in several markets.  I like how the baby is like huh?  Exactly.  Huh?  WTF are you speaking for me for?  Keegan is much older than that kid and I guarantee you he doesn't have an opinion on health care reform.  He's a smart kid.  We let him form his own opinions.  I've posted before about he is starting to use his own logic to try to figure out things like is Santa real or not.  How he has asked about churches.  Etc.  So yes, kids can ask questions.  They can and should be allowed to form their own opinions, you shouldn't brainwash them.  You shouldn't use them.  That whole hold up babies on the floor of congress to pretend they're against a bill?  That pisses me off too -- they're against dirty diapers.  Ask them when they're capable of real thoughts and are asking questions.  The closest Keegan's come to health care reform?  He thinks that if they do cure MS using money from the walks that he takes part in then they should use the money they have left over to help homeless people because they had a marching band at one of them, which woke up a guy sleeping under a bridge -- he thought that was mean, especially since it was REALLY loud and sleeping under a bridge in Portland is already tough since it gets cold there.  So I don't think he'll be appearing in health care reform commercials anytime soon.

Second off -- WTF?  Very informative ad.  only 12% of voters think opponents are racist?  That's not much.  And given the number of wackos who hold signs which are racist at anti-health care rallies, that's a fair number who believe that.  You're a racist because you're against health care reform?  I've been very vocal is saying *I* think the current status of health care reform is wrong.  It appears to get it passed we'll likely get no public option.  We'll get hey we know we said private insurance is broken but we need everyone covered so buy from them or pay big fines.  We won't make them lower costs but for you really sick people have fun paying more than a family or four pays.  w00t!  Reform accomplished.  And your diseases that make it cost so much?  They won't have to cover those for the first x years that  you're covered.  Yeah so, I'll HAVE to buy insurance at a cost so high I'll be living in the ghetto.  I won't be covered, really.  I'll no longer be able to go see doctors for what I really need to see them for as insurance won't cover it and I won't be able to afford the $400 visits now.  Good reform.  But  I'm a racist for objecting to THAT?  No.   And I never said YOU were.  I said the people with racist signs were.  And they are. 

Third off -- Complete and utter marketing failure.  If you're against reform, give real reasons, like I just did.  Not a cute kid sucking on a sugary piece of candy telling me she's a racist.  With a just say no because 12% of voters think she's a racist because her mommy says she's against health reform message.  Idiots.   You make me wish I was FOR the current bill.  I don't like being on the same side as you brain dead fools.  Even if my reasons for being against it are different.

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In case it's not obvious, I'm an Amazon addict.  I've sort of asked Brian for a Kindle for Christmas as my bookshelves, which are limited, went from happy to sad this year.  I figured with a Kindle I could keep them happy.  I'd only have to buy comic books and other image happy books in hard copy (art books, etc).  What I didn't realize until now is that Amazon also has Kindle for PC  so that you can just download Kindle books on your PC.  And if you look at the Kindle Bestsellers page you'll often find free books.  Sure many are books in the public domain.  But many are also books by authors who seem to just want to get you hooked on them, a series, etc.  So w00t!  One there is a book that's gotta be about 9-10 years old or so.  I have the hard copy and never got around to reading it, oops.  I bought it back when I was in school and up to ears in legal papers so I've downloaded it.  I'm not a fan of reading THAT much on my computer screen, but I figured if I do get the Kindle for Christmas, I'm ahead a few books as it wasn't the one I downloaded.  It might be the incentive for me to read some classics I've never read too.  I'm actually debating between it and the Nook.  But I'm such an Amazon girl, I'll probably stay true to them.  Brian asked me last night which I'd prefer -- Nook or Kindle.  When I told him well Nook is based on Android but it's not rolling out with anything taking advantage of that, he basically announced okay he was over it already.  LOL.  He's apparently tired of roll outs that have potential in the future to be cool ;)  Though I like B&N as a real world store, they're convenient where I live.  So when we go real life book shopping, we go there.  I like that their reader has a replaceable battery (I'm over stuff that comes with batteries where you have to send it away if the battery goes bad) and expandable memory.  The early review I saw of Nook seemed to say it could be cool -- in the future but this early version lags and hogs battery due to the color screen (which is only for the covers of the books at the very bottom).  So, I dunno I think Kindle with be the one I ask for as Amazon as always been so good to me and has saved me a fortune.  Decisions, decisions.  Assuming I even get one.

We already sent Mom, Keegan, Karina presents.  I still wanna make Mom and Karina stuff, but am slacking so this way they have presents if I slack too long.  I'm still working on Krissy's since the first got "help" from the kitties.  Might send the one that I rushed and is somewhat or a mess but usable.  But this week I am finishing a better present.  Hopefully.  I also know what I am doing a little more.  So even with the kitties "help"  I'm not so prone to get frustrated and just rush it through anyway.   

Brian only wanted The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure and James Cameron's Avatar: The Movie Scrapbook for Christmas.  Okay I can do that by myself.  Not even having to put it on my credit card or anything (aka he'd not pay for his own presents -- my PayPal / gift cards etc would easily cover his presents). heh.  And then last night he tells me he needs to see one of them.  Woah buddy it's not CHRISTMAS!  You only ask for two books.  And now you want one NOW?  He had a good reason.  There was a small chance he was in one and a chance he had been bumped for others to be in it instead.  He wanted to know.  If he was in it, he'd send it to family for Christmas.  If not he wouldn't.  Damn him.  I can't give him one small book for Christmas that he already knows about.   I tell him well fine but now I'm gonna find some other stuff to order for you and hope it's good because I am gonna surprise you.  He tells me no your gift cards and PayPal are for you and there's nothing I want really.  Screw you buddy!   I'm asking for a Kindle which you're asking me about now implying I MIGHT get it and I got you two books which you know about and already got one.  :P  Okay I didn't say THAT but I should have!  Sooo... he tells me well, fine, maybe a manga.  He doesn't tell me which one.  Just any sci-fi one.  Or he does miss the old TMNT comics.  Well now we're onto something!  So now I've ordered something to surprise him with!  He just wanted one manga (apparently he trusts me since I once surprised him with Voltron ones he didn't ask for) or old TMNT comics.  Ask and ye shall be surprised! HA!

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Oh man.  Perhaps FB IS good for something.  I have my feeds to only get status updates to avoid spammy spam stuff.  Finally today I skimmed the rest to see pics, links, etc. since I usually only keep up with Vox/LJ/Twitter, I thought I'd give FB people some love.   And there, I found this gem (thanks Jamie).  You must go see this Amazon product.  I love the user supplied pics.  And the reviews, ohhh the reviews.  I won't even tell you what the product is.  Just click here.

And then there's this one: Birth Control is Sinful in the Christian Marriages and also Robbing God of Priesthood Children!!... 

My Lip Stuff- Dog Poop, Tube -  Yeah who doesn't want dog poop flavoured lips?  Apparently everyone wants them, it's sold out!

I do wonder why every man doesn't have this book on his desk:  How to Live with a Huge Penis: Advice, Meditations, and Wisdom for Men Who Have Too Much.

AHA! So you CAN make men gay, at least temporarily.  Just use some of this Man to Man : Gay Attraction Body Mist 2 Oz.  It works so well it too is sold out.

Angry Mob Playset  - great for recreating political meetings!  They can create a choking hazard though so no teaching small children with them.

The perfect book for your enemies: You Are Worthless: Depressing Nuggets of Wisdom Sure to Ruin Your Day.

Ooh! Slang Flashcards: 2nd Edition.  Fun and educational both ;)

Most unusual movie tie-in book?  Snakes on a Sudoku.

You know that vampires are popular when the Lil'Vampire Baby Pacifier has sold out!

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For those who love Neil Gaiman (or just book lovers) but don't follow him on Twitter he posted this link on his Twitter today -- watch him read The Graveyard Book in it's entirety  here.  In fact his entire tweet was this "And no, I don't mind at all if you save the videos at http://bit.ly/y8gk or rip MP3s or whatever. Enjoy The Graveyard Book, and RT the link."   Each chapter averages about an hour or so.  Not something to watch in one sitting.  If I knew how to rip it, I would.   

Amanda Knox was found guilty on all counts in Italy.  No surprises for me there.  The little news coverage seems to show that people are  just shocked.  OMG they never proved the case against her.  Yeah, not that anyone in America would know, we don't get stories like an American abroad was accused of sexual assault and murder.   But the little we did get of this story was just her family saying of course our daughter is an innocent angel. 

I was supposed to  go buy a dress this weekend.  I don't wear dresses.   We've decided to dress nicer than jeans  to go to the Avatar cast / crew screening, but all I own since losing weight is three pairs of jeans, so this presents me with a problem.  Brian found out today that he has to work this weekend, so now it looks like next weekend is clothes shopping.  It has to be next weekend though because the week after that is when we go to see it. 

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2010 California Marriage Protection Act PSA (#2)

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So I'm sure we all remember the whole drama of earlier this year or last year where I was about to lose stuff like Comedy Central because Time Warner and the networks were in a battle.   The networks were even like fine we'll block your customers from accessing our websites since they get net through you too.  Since they're greedy bastards.  Wouldn't want us looking at their free video clips! 

It's happening again.  Not for any networks I care about.  Ones like the Food Network, E!, some others.  Yeah, ditched HBO because our bill was so high.  It's still ridiculous.  At least HBO didn't have ads.  Now they bastards who have advertising are like hey we don't make enough money from ads and from what we already charge you.  MORE MORE MORE.  Screw you.  

TW is asking should we get tough or roll over.  Seriously.  They set up rolloverorgettough.com for a vote from the masses.  Get tough.  I don't care if we lose the Food network.  Let them lose Los Angeles.  If they think they don't make enough money now, imagine when they lose one of the bigger markets in the country. 

Now take my news channels, network tv, and a few others... then we'll have to have a chat.  But c'mon.  You shouldn't have to charge us an arm and a leg.  In fact channels like HBO should be the only ones who need to charge at all, they don't make ad revenue.   Unless you're an utter and complete failure you should be making enough money.  If you can't  get ad dollars, your shows suck and that's your fault not mine.  I shouldn't have to make up for it when I don't even watch your useless channels.  I'm not your own personal bailout.

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December 1st is World AIDS day.  The day we're supposed to remember to tell people to be smart.  You know -- don't share needles.  Do use condoms.  For me?  It makes me think of Steve.  Steve who was one of the kindest men my family knew.  Relatively speaking he wasn't in our lives for long.   He was there for my marriage.  For my divorce.  For some laughs before both.  For some tears after.  A man who lost his son way too soon.  Not to AIDS.  No, Steve was the one with HIV and then AIDS.   He went out on his own terms.   He fought and fought.  But after he lost his son, I suppose it was easier to stop fighting for everyone else.  Or maybe he was fighting for them more.  I don't know.  I still have this story saved about him.  And the url I stole it from, for reference.  The actual site is long gone now.   I'm leaving it in my paste job, to credit them properly.    May Steve RIP, even after all of these years it's just so sad to know he's gone.  The good should be the ones to make it to 100.  Though he would have been exhausted by then, he helped everyone.   And not just in the dinky little town we lived in, no, the whole darn state.  Everyone with HIV/AIDS back then -- in all of OR, they knew him.  May the rest of you never know the kind of pain he did.  And if you do, may you find the kind of strength he had. 

Found at http://www.healthforum.org/currentissue/2001_archive/feb_01.html

Name reporting of HIV patients takes its toll

An HIV activist, Steve Henson, 49, is prepared to die for the cause. He's protesting a decision by the Oregon Health Division that requires people who test positive for the HIV virus to share their names with health authorities.

On Dec. 21, when this rule was promulgated, Henson stopped taking his anti-retro-viral medication. For the past three years, Henson had been doing fine. There were no traces of the virus in his bloodstream. But in early January, he was diagnosed with full blown AIDS. His viral load had gone up to 200,000 (200 is normal), and symptoms started appearing -- headaches, lethargy, chronic diarrhea, low grade fevers, night sweats.

" It's not my intent to become a martyr, " said the North Bend resident who builds cabinets and boats. " But this is the only avenue I have left. People look to me as their representative. This is the most devastating decision the Oregon Health Division has made in 16 years."

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Obama is screwing up health care.  Dunno what he'll do with these stupid wars.  But at least he's smarter than the Bush administration was.  I am 99.9999999999999999999% sure that had 9/11 happened during the Obama  administration and had they been stupid enough to declare a war against terrorism (which by itself was the stupidest thing ever as you cannot  win such a war as there will always be criminals and therefore terrorists) they'd still at least never have said this:

Dana Perino: 'We Did Not Have a Terrorist Attack on Our Country During President Bush's Term'

So Ft. Hood = terrorism, not to be political or anything.  But 9/11 wasn't, not to be political.  She was the mouth piece for the Bush administration.  Utter fail.  Either she's saying that 9/11 wasn't terrorism and therefore their whole war on terror was a joke.  Or she just forgot.  Or... well who knows.  I mean 9/11 really wasn't that big of a deal I suppose -- just a bunch of people dying, a couple of buildings crumbling, and  it was just their entire administration pretty much.  Good thing we didn't have a terrorist attack during Bush's term. 

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