With the complexity of health reform, dialogue often strays into tangential issues including some intentionally confusing ones like immigration, government, political ideology etc. We need to focus on the need for public option in the first place. Here's Gillian Hubble's take on Change.org, 03 Nov 2009: Political games are alive and well in Washington, D.C. First the House releases HR 3962, a disappointing bill with an optimistic and completely misleading name – the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Then the GOP decides it’s an opportune time to release its own bill, which House leader John Boehner says will lower cost and expand access by “making the current system work better” with less government intrusion into the private sector. … [Read more...]
Happy Burfday America!!
Cheers from this side of this rock's molten core! I was decidedly NOT too enthused about joining an event where Americans by the thousands gather at the American Embassy to celebrate this American holiday. (Seems like putting a bull's eye on ya, eh?) But it was ok! We were safe! North Korea even kicked the celebrations off with dud scuds all throughout the morning (A for Effort!). And sheesh the number of Americans in Phnom Penh always astounds me :-) Naturally I was there on task for the Democrats Abroad Cambodia. I was politically unaffected throughout the election season of two years until Sarah Palin grabbed the VP nomination and ended John McCain. Our little Cambodia team kicked butt of all DA groups all over the world with … [Read more...]
Has the entertainment factor gone, post-Bush?
When the prevailing social constructs are blown to hell and back with the election of a black man to the White house [sic], there are social repercussions of a most disturbing kind, namely, what the heck do we do for entertainment now?? It was totally within the realm of political correctness to poke fun at Palin, who embodied the stupid white bimbo persona to a tee, and of course we had eight years of Bush, the perfect caricature of the cowboy simpleton we've come to love (or not) from decades of Westerns. Ditto with all the other white males (and females) whose daily grind and spiel are immortalised in the reels of Saturday Night Live and the late night cadre of satire and wit.But what do we do with Obama? Granted, he doesn't provide much … [Read more...]
… and the Inaugural Madness continues!!
Because for a moment so long anticipated, celebrating once is not enough... This time a cocktail party, so more mellow and in a stylin' swank joint. I include the menu prices for future gasp factor.ALL-NIGHT PARTING SHOTS $2Rejoice y’all! At long last, Bush is disembarkitating!Burning BUSH (Tequila)Dead-eye DICK (Vodka Caramel)CELEBRATE “A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM”Raise a glass to the new President of the United States!ALE to the Chief $1 (Tiger Draught)BEVERAGES YOU CAN BELIEVE INCokeSpriteGinger AleLime JuiceLime SodaJuice BoxMontfleurBARACK Berry ChillCENTRIST LIBATIONS $3Obama-politanMICHELLE-mojitoBIDEN MargaritaYES WE DID Bubbly CocktailROAD TO THE WINE HOUSE $2.20/glass (CHOW "Exclusive" Red or White)RECESSION-PROOF CHOW BITES $3Fish … [Read more...]
Inauguration/Bush era Post-mortem press roundup
And yes, I know the political and economic machinery was already in place before Bush took the reins. The question is-- on top of the endless list of other sectors and industries (not to mention competitiveness of the United States abroad) left in ruins as a direct result of this administration-- how much did (the thankfully departed) Bush influence the economic collapse? Here, TIME/CNN highlights the not-so-smart calls. Since I hate click-whore web setups, I'll just list them here.1. The Return to Deficits: Bush’s tax cuts and spending increases — and clear disdain for the pay-as-you-go approach that had brought deficits down in the 1990s — brought a return to permanent deficits.2. Iraq: Even if you STILL think we had a logical reason to … [Read more...]
Top 10 things we’ll miss about Bush
#1 might have to be the entertainment factor ... ..and circulating about cybersphere today is this fun piece about the tech-savvy Obama team descending into the dark ages of the White House IT infrastructure. "Like going from Xbox to Atari", one of his aides said. Have I mentioned lately how much I like our freakin' cool new Techie-in-Chief??. … [Read more...]
Dude where’s my pipeline?
And a painful show that was. What I want to know is how other countries’ media covers domestic disasters. I have newfound respect for CNN--but just-- since moving to Southeast Asia. CNN-World surprisingly maintains semblance of journalistic precepts, which at CNN-US have been bumped by corporate interests. I’d almost forgotten the comical cowboy antics of on the ground reportage that eclipses the gravity of events until we got streaming domestic feed for the hurricane coverage. Does anyone else feel like slapping these reporters? Katrina turned the media spotlight on Louisiana’s function in the US economy, despite the state’s economic ailments. Prime location at the anal terminus of the artery of US commerce that is the Mississippi … [Read more...]
