I only have insurance during semesters in grad school. Recently this summer, my local hospital made me drive back home with a broken arm because I forgot my checkbook. Without coverage, they said they could not bill me, it was "policy" that self pay clients pay before being treated.

This was just to get an x-ray and a cast, which my primary doctor prescribed to spare me from ER, because my primary care physician is very way cool, she bills. Dr. Elena Fitchev, for all you Northeastern Chicagoans looking for a really good doctor. She really is very ethical, sharp, and compassionate.

After driving back home, collecting my wallet, and arriving back, after one look at the x-ray the orthopedic surgeon said I "must have" surgery. So....I went home with a temp. cast, and called my brother, a Dr. at Cornell Medical Center in N.Y, for a consult. After speaking with my bro, I called the orthopedic surgeon back, and refused surgery. The ortho surgeon finally revealed that 99% percent of breaks will heal fine in a cast, which is exactly what my bro said.

Can you imagine? That quack wanted to put pins and plates in my wrist, which would have doubled the recovery time, and increased the risk of complications by tenfold. The bills would have added to over ten thousand $$,$$$.! Instead, thanks to my brother, I only wrote a check for $300 for a cast and an ex-ray. I wouldn't step foot into an emergency room in this country, at least not if I could help it.

Having been in France, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, London etc.... by comparison, this country has barbaric health care, run primarily by wasteful and greedy insurance execs.

It is a racket, bad in one way or another for everyone, and it needs to be stopped.

Please, support a more socially evolved public option of health care, and help America release the grip of greedy, wasteful mayhem.

Good God, here me now, please make this public option happen.

Amen

Europe has taken a big step in getting seals protected by making all seal product now illegal against the wishes of the Canadian seal lobby. The Canadians seem to be the only country that is still behind the idea of killing seals and I can't understand that. They are beautiful creates that have just as much a right to live as the next thing. I think they should be protected and not hunted and I am happy to see that Europe has finally come around on that idea.

It is probably too much to ask of people to do something green or good for the environment everyday of their life (although that time is quickly coming upon us), but today, Earth Day, there has to be something good that you've done to help save the planet. What did I do? Well I donated to a charity called American Forests that is helping to reforest areas of the United States that are damaged by wildfires every year. By doing this they absorb damaging carbon and restore natural habitats for wildlife. Plus it is for a forest in the US so I know that I can walk out and even see trees that I helped plant, not ones that are halfway around the world. Anyway that's what I did, what did YOU do?

Did the Texas Governor really just call for possible sucession and thus civil war? and why is the secret service not questioning him as a domestic terrorist.

Jack's Back   Read More »

Before his trip to Mexico, Obama promoted the idea of getting this nation behind the idea of high-speed rail for transportation. I love this idea! It's a fast, cheap and eco-friendly way to travel that doesn't take you so high in the air. We are so far behind Japan and Europe on this innovation so there is so much of their technology that we can leverage and then make better in true American fashion. We are the true innovators of the world and high-speed rail needs to be our next venture to make this nation a better place to travel.

This is my own opinion. I don't have solid statistics...

Two weeks from today is NJASK(New Jersey standardized state) testing. I just have to say that it's totally and completely absurd. Look okay, I'm not in 8th grade math, but I'm on pretty good relations with the new math teacher. He's been giving out practice packets recently, and some of that stuff, I've just learned, and I'm 2 years beyond that already. A lot of my friends bring their practice packets to me so I can check them, and to be honest, some of the smartest people in my grade can barely get a 75% on it. I consider this kind of ridiculous.

My writing teacher also has to endure teaching essay prompts in a different way, since the NJASK requires a format of writing that is not only foreign to us, but it is a form that, if you read it, it would sound like a 4 year old child writing.

Also, my Science teacher has to go off topic just to cover the subjects tested on the NJASK.

My question is this.

If this state test is a PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT, then shouldn't it be testing what we learn, and not us learning what's going to be tested?

since I came here.

It's been a long time since I've checked in with politics, and I'm completely out of the loop. I didn't even participate in the Obama campaign!! I only managed to yell at some of the republicans in my school, and say "Go Obama" like 5 times.

I caught the end of the Maddoff scandal, and did a report on the stimulus package, which I really didn't understand. My teacher said it sounded great, but I probably confused her with random statistics and big words...

I just wanted to say that almost all of my 8th grade class is left wing, and totally supported Obama, which is kind of interesting, since most of their parents are right wing. Back in November, a few classmates and I organized a mock election, and Obama won by a long shot.

All I can do right now in the midst of NJASK testing and graduation is blog about my opinion on Barack Obama's "Audacity of Hope", so bear with me, or buzz off!

The current situation in Mexico merits significant attention. Not only has violence been ravaging the streets of multiple Mexican streets, but the violence is crossing the border into the United States and claiming the lives of innocent Americans. We need to actively pursue a means of securing the borer and ensuring that violence in Mexico does not spill over into our country. Furthermore, if he United States is going to serve as a hegemony, than we need to let our presence be known to our neighbors. We need to increase the pressure on Mexican authorities to better regulate their country and to quell violence. We also need to prevent the sale of guns to individuals who have criminal records, no citizenship, and who have not passed a thorough background check. If we fail to act now, bloodshed will become a reality in American cities.

Last week, at least 66 84 wolves were killed by aerial gunners with high-powered rifles in helicopters near Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. And, under new policies approved by Governor Sarah Palin's Board of Game, wolf pups could be gassed to death in their dens in the weeks ahead.


WTF?

How can the democrats sit back and watch this?

It is hard to imagine getting into a predicament where I would actually need to kill an animal. Not being a farmer who is trying to raise cattle in a territory roamed by wolves for ions, I can only imagine the predicament today's cattlemen have gotten themselves into.

Wolves are one of the most majestic, socially evolved, and intelligent wild animals these United States have to offer. Yet, for centuries little red riding hood has given them a bad rap. Wolves are generous, caring, loyal animals. They are amazing hunters, great singers, and beautiful creatures. Please let's not let the meat eating greed of humans get out of hand with what was once the territory of wolves. Please, help encourage farmers to cope creatively with the help of appropriate resources, not guns.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has approved the Bush Administration's discredited plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

It's a decision that could lead to the deaths of more than 1,000 wolves -- including wolves in the western Greater Yellowstone ecosystem!

Make your voice heard. Call the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 (between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday), select option "3" (for endangered species) and hit "0" to speak with the operator. Once you are connected, just deliver your own words or you can use this simple message: Please give your name....

I am calling to express my extreme disappointment in Interior Secretary Salazar's decision to implement the Bush Administration's flawed plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

If this rule is allowed to stand, nearly two-thirds of the wolves in the Northern Rockies could be killed starting as soon as this spring. I strongly urge Secretary Salazar to stop the implementation of this awful decision and reconsider his approach to wolf conservation in the Northern Rockies.


Thank you for calling... if you have any doubts about this...

please remember...

There has to be a better way than killing wolves, and there is, numerous alternatives have been successfully implemented in the past few years, if given a chance these methods could avoid the needless bloodshed of an endangered species.

Killing livestock is not what wolves are meant to do, but if farmers insist on raising cattle in the midst of territory roamed by wolves for thousands of years, then it is they, the farmers who need to learn to adapt, for they are the true trespassers, not the wolves.

Have a great evening.

What has happend to the DNC main blog?Who is in charge of maintaining it?There has been no new thread since friday!!!It seems no one cares about our blog anymore,trolls run wild,you can't see your posts half the time and it freezes up.

Roth: Wind power excellent source of energy
OPINION
by Jim Roth
Guest Columnist March 2, 2009
http://www.journalrecord.com/article.cfm?recID=96396

“Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains” – when writing that famous line in the song Oklahoma!, who knew that Rodgers and Hammerstein were talking about wind energy? Truth be known, at the time they wrote the song neither had even been to Oklahoma. However, their characterization was very accurate and still is today. Oklahoma has now found a way to harness the wind as it sweeps down the plains and turn it into usable, clean energy in the form of electricity.   Read More »

This demographic is often overlooked, unappreciated, and definitely underfunded. Non-profit and community based organizations carry out the work in the local communities that is most helpful to the residents of the neighborhood. It is these organizations that have the time to provide individual attention for the American citizens in need. It is therefore imperative that politicians take into account the importance of having these institutions working in the community, and provide adequate funding and support. Often, these organizations carry out the work that city and state governments cannot be bothered to do, and the federal government would never undertake. These organizations need better funding in order to continue to provide the vast number of different services that they provide for local citizens. Without adequate funding, the organizations will have no choice but to lay-off employees, reduce available services, and unfortunately some will cease to exist. If this becomes the case, these organizations will take with them the services they provide for the community, and who will then step up to fill that void in our most hard-hit communities?

I hope that the new stimulus plan results in available money for the institutions and the people who are committed to ensuring an economic recovery actually occurs. Handing out money to organizations that refuse to put these finances to good use will only worsen the situation. We need to ensure that organizations like non-profit organizations, are receiving adequate funding in order to maintain the same high level of work in the local communities they service. These are the organizations that merit financial support, for they service the people at no cost and truly believe in helping the individuals who come into their offices. Handing money o these greedy organizations that do not but gobble it up and pay lucrative salaries to employees who serve the wealthy, goes against the intended purpose of this economic plan. I believe that President Obama needs to ensure that money is disseminated and put to use. Lets move away from the notion of "trickle-down" economics and move into the future with social-economic policies that better the lives of Americans and limit corporate greed. Big business cannot be the only concern of America. Whether we are red or blue, the most important color right now is green because it represents food, shelter, and livelihood. This plan needs to get green in the hands of those who need it most, not those who created this problem in the first place.

Please consider urging President Obama (and communicating with your congressional representatives to urge the President) to nominate Howard Dean as Secretary of HHR, now that the Daschle nomination is dashed.

Dean, as you know, is a medical doctor, former governor of Vermont, former presidential contender, and the energetic and inspiring immediate past president of the Democratic National Committee (who delivered us two impressive victories in 2006 and 2008).

If anyone can help get Americans health care, he can.

Attorney General Eric Holder, on his first day on the job, signaled a clean break with past policies of the Bush administration and promised to hold Wall Street accountable if any major financial institutions engaged in fraud that contributed to the global financial crisis.

According to the article on CNN today, Obama's focus on renewable energy to save the planet is really pleasing the global warming scientists of the world. I think it was obvious when he hired a man from the very liberal school in California UC Berkeley and Obama is starting to show that in his policies which is great! I hope that he is able to get that legislation pushed through quickly so that we can start to focus on clean energy and bring this country into the limelight of renewable energy leaders and show the world how it is done! That is where American needs to be and Obama is the one to lead us toward that.

I love that Obama is helping California to enact the tougher policy on green house gases emissions on cars and I don't even live there! Why do I care? Well because it seems like every time California passes a law to make cars safer, more environmentally friendly or recyclable that law only takes a few years before it is enacted nation wide and the rest of us get the benefits of the work that those in California have done. So I am hoping that they get that law passed through the EPA soon so that we in Ohio can start to breathe cleaner air starting tomorrow!