Apart from that it is advisable that while sleeping one should avoid wearing undergarments so that the entire body breathes and remains dry so as to avoid the manifestation of any kind of skin related ailments.

While this is one of the most common preventive tips for the remedy of yeast infection, there are other home remedies that are preventive and curative in nature. These are listed as follows:

- One is advised to wear loose clothing, rather than figure hugging attire that rub against the moist skin and cause infections. The fabrics that should be avoided include: plastic, polyester and leather, as they do not allow the skin to breathe and cause various types of skin eruptions. Skin-tight jeans are completely avoidable; instead one should wear skirts or linen or cotton trousers.

- Starch tends to be the breeding ground for fungus infections such as those caused by yeast. In fact, most of the talcum powders have starch as their base. This encourages infections, and so it should not be dusted more specifically in the vaginal area.

- Avoid using any kinds of creams and lotions sold over the counter. One should always seek a prescription from a doctor, rather than experiment with medicines suggested by others.

- One should use a natural lubricant such as mineral oil, petroleum jelly and plain yogurt, which do not cause infections, but prevent them.

- You can create for yourself a healing bath at home, which helps heal and prevent yeast infections. Add enough of salt in a bucket of water to make it taste salty. Add about ½ cup of vinegar to this. Then pour this solution gently over the affected area.

- Ideally the vaginal area should be washed with plain water. Avoid the used of soap, shampoo, bath salts, and oils, as they may leave behind an irritating residue.

- Use plain white toilet paper, as the colored ones are dyed and may cause irritation.

- The body sugar levels should be kept under control, especially amongst diabetics, as the yeast thrives on sugar.

When my angel comes home
It's been hell bein' here alone
God tell me, why has she flown
So far away
I pray she won't stay another day
I'll be in heaven when my angel comes home
Please come home

"Angel Come Home"-The Beach Boys

I watched this and I stopped. There comes a time when all of us are changed by an event. Forever. Death creates situations that either turns families bitter or turns them into heroes. The Downings lost their twelve year old daughter to suicide and not in the ways that you may think...

The Downings are Heroes and I hope all of you who watch this clip spread the word in any way you can.

I want them to know that they're not alone. That their angel is "home".

God Bless the rights given to me by government because before government, I had no rights.

(For those of you who don’t know me—that was sarcasm.)

Can you imagine how these Iraq Veterans felt to be surrounded and threatened by thugs in black uniforms? These men and women actually served their country overseas, most for multiple tours, and they return home to get treated like this?

These men and women are intellegent and they demand to be heard. They are deeply offended by the things done in their name.

Lest we not forget the same thing happened after the Vietnam War.

Perhaps McCain believes that the bitter people are so bitter that they will forget all about the REAL ISSUES and vote for a woman, any woman.

Sarah Palin was once the mayor of the 9th largest "city" in Alaska.  Population of just over 5500.  Wallis something or other.

Sarah Palin smoked marijuana but claims she didn't like it.  Only Bill Clinton knows whether she inhaled.

Sarah Palin graduated from college but the McCain camp is silent on how many colleges she dropped out from prior to finally getting her degree.  Cheez-its, but even dickless cheney only flunked out once before transferring to another school to get his degree.  Cheney likes Palin.  She makes him look good.

Sarah Palin got herself pregnant prior to getting married but now considers herself a devout Christian who believes Creationism, not the theory of evolution, must be taught in all schools.

Sarah Palin lives in the great wilderness state of Alaska but doesn't much care for the environment.  Drill, drill, drill.  Oh, and get rid of those damn grizzlie bears, willya?

Sarah Palin was once a beauty queen.   She's much better looking than Joe Biden.   Or that other devout Christian, Mike Huckabee.  Or Hillary Clinton!!

Sarah Palin has 5 children.  The number 5 jibes real well with McCain's stint as a POW.  One of Palin's sons is in the Army.  McCain, however, was in the Navy.  But Palin has no military experience.  Nor does she have experience with issues on the national level.  Not energy, not health insurance, not education, not economics, not national security.  But she was mayor of a city of 5500 and just became governor of Alaska !!

Sarah Palin's sister, Molly, is in the middle of divorce proceedings from Alaskan State Trooper, Mike Wooten.  Sarah tried to do good by her sister by trying to get the soon-to-be ex fired from his position as a police officer.  When the Wooten's boss refused to do that dirty deed, Sarah went after the boss and replaced him with a guy who had major ethical problems of his own.  Can you say grand jury investigation?  Sure you can.  Proceedings to commence real soon.   Gotta love those "clean" republicans who never trip over ethical issues.  You can read more about TrooperGate here:  http://mudflats.wordpress.com

But here's a couple of real questions:  if given the opportunity to debate Paris Hilton on energy issues, how would Sarah Palin fare?  Would she even be able to out-debate Britney Spears?

Oh, I cannot wait for Sarah Palin to become commander-in-chief and stand toe-to-toe with that souless Putin creature.   All those Army guys would be so proud.

I dunno but it seems to me that she could do better running for Ted Stevens' Senate seat instead of pursuing this vice-presidential road to nowhere.

This 28 st primate had to be sedated for two hours by specialist vet dentists during a successful operation to remove a painful three inch root.

Pertinax, a silverback Western gorilla, was said to be "understandably groggy" after the operation at Paignton Zoo in Devon.

He was treated by Dr Peter Kertesz, one of only a few specialist zoo dentists in the world, who has worked on exotic species including whales, pandas and elephants.

He said: "Animals or people, it's all the same - they need treatment, they get treatment. The scale is what varies - and the location. It is all about teamwork.

"It is a very serious business. The health and sometimes the life of a rare creature is in your hands."

Neil Bemment, curator of mammals at the zoo, added: "Pertinax had a broken canine. Peter had to remove the root, which was a good three inches long."

Pertinax is the 25-year-old leader of the zoo's bachelor group of gorillas and was treated at the attraction.

Dr Kertesz has a dental practice in London and his first experience of animal dentistry was when he looked at a cat for a vet in 1978.

Let me tell you this, military life is good for most. Military pay and benefits are at their highest levels ever. When not deployed we get tons of free time off not to mention 30 days of vacation a year. Almost every month of the year consist of at least one if not two long weekends. Everyone has heard of the Armys college money offered to new recruits, but few know that you don't even have to use it. While you are actively serving in the Army your college tuition it paid100%. Did I mention the military health care system. A soldier does not pay for any health or dental work done ever.. No matter how many times he or she sees a doctor, no matter the problem, it is free. Now I will tell you this, you go out and join the Army the day after you graduate high school, the first few years of military life will be demanding and the pay levels won't be very high. However Soldiers do fine. I walk through my Soldiers barracks rooms every so often. Those guys have it made, they have no bills outside of their cars. They usually have 40-50 inch LCD TV's, two or three video game systems and a room full of other gadgets. Everyone usually hears people complaining about soldiers deploying, but they rarely hear that the average married Soldier will see a minimum of a $1000 pay raise every month for his deployed time. That figure is the bottom figure, the higher your rank, the higher your pay  increase (mostly due to the fact that your pay becomes tax free while deployed.) Soldiers generally have it made. Every single Soldier that works for me begs to deploy. Yes, you read that correctly, begs to deploy. Every single day they argue amongst themselves about who will go next and for how long. I have to demand that they will replaced and come home half the time. Bottom line, being a Soldier isn't such a bad deal. There is a lot more that can be said, but I will hold it for another day. Don't believe what you hear on any news station. If a Soldier isn't bitching, whining moaning and complaining about something he isn't a happy Soldier......

Jane graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona , and moved to Hong Kong to work as a management consultant. After reading a series of New York Times articles about the 1990s AIDS crisis in China, she left her job to work for a nonprofit that aided children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Jane returned to the United States to enroll in Stanford’s MBA program, where she took a course called Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability. When Jane first applied for the AAUW fellowship, she knew she wanted to do something related to international development and healthcare, but didn’t know exactly where those interests would lead her. This class offered a challenge that addressed Jane’s interests. Her multidisciplinary team of public policy, business, and engineering students was charged with creating an incubator that would cost less than 1 percent of what incubators currently cost—as much as $20,000 in the United States. Jane and her team were able to do better than that. They created an incubator for $25.

Embrace, the company created to distribute the incubators, became incorporated this spring and began planning its product launch in India. The AAUW fellowship allowed Jane to focus on the project and take on a new role: Embrace CEO. “I am now pursuing a passion and trying to create social change by working for a nonprofit organization,” she says.

Jane’s vision doesn’t end with incubators. The Embrace team’s long-term goal is to create other low-budget healthcare products for underdeveloped countries. As Jane continues to follow her own advice of following her dreams, we can look to her as a role model of innovation and tenacity. If you are interested in learning more about or supporting Embrace, visit www.embraceglobal.org.

*********************************************************
This is article #6 in the Following the Fellows Series.

Dear Future President:

You may be the last president of my life.  Because of that, please hear my story.

I did everything right…everything everyone says you should do.  

 I’m in a new class, a self-proclaimed “Desperate American.” 

1. My parents weren’t poor and they weren’t rich.
2. I paid my own way through college.
3. I have no debt.
4. I’ve saved a lot of money.
5. My starter home is paid off.
6. I drive an old, paid-off car.
7. I have my own business.
8. I pay my taxes.

And sadly, I was born with vulnerable health.  I do have health insurance, provided for those who are regarded as uninsurable.  For $700 each month, I have insurance that will not cover the services and the drugs that have kept me healthy enough to work for a living.  I’m a dedicated patient and take good care of my body.   I pay, out of pocket, tens of thousands of dollars each year to preserve my life.

I’ve taken no handouts.  I didn’t blitz on a big house, boat, nice cars and exotic vacations.  I simply survived. 

Each day I wake up in despair and fear.  My country has no safety net for me… the one who did everything right.   My healthcare costs will quickly deplete my savings.

What do I want?

I want less fear.  I want the rare chance to wake up in the morning and think, “it’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away.”  

I have no power in America’s circle of influence.  I ask you to use yours to throw me a rope.
I, and many other “desperate Americans” need something we cannot provide for ourselves.

This hurts.  This time I’m asking for that handout… that momentary reprieve… that great and tumultuous reinvention of America’s health care system. 

In return, I promise not to bankrupt the system by trying to live long.  When my time comes, I will go in peace at home, not surrounded by doctors and life-saving medicine.

Song of the Leper  by Mark Nielsen

I used to wail --

along with my half-brother Hamlet--

"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt..."

And then my flesh melted.

And I did not wish for this anymore.

I do not wish death, decay, or pain on any living creature,

for I have tasted their bitterness.

I have known firsthand

the distracting ways of these world-given wounds,

whether visible or secret, honorable or shameful.

They cause me to obsess over myself, pity myself, prey upon myself.

I pick at scabs without ceasing.

Therefore I pray that all men be spared what I have endured.

And so today I wanted to go to the water again,

to the place of my beginnings.

I could hear it calling to me,

to come wash my wounds again.

The lake asks nothing in return for this blessing, this Wash.

The lake simply is.

The waves need not even be beckoned.

So I set out for the water.

Along the way I saw a man:

a father, and his eight-year-old son.

It appeared at first –

from the firm way he held the boy's left forearm—

as if the father was angrily dragging the boy across the street.

But there was no tension, no rigidity in either one's body,

nor were they talking.

I stopped to watch the mystery unfold.

Very soon it became clear that the boy was disabled:

wounded on the inside of his head;

three-year-old's brain, frozen and arrested in a steadily-growing body.

The father's firm grasp was suddenly transformed, in my own mind,

from a grip of anger to one providing security, comfort and love.

Here, surely, was a man with a steady hand

and a clear destination in mind.

He would not let his charge wander into unsafe places.

Calm, determined, they would arrive on time wherever they were going,

the place where they belonged.

Most importantly, they belonged to each other.

The boy had no reason to doubt that he was beloved,

that he belonged.

Soon after, I passed a tree in a park,

and it clapped me a hearty hello on the shoulder

with a falling oak leaf.

I tipped my black cap in response.

I watched a long, thin, sticklike spider dangle

from a web attached high up in the tree.

His web was weighty enough to keep him from flailing in the mild wind.

So he just hung there, between heaven and earth,

between home and wherever he was bound to go.

For that matter, it was not clear at first

if he was dead or just resting there, shoulder-high,

out for a morning walk like me,

or perhaps hunting for something

(also like me).

But as I waited,

the spider woke from it's reverie

(or decided to stop watching me)

and began to reel in the strand of web.

Then he changed his mind,

let out some web till he was at waist-level,

then cut it and dropped to the ground,

where he looked like a dozen other twigs there in the grass.

I envied this spider for its perfect body,

its hard exoskeleton, its strength

and its beautifully-evolved, unified inner and outer purpose.

Clearly, my own rotting, flabby flesh would not allow me to blend in,

or hunt effectively, or fulfill my own purpose,

as this spider had been born to do.

I continued on,

walking north toward the beach,

walking the perimeter of the land

toward the place of escape.

I walked past opulent houses

I had once coveted

but coveted no longer.

These days, instead, by peeking through un-shuttered windows,

I could occasionally see signs that the owners' inner chaos,

their own well-hidden wounds and shame,

were no different than mine.

Their vulnerable, ugly truth was simply stashed in china cabinets,

overpowered by the light of 60-inch plasma television screens,

or swept away by silent, hired housekeepers

who knew their secrets all too well.

But I had been down this road before --

led into temptation, then back out again.

So I knew now: it was only the fancy covering that I had wanted before

--the shielding, the gilded cage, the balm that does not soothe.

Freed from their spell (but only after much wrestling),

I put them out of my mind.

Finally, I reached the beach.

I died on this beach once, long ago.

But it didn't take.

I was baptized into death in these very waters,

but I foolishly took up my life again.

I could not surrender.

The water did not wash the poison from my body,

so instead I had limped onward in ignorance,

still falling apart, the most wretched of men.

I began to wonder now if that first death failed

because I did not embrace the death itself,

but sought only the "new life" that was promised afterward.

Thus it had been a narcissistic washing,

a quick once-over on the uppermost surface of my soul--

instead of the complete, severe and necessary burial

of the Self that I would keep for myself

(instead of laying down my life for another,

or forfeiting that False Self for my True Self).

So was I here to do it again?

To die, to dunk, to be cleansed

and finally shed this nearly useless flesh

through yet another mortification,

some left-undone humiliation that I had delayed too long in embracing?

I did not know.

So I walked to the far end of the beach,

toward the perimeter again,

the wilderness.

I sat in the sand and waited.

Near me was a stone shaped vaguely like a heart

(or was it a cast-off heart, now turned to stone?)

Down the beach,

a young female angel spread her towel wings

and swooped down off the raised lifeguard chair.

"No Lifeguard On Duty" the sign had said.

'Got that right,' I thought to myself.

There is no way to station lifeguards in enough places

to keep us all safe from harm.

Thus the need for angels.

and not just guardian angels, but healing angels,

for the wounds of this life are inevitable.

I realize as I sit in the sand

that I have not thought of my scaly skin

or my aging, broken body for some time now.

Perhaps in looking compassionately

upon a beautiful but wounded world,

I am relieved of some pain myself,

and can loosen my own controlling, angry, too-tight grip on my forearm

(on my life).

I am a man now.

I can cross the street without help,

but will hold my Father's hand and be guided nevertheless.

I will endure this burden in my flesh.

It does not need to be washed away,

but will fall away on its own, in its own time.

I can still touch and be touched, without shame or fear.

I belong.

Rain begins to fall gently on my shoulders now.

Some curtain inside me is torn in two,

letting light from the outside all the way in,

to melt my heart of stone.

It is finished.

And as if on cue, a teenaged lifeguard crosses the sand,

coming toward me to tell me it is time to leave.

The beach, the perimeter, the outskirts of town,

are no place for one as beautiful as me any longer.

So now I am going home.

I have not shed this foul, inconstant skin

as I expected to do when I first came.

But that is as it should be.

Although it does not yet show, I am healed.

Or at least now I can live in this skin again

until the Carpenter comes to make final repairs.

Until then, this wound in my side is perfect.

It lets out the poison,

and lets in the light.

Words are important. Autism cannot be viewed as a death sentence--especially not for a child who has their whole life ahead.

Living with or suffering with makes a big difference.

If you have Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS, or cancer, you have to eventually come to choice--do you choose to live or suffer?

Personally, I hope to never say the word, "suffer" again. I don't want to suffer with anything!

Suffering implies pain, sorrow, heavy burden...agony. And yes, there are moments, days, even months where pain and sorrow overwhelms life--but as my very religious, very southern mother used to say when asked how she was, she'd reply...

"Well...I don't want the devil to hear me!"

She didn't want to entomb herself in negativity.

Caregivers, how do you talk about your role? Begin to observe your words.

How do you introduce yourself?

"I'm just a caregiver?"

"I'm just caring for my mom?"

Really? Just a caregiver? That's like saying you're just the president of the United Stats, just a mom, just a CIA assasin!

Even if you are at home with your loved one, or even living with them. You can introduce yourself any way you like--"I'm an artist, I'm a teacher (even if you're not in a classroom now, do you ever stop teaching? I'm in school (are you taking an online class? That counts."

If you introduce yourself as a caregiver, then do it with pride.

But also introduce the fact that you're a daughter, a wife, a friend. Your role as a caregiver is admirable, but your loved one needs to hear you say that you'll always be their daughter/sister/spouse first.

How will anyone respect you and perceive what you do as important if you don't?

Choose. Choose your words. Choose to care for your loved one.

No one is making you be a caregiver. You may think they are. You may believe that you have to, that your loved one has no one else, that it's your responsibility...but realize that it is a choice. Other people in your same situation have said no. The world will not end. Is it the right thing to do? To say no? Every family is differentt, and my point is that you choose.

If you choose caregiving--part-time, full-time, in your home, their home, as a working caregiver, or an advocate for your loved one who is in a care facility--whatever the living/working arrangment is--choose. Caregiving is a part of who you are, it's a role, what you do with your time and energy.

Take the helplessness, choice-lesness out of your vocalbulary.

~I'm Carol D. O'Dell, and I hope you'll check out my book, Mothering Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir

It's available on Amazon, other online stores and in bookstores. Kunati Publishing

I'm a family advisor on Caring.com, and my syndicated blog appears on www.opentohope.com.

redneckgeek: I missed the part where the founding fathers said I had to take care of your sorry ass.

Rob.D: That's what citizens do. That take care of each other in bad times.
That's why someone's granddad died in Manila in 1943.
That's why you should be willing to take care of someone if they get the C.
Most of you have forgot about being citizens and simply consider yourselves taxpayers.
Link

It's nice to see an non-financial based argument regarding nationalized medicine. Too often, the focus is on the cost of national health care or a feeling of entitlement. It is not an individual entitlement for a citizen to receive health care, it is a responsibility of a citizen to ensure that all people receive the help they need.

The past week a Dutch channel interviewed registered Republican American voters and tried to convey their motivation. We just don't get it: religious reasons, opportunism,  stale conservatism, plain stupidity and ignorance: really, it's beyond our comprehension. John McCain would be blown away within five seconds in Belgium. Btw: US right-wing FOX-tv news coverage comments were plain disgusting, as usual.

As much as I hate to write this, there's a cultural devide between the US and Belgium/Europe that at times is quite hard to bridge, a chasm deeper than most Americans are aware of.  Oh well America, let's just hope (not pray, Belgians are on average not religious nor very patriotic) common sense will prevail. But I have my doubts, given US voters elected a nutcase like G.W. Bush into office, twice

From a healthcare communications perspective, I found an NBC Today Show interview with Michelle Obama very interesting yesterday.  She talked about three things that seem to be telling about her personality:

• She said she was more of a fatalist than an optimist meaning that if Barack is meant to be president than he will be.
• She said she was superstitious.
• She talked about not believing that living in the White House will change their family dynamic.

So, I would suspect that trying to get her to change behavior would be very difficult as a fatalist.  If she believes that becoming sick is inevitable, why would you change your diet or habits.

If she is superstitious, I would suspect that there are actions, phrases, colors, or other queues that could encourage her to take action.  What those are...who knows?

And, if she doesn't believe that the White House will change the family, it makes me think that she is very inwardly focused.  She admitted not watching TV or reading the paper.  But, as an ivy-league lawyer, I have to believe she does those things and reads aggressively.  So, I am confused as to why she wouldn't believe history.  I haven't read the history of presidential families, but I am pretty sure kids raised in the White House are very different.

My take would be that she would be a hard candidate to motivate to change and successfully communicate with.

See full video of Barack Obama's Speech at The Political Voices of Women.

*Also See:  Early video responses by the news media here.

---

When I was in court on August 25,2008,I watched my ex on the witness stand. He answered questions from all three lawyers.I spent more time on the stand than my ex. I remember at one point my lawyer asked my ex if he knew what sharing joint custody meant. My ex said no and that his lawyer never discussed the initial divorce decree with him. Obviously my ex said the wrong thing. Basically the lawyers wanted to know why my ex didn't let the school know my information and why he didn't tell me the Dentist's name. My lawyer had my ex look over the divorce decree. Under the word custody it says this.....1) The parties shall be awarded joint legal custody of their child and share authority and responsibility for the major decisions concerning his upbringing, including his education, healthcare and religious training. 2) That husband shall be awarded physical custody......It is so plainly written anybody with an 8th grade education can understand that. My ex only has a GED. He must have flunked on the portion about reading. I wonder why does a man admit in court that he doesn't know what joint custody means. Maybe he is illiterate and can't read. Maybe he needs to be evaluated. Maybe his Executive Secretary called his wife needs to explain that to him. If having custody of a child would be based on IQ, I would win hands down LOL.MMMMM Some day I'll write a book titled Strange tales from the divorce files.....That's all folks.

However, coming back to food, one of the most harmful food types, if taken in excess is fats. These not only increase the body’s weight, but also cause complications such as bad high cholesterol, heart and breathing problems, certain skin ailments and obesity, as well as increases the blood sugar levels in diabetics. This does not mean that one should not consume fats at all. According to the body type the dietician or nutritional recommends a certain amount of fats that need to be added in the daily diet.

But then, no matter what the amount consumed maybe, it becomes essential for the body to burn these fats so that energy is created. Storage of excessive fats leads to ailments and diseases, whereas effectively converting them into energy helps the body to function all the more efficiently. Apart from the essential exercises there are several fruits and vegetables that should be a part of the daily diet as they help in burning the fats.

Given here is an exhaustive list of foods that burn fats:

- Apples

- Beetroot

- Broccoli

- Cabbage

- carrots

- Cauliflower

- Cherries

- Corn

- Cucumbers

- Garlic

- Grapefruit

- Grapes

- Green peas

- French beans

- Melon

- Lemon

- Mushrooms

- Onions

- Oranges

- Papaya

- Peaches

- Pears

- Pineapple

- Pumpkin

- Radish

- Spinach

- Strawberries

- Tomatoes

- Watermelon.

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is a common adage almost everyone, anywhere in the world has grown up listening to. And the fact is that this fruit has many curative properties, as well as eating it on a daily basis can help keeping the body healthy and prevent various diseases and ailments. In fact, those who are unwell are advised to eat an apple, or drink apple juice in order to regain lost strength and energy.

One of the common home remedies that help in healing various ailments is apple cider vinegar. This not only has curative and preventive properties, but is also known to burn fat, and therefore aid in weight reduction amongst obese people. A daily dose of this fruit’s cider vinegar mixed in water can bring high levels of blood pressure down in a couple of weeks. However, this does not imply one should give up other prescribed medicine and only have this.

Apart from being useful to human beings it can also be administered in recommended doses to animals such as dogs, horses and cats. The health benefits of apple cider vinegar includes curing arthritic conditions amongst the animals, as well as control fleas and enhance the quality of the coat of these animals.

The following are amongst the various health problems and ailments that an be cured by consuming regular and prescribed doses of the apple cider vinegar:

- Abdominal Adhesions

- Acid Reflux

- Allergies

- Acne

- Arthritis

- Asthma

- Blood Pressure

- Burns

- Bursitis

- Canker Sores

- Cough

- Cuticle Pain

- Depression

- Dermatitis

- Diarrhea

- Ear Infections

- Fever

- Flu

- Food Poisoning

- Fungus

- Gas

- Gallbladder Problems

- Gout

- Hair and Scalp Problems

- Headaches & Migraines

- Heartburn

- Heart Pain

- High Cholesterol

- Indigestion

- Interstitial Cystitis

- Knee and Shoulder Joint Pain

- Menstruation Problems

- Nail Fungus

- Nausea

- Shingles

- Sprains

- Skin Rash

- Sinusitis

- Sore Throat

- Ulcers

-Yeast Infections

- Varicose Veins

- Warts.

Alright, here we go.

The video is playing right now. It's a bit cheesy, but hey, Obama does have something of a storybook background...Stuff on his mother. She must've had a rough time. Essentially a single white mother raising a black child? If America is as racist as the TV makes me believe...

Aw...Michelle fell in love.

Okay, I know that he hasn't been elected yet, but I'm really REALLY looking forward to a progressive president. I mean, the idea that someone's going to look out for the intrests of the common person, look for actual peaceful resolutions to conflicts in the world...it sounds amazing. I mean...it may kill Neo-Conservatism in some small way. Well, at the very least, it'll fuck over Harper. I like anything that makes that happen.

I really hope that we get to see the terrorist fist jab. I really REALLY do.

You know, I wish people waved miniture Canadian flags at our political rallies.

Okay, he's on stage.

Apparantly this is going to be less of an alegorical "yes we can" sort of speech, and a more meaty, "why specifically you should vote for me" sort. I'll be looking for that, I suppose.

Damn, Michelle's in the crowd. No fist bump.

I'm glad he's immediately thanking the Clintons. Calling her an inspiration to all women and him a great asset to the party should mend a couple fences that HRC failed to.

Okay, so the Thank-Yous are continuing. He thanks Biden, he thanks his wife, he thanks his daughter and his annoying daughter...and we're off to the actual speech.

So far it sounds like a typical Obama speech. America's facing a challenge. Washington sucks, Bush sucks. It's important for him to keep using these maxims in his speeches. Obama can't entirely abandon the "yes we can" style of speech. He needs to remain a powerful speaker in addition to making concrete campaign promises.

Obama making McCain = Bush is important. He needs to keep bringing up his voting record of voting with Bush 90% of the time. It's a really important tactic to place himself apart from McCain, and thus the incredibly unpopular Bush. I don't want to make the JFK = Obama comparisons, but he does have the distinct charisma edge.

This is good rhetoric. Talking about liberal vs. conservative tax breaks is important. Unfortunately, it's the meatiest piece that he's said so far. The economy is one of the biggest issues. He seems to be focussing some time here, so that's good.

Solid promises regarding taxes. This is good. This is very good. This is what he's been lacking - concrete goals regarding taxes, middle-eastern oil and job creation. He's been rhetorically dancing around these issues for months upon months, and now he's FINALLY making promises.

You know, he's got a lot of progressive ideas, and I really think that people will be excited about Obama, but I worry about who he's pissing off. He's targeted big business, the healthcare industry and the status quo in general a whole lot in this speech...I'm not saying he should totally moderate himself, but lobbists do have a shitload of power even still. All he needs to do is piss of the NRA and he may lose the election.

And he's donein time for me to catch the Daily Show!

Know what, it was good. He danced around controversial topics without completely avoiding them. He made promises without losing his Obama-y flair.

I have hope. Yes we can.

Video's starting.  Talking about his grandparents (the white ones), and him being born.  Talking about him going to school, college, then moving to Chicago.

Talking about him meeting Michelle.  Talking about him becoming an Illinois state Senator.

Talking about him move  up to the U.S. Senate.  Talking about his ethics reform bill.

Talking about his mother passing away.

Now talking about the start of Obama's campaign.

And Barack has entered the stage.  The crowd loves him.  And some girl's crying - that's a little over the top.

"With profound gratitude ... I accept your nomination for President of the United States."  There you go, he's officially the Democratic nominee.

And I just got interrupted - something about thanking Hillary.

Thanking Bill for his speech last night.  And he just thanked Joe Biden for being his running mate.

And thank you to his family and Michelle.

Talking about being at war, "the economy's in turmoil," and other struggles.  Talking about not being able to afford credit card bills - WELL THEN DON'T BUY WHAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD!  Blaming it all on "the failed policies of George W. Bush."  Because it's all Bush's fault.

"America, we are better than these 8 last years.  We are a better country than this."

"The same party that brought you 2 terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney, will ask you for a 3rd" - McCain really isn't like Bush, but it's good for them to compare McCain to Bush.

Talking about McCain's service and that "we owe him our gratitude and respect."  Talking about McCain voting with Bush for 90% of the time.  Didn't they say 95% last night?  That's not too consistent.

Talking about health care, education, and the economy, "Senator McCain has been anything but independent."  Again, it's good for them to compare him to Bush.  Talking about his economic plan writer and that we are "suffering from a mental recession ... and a nation of whiners."

Talking about soldiers complaining about the Bush administration.  That's only a minority of them though.

Now he's talking about tax breaks, and that McCain's tax cuts for big business and rich people will hurt the economy.  Well, he'll cut taxes for the middle class, and cut SPENDING!

"Out of work, tough luck, you're on your own" - Obama said is McCain's plan.  "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.  If you don't have boots, you're on your own."  OK, that was a clever line.  He's doing a good job talking about the economy.

He's running to help fix the economy.  Talking about veterans coming back from Iraq.  Talking about a student who works a night shift, so he can pay for college.  Talking about a worker whose factory was shut down.  Talking about difficulties in starting their own business.

"We have obligations to treat each other with dignity and respect. ... The economy should reward drive and growth."  THEN LET THE ECONOMY RUN ITS COURSE!

"Let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President: Change means that (couldn't hear it) doesn't reward the business who wrote it, but the workers who deserve it."  Appealing to workers - good.

"I will cut taxes for 95% of all working families" - so is he going to give a tax break to everybody except the top 5% of the country?  I can guarantee you that that is NOT his plan.

"Now is the time to end this addiction [to foreign oil]."

"As President ... I will invest in clean coal technologies, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power."  I like the nuclear part!  We need to have a LOT more nuclear power plants.

Talking about cleaner cars and making them more affordable.  "An investment that will lead to new industries and pay well."

"America, now is not the time for small plans.  Now is the time to meet our moral obligation, to provide every child with a world class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy."  OK,  sure everybody needs a good economy, but that's something the states need to fix, not the federal government.

"If you commit to serving your community for your country, we will ensure you can afford college."  What's that supposed to mean?  That's a pretty BROAD statement.

Talking about health care, and giving people the same plan as the one that Congress has.

"Stop those companies from discriminating those who are sick ... those who need it most. ... Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and paid leave."

"Now is the time to change bankruptcy laws to protect those with pensions."  OK, that I'll agree with.

Talking about equal pay for men and women.

Talking about parents "to provide guidance and love for their children.  Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility.  That is the essence of America's promise."  OK, that's good - individuals need to be responsible, but that applies to EVERYTHING, including health care and economic issues.

Talking about McCain having a debate about judgment.

"I stood up and opposed this war [Iraq], knowing it would distract us from the real threats."

"You know, John McCain says he will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell, but he won't even follow him to the caves where he lives."  Bull crap.  McCain has made it clear that his number ONE goal is to capture Osama.

"John McCain stands alone in" defending this war - how the heck does he stand alone?  Our troops support the war, as does about half of the Senate and House!

The Democrats will restore the legacy that America once had - you mean, the legacy that we help countries who need it?

"I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against Al Qaeda, and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan."

"I will build new partnerships to defeat" the threats we face.  He says this, but he's changed his policy on Iraq how many times now?

"These are the policies I will pursue, and we can afford debating them with John McCain."  Then agree to a debate!

"These times are too serious."

"I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain."  That I can agree with.

The troops "have not served a red America, or a blue America.  They have served the United States of America."  That was a GREAT line, and the crowd exploded.  That was a really great (and true) line.

"So I've got news for you John McCain: We all put our country first."  Well, I've talked with people, and I know that's not true.

"We don't agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing" abortions.  Bull crap.  End abortion, don't just try to lower it.

Talking about guns, but I missed what he said.

Talking about gays being able to visit loved ones in hospitalized.  I agree with that, but that's about the only right I think they should have that they don't already.  (Marriage benefits are a PRIVILEGE, not a right - such as tax breaks, etc....).

"If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone you should run from."  Since you've voted present so many times and missed so many votes, are you talking about yourself?

"I realize that I'm not the likeliest candidate for this office.  I don't fit the typical pedigree."  So he's just brought race into it?

"It's not about me.  It's about you.  It's about you.  For 18 long months, you have stood up 1 by 1 and said enough to the politics of the past. ... You have shown ... that the chang we need doesn't come FROM Washington, the change we need comes TO Washington."  Well, then it must not be you, because you're FROM Washington!

"I believe that as hard as it will be, the change is coming."

Talking about giving better care to veterans - good, and keeping nukes out of our enemies hands - sure you will.

Talking about "Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but they did."  TRAITORS!

"You know, this country of ours has more wealth than any other nation...  We have the most powerful military on earth, but that's not what makes us strong."

"That promise is our greatest inheritance - the promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in to bed. ... The promise that led workers to picket lines ... and women to vote."  I missed what he said, but he tied it all in to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech.

"America, we cannot turn back. ... Not with so many children to educate. ... Not with an economy to fix. ... America we cannot turn back.  We cannot walk alone."  Something about the promise - I couldn't keep up with him.

"Thank you, God bless you and God bless the United States of America."

And there you have it.  Honestly, I didn't think it was THAT great.  It was good, but compared to Clinton's and Biden's, it wasn't that good.  I'd give it a 7.5-8 out of 10.

He talked a LOT more about issues, which was his job, instead of getting people fired up, but it didn't seem as charismatic as he could've been.  Perhaps it was that he was tired, but it wasn't his best.

Done Analyzing,

Ranting Republican
:: :: :: :: ::

There appears to be an attitude toward the health care professions that health care professionals and institutions should be required to provide or assist in the provision of medicine or procedures to which they object, or else risk being subjected to discrimination. Reflecting this attitude, in some instances the standards of professional organizations have been used to define the exercise of conscience to be unprofessional, forcing health care professionals to choose between their capacity to practice in good standing and their right of conscience.

This sounds like a problem until you realize that it's not true (or more directly here):

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) is the certifying organization for ob/gyns, and has clearly stated since at least March of this year that refusal to perform or refer for abortion would have no bearing on issuance or renewal of provider certification. As this NPR piece documents,

Norman Gant, executive director of the certifying board, says HHS got it all wrong.

"They took two and two and came up with five," he said.

Gant, who didn't respond sooner because he was out of the office, backed up what ACOG spokesman Gregory Phillips said Tuesday, which is that the ethics committee opinion regarding referrals is not a binding portion of the college's ethics code, and therefore not a factor in the decision about board certification.

"We do not restrict access to our exams for anyone applying for initial certification, or maintenance of certification, based on whether they do or do not perform an abortion," Gant said. "We do not base this upon whether they do or do not refer patients to an abortion provider if they do not choose to do abortions."

The document has taken out the worst aspects of the earlier draft proposal, but it still expands who the laws will apply to, says the people who refuse to provide the service do not have to refer a patient to someone who will, and leaves the definition of abortion vague. This seems to be deliberate:

"This regulation is not about contraception. It's about abortion," said Mike Leavitt, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

But Mr. Leavitt acknowledged that some medical providers may want to "press the definition" and make the case that some forms of contraception are tantamount to abortion.

Karen Brauer, president of Pharmacists for Life, said she expects members of her group will do exactly that. "It would be pretty excellent," she said, if states lost federal funding over laws requiring pharmacists to fill birth-control prescriptions.

Activists on both sides of the debate said that hospitals, insurers and HMOs may be able to use the regulations to challenge other state laws, such as requirements that insurers include contraception as part of prescription-drug benefits. Or the federal government could force states to change those laws as a requirement for federal funding. "We fear that's possible," said Roger Evans, director of litigation for Planned Parenthood.

And those against contraception certainly seem to think it will allow them to refuse:

"I think this provides broad application not just to abortion and sterilization but any other type of morally objectionable procedure and research activity," said David Stevens of the Christian Medical and Dental Association. "We think it's badly needed. Our members are facing discrimination every day, and as we get into human cloning and all sorts of possibilities, it's going to become even more important."

There is a 30 day comment period of this proposed regulation. You can (and should) comment on this. You can comment via the ACLU or go to Secretary Leavitt's blog (this is a link to his discussion about the regulations) or send an email here.

Senator Obama opposed the earlier draft, while Senator McCain has not commented on this or the earlier draft (given his strong anti-abortion stance, I would be surprised if he isn't for it).

Don't believe me? Well you should!

Thanks to the blog: Women for John McCain - his new nick name is Coat-hanger.

So - you ask: How is John McCain going to bring down the numbers of uninsured people in Texas? You hate him, Will, but now you are backing him - not a flip-flopper like McCain are you?

Well - no.

If you can read the story on the link below or click on the W4Mc link and go through them - it ain't hard! But, as a teaser:

McCain adviser

But the numbers are misleading, said John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a right-leaning Dallas-based think tank. Mr. Goodman, who helped craft Sen. John McCain's health care policy, said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort. (Hospital emergency rooms by law cannot turn away a patient in need of immediate care.)

"So I have a solution. And it will cost not one thin dime," Mr. Goodman said. "The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care.

"So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved."

Yeah - really! Stop saying that they are uninsured and, yes - and - they aren't, they aren't uninsured! Bravo that man - brilliant!

They are just recategorised - now where the HELL have I heard that one before?

Now, why are you voting for John "The Coat-hanger" McCain, again?

Texas still leads nation in rate of uninsured residents | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Business News.

This Post!

First the TV audience:

1. Hillary Clinton's speech (26.0 million viewers) had higher ratings than Michelle Obama's speech (22.3 million viewers).
2. Almost five times as many people (26 million) watched Day Two coverage in 2008 vs. Day Two in 2004 (5.9 million) when only the cable networks covered the convention

It will be interesting to see the numbers for tonight. But last night's numbers don't suck either:

More than 24 million people watched the third night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention — a 7.5% decrease from 26 million viewers on day two of the convention.

Wednesday night’s speeches, which featured Former President Bill Clinton’s endorsement of Senator Obama and Senator Joseph Biden’s acceptance of his party’s nomination for vice president, drew 12.2% of all African American viewers — down slightly from the prevous night when Hillary Clinton addressed the convention (12.7%), but up from day one (12%), when Michelle Obama spoke.

Viewers age 55 and older continue to dominate the DNC’s TV audience, with 18.1% of all Americans in that age group — 12.5 million people — tuning in to Wednesday night’s convention coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, BET, and TV One.

Perhaps most telling is this: The 24 million who watched last night was a third larger than the 18 million who watched day three of the 2004 Democratic snooze fest.

Then the live audience:

According to the Dayton Daily News, Sen. John McCain is still giving away tickets to his Friday rally where he will unveil his running mate. He's having trouble filling a 10,000 seat arena.

(BTW, all 75K seats seem filled for tonight's speech at Mile High Stadium by Mr. Obama)

All of which may be caused by the McCain campaign's astounding ability to say exactly the wrong thing. First there was former advisor Phill Gramm's "American's are whiners" reaction to the current economic troubles. This of course was still eclipsed by the candidate himself saying he didn't know how many houses he had. While nothing will ever top that one there's today's wonderful bon bête on how to deal with the health insurance issue:

"The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved." -- John Goodman (not the actor), president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a right-leaning Dallas-based think tank, and the person who helped draft. Sen. John McCain's health care policy.

Best line in the story: "Goodman said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort." I believe Goodman was quoting a classic solution to problems of the poor originally conceived of a by a Mr. Dickens. Too bad he hadn't read Mr. Swift.

Suddenly the malaprops of Dan Quayle and even the our current Inarticulator-In-Chief don't seem so bad.

All that said, the good senator from Arizona is hardly out of it by any account. Should he pick either Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Christine Todd Whitman (former governor of New Jersey and ex-chief of the EPA) as VP he could really make it close. That would get him a lot of Hillary defectors. While the senator has been mentioned as a possible veep it is as the longest of shots, the governor has not even got that close.

BTW, you could save some time and read this stuff at the place I get it: Taegan Goddard's Political Wire. I  recommend it highly.

(CNN) -- A health care policy adviser for the McCain campaign told a newspaper reporter that nobody in the United States is technically uninsured, because everyone has access to hospital emergency rooms.

"So I have a solution [to the health care crisis]. And it will cost not one thin dime," John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, told the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Thursday.

"The next president of the United States should sign an executive order requiring the Census Bureau to cease and desist from describing any American – even illegal aliens – as uninsured. Instead, the bureau should categorize people according to the likely source of payment should they need care. So, there you have it. Voila! Problem solved."

Hospital emergency rooms cannot technically turn away anyone for financial reasons.

"So instead of producing worthless statistics that people fling around in vacuous editorials and pointless debates, the Census Bureau should produce meaningful numbers, identifying all of the sources of funds people will draw on if they need medical care," said Goodman, who helped write McCain’s health care plan.

That plan would use a combination of tax incentives and market competition to make health care more affordable. It is not a universal health care plan – it does not guarantee insurance coverage for every American.

Read more: Goodman talks to the Dallas Morning News

Take a look: Candidates' health care plans

UPDATE: McCain's campaign says they do not consider Goodman to be an official campaign adviser.