Good morning DeVeria!

Good morning!

Morning Deveria, Hope you have healed and recovered

I’m well and kicking, but that whole experience did something to me emotionally…to be kicked out of the hospital when I couldn’t take care of myself because they didn’t want to pay. It was too much…

Good morning DeVeria! Sorry about the loss of your friend. Sickle Cell Anemia is a terrible disease but one of the best illustrations there is that “intelligent design” is bogus and that evolutionary biology must be true. Of course, don’t expect most evangelical bible thumpers to get that, being as it only affects those of central African descent, which are, after all, not white.

Thanks Margaret. He was so much fun and full of love so many times we forgot he even had the disease.

I lost my insurance when my job evaporated last January. Now I can’t buy insurance as an individual because I have urethritis. The next time I get obstructed, I get to go to the emergency room on my dime, (whether I have a dime or not), for treatment. I am a perfect example of why the insurance system is broken for all but the insurance companies, who make obscene profits while driving up the cost for everyone else. The last time I had to be treated, I paid about 25% of the bill and I had one of those “cadillac” plans. Single payer now!

Good Morning DeVeria

I’m so sorry about your friend, Chip. May he rest in peace now.

We need a public option now.

I remember was my sister was very ill and in the hospital. She had good insurance and she had good care, but still she was so sick, one of us stayed with her all the time to make sure she got what she needed right away. I’m sure today with budget cuts there are fewer nurses per patient.

DeVeria, sorry about your friend Chip.

The health system is totally broken. I am still working on limits at about 90% on the percentage of premiums that have to be spent on actual benefits to the person paying, if insurance is to stay at all. The U.S. public is being sacrificed to greed, while paying the bills.

Wow…that is why we are fighting so hard. When I left my full-time job to start my accounting business, I didn’t have health insurance because I just couldn’t afford it. But, my family has too many health issues…I have to have insurance in case something happens. I hope things work out for you.

Yes and the nurses that are there are overworked. We are not even going to talk about the competency of the nurses when I was in the hospital. I had some very good ones and also some very special ones. I advise anybody if you have someone in the hospital that is critical…take shifts and make sure they are okay.

I agree

That new guy in the house!!! Name slipped my mind at the moment. Explain to me why his rant yesterday excited me so much. Will dems catch on to how to talk about what the american people care about?

One of my favorite foods has always been Frito pie but the problem is that it’s incredibly fattening. I am just a huge fan of anything Tex-Mex. When I was in the Navy, I was stationed mostly in California where it wasn’t available at all so I had to learn to cook a lot of my favorites myself. It was tougher in the days of no internet and my roomate was subject to much of my experimentation. First, one has to get the chili recipe right, then one has to layer it properly to keep the Fritos from getting all soggy. I haven’t had any in at least a year, due to my weight loss program but this morning, I am officially down to my ideal weight after losing 90 pounds so it’s a perfect Frito pie day, and even more so since it’s cool outside. It’ll mean an extra workout tomorrow but it will be worth every second of it.

His name is Alan Grayson and he’s my new hero too! :-)

Good Morning, DeVeria. My condolences for your friend. May he travel well.

Glad to hear you have recovered. What a terrible experience to be kicked out of a hospital when you’re in need of care.

I live in the richest country in America and because of a health insurance issue, I could not afford to stay in a rehabilitation center long enough to heal properly. We can spend billions on senseless wars, billions to build the weaponry to use in the senseless wars, and shoot a rocket to the moon to see if there is any water, but we as American citizens are not entitled to affordable health care.

It’s a matter of priorities, DeVeria. They say we put our money towards things we consider important…by that standard, the powers-that-be don’t consider human life nor nature (the moon) too important. It’s more exciting to destroy things than to build them up, I suppose.

We will see now won’t we…

Yeah, Alan, thanks.

What did he do different that was so compelling? I think his ‘holocaust’ remark of a few days ago was calculated. He got the thugs to react, then laid it on hard on their reaction.

In fact, Huffington Post has a political game changer poll up, featuring both Alan Grayson and our own Jane Hamsher.

Now that sounds good…how do you make it. I am getting ready to start another weight loss regimen. I had gastric bypass in 2001 and lost about 160 lbs…I’ve picked up a few and need to get them off. What did you do? I’m contemplating Nutrisystem.

For me it was the fact that he showed some backbone, a commodity that has sadly been lacking in members of the Democratic Party since the early 1990s. If there had been a few Alan Graysons in the House when Newt was speaker, movement conservatives might not have gained so much power. Unfortunately, “Democrats” like Rahm Emanuel were the standard back then.

Morning.

Sorry about your loss. But a good way to look at it. You did have him here for 35 years and for that you were fortunate and your life better. But still, must be impossible to keep from thinking…..35?…… Just too soon.

My condolences.

A few miles to the west and he’d be my rep. Instead I’m stuck with a clueless first-term Dem nitwit who says the PO “isn’t that important.” Sad thing is I honestly think she has no idea what a PO is. But as a City Beautiful resident, I guess I can still claim Grayson as mine.

I just don’t understand…it all seems so clear to me.

Me, too…you know, that whole “Do Unto Others..” thing.

Exactly…he was 2 years younger than me and had an 8 year old daughter. So much more life to live…

How is everyone’s weather doing? It snowed on and off all day Thursday but it didn’t stick. Yesterday was nice but this morning the ground is covered and it is snowing.

Well we are going to keep fighting…health care is a human right…period.

I’ll be honest DeVeria: I addressed my food addiction the same way I addressed my cocaine addiction, my meth addiction and my tobacco addiction. I changed my lifestyle and my habits. The problem with a food addiction is that you don’t NEED cocaine, meth or tobacco in moderation to live but you DO need food. I cut portion size, stopped eating out and increased my activity. The only way to take weight off and keep it off long term is to commit to a different way of life. Just like with drug addiction, you have to MEAN it. You can’t half ass weight loss anymore than you can kinda quit smoking cigarettes.

As for Frito Pie: I’m not giving up my chili recipe just yet but the secret is in the layering. A layer of Fritos, followed by a layer of finely chopped onion, then shredded cheese, chili, more shredded cheese and more Fritos. Also, one needs a fairly deep, hemispherical bowl made of ceramic. The shape and material are important.

OK…where are you? I am enroute to Charlotte, NC and it is raining off and on. From what I understand it is supposed to rain all weekend.

It poured rain here yesterday and cooled down significantly. Happily, I have no snow to report. I’d move to a blue state if I could stand the cold!

Sounds like a good appetizer for my next function! I’m going to add it to the list.

Just west of Denver

!! Snow! It was 70 yesterday, a little rainy this morning but the window’s open.

Mornin’, DeVeria

I’m sorry for the loss of your friend, Chip. May he rest in peace.

Lot of things to do today so I’m in and out. Instead of bitchin’ about all the crap that’s not right I’d just like to share a pic that took my breath away.

No picture’s complete without a story, right? I have a National Wildlife Foundation calendar on the wall directly above my monitor. Animal picture with every month. No surprise there. Yesterday I finally got around to switching to October. This is what I saw:

Lioness with cub at dawn, Serengeti, Kenya

It makes the most awesome background on a widescreen monitor. It can be found here.

Photo was taken by Matsuaki Iwago.

Edit and preview out of whack this mornin’.

wow…and you have snow already? Sorry, I’ll stick to the east coast.

It’s a fat bomb DeVeria but done in moderation, sooooo very tasty! I add jalapeno’s myself but not everybody is a fan of the very hot. My mom was Cajun though and I’ve gotta have the spice.

Awwww…how cute!

I’ll be careful. I won’t eat much…I promise!

Not your average house cat SD

wow, that’s a gorgeous shot

I think sometimes we are better off without insurance . When I had my cervical spine fused my health insurance co. cut my rehab off after 8 weeks ,and I had HMO Blue a Caddilac plan.
A year later I had an uncovered hospital stay , caused by the meds I was taking for the neck that never healed properly. I was never denied a single test or procedure due to no coverage ,I was treated quite well in fact.
I often wonder if my hospital stay would have been the same had I had insurance . I was impressed with the way I was treated considering my lack of coverage

For those who haven’t seen Loo Hoo’s diary on katymine.

And the day started off so damn good. Can’t stop crying.

Here kitty kitty kitty !!

Precisely why we need single payer. I can’t get over people talking about putting insurance companies out of business like that would be a bad thing. Sure, it would displace a lot of workers and that sucks but if it’s a choice between some temporary unemployment and very permanent death, I’d choose the former.

I hear you…but who can afford to do that? I guess you had a good team, but I have been to the hospital/emergency room when I didn’t have coverage and people were not receptive at all. My mother is diabetic and last year her toe got infected and the doctor actually told her that it would be cheaper to amputate it. I couldn’t get to Hampton fast enough to deal with him. All because she had no insurance.

SD, you just lightened up my day. Thanks bud.

DeVeria, I used to think I knew how to make Frito Pie. As school kids it was our favorite lunch, a little bag of Fritos with chili poured in it and cheese sprinkled on top. I’m waiting for Margaret’s recipe though.;)

You took my calendar. I love the WWF, they keep sending me trip lit too, drooling about the Costa Rica cruise coming up, but very pricey.

Me too!

Doesn’t the WWF have something to do with wrestling. *g*

Awesome pic, thanks Dragon. I’m putting it on my laptop!

Yep, so I’ve heard/seen, but I can’t take that seriously.

Going to take off and start my Saturday. Hope everyone has a good day and a great next week. :-)

Drop in and give some love to Katymine
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/8878

You too!

as a footnote; my uncovered stay was actually paid for by the state of Mass. through medicaid I believe .
So actually this is a good example why we need single payer . My stay was covered by the taxpayers.

Oh ok…my mother is finally on Medicaid and hasn’t had any problems since.

Okay then, by popular demand, I’ll post my Frito Pie recipe here same time next week. To start off, you’re going to have to find ceramic, hemispheric, single serving bowls. Shallow bowls aren’t the proper shape to hold it. That’s your homework. ;-)

Thanks Margaret!!!

time to do some reading , got to catch up on the goings on
See you all later

ttyl

Good Morning DeVeria and Firedogs,

sorry to come in a-squawking but there is something hinky going on with the site.

my dear oldnslow drafted his first diary and now we cant find the draft of his page – anyone ?

i’ll ping someone

Nearly two years ago a cousin, much younger than myself, was caught there in the mountains, did not survive. Carry extra covering in your vehicle once the weather changes, better safe than sorry. Your car will provide shelter, an old blanket or two (or sleeping bag) can provide the warmth to live. All the best ………

Ms DeVeria, so sorry about the loss to sicle cell, so many are lost before their time because of the condition, it still does not make it any easier for family or friends.

cbl, for some reason the save draft feature doesn’t work with Seminal, it’s on the fix list, I’ll see if someone can find it back there.

Yeah, I carry a sleeping bag good to 15 below and several cans of tuna in my console.

No it doesn’t make it easy at all. But we’ll get through it. He wouldn’t want us to grieve.

thanks.

been dogging him for weeks to put his thoughts to paper(screen)

Hope he isn’t discouraged.

and per Billybugs and the emergency room -

we have that discussion often – the one about simply dropping coverage.
we’ve paid in almost $30k in two years and they wont even pay for 3 doctor visits – to a plan-approved provider – like many here, we are struggling and that $1100/mo could be put to better use than ‘betting’ we’ll get a better hand next time one of us needs care – but the House never loses

not whining, we’re both in good shape but this is a problem for millions of american households

Ms. Flowers.

So you recuperated with a family member. That’s what families are for. There’s no need to parasite off the government.

Have that old and slow guy try this link, lemme know if it works

I do my draft for Caturday in WordPad then transfer it to the Seminal on Sunday morning, making any final changes and adding links there, then post it.

I get this from the link:

No Responses to “”
Sorry but the comments are closed on this post

By the way:

Bill Moyers and Michael Winship have an article in Salon this morning that could have been written by one of us:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/10/10/lobbyists/index.html

Go drop off a note in the letters section!

Hopefully, oldnslow will be able to open it, since it’s only a draft, his draft.

thanks sweetie, getting the same message as Southern Dragon.

For folks having issues with logging in and whatnot: Try a different web browser. AOL’s MSIE-based one might not work, but MSIE itself and Firefox should work just fine.

Is he getting that message? or just you?

curses ! thought to do the same, but hurriedly clicked on Save & Preview

s’okay, he’ll re do it, he definitely has something to say

p.s. to you per our discussion the other morning about various actions and how a dfh can’t get arrested any more :D – there’s to be a two week action at Ft Benning next month – School of the Americas – as in the past, it is being planned around what are sure to be plenty of arrests – lots of IAVA participation this time around

Solution FAIL

Not everybody has family nearby that can take them in.

me too

When I get to the point when I can get somebody to take care of the tigers for an extended period I’m gonna join the crowd at Ft Benning. Most folks would like to go on a cruise or see the Grand Canyon or something on their time off. I want to close the School of the Americas.

Really cannot take this kind of remark seriously, it’s so blatantly ludicrous to think anyone would take own sickness as a burden the whole family, even kids, would have to take on. Especially with all we’ve paid over the years into the gov’t.

Time for me to go out in the cold and do errands, later

So someone who’s been a productive member of society but must rely on some sort of government assisted health care is a parasite? Sure am glad I don’t live in your mean fantasy world.

OK if I mail you the text at your email address we have here?

Speaking of going out into the cold it is 18 degrees F here

In the 80s here and the humidity is humbling.

he says yes. thanks for your help

on its way!

Oh no…that is not what my family is for. I have worked hard for years and the gov’t gets its money right off of the top and you mean to tell me that as a citizen in my own country, I have to be fearful of getting ill and not being able to recuperate propertly. That’s utterly ridiculous. But the gov’t can waste billions and billions of dollars every year on sensless stuff. Sorry, but I’m not going for it…

My son & DIL are very happy to be out of the FL heat and humidity

Mean people suck.

It does do something to a person to not receive the care they need, at any point in our lives, but especially after a severe injury.

I can’t imagine feeling more alone than I did when I got my (20 years now)genetic movement disorder and had to fight both my insurance company for care and the government for disability.

Now, my state wants to kick people like me completely off the rolls and it’s very frightening.

So, I’ve got alot of compassion for you, honey.

saw that y’all are gonna get to 92 today – ooh boy, our tigers thought I’d lost it yesterday doing the Snoopy dance putting on a winter robe and looking for the bunny slippers after aeonsmonths of high 90’s humidity and triple digit temps.

Congratulations DeVeria, your first troll!

How you doing today, Mr. Cleveland? Kick any puppies?

Thanks…I understand about the disability. My mother got denied twice before she was finally approved. We had to get a lawyer involved. Why are the things that should be so simple, made to be so complicated?

LOL Mine are either on the terrazzo floor or on any wood surface.

$$$$$$

Short answers…

Prolly likes to drown kittehs, too.

One of the I got mine screw everybody else types – until the bottom falls out for them.

Self centered control freak and just plain mean.

basically

Everybody read Krugman’s column yesterday, The Uneducated American?

One of Jeb’s failed policies was to destroy the public school system in FL. He damn near succeeded and it will be years, if not decades, before the system recovers here.

One of the roughest funerals I ever attended was for a baby with Sickle Cell Disease. Folks had no insurance, and when the took him to Children’s Hospital, they were sent to UCLA because of the lack of coverage. The baby boy died in her arms, en route. We all had cried so much that week, we thought we could keep it together for the service, but when they took that little tiny coffin out of the hearse, well, we all darn near passed out.
That’s all I’m going to say.

I don’t know..but I have a feeling they are going to get a LOT MORE complicated here in a hurry.

I had to get on Medicaid when I became disabled so young. I think there used to be a clause that said you were automatically put on Medicare after two years..but I called Social Security and they said “NO!..you don’t have the margins”. So, as the states go under from all their bad decisions, what do they cut first?

When I first got Medicaid, they called it “the million dollar card” because it would pay for everything..pretty much, then, the state governments privatized it and here we all are, with HMO’s in between us and our doctors. I was “lucky” that I got disabled when I did, because I sure never would have gotten the surgery that saved my life after Mr. Bush “took office” and started his attack on the helpless of this country.

Now, they take it as given that we be thrown to the wolves.

Speaking of wolves, I gotta go work on the new endangered animal jewelry I’m making. Maybe..maybe it will help me stave off starvation and death when they cut us all off the rolls. Plus, the environment has been my causes celebre` since I was 14 years old.

I, like many, were a little seduced by the OPT-OUT idea in thinking that only Red states would suffer and force the electorates of those states to vote for more progressive leaders. After reading several posts and their comments it’s clear to me now that OPT-OUT is a really bad idea from start to finish.

I’m wonder if POP could put something up on it’s web page that lists out cons to OPT-OUT before it gains more traction.

Do you really think it “failed” for them? Now we’ve got an ignorant, superstitious populace who can’t think…right where they want us.

I wanted to comment on Krugman’s post, but the comments were shut off very quickly.

Myself, I think we’re facing such overpopulation that no amount of money can take care of us all and the corporations are, of course, making it worse by preying on us like we were herd animals.

Do yo know that since I was born in the late 1940’s the human population has more than tripled on this little old planet? Think about it. The “powers that be” sure know it.

I suspect that’s why schools are failing to educate even those kids who manage to go. 40% of adults read at a 4th grade level and of those only 40% can COMPREHEND what they read!
That’s a national disaster

Good idea, I already called my people on Mt Olympus to say I’m agin it

Working up a little ambition and being self-reliant vs. being a parasite. Your choice.

Yeah, I totally understand. Chip’s funeral isn’t until NEXT Saturday, so that means a rough week and even harder weekend. Not sure how we are going to handle it.

Yes…it really is

You’re right, of course. It didn’t fail for the elites but it came close to failing Florida’s children.

Endangered animal jewelry? Wolves? I don’t like anything on my wrists (particularly handcuffs) but I like rings and things that hang from a neck chain or piece of rawhide.

You will handle it one hour, one day at a time. With tears, memories, hugs and grace. Buy a rose. Take it to the service and then, instead of leaving it there, take it home and turn it upside down to dry. You will have Chip forever.

What a nice idea.

Hello, Jane. I hope you’re well.

We have a cat, which prompts a little story that all of you should find instructive, if not downright enthralling.

Our best friends are a typical liberal couple (i.e., they believe in recycling but don’t actually do it), and they have several cats. They’re indoor cats, which means they are declawed. All these cats do 24/7 is sleep, poop, and wait for someone to feed them. I call them Democats.

My wife and I have a cat. Our cat is up at the crack of dawn and itching to get outside and get to work. She works diligently at ridding our yard of critters and pests, which she proudly brings to our back door. Sometimes she eats them. She is so conscientious that she sometimes pulls a double-shift or an all-nighter. She pulls her own weight. I call her our Republicat.

Here’s another quick story. About four months ago, a dear friend died suddenly. We were all in shock, and I was hesitant about the service. I asked my honey to take me camping up in the forest. We did. Made a big fire. I took my guitar and we sat under the big pines and sang some of her favorite songs. She was the diva soprano in the church choir and also loved camping. In the morning, I felt somewhat healed and we jammed down the mountain and made it to the service.
DeVeria. Get out of the house and do something that you and Chip enjoyed together. It might help.

I have 12 cats, all kept indoors. Three were, unfortunately, already declawed when I adopted them, the rest are free to tear up the furniture at will. When I adopt an animal I assume full responsibility for their safety and well being. Being indoor cats:

None of them will be struck by a vehicle.

None of them will be poisoned, accidentally or otherwise.

None of them will be hurt or killed and dismembered by a person like the kid in South Florida recently.

None of them will be injured by another animal.

None of them will be subjected to rabies or any other disease transmitted from animal to animal.

None of them will kill another living thing.

I can monitor their health by seeing how much they eat, whether or not they’re eating and what and how often they’re eliminating. I’m able to detect illness at an early stage rather than at end stage.

If nurturing and protecting the ones I love is a basis for derision, so be it.

On edit: I won’t be responding to you again, Mr Cleaveland.

Not worth your effort, darling.
Not instructive.
Not entralling.
Shoo, shoo. Hiss.

DeVeria, when I hear these stories, I wonder why the Democrats didn’t start, on January 20, telling 1 or 2 or 5 of them per day, in every congressional district, to build an awareness of how widespread the failure is, and why we need health care reform.

Hell, we might even to have been able to do this before Rahm called in the insurance and drug company thugs for the “give away the store” [i.e., single payer] meetings.

I can only conclude that part of what Rahm promised was that the Democrats would not shine a light on the abuses.

And none of them is free.

Wow…thanks…I’m going to do just that.

I’m actually doing just that this weekend. I had contemplating not coming out of town, but I knew he would tell me…you better go…if I could I would. So, I came where he would be if he could.