February 17th
You know I am getting really, really tired of our congressional Repugs and their attacks on women and healthcare reform. One of the most recent attacks is through the Blunt amendment that has been attached to the highway funding bill. This bill would deny women and men access to all kinds of healthcare depending upon the religious beliefs of their employers.
The Repugs are trying to sell this hogwash by claiming that it is standing up for the religious liberty of employers but the unstated aim of the bill is really to undermine healthcare reform.
The way I was brought up, you respected another person’s religious beliefs, whatever they were. But respecting someone’s right to their beliefs does not mean that I should be forced to follow them and in essence that is what this bill will achieve. It not only allows an employer to impose their religious beliefs upon an employee but it will negate the decisions made between the doctor and patient - the people who should be making them.
For instance - if your employer is a Christian Scientist who believes disease and death are illusions, they reject medicine and pray instead. You as an employee of this person would have no job related health insurance offered through the implementation of this GOP bill.
It is time for Americans to wake up.
Go sign the petition - Stop the GOP from giving "moral" control over your healthcare to your employer. It is the first action at the top of the list here:
http://www.pfaw.org/get-involved/take-action
It snowed, sleeted and rain yesterday and last night there was a bit of fog to go along with it. Such fun. At the moment the sun is up and the wind seems to be drying off the pavement.
Still feeling a bit off this morning.
Still knitting on the Onopordum acanthium - Wha daurs meddle wi me. Part F is now in process. I am now at the point marked by the green arrow. There are 960 stitches on the needles and I am on round 193.
Photo © Marianne Kinzel
Have a great day.
Bits & Pieces - *recommended reading*
Condoms and Antibiotic Resistance
http://mikethemadbiologist.com/2012/02/16/condoms-and-antibiotic-resistance/
Goodbye, Magic Bullet: Hello, Highly Resistant Gonorrhea
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/resistant-gonorrhea/
Catholic Church receives federal funds but refuses laws
http://www.unewsonline.com/2012/02/16/catholic-church-receives-federal-funds-but-refuses-laws/
Sneak preview of 500th episode - the Simpsons
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17058703
Democratic Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing After Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/789835/democratic_women_boycott_house_contraception_hearing_after_republicans_prevent_women_from_testifying/
Some TSA Agents Allegedly Targeting 'Sexy' Passengers for Extra Screenings
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/789837/some_tsa_agents_allegedly_targeting_%27sexy%27_passengers_for_extra_screenings/
Numbers warn of looming collapses
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338246/title/Numbers_warn_of_looming_collapses
The GOP Plan to Give Your Boss "Moral" Control Over Your Health Insurance
http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/republican-plan-give-bosses-moral-control-health-insurance
Why Religion Should Not Dictate Our Politics
http://www.alternet.org/story/154188/moyers%3A_why_religion_should_not_dictate_our_politics?akid=8270.308485.M9PxpW&rd=1&t=21
Tighten fracking regulations, scientists urge US officials
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/16/shale-gas-regulations-scientists-us?CMP=EMCNEWEML1355
*
Wired society may need vitamin D fortification
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/5284/traditional-living-provides-more-vitamin-d
Bonsai Tree Houses by Takanori Aiba
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/02/bonsai-tree-houses-by-takanori-aiba/
India's life-drawing models kept under wraps
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17060659
Restoring Frank Lloyd Wright's last hotel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17070729
Tasmanian devils' killer disease genome mapped
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17062091
Spying on the silent movie star, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17072225
How to dress a Beefeater - a couple of ice cubes and a few olives but, of course, that is not the Beefeater they are talking about here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17073943
India's Calcutta 'to be painted blue'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17071247
Body clock 'alters' immune system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17059498
Action List - *petitions worthy of your signature*
****Stop ACTA - you better read this one. Thought SOPA & PIPA were bad?
http://www.stopacta.info/
Here’s another petition to sign:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1532929193&v=12249
And another at Care2.com
http://www.care2.com/causes/act-on-acta-the-internet-war-is-not-over.html
ACTA: The International Treaty You've Never Heard of That Could Affect Internet Freedom
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-3
And bit more:
ACTA: The Corporate Usurpation of the Internet
http://nilebowie.blogspot.com/2012/01/acta-corporate-usurpation-of-internet.html
A new ACTA petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_acta/?cl=1548471589&v=12326
Here we go again…
#1 - To get this one through they are calling it the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act". Protecting children my you know what!
"A direct assault on Internet users" is what the ACLU is calling it. A U.S. House committee has already approved HR 1981, a broad new Internet snooping bill.
They want to force Internet service providers to keep track of and retain their customers' information -- including your name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and temporarily-assigned IP addresses.
ISPs would collect and retain your data whether or not you're accused of a crime. Supporters shamelessly dubbed it the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act," but our staunchest allies in Congress are calling it what it is: an all-encompassing Internet snooping bill.
Just click here to tell your lawmakers to oppose it:
http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/snooping/?referring_akid=.655732.ikKHai&source=mailto
#2 - The Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
Senators in the pocket of Big Oil are trying to bring back the Keystone XL oil pipeline proposal, thwarting President Obama's decision to reject the dirty and dangerous project.
TransCanada has spent $1.3 million lobbying for their tar sands oil pipeline, and now they're at it again with a major bill in the Senate. We may not have $1.3 million to lobby Congress, but we do have 1.4 million grassroots voices.
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TakeAction&s_src=610ZSCAC01
Write your senators today, and tell them to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline and put clean water and clean air ahead of Big Oil's profits.
The non-existent tags
weather, knitting, global warming, environment, politics, Repugs, scumbags, ACTA, animals, fun stuff, design, architecture, health, people, restoration, art, rant
Change the world one loan at a time - visit http://www.Kiva.org to find out how
The Repugs are trying to sell this hogwash by claiming that it is standing up for the religious liberty of employers but the unstated aim of the bill is really to undermine healthcare reform.
The way I was brought up, you respected another person’s religious beliefs, whatever they were. But respecting someone’s right to their beliefs does not mean that I should be forced to follow them and in essence that is what this bill will achieve. It not only allows an employer to impose their religious beliefs upon an employee but it will negate the decisions made between the doctor and patient - the people who should be making them.
For instance - if your employer is a Christian Scientist who believes disease and death are illusions, they reject medicine and pray instead. You as an employee of this person would have no job related health insurance offered through the implementation of this GOP bill.
It is time for Americans to wake up.
Go sign the petition - Stop the GOP from giving "moral" control over your healthcare to your employer. It is the first action at the top of the list here:
http://www.pfaw.org/get-involved/take-action
It snowed, sleeted and rain yesterday and last night there was a bit of fog to go along with it. Such fun. At the moment the sun is up and the wind seems to be drying off the pavement.
Still feeling a bit off this morning.
Still knitting on the Onopordum acanthium - Wha daurs meddle wi me. Part F is now in process. I am now at the point marked by the green arrow. There are 960 stitches on the needles and I am on round 193.
Photo © Marianne Kinzel
Have a great day.
Bits & Pieces - *recommended reading*
Condoms and Antibiotic Resistance
http://mikethemadbiologist.com/2012/02/16/condoms-and-antibiotic-resistance/
Goodbye, Magic Bullet: Hello, Highly Resistant Gonorrhea
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/resistant-gonorrhea/
Catholic Church receives federal funds but refuses laws
http://www.unewsonline.com/2012/02/16/catholic-church-receives-federal-funds-but-refuses-laws/
Sneak preview of 500th episode - the Simpsons
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17058703
Democratic Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing After Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/789835/democratic_women_boycott_house_contraception_hearing_after_republicans_prevent_women_from_testifying/
Some TSA Agents Allegedly Targeting 'Sexy' Passengers for Extra Screenings
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/789837/some_tsa_agents_allegedly_targeting_%27sexy%27_passengers_for_extra_screenings/
Numbers warn of looming collapses
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338246/title/Numbers_warn_of_looming_collapses
The GOP Plan to Give Your Boss "Moral" Control Over Your Health Insurance
http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/republican-plan-give-bosses-moral-control-health-insurance
Why Religion Should Not Dictate Our Politics
http://www.alternet.org/story/154188/moyers%3A_why_religion_should_not_dictate_our_politics?akid=8270.308485.M9PxpW&rd=1&t=21
Tighten fracking regulations, scientists urge US officials
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/16/shale-gas-regulations-scientists-us?CMP=EMCNEWEML1355
*
Wired society may need vitamin D fortification
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/5284/traditional-living-provides-more-vitamin-d
Bonsai Tree Houses by Takanori Aiba
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/02/bonsai-tree-houses-by-takanori-aiba/
India's life-drawing models kept under wraps
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17060659
Restoring Frank Lloyd Wright's last hotel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17070729
Tasmanian devils' killer disease genome mapped
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17062091
Spying on the silent movie star, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17072225
How to dress a Beefeater - a couple of ice cubes and a few olives but, of course, that is not the Beefeater they are talking about here.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17073943
India's Calcutta 'to be painted blue'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17071247
Body clock 'alters' immune system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17059498
Action List - *petitions worthy of your signature*
****Stop ACTA - you better read this one. Thought SOPA & PIPA were bad?
http://www.stopacta.info/
Here’s another petition to sign:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1532929193&v=12249
And another at Care2.com
http://www.care2.com/causes/act-on-acta-the-internet-war-is-not-over.html
ACTA: The International Treaty You've Never Heard of That Could Affect Internet Freedom
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-3
And bit more:
ACTA: The Corporate Usurpation of the Internet
http://nilebowie.blogspot.com/2012/01/acta-corporate-usurpation-of-internet.html
A new ACTA petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_acta/?cl=1548471589&v=12326
Here we go again…
#1 - To get this one through they are calling it the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act". Protecting children my you know what!
"A direct assault on Internet users" is what the ACLU is calling it. A U.S. House committee has already approved HR 1981, a broad new Internet snooping bill.
They want to force Internet service providers to keep track of and retain their customers' information -- including your name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and temporarily-assigned IP addresses.
ISPs would collect and retain your data whether or not you're accused of a crime. Supporters shamelessly dubbed it the "Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act," but our staunchest allies in Congress are calling it what it is: an all-encompassing Internet snooping bill.
Just click here to tell your lawmakers to oppose it:
http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/snooping/?referring_akid=.655732.ikKHai&source=mailto
#2 - The Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
Senators in the pocket of Big Oil are trying to bring back the Keystone XL oil pipeline proposal, thwarting President Obama's decision to reject the dirty and dangerous project.
TransCanada has spent $1.3 million lobbying for their tar sands oil pipeline, and now they're at it again with a major bill in the Senate. We may not have $1.3 million to lobby Congress, but we do have 1.4 million grassroots voices.
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TakeAction&s_src=610ZSCAC01
Write your senators today, and tell them to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline and put clean water and clean air ahead of Big Oil's profits.
The non-existent tags
weather, knitting, global warming, environment, politics, Repugs, scumbags, ACTA, animals, fun stuff, design, architecture, health, people, restoration, art, rant
Change the world one loan at a time - visit http://www.Kiva.org to find out how