"We deal in illusions, man. None of it is true. But you people sit there day after day, night after night, all ages, colors, creeds. We're all you know. You're beginning to believe the illusions we're spinning here. You're beginning to think that the tube is reality and that your own lives are unreal. You do whatever the tube tells you. You dress like the tube. You eat like the tube. You even think like the tube. In God's name, you people are the real thing, WE are the illusion."
Howard Beale from the movie "Network," 1976
DJHJD
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Say it isn't so.....
From Digby:
The Center for American Progress last June published a report on the Five Key Myths About Immigrants which have been given far too much play over recent years.
The 5 myths are as follows:
1. The US public health insurance programs are over burdened with documented and undocumented immigrants.
2. Immigrants consume large quantities of health care resources.
3. Immigrants come to the US to gain access to health care services.
4. Restricting immigrants access to the health care system will not affect American citizens.
5. Undocumented immigrants are free riders in the American health care system.
Some of the debunking offered by CAP:
"In Texas, for example, nearly seven percent of the state’s population was comprised of undocumented immigrants in 2005. The state’s health care costs for undocumented immigrants that same year were a mere $58 million. Yet state revenues collected from undocumented immigrants exceeded what the state spent on social services provided to these immigrants such as health care and education by $424.7 million.
"Immigrant contributions to social services are similar across the country. The National Research Council concluded that immigrants will pay on average $80,000 per capita more in taxes than they will use in government services over their lifetimes.
"Additionally, in March 2005, more than seven million undocumented immigrants were in the workforce yet received few public services for their labor and tax contributions. The Social Security Administration, for example, reaps an enormous benefit from the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. It estimates that workers without valid social security numbers contribute $7 billion in Social Security tax revenues and roughly $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes annually, yet elderly immigrants rarely qualify for Medicare or long-term care services provided through Medicaid.
"In 2001, the Social Security Administration concluded that undocumented immigrants "account for a major portion of the billions of dollars paid into social security that don’t match SSA records," which payees, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, can never draw upon. As of July 2003, these payments totaled $421 billion."
The Center for American Progress last June published a report on the Five Key Myths About Immigrants which have been given far too much play over recent years.
The 5 myths are as follows:
1. The US public health insurance programs are over burdened with documented and undocumented immigrants.
2. Immigrants consume large quantities of health care resources.
3. Immigrants come to the US to gain access to health care services.
4. Restricting immigrants access to the health care system will not affect American citizens.
5. Undocumented immigrants are free riders in the American health care system.
Some of the debunking offered by CAP:
"In Texas, for example, nearly seven percent of the state’s population was comprised of undocumented immigrants in 2005. The state’s health care costs for undocumented immigrants that same year were a mere $58 million. Yet state revenues collected from undocumented immigrants exceeded what the state spent on social services provided to these immigrants such as health care and education by $424.7 million.
"Immigrant contributions to social services are similar across the country. The National Research Council concluded that immigrants will pay on average $80,000 per capita more in taxes than they will use in government services over their lifetimes.
"Additionally, in March 2005, more than seven million undocumented immigrants were in the workforce yet received few public services for their labor and tax contributions. The Social Security Administration, for example, reaps an enormous benefit from the taxes paid by undocumented immigrants. It estimates that workers without valid social security numbers contribute $7 billion in Social Security tax revenues and roughly $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes annually, yet elderly immigrants rarely qualify for Medicare or long-term care services provided through Medicaid.
"In 2001, the Social Security Administration concluded that undocumented immigrants "account for a major portion of the billions of dollars paid into social security that don’t match SSA records," which payees, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, can never draw upon. As of July 2003, these payments totaled $421 billion."
Friday, November 23, 2007
Chilly by Houston standards
All day today, the temperature has been down in the low 50s. The car heater actually started blowing heat - who knew that it could happen?
Got a slower start to the day than I had believed I would. It felt SO wonderful under the comforter with the coldish air outside. I was up until 1:00 a.m. talking to Brian, whom I had not previously met in person - I loved talking to him!! It was great. So, my planned early morning Lowe's run didn't manifest.
It worked out anyway. Seems that they had a line outside at 6:30 a.m., waiting for the 7:00 a.m. opening. I got there at 11:00, and everything on the ad circular that I wanted was right at the front door. Bing, bang, boom! YAY! Got the water filter for the refrigerator water line.
Then, off to lunch with Guy and then to KIAH to watch airplanes land in our annual airplane dork festival. It was COLD, though, and there was very little flying today. We watched KL661 land, and a Cargolux 744 take off, and then two Continental 777s land, and an Air France 777-200ER land and ran inside for cover.
On the way back, I nabbed ten poinsettia plants at the other Lowe's, and then furnace filters from ACE and some Lamberge oil and replacement bulbs for the under cabinet lights. Came home, hung up the Christmas stockings, did some other stuff like that. Had a text from JPO telling me he was going to be picking up his sofa and tables, and immediately found JUST the sofa I had been wanting offered lightly used on Craigslist.
Since then, I've watched some more "Angel" episodes, replaced the water filter in the fridge, the light bulb under the cabinets, and .. bleh. More needs doing.
Tomorrow, we're decorating the front garden (which will include trimming the crepe myrtles, etc., etc.) The ten poinsettias are going in up front, and I'm putting mini-lights in all of the shrubbery in colors that compliment the shrubbery itself.
Big yawns here in the living room.
Hopefully, all of the sneezing and allergies will abate through the drop in temperatures.
Got a slower start to the day than I had believed I would. It felt SO wonderful under the comforter with the coldish air outside. I was up until 1:00 a.m. talking to Brian, whom I had not previously met in person - I loved talking to him!! It was great. So, my planned early morning Lowe's run didn't manifest.
It worked out anyway. Seems that they had a line outside at 6:30 a.m., waiting for the 7:00 a.m. opening. I got there at 11:00, and everything on the ad circular that I wanted was right at the front door. Bing, bang, boom! YAY! Got the water filter for the refrigerator water line.
Then, off to lunch with Guy and then to KIAH to watch airplanes land in our annual airplane dork festival. It was COLD, though, and there was very little flying today. We watched KL661 land, and a Cargolux 744 take off, and then two Continental 777s land, and an Air France 777-200ER land and ran inside for cover.
On the way back, I nabbed ten poinsettia plants at the other Lowe's, and then furnace filters from ACE and some Lamberge oil and replacement bulbs for the under cabinet lights. Came home, hung up the Christmas stockings, did some other stuff like that. Had a text from JPO telling me he was going to be picking up his sofa and tables, and immediately found JUST the sofa I had been wanting offered lightly used on Craigslist.
Since then, I've watched some more "Angel" episodes, replaced the water filter in the fridge, the light bulb under the cabinets, and .. bleh. More needs doing.
Tomorrow, we're decorating the front garden (which will include trimming the crepe myrtles, etc., etc.) The ten poinsettias are going in up front, and I'm putting mini-lights in all of the shrubbery in colors that compliment the shrubbery itself.
Big yawns here in the living room.
Hopefully, all of the sneezing and allergies will abate through the drop in temperatures.
My mother LOVED Pogo
Deck us all with Boston Charlie,
Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo!
Nora's freezin' on the trolley,
Swaller dollar cauliflower alley-garoo!
Don't we know archaic barrel
Lullaby Lilla Boy, Louisville Lou?
Trolley Molly don't love Harold,
Boola boola Pensacoola hullabaloo!
Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Polly wolly cracker 'n' too-da-loo!
Donkey Bonny brays a carol,
Antelope Cantaloupe, 'lope with you!
Hunky Dory's pop is lolly gaggin' on the wagon,
Willy, folly go through!
Chollie's collie barks at Barrow,
Harum scarum five alarm bung-a-loo!
Dunk us all in bowls of barley,
Hinky dinky dink an' polly voo!
Chilly Filly's name is Chollie,
Chollie Filly's jolly chilly view halloo!
Bark us all bow-wows of folly,
Double-bubble, toyland trouble! Woof, woof, woof!
Tizzy seas on melon collie!
Dibble-dabble, scribble-scrabble! Goof, goof, goof!
Monday, November 19, 2007
My girl Pam is at it again
"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality
...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."
-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality
Thanks, Pam!
My girl Pam is at it again
"Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict...God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality
...It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."
-- South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaking to the BBC on the Anglican church's fixation on homosexuality
Thanks, Pam!
Monday, Monday ver. 1332.01
"This next week, many of the people we know will be trudging across the continent in the modern day equivalent of traversing the west in a Contestoga wagon - winding through security lines, running from gate to gate, losing baggage, frustrated, tired, arriving in a state of physical and nervous exhaustion to immediately return to a family dynamic that they've left behind years ago.
How much of that stress is brought about by their anticipation of returning to family communication patterns long left behind, and how much is the actual travel experience?
Why are the same families experiencing a more pleasant return on Sunday next when the empirical experience is nearly identical?"
Me, yesterday in church.
I said it much more eloquently (I was in the zone) and more than half of those there came up to me and complimented me greatly.
It's only 8:00, and I'm tired enough (almost) to go to bed. I hardly slept last night. Nothing particularly on my mind, but my brain was whizzing away.
So, over the weekend, while occupying my mind with nonsense, I was surfing away and for some reason happened to surf into an article about the Bonneville. I read it (the article) and came to learn that the 2005 Bonneville is built on the "H" body platform which was designed in .. uh, 1986. For the 1987 Bonneville/LeSabre/Park Avenue/DeVille.
As in, the 2005 Bonneville is riding around on stampings that were tooled and designed in 1986.
It gets worse.
I mentioned to Brian what I had unearthed, and he says: "oh, that "H" platform is actually based on the X-body."
As in, Chevy Citation.
Holy crap.
Other than that, it's been a reasonable day.
How much of that stress is brought about by their anticipation of returning to family communication patterns long left behind, and how much is the actual travel experience?
Why are the same families experiencing a more pleasant return on Sunday next when the empirical experience is nearly identical?"
Me, yesterday in church.
I said it much more eloquently (I was in the zone) and more than half of those there came up to me and complimented me greatly.
It's only 8:00, and I'm tired enough (almost) to go to bed. I hardly slept last night. Nothing particularly on my mind, but my brain was whizzing away.
So, over the weekend, while occupying my mind with nonsense, I was surfing away and for some reason happened to surf into an article about the Bonneville. I read it (the article) and came to learn that the 2005 Bonneville is built on the "H" body platform which was designed in .. uh, 1986. For the 1987 Bonneville/LeSabre/Park Avenue/DeVille.
As in, the 2005 Bonneville is riding around on stampings that were tooled and designed in 1986.
It gets worse.
I mentioned to Brian what I had unearthed, and he says: "oh, that "H" platform is actually based on the X-body."
As in, Chevy Citation.
Holy crap.
Other than that, it's been a reasonable day.
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