Sometimes snarky moments come from sadness and disappointment.

This is a copy of a letter than I recently sent to some of my email friends. Then I thought about how I really believe in the message, so why stop there?

Hi friends,

Tonight I feel led to share a message with you all. I think that a few of you will know exactly where I'm coming from here. But in case you don't, you will now. If you know me well, you know that I am a Democrat. A bleeding heart liberal and I'm perfectly OK with that. I wouldn't want to be any other way. This doesn't mean that I agree with everything the party has to offer. It means that I feel strongly in my views as you do yours. I also believe that kindness is important always!

Over the years, I've received lots of "forwarded emails" that are of a different view than mine. Some are funny whether I agree with them or not. Some are not at all funny to me. Some are interesting and some are completely untrue (I highly recommend Snopes for checking the validity of messages-especially if you are trying to teach me something). And some are just plain mean and even asinine.

Usually, I don't speak up about these messages because I get that humor is fun. I like to laugh and if I can laugh at myself (which I do often) then I can laugh at a lot of the emails I get. Some I simply delete. I have yet to figure out why I continue to receive certain types of messages. Maybe it's easier to just send them all my way when you are forwarding them instead of picking and choosing the ones that are more my type of humor. I hope that despite this message you will continue to share your jokes with me, even if it means leaving me out of some of the jokes.

Every once in awhile I will indulge you and forward a funny from someone else that I think you may laugh at, even if it's not my cup of tea. I don't think I've forwarded many, if any, that come from the other side of your particular political spectrum, and be sure that there are plenty. And some are even completely true...as in you can't even make this stuff up! But I know each of you and know what might make you laugh or what might be viewed as not so funny in your eyes.

I try to not send nastygrams even though there have been many messages that are so awful, hateful or full of lies. Again, I simply delete them and try to stop the flow of these messages at least in one direction. But I'll be honest today, because I do love you all. And I hope that you will understand. It makes me terribly sad to see how polarized our country has become.

Upon receiving a "funny" email regarding the wedding of Chelsea Clinton, I just decided that I've had enough. I won't get into her parents- their policies, their beliefs, their actions. No this is about an intelligent young woman who has been married. A woman who doesn't have a lot of bad marks against her. Does she have any? Chelsea grew up in the spotlight, in all of her awkward stages that all of us go through, though hers were displayed and mocked. The girl was a child at the time! She grew up with the ongoing criticism and ridicule of both of her parents. Particularly the antics of her father and Monica Lewinsky. How horrible that had to have been for her! She was an innocent young girl whose father happened to hold this country's highest office. Despite all of that, I think she's turned out OK!

On Chelsea's special day as a beautiful bride she couldn't even leave that in the past. The blows could not stop. It wasn't because of who she really is and I don't even think it's because of who her parents are. I think it's just because we are so divided that ugliness is now a regular part of our daily lives. When another recent First Daughter was married, Jenna Bush, the actions of her father were not thrust upon her. She was celebrated as a beautiful bride by all-Republicans, Democrats, Independents, etc. The polarization did not exist on that occasion at least not in my little corner of the world-I hope it didn't exist at all. What a great moment for all of us and a perfect day for Jenna! I'm very sad that Chelsea didn't get the same respect.

So I'd like to share this, please take a look...and maybe realize that there doesn't always have to be snarkiness. Some actually do deserve a special day. A day that doesn't have to be divided.

Chelsea Clinton Gets Married by Mamarazzi

In the future, if you have something you'd like to forward me that is funny-please do! Again, I love to laugh! If you want to teach me something-make sure it's correct. When in doubt? Go ahead and skip me. I hope I haven't offended any of you. And I hope that my message has made everyone think just a bit.

Peace, Love and all that stuff...your loving friend,

Heather

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so um, health care reform, well...

There were actually some pretty fun, light-hearted blog posts that I wanted to share. I guess the big news lately, though, is the progress of healthcare reform. Since my thoughts about all things health care have been shared before, instead it seems natural to say something about it, now.

I'm going to be totally and completely honest with my thoughts. Which may be hard because I *think* I know my audience and I don't want to alienate anyone or make anyone really mad. But if I don't speak my mind because of that fear, then it will probably just keep me awake all night and I really like my sleep.

OK so in full disclosure, I didn't realize anything had happened. It seemed that any hopes for progress with reform were doomed. And feeling hopeless like I did, well I just quit keeping up with it. Logging on to Facebook today though, wow, yeah that was an experience. It was pretty 50/50 on the response. I won't go into further details about the demographics, but there *was* a couple unifying factors on who felt what way. All in all however, I decided to just not say anything. I posted a funny update about Bethany and logged right off. Said a prayer. Then promptly went outside to do something with the girls.

My thoughts didn't go too far away though. And I think I need to let them out. Not so much about health care situations, cause let's face it...I've shared enough from the medical battle grounds already and if I didn't reach you with that, then I never will. To me it's not about politics or Democrats or Obama or even Pelosi. No, to me it's about the many, many patients I've met either as I've cared for them or as I was treated along side of them. Those people. Which for the most part are just like me...and you.

It was me, it is still me. And many others. I have Medicare now, which is "government healthcare". Well, actually it's my secondary insurance. I have a private insurance as my primary. For as long as they choose to cover me. I learned the hard way that you can in fact be fully insured with a reputable major medical policy. You can pay your premiums on time, every time. Starting off being healthy and then having a catastrophe. Ya know, the kind that "won't ever happen to me". Right.

Try having a *pre-authorized emergency medical admission* complete with heart surgery only to have the claim denied for no.good.reason. It was pre-authorized! That means the insurance company was brought the details of my case, established that it was in fact an emergency and needed to be treated at a tertiary care hospital, and approved it. Then took it back. Leaving me with a bill bigger than my mortgage. Unfixable through appeals.

You don't think that could happen to you? Neither did I. But at the least, I got treated. Way too many, way too damn many, don't get treated. You want to talk about "life" as an issue? Just think about that!

I've rambled on and on about all the other problems that patients have run into on this blog. They run the gamut. Not sure if I ever shared the problems that healthcare facilities have. But think about it this way...if an insurance company reneges on an obligation to pay a large amount of money for treatment, money they can't drain from an unemployed, disabled, sick person...who do you think pays that facility? And I'm not talking about bums who don't work, I'm talking about the person who went to their full-time job one day and found themselves in the hospital the next. Well, everyone does! Have you ever seen the cost of a single dose of Tylenol at the hospital?

Over the past year or so I've paid attention to the comments people make about health care reform. So many are insured through great major medical policies. Their concern? "Well now I may lose what I have!" Um, wow. If you feel this way, let me ask you...do you think it's possible that you may have a false sense of security? And my word, where is the compassion for your fellow humans? Good people...like you?!

The other one that bugs me, "God help us". Hello! God is IN CONTROL ALWAYS. I'll admit to a few "God help us" though, like for example when we started a preemptive war when we already had one war going on. Way to spread our troops thin when they need to be strong. "But they had WMD's-we know it!". Just like some claim to know all about death squads who want to kill off our senior citizens. "Just look! It's on page um, page um, it's right here, no not there, wait maybe here, no. Well, hmm...it's here. Somewhere!" Right.

Sorry for the rant. But. Please. The system is broken. Do I know how to fix it? Nope. But atleast someone's willing to try. I'm sure to have some people "UNFOLLOW!" after this. I hope you don't, really. Though we may have different views does not mean I don't appreciate your friendship, because I do. I appreciate you. I care about you. But for anyone who feels led to dump me after this...I sure as heck hope you are going to decline Medicare when you retire or become disabled and are eligible for it. If you feel that strongly against the government's help and all...

One last thing, and then I promise I'll go back to the fun stuff. I even have a contest planned! President Obama? Yes he is our President. He deserves the same respect that any President past or future deserves. But, for the love, he is a man. Created by God. And that's all I'm going to say about that!

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tim tebow's super bowl commercial...

final (way overdue) update:

first i have to admit that i don't often watch NFL football, i'm an NCAA football girl. this was the first super bowl i've watched in a long time. to me it was a bigger deal because of the new orleans saints playing and of course the curiosity of the much hyped tebow commercial. all that being said...the game was great! the commercial? much ado about nothing in my opinion.

with all of the talk ahead of time i was expecting to see a really serious, conservative, potentially dramatic and football mood ruining commercial. it was none of that, in fact, i thought the commercial was rather cutesy and a bit cheesy. other than promoting a visit to the FOTF website, i didn't see any substance. honestly? it was a huge waste of money! i checked the price to find that super bowl ads typically cost at the least 2.5 million dollars. apparently this ad space was paid for by FOTF, who received generous donations from friends to fund it. very generous friends!

don't you think that money could have been used for the same cause but in a better way? i definitely do. think about all of the organizations out there that help pregnant women who are in unfortunate situations. what about the many couples who would love to adopt, but find it unattainable because of the high costs? or how about the many orphans in our country and abroad? surely that hefty amount of money could have helped many and still promoted the message of life.

i'm still a fan of the tebow family. i'm still not a fan of FOTF. and i believe that all in all, the much hyped, very expensive ad was a big fail. i can only hope that like i previously wrote, the message helped even one woman to have the courage to have a baby that they otherwise felt too scared or overwhelmed to have.

i'd like to know about your thoughts. do you think that any good was accomplished by the commercial?

update:

after chatting about this on facebook, i now see that part of the big deal is the lack of consistency when it comes to what will be aired or not. apparently, there were other commercials in super bowl's past that never made it to tv-i guess they were more liberal in nature. i will say that i do disagree with that. if the network is going to air a potentially controversial commercial then they shouldn't "pick and choose" when it comes to freedom of speech. because we're all created equal right? and i do admit that the super bowl is really not the time that anyone wants to think about heavy topics. though i do support this commerical, i hope that in the future "the platform" will be more equal. oh, and i'm not really a fan of FOTF-for whatever that's worth.

original post:

i would have completely missed this if not for my bloggy friend anemone pie. so i'm glad she posted about this. apparently there's quite the controversy over a commercial set to air during the super bowl with tim tebow. in summary, he is spreading the message about choosing "life". apparently his own mother was ill during her pregnancy with tim and was advised to terminate the pregnancy. she chose to continue the pregnancy and thankfully gave birth to a healthy baby. you can read more about it *here*.

as you know, i am a huge gator fan and i adore tim tebow...not just as a football player but as a person. in the years he spent playing for UF, he never disappointed. and he doesn't just "talk the talk" he also appears to "walk the walk". that is important to me!

i am also a believer in choice. a strong believer in choice. but to *me* choice doesn't just equal one option. it encompasses all options. the topic is a very passionate one and everyone has their own passionate views. i really don't think a commercial will change many views, even if it's from tim tebow.

BUT... if his message will help even one woman to have the courage to have a baby that they otherwise felt too scared or overwhelmed to have...i think that's a great thing!

no need to cause a big ruckus about the commercial, in my tim tebow loving, pro-choice mind. =)

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stuck.

because i don't think of politics all the time nor do i keep up with the political world all the time, the potential impact of ted kennedy's death never occurred to me. i feel silly admitting that. it just never occurred to me. what was in my mind was that it was a sad event and the end of an era. that's it. and really i only know of the concept of that era. i'm not old enough to have been around in the days of the kennedy prominence and greatness. i do remember when JFK Jr. died, it occurred while kelley was being born. i also remember when jackie onassis died, which now means more to me as she died of non-hodgkin's lymphoma. so even though i'm not old enough to know the legacy, the legacy has found it's way into my life in ways that i will never forget. so again, ted kennedy's death touched me and i thought no further.

that is until he was replaced. i don't need to explain why this stands out as important. you already know. now i realize the full impact. it upsets me, however, i can do nothing about it. except think and share my thoughts, as i've done before on the subject of health care. health care. it's something that i can't get away from. i've left the career field but the experiences and knowledge remain with me. the good, the bad, the people, the business, the inner workings. all of it...stuck. then the personal experience, being on the other end. having a diagnosis that will remain with me forever and will go on my permanent record. even if the disease is gone, it leaves it's mark physically, mentally, and again on my permanent record. all of it...stuck.

i woke up the other night with such strong feelings that i needed to pray for our country. the people in charge. the people, like me, who are not in charge. not knowing exactly why i was called to prayer. but i prayed. after that i was restless, i was thinking about politics. health care reform. and how it's inevitably and likely going to be...stuck. i wasn't able to fall back to sleep.

since then i've wondered why do i care so much? i am not one of the uninsured. i have private insurance and medicare. i've heard so many voices against reform, so they don't care unless it changes. i've heard that people who don't have insurance are not in need, they simply don't want it. if only those people knew what i know...but they'd never listen. so why do i care? are there actually people in our country who would desperately give to be insured but can't be? yes, there are. and so i guess that is why i care.

i've seen uninsured people denied care and they've died. i've seen people fall through the cracks and they've died. i've seen insured people lose their insurance because they got sick and they've died. but i guess that doesn't matter to so many who think things are just fine. things are just fine for me too. but i also know that my private insurance can dump me at any point because i got sick. it happens and there's nothing to stop them. i'd likely never get insurance coverage again because i have a pre-existing condition...on my permanent record. fortunately i still would have my coverage with medicare. the government run insurance program. the same one that most people gladly accept when they reach retirement age. even if they don't believe in government health programs. that's so ironic to me.

some have said that they don't want their great private insurance to change or cost more money, even if it meant everyone could be covered, and that is why they are against health care reform. wow. and i'm the one losing sleep. but i bet they don't realize how easily that great insurance could be lost. and how impossible it could be to find new insurance. people get sick. all the time. i've met enough people to know that non-hodgkin's lymphoma does not discriminate and it's considered a rare cancer. with each day everyone ages and the odds are really against us when it comes to becoming ill. heck, you don't even have to be sick to become uninsurable...i just found out that babies who are born prematurely get that put on their permanent record. yep, being a preemie can be considered a pre-existing condition.

so i ask myself why do i care? maybe it's the nurse experience. or maybe it's the cancer experience. or maybe it's just the bleeding heart liberal ways i have. whatever the reason, i care. not just about myself or just about my family or even just about the people i know, but for the unknown too. i try to rationalize my way out of caring and i realize i can't, i'm stuck. and with the passing of ted kennedy, any possibility of a feasible, realistic and workable way to health care reform is likely stuck too. am i the only one who cares? does this bother any one else?

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this is entirely wrong on so many levels...

and why am i sharing it? well, it did kind of make me choke on my diet coke...

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a health care misconception or even a cliche'

ya know some things have become so cliche'. a non health care related example-how many times have you heard about the person in front of someone at the grocery store who pays with food stamps and has nothing but junk food, or they buy groceries with the food stamps and seperately pay cash for beer, or my all time favorite...the food stamp offender *always* leaves the store and loads their stuff into a fancy, expensive vehicle (usually it's an escalade or something)?! now in all of my trips to the grocery store, i have never witnessed these things and especially not the escalade part. maybe i'm not paying attention. i'm not saying these things never happen but really is it possible that it has become just a bit of a cliche'? the scary thing is that these types of things become "facts" to people.

there is a misconception i hear about health care all.the.time. so much so that it's rather cliche'. but i have to tell you that the following is not exactly true! now i have no source to quote and can only use my experience as an RN who worked in utilization review and case management as well as my experience as a cancer patient. with that i think i have a pretty good grasp on things.

uninsured people (often times with some descriptive term like lazy) can go to any ER in america and get their care for free! the ER has an obligation! and of course the rest of us (descriptive term hard-working) get to foot the bill! yes this is true! the ER is a catch all. ever wonder why the staff is grumpy? well because they've become hardened as they see way too many non-emergencies walk through their doors. people who are walking through the parking lot just fine, maybe laughing and the moment they enter through the ER doors they are doubled over, can't walk, groaning. people who come to the ER for a pregnancy test instead of just buying one at the pharmacy (heck you can even get them at the dollar store and they are about the most sensitive and reliable out there). or they come in with some ailment that could and should be treated at a doctor's office like a urinary tract infection. the person suffering some affliction for three weeks and suddenly decides to pop on in to get it checked out. throw in some drug seekers and those that arrive at the end of a rousing weekend seeking a doctor's note to miss work on monday. now i have to add on a personal note that the staff should not be grumpy, it's unprofessional-but these are good causes. and yes this is all pretty cliche'.

now on to the misconception and why i feel the need to speak up. the ER is a catch all but it is not a cure all. and for those who go uninsured because they feel that they will always have a back up plan-think again. your life may depend on it. i will share a true story of a patient that was well known at our hospital. no names or extremely personal info to respect HIPAA. and if you think you know this person-you don't.

this 20 something year old man was sick and unable to work. his wife's employer family insurance policy and those available privately were more than they could afford on only one income. however, she made too much money to qualify for medicaid.

he came to our ER with a "symptom" and that "symptom" was our obligation to treat. he had an infection, was admitted to the hospital and received IV antibiotics. the infection was cleared and he was sent home. again he came to our ER with a "symptom" this time being intractable pain. he was admitted, his pain was managed and brought to a controlled level and then he was sent home.

the important thing to note is what caused the "symptoms". it was cancer. this was also why he was unable to work. and this is where the cliche' or misconception comes into play. the ER/hospital was obligated to treat the "symptom" that brought him in. however, the hospital is NOT obligated to treat the underlying cause if there is one. in this man's case the underlying cause was cancer which nobody treated because there was no obligation. see why the catch all ER is not the cure all?

the admitting doctor wrote orders for this man's hospital care which included oncology consults. being a rural hospital with only two oncologists on staff who were partners of the same practice, the choices were limited. the oncologists had an obligation to assess the patient, which they did. and upon knowledge of his lack of payer source they refused, yes refused(!)to take him on as a patient. and that is completely ok and apparently legal. at some point as a nurse, case manager and human being-i would think that someone should have felt some sort of obligation to treat this young man, husband and father. if not for any reason other than an act of kindness and because it was simply the right thing to do. even as a charity case. we all went round and round. the admitting doctor ended up in a tear filled yelling match with the oncologists. we the nurses of case management called every single, possible agency for some sort of help for this man which failed and we were tear filled as well. truly words can not describe the weight of our failure for this very sick and kind man.

in the end, he received symptomatic care only. never one drop of chemotherapy or any other cancer killing agent. and as you have likely guessed this man died.

by sharing this story i don't know what i'm trying to accomplish. maybe to dispel a misconception? make it less of a cliche'? encourage those who can obtain health insurance but choose against it to change their minds? encourage everyone to believe in and speak up for health coverage that is obtainable for everyone? or maybe even save a life? that one life lost was one too many. but i am fairly certain that there are many, many others out there who have faced or are facing similar circumstances.

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ramblings from a healthcare advocate

i'm sure that many of you have noticed that my passion in all things "political" is healthcare. recently i was involved a conversation about healthcare being a "right" vs. a "privilege". i know that lots of people view quality healthcare as a privilege. but to me i feel it should be a right. maybe it falls under "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" from the declaration of independence. the inalienable rights of man. unfortunately this is just an opinion and not one i can make changes with.

being a nurse and a patient has allowed me to see both sides of the healthcare situation. and i certainly think there is a problem. maybe it's me, but i can't bear knowing a person is sick, in pain, and not able to get the treatment they need. as a whole i think our doctors are pretty good. but remember that in every graduating class of doctors, someone was at the bottom of every class. i definitely think that if you have an illness it behooves you to learn as much as you can about it. more than once have i had to lead my own doctors in a direction to help me. and i do think very highly of them. i've also encountered doctors that aren't so great. as i'm sure a lot of you have too.

as for insurance companies? to me they are a gamble...if you have insurance the company is gambling on you not becoming ill. if you don't have insurance you are gambling on not becoming ill. it's a shame that some premiums are so expensive. i can see where people may not be able to afford a major medical policy. one job i had offered a policy that would have cost $1400 a month for family coverage. of course i couldn't afford that. fortunately i was able to find a policy on my own. but even that was not cheap plus it had very high deductibles, no copay system. it was only helpful in the event of a catastrophic situation. during my catastrophic illness, i had a policy with a well known company which served me well at times and not so well at other times. i've had to fight and fight to get things covered, to get medications i need, etc. i haven't won all of the battles. but some i have.

i guess the point of this isn't so much about the political fight going on about healthcare reform is it? my advice as a nurse and patient is this...be your own advocate. fight for yourself! i have seen a friend-a fellow nurse and lymphoma patient-who would no longer be with us if she had not stood up and taken charge of her own care. thankfully she knew that she could do that and right now she's in complete remission!

some strongly believe that our politicians have no place in our healthcare. me? i'm not really sure where i stand. i do know we have a problem that needs to be fixed. but who should fix it? as for politicians, don't we elect them to serve us? it seems to me that fixing our broken system is a way that they could serve us. i do agree with many who feel that they should not be making our personal healthcare decisions for us. only we should be making those decisions. to me it is two entirely seperate issues... making business changes that will allow access to quality healthcare for everyone and those leaders making personal healthcare decisions for us.

please feel free to share your thoughts with me. is healthcare a right or a privilege? do you think we need to make changes to the system? who do you think should be making those changes?

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kelley and bethany's thoughts on the big speech...

well, um, ***crickets***

none. because they didn't get to SEE the speech. can you believe that?!

apparently the recording the school was showing was of terrible quality and was just an orange screen. and not even the President's voice was heard.

bethany was SO disappointed. tonight she had on her obama tshirt and was flipping the channels trying to find the speech. hopefully it'll be on you tube.

i can't decide if i should be mad, sad or mortified at how crappy the situation was at their school?

but maybe it was a conspiracy...just kidding. sort of.

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President Obama's Speech...

for anyone who is wanting to check it out...here's the link:

President Obama's Speech

definitely let me know what you think about it. i'm interested in ALL points of view!

updated...

i've read the speech. and it does appear to be exactly as i had thought. a message of encouragement to our children. a message to work hard and do the best that you can. a message that speaks the truth-success requires hardwork and diligence. and lastly a message that let's our children know that not only us as parents think our children are an important part of our future but the President does also.

all in all, i think this has been much ado about nothing...

of course the younger children will not likely be able to focus on the entire speech. my thought is that if atleast one child is reached, and encouraged to be all they can be, then the goal of this address to the country's children will be a success!

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good intentions...

some say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". and lately i'm beginning to think that people truly do believe it.



i have been trying very hard the past several months to keep my blogging topics far from politics. just recently when sharing an article about a friend and the healthcare system that has failed her, i second guessed myself. even though the point of the article is that the system can and does fail anyone regardless of what side of the political fence you are on. oh how i worried that someone, somewhere was going to be offended that ultimately i took that post down. i was asked to repost it which i did. but the more i think about it, the more i realize that i should write what i mean and stick to it. even if it does ruffle feathers. it has never been my intent to upset people. i've just learned the hard way that "friendly debates" are rare these days.

this time however i have some things to say. and i'm going to say it and stand behind it. that has always been important to me-to stand behind my words. censoring myself so i don't have to do that is not right, it's weak, and it's not me.

the big topic everywhere is the President's address to our children while they are in school this coming tuesday. and is it ever a big topic. why? well i can't exactly answer that because i think it's an awesome thing. kelley and bethany really got involved during this last election. they think that anything related to john mccain and barack obama is exciting. yes, both of them. and to think that either one of them would want to talk to them is in their minds pretty cool. but that is the innocence of children.

parents on the other hand...wow i have really been stunned that not only are they upset that this is happening, but also the reasons why this is happening. there is the first argument that this has never happened before! oh my gosh...something new? well no, not exactly. Presidents have addressed our children in school before. check out my friend stephie's blog to read more about that and some of her thoughts on things. go ahead and read it, she says some things so much better than i ever could. and i'll wait while you do that...

stephie's thoughts were very good. i really had to stop and pause when thinking about how we view the opposite of our political preferences. in the past they were viewed as "wrong" and now they are often viewed as "evil". that is pretty deep, but i do see that. hopefully everyone who has read stephie's post will stop and really think about this because i truly believe that we need to change this thought process and encourage others to do the same.

back to the address that the President will be giving to students. i don't see what the big issue is. but i respect that it is an issue for some of us. i had the opportunity to have a friendly debate about this with some friends. yes i did say that these friendly debates are rare, but i am fortunate to have some great friends. one of the possible worries that was mentioned was indoctrination. i have to admit that i didn't know what this word meant so i looked it up. the synonym of indoctrination is brain washing.

brain washing!? is the true? is this something that people are really worried about? do they think that this address will be full of techniques to sway our children towards an agenda? should i be worried that when kelley and bethany come home from school on tuesday that they will be changed into little obama zombies? will they then take control and over throw us ala children of the corn? seriously? at the least consider this-when most of the children viewing this address are old enough to vote President Obama will be in history books and not on any ballot.

i am trying so hard to wrap my mind around this and try to understand the big deal. there have been past Presidents that i have not voted for and i have strongly disagreed with some of their views and actions. if they wanted to address our children in an address viewed at school, i would most certainly allow my children to watch it. if i had the opportunity to meet any of our Presidents, regardless if i agreed with their policies or not, i certainly would meet them. that would be an honor.

i'm going to be the "devil's advocate" for a moment. our President is also the father of two young children. could it be possible that he was inspired by them and thus all children, to give this address? to likely encourage his children and as our leader all of our children to work hard in school, to be good citizens and most importantly to remind them that they are our future? of course we all tell our children the same things all the time. but i know that kelley and bethany would really be thrilled to have those things also told to them by our President.

it is my understanding that the transcripts will be made available to read ahead of time. (i don't think that is a normal procedure for speeches so i'm am guessing that this is being done as a nice thing for those who have concerns). at the least, take a look at what is going to be said before you make the decision to keep your children from participating. and more importantly go to school and watch the address with your children. that will enable you to answer any questions, and to also discuss the message with your children. i don't know about other children, but kelley and bethany have watched speeches, debates, inaugurations and even most recently ted kennedy's funeral on tv with us. they enjoy being a part of our history. even after the fact bethany was so excited to read about ted kennedy in people magazine this weekend. i am pretty sure that lots of children are like mine.

it makes me sad to think that so many children will miss the President's address. i believe that even though some children are younger with shorter attention spans that they will catch the key points of the address. i believe that not only is this a great civics lesson but also a great thing for our children to be a part of. i hope that with lots of thought from parents that many more children will be able to have the same opportunity, to know that the President of the greatest country on earth has taken time to talk to them, just as kelley and bethany will.

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a few facts about healthcare coverage-obama style

i've been reading blogs tonight and i keep reading something that is causing me to have this funny eye twitch. so i thought i would share some information (credits to chris for putting this together).

As Barack Obama has stated all throughout his campaign, if you are happy with your current insurance coverage, either your individual plan or through your employer, you can stay with it. Those who are not satisfied will have the option of buying into the same health care plan that government employees enjoy. One of the major breakthroughs will be the fact that an insurance company can no longer deny your coverage and/or charge you outrageous premiums.

I feel I need to highlight that our new president elect, Barack Obama, has not proposed a National Health Care plan that is solely run by the government. In fact his plan:

~ Requires insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.

~ Creates a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.

~ Lowers costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees.

~ Prevents insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors.

~ Makes employer contributions more fair by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employees health care.

~ Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.

~ Ensures everyone who needs it will receive a tax credit for their premiums.

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a few random thoughts now that the election is over...

it's possible for some people to forget who they are.

knowledge of geography isn't a prequalifier for national office.

talk is cheap, but some are rich in character.

comedy is funny.

family and friendships are not always ties that bind.

media may be biased but that doesn't mean the news is false.

non-licensed non-tax paying plumbers should not be allowed to speak to the public about foreign policy.

some people are strange.

clothes can be really, really expensive.

sometimes i feel like i'm on a different planet.

over half of the american people probably agree with the above statement.

i don't have to move, my state is the right color now.

will everyone be able to recognize the positive changes as they happen?

kids can predict the future.

those who cling to their guns can be comfortable with democrats.

i hope nobody is offended at that above statement, i'm talking about my husband.

i'm sure glad that presidential elections are only every 4 years.

reading the news takes up a big part of the day.

i'm proud to be an american.

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today is the first day of the rest of our lives...

and i'm feeling very hopeful. i really think that good things are going to happen for all of us.

a little saddened by the past few months. heartbroken at the relationships that are just not the same as our differences became so apparent.

some times it's good to be different. and instead of viewing our differences adversely, doesn't it make so much more sense to instead take the opportunity to learn from each other and enrich ourselves?

let's never forget that no matter what, we are all in this together

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goin' rogue

everyone's going rogue!

sarah palin, joe the plumber and even shepard smith from fox...and gosh i was just saying what i thought about fox news.

what in the world is going on?!

well it's been a rough time for all, my ballot's been cast and now there's nothing more that i can do except wait...and laugh!

goin' rogue...

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snopes!

before you send me another anti-obama email, PLEASE snope it first. and if it's false please do not forward it to me. if you have factual information-by all means share it. but please stop spreading the crap. thanks!

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fox news

ok let me start off by saying, that i don't really care who you are voting for. if you are voting the same way i am...cool. if not, good luck and we'll all see how this turns out in a little over a week. i'm going to assume that just about everyone out there is decided on their candidate of choice so that is not what this is about.

but i have to address something. awhile back i remember taking part in conversations about the media bias and news. i have no doubt that some are slanted one way and some are slanted another way. heck i don't even have a problem if you prefer the one that slants your way, cause i'm sure we all prefer to be surrounded by people who are like minded.

my problem is with the people who swear up and down (including some unsolicited opinions) that fox news is the only news channel out there that is fair and balanced. in the beginning i didn't say much about it, mostly because i didn't watch fox news. i'm not a big tv person. i get a lot of my information from a variety of sources. but some of the time in the past couple weeks we've tuned into the cable news channels. now that i've experienced it for myself...you mean to tell me that you still think fox news is NOT biased? who are you trying to kid? just call it like it is and i'll be fine with it.

even my husband who is NOT very liberal minded has been able to deduce on his own that in some circles the word "liberal" could been interchanged with a variety of four letter words. and like me, he could only take watching fox news for but a few minutes. it was THAT obvious in it's bias. and further more the news being reported was not exactly true. ok, i'm sure that can be said for other news organizations as well-which again is why i don't limit myself to just one or two ways of learning. going against the like mindedness- i do want to be well rounded.

ok so in closing and i'm sure some feathers are going to be ruffled here. if your only way of learning about the issues of our world is through fox news and you feel that it is truly is fair and balanced, you may possibly be out of touch just a little. and i encourage you to expand your minds just a little.

and remember we're all in this together!

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"W"

ok i have to admit that i'm really looking forward to seeing this movie, heck i may even take a trip to the theater.

i know, not something i would typically be interested in. i recently read a little blurb from oliver stone about it and i just find the movie and even W a bit intriguing. yes, the people behind the movie are of a liberal bias and it's a bit satirical. and maybe that makes it a little more appealing.

as W's time in office winds down, sometimes i ask myself how did he do it? twice? and not to say anything negative, he's a likable enough guy, married to a smart and classy wife. and father of two daughters to be extrememly proud of. they all seem like a really down to earth family.

but as a floridian i'm more familiar with jeb. and let's face it...it really seemed like he would have the son on deck for the presidency. (and i have been extremely surprised that jeb was notably absent during this election period). all that being said- just really interested in seeing this movie.

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comedy break!

jon stewart is the best!

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a friend said it SO WELL!

so i'm going to be a copycat! all credit goes to alison!

here ya go...her post on "LIBERALS"

I try, I really do.....NOT to get caught up in political debates. Trust me, I have had my share. Usually, (especially on forums), I watch and listen....then keep my mouth shut. IMO, there is NO point is arguing or trying to sway someone else. Most people that know me, KNOW my political views.

I received this from a wonderful friend today. I HAD to post. It is SO true. It made me smile, ESPECIALLY because on many occasions, I feel that people with "different" views from me often view liberals as people with NO morals or values. To me, the bold says it all! I have been called a "bleeding heart liberal". It was meant to be offensive.

A liberal is someone who is concerned about the needs of others rather than just the wants of one's self.

Healthcare for the sick.
Food for the hungry.
Housing for the homeless.

You know... all that stuff Jesus was in favor of.

By the way...............
bleed·ing-heart lib·er·al (plural bleed·ing-heart lib·er·als)


noun
Definition:

soft-hearted liberal: a political liberal who is thought too sympathetic or sentimental ( informal ) ( sometimes offensive )

Ummm.........okay, I could think of worse things to be called.


PLUS.......

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dear deborah

imagine my surprise when i received your comment this morning...not knowing you or you knowing me and all. how on earth you picked me out of all of those people is beyond me. either you have too much time on your hands or you are too quick to judge. i would have preferred to address you personally, however you did not leave me any contact information. rather convenient. so i will take a chance that you will be watching for a response and i will give it to you and the rest of the blog world.

i appreciate your attempt to educate me, really i do. however what you shared is not new to me. in fact i have already had that particular video shared with me. and although i do not agree with decisions made regarding that topic, i understand that life is very complicated. and there are many, many things in our world that need to be changed for the better.

i doubt that you took the time to learn about me. where i am coming from professionally or personally. perhaps if you had you would not have left the comment you did. i will not go into further details as i know the type of person you are by the actions you showed here on my blog as a complete stranger. you did not win me over or sway me in any way. in fact your brazen actions have done quite the opposite, demonstrating even further what i know about you and people like you.

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