Any track starting with the rally cry of “Launch me into spaaaaaaaace!” – deserves a place on the Space Dust shuttle – I think!

The Juan Maclean already established classic from the summer – “Happy House” – gets the once-over from Australia’s finest – Cut Copy.

There’s already been a minor sea of mixes of “Happy House” providing sonic goodness for almost any floor no matter what taste, so you could raise the question weither this actually really needed an update ?

Nevertheless – Cut Copy delivers a superior job by keeping the driving piano line intact, and sending The Juan Maclean further into space on a shimmering Disco rocket with the rally cry repeated endlessly over a Boogie-fied Studio 54 soundtrack.

If you’re not already in Space – there’s a fair chance you will be!

MP3: The Juan Maclean – Happy House (Cut Copy Space Is The Place Remix)

In case you haven’t heard (or if you were too busy/distracted with the reemergence of Cory magic at that time) the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs launched back in August 2009 the ePassport, a biometrics-based paper-electronic passport which is considered to be most advanced type of passport being adapted by many countries around the world. With advanced recognition features embedded in a thin electronic microchip located within the passport, it was specifically designed to be forgery-proof in the wake of terrorism threats in recent years.

the Philippine ePassport; the symbol below the word “Pasaporte” is the international logo for the ePassport

While my old passport does not expire yet for another couple of years, looking at that green passport with those hand-written entries makes the bearer feel embarrassed especially if you look at the other travelers who bear at least machine-readable passports and worrying about how the immigration officer looking at your passport. While I was fortunate of being spared from much immigration scrutiny during my recent trip overseas using a green passport, my mind was made up on updating my password early in light of recent policies put forward by the International Civil Aviation Organization promoting the use of MRP’s (machine-readable passports) and ePassports. So you can imagine my excitement when news that ePassports are now available.

It is expected that the Philippine ePassport will be fully rolled out by next year. However, the ePassport is currently available on a “limited” scale; you would have to do an online appointment and must be a current passport holder to avail one. I suppose even with the full promotion of the ePassport in the future, online appointments will still be the way to go if you want to somehow avoid the long lines.

You will then receive an email from the DFA scheduler not only confirming your appointment, but also will provide the date and time for the appointment. If you wish to re-schedule your appointment, you can reply to them informing them your preferred time. Remember to print out a copy of that confirmation email, your old passport, and a filled out passport application form found also on the website. You don’t have to attach pictures or thumb marks. More to that later.

You then go to the DFA office and enter the gate along Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Libertad) and not the gate located along Roxas Blvd. The DFA grounds itself is huge; the Arnaiz gate is the one specially dedicated for passport applicants. Be wary though of fixers (regardless if they have “DFA” ID’s or not) and just go straight through the gate.

the main DFA building along Roxas Blvd., but you don’t enter here for passport appointments…

You won’t be going through a long line outside Gate 3, (where passport applications are received and released) but you will be asked to proceed to a window specially catering to ePassport applicants. Show them a copy of your email, old passport, and the form and you will be handed a receipt that you will show to the counter to pay for the ePassport processing. It’s P950 for regular processing of 15 working days and P1200 for 10 working days. I chose to pay for regular processing by the way.

You will be then directed to the processing area dedicated for ePassports which was located in the 2nd floor during the time I applied.

While awaiting full rollout, the processing facilities for the ePassport are located in a room on the second floor. The processing time itself is fairly quick because of the short queue and relatively quick process itself. There you will be taken your picture, place your thumbmarks on a digital surface, and place your signature digitally. All these details will be embedded on the contactless chip that will be placed on your ePassport.

Once you’ve gone through these, all you have to wait for is the releasing of your new ePassport. I got mine around 2 weeks later, (remember I did choose the regular 15-working day process) which was earlier this week. Now I don’t know how the current Machine-Readable Passports look and feel, but the Philippine ePassport has a somewhat thicker cover and thick paper that was used. The looks of the pages themselvs are quite nice:

And here’s the information page of the Philippine ePassport, (I had to black out some “sensitive” information, hehehe):

So there you have it folks. With the new Philippine ePassport, we can proudly say our country is now at par with other countries around the world who are offering this latest technology in identification. It will surely help travelers, overseas workers, and other Filipinos currently/planning to go abroad feel more secure with faster clearance in immigration and feel confident that you bear your identity without any risks of it being stolen or tampered.

The ePassport is highly recommended for safer travel abroad among roamers like you and me.

for further details and for ePassport application, go to www.dfa.gov.ph

© The Urban Roamer

On the Value of Records: “

The American writer, Bell Hooks, in her latest book, Belonging: A Culture of Place (New York: Routledge, 2009), gives us this interesting perspective on the value of the record: ‘In the past I have often scoffed at those folks who cannot go anywhere without a camera, a recording device, video, without some instrument to document for the future. Now that I have witnessed the deep pain and grief that can be caused by loss of memory, through illness, dementia and Alzheimer’s . . ., I can acknowledge the value of documentation for a future time. I know firsthand what a blessing it is to have a record – a way to remember that goes beyond the mind.’ ” (pp. 185-186). [from the blog, Reading Archives, by Richard J. Cox]

My Take:

You asked why 24 blogs regarding my family’s Hong Kong Tour? It cost me a lot of savings-and I need to extend its benefits by recording the memories and observation I had for future posterity and use.

But before that i have to mention that I almost got delayed and fleece by fixers outside the DFA. They will try to divert your attention before the gate of DFA. They might try to help put your picture into your passport a[pplication and then lead you to another building (not DFA) and then told you that you need extra time and money to have your passport completed. I did not show my anger but I returned to the real gate of DFA and from there line up at the verification. Can the DFA officials have an cleansweep operation of this swindlers and hoodlums just outside their gates? Are they inutile or in cahoots with these people? This is our country and yet we are being fleeced by our "enterprising" kababayans. Hoy Mahiya naman kayo-may mas mabuti pang trabaho kaysa magloko ng kapwa. (Please be ashamed of what you are doing -there is a better way to earn a living instead of taking advantage of your fellowmen)

Inside-you would have to queu for the verification of records and documents -which took up 1-2 hours. Then you can enter the DFA building for your passport to be assesed-then you need to queu again in order to pay the assesed value and to be interviewed by the DFA personnel and have your name entered into their  computer. I entered DFA by 9AM and left by 2PM. I ate my morning merienda, lunch and afternoon merienda by 2PM+. I paid 150.00 for the passport delivery-and got my passport at my house after 7 working days.

Here are some pictures of the location:

Verification inside the basketball court

DFA Basketball court

Some pictures of the requirements and steps for obtaining your passport (new and renewal):

Instructions

Passport Requirements

Procedure-Step-by-step

By the way-did I mentioned that I shouted to the guards inside the payment and encoding area because they do not how to process the lines-who to get first and who will be last. After I shouted-they corrected the sitiation. They do this everyday and yet  they have not done -more than basic improvements-for the sake of our kababayan-Sino ba DFA Secretary? Dapat siguro magresign na at better administrator who will treat our kababayan better and with more dignity.

On Saturday November 14th 2009, Yacht of DFA packed The Electric Pickle. They performed to a packed house that quickly became enthralled by their amazing audio/video performance.

Yacht performing in front of a packed house at POPlife

click on image for photo gallery

I was back in my car in exactly 26 minutes!

I highly recommend the use of Pilipinas Teleserv’s service when renewing one’s Philippine Passport. Sure their Php 1,300 fee is steep compared to the usual Php 500 fee if you were to go straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs! And the downside is that they do not offer the “expedited” service (7 days instead of 14 days) which DFA offers. Other than that, however, theirs is a full-service which saves you a lot of time, hassles, and money in the longrun.

I’ve had their Hotline number on my cellphone for years (taken from a billboard on EDSA I saw years back) so I finally made a call on November 11 to start the renewal process. The agent asked me a few questions (be sure to have your old passport in front of you before calling) and informed me of what requirements I needed to submit. By November 13 the courier came to pick up my old passport, new passport photos (3 copies), and scanned copies of particular pages of my old passport. I scheduled it on that date because that was the day I was actually going to be home (you have to be present when they come by). I was asked to check the information on the application form (filled out over the phone during the initial call) on which I was made to affix my signature and thumbprints (he came equipped with a stamp pad). I paid the processing fee and got a receipt. Make sure you bring this when you go to DFA for your “personal appearance”!

My “personal appearance” was scheduled for November 16 (today).

DFA is located along Roxas Blvd. beside Cuneta Astrodome. To avoid getting lost or having to make unnecessary U-turns, follow my route: Coming from QC, head South via EDSA. Stay on the left so you end up in Pasay (not SLEX). When you hit EDSA Ext. stay in the middle so you don’t end up on the fly over which turns left to Tramo (airport). Just go straight all the way till you hit Roxas Blvd. Turn right into the main road (NOT the service road). Once you see Cuneta Astrodome to your right, you’ll soon see DFA. Go a little past it till there’s an opening into the service road. Park. Walk into the street perpendicular to Roxas Blvd. between Cuneta Astrodome and DFA. They call it “Libertad” but the new street name seems to be “Arnaiz” (that’s according to the street sign).

Even before you hit “Gate 3″ you’ll find a Teleserv representative, wearing a Maroon collared shirt, holding up a sign. Approach him so you don’t have to cue. He’ll lead you to Gate 3. Approach the representative there (by the Exit gate) so you don’t have to cue. He will walk you into DFA and turn you over to another representative. Take a seat. Another representative will call your name in no time (depending on the cue, of course!). He will lead you to a window where he will ask you to check the information on the printed application form. This is the actual information that will appear on your new passport so [to avoid future hassles] check it well! When you find everything in order, you will again be asked to affix your signature and thumbmarks on the application form. And you’re done!

If you ask me, the whole “personal appearance” is really quite a waste of time. All I needed to do was check the information on the form (again), affix my signature (again), and affix my thumbmarks (again) which I already did when the courier came to pick up everything. I really don’t get why I had to do the same thing all over again in DFA especially since it’s not like there was a DFA official there to actually verify or witness what I was asked to do. Thought bubble: welcome to the Philippines!

I was back in my car in exactly 26 minutes. That includes the [less than 5-minute] walk from the parking to Gate 3 and back. When I checked the time I was done by 12:46pm which means it’s not true that Teleserv is only available from 1-3pm.

My passport is supposed to be released by November 26. If there are no unforeseen delays, according to Pilipinas Teleserv, it should be delivered by November 27 at the latest.

The picture may look like some some Summer commercial for Diesel Jeans, but the pretty guys on the picture are in fact The Tough Alliance!

The boys are fresh out of prison (joke!), and have unleashed a sparkling new E.P – “Prison Break” – on the Swedish based Sincerely Yours label, which is in fact run by The Tough Alliance themselves.

The package is packed to the brim with mixes coming from the likes of Laidback Luke, Jules & Jim, Shazam, El Guincho, Woolfy and this super larger rotating glitterball from DFA’s – The Juan Maclean!

Now – I do have soft spot for all things DFA, and it’s certainly not getting harder after throwing my ears around this Funk-induced, cowbell ringing, piano-led Space-Disco wriggler with a great song thrown in for good measure.

It’s swings like a drunken penguin, and you will too throughout it’s 8′20″mins course! Hear this – and you wanna go out!

It’s the weeeeeekend!

Mp3: The Tough Alliance – A New Chance (The Juan Maclean Remix)

Oh goody!  Hot Chip is set to release their new album One Life Stand on DFA in February.  If you are already a Hot Chip fan than I am sure you are just as excited as I am.  For all of you that are not familiar, here is a track from that new release.  Be sure to check all of their earlier releases as well.

-

Hot Chip – Take It In

Jerry Fuchs, one of my favourite drummers, died yesterday. His work with the Juan Maclean and Maserati among others is close to perfect in terms of his drumming, and especially now that I drum in a band myself, I always felt his style was one I wanted to emulate. What an absolute tragedy, here’s a few examples of his serious drumming.

MASERATI - INVENTIONS

THE JUAN MACLEAN – THE SIMPLE LIFE (LIVE)

Well – Example did provide one of 2009’s biggest summer anthems in the shape of his – “Watch The Sun Come Up” – with a little help from Boy Wonder – Calvin Harris.

With his forthcoming single – “Won’t Go Quietly” – scheduled for release sometime in January 2010 it certainly sounds like the boy is gonna dent the upper reaches of the charts once again.

The Juan Maclean turns on the strobe, and struts his NYC Moroder’esque Disco thump by weaving Example in and out between some serious side-chaining, which sounds like my hoover running havoc around the house.

Thankfully the full vocal is intact, and what you have is a ridiculous, great Pop moment combined with ridiculously great DFA production from The Juan Maclean.

Expect this to go interstellar once it comes out in January 2010 with more mixes to follow.

Mp3: Example – Won’t Go Quietly (The Juan Maclean Remix)

Black Leotard Front – “Casual Friday” – appeared on DFA back in 2005, and laid the foundations for the sound of the label as we know it today.

Consisting of Delia Gonzalez, Gavin Russom, Christian Holstad, Daniel Schmidt & James Murphy with additional production help from Tim Goldsworthy – Black Leotard Front – appeared on paper as a DFA super group.

“Casual Friday” was conceived as part of a showcase, and they only ever released this one track, but what a track!

Clocking in at 15′07″mins. its quintessential DFA with wobbly, Disco-fied bassline, spaced-out vocals by Delia Gonzalez, and James Murphy joining in with his deadpan vocalchords. It pretty much runs along the same lines as The Raptures  cowbell driven – “House Of Jealous Lovers” – but without its rock-oriented roots instead focussing on the true of Disco underground New York.

It’s been blogged heavily over the years, but – hey – good music is good music, and especially when it comes in a form like this.

If you missed the boat the first time – get on it – NOW! 

Mp3: Black Leotard front – Casual Friday (15′07″ mins. version)

Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? When two titans collide and a magic so organic and so perfect simply happens and you’re left to wonder what ever kept these forces apart in the first place? Don’t believe me? Grab a listen to U Can Dance, the blistering new single from two of the bigger gigolos we’ve come across in recent memory. On one side, we’ve got International Dee Jay Gigolos headman himself, DJ Hell and the incomparable ladies’ man of glam, Roxy Music icon Bryan Ferry. It’s fair to say the resumes of each artist is known to all of you so it really doesn’t bear repeating here. The single is release in January and will feature remixes from the likes of Carl Craig, Simian Mobile Disco and Tim Goldsworthy from the DFA crew. Heavyweights remixing heavyweights. It’s only right.

The song itself is a banger. A nine-minute mindbomb that dares you to be satisfied with a simple headbop. Oh no no…this one will get you out of your computer chair and into the club as you slither and sway to the groove. This track is hot.

DJ Hell on MySpace
DJ Hell on Facebook
Bryan Ferry on MySpace
Bryan Ferry on Facebook

“U Can Dance” by DJ Hell featuring Bryan Ferry

I wrote about these guy(s) back in the last issue of AU. I reviewed the Joe Goddard remix of their debut single ‘Brow Beaten’. There’s very little known about this act. They’ve been careful to keep their identity / identities hidden. Musically, it’s not a million miles from Hercules & Love Affair and the vocal resemblance to Jimmy Somerville has been noted by quite a few people. Here’s what I had to say about them…

The unknown holds great allure. Silver Columns know this, hence why the duo have deliberately cultivated a sense of mystique, hiding their identities from prying eyes. That they sound like Bronski Beat produced by DFA head honcho James Murphy is intrigue enough for us. Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard gives the anonymous electro-poppers a glorious makeover on this remix of their debut single. Caught in an explosion of beats, the synth begins to stagger like a gutter drunken as the singer croons in sweetest falsetto.

Anyway, I’m hoping to get chatting to them and, if so, I’ll soon be able to tell you a little more about the act, if not confirm precisely who is hiding behind those Silver Columns.

DFA spin-off label Death From Abroad recently released Tokyo psych-rock outfit Yura Yura Teikoku’s 2007 albums Hollow Me and Beautiful in America. The trio’s rock contains an edge of danciness to it, which explains why they’d end up on a DFA-related label. Pitchfork is currently streaming Yura Yura Teikoku’s “Dekina,” check it out.

First you brought me “House of Jealous Lovers,” then that video with Kermit the Frog and now this. I heart you DFA.

I rolled a 49

I was in heaven last night at Brooklyn Bowl (10/23).  DFA DJ’s spinning, Kelso Nut Brown Lager, bowling, disco fries, a Yacht show and best of all, a set from Special Disco Version.  Not to mention, it was free.  The music got better and better as the night went on, and honestly I had no idea who was spinning prior to Yacht’s set, and it didn’t really matter.  The place filled up gradually throughout the night, but never felt too crowded.  People danced, people bowled, I danced while bowling.  Yacht’s set was even better than last time I saw them at Santo’s.  They had lots more room on the huge stage and took advantage of it. Yeah, they don’t play instruments, but their energy, catchy beats, crowd surfing, visual graphics and dance moves makes it entertaining regardless.  James and Pat took the wheels after Yacht finished up and, as usual, dished out heavy doses of disco gems that had the dance floor full of smiles.

done

pierwszy post otwierający drugi roczek w blogosferze… i od razu z grubej rury! jedna z najważniejszych kapel pierwszej dekady nowego stulecia, przynajmniej dla mnie, obwieściła światu o nadejściu następcy ‘Sound Of Silver’! krążyły już nawet plotki o kompletnym zawieszeniu działalności kapeli przez główną postać tej formacji, James‘a Murphy‘ego. kiedyś aktywista sceny punk, potem niezapomniane momenty związane z dance punkiem i ‘Sound Of Silver’ miał zakończyć tę misję… coś mi się nie chciało wierzyć. drobne njusy o nowym lp zaczęły przeciekać z Dfa już kilka miechów temu a teraz faktycznie, jest to informacja potwierdzona. nowy long pojawi się w marcu 2010. na dokładkę na 9.11 zapowiedziano zupełnie nowy singiel, zatytułowany ‘Bye Bye Bayou’. nawiasem, jest to cover utworu Alana Vegi z ‘81, z legendarnej industrialno dance’owego Suicide. classy stuff, muszę tutaj rzec bez żadnej przesady. ponad siedmiominutowy hipnotizer w charakterystycznym dla LCD Soundsystem soulful groovy sosie. pełna rekomendacja!

i na deser tester, może nie w super jakości, ale nich tam.

LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou

Nowa twarz DFA i włoskie specjały z NYC. A ty ile czasu jesteś w stanie wytrwać bez ruchu?

Photo: Rachel Leah Woliansky

HappyParts first heard Free Energy a few weeks back on Future Sounds radio show on WOXY.  Since then, I continue to see their name on blogs and playlists.  CMJ 09 looks to be theirs  for the taking.  All this excitement sorts itself out over time.  The key factor is who moves beyond Blog Queen status. Free Energy has power pop curb appeal. The cow bell is the closer for me.  They play Slim’s on November 1st. 

There’s a revolt, a political storm, over at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

But it’s a storm that’s not going to dissipate when it makes landfall.

Am referring to the letter-complaint written two weeks ago by the Union of Foreign Service Officers addressed to Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and signed by UNIFORS  President, Ambassador Victoria S. Bataclan,

The letter is here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21136235/Unifors-Letter-complaint-to-Pgma

As the letter indicates, the lady envoy has served as the Philippines representative to eight countries: Hong Kong and Ambassador to Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, apart from being Philippine Consul-General in Hong Kong.

The focus of the complaint is former labor undersecretary for migrant workers concerns Esteban Conejos, who as the UNIFORS letter reveals, was recently appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

The complaint’s highlights:

1.    This appointment of Mr. Conejos not only brings the level of non-career ambassadors to its highest level in Philippine history, it places your Excellency in imminent breach of the statutory limit set by Section 17 of Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as the Foreign Service Act of 1991.

As of 28 September 2009, there are 29 non-career ambassadors and 36 career ambassadors.  Of the latter group, about eight (8) have ended their tour of duty (and are on short-term extensions) or about to end their tour of duty within sixty (60) days.

Thus, if all these 8 career ambassadors return home, your Excellency will have breached the statutory limits even without the appointment of Mr. Conejos.

4.    There is no transparency in the appointment of non-career ambassadors.  The career corps  is deeply disappointed and disheartened over the fact that it has not been informed nor consulted prior to the issuance of such appointments.

In the instant appointment of Mr. Conejos, dated 3 September 2009, the corresponding document, which appears patently flawed on its face and its process, was seen only about 3 weeks after said date.

5.    Finally, though not squarely attending the appointment of Mr. Conejos, the career corps also takes issue over the issuance of appointments to persons beyond the age of 65.

There are at least fourteen (14) non-career ambassadors beyond 65 years old in violation of both the letter and spirit of Section 23 of the Foreign Service Act.

Equally important, my colleagues in the foreign service hope that your term as President will have a legacy that strengthened the drive towards professionalizing the Foreign Service.

A constitutionally mandated career service is a true pillar of a strong Republic. This was the legacy of your great father who authored the first Philippine Foreign Service Act.

We trust it is yours too.

The assertions cannot be more pointed.

It is telling that Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo himself does not appear to havebeen given the courtesy of a copy of the letter complaint.

My sources, however, clarified that Romulo was, in fact, given a copy of the document.

(Sec. Romulo with the UNIFORS officers warlier this year.)

There is no indication that if Malacanang has responded to the UNIFORS complaint.

The President is the architect of the country’s foreign policy and certainly has full executive prerogative to appoint whomever she sees fit to represent the Republic in the United Nations and its other instrumentalities.

Former labor undersecretary and now ambassador-designate Conejos certainly has the requisite experience and credentials to serve in the post. He is also a lawyer.

The gentleman is also a known ally of former Senator Orlando S, Mercado who was named Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN several months ago.

I’ll be updating this post.

1st Update:

Press Secretary Cerge, according to a report in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, asserted that “Conejos was not appointed.”

The PDI report is here:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091012-229612/Envoys-protest-appointment-of-non-career-diplomat

“But what really is disconcerting and demoralizing,” a member of UNIFORS told me, “is the glaring fact of how other countries treat their diplomatic service where the overwhelming majority, including in the US, are career diplomats and not political
appointees.”

Here’s the current roster of Philippine envoys:

2nd Update:

Pres. Arroyo has now withdrawn the appointment of former labor undersecretary ffor migrant affairs Esteban Conejos as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

But over at the DFA, Ambassador Bataclan herself was axed as Assistant Secretary.

The revolt has exacted its toll both ways.

Here’s a link to Vera Files latest report on the scandal:

http://www.verafiles.org/index.php/focus/372-arroyo-withdraws-conejos-appointment-dfa-union-head-loses-post-too

Michelle Malkin had the best title for the propaganda event that saw white-coated doctors milling around on the White House lawn: “Spin Doctors for Obamacare.”  She said:

Creators Syndicate – Lights, camera, agitprop! The curtains opened on yet another artfully staged performance of Obamacare Theater this week. One hundred and fifty doctors took their places on the plush lawn outside the West Wing — many acting like “Twilight” groupies with cameras instead of credible medical professionals. The president approved the scenery: “I am thrilled to have all of you here today, and you look very spiffy in your coats.”

White House wardrobe assistants guaranteed the “spiffy.” As the New York Post’s Charles Hurt reported, the physicians “were told to bring their white lab coats to make sure that TV cameras captured the image.”  President Obama’s aides hastily handed out costumes to those who came in suits or dresses before the doc-and-pony show began.

But while Halloween came early to the Potomac, these partisan single-payer activists in White House-supplied clothing aren’t fooling anyone.

Obama’s spin doctors belong to a group called Doctors for America (DFA), which reportedly supplied the white lab coats.  The White House event was organized in conjunction with DFA and Organizing for America, Obama’s campaign outfit.

OFA and DFA are behind a massive new Obamacare ad campaign, letter-writing campaign and doctor-recruitment campaign. The supposedly “grassroots” nonprofit DFA is a spin-off of Doctors for Obama, a 2008 campaign arm that aggressively pushed the Democrats’ government health care takeover. DFA claims to have thousands of members with a “variety of backgrounds.” But there’s little diversity in their views on socialized medicine (98 percent want a taxpayer-funded public insurance option) — or in their political contributions.

And she went on to document what a bunch of political hacks the “Doctors for Obama” and various “spin doctor” groups mentioned above had been for Obama and the Democrats.

Gateway Pundit revealed the typical Obama White House hypocrisy of this event:

What the media won’t tell you is that the doctors were former members of the “Doctors for Obama” organization.

150 doctors including supporters from Doctors for America, the former Doctors for Obama organization, assembled on the White House lawn today for a Astroturfed show with the president.

The operational word is “Astroturf.”  As angry as the Democrats have been about “Astroturfing,” they sure have done a lot of it.  We’ve had the children of high level Obama supporters planted to ask planted questions at Astroturf health care town halls to go with the busloads of union thugs being sent even across state lines to attend town halls.  We’ve had Astroturf former Obama delegates fraudulently pretending to be doctors at town hall events.  And now we have real, but still Astroturf doctors being brought in for Astroturf photo-ops – complete with Astroturf white coats.

The truly dishonest thing was when Barack Obama deceitfully misrepresented these doctors to claim that they somehow represented the medical mainstream.  Obama said:

“When you cut through all the noise and all the distractions that are out there, I think what’s most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the health-care system best,” the president said.

But when you actually realize what is happening, you find that this scripted – and even costumed – White House event is an all too typical example of the “noise” and “distractions” coming from the very guy who is complaining about the “noise and distractions.”

My question to Obama is, “WHAT ABOUT THESE FOLKS?“

45% Of Doctors Would Consider Quitting If Congress Passes Health Care Overhaul

By TERRY JONES, INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY Posted 09/15/2009
Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.

The poll contradicts the claims of not only the White House, but also doctors’ own lobby — the powerful American Medical Association — both of which suggest the medical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.

It also calls into question whether an overhaul is even doable; 72% of the doctors polled disagree with the administration’s claim that the government can cover 47 million more people with better-quality care at lower cost.

The IBD/TIPP Poll was conducted by mail the past two weeks, with 1,376 practicing physicians chosen randomly throughout the country taking part. Responses are still coming in, and doctors’ positions on related topics — including the impact of an overhaul on senior care, medical school applications and drug development — will be covered later in this series.

Major findings included:

• Two-thirds, or 65%, of doctors say they oppose the proposed government expansion plan. This contradicts the administration’s claims that doctors are part of an “unprecedented coalition” supporting a medical overhaul.

It also differs with findings of a poll released Monday by National Public Radio that suggests a “majority of physicians want public and private insurance options,” and clashes with media reports such as Tuesday’s front-page story in the Los Angeles Times with the headline “Doctors Go For Obama’s Reform.”

Nowhere in the Times story does it say doctors as a whole back the overhaul. It says only that the AMA — the “association representing the nation’s physicians” and what “many still regard as the country’s premier lobbying force” — is “lobbying and advertising to win public support for President Obama’s sweeping plan.”

The AMA, in fact, represents approximately 18% of physicians and has been hit with a number of defections by members opposed to the AMA’s support of Democrats’ proposed health care overhaul.

• Four of nine doctors, or 45%, said they “would consider leaving their practice or taking an early retirement” if Congress passes the plan the Democratic majority and White House have in mind.

More than 800,000 doctors were practicing in 2006, the government says. Projecting the poll’s finding onto that population, 360,000 doctors would consider quitting.

• More than seven in 10 doctors, or 71% — the most lopsided response in the poll — answered “no” when asked if they believed “the government can cover 47 million more people and that it will cost less money and the quality of care will be better.”

This response is consistent with critics who complain that the administration and congressional Democrats have yet to explain how, even with the current number of physicians and nurses, they can cover more people and lower the cost at the same time.

The only way, the critics contend, is by rationing care — giving it to some and denying it to others. That cuts against another claim by plan supporters — that care would be better.

IBD/TIPP’s finding that many doctors could leave the business suggests that such rationing could be more severe than even critics believe.  Rationing is one of the drawbacks associated with government plans in countries such as Canada and the U.K. Stories about growing waiting lists for badly needed care, horror stories of care gone wrong, babies born on sidewalks, and even people dying as a result of care delayed or denied are rife.

In this country, the number of doctors is already lagging population growth.

From 2003 to 2006, the number of active physicians in the U.S. grew by just 0.8% a year, adding a total of 25,700 doctors.

Recent population growth has been 1% a year. Patients, in short, are already being added faster than physicians, creating a medical bottleneck.

The great concern is that, with increased mandates, lower pay and less freedom to practice, doctors could abandon medicine in droves, as the IBD/TIPP Poll suggests. Under the proposed medical overhaul, an additional 47 million people would have to be cared for — an 18% increase in patient loads, without an equivalent increase in doctors. The actual effect could be somewhat less because a significant share of the uninsured already get care.

Even so, the government vows to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from health care spending to pay for reform, which would encourage a flight from the profession.

The U.S. today has just 2.4 physicians per 1,000 population — below the median of 3.1 for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the official club of wealthy nations.

Adding millions of patients to physicians’ caseloads would threaten to overwhelm the system. Medical gatekeepers would have to deny care to large numbers of people. That means care would have to be rationed.

“It’s like giving everyone free bus passes, but there are only two buses,” Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told the Associated Press. [Link added].

Hope for a surge in new doctors may be misplaced. A recent study from the Association of American Medical Colleges found steadily declining enrollment in medical schools since 1980.

The study found that, just with current patient demand, the U.S. will have 159,000 fewer doctors than it needs by 2025. Unless corrected, that would make some sort of medical rationing or long waiting lists almost mandatory.

[Snip]

Other states with government-run or mandated health insurance systems, including Maine, Tennessee and Hawaii, have been forced to cut back services and coverage.

This experience has been repeated in other countries where a form of nationalized care is common. In particular, many nationalized health systems seem to have trouble finding enough doctors to meet demand.

In Britain, a lack of practicing physicians means the country has had to import thousands of foreign doctors to care for patients in the National Health Service.

“A third of (British) primary care trusts are flying in (general practitioners) from as far away as Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland” because of a doctor shortage, a recent story in the British Daily Mail noted.

British doctors, demoralized by long hours and burdensome rules, simply refuse to see patients at nights and weekends.

Likewise, Canadian physicians who have to deal with the stringent rules and income limits imposed by that country’s national health plan have emigrated in droves to other countries, including the U.S.

ObamaCare is all about rationing.

Doctors will begin retiring in droves because government-funded healthcare already has them operating at a loss.  On average, Medicare only pays 93% of the COST of providing care.  Doctors and hospitals subsidize Medicare patients at a loss by counting on private insurance-covered patients to allow them to operate at an overall profit.  If you expand government-covered patients, and reduce the role of private insurance, medical practice will simply become unprofitable.  Hence the mass retirements as physicians stop swimming against the tide of government red-tape and low-balling and just quit.

Why doesn’t Obama invite these doctors to the White House.  They can even give them white coats when they get there, to look more “doctorly” like they did with the pro-ObamaCare doctors.

If Obama had the best interests for the nation in his heart, he would want to hear from these doctors.  Instead, he’s doing everything in his power to shut such professionals out of the debate while he tries to ram his ideological and partisan agenda through.

ObamaCare will cost this country hundreds of billions – and over time trillions – of dollars at a time when we can least afford it, even as its imposition results in thousands of doctors choosing to retire at a time when we can least afford it.

THURSDAY  OCTOBER 15th

MADAME ROYALE 

6423 YUCCA STREET (Between Wilcox and Cahuenga)

DJS:

SCOTTY COATS (DFA, RONG)

CASUAL TOUCH

POSSO

SEE YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR!

xo

We asked our good friend and music journalist Andy Beta to get to the root of what Q&A are all about:

Q: Who are Q & A?
A: Q & A are Quinn Luke & Alexis Georgopoulos.

Q: How did Quinn and Alexis meet?
A: The two were introduced by Chris Veltri, owner of legendary record shop GROOVE MERCHANT in San Francisco. Veltri and Luke had made a pair of plunderphonic dusted disco 12 inches under the name COPPA. Georgopoulos was a founder of the group TUSSLE and asked if COPPA would do a TUSSLE remix. This led to Luke acting as producer on the TUSSLE album TELESCOPE MIND.

Q: Can the roots of Q & A be heard on TELESCOPE MIND?
A: Yes. “WARNING,” a song Alexis wrote in the studio which Quinn & Alexis then arranged and produced together as a duo. The track was critically-lauded, remixed by the likes of HOT CHIP, OPTIMO and Dennis Young (of LIQUID LIQUID).

Q: Were they always called Q & A?
A: No. Initially calling themselves EXPANDING HEAD BAND, their first release was a remix of New Zealand’s Shocking Pinks’ “Cutout” for DFA.

Q: Did that get them a shit-ton of admirers among the DJ cognoscenti?
A: Hells yeah. The group has already gained an esteemed shortlist of admirers, among them Todd Terje, Sal Principato (LIQUID LIQUID), and Bill Brewster (DJ and author of leftfield disco classic Last Night A DJ Saved My Life).

Q: Is this their first 12 inch for the God-like dance music overlords at DFA?
A: Yes. “TUMBLING CUBES” is the A side. “TRAP DOOR” is on the flip.

Q: What sort of convoluted and way-nerdy musical metaphor will adequately describe the sound of “TUMBLING CUBES”?
A: “TUMBLING CUBES” is a svelte piece of Detroit-inspired electro, a lean charge where MR FINGERS meets TELEX and Carl Craig at THE HACIENDA.

Q: Why in the world would I flip the 12 inch over then?
A: Because “TRAP DOOR,” is a taut piece of flabby dirty disco, a dark cavern of sinister cool that comes off like a PADDED CELL edit of Patrick Adams remixed by Andrew Weatherall.

Q: Fuck yeah!
A: Uhhhh, not a question.

- Andy Beta