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Emotional Health Care

skepticcon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:47:55 +0000

It’s disconcerting to me that in the world of Western civilization, so many of us still seem perfectly okay with acting like cavemen when it comes to important issues.

President Obama evokes the Bible and tells us that to be our brother’s (or in this case, our stranger’s) keeper, we need to pay for his health care. Listen to Michael Moore ply universal health care: It’s all about our moral duty to help others. I heard Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz asked to name one government program that functions well, and she named Medicare. Medicare! And why? Because, she said, Medicare helps plenty of elderly people right now.

It sure does. It also has the tiny side effect, along with Social Security and Medicaid, of leaving us with a debt obligation that we can’t meet – and it keeps getting larger.

Her solution? The solution every politician seems to be in favor of? Make the debt larger! After all, these are people we have to help. Who cares about a little thing like whether we can afford it or not?

Let’s be clear: A rational adult uses both reason and emotion. He or she does not, however, conflate the two. He or she should no better than to make an emotional plea when the matter demands reason. No matter how upset you are with the notion that women are worse at math than men, for example, it’s not going to change that notion. Scream and pout and pass legislation and call the experiments sexist – it doesn’t matter. Only the evidence will settle the matter, and evidence is discovered with reason, not feelings.

The evidence in the health care debate suggests that a government-run system will not solve the problem, that it will in fact make it worse. The evidence says that we cannot afford it in any case. The evidence says that entitlement promises made by our cowardly leaders in Washington (all of them, Democrat and Republican) have already left us with a growing deficit and debt we can’t possibly pay.

As rational adults, we have to learn to separate the emotional desire to see every American with good health care (an emotional desire I absolutely share) from the objective reality of the evidence. Emotions aren’t going to magically produce an efficient Congress. All the desire in the world isn’t going to make the government capable of running one-sixth of the economy.

Your Tax Dollars at Work: the Top 100 War Contracts; Expanding Bases: "Out of Iraq, Into the Gulf"; Malalai Joya's new book "A Woman Among Warlords", read it

25outof25centralasia — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:00:41 +0000

BULLETIN: With the national debt now topping $12 trillion, the White House estimates that the government’s tab for servicing the debt will exceed $700 billion a year in 2019, up from $202 billion this year, even if annual budget deficits shrink drastically. Other forecasters say the figure could be much higher. In concrete terms, an additional $500 billion a year in interest expense would total more than the combined federal budgets this year for education, energy, homeland security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Ed. Note: Just on the financial costs to the U.S. for the WARS, it is enough to turn off the funds. We are not doing any good with our troops on the ground there. Read on. Sign the petition at the bottom of the Post, and call President Obama, his number is there also.]

The Top Contracts
Who Got What in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2004–2006

Many Pallets of 100 US Dollar Bills are necessary to pay these contracts

Ok, let’s guess how much the top contract was for, and who got it? I want you to think about this for one moment. The Center for Public Integrity put out this study of the top 100 contracts, and also, the top 100 contractors. How much was the #1 contract worth? How much was the last one on the list, the 100th contract worth? Here’s the results:

The top contract was for $15 Billion US Dollars and it went to KBR (formerly Kellog, Brown and Root) Look at the link to see what they got this money for. KBR was a subsidiary of Halliburton during this time, Dick Cheney was CEO of this company before becoming Vice President under George W. Bush.

Contract # 100, the lowest on the list was for $51 Million Dollars to L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. That’s right readers, 51 MILLION US DOLLARS ranks 100th in the least costly contract for the Iraq-Afghanistan Wars in 2004 through 2006. More dollars are needed now to keep the war(s) going. It is estimated to be over 100 Million US Dollars every day right now, plus the loss of lives on all sides, the wounded humans on all sides, and the totally innocent lives lost while the sides continue to kill each other. Enough is Enough.

Out of Iraq, Into the Gulf by Nick Turse and Tom Engelhardt, November 23, 2009

They report: “So here’s the mystery. You have a country that only recently had upward of 300 military bases, monster to micro, in a single war-torn land, Iraq. It probably now has something like 300 bases combined in Iraq and Afghanistan (where base-building is on the rise). Outside of those war zones, it has perhaps 800 more “facilities” (as they’re called) around the globe and thousands more at home. Some of them are absolutely enormous, the equivalent of small American towns with all the amenities of home.”

No more money for base expansion. Cut 10 bases a month for one year, how much will that save?

Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan Google Image 2009

Malalai Joya’s story will be on our Blog every day for the next month. Please buy her book and visit her site.. Read her San Jose Mercury Opinion: “U.S. is doing no good in Afghanistan” here.
On Saturday, Nov. 7, Malalai Joya was at a gathering at San Jose State University in California to promote her book “A Woman Among Warlords” and to gather support for her people in Afghanistan. Malalai is a very brave woman to take on her own government and also the U.S. government, the occupiers of her country.

Malalai Joya signing her new book, A Woman Among Warlords, a JB photo

Our story on Malalai Joya can be seen here. Buy a copy of her book, “A Woman Among Warlords” here, or at your favorite bookstore. A great Holiday gift idea. The subtitle is “The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice”. Visit Malalai’s website here for more information on how you can help.

* * *
Take Action Now:
Call President Obama: To reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121 Leave a message: No more Troops. End the War(s). Call Leon Panetta at (703) 482-0623, CIA headquarters, leave a message: Stop the South Waziristan War and don’t attack Quetta, End the War(s).

Today, please tell your member of Congress and U.S. Senators to End the War in Afghanistan, sign this petition. If you live outside the United States, write to your leaders, End the War Now.

President Zardari and Aides Granted Immunity in Graft Cases; "Support our Troops", Chomsky says is a diversion; Malalai Joya's new book "A Woman Among Warlords", read it

25outof25centralasia — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:51:56 +0000

Zardari and Aides Granted Immunity in Graft Cases
[Ed. Note: Several weeks ago, we predicted that President Zardari's days as President of Pakistan are limited due to these corruption/graft cases that were dismissed by President Musharraf two years ago. Now, the cases are active again, due to the Parliament rejecting the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)]

Pakistan President Zardari and photo of Past-President Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and several of his close aides are among over 8,000 persons who were granted immunity in corruption cases under a controversial law, according to a list made public today. The list of beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance, issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf two years ago, did not include the name of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s wife as stated in media reports earlier. Besides Zardari, the list includes the names of his close aides Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Salman Faruqui, secretary general in the presidency, Hussain Haqqani, the Pakistani envoy to the US, and Wajid Shamsul Hassan, the envoy to Britain. The move came after growing pressure from political parties on the ruling Pakistan People’s Party to name the people who had benefited from the NRO.

UPDATES: LAHORE: PML-Q Secretary-General Mushahid Husain Syed has demanded that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani should seek resignation from the ministers who have benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance. And Corruption and the NRO.

Who’s running this Country and Why? Noam Chomsky dissecting state propaganda slogans.”Support our Troops”, Excerpt from “Class War: he Attack On Working People” (1998). Thanks Anna Ng.

Malalai Joya signing her new book, A Woman Among Warlords, a JB photo

Today, please tell your member of Congress and U.S. Senators to End the War in Afghanistan, sign this petition. If you live outside the United States, write to your leaders, End the War Now.

"Downsize this!": los años no pasan igual para todos

mrgsmiley — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Buscando el último libro de Michael Moore ante las elecciones norteamericanas, me encontré con una perla que no leí en su momento: Downsize this! Pongámonos en perspectiva.

Corre el año 1996 y Michael ya ha dirigido Roger & Me, pero se encuentra todavía lejos de su primer éxito rotundo, la archiconocida Bowling for Columbine. Van a cumplirse cuatro años de Clinton en la casa blanca y estamos en año de elecciones. La cumbre de la OMC en Seattle aún no ha tenido lugar y las fuerzas antiglobalización están todavía en pañales. El grunge aún se escucha… pero esa es otra historia.

La hipótesis es que Michael se ve a medio camino entre ser un personaje conocido y ser un famoso. Decide utilizar esa posición para tratar de abrir los ojos del pueblo americano sobre una serie de cuestiones terriblemente importantes para su país, en un momento en el que se juegan el futuro entre el continuismo de Clinton y el fanatismo de Bob Dole.

El libro está estructurado en una serie de comentarios sobre diversos temas que estaban de actualidad en esa época. Algunos de ellos son de una enorme genialidad, como aquél en el que sugiere trasladar Washington a Tijuana aprovechando el NAFTA, el que propone echar del país a todos aquellos con un apellido diferente al de los pasajeros del Myflower o el de los cromos con los datos de los sinvergüenzas que dirigen corporaciones.

Pero lo más fuerte es comprobar como algunos de los problemas de hace quince años se reproducen en la situación actual. La primera página del libro muestra una foto del atentado de Oklahoma y otra de un edificio en ruinas en Flint, preguntándonos qué es el terrorismo. Desde luego, viendo los resultados, no podemos diferenciar uno de otro… Y el comentario que puede ser más de actualidad con la crisis es el llamado Big Welfare Mamas, en el que Moore nos habla de algunos presidentes de corporaciones que reciben ayudas del gobierno estadounidense. A más de uno le sonará de algo esta historia…

Recomendable para aquellos que quieran saber de dónde venimos con el objetivo de entender hacia dónde vamos. A evitar para los que vivan en Orange County.

Downsize this!
Michael Moore
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks;
First Edition edition (August 12, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060977337
ISBN-13: 978-006097733

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This cold wasn't playin'

chrismartincomedy — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:01:30 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase

My cold left me behind and playing catchup on various chores. I lost around four days from the onset/onslaught of the cold the night of my set at the artspace benefit to three-to-four days later. Because I was feeling lackadaisical due to the cold, I didn’t shave my beard for several days, and then decided to go ahead and keep letting it grow now that winter is here. I still want to get my hair cut. So at least my appearance now synchs with my avatars/profile pics.

I did get the video from October 2 posted on the web. I still haven’t established an account for my stand-up comedy at Vimeo and posted the video there. I haven’t posted the transcript for that set on Funny or Die. Next steps in work flow is to edit the video from my October 5 set at Cafe Diem Comedy Night.

I haven’t update the appearances widget on this blog. I still haven’t figured out how to get RSS onto the sidebar. I’m not on Rooftop Comedy yet but I have gotten on Topshelfd. In fact, the latest video I posted in on their home page. I’m thinking about adding a “rules of comedy” page to this blog.

My sister liked the sound on that video, which was due to the fact that I recorded it at home because my efforts to record it at Super Friends Camp and Cafe Diem failed. Memo to self: get a Kodak Zi8 and a wireless lavalier mic.

Upcoming event is “That Ain’t Right” comedy night at the Fallout. I’ve got to rewrite the set, removing the Michael Moore jokes and adding four jokes I’ve written for www.DailyComedy.com. There’s a three week break before the next Cafe Diem Comedy Night because there are five Mondays in November. I want to burn a DVD of Jared Cullum’s last set at Cafe Diem so I can pass it on to him at Fallout. The first step is to get everything from the memory card offloaded to the hard drive.

WordPress now has a button above the “add new posts” page which allows you to get a shortened link. I still haven’t navigated around and explored all the features/tweaks involved in the site. At least it’s now showing up on the first page of Google searches.

I’ve been watching “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report“ on Hulu. HuffPo definitely skims the cream with their clips. Watching the whole show, there are moments when the shows slip into talk show blandness. Fortunately for them, the Silly Season runs pretty much 24/7/365 thanks to attention-junkies like Sarah Palin and Levi Johnston.

Bill Engvall’s Aged and Confused (gunaxin.com)
Real-life Susie Essman’s F-word: Friendly (pbpulse.com)
British comedian John Oliver gets his own show on Comedy Central (telegraph.co.uk)
Canadians aquire a taste for hard-hitting comedy (nationalpost.com)
Eddie Izzard interview (telegraph.co.uk)
Jeff Kahn: A Tribute to Ken Ober (huffingtonpost.com)

US Recovery and Health IT

Saverio Rinaldi — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:10:13 +0000

Health Reform is a hot topic these days. The partisan nature of politics in the US hides the fact that we are all human. Regardless of if you are a Republican or Democrat, a conservative or liberal the concerns about sustainable healthcare are the same.

Last week I heard Dr. Blumenthal National Coordinator for Health Information Technology speak at the College of Physicians in Philidelphia. He talked about the growing need for electronic health records. His view is that electronic records are becoming the standard of practice. What does this mean to physcian liability? At some point the “average reasonable prudent person” standard will apply to medical records, and the liability of using paper charts will increase risk to physcian practice.

This week the Ontario Hospital Association invited Newt Gingrich and Michael Moore to speak in Toronto about health care issues. Two very different political views yet one very basic theme emerged. Invididuals are looking to the healthcare system to provide excellent care. Newt’s view is that the need for personal health records, better options and personal control with patient empowerment will do this. Michael Moore expects that without change the Medicare system in the US will fail, and what is needed is a universial goverment funded program. Are they both right?

The argument about health insurance avoids the overarching issue that is looming large on the horizon: the growing number of aging seniors; and the mounting costs that the healthcare system will encur. The only way to stem this flow is to switch from high-cost acute care to preventive care.

I believe that Health IT has an increasing role to play in this. Evidence based medicine means the use of information accumulated from health records can be used to improve care. Lower cost can be achieved by reducing emergency room visits and eliminating costly hospital interventions. We need drastic action to lower healthcare costs the use of electronic health records can contribute to radically improving healthcare.

Lou Dobbs "Mr. President, Bring ALL the Troops Home Now"; Michael Moore on Larry King "Bring the troops home"; Malalai Joya's new book "A Woman Against the Warlords", read it

25outof25centralasia — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:56:59 +0000

Lou Dobbs “Mr. President, bring ALL the troops home now, not just from Iraq and Afghanistan, but from Germany, Italy, Japan, and every country they are stationed in“

Michael Moore says “We need to leave, this is not our business. No more Troops, bring the troops home. It is unwinnable. The President of Afghanistan’s brother is a leader in the Opium trade? When is this going to stop?”

Malalai Joya signing her new book, A Woman Among Warlords, a JB photo

Today, please tell your member of Congress and U.S. Senators to End the War in Afghanistan, sign this petition. If you live outside the United States, write to your leaders, End the War Now.

(Michael) Moore's Law

skepticcon — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:03:27 +0000

Here’s my version of Moore’s Law: Michael Moore’s reasoning power decreases by one-half for every film he makes.

It’s amusing to watch the movie trailers for Capitalism: A Love Affair and see Moore standing in front of AIG asking for the money back, to the background of MIA’s Paper Planes (why she agreed to have her very cool song muddied up by the likes of a Michael Moore movie is beyond me). The message is that Wall Street fat cats (or better yet, rich people in general) get all kids of breaks from the federal government while the common man gets nothing but more bills. Worse, these breaks from Uncle Sam are paid for with taxpayer dollars. Moore will explain how Republicans look after their corporate interests while turning a blind eye to the plight of the working class, and viola, critics will hail it as a “damning indictment of unbridled capitalism” and ask provocative questions like, “Is capitalism dead?”

Sounds great, right? Here’s the only problem: That’s NOT capitalism.

It’s certainly not “unbridled” capitalism, or “unregulated” capitalism or whatever the hell else the moron-stream media is calling it. I’m sorry to inform Moore, but in a true capitalistic society, the state he so reviles, NO ONE would receive bailouts. Guess what – there also wouldn’t be any problems with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, because there wouldn’t be any Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

There also wouldn’t be ridiculous pieces of legislation like the Community Reinvestment Act, because in a capitalistic society, the government doesn’t get involved in the economy, and it certainly doesn’t force or facilitate giving bank loans to people who can’t afford them. Let’s see, without this little wrinkle, what would be missing? That’s right, the housing bubble that led to the financial crisis in the first place!

I agree with Michael Moore a hundred percent in this case: AIG shouldn’t have received a bailout. No company should have received a bailout. Taxpayer money shouldn’t be spend on anything other than national defense, basic infrastructure, and a justice system.

I don’t know what Moore is arguing against. I haven’t seen the movie (only because I’m unable to). The only point I’m making is that whatever is happening in America today, whatever we call the economic system that has pissed so many people off, it’s NOT capitalism. I might even go so far to say, if we did live in a true capitalistic society, people like Michael Moore would have nothing to complain about.

Capitalism: A Love Story - Superfast Review

Michael Clark — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:39:13 +0000

Capitalism: A Love Story - Superfast Review

Michael Clark — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:23:06 +0000

Michael Moore Slams Health Care Bill

infolution — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:11:44 +0000

Michael Moore says Democrats’ healthcare bill is giveaway to insurance industry

Raw Story
November 18, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52QtplJGgzQ

In a speech broadcast on Canadian television Tuesday, Michael Moore savaged the Democrats’ healthcare bill, calling it a gift to the health insurance industry, which he argues will make $70 billion more as a result of mandated health insurance.

“The health insurance companies are going to make an extra $70 billion dollars as a result of Americans being forced to buy their health insurance,” Moore quipped. “What company wouldn’t love this bill?”

Moore argues that the health insurance industry isn’t really upset about healthcare reform. His assertions — which mirror those of some on the left — highlight the challenge that Democrats in Congress face on healthcare reform. On the left, critics say that the bill doesn’t go far enough in ensuring universal care; on the right, critics say the proposal will lead to a government takeover of healthcare.

“So all of the wailing that they’re doing about this bill — believe me, the health insurance companies are not that upset about it,” Moore said. “In fact, they helped write this bill.”

“It’s not universal health care,” he continued. “Thirteen million people will still not have health insurance in the United States.

“And the drug companies signed a deal with Obama to keep them out of it, because they agreed to reduce their prices by $8 billion in the first year of the healthcare bill,” he asserted.

17 Tax Increases in Senate Health Care Bill = $370.2 Billion

Senate bill weighs in at 2,074 pages

Health bill could get 34-hour reading in Senate

Senate bill includes the Botox tax

China questions costs of U.S. healthcare reform

Michael Moore

Saúl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:34 +0000

Este hombre es un documentalista y escritor estadounidense conocido por su visión crítica hacia la g

Daniel Ellsberg and Matthew Hoh discuss "Get out of Afghanistan Now"; Malalai Joya's new book "A Woman Among Warlords" read now; CIA Chief Leon Panetta in Islamabad, why?

25outof25centralasia — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:18:48 +0000

Dainel Ellsberg and Matthew Hoh brought to you by Brave New Conversations. Please listen to their conversation about our involvement in Afghanistan, and why we need to get out now. Please send this to all your mailing list.

Thank you Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films. Join their cause and help get the truth out.

To further understand the Pastun society that Matthew Hoh refers to, read Thomas Johnson and M. Chris Mason’s work entitled ” No Sign Until the Burst of Fire”, Understanding the Pakistan-Afghanistan Frontier”. It is a MUST READ to see how futile our efforts are in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Malalai Joya signing her new book, A Woman Among Warlords, a JB photo

CIA Chief Leon Panetta in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: CIA chief Leon Panetta on Friday held talks in Pakistan and found agreement on intelligence cooperation as President Barack Obama nears a decision on troop deployments to Afghanistan, Islamabad said. Panetta held talks with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Washington’s policy review in Afghanistan, said the premier’s office in a brief statement. Earlier on Friday, a US missile attack killed eight people, including foreign militants, in Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border, the second such attack in two days, Pakistani security officials said. The US military does not, as a rule, confirm drone attacks, but its armed forces and the Central Intelligence Agency operating in Afghanistan are the only forces that deploy pilotless drones in the region. Last Sunday, a US newspaper reported that the CIA provides hundreds of millions of dollars to Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, including payments for the capture or killing of wanted militants.

[Ed. Note: Leon, tell President Zardari that we're leaving, but we will give them 5 Billion a year to keep up the fight. Get out now, dear friend, Leon Panetta, tell President Obama "It's not worth it". We are propping up a Failed State and Zardari only has support in the Teens, under 20% approval rating. Stop the killing of innocents.]

* * *
Take Action Now: Pass our link to your friends right now. Call your Member of Congress and tell them to support Rep. Barbara Lee’s bill “To prohibit any increase in the number of members of the United States Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan.” Bill # H.R.3699. Do it now please. Then call President Obama: To reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121 Leave a message: No more Troops. End the War(s).We will demonstrate in 100 cities if President Obama sends ANY troops to Central Asia ! Call Leon Panetta at (703) 482-0623, CIA headquarters, leave a message: No More Drone Assasination attacks, and don’t attack Quetta. End the War(s) NOW.

Today, please tell your member of Congress and U.S. Senators to End the War in Afghanistan, sign this petition. Tell them you will march in 100 cities if President Obama sends ANY troops to Central Asia. Tell them to support Barbara Lee’s bill HR 3699. If you live outside the United States, write to your leaders, End the War(s) Now.

Mo(o)re op IDFA

Mathias — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:45:22 +0000

Op het International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) draaien van 19 november t/m 29 november documentaires van over de hele wereld. Een boeiend festival voor journalisten, maar zeker ook voor het kijkend publiek. De diversiteit van de voorstellingen maakt het fesitval tot een interessant evenement voor critici van journalistieke items.

Op IDFA draait ook de nieuwste film van Michael Moore. Capitalism; a love story beleeft zaterdag 21 november op de IDFA zijn Nederlandse première. Vanaf de 26e te zien in verschillende bioscopen in Nederland.

Benieuwd? Hier alvast een teaser:

Overweegt u een bezoek aan de IDFA? Dan is het volgende handig om te weten:

View Larger Map
Vanwege drukte zal mijn bezoek aan Capitalism; a love story nog even op zich laten wachten, maar zorg dat u hem ziet. Op 27 november staat mijn recensie online.

Als u toch niet kunt wachten op een review van de film kunt u hier klikken.

Michael Moore Discusses The Health Care Debate And the Reform Bill To The Canadian Press. In Doing So, He Tells How The Bill Is A Corporate Giveaway To The For Profit Insurance And Pharmaceutical Industries And How Easy It Is To Fool The American Public Due To A Failed Educational System.

americancommentary — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:37:56 +0000

In his address to the Canadian press, Moore explained to them how things are in the United States concerning healthcare and the debate there and how the insurance interests and pharmaceutical interests aren’t concerned too much over this bill. He mentions the deal the Obama administration struck with the pharmaceutical industry to keep them out of the debate by saying,

“And the drug companies signed a deal with Obama to keep them out of it, because they agreed to reduce their prices by $8 billion in the first year of the healthcare bill”

He went on to say how they had raised prices $10 billion the year before therefore coming out $2 billion ahead. Unlike Canada, the United States does not negotiate drug prices on behalf of their citizenry. In addressing the benefits the for profit insurance industry which controls the American healthcare delivery system and any solution those in government will come up with for them in lieu of the public interest, he said,

“The health insurance companies are going to make an extra $70 billion dollars as a result of Americans being forced to buy their health insurance. What company wouldn’t love this bill?”

He also added the following,

“So all of the wailing that they’re doing about this bill — believe me, the health insurance companies are not that upset about it. In fact, they helped write this bill. It’s not universal health care. Thirteen million people will still not have health insurance in the United States.”

And in describing a country where it’s citizens aren’t exposed to how other countries address their health care needs and an educational system that is lacking in many respects, he went on to say.

When you create a society that essentially is in that state, it’s very easy to run an ad on the nightly news about what a third world country Canada is, and about how people are dying on the sidewalk here because they can’t get in to see the doctor, you actually believe that stuff. Because of the education you’ve been given, because education is such a low priority. Our schools are in such disarray. And our media doesn’t do anything to help educate people in the way they need to be educated.”

If one really looks at the debate in the United States, it is really hard to argue with him. A single payer system such as Canada has wasn’t allowed to be discussed in Congress when crafting the bill, but corporate lobbyists were insiders to the process. The US media stopped investigative journalism or giving any valid multiple views to anything about a decade ago. It has all become part and parcel of the rise of the corporate state in the United States. The story can be read in full at the raw story.

how we got here

lostonthebeltway — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:51:50 +0000

Call it an extra effort to get readers or maybe I REALLY do care about these issues, but I’m also going to renew my effort to talk about more political issues on this blog. This thought comes from Micheal Moore. He’s giving the advice on how to make the world place. I personally don’t hang around my family due to the negativity. I’ve also dropped a friend because I couldn’t stand listening to her boyfriend problems. If they were recent, I’d be more understanding. However, they are from February. February 2008.

So, If I do get any readers tonight, please take this into account. Not so much on material things, but let’s think about living a better life. That’s partly why I volunteer.

5. Take care of yourself and your family. Sorry to go all Oprah on you, but she’s right: Find a place of peace in your life and make the choice to be around people who are not full of negativity and cynicism. Look for those who nurture and love. Turn off the TV and the Blackberry and go for a 30-minute walk every day. Eat fruits and vegetables and cut down on anything that has sugar, high fructose corn syrup, white flour or too much sodium (salt) in it (and, as Michael Pollan says, “Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants”). Get seven hours of sleep each night and take the time to read a book a month. I know this sounds like I’ve turned into your grandma, but, dammit, take a good hard look at Granny — she’s fit, she’s rested and she knows the names of both of her U.S. Senators without having to Google them. We might do well to listen to her. If we don’t put our own “oxygen mask” on first (as they say on the airplane), we will be of no use to the rest of the nation in enacting any of this action plan!

You can view the complete list at Michael Moore.com.

Michael Moore's Documentary Eliminated From Oscar Competition

kellene23 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:57:21 +0000

A blow for Michael Moore. His documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” has been cut from Oscar competition.

It’s not one of the 15 on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ list of docs worthy of a nomination. “Capitalism: A Love Story” was one of 89 documentary features submitted for Oscar nominations.

Another high-profile film, the well-reviewed rock-documentary, “It Might Get Loud,” didn’t make the cut, either. Neither did the Mike Tyson documentary “Tyson,” or “The September Issue,” about Vogue magazine and its editor-in-chief.

Some of the 15 documentaries that made the list are: “The Cove,” “Food, Inc.” “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” and “Valentino The Last Emperor.”

This list of 15 will be narrowed again and 5 will be nominated for Oscars. Moore previously won an Oscar for “Bowling for Columbine.”

Les Voyeurs #88 - Des Voyeurs dans l'Avion

thevoyeurs — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:50:39 +0000

Les Voyeurs #88 – Des Voyeurs dans l’avion

Diffusion le : jeudi 19 novembre 2009 à 18h sur Radio Grille Ouverte
vendredi 20 novembre 2009 à 18h sur Radio 16.
Rediffusion le samedi 21 novembre 2009 à 10h sur RGO.
En téléchargement pendant une semaine ici.
Et en écoute permanente là.

Actualité

Capitlism – A Love Story : Sortie au cinéma le 25 novembre 2009 du nouveau film de Michael Moore.
Spiderman 4 : Confirmation de la présence au casting de l’acteur Dylan Baker, interprétant le personnage du Dr Connors, devenant dans la BD le super-vilain Le Lézard.
Buffy, la tueuse de vampires : une web-série animée adaptant la 8ème saison des aventures en comics de la tueuse de vampires, va bientôt voir le jour, faisant donc suite à la 7ème saison de la série TV.
Delta Blues : la série créée en 2008 par Joshua Harto et produite par Georges Clooney à enfin trouvé son acteur principal en la personne de Jason Lee (le héros de “Earl”).
Prince of Persia – Les Sables du Temps : Le prince de Perse doit combattre un Vizir rebelle désireux de s’emparer des Sables du Temps, un artefact conférant à son possesseur le contrôle du Temps. Adaptation cinéma de la célèbre licence de jeux vidéos. Réalisé par Mike Newell. Avec Jake Gyllenhaal. Sortie France 26 mai 2010. BA visible en VF pourrie ou VO HD.
L’actualité des Arcades : A l’origine ; L’Imaginarium du Dr Parnassus, Le Ruban Blanc (en VO), Away We Go, Micmacs à tire larigot, 2012, Twilight chapitre 2 : Tentation, Saw VI.
Les Beaux Gosses : Le beau coffret collector du film est disponible depuis le 12 novembre. Contient le film en édition collector 2DVD mais également le CD de la BO du film et surtout le “manuel pratique du puceau” !! Dépêchez-vous c’est pas cher !
L’actu du Sémaphore de Nîmes : L’Imaginarium du Dr Parnassus (en VO), mais aussi le film qui n’est plus à Alès et c’est dommage Panique au village !. Le Sémaphore organise également jusqu’au 26 janvier 2010 des projections des grands classiques du cinéma italien dont Affreux, sales et méchants, Les Monstres, Le Fanfaron, Hier aujourd’hui demain, L’Étranger. Plus de détails sur la programmation sur le site du cinéma ici => Sémaphore.

Dossier de la semaine : Des Voyeurs dans l’avion

La saga des “Airport”

Airport (1970) de Georges Seaton
Airport 75 (747 en péril – 1975) de Jack Smight
Airport 77 (Les Naufragés du 747 – 1977) de Jerry Jameson
Concorde : Airport 79 (Airport 80 Concorde – 1980) de David Lowell Rich

Les vols de l’extrême

L’Étoffe des Héros (The Right Stuff – 1983) de Phillip Kaufman
Des serpents dans l’avion (Snakes on a plane – 2006) de David R. Ellis
Des Zombies dans l’avion (Flight of the Living Dead : Outbreak on a plane – 2007) de Scott Thomas
Les Ailes de L’Enfer (Con-Air – 1997) de Simon West
Flight Plan (2004) de Robert Schwentke
Air Force One (1997) de Wolfgang Pertersen
Independence Day (1996) de Roland Emmerich
Die Hard 4 – retour en enfer (Die Hard 4.0 – 2007) de Len Wiseman

Les avions “cartoons” : les Z.A.Z. aux commandes

Y a-t-il un pilote dans l’avion ? (Airplane ! – 1980) de David Zucker, Jim Abrahams et Jerry Zucker

Y a-t-il enfin un pilote dans l’avion ? (Airplane II : the sequel – 1983) de Ken Finkelman

Hot Shots ! (1991) de Jim Abrahams
Ces merveilleux fou volant dans leur drôles de machines (Those magnificient men in their flying machines – 1965) de Ken Annakin
Fantomas se déchaîne (1965) d’André Hunebelle

Les avions du futur

Furtif (Stealth – 2005) de Rob Cohen
D.A.R.Y.L. (1985) de Simon Wincer
Firefox, l’arme absolue (1982) de et avec Clint Eastwood

Coups de Cœur

Les Chevaliers du Ciel (2005) de Gérard Pirès
Aviator (2004) de Martin Scorsese

La bande originale de la semaine :

Papa Loves Manbo par Perry Como
Extrait de la bande originale du film Ocean’s Eleven (2001) de Steven Soderbergh

Chronique : La Carte Postale Sétoise

L’Enfer d’Henry-Georges Clouzot de Serge Bromberg et Ruxendra Medrea

Musique :
Who’s Driving Your Plane ? par The Rolling Stones

Extraits :
Airport 75 (747 en péril)
Des Serpents dans l’Avion
Firefox, l’arme absolue

Présentation : Cédric Cance, Erik Antolin, Jérôme Bauzon
Chronique : l’irremplaçable Jan Jouvert !
Technique : Jérémie Adrian

Se Michael Moores nya film den 7:e december

vsfgoteborg — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:36:41 +0000

Capitalism: A Love Story

Måndag den 7:e december, 18.00
Andra långgatan 20

Fritt inträde

Måndag den 7:e december visar VSF Göteborg den amerikanske dokumentärfilmaren Michael Moores nya film: Capitalism: A Love Story. Den ständigt kepsbärande Michael som blev känd genom Bowling for Columbine och Fahrenheit 9/11 granskar i detta nya verk den amerikanska kapitalismen, med särskilt fokus på händelserna som ledde fram till den nuvarande finanskrisen.

Välkommen!

Michael Moore issues stern warning to Canadians

cfcf — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:13:35 +0000

Legendary progressive documentarian Michael Moore has issued a strong and urgent warning to Canadians. He fears that by moving to a two-tiered health care system we are changing something very important about Canadians – the idea that we help and support each other.

When foreigners are concerned about Canada’s health care system changing the fabric of Canada – in a profoundly bad way – it should be a warning not just to progessives but to every Canadian who cares about the future of Canada.

Read the piece in Rabble here.

Oscars snub Moore - Patrick Gavin

deeboochi — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:36:46 +0000

Finally, Hollywood has gotten over Michael Moore. Maybe instead of wasting time, money and energy pointing out problems and accusing others he should invest this time, energy and Hollywood’s money finding a solution to the issues he rants about in his “shock art” way. I went to art school. I get the whole creating “art” through the posing of questions. Yeah, we can Fine Art his work all day, but we’re going to find that He’s not that interesting and nobody is interested in the blame game anymore, Mr. Moore.

Oscars snub Moore – Patrick Gavin.

Capitalism: a Love Story - Cinema Mexico

ilovezonatortona — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:17 +0000

Capitalism: a Love Story è il film proposto questa sera da Cinema Mexico per il consueto appuntamento del giovedì con Sound&Motion Pictures.

Michael Moore affronta in questo documentario il problema dell’impatto devastante che il dominio delle corporation ha sulla vita degli americani e di conseguenza su tutto il mondo. ll sogno americano sembra sempre più un incubo e sono le famiglie a pagare: scompaiono i posti di lavoro, le case e i risparmi…

Regia: Michael Moore

Cast: Michael Moore

Produzione: Dog Eat Dog Films, Overture Films, Paramount Vantage

Genere: Documentario

Durata: 120 minuti

Orari: 13.00 – 15.20 – 17.40 – 20.00 – 22.20

Cinema Mexico, 19 novembre 2009, Via Savona 57 – Milano

Hoe Michael Moore de wereld verbaasde

Mathias — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:33:36 +0000

Toegegeven. De documentaires van Michael Moore zetten mij aan het denken. Of het nu over 9/11 gaat, over de wapenindustrie in de USA of over de gezondheidszorg in datzelfde Amerika; hij weet mij altijd te verbazen.

Hoe doet hij dat toch?

Als journalist een uitermate interessante vraag, maar niet alleen voor journalisten. Veel mensen zijn na het zien van de documentaire Fahrenheit 9/11 gaan geloven in de complottheorieën over de aanslagen op het World Trade Centre. Ook ik twijfel aan de rol van George W Bush in het hele gebeuren rond 11 september 2001, maar is er nog wel plaats voor enige nuance?

We geven wel kritiek op de voormalige president van Amerika, maar willen we ook kritisch kijken naar de manier waarop Moore de documentaire heeft gemaakt?
Ik in ieder geval wel. Niet omdat ik Bush hier wil verdedigen, maar omdat de werkwijze van Michael Moore juist zo interessant is om te beschrijven.

De kracht van zijn werk. Wat definieert zijn werkwijze?

De lach
Ter illustratie een fragment uit Bowling for Columbine:

Moore gebruikt deze cartoon om op humoristische wijze de geschiedenis van Amerika te kak te zetten. De uitleg weerspiegelt Moore’s visie op de komst van wapens in de Verenigde Staten. Omdat de cartoon langzaam naar een climax toewerkt en aanzet tot lachen, raakt de kijker geboeid en blijft kijken tot het eind. Aan het einde stelt Moore een vraag. Deze vraag blijft hangen. Juist vanwege de cartoon.

De lach. Een machtig instrument.

De confrontatie en het geweten
Naast de lach heeft Moore diverse andere manieren om zijn verhaal neer te zetten. Wat mij in Bowling for Columbine vooral opviel, was het einde waarin Michael Moore acteur Charlton Heston, de toenmalige president van de National Rifle Association (NRA) sprak en confronteerde met de dood van een zesjarig meisje.
Hier het fragment:

Confronteren. Dat is waar Michael Moore goed in is. Ook in dit fragment. Toch is het niet alleen de confrontatie die hier een belangrijke rol speelt. Hij speelt in op het geweten. Op geweten van de kijker én op het geweten van de inmiddels overleden Charlton Heston. Als kijker krijg je het gevoel dat Heston er indirect voor heeft gezorgd dat het meisje is gedood.

Een onterecht gevoel. Toch laat dat gevoel je niet los.

Nare gevoelens bekruipen ook Charlton Heston. Hij gaat de discussie uit de weg. Als president van de NRA spreekt hij namens de organisatie en kan niet ontkennen dat geladen wapens thuis geliefd zijn bij leden. Ook hijzelf heeft immers geladen geweren staan. Twee belangrijke aspecten van Moore’s werk worden hier duidelijk; de confrontatie en het inspelen op het menselijk geweten.

Een fragment uit Fahrenheit 9/11 die zich ook kenmerkt door de confrontatie en het geweten:

Muziek
Een heel ander middel dat Michael Moore inzet, is muziek. Met de songteksten ondersteunt hij zijn filmfragmenten, waardoor het geheel een erg cynische toon krijgt. Het sarcasme druipt ervan af. Soms moet de kijker zelfs even slikken vanwege de tegenstelling van beeld en geluid. Naast tegenstellingen gebruikt hij ook versterkingen. Van beiden hier wat voorbeelden:

Hier een gedeelte met Amerikaanse soldaten in Irak:

Sarcasme
Door de schrijnende tegenstellingen die Michael Moore verwerkt in zijn documentaires en de toon van zijn ‘eerlijke’ stem zit het boordevol saracasme. Op sommige momenten zelfs tegen het cynische aan. Hiermee krijgt hij de kijkers op zijn hand, omdat de tegenstellingen af en toe té absurd zijn. Gevolg is dat de kijker blijft kijken.

Benieuwd? Hier een fragment uit Sicko:

Goed werk?
Nu is de vraag of deze instrumenten horen bij een goede documentaire. Persoonlijk vind ik van wel. Als we naar het werk van Michael Moore kijken, zien we dat hij bepaalde methoden vaak en op een humoristische wijze gebruikt. Niets mis mee. Is zelfs vermakelijk.

Toch wil ik u als laatst nog wijzen op het volgende:

Blijf dus kritisch en neem eens een kijkje door de bril van een documentairemaker. Dan lijkt de wereld ineens een stuk sensationeler.

Neem ook dit laatste filmpje met een korreltje zout. Journalisten benaderen ook op hun eigen manier de film van Michael Moore!

Maar hoeveel kritiek Moore ook krijgt, hij blijft maatschappelijke misstanden aan de kaak stellen.

“Keep on doing that, Moore!”

As-Sahab Media Foundation, Interview with Dr. Ahmad Farooq; Taliban declare guerrilla war in South Waziristan; Malalai Joya's new book " A Woman Among Warlords" please read; Pakistanis see US as bigger threat than India, Taliban: Poll

25outof25centralasia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:48:52 +0000

As-Sahab Media Foundation: Interview with Dr. Ahmad Farooq This comes from www.nefafoundation.org, visit their site. This interview is worth your time to read. It will allow you to view their perspective and will add to your knowledge base of why al-Qaida exists, and what are their goals and objectives. The interview is full of terms unfamiliar to non-Muslims and is not easy to read, but is worth your viewing. Please comment on this and other stories on this post at the end of the post. Your comments are welcome.

[This document is the transcript of a communiqué produced by Al-Qaida’s official As-Sahab Media Wing. It was obtained by NEFA investigators on behalf of the NEFA TerrorWatch subscription service. The As-Sahab Media Foundation is the official propaganda arm of Al-Qaida and is the exclusive source of audio and video recordings of Bin Laden, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, and other high-ranking Al-Qaida leaders in South Asia. This transcript is provided for educational and informational purposes only.]

From Dawn.com: MIRAMSHAH:

The Taliban hit back Wednesday at claims that towns in their mountain bastion have fallen to Pakistan army control, vowing their guerrilla war would defeat troops waging a major assault.

Azam Tariq, (C) spokesman for the TTP, is flanked by his guards a during meeting with local journalists in South Waziristan.—AFP photo

‘We have not been defeated. We have voluntarily withdrawn into the mountains under a strategy that will trap the Pakistan army in the area,’ Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq told journalists taken blindfold to a mountain top. Pakistan’s main umbrella Taliban faction, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) arranged a news conference for journalists from the tribal belt a day after the military flew correspondents into South Waziristan to visit the battlefield. Journalists from North Waziristan were driven to the border with South Waziristan in broad daylight where they were blindfolded and transferred into waiting vehicles, said the AFP reporter.

Malalai Joya signing her new book, A Woman Among Warlords, a JB photo

From Times of India: ISLAMABAD:

A majority of Pakistanis see the United States as a greater threat to their country than traditional arch-rival India or the dreaded Taliban, a new opinion poll has revealed.

According to Gallup Pakistan’s poll, 59% of more than 2,700 people surveyed across the country consider the US a threat. “Eighteen percent believe India is the threat while 11% say the Taliban are a threat,” said Gallup Pakistan chairman Ijaz Shafi Gillani. He said the survey findings show that some of the most vocal anti-Taliban groups were equally opposed to the US. Some Pakistanis believe that if the US is committed to eradicating militancy, it should try to solve the Kashmir issue to help Islamabad move its troops from the eastern border with India to fight the Taliban in the northwest. The poll group said Pakistanis were suspicious that Washington was working to control Islamabad’s strategic assets. “Earlier, anti-Americanism was confined to supporters of right-wing groups. But over the years, young, educated Pakistanis, left activists, people you’d normally expect to be pro-American modernists have turned against America,” said columnist Sohail Qalandar.

The poll revealed that a majority of Pakistanis support the offensive against the Taliban in their stronghold of south Waziristan, but more people blame the US for the violence than the militia itself, which experts say poses an existential threat to Pakistan.

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Les Voyeurs #88 - Des Voyeurs dans l'Avion

Se Michael Moores nya film den 7:e december

Capitalism: A Love Story

Måndag den 7:e december, 18.00 Andra långgatan 20

Michael Moore issues stern warning to Canadians

Oscars snub Moore - Patrick Gavin

Capitalism: a Love Story - Cinema Mexico

Hoe Michael Moore de wereld verbaasde

As-Sahab Media Foundation, Interview with Dr. Ahmad Farooq; Taliban declare guerrilla war in South Waziristan; Malalai Joya's new book " A Woman Among Warlords" please read; Pakistanis see US as bigger threat than India, Taliban: Poll

Måndag den 7:e december, 18.00
Andra långgatan 20