Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The death penalty
Cacti:
If we go from 1976, the year the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court, there have been 1,266 executions.
In the same time, there have been 133 inmates who were sentenced to die, who have had their conviction overturned on appeal, and were subsequently acquitted on re-trial, or had their charges dismissed by the State, or were granted an absolute pardon. . . .
Those numbers mean, in the past 35 years, 1 in 10 deathrow inmates was tried, found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of their peers, and sentenced to die for crimes they did not commit.
Those are just the ones we know of. If the system could get it demonstrably wrong 10 percent of the time. There’s a good chance that there’s a similar number of cases where the accused wasn’t so fortunate.
[posted on 12/13/11]
If we go from 1976, the year the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court, there have been 1,266 executions.
In the same time, there have been 133 inmates who were sentenced to die, who have had their conviction overturned on appeal, and were subsequently acquitted on re-trial, or had their charges dismissed by the State, or were granted an absolute pardon. . . .
Those numbers mean, in the past 35 years, 1 in 10 deathrow inmates was tried, found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of their peers, and sentenced to die for crimes they did not commit.
Those are just the ones we know of. If the system could get it demonstrably wrong 10 percent of the time. There’s a good chance that there’s a similar number of cases where the accused wasn’t so fortunate.
[posted on 12/13/11]
Medicare
Darksyde considers his parents:
[posted on 8/16/09]
I'm lucky. Both my parents are entering their ninth decade of life and in relatively good health. They're alive, vibrant, enjoying their golden years surrounded by legions of kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.
Thanks to Medicare, my parents have survived heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, each requiring major, life saving surgery. They’ve had cataracts repaired, hold arthritis in check, and closely monitor and treat any signs of peripheral artery disease or pending stroke. That's why today they can enjoy a round of golf, shop for Christmas presents, hug their great-grandchildren, and do all the precious things more valuable to everyone in my family than any sum of money. To say that private, for profit health insurance could never offer our clan that option is a laughable understatement.
If Fox News, Newt Gingrich, or Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the lying wingnut clowns had been around when Medicare was proposed, my mother and father would be, at best, blind and crippled in a homeless shelter due to medical costs. Probably with at least one or two of their medically tapped out adult children living in a dumpster across the street. Or, more likely, they would live only in my family’s memory. And make no mistake; this Republican war on affordable heathcare is a war on my parents and yours. It's a fundamental plank in conservative ideology and includes destroying Medicare, usually disguised by widely quoted bytes like ‘ let's get the government out of healthcare.’
. . . What’s so remarkable about my parents' healthcare battles and victories isn’t that they're unique; the remarkable thing is they are the norm. Millions of senior citizens are alive, pain free, and productive today as a direct result of a core value in the progressive movement: it's time for affordable, quality healthcare to be a right, not a privilege, for everyone.
. . . If ever there was a time when pastors and priests should be reminding their congregation that "whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me," it is here. If ever there was cause worth fighting for, healthcare reform is it. Our time is now.
[posted on 8/16/09]
How they do it
One way insurance companies set people up for recission is by making the enrollment questionnaire tricky. The applicant can be being a honest as they can and still get caught up in this.
I watched these hearings as they were happening - this was my favorite part.
Watch all the way to the end . . .
[posted on 8/7/09]
I watched these hearings as they were happening - this was my favorite part.
Watch all the way to the end . . .
[posted on 8/7/09]
What is recission?
When you apply for private insurance you have to fill out pages of info about your health and any health issues/treatments you've had. You've probably had to do this. I have. This can be a source of major suckage right away. For example, when my friend Ursula was in her thirties (she's in her early 60's now) she found a lump in her breast. Her doctor told her that she was pretty sure it was just a fat deposit, but that she should have a biopsy "just to be 100% sure." So Ursula did. And it was a fat deposit. No worries, no further problems. But now most insurance companies won't cover her at all, and the one she finally found that would has very high premiums and deductible - and cancer treatment is excluded!
Anyway, that's not recisssion. Recission is when you fill it all out and then they happily take your premiums for years, but when you're diagnosed with something expensive - heart attack, cancer, etc - they pull out your original application and then comb through all of your medical records with sophisticated computer programs until they find something you didn't put on the form. At which point they say, "Aha! You didn't tell us everything! Policy cancelled!"
But of course even the most honest person in the world might not remember every single trip to the doctor for their whole life, or they might not recognize a medical term on the form for something they were treated for . . .
And then this is what happens:
[posted on 8/5/09]
Anyway, that's not recisssion. Recission is when you fill it all out and then they happily take your premiums for years, but when you're diagnosed with something expensive - heart attack, cancer, etc - they pull out your original application and then comb through all of your medical records with sophisticated computer programs until they find something you didn't put on the form. At which point they say, "Aha! You didn't tell us everything! Policy cancelled!"
But of course even the most honest person in the world might not remember every single trip to the doctor for their whole life, or they might not recognize a medical term on the form for something they were treated for . . .
And then this is what happens:
[posted on 8/5/09]
How did it happen?
Best explanation I've seen.
The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.
[posted on 2/20/09]
The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.
[posted on 2/20/09]
A New Day
And it's a New Year. Things are looking pretty bleak lately. It's hard not to feel overwhelmed. But if we are going to have a chance of repairing the damage that's been done in the past eight years and tackling the challenges that lie ahead, we have to have hope.
Hope is important.
[posted on 1/1/09]
Hope is important.
[posted on 1/1/09]
Mr. November
OK, there's some irony in juxtaposing pictures of Obama with the lyrics, "I'm the Great White Hope." And well, I do hope (it's about hope, right) that the refrain turns out to be true.
But, The National is my current favorite band and the visuals are great, so:
[posted on 11/1/08]
But, The National is my current favorite band and the visuals are great, so:
[posted on 11/1/08]
Local voices in Ohio
truth and hope.org created these videos. You can donate to help get these ads on the air here And check out their Mamas for Obama videos, too.
[posted on 10/24/08]
Local voices in Nevada
truth and hope.org created these videos. You can donate to help get these ads on the air here. They also have some great Elders for Obama ads too.
[posted on 10/24/08]
Local voices in Missouri
truth and hope.org created these videos. You can donate to help get these ads on the air here.
[posted on 10/24/08]
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Remember the Unitarian Jihad?
Their manifesto started out like this and only got better from there:
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Sister Divine Atom Bomb of Serene Freedom. What's yours?
[posted on 8/8/08]
Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Sister Divine Atom Bomb of Serene Freedom. What's yours?
[posted on 8/8/08]
Paris's, er, Obama's Energy Plan
This is a hoot. Thing is, what she presents as "her" plan is actually Obama's plan. McCain just wants to drill, period.
[posted on 8/5/08]
See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die
[posted on 8/5/08]
Netroots for the troops
I'm deleting most of the original post, since it was very long and mostly had to do with how to help with the project.
The Netroots for the Troops project is done! We ended up packing 130 boxes at Netroots Nation in Austin, and roses, jnhobbs, and I made sure they all got mailed. (The Oak Hill post office knew me very well by the time it was all done, and I knew just about everyone who works there by name. Thanks Guy, Gus, Eli, Leo, Chris, and Henry . . . you all were s-o-o-o-o helpful!)
From the Netroots for the Troops series of diaries at Daily Kos, greenies' diary:
NFTT stands for Netroots for the Troops, a coalition of the IGTNT and Mojo Friday crews. With the generous support of the Daily Kos community, Netroots for the Troops is hosting a Care Packages for the Troops seminar at Netroots Nation 2008 in Austin on July 19.
Perhaps you are like lots of people - you've thought about sending a care package to the troops, but just haven't gotten around to it. Now's your chance to do something for the troops by helping to send them things they truly need.
Netroots for the Troops is holding a seminar on Saturday, July 19, 2008, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Netroots Nation 2008 on how to pack and ship troop support care packages. Participants will get hands-on experience by helping us fill care packages that will be sent directly from Austin to our brave men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our aim is to ship a total of 101 care packages - and that’s where you come in.
[posted on 6/19/08]
The Netroots for the Troops project is done! We ended up packing 130 boxes at Netroots Nation in Austin, and roses, jnhobbs, and I made sure they all got mailed. (The Oak Hill post office knew me very well by the time it was all done, and I knew just about everyone who works there by name. Thanks Guy, Gus, Eli, Leo, Chris, and Henry . . . you all were s-o-o-o-o helpful!)
From the Netroots for the Troops series of diaries at Daily Kos, greenies' diary:
115° in Iraq and No Complaints
What struck me was that there wasn't even the hint of a complaint from either of these men.
NFTT stands for Netroots for the Troops, a coalition of the IGTNT and Mojo Friday crews. With the generous support of the Daily Kos community, Netroots for the Troops is hosting a Care Packages for the Troops seminar at Netroots Nation 2008 in Austin on July 19.
Perhaps you are like lots of people - you've thought about sending a care package to the troops, but just haven't gotten around to it. Now's your chance to do something for the troops by helping to send them things they truly need.
Netroots for the Troops is holding a seminar on Saturday, July 19, 2008, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Netroots Nation 2008 on how to pack and ship troop support care packages. Participants will get hands-on experience by helping us fill care packages that will be sent directly from Austin to our brave men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our aim is to ship a total of 101 care packages - and that’s where you come in.
[posted on 6/19/08]
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