Fri 28 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
On the eve of the Iraq War, in March 2003, Time Magazine ran an online poll asking which country posed the greatest threat to world peace : North Korea, Iraq or the United States?
700,000 respondents, from around the world. Well, they were right, weren’t they?
Time Magazine didn’t ask that question again.
(via Reddit)
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Wed 26 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
Reddit pulled a thousand contributions to a recent question :
Some of the most popular choices, that I’ve seen and would recommend in a spluttering frenzy of movie addict babble :
*2001: A Space Odyssey
*Apocalypse Now
*Baraka
*Big Fish
*Brazil
*Butterfly Effect
*Children of Men
*City of God
*City of Lost Children
*Clockwork Orange
*Dark City
*Dark Star
*The Departed
*Eraserhead
*The Fall
*Fargo
*Fight Club
*Full Metal Jacket
*Gattaca
*Holy Mountain
*The Inside Man
*Jacob’s Ladder
*Koyaanisqatsi
*Memento
*Mullholland Drive
*Pan’s Labyrinth
*Primer
*The Prestige
*Pulp Fiction
*Sin City
*Sunshine
*Taxi Driver
*Trainspotting
*V for Vendetta
*Waking Life
Reads like my ultimate movie festival list.
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Wed 26 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
The bit about a minute in where this toxoplasma gondii-infected woman washes the paws of her cat is hilariously surreal, and even more fucked up than the fact she taught her cat to eat with a fork, and yeah, chopsticks :
A fantastic comment board filled with toxoplasma gondii victims, marveling at how cats can learn to open bathroom doors, and then teach other cats how to do it, too.
I recently left the Old Cat inherited after a family death boarded at the vet’s for 10 days, the cat is 17 and needed a full service. Let’s just say I was not given a friendly welcome when we went to pick him up on return. I’ve since endured days and nights filled with incredibly irritated yowls from the Old Cat, which I’m sure can be translated as “What the fuck was THAT all about? Huh? HUH? Ten days?! They only fed me twice, TWICE! a day and they stuck a fucking tube up my arse! You are so NOT forgiven yet.”
When I couldn’t take the constant interruptions anymore, I dared to give the old cat a light smack near the tail. Twelve hours of utter silence followed, punctuated by the occasional snort of disgusted disbelief. Then about about 4am, in the middle of a fantastically deep and dream-rich sleep, the old cat carved a two inch long scratch across my forehead.
I’m still not forgiven.
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Wed 26 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
This is the kind of movie I need to see. Simple, straightforward, with no weird stuff :
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Wed 26 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
Michael Jackson before and after he became heavily addicted to pharmaceutical painkillers, and assorted mindfreakers
Note : The below story was originally published on Your New Reality back on June 30. I’m reposting it, as the Old Media catches up on this story.
By Darryl Mason
It seems likely a murder, or at least involuntary manslaughter, investigation into the death of Michael Jackson will be announced within the next few weeks, once toxicology reports are finished. The massive insurance policies connected to Michael Jackson, his business interests and the 50 London concerts he was never going to perform, will demand it.
The pharmaceutical industry that allows one person to run up $100,000 in local drug store debt to pay for even more pills would be my first suspect.
But others may have been involved. Besides being only 58 kilos, and ravaged by two decades of addiction to prescription drugs, Jackson’s body apparently bore wounds around the knees and shins and cuts across his back.
Some quotes not getting headlines :
Liza Minnelli – “all hell’s going to break loose when the autopsy results come in”.Reverend Jesse Jackson : “It’s abnormal. We don’t know what happened. Was he injected and with what? All reasonable doubt should be addressed.”
Lisa Marie Presley : “Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general…he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my father’s death. At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, ‘I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did’.”
Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson, thinks something sinister happened to his son :
“Michael was dead before he left the house. I’m suspecting foul play somewhere. He was waving to everybody and telling them he loves them and all the fans at the gate. A few minutes after Michael was out there, he was dead.”
What will Americans think, or do, if it turns out the King of Pop was murdered?
The music industry, where history never stops repeating itself.
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Wed 26 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
In just a few days, the trailer for Michael Moore’s new doco ‘Capitalism : A Love Story’ has racked up more than 300,000 views on YouTube. Moore is not quite as forgotten or irrelevant as some might have you believe. Or want you to believe.
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Fri 21 Aug 2009
Written by Michael Vass
Has anyone noticed the new ad for Sen. Kristen Gillibrand that has been airing in New York State? I saw it for the first time yesterday, and I am trying to get a copy for my readers.
Essentially the political commercial shows a smiling Sen. Gillibrand in various poses and in the public while the voice over describes the ‘intense’ efforts she has made to secure health care for New York residents. Which sounds fantastic. Too bad that’s all it is, a bunch of air.
I take exception with Sen. Gillibrand and her ad. The effort is obvious that she is gearing up for the mid-term elections. She is spinning her polispeak, and trying to set aside any questions voters might have about her time in elected office. She is trying to look like she has done something for voters.
But Sen. Gillibrand is far more accurately visualized as a groundhog. By that I mean she is afraid to stick out her head and see what voters have to say. On Aug 14th it was reported by the New York Daily News that both Sen. Gillibrand and Sen. Schumer will not hold any town hall meetings about the current Health Care Reform Bill in Congress. Add to that the fact that Sen. Gillibrand has so far refused to respond, in any manner, the letter I sent her and Sen. Schumer and Rep. Hinchey. That letter was sent on the 11th, via email and in physical form.
So far, only Sen. Schumer has responded to the 22 questions I posed to the NY elected officials. And that response was a form letter that did not answer a single question I asked, nor provided a single detail or fact about the Health Care Reform that he is an advocate of. But at least he did have a response.
Sen. Gillibrand therefore is in the lowest level of elected officials in my mind. She is preparing to spin ads and polispeak her way through the 2010 mid-term elections. Yet she refuses to do the most essential thing a Senator should do, listen to her constituents. She won’t even provide us with a single reason to consider the Health Care Reform Bill. Which I find insulting.
Perhaps the New York Democrats believe they don’t need to answer to the voting public. Perhaps they believe they know what is best for all New Yorkers. Because that is what their actions seem to portray. But in 41 years of life I have yet to see a single politicians that is more concerned about the public than their own political careers. This is just the most obvious reflection of that attitude.
This is not about political parties. This is about an elected official doing their job. It is their obligation to make us informed of critical, and all, proposed laws they will vote on. It is their obligation to vote as is our consensus. Not to their party line or benefit.
Sen. Gillibrand will be filling the airwaves with comments of how she has done a great job, but I ask how good can she be if she has no idea what people feel? She wants to state she is representing the State with honor, yet how honorable is an elected official that can’t be bothered to respond to constituents? She wants to smile at us through a television screen, but does not have the conviction to face us in person. Imagine how strong her voice could be in trying to vote along our views? Imagine who she really cares about, the elected politicians and Party members she surrounds herself with or the public she is sworn to represent?
The question is not if I agree with everything she votes for or states. No elected official can be loved by all the public all the time. But that is a far cry for blatantly ignoring the public as they try to ensure that she hears our voices.
I spare Sen. Schumer only because he has at least made the appearance of listening. That only places him 1 notch above Sen. Gillibrand. It’s a minor notch and I will address it once I see his political ads throughout 2010. Rep. Hinchey is right at the same level as Gillibrand for me, he just hasn’t put any ads out yet.
Don’t forget this display of respect to the public in 2010. Never forget how well our Senators and Representatives have listened to our direct opinions. Never forget how well they consider the thoughts of regular people they represent. Because by November of 2010 they will be counting on you not remembering.
Wed 19 Aug 2009
Written by Michael Vass
On August 11, 2009 I sent email and written letters to Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer, Representative Hinchey, and President Obama about the proposed Health Care Reform Bill currently in Congress. To date there has been only 1 response, from Senator Charles Schumer.
The entire email from Senator Schumer can be seen in the comments section of the post Asking Sen. Gillibrand, Sen. Schumer, Rep. Hinchey about the Healthcare Bill. This post is a commentary on the response I have received compared to what I asked.
First I want to thank Senator Schumer for responding. On an issue that is so critical to the nation, and so hotly debated, information is critical. I am happy to be able to share his response with all my readers, and the constituents of New York State that Sen. Schumer represents.
As to what I asked Sen. Schumer, I detailed 22 questions that I have found to be among the top questions Americans have about the health Care Reform and how it will affect American lives. Senator Schumer provided me what I believe is a form letter response. That response did not answer even the most simple question I asked,
“Have you personally read and understood all 1000+ pages of the proposed Health Care Reform Bill?”
Worse, the letter sent to me by Sen. Schumer assumes I support the Health Care Reform being proposed, and the public option.
“Thank you for contacting me and expressing your support for increasing access and coverage in health care reform.”
To be clear, I took a neutral stance in my letter asking that he provide answers to questions only.
Sen. Schumer further stated
“I also strongly support the establishment of a public health insurance option which would create a not-for-profit insurance plan, started by the government, which would compete on a level playing field with existing private health insurance plans. Because the public health insurance option would be not-for-profit, it would help to lower premiums and, therefore, exert downward pressure on the premiums of existing insurance plans. This change is pro-consumer because it adds competition to insurance markets, allowing New Yorkers and all Americans one more choice of affordable and comprehensive health insurance.”
It’s a nice pat response. But it does not address the question of why alternatives are not on the table. Like increasing competition by allowing Americans to pick ANY insurance plan in the nation and not just those in their state. Or the question of why any employer would continue to pay increased costs to maintain a healthcare plan (that workers may be happy with) when they can increase funds by dropping healthcare and forcing workers onto the Government plan (which they may not like or want). Or other questions that I directly asked about
“2) Does the current Health Care Reform Bill (HCRB) require any Americans to switch existing coverage to a Government plan? If so how many Americans are estimated to be required to change and where does that estimate come from?
7) Is there a punitive cost to the HCRB? To clarify, it has been stated that those electing not to take the Government plan will incur a 2.5% penalty assessed in their taxes. Is that correct? Is there any additional cost beyond that?
11) Will the American Government have access to private patient information that is currently restricted by law from the Government database?
12) What incentive will private insurers (who employ tens of thousands of Americans) have to compete with a Government plan that is paid for by taxpayers and thus can be run at an annual loss?
15) Will Congress and/or any elected official be mandated to be covered by the exact same Government program as the general public? If not why?19) Why is there a need to pass the HCRB before the 4th quarter? Already we have seen that immediate passage of the Obama Stimulus package created unforeseen problems, as one example. Why is taking more time to review all aspects of the 1100 page Bill, and it’s most likely effects, counter-productive to the American public?
21) How many of the estimated 47 million people (roughly 12% of all Americans) without healthcare will remain without coverage based on the HCRB, if any?”
Notice that not one of my questions, and there are more, is answered. Not one of the issues that Americans across the globe have raised is covered. Not one reason other than Sen. Schumer says it’s a good idea and that he is working hard is provided.
Now I will not make a conclusion about the response of Sen. Schumer, beyond what observations I have already made. I leave that to you my reader.
Is his response to my 22 questions good enough? Is his answer enough of a reason for you to support the Health Care Reform? Are your questions answered?
I do not know if, or when, any other elected official will respond to my 22 questions on Health Care Reform. I do know that when the mid-term elections of 2010 come up, I will make sure that the several hundred thousand voting Americans that read my posts are reminded of the verbatim response (or lack thereof) our elected officials felt was worthy of giving the public.
In addition, I will be sending another letter to Sen. Schumer. In that letter, which I will provide to my readers on this blog, I will remind the Senator that he failed to address a single concern I mentioned. And that as a voting New York State resident, as well as member of the press, I am deserving of a bit more than what seems to be a form letter that fails to provide any direct or indirect information on one of the admittedly most important issues of our day.
Perhaps Sen. Schumer will respond better on the second try. In addition, I will attempt to contact the Senator via phone.
More as I have details.
Tue 18 Aug 2009
Written by Black Entertainment USA
Are you a fan of Oliver Stone? I used to be, for a while. Like most people I loved several of his films. He made a visual impact that allowed the viewer to get a serious sense of the world he portrayed on film. Then he decided to get preachy, and showcased his own political beliefs. Which is when he lost me and many others.
Stone is probably best known for his film, Platoon. It was a serious and mostly honest view of aspects of fighting in Viet Nam. Many vets I know appreciated the feel of the film, something that Stone knows well as a decorated (Purple Heart and Bronze Star) Viet Nam-era Army soldier.
He also made Wall Street, a huge film that hit big. It showcased the 1980’s drive for success at all costs. It also gave us a hint at his own views of Wall Street. In his visual depiction it was a place of greed and corruption, filled with the morally corrupt. A view that I personally found insulting once I became a stockbroker and learned the reality of what that important tool of the economy is really about.
He has also made Natural Born Killers (a film originally written by Quentin Tarrantino – who disliked the film enough to ask his name be removed from it) and Any Given Sunday – which really gave Jamie Foxx a chance to breakout in Hollywood.
But those are his successful films. Each was a good film with an interesting view of life. It’s what’s kept him working and his name high in Hollywood circles (besides Stone’s political views). It is his flops, or less successful films that has lost him the fanbase that he once commanded.
Oliver Stone is a Liberal. There is no question or shame in that. It’s just that he has emphasized that in his growing body of work. And he has basked in the Hollywood liberal mentality while audiences have generally shunned him.
His film JFK was a slanted and biased depiction that fed the conspiracy theorists in the nation. His film Nixon insulted the memory of a controversial President under the guise as a search for the truth. His film World Trade Center, while honoring the efforts of many on 9/11, was factually incorrect to the point of changing a major real life hero from Black to White. That film did ok, but was no great success. I won’t mention his Comandante – a documentary about Fidel Castro. And with the film W., Stone completely disgraced the Office of the Presidency, the sitting President, and America in my opinion.
At the time I stated
… Could I be wrong about the film? … sure, and it is mathematically probable that I can fly, piss on the sun and put it out, and/or suddenly have a stroke and thus believe that Code Pink and San Francisco know what they are doing. But back in the real world, Oliver Stone is doing a wretched thing.”
Obviously, Stone is not the only one to have strong views about America.
But I say all this because Oliver Stone will be providing America with what he calls “Oliver Stone’s Secret History of America”.
In this televised series America will be provided the truth, according to Stone, about actions behind the scenes in American History. Considering the flawed, biased, political views that Stone provides in his movies it is likely to be about as accurate as my describing the benefits of Socialism. Or perhaps the fun of hammering a nail through your own genitals.
Can Oliver Stone be a great director? When he gets out of the way of his ego and personal political views, sure. But as time moves on, it seems that Stone is more interested in highlighting his own political agenda on the big screen for Moveon.org and Code Pink than caring what an audience might find entertaining.
So I advise avoiding Stone’s “History” because I believe it will be his-story. Rather I suggest reading a good fiction novel if that’s what you want to be entertained by.
Thu 13 Aug 2009
Written by Michael Vass
Recently I have been discussing the Health Care Reform Bill that is before Congress and heavily promoted by the White House. To that end, in an effort to resolve some of the most important and critical questions I have heard, read, and considered I sent emails and physical letters to Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand, Representative Hinchey, and President Obama. To date I have only received an automated response of receipt of my email from Sen. Schumer.
But like many that have been called Nazis, fanatics, and schills for corporations because they oppose or question the Health Care Reform Bill, and/or other Obama Administration policies, I too have been attacked and challenged. Many of these challenges or attacks have come personally to me in person or via email.
One point that I thought was quite interesting was a challenge to address a statement I have made multiple times over the past 3 – 6 months. That 70% or more of the promises by the Obama Administration have been broken. I was challenged to prove this statement.
Thus I can say without any reservation that I was wrong. Of the 515 campaign promises recorded by Politifact, an organization I have no connection to but have used as a source on multiple posts especially during the 2008 election, only 7 promises qualify under their standards as having been broken.
To be explicitly clear, only 7% (34 of 515) of promises made by President Obama have been kept to date. 73% (374 of 515) of all promises made by President Obama have been completely ignored. And to be fair, some 77 promises are or have been compromised to varying degrees to date. Several campaign promises that are under way are connected to the Health Care Reform.
Of course all promises made by President Obama are not equal. Included in the 7% are promises like getting a dog for his children, and appointing a Republican to his Cabinet. The last being an item I dispute as President Obama did not appoint any NEW Republicans, nor has he ADDED any. He in fact just kept Gates in his role with Defense, and is the only Republican. That to me is not an Obama action but a Bush action. I would count that as a broken promise.
Additionally there are 12 items that have completely stalled. These are promises like those pertaining to Gitmo and the detainees held there, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell program, the Windfall tax on oil companies, and the Pay-As-You-Go budget. Again I find his actions in regard to the budget to be a complete failure from what was promised. But I did not count that in any of the figures stated above.
Nor do I find the question of going “line by line” over earmarks to prevent wasteful spending to be a questionable promise. With earmarks in the Stimulus package (no matter how few or relatively small compared to the $787 billion spent) and another 9,000 in the $410 billion Government Spending Omnibus (keeps the Gov’t operating) and not a single complaint or attempt to remove them, I find this to be another Obama broken promise.
But of the promises made that there is no question have been broken I think it is a glaring statement that transparency has been the hardest hit. President Obama campaigned on promises of change, of getting the public involved, or cutting the size of Government and reducing waste and spending.
President Obama promised to provide 5 days of public comment before signing any Bill. Not only has he not done that repeatedly, the White House website is designed to make finding legislation and/or commenting about legislation that is found, extremely difficult to do. Thus eliminating transparency and ignoring public concerns.
Which is not unlike what is happening with the Health Care Reform now. Top Democrats are calling dissenters and those with questions about the 1000+ page Bill in Congress radical mobs and un-American. This is happening while EVERY poll in America states that at least 50% of the public oppose the current Bill. And it is also going hand in hand with another campaign promise that was blatantly broken. President Obama promised to negotiate health care reform in public sessions broadcast on C-SPAN for the entire nation to behold.
So all in all I am wrong. President Obama has not broken explicitly 70% of his campaign promises. He has ignored, broken, compromised and left in the dust 93% of every campaign promise he has made. Which says nothing of what has happened with the promises he has kept
…campaign promises PolitiFact says Obama has unquestionably broken, five would have limited his own power, provided tax breaks, or provided more accountability and transparency to the federal government… So far, he hasn’t broken a single promise that would grow or expand the government, though he has compromised on a few, and many have been stalled.”
I do think I have addressed the challenge place before me. I fail to see the improvement in what the Obama Administration has done. I honestly believe that supporters of Democrats and President Obama were better off not having the facts brought to light. My impression of 70% wrong and blatant lying is far better than the 93% fact that he has failed to live up to on campaign promises that caused him to be elected.
Lastly, I will whole-heartedly agree with one campaign promise that President Obama made repeatedly and has kept. Change. America is in the throes of change all right. Though only the most Liberal, and the majority of the major media, find these changes to be positive for the nation.
Tue 11 Aug 2009
Written by Michael Vass
The following is the exact email sent to Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer, Representative Hinchey about the proposed Health Care Reform Bill currently under debate in Congress.
Each of the above represent me from New York State. That is the only reason each was sent the following email (also to be sent August 11th via regular mail).
The only purpose is to have real, exact answers from Congressional Representatives on this critical issue. All responses will be verbatim. All questions are based on those posed to me by real Americans across the country, and my own questions. The questions and this post are without political backing of any group.
In addition a similar copy has been sent to President Barack Obama as well.
President Barack Obama, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer, Representative Hinchey
My name is Michael Vass. I am a citizen of New York State and the United States of America, of voting age, a former member of the military, a small business owner, and involved in politics. You are my representative in Congress and Washington D.C.
I write for blogs (including Black Entertainment USA, VASS, Presidential Race Blog, Breaking News Blog, Worth Blog, ect) on numerous topics, which includes American politics, and am considered a member of the press (at least on a local level). My political writing has readers of multiple political party affiliations, and consistently number in excess of 100,000 per month per blog.
I have stated all that as I have questions in regard to the health care reform that is being debated in Congress at this time. Based on my own research I have several beliefs, but I believe there is no better source for verification of the truth than the legislative representatives that represent me in Washington D.C.
In addition, I will provide all my questions, and any and all responses from you, to my readers so that they may draw their own conclusions on this vital issue.
I pride myself on providing factual evidence and never altering a single word of any person I have ever interviewed. To that end, my corporation and my personal reputation guarantee that any response on the questions I ask will be verbatim as they always have been. And I will also offer you the ability to answer any and all of my questions in person on video or via a representative of your choosing, at your preference.
The questions I would ask of you are the following:
- 1) There has been some debate about the cost of current proposals for the Health Care Reform Bill. Estimates range from several hundred billion dollars to in excess of $1.5 trillion. What is the actual cost of the entire Health Care Reform Bill as currently stipulated? Is this cost verified by the CBO or other Independent Agency? Does this cost include Medicare and other similar pre-existing programs?
- 2) Does the current Health Care Reform Bill (HCRB) require any Americans to switch existing coverage to a Government plan? If so how many Americans are estimated to be required to change and where does that estimate come from?
- 3) What is the on-going cost of the HCRB? To clarify, once enacted how many new Government workers will be required to run the program and what cost will the program have on an annual basis?
- 4) What is the estimated cost of coverage for a family of 3 (ie. husband and wife with 1 pre-teen child) making $30,000 that currently does not have health coverage, per month? Where does that estimate come from?
- 5) What is the cost of coverage for the same family as noted above that had private insurance and switched?
- 6) How much does the cost change based on income and/or additional children from the above figures?
- 7) Is there a punitive cost to the HCRB? To clarify, it has been stated that those electing not to take the Government plan will incur a 2.5% penalty assessed in their taxes. Is that correct? Is there any additional cost beyond that?
- 8 ) There is some question as to whether the elderly and/or those with handicaps might suffer changes to their current health care coverage. Will coverage for the abovementioned groups ever change? Who decides the changes in coverage for these groups?
- 9) There have been questions in the nature of health care the HCRB will provide. Many refer to the Canadian and British Health Care Systems. In both of these national systems it is factual that there is a backlog for certain procedures, such as knee surgery and mammograms among others, that extends for several months. What guarantees does the HCRB provide to ensure this does not happen in America?
- 10) It is also a fact that certain medications are withheld from certain groups in the British and Canadian healthcare models. What guarantee is there in the HCRB that will ensure medications for the elderly, or for Breast Cancer patients (as is a factual example in Britian), are not restricted or precluded from coverage? Also what ensures that guarantee will never change?
- 11) Will the American Government have access to private patient information that is currently restricted by law from the Government database?
- 12) What incentive will private insurers (who employ tens of thousands of Americans) have to compete with a Government plan that is paid for by taxpayers and thus can be run at an annual loss?
- 13) Will the HCRB create new or increased taxes for businesses? If so, how much and what if any businesses are exempt?
- 14) If the HCRB does not run at a loss, creating a profit of any amount, what is to be done with the money generated?
- 15) Will Congress and/or any elected official be mandated to be covered by the exact same Government program as the general public? If not why?
- 16) The inception of Medicare and other similar Government programs were created with initial budgets that ensured solvency. Since that time they have grown in size and cost to be over 1000x projected costs. What safeguards are in place to ensure that the HCRB does not grow in a similar manner?
- 17) Why have provisions, such as the ability of the Government to enter a private home and instruct parent about raising children (on a voluntary basis), been included in the HCRB?
- 18) Current estimates state that the proposed means of paying for the HCRB – taxes on the top 1 – 5% of incomes – will not cover the cost of the Bill. In fact, if estimates are correct, the entire tax revenue (non-recessionary) of the U.S. is not enough to cover the cost of HCRB. Where exactly will the difference, if any, come from?
- 19) Why is there a need to pass the HCRB before the 4th quarter? Already we have seen that immediate passage of the Obama Stimulus package created unforeseen problems, as one example. Why is taking more time to review all aspects of the 1100 page Bill, and it’s most likely effects, counter-productive to the American public?
- 20) Will the HCRB provide coverage to illegal aliens (undocumented workers)? If so, how does that coverage factor into individual costs and/or the national cost?
- 21) How many of the estimated 47 million people (roughly 12% of all Americans) without healthcare will remain without coverage based on the HCRB, if any?
These are the main questions I have heard and discussed with colleagues, business owners, and average working Americans across the nation in every age group, race, religion, ethnic background, and economic status for the past 2 months. These are the questions that I believe that constituents in New York State would like to have an answer to.
The above questions are precluded by a single question. I have assumed the answer, but for the sake of absolute clarity I will ask it.
Have you personally read and understood all 1000+ pages of the proposed Health Care Reform Bill? I want to thank you for your response to each of these questions. As I stated I believe voters in this State, as well as across the nation will appreciate your direct simple answers to these questions. I have no doubt that upon hearing the facts, as your answers will attest to, the voting public will be able to determine if they wish to support or reject the HCRB. And once the voters that elected you to office have spoken, I have no doubt that you will act as they have mandated.
As stated at the beginning of this letter, I will be placing this entire document on the internet. I will be sending this to your offices in New York State and in Washington D.C., via email and in physical form via U.S. mail. You are welcome to respond via comment, email, or in person (or via a direct representative in person). Any and every response will be posted verbatim, so that no voter or citizen of the nation will have any question about your response.
If you have any question about anything I have asked, or wish to arrange for any form of response, you may contact my at 718-344-6921 or via email at info@vassconsult.com. Due to the public nature of this letter, I hope you understand that both are my business contact information, but will ensure contact with me.
I thank you for taking the time to respond to your constituents, most directly myself.
Sincerely
Michael Vass
President of M V Consulting, Inc.
info@vassconsult.com
718-344-6921
***Feel free to copy this letter and send it to your Congressional Representatives, with your own name and address.***
Mon 10 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
It’ll be quiet on Your New Reality for a few days.
But I’m writing a series of stories about Rupert Murdoch’s desperate plans to introduce a ‘You Must Pay!’ online standard for mainstream news media to save his empire, and hopelessly attempt to control information in the digital media age, over at :
There should be five or six stories published at The Orstrahyun this week, so come on over.
Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.
Thu 6 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
By Darryl Mason
Thank you, Reuters, you understand, or at least you understand you don’t really have a choice. Read the excerpts that Reuters are happy for me to run, but also click here and read the whole story :
….the Internet isn’t killing the news business any more than TV killed radio or radio killed the newspaper. Incumbent business leaders in news haven’t been keeping up. Many leaders continue to help push the business into the ditch by wasting “resources” (management speak for talented people) on recycling commodity news. Reader habits are changing and vertically curated views need to be meshed with horizontal read-around ones.
Blaming the new leaders or aggregators for disrupting the business of the old leaders, or saber-rattling and threatening to sue are not business strategies – they are personal therapy sessions. Go ask a music executive how well it works.
A better approach is to have a general agreement among community members to treat others’ content, business and ideas with the same respect you would want them to treat yours.
If you are doing something that you would object to if others did it to you – stop. If you don’t want search engines linking to you, insert code to ban them.
I believe in the link economy. Please feel free to link to our stories — it adds value to all producers of content. I believe you should play fair and encourage your readers to read-around to what others are producing if you use it and find it interesting.
I don’t believe you could or should charge others for simply linking to your content. Appropriate excerpting and referencing are not only acceptable, but encouraged. If someone wants to create a business on the back of others’ original content, the parties should have a business relationship that benefits both.
Let’s stop whining and start having real conversations across party lines.
My suggestion is we start with “do unto others” as our guiding spirit – I bet it would make all of our mothers proud.
For being so nice to bloggers and not threatening us with lawsuits for linking to or excepting from or mocking or rewriting your stories, you earn a very special Mega Sized Link :
Reuters Embraces New Non-Murdoch Online Media, Announces They Want Bloggers To Link To Their Stories And Share Them
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Thu 6 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
64 years ago today, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the civilians of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, instantly killing more than 140,000 people. A reanactment :
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Thu 6 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
On the right is 1GB of memory, circa 1980. On the left is 1GB of memory in 2005 :
In a decade, we’ll be wearing wireless exobyte jewellery to enhance brain function.
(Photo source via Digg)
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Thu 6 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
Radiohead have paid tribute to Harry Patch, the last of World War I’s trench veterans to die. The new song was recorded within days of Patch’s death, at 111, and is now appearing on thousands of blogs and news sites across the world. You can hear Harry Patch (In Memory Of) streaming here. Or you can buy a copy of the song from the Radiohead site, with all profits going to the Royal British Legion charity.
The words that Thom Yorke sings over the beautiful orchestral strings in the tribute come from an interview Harry Patch gave to the BBC in 2005.
I am the only one that got through
The others died where ever they fell
It was an ambush
They came up from all sides
Give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
I’ve seen devils coming up from the ground
I’ve seen hell upon this earth
The next (war) will be chemical but they will never learn
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Sun 2 Aug 2009
Submitted by YOUR NEW REALITY
A collection of rare Star Wars photos, including this beauty :
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