Of all the things Sarah Palin said in her RNC speech, her quip insulting community organizers bothered me the most.
[If you didn't watch her speech, she said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."]
It's one thing to point out your opponent's faults - it's something else entirely to attack a profession that exists to improve communities. I mean, come on, who hates on social workers? Low blow, Sarah. I guess you wanna play nasty. That's not very Christian and motherly, is it?
I felt a little vindicated when I found this NPR story. I sent it to my very Republican mom.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Woes of the Uninsured
I have not had health insurance for almost a year, and this week, I had my first doctor's visit without insurance. I have a spider bite on my ankle, and it has swelled and itched and turned a slight purple color. It's not a life-threatening bite, but it's still worrisome.
One of my roommates is an occupational therapist and took some pre-nursing classes in college. She knows a good deal more than I do about these medical-related things, and she was concerned after it had been red and puss-filled for a few days.
One of her co-workers is a physical therapist/wound-care specialist, and she graciously looked at the bite on her lunch break. She told me there wasn't much she could do and recommended going to an urgent care facility or community clinic.
Then another one of her co-workers helped me look up free clinics and recommended one she used when she was sans-insurance. So I went there after visiting the hospital, and they told me they weren't accepting any new patients. Instead, they gave me a list of medical facilities around the city where I could find "affordable" car.
I called several places, only to find that most of the clinics for the uninsured are all booked, not accepting new patients. So I settled for an urgent care clinic near my neighborhood, which is decidedly low-income and more likely to be home to the uninsured.
So after the ordeal of searching for a place that would not break my bank account or overload my credit card, I was able to see a doctor. He told me he's pretty sure it's only a spider bite and it's not infected. He said some doctors prescribe steroids for spider bites to reduce swelling and itching, but he doesn't like to do that because of potentially harmful side affects. It ended up costing me $65.
I'm partially relieved it's not more serious and that it didn't cost me too much. At the same time, I'm still frustrated because the system is clearly not working. I spent $65 at a cheaper clinic for a 10 minute consultation. Had he given me a prescription, I'm sure it would have cost me at least another $30. While a spider bite is troubling, something so minor should not cost so much.
No one should be searching for the "best deal" on health care, and cost should never take precedence over quality. But that's the way it is right now, and the non-profit community clinics are strained and overbooked.
I know I'm gambling, but I'm also the victim of a fucked-up system. I'm not sure what the solution is, but the more I deal with this system, the better Canada's looks.
One of my roommates is an occupational therapist and took some pre-nursing classes in college. She knows a good deal more than I do about these medical-related things, and she was concerned after it had been red and puss-filled for a few days.
One of her co-workers is a physical therapist/wound-care specialist, and she graciously looked at the bite on her lunch break. She told me there wasn't much she could do and recommended going to an urgent care facility or community clinic.
Then another one of her co-workers helped me look up free clinics and recommended one she used when she was sans-insurance. So I went there after visiting the hospital, and they told me they weren't accepting any new patients. Instead, they gave me a list of medical facilities around the city where I could find "affordable" car.
I called several places, only to find that most of the clinics for the uninsured are all booked, not accepting new patients. So I settled for an urgent care clinic near my neighborhood, which is decidedly low-income and more likely to be home to the uninsured.
So after the ordeal of searching for a place that would not break my bank account or overload my credit card, I was able to see a doctor. He told me he's pretty sure it's only a spider bite and it's not infected. He said some doctors prescribe steroids for spider bites to reduce swelling and itching, but he doesn't like to do that because of potentially harmful side affects. It ended up costing me $65.
I'm partially relieved it's not more serious and that it didn't cost me too much. At the same time, I'm still frustrated because the system is clearly not working. I spent $65 at a cheaper clinic for a 10 minute consultation. Had he given me a prescription, I'm sure it would have cost me at least another $30. While a spider bite is troubling, something so minor should not cost so much.
No one should be searching for the "best deal" on health care, and cost should never take precedence over quality. But that's the way it is right now, and the non-profit community clinics are strained and overbooked.
I know I'm gambling, but I'm also the victim of a fucked-up system. I'm not sure what the solution is, but the more I deal with this system, the better Canada's looks.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Pitbull in Lipstick...
I'm honestly conflicted about Sarah Palin.
She's the picture of Republican feminism - a pretty soccer mom who won't compromise her stance. She says she can keep up with men, taking down the media and community organizers on her way.
I won't dare call her a bitch. She has to be a bitch (a pitbull, perhaps?) and I applaud her for that. But I couldn't sit through all the biting partisan rhetoric in her speech two nights ago. Is it worse because it's coming from a woman?
Maybe what's the worst is the way she uses her family. They're all-American and patriotic and just like you and me. She says the media should leave her family alone, but only because her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. But when her family is the sparkling picture of Americana - the baby she kept because his life was precious, her oldest son's military service - then they're worth bragging on.
You know what? It's all political. She's a woman in politics, and she's using everything she can to make people think they should vote GOP in November. And let's face it, the McCain campaign needed a woman who wasn't a Barbie.
Now, I just hope they'll go easier on Michelle Obama.
She's the picture of Republican feminism - a pretty soccer mom who won't compromise her stance. She says she can keep up with men, taking down the media and community organizers on her way.
I won't dare call her a bitch. She has to be a bitch (a pitbull, perhaps?) and I applaud her for that. But I couldn't sit through all the biting partisan rhetoric in her speech two nights ago. Is it worse because it's coming from a woman?
Maybe what's the worst is the way she uses her family. They're all-American and patriotic and just like you and me. She says the media should leave her family alone, but only because her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. But when her family is the sparkling picture of Americana - the baby she kept because his life was precious, her oldest son's military service - then they're worth bragging on.
You know what? It's all political. She's a woman in politics, and she's using everything she can to make people think they should vote GOP in November. And let's face it, the McCain campaign needed a woman who wasn't a Barbie.
Now, I just hope they'll go easier on Michelle Obama.
Friday, August 29, 2008
A Tutorial on How NOT to Write a Book Review
I know the internet is the great equalizer of our time. There are no gatekeepers. Anyone can write anything, no matter how dull, pointless, or just plain dumb. Within the world of social networking sites, idiots are likely to pop up, but you can always turn the down as friends.
However, I have a higher standard for Goodreads, the social networking site for people who actually read books. I expect people who spend enough time reading to warrant creating a Goodreads profile to at least comment on their reading selections with some intelligence.
But this is the internet, and I should never have expected so much. Here are my favorite stupid comments on some of my latest book choices:
On Naomi Klein's No Logo
"Ok ok ok, I know the hype surrounding this book. Your dreddy activist friend keeps recommending this to you. That dirty hippy that is a total vagabond is doing the same.
Well, what sold me on this book was an image taken from a busy street with all of the logo's removed using Photoshop. Striking.
And the book is long, interesting and at times redundant. Naomi Klein is hot, first of all, but mainly she's right. Advertising ruined the planet. Basically."
On David Kuo's Tempting Faith
"Zzzzzz...*snort*...*cough* *cough*...zzzzz..."
On David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames
"1. I HATE men who don't do the dishes, I hate it when they sit around and let women do the dishes. David Sedaris doesn't do the dishes and I am glad, because it shows I can hatefully resent slash stereotype gay and straight men equally, and therefore I'm probably not homophobic, although I probably am slightly androgynist, oopsies! But not being homophobic cancels that out, right?
I also HATE IT when a man, like say someone I know, does the dishes as a little something extra to show his wife how much he loves her. ARE YOU SERIOUS? You love her enough to ::GASP:: do the dishes???? OH MY GOD! What a man!
2. I always wonder if David Sedaris would be a fun person to hang out with. I mean, would he just be lame and totally obsessed with creating more stories about his lameness so he could mine his life for better (a k a more pathetic) material? It used to bother me that there might be people in the world who were cooler and better and awesomer on paper than they would be in real life."
More to come.
However, I have a higher standard for Goodreads, the social networking site for people who actually read books. I expect people who spend enough time reading to warrant creating a Goodreads profile to at least comment on their reading selections with some intelligence.
But this is the internet, and I should never have expected so much. Here are my favorite stupid comments on some of my latest book choices:
On Naomi Klein's No Logo
"Ok ok ok, I know the hype surrounding this book. Your dreddy activist friend keeps recommending this to you. That dirty hippy that is a total vagabond is doing the same.
Well, what sold me on this book was an image taken from a busy street with all of the logo's removed using Photoshop. Striking.
And the book is long, interesting and at times redundant. Naomi Klein is hot, first of all, but mainly she's right. Advertising ruined the planet. Basically."
On David Kuo's Tempting Faith
"Zzzzzz...*snort*...*cough* *cough*...zzzzz..."
On David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames
"1. I HATE men who don't do the dishes, I hate it when they sit around and let women do the dishes. David Sedaris doesn't do the dishes and I am glad, because it shows I can hatefully resent slash stereotype gay and straight men equally, and therefore I'm probably not homophobic, although I probably am slightly androgynist, oopsies! But not being homophobic cancels that out, right?
I also HATE IT when a man, like say someone I know, does the dishes as a little something extra to show his wife how much he loves her. ARE YOU SERIOUS? You love her enough to ::GASP:: do the dishes???? OH MY GOD! What a man!
2. I always wonder if David Sedaris would be a fun person to hang out with. I mean, would he just be lame and totally obsessed with creating more stories about his lameness so he could mine his life for better (a k a more pathetic) material? It used to bother me that there might be people in the world who were cooler and better and awesomer on paper than they would be in real life."
More to come.
Monday, August 25, 2008
More Anti-Corporate Ranting (and Book Recommendation if You Agree)
I was hesitant to write yet another post on my growing anti-corporate sentiments. However, Naomi Klein's No Logo has become the manifesto of the anti-corporate movement, and it was a worth-while read.
Much of the content is quite dated. Klein did most of her research in the late 90s and the book was published in 2000. The version I read had an afterward written in 2002, which covered some post-9/11 complexities. That said, I often found asked myself what were today's equivalents of her examples of branding overload and corporate meddling.
However, I find her diagnosis on No Space, No Choice, and No Jobs still very relevant in our over-branded society and big-box dominated landscape. I'm grateful to live in Austin, where local businesses thrive, and for the most part, I've been able to cut myself off from such pervasive corporate encroachment.
I still hold the resentment Klein describes in the latter half of the book, and I still cringe every time I look at the labels on my clothes. Klein gives a detailed account of her visit to factories in the Philippines, and much of the evidence she presents is thorough and well-researched.
That said, I'm sure economists (especially those proponents of the free trade) have criticized this book to no end. As far as the sweatshop debate goes, I'm sticking to my commitment to only buy second-hand clothes and search for fair trade options. I have no doubt that Klein's descriptions were accurate and represent factory conditions across the developing world. Economists have to live with their consciences at the end of the day.
I found her exploration of advertising's growing role in our lives to be the most interesting (and disturbing). Klein describes the corporate pursuit of teenagers, and during the late 90s, I was a part of the crucial demographic and bought many of their promises. Gap jeans did not make my life better, but I was told they would. As a young adult 10 years later, I think my resentment has grown from that influence on my life as vulnerable teenager.
I have to wonder how many of my peers bother to question these things and explore any of their resentments. I think many of them are happy to go along with what their fed, as long as they can still get cheap clothes at Old Navy and lattes at Starbucks.
Overall, No Logo is incredibly thought-provoking, and I'm glad I read it. The book is slow towards the end, somewhat repetitive and tiresome (especially Klein's criticism of Nike). Nonetheless, it's an important read for anyone who is involved in media and interested in media criticism. I wish I had read it in college.
Much of the content is quite dated. Klein did most of her research in the late 90s and the book was published in 2000. The version I read had an afterward written in 2002, which covered some post-9/11 complexities. That said, I often found asked myself what were today's equivalents of her examples of branding overload and corporate meddling.
However, I find her diagnosis on No Space, No Choice, and No Jobs still very relevant in our over-branded society and big-box dominated landscape. I'm grateful to live in Austin, where local businesses thrive, and for the most part, I've been able to cut myself off from such pervasive corporate encroachment.
I still hold the resentment Klein describes in the latter half of the book, and I still cringe every time I look at the labels on my clothes. Klein gives a detailed account of her visit to factories in the Philippines, and much of the evidence she presents is thorough and well-researched.
That said, I'm sure economists (especially those proponents of the free trade) have criticized this book to no end. As far as the sweatshop debate goes, I'm sticking to my commitment to only buy second-hand clothes and search for fair trade options. I have no doubt that Klein's descriptions were accurate and represent factory conditions across the developing world. Economists have to live with their consciences at the end of the day.
I found her exploration of advertising's growing role in our lives to be the most interesting (and disturbing). Klein describes the corporate pursuit of teenagers, and during the late 90s, I was a part of the crucial demographic and bought many of their promises. Gap jeans did not make my life better, but I was told they would. As a young adult 10 years later, I think my resentment has grown from that influence on my life as vulnerable teenager.
I have to wonder how many of my peers bother to question these things and explore any of their resentments. I think many of them are happy to go along with what their fed, as long as they can still get cheap clothes at Old Navy and lattes at Starbucks.
Overall, No Logo is incredibly thought-provoking, and I'm glad I read it. The book is slow towards the end, somewhat repetitive and tiresome (especially Klein's criticism of Nike). Nonetheless, it's an important read for anyone who is involved in media and interested in media criticism. I wish I had read it in college.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Little Green Things
For a while, I've been compiling a list of easy habits that can decrease one's environmental impact, and here's the list I have so far:
- Change your lightbulbs. It costs more initially, but you'll save loads on you power bill.
- Eliminate plastic bags by using resusable ones at the grocery store.
- Reuse plastic bags creatively. I've starting crocheting with them, so you can always give your old ones to me.
- Use your dryer sparingly and air dry your clothes. Use drying racks and laundry lines outside.
- If you have a backyard, start a compost pile and vegetable garden. You'd be surprised how fun it is.
- Rinse and reuse plastic baggies and plastic food containers. It's a little more work than just throwing them away, but it saves you money, too!
- Conserve water by taking shorter showers and turning off the water when you shampoo your hair and shave your legs.
- Unplug all appliances when you're not using them or plug them into a power strip you can switch on and off.
- Carpool.
- Bike (I'm not at this point yet myself, but I hope to soon.)
- Use pubic transit.
- Educate yourself on your municipality's recycling program and find other recycling centers that take items your municipality doesn't pick up.
- Eating less meat, especially red meat.
- Start using a resuable water bottle rather than drinking bottled water.
- Stop buying new clothes. Buy second-hand and hold clothing swaps.
- Stop buying new books. Use the library more often and borrow and loan from personal libraries.
- Don't buy any new furniture. Buy second-hand locally.
- Make your own natural cleaning products.
- Shopping more locally in general.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Faith-Based... Politics?
Barack Obama and his campaign know he needs some percentage of the evangelical vote to win the general election. They also know that young people make up a huge portion of his constituency.
So it's no surprise that he was happy to have a conversation with Cameron Strang, founder of Relevant magazine, a hip, progressive media group aimed at hip, progressive, young Christians. He managed to land this interview weeks before John McCain, and I'd actually be surprised if McCain did talk to those kids. He's more after their parents, seeing as Relevant readers are only a small percentage of those oh-so-crucial evangelical voters.
Here's the link to the interview.
What was most interesting was Obama's ideas for Bush's Faith-based Initiatives Office. He's planning on renaming it the President's Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
I'm guessing Obama, or at least someone on his campaign, read David Kuo's book about being an insider in Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives Office. After reading it myself, I think his ideas sound like good improvements, but we'll see what happens if he's elected and how things look four years from now.
I don't doubt Obama's commitment to faith-based service, but politics are politics. I believed the lie of compassionate conservatism. Granted I was 17 and gullible and going along with my parents' views for the most part. Now, I've gotten pretty jaded about politics, but I'm not so cynical that I won't vote. I just hope money gets to the organizations and services that need it.
So it's no surprise that he was happy to have a conversation with Cameron Strang, founder of Relevant magazine, a hip, progressive media group aimed at hip, progressive, young Christians. He managed to land this interview weeks before John McCain, and I'd actually be surprised if McCain did talk to those kids. He's more after their parents, seeing as Relevant readers are only a small percentage of those oh-so-crucial evangelical voters.
Here's the link to the interview.
What was most interesting was Obama's ideas for Bush's Faith-based Initiatives Office. He's planning on renaming it the President's Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
I'm guessing Obama, or at least someone on his campaign, read David Kuo's book about being an insider in Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives Office. After reading it myself, I think his ideas sound like good improvements, but we'll see what happens if he's elected and how things look four years from now.
I don't doubt Obama's commitment to faith-based service, but politics are politics. I believed the lie of compassionate conservatism. Granted I was 17 and gullible and going along with my parents' views for the most part. Now, I've gotten pretty jaded about politics, but I'm not so cynical that I won't vote. I just hope money gets to the organizations and services that need it.
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