Showing posts with label Health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health care. Show all posts

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Learning from the Great Down-Under

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I spent many months in Sydney and I think we could learn a thing or two from our across the pond mates. I have to admit that saying I know Australia by living in Sydney is like saying you know the United State by living in New York.

Fair enough I guess, but here it goes.

Australian don't particularly have any fondness for guns. The people who live in rural area have a gun - but it's only out of need. I never met an Aussie who was a gun collector, nor have I ever seen someone armed.
All Australian are required to vote. If you don't vote you're fined by the government. Voting is a requirement

Australia has one of the best health care systems in the world. It's completely universal, meaning that everything from doctors to hospitals is run by the government. I spent some time in a Sydney hospital and the doctors were top notch.

Most Australians I meant were religious and regularly attended church. However, unlike Americans and an Australian would never judge or tell anyone how to worship. It would be the height of bad manners.
The government encourages people to exercise and have a healthy lifestyle. That's why their average lifespan is 82.6 years and our is 77.8 years. There have excellent parks and recreational facilities. They also have some of the best beaches in the world.

Australia honors their veterans. Not only do they have full health care, but there are support facilities and clubs call RSL's.

Most Australians care about the environment. Most believe in global warming. As a matter of fact, most Australians except science as a means of understanding the world.

Australians live and buy local. Sydney which is a large and beautiful city has many local markets and pubs. There are malls and I've purchased and excellent wool jacket at a Target. However, after work many Australians walk to a local pub or shop at a small local market.

Which brings me to the last point. Australians know how to relax. Most businesses give 20 days off plus another 11 (public holidays) off. For a total of 31 days. In the United States you're lucky to get 14 days off.
Now I love the United States and there are some things about Australia that really get on my nerves .. won't discuss them here. That aside, we could really learn from the Aussies. You don't see them protesting in the public parks - with signs that say "Stop Sosalism" (I know Socialism is misspelled) 

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Podcast Away

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Welcome to Political Fingers

PF is a podcast that covers news, stories and events from a damn Liberal point of view.
This is episode #1 - The beginning of a dynasty.





Show Notes

Alabama ranks 48th lowest in life span
Average life expectancy of people living in Utah


Audacity® is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds.
CAD U37 - The microphone I use to record the show.
Boogie2988 - He does stuff and things on the Internet for his own amusement.
Jon Voight - Tea Party manifesto on Fox.
Meteor streaks across the Midwest
Etta Baker - Blue Grass guitar
Youtube - Woman yells Heil Hitler to Jewish man.
Time Magazine - Living longer


All non-narrative audio clips are not owned by me but are part of "Fair Use" and are used for non-monetary, educational and commentary purposes. All music has been purchased by me but I own no rights to the music.

All other material is copyrighted 2010 Kmuzu

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Healthcare Plan

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There are so many voices talking about healthcare that it seems redundant for me to talk about it on this tiny, little blog. I can only give this simple plea.

Like Michelle Obama's father I have Multiple Sclerosis. I won't go into it, but it sucks and it's expensive. I work as an independent contractor from time to time and I write. I would like to continue doing so, but I need insurance.

I can't afford a $1,000 a month plan + deductible and prescription plan. I just can't.

I worked hard to get Obama and other Democrats elected. I suffered eight years under that village idiot, George Bush. I've waited patiently for this moment when a public plan would be available (I really wanted Universal Coverage). And now it looks like I'm going to get screwed again.

Obama came into power promising an end to cynicism, but so far with his limp noodle response to the healthcare plan in Congress, he has created the greatest cynicism of all. I believed his rhetoric of hope and change and now I've an sinking feeling that I'm going to get screwed.

President Obama you have one chance in tonight's speech to turn it around. Please don't suck.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Lion is Dead

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Goodbye Senator Ted Kennedy

I got an email from Politico announcing this:

{{w|Ted Kennedy}}, Senator from Massachusetts.Image via Wikipedia


Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port, Mass., the Kennedy family said in a statement. Kennedy, 77, "liberal lion of the Senate," had fought a public battle with cancer. "He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him," the family said.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy died two years before I was born. Like Obama I have memories not directly, but through his work and persona. The space program is what I remember President Kennedy for. I remember watching a film of the "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech when I was in third grade. Then watching astronauts land on the moon.

I have vague memories of Robert Francis Kennedy. It wasn't until college that I began to get a sense of the Kennedy legacy and the terrible tragedy of Robert Kennedy's death.

My memories of Edward Moore Kennedy (Teddy) are much more vivid. There was a Libertarian nutcase when I was a database manager at the Sahara Hotel & Casino. I worked on an ancient machine called the IBM System38. He was convinced that all Democrats were evil and their leader was Ted Kennedy. He went on and on about the Chappaquiddick incident.

Lucky for me, he was such a complete lunatic in other ways I mostly ignored him, but that image of Ted Kennedy remained until my third year in college. I'd become much more liberal then and I learned the other history. The other history that included Kennedy's work in health care and as an advocate of the disabled. He was a warrior for Civil Rights, but he was able to seek compromise and concessions from the Republicans.

In my political life, I grew up with Ted Kennedy - he was a teacher.