Walking on Alligators

22 million people have cancer, half a million will die this year

2012-02-29T12:43:00.004-05:00

If you have enough people to put up four games of cards.
One of them has cancer.

Every fourtieth card party, that one will die.

22 MILLION people have cancer.
More than half a million will die from it.
Marijuana cures cancer.
BUT
The idiots have put such an onus of fear and loathing (for no reason, either) onto it that researchers could not even get more to test with.
Prostate cancer mean anything to guys?
Brest cancer mean anything to you girls?
Lung cancer mean anything to anyone?
Brain cancer?
Skin cancer?

OK, it's harmless as a recreational outlet, but, politicians being what they are (getting everything they are taking away from us...free health care, a big fat retirement package that includes guaranteed yearly raises) have decided that if they move too fast to help those with cancer, help those without jobs, that they will appear as something weak to the general population. And to make things worse, our congressmen and senators cannot even use a google search bar. They don't even know that 125-175 million people WANT to smoke recreationally, they don't know it cures cancer, they don't even know why their cars keep them warm (cannabis insulation, probably)

So, you have sixteen friends.
You like your friends.
ONE OF THEM HAS CANCER
and marijuana cannabinoid oil MIGHT just cure that.

PLEASE,
Write to your Congressman, Congresswoman, Senators, President, Governor, state legislator, mayor...

Legalize marijuana.

USA Falls to Last Place Again!

2011-12-09T14:37:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure I understand what is meant by "the United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world" when in fact, the united States of America falls to near last place in health care for its citizens, and falls behind in technology to countries who realize that, it means work, jobs, and paid tax bills to legalize cannabis.
About time to just realize that a substance as harmless as marijuana is inevitably the better choice in home entertainment, too.
Of course there's a list as long as your arm of Big Business Industries that DON'T want it legalized, because their profits will be compromised.
And they pay dearly to government to keep it illegal.

A Good Man once Told Me...

2011-11-13T19:17:00.005-05:00

There are many ways to look at a problem
and see different solutions.
And, data can point to whatever it is one wants to show.
ANYTHING one wants to show.
Whether it is fact or fiction, not withstanding, it turns out that we can prove whatever we want to prove, and we can disprove anything we want to disprove.

Perhaps you've all noticed (as if hundreds of people come by here) that of late, I am at war.
It's not an easy war, however, to be sure, it isn't a war of guns and bullets. Well...sort of not with guns and bullets. The police still use guns and bullets...and in Indiana, they are allowed to break into the homes of citizens and shoot them dead without so much as a warrant or reason.
So, there are guns and bullets involved. Deadly force, and in this state, they will use it wherever they wish, on whoever they wish, and whenever they wish. Deadly force may be and has been used against those who are empty of malice and pacifist, against those who were suffering from some malady such as epileptic fits or diabetes, or even asleep and naked in their own beds at home.
And that is part of the war.
There are so many unseen fronts on this war that it is hard to comprehend what is occurring, sometimes.

~MARIJUANA~

Incredibly, marijuana has been at the center of death, the wars, the arguments.
Studies have been done in opposition to it, have been done to exploit it, and even studies showing the cancer curing properties of it.
On one hand, a skimpy argument about remaining illegal because of its known association with addiction.
On the other hand, in depth studies on mice and rats showing that it shrinks and eradicates cancer cells. Other studies showing that it can be used to make food, milk, and cheeses.
Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that it is much more toxic than tobacco, even though near 400,000 people die every year of tobacco related deaths. And further, they claim that marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol, in spite of alcohol's 75000 deaths each year.
The CDC cites some 35000 dying from physical damage to their bodies, and another 40000 deaths due related to alcohol consumption by a driver in 2001.
Which is unusual, to say the least, since I checked how many fatalities there were on the roads and highways of the USA during 2001, and there were only 37,832.
So, double checking information, especially when it comes from a source such as the CDC which has raised more questions than answers in ANYTHING they publish, is a good idea.
In fact, perhaps instead of saying that marijuana cures cancer, I should include a bibliography, too? It isn't any trouble at all to do so, so, I shall include info at the end of each writing as to what info, when, who, what decisions were made, and so on.
But, getting back to the earlier premise of...this is not an easy war I am involved with. Information is compiled in bright shiny offices in a building far from reality, and when specific items are searched for it is a hard search because the actual information may not even look like what is being sought.
It has become, for all intent and purpose, their truth. And therefore, unimpeachable.
Even though it has been seen as a total farce.
To whom can truth be trusted?
The CDC has released recently evidence that between the years of 1994 and 2007, 26 people died with a relationship to marijuana.
No statement of how, or under what circumstances, and least of all any comparison to their own alcoholic citing, nor is it ever compared to tobacco.
If taken at face value, factors appear that have clues to how there is a relationship, but not because of the use of marijuana.
A fellow who was a secondary accident victim (he stopped his car to avoid rubberneckers in front of him wrecking into each other to see a lethal accident, and the guy behind him hits his bumper.
Quite friendly, he and the other fellow exchange info, the fellow goes to the center of the accident to see that the only sheriff on the scene was overwhelmed, he asked if he could be of assistance, and was a noted help to the officer in keeping traffic moving around the scene. Now, in Indiana, every driver in an accident that involves a death has to submit to an alcohol breathalyzer, and a test for marijuana.
"Mr. Helpful" turned up positive with trace amounts (and his story justifies with what was found, he had attended a party a week earlier where marijuana was being smoked) however, a positive reading is a positive reading and the death and following injuries were put on his docket, and he got 18 months and a healthy fine.
NOT a part of the deaths...
But CDC has this as a death related to marijuana use.
Perhaps we can trust the National Institute of Health?
No...it seems they have been traversing the country trying to find colleges and doctors to prove the harm in marijuana since 1974, but, for the most part, end up with said colleges and doctors convinced that marijuana is, indeed, a cure for cancer.
The most skeptical was from UCLA Geffen School of Medicine.
Dr. Donald Tashkin, an opponent of marijuana use was approached by a colleague, and was asked to show the damages marijuana smokers were causing to themselves. A grant offered by the NIH wanted both short term problems and long term problems.
After an exhaustive study covering near fourty years, using several break downs of use (pot smokers, pot smokers and tobacco smokers, and just tobacco smokers) and in the end found some intersting points.
Marijuana smokers lungs closed just as tobacco smokers lungs closed, and in a much quicker time. In fact, to achieve the same closing of the lung airways one would have to smoke four cigarettes compared to one cigarette of marijuana.
Getting past the fact that good smoke hardly needs to be smoked to the roach (in fact, 1/2 to one gram is sufficient to attain a nice high) there was a secondary occurrence... While the tobacco only smokers lungs stayed closed...marijuana smokers lungs again opened and resumed normal function with full capacity. In fact, the initial findings of those who smoked both tobacco AND marijuana were that it was healing the lungs of the tobacco smokers.
And that made he and several other doctors to hypothesized that there may be a rejuvenation of the lungs from the marijuana.
But he stands adamant about this and other studies NOT being associative to use, because what they were finding with their lab animals is that marijuana was curing cancer, but they couldn't say there was an association of cure or remission because it was MICE, not HUMANS...(and, oh yeah. Marijuana is not open for study on a first come first serve basis. It is available only when they choose you.)
Over all, they found that marijuana smokers developed less cancerous growths than others in most groups.
And now, NIH has changed another doctor's mind about the possibilities of marijuana.
They have been busy little beavers, too.
In 1974, they seduced the University of Virginia into finding damaging evidence of the adverse effects on the human body and nervous system, only to turn these doctors into marijuana proponents who found cancer curing properties in mice and rats.
(so far, it appears the NIH is more interested in curing cancer in mice and rats than in humans. Kinda like their new name could end up being the National Institute of Hypocrisy)
So that this organization which overtly raises a banner of truth, is actually covertly attempting to find as much wrong with marijuana, and filling the internet, magazines, books, and official ears with their less than honest study.
And THAT, as any researcher will tell you, becomes the death knell of that organization, because once trust is breached, it does not return to normal again.
But that is just the one front (two including the falsification of findings in the case of the CDC) and for a little pimple like me to be rattling the doors of the big white buildings in Washington DC is just as likely to be seen as Don Quixote charging the windmills, lance in hand, steady steed (though slow) heading ever onward.

In science, marijuana is a cure for cancer.
In the entertainment field, it is unwanted.
Marijuana has been used successfully by many to break their addiction to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs (legal and illegal)
So the alcohol industry and the tobacco manufacturers are NOT interested in seeing it become legal.
And speaking of the world of manufacturers, automobile manufacturers don't want to see cannabis be legalized because that would mean hiring more people to retool their car body departments to produce fiber composite bodies from cannabis, long shown to be an advantageous alternative to steel, as it is more durable, biodegradable, and lightweight, which is exactly what we need for electric cars. But it wouldn't be something a machine could do as well as a man, and that shrinks profits.
Clothing manufacturers from the Asian markets would not be as happy with cannabis legalization, as their profits would suffer some. India and China sell cannabis products to the USA for about $300 million every year, and that would definitely cut into their profits.
Pharmaceutical companies also don't want to see legalization passed. The implications of cannabinoid products is far reaching and far more safe than the chemical nightmare that has been sold to America so far.
I mean, here the pharmaceutical companies are, trying to sell bigger boner pills to the world while the CURE to CANCER lays stale in their trash heap? And even when they recognize the importance of THC, what do they do? Attempt to create a chemical duplicate of it. Unsatisfactorily, but, none the less, that is their gig.
Lumber companies don't want to see legalization because they have trees to cut down to sell for lumber, however, once a forest is flattened, it takes no less than ten years to regrow, and even then, it is weaker, less durable wood. Marijuana grows two harvests a year and provides as much in the way of fiber board and support beams made of composite elements of cannabis as any forest. Plus with plasticized cannabis plate shingles, provides a roof structure, too.
And as an additive to concrete (instead of sand) creates hempcrete, a lightweight and strong foundation. Or, with a different grade of sealant, it makes excellent stucco.
So lobbyists are fat with money offerings to pry votes from the government, and the government blindly looks at what the in-house "authorities" say (CDC, and NIH) and make the easy decision to do what's right for their own wallets, not for what's better for the country.
That's another war front, and there are many more.
The momentum gathered from Harry J. Anslinger's original idea to keep minorities from voting has done volumes of damage to both the freedoms of Americans and to the detriment of millions of people.
Anslinger had a habit of going into his office with nothing but an empty briefcase, and at the end of the day, would give a hand written account of medical professionals saying how dangerous marijuana could be to his secretary to type up in triplicate. From thin air.
Invented stories about people high on pot jumping off buildings because they thought they could fly... about drinking from broken bottles and causing sever internal damage because they were high on pot... hit and run incidents of pot smokers running people over... about people going mad from smoking pot and killing others.
ALL of these were made up by this one man who so feared losing his job (now that alcohol was legal again) that he created the menace he now attacked. From a national level his call was "Law and Order" and that opiates were the devil's tools, and marijuana led to it.
No proof.
No study.
Just a scared little man in his lonely little office.
Once having convinced the states into kowtowing to his call to arms, he expanded worldwide by suggesting that America wouldn't be able to help countries that did not also make the plant illegal.
The world, of course, bent to those wishes.
The Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) finally closed their doors and melded with the FBI, and specifically, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) took the reins in hand and have been flying along every since. It's easy, you see, to find marijuana growing in fields, easy to see voltage jumps in electric bills, and because the traces last so long, easy to find in random checking.
Another group that doesn't want it to be legalized because when they make a bust, they get to keep the proceeds of that bust.
Whether its a few hundred dollars, or a duffle bag with a few million dollars in it, they get to keep it.
So another front, and a most dangerous one at that. The DEA is more self serving and brutal than any agency before it.

:.:,:.:,:.:,:.:,:.:,:.:,:.:,:.:

So, who has the REAL truth? Is it a cure for cancer?
Shouldn't we be giving that the benefit of the doubt since it seems quite harmless otherwise?
Can hundreds of thousands of jobs be had from legalization?
Can our politicians be coaxed into using their minds instead of their pockets?
Can we ever move on into the 21st century proudly exclaiming that we have discovered the cure for cancer or shall we just keep saying that man cannot fly and the horse and buggy will outlast the automobile?

I also considered the locally positioned Congressional representatives, like Todd Rokita, and wrote twice concerning these points.
In a letter similar to the last one I sent President Obama (and a thing I would ask ALL good Americans to do) I stated as simply as I could the problem.

President Obama;

It's the same question, and actually, if you would be so kind as to answer it without using the tired erroneous prattle that Harry J. Anslinger gave some sixty to eighty years ago which the National Institute of Health is STILL using today...

With the cure for cancer in the oils of marijuana,
With the hundreds of thousands of jobs that could be had from cannabis,
With the savings on prosecution and incarceration of law abiding citizens,
With the tax incomes available from new industries,
With the fact that it is HARMLESS...

Why is marijuana still illegal?

Simple, eh?
That's because nobody is paying me money to keep it illegal.

IF you answer, thankyou.
If not, there are still about 125-175 million more citizens who would ask you the same thing.

yours truly,

Todd Rokita's replies were:

Thank you for contacting me regarding medicinal marijuana. It is good to hear from you.

As you may know, several measures have been introduced this Congress regarding medicinal marijuana. I believe every American citizen deserves to be treated with the best medical care and receive adequate medication at reasonable costs.

That being said, I do not support the legalization of medicinal marijuana. That is why I support the current Federal and Indiana laws governing the sale and use of medical marijuana.

I am sorry that we do not agree on this issue. Healthy debate and discourse are benchmarks of a vibrant republic and we are lucky to live in a nation that honors that belief. I will do my best to represent you and the people of Indiana's 4th District well.

Again, thank you for contacting me, please stay in touch.

and

I also do not support the legalization of marijuana. We cannot pay down the deficit at the expense of exposing our children to the dangers of drug use. At a time when our young people are being challenged in the world wide marketplace, anything that negatively affects their productivity in the work place or their eagerness to excel in school is counterproductive to the well being of our citizens.

The net result of marijuana use in our society is a loss of jobs and economic productivity. We need to maximize our ability to compete economically in the world market place. I support the current Federal and Indiana laws governing the sale and use of marijuana.

With no facts or evidence, only his opinion.

And this is the wall I am confronted with. Not a wall of fact backed by evidence, but rather a wall constructed of party lines.
Not serving the interests of the citizens of the USA, but rather serving the interests of big money and the intense drive to keep minorities from voting, which was the hallmark of Harry J. Anslinger.
A bigot at the least, whose motto was,
"When Darkies smoke reefer, they think they are as good as White men."

And, that is why I am at war.

I have stated that "Hundreds of thousands of jobs are available with the legalization of marijuana and cannabis.
It is not an exaggeration.

http://openjurist.org/400/f3d/1070/leaf-v-shelnutt = Indiana police allowed to break in and kill whoever they want to kill, with no warrant or reason to do so.
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx = deaths on roads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJmQ16cGBHU = part one of Dr. Tashkin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6pBw0bgmgA = part two of Dr. Tashkin

http://www.reefermadness.org/propaganda/essay2.html = Anslinger's propaganda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_J._Anslinger = Anslinger's propaganda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Enforcement_Administration = DEA info

http://shafer.allegheny.edu/public.html = The most exhaustive report on marijuana ever done

MARIJUANA IS SAFER THAN ASPIRINS, marijuana is a healthy choice, marijuana can build entire homes, marijuana in today's cars

2011-11-08T14:16:00.003-05:00

Legalization seems so distant at this point.
A plant. An Herb.
Harmless compared to any of the lethal legal items available to any citizen.
Fast cars, handguns, rifles, prescription drugs, aspirin, cigarettes, alcohol, even toys…since more children die of choking from toys every year
than have overdosed on marijuana since the beginning of written history.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs are available from cannabis.
Agriculture, design, clothing, boots, automobile bodies as well as fuel, bicycles, tents, even whole houses have been constructed using cannabis as the primary material.
At least three government studies have found it to be a harmless recreational high …
LaGuardia in New York City, Dr. Hollister of the Palo Alto VA, and Raymond Shafer’s Commission on the Study of Marihuana, (the most comprehensive study ever done on marijuana and actually hired by ex-President Nixon, but then ignored)
and all found that marijuana is harmless.
That it cures cancers… breast, lung, prostate, and skin … as well as relieves the tremors from CP and MS, improves memory of Alzheimer patients, improves appetites of chemo therapy patients evidently doesn’t alter the latest attack on the plant by President Barrack Obama.
Where we could be entering into a NEW century, a cancer free century is right now being dashed away by our administration.
And for what reason?
Perhaps the Steel Industry doesn’t want the competition, because car bodies made of cannabis fiber composites are more durable than steel, as well as lighter…
The nylon and synthetic manufacturers don’t want more competition from cannabis produced clothing and tools…
The Lumber industry not wanting competition from something that grows to be harvested twice a year (thus forests get to grow older and produce stronger trees)…
The pharmaceutical corporations want to keep the cure for their own devices and turn around and sell it to patients at $98000 a year (doctors included)…
That the alcohol companies don’t want the competition because marijuana highs DON’T kill brain cells like alcohol does…
The cigarette corporations don’t want the competition because there have been reports that using marijuana assists one to quit tobacco, and then just stop smoking altogether…
and strangely, drug dealers, like the ones who formed a coalition to keep marijuana illegal in California, thus making more profit.
Yes, a sad day in America when that which President Thomas Jefferson smoked for recreation and that President George Washington stated was a necessary industry, is treated as a scourge to mankind.
So, isn’t it time to correct the error?
Since so many people actually USE cannabis LEGALLY here in the USA…

Maybe I Should Have Tried THIS Move at the Art Paint-Out?

2011-09-19T17:54:00.002-04:00

Got Game?

2011-08-16T07:16:00.039-04:00

boneman............Lee
1. P-K4...........P-K4
2. N-KB3..........N-QB3
3. B-N5...........P-QR3
4. B-R4...........P-QN4
5. B-N3...........N-KB3
6. P-Q3...........P-Q3
7. P-QB3..........B-K2
8. 0-0............0-0
9. P-KR3..........P-Q4
10. PxP...........NxP
11. R-K1..........B-B3
12. QN-Q2.........N-B5
13. N-K4..........P-R3
14. NxB+..........QxN
15. P-QR4?........NxP+
16. PxN...........BxP
17. B-Q5..........Q-N3+
18. B-KN5.........QR-K1
19. PxQNP.........PxP
20. R-QR6.........Q-R4
21. KR-K4.........B-N5
22. Q-Q2..........BxN
23. R-KR4.........QxB+
24. QxQ...........PxQ
25. BxB...........N-N1!
.......brilliant!.......

Great Game, Sir !

2011-08-16T06:58:00.001-04:00

I didn't see it until you took the Pawn, and...
It was sure too late then, eh?
Dang!
Anytime you want to jaunt around a Chess board here is fine with me!

the Game's Afoot!

2011-07-21T01:42:00.041-04:00

Lee.........................boneman
1. P-K4.................P-K4

2. N-KB3..............N-QB3
3. B-QN5..............P-QR3
4. B-R4.................N-KB3
5. 0-0....................N-KN5
6. P-KR3..............P-KR4
7. P-KR4...............N-Q5
8. P-KN3..............NxN+
9. QxN..................P-QN4
10. BQN3..............P-KB3
11. P-Q3................B-N2
12. N-B3................P-B3
13. P-R3.................Q-N3
14. N-Q1...............B-QB4
15. N-K3...............BxN
16. BxB.................Q-B2
17. B-Q2...............0-0-0
18. P-B4................P-QB4
19. PxP..................PxP
20. R-B1...............K-N1
21. P-Q4................P-B5
22. P-Q5...............P-Q3
23. B-Q1...............Q-KB2
24. P-N3..............P-KN4
25. P(N3)xP.........KNPxRP
26. P(B4)xP..........RPxP
27 B-R5................PxP+
28. K-N2.............RQB1-KN1
29. B-B7+...........K-R1
30. Q-QB3..........N-K6+
31. KxP...............resigns

.
.
.
d=^))

and they're OFF!

2011-07-05T20:54:00.001-04:00

The opening shot a direct attack, an oldie, but, a goodie.
(and the move isn't bad, either!)
King Pawn!
The reply leaves them neck and neck....

IS THERE ANYONE!? (Brad Pitt would be really cool if he wasn't so short)

2011-07-03T21:11:00.000-04:00

Two games?
One as White, one as Black?

Anyone?
(and asking like that brings to mind how I should ask...
Did anyone see TROY? Right after Achilles killed Boagrius, he walked up to the opposing army and yelled out,
Are there any who would fight me!?
ANYONE!?")
Maybe just one game?

It's just a game, after all...

Listening to Music Takes on a New Perspective

2011-06-07T22:10:00.001-04:00

Leftie

2011-05-07T21:52:00.001-04:00

he just loves his hand thingie...

Need to get our Dictator to get with the "Change"

2011-04-19T14:14:00.003-04:00

Entrenched Knight

2011-04-13T03:22:00.000-04:00

This is an Entrenched Knight

The Knight is entrenched and will prove to be a component of the demise of black's game.
From the French Defense

Dear God, ...can I have a Fast New Car? Thank You

2011-02-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

boneman

Which is the Sabbath? Saturday?..or Sunday?

2011-02-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Lewis will give us a clue...

A bit More Lewis Black

2011-02-11T17:11:00.000-05:00

He reminds me of my Old Man...
only, with attitude.

Lewis Black is on Water !

2011-02-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

Y'know....when I was growing up, we used to say "he's on fire," when it was a hot show.
I guess times have changed?

Doug Stanhope tells us : Where Charlie Chaplin Stands

2011-02-08T23:35:00.001-05:00

Stanhope Editorials

2011-02-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

d=^))

the Future?

2011-02-07T23:39:00.004-05:00

It's funny, sometimes, seeing things come up on you from a distance.
Like the kid watching a baseball game, and as the batter hit a long, hard hit, the kid wondered why the ball kept getting larger and larger...then it hit him.

ACH! Du Lieber!

2011-02-03T03:54:00.002-05:00

GIVE UP THE OIL TIT

2011-01-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

Not sure which is more outrageous...
Folk complaining about the rich getting a tax break extension...
or
Those who drive those damned gas guzzling chunks of steel, flying down the roads like a missile...quite intent on the concept of oil and resources being freely available for all time, not a drop of worry about what they leave behind fo following generations.

yeah...dammit!
.
.
.

d=^))

.
.

2010-10-21T20:47:00.000-04:00

Who Is Buying Our Government?

2010-10-11T14:21:00.000-04:00

Well, HERE'S an Organization Chart...

We've Tracked Down the Truth!

2010-08-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

Yup...it's true, alright. Politics is derived from the two words

POLY = Many, groups, population

and

TIC = blood sucking parasite.

the Amazing Willie Brandt

2010-06-26T09:43:00.001-04:00

And few, if any, will be able to cry "innocence"

2010-06-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

we take from the land, its treasures
and use them for evil and greed,
and suck from the oceans its lives
and liquids of which we've no need.
It could be that the sea will fool us all
the Sea Witch arise and give a passionate call,
to bring it crashing down on us like a great maul,
and she'll stand there laughing at our terrible fall.

I HATE THESE PEOPLE

2010-06-05T15:23:00.000-04:00

...and I try not to hate people at all...but this is beyond me.
Are they really THAT stupid?
How about we THROW McCain and all his pimps and PALIN and all her ugliness into the GULF!?

2010-05-29T15:29:00.000-04:00

I call it an orchid tree.
Rest of the world calls them Catalpa trees. OK...sure.
Whatever... If the mouth was closed, I would call it a snap dragon tree.
Folks would still call it a Catalpa.
Jeanie says she can see a pair of eyes and a long nose sticking out of the hole...
I think she's right.
AND
I found a similar picture that describes what she says she sees.
You tell me...
is this right?

Yup... I think that's it.
http://anonymousboxer.blogspot.com/

VERIZON says PAY UP or ELSE! (can you hear me now?)

2010-05-13T11:27:00.002-04:00

Family shocked by $18,000 phone bills

Verizon says the rules were clear, but the FCC is looking into the 'unpleasant surprises' that customers sometimes face.

Posted by Teresa Mears on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:52 PM

When the St. Germains of Massachusetts got their cell phone bill, they thought surely there had been a mistake. The bill that month for the family, normally about $100, was more than $12,000. When Bob St. Germain called Verizon Wireless to inquire, he was told that the next month's bill would be nearly $6,000.

Verizon explained that when the family had renewed its two-year contract, a free data download promotion had ended. Not realizing the service had changed, Bryan St. Germain, then a college student, downloaded 816,000 kilobytes of data the first month and 375,000 the second. Thus, their total bill for two months was nearly $18,000.

I downloaded 1.19 million kilobytes last month. It cost $29.99. That's Verizon's monthly charge for an unlimited data plan for my smart phone. Two months would be $59.98.

We don't know what a data plan cost in 2006, but if it was free for two years, it must not have cost the company $12,000 a month. Even if the St. Germains were 100% at fault, should making a mistake with your cell phone plan cost more than a new car?

"Even though it's correct, it's incomprehensible, even to me," Srinivasan Keshav, a professor of computer science at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, told The Boston Globe, which reported on the dispute between the St. Germains and Verizon.

Verizon argues that the charges were clearly spelled out in the family's contract. "We go to great lengths to educate our customers on their products and services so that they avoid any unintended bills," two Verizon spokesmen wrote in an e-mailed statement to the Globe.

Bing: Finding the best cell phone plan

After the story was published, Howard Waterman, the executive director of public relations for Verizon Wireless Northeast Area, wrote to The Globe: "This story paints an inaccurate picture about the clear disclosure of calling plan information we provide and neglects to include any of the many tools available to our customers to help manage their accounts."

The Federal Communications Commission isn't sure that's enough. Partly in response to the Globe report, the FCC launched an initiative on "bill shock" this week, asking for public comment. (The .pdf documents are listed under "Headlines" and include a list of tips for avoiding surprise charges.)

Video: Playboy in 3-D

"We are hearing from consumers about unpleasant surprises on their bills," Joel Gurin, the chief of the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, said in a news release. "We've gotten hundreds of complaints about bill shock. But this is an avoidable problem."

He noted that carriers in the European Union are required by law to send text messages to consumers when they incur roaming charges or get close to a set data roaming limit. "We're issuing a public notice to see if there's any reason that American carriers can't use similar automatic alerts to inform consumers when they are at risk of running up a high bill," he said.

The St. Germains' situation is not the first case of a wireless costumer unwittingly running up an enormous bill, with Verizon and competing carriers. One man reported being charged $62,000 for downloading a movie while traveling in Mexico, reports Ars Technica. Many families have stories of unexpected bills in the hundreds of dollars for in some way going outside the parameters of their plans.

We Americans love our cell phones, but we hate our cell phone companies. The complexity of plans, the ever-changing nature of the rules and technology and what passes for customer service seem to make us all victims of the worst of "gotcha" capitalism.

Cell phone plans and contracts are full of treacherous and expensive pitfalls. Use more than your allotted amount of minutes, data or text messages, and you can run up a big bill in no time. Have a kid who doesn't realize that Canada is not part of an unlimited U.S. long-distance calling plan? There's a bill for $3,500. (We won't mention which of my young relatives is still paying her parents back for that one.) Many customers have complained about mysterious data charges for services they didn't use.

If you get mad as hell and decide you don't want to take it anymore? That's $350 to cancel the contract.

The St. Germains, with the support of some Massachusetts officials, have been contesting their $18,000 Verizon bill for four years. The company has offered to cut the bill in half but refused to budge further and sent the bill to a collection agency.

( http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1754687&boardsparam=PostID%3D37844448 ) Spending Smart Article
.
.
.

takes the alligators out of walking on alligators

2010-04-28T23:24:00.002-04:00

http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/chillout

letters to the editors

2010-03-02T16:33:00.001-05:00

Nobody in the history of the world has overdosed from marijuana. Many people in America depend on medical marijuana for their medical conditions and symptoms such as glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, nausea, epilepsy, etc.

It's sad how people with chronic pain and deathly illness are deprived of the only medicine that will work for them.

Prescription medication can become very addicting, and cause death from building up a tolerance, requiring the patient to use more than prescribed.

The U.S. government has marijuana classified as a schedule I drug, which means it has a high rate for abuse and no accepted medical value. After 16 years of court battles, the DEA's chief administrative law judge, Francis L. Young, ruled: "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known."

The United States is the only industrialized country not growing industrial hemp. Farmers could grow hemp to feed all of the new ethanol production plants built in Indiana who cannot get enough corn from our farmers, which is raising the price of everything since corn byproducts like corn syrup is used in most of our foods, thereby raising food prices overall.

Paper could be made from hemp, solving our deforestation problem. Hemp can yield three to eight dry tons of fiber per acre. This is four times what the average forest can yield.

In the first year of legalization 18,000 new jobs could be brought to Indiana, from hemp paper mills to bio fuel plants.

In 2007 the United States imported about 500 tons of hemp from Canada. Manufacturing companies could save money from buying hemp grown in the United States, lowering overall costs of production.
.........................
Indiana
-------
I'll admit to being one of the multitude of fans who have made shows like "NCIS" and "CSI" such hits. It isn't that I don't recognize how unrealistic they are; no publicly financed lab could afford such cutting-edge equipment even if someone invented it. But I love watching the search for hard evidence, and the characters' willingness to abide by what that evidence shows even when the result is to exonerate some really unattractive suspect.

Wouldn't it be nice if those we elect to make policy were similarly devoted to evidence-based decision-making?

In the real world, unlike the televised version, policymakers routinely disregard research that doesn't match their ideological preferences. I'm not talking about a couple of studies where the results are ambiguous, or subject to conflicting interpretation. I'm talking about policies where the evidence is copious and expert consensus compelling. Global climate change is one such area; our incredibly expensive drug war is another.

Some years ago, I got a call from a teacher in Northern Indiana who wanted to arrange a public forum on the pros and cons of our punitive drug policies. In private conversations, the chief of police, a local judge and the prosecutor had all told him that prohibition simply doesn't work. Not one of them, however, would repeat those sentiments in public. My students who are police officers consistently tell me that alcohol, which is regulated but legal, is a much greater problem than marijuana, because people are more aggressive when they are boozed up than when they are zoned out.

The fiscal consequences of our current policies are staggering. In 2005, an economics professor at Harvard reported that replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcohol would produce combined savings and tax revenues between $10 billion and $14 billion per year. Estimates from a variety of sources are that marijuana prohibition costs U.S. taxpayers nearly $42 billion dollars a year in criminal justice costs and lost tax revenues. This is just from marijuana prohibition -- not efforts to control harder drugs.

It's estimated that the money spent annually on the drug war would pay for a million additional teachers.

Then there are the opportunity costs. Indiana used to have a robust hemp industry. Hemp is an enormously versatile and useful product that cannot be smoked or used as a recreational drug, but our indiscriminate policies outlaw its growth. They also prohibit use of marijuana to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy.

Other states have begun to rethink these policies. Fifteen states have legalized medical marijuana. Oakland, Calif., has begun assessing a sales tax on marijuana sold in marijuana dispensaries.

I recently had a call from a group hoping to convince the Indiana legislature to revisit policies on medical marijuana. The caller asked what the evidence showed.

I told him that the evidence conclusively demonstrated two things: that the drug war is costly and counterproductive, and that in politics -- unlike television -- evidence is irrelevant and ideology rules.
......................
Indiana
-------
The most surprising response to Attorney General Eric Holder's recent announcement that the federal government would cease raids or arrests in states where medical marijuana is permitted is the general lack of response.

Sure, Holder was simply making good on a pledge delivered by candidate Barrack Obama.

But on another level, the administration's announcement could change the entire balance, or some would say historic imbalance, where drug enforcement and punishments are concerned.

Politics in practice demands nothing less than a tough posture against crime.

And so it was that presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both of whom had admitted to once trying marijuana, were nonetheless expected to stand down any attempt to undermine national drug policy, even if that meant states approving laws outlining marijuana's legal use for medical ends.

That 13 states have now voted to legalize marijuana use for medical reasons -- principally to offset the nauseating side effects of cancer treatments -- did not deter the federal government under those previous administration from staging raids on property in states where medical marijuana had been approved by elected state legislators. Raids were similarly launched against dispensaries and co-ops where marijuana was being grown for distribution to patients and with the implied consent of state and/or local laws.

The Supreme Court in 2005 upheld those federal prosecutions, ruling that states lacked the power to trump federal drug laws.

So Holder's announcement does not alter that arrangement. The federal government still holds pre-eminent enforcement power over drug laws.

What it should do is permit the federal government to reorder priorities in a manner that will let federal drug agents and prosecutors focus limited resources on the hardest, most addictive drugs and the biggest cartels.

And what we hope it will additionally accomplish in the long turn is a change in the very dynamic of this long-time fight. Rather than more of the same get- tough approach that to date has cost taxpayers billions of dollars and imprisoned thousands of pushers and users, hard-drug addicts and casual marijuana users s alike, isn't it time to embrace a smarter drug policy that makes proper distinctions among drugs and drug laws?

We think so.

And without Holder's small but important first step, it may have been added years before the national conversation was properly redirected.
......................
Indiana
-------
WASHINGTON -- In an act of merciful sanity, the Obama administration has made good on its promise to stop interfering with states that allow the medical use of marijuana.

Clink-clink, hear-hear, salud, cheers, et cetera, et cetera.

The announcement from Attorney General Eric Holder surely comes as a relief to the many who rely on cannabis to ease suffering from various ailments. This new, relaxed approach doesn't let drug traffickers off the hook. It merely means that 14 states that now provide for some medical marijuana uses no longer need fear federal raids on dispensaries and users operating under state law.

It's a good move, long overdue. But is it enough? Not quite.

The debate over whether Americans ought to have the right to be stupid - -- or to make other people seem more interesting -- continues apace after 40 years of the ( failed ) "war on drugs."

Arguments for and against decriminalization of some or all drugs are familiar by now. Distilled to the basics, the drug war has empowered criminals while criminalizing otherwise law-abiding citizens and wasted billions that could have been better spent on education and rehabilitation.

By ever-greater numbers, Americans support decriminalizing at least marijuana, which millions admit to having used, including a couple of presidents and a Supreme Court justice. A recent Gallup poll found that 44 percent of Americans favor legalization for any purpose, not just medical, up from 31 percent in 2000.

The highest level of support, not surprisingly, is in the Western states and among self-described liberals, with 78 percent of liberals favoring decriminalization. But the shift toward a more-sensible national policy is no longer confined to the left. Nor is the long-haired stoner the face of the pro-pot lobby. Today's activist, more likely, doesn't have facial hair, but she does have kids.

Lately to the smallish conservative crowd, notably once led by anti-prohibitionist William F. Buckley, is Jessica Corry of Colorado, a married, pro-life Republican mom, soon to be "freedom fighter of the month" in High Times magazine.

Recent partakers undoubtedly will have to rub their eyes for a double take when they spot Corry, who spoke last month at a NORML conference ( National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ) in San Francisco, wearing an American flag lapel pin, a triple strand of pearls and a gold marijuana leaf pin.

Another day, another stereotype in the dust bin.

In addition to writing and speaking to end marijuana prohibition, Corry, who does not smoke pot, is trying to organize Republican women around the cause. So far, she has commitments from 20 fellow Coloradoans, most of them lawyers, like Corry. Her husband, also an attorney, represents medical marijuana users.

Corry's arguments focus not only on the inhumanity of further punishing sick people who seek relief through pot, but also on protecting her own children should they decide to try marijuana someday. There's nothing like imagining one's own children as "criminals" to put irrational laws in perspective.

Corry is hardly alone and, in fact, may be part of a "toking point." ( Is there a drug yet for "Tipping Point Fatigue"? ) In its October issue, Marie Claire magazine featured "Stiletto Stoners" about accomplished career women who prefer to relax with pot. A September Fortune cover story, "Is Pot Already Legal?" examined the issue. In April, former ( 2006 ) Miss New Jersey, Georgine DiMaria, outed herself as a stealth marijuana user to treat her asthma.

States' rights and conservatism are old friends -- except when they're not. While many Republicans nurse a libertarian streak, the party has been selective in its support of federalist principles. The George W. Bush administration refused to honor states authorizing medical uses of cannabis, for instance, but aimed to return abortion and marriage issues to state jurisdictions.

In a column for the Colorado Daily, Corry argued that conservative principles of smaller government are in direct conflict with laws that try to control what we put into our bodies. Alcohol and cigarettes -- not to mention 700-calorie cheeseburgers -- are inarguably more harmful than a little reefer, she wrote.

The decision not to raid dispensaries or punish people who benefit from marijuana use, though commendable, falls short of what's needed. At the very least, when jobs and cash are in short supply, legalizing marijuana would seem both prudent and profitable.

In 1929, the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform led the movement to end alcohol prohibition. Might women lead the next revolution in personal autonomy?

Keep those flutes and snifters ( and bongs? ) handy.
....................
Indiana
-------
Niles Man's Marijuana Use, While Legal, May Cost Him His Home.

NILES - On a scale of 1 to 10, says Steve Allain, his pain is somewhere between 4 and 5.

On a good day.

"When my Crohn's flares up, it's like a saber-toothed badger trying to eat its way out," he said.

The 54-year-old Niles man, a victim not only of Crohn's disease but hepatitis C and acute depression, has run the gamut of medications. Just a few months ago, he hit upon a viable alternative: marijuana.

"I was approached by an MS patient. She finds relief by using marijuana medicinally," he said. "She thought it would help me, too. And it has."

Sure, he said, he could take other drugs that would provide the same benefit. But it wouldn't make good sense, or cents.

"With conventional medication, it's $10,000 for one month's supply. So it's $300 a month versus $10,000 a month," he said. "You do the math."

Until now, Allain has obtained his marijuana from, as he puts it, street vendors. But soon he'll legally be growing his own, thanks to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

For Allain, voter approval of the controversial legislation was a blessing and, potentially, a curse. The latter stems from his residence in one of Niles' scattered public housing sites, which fall under the guidelines of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

So while Allain's cultivation and use of marijuana would not violate state law, it's likely to cost him his home if HUD takes the stance its housing is no place for what in most places would be an illegal drug.

The Rev. Bryant Bacon, interim executive director for the Niles Housing Commission, said he contacted a HUD official about a month ago regarding Allain's situation and has yet to receive an answer. Allain, a resident of public housing in Niles for eight years - he lived in the Hi Rise on Cass Street before he and his teenage son moved into their current home three years ago - is hoping for the best but said he'd understand if he's ousted.

"I can't fault what they're doing," he said.

He didn't fault either the Niles City Council after he approached the panel Monday night regarding the city's ordinance regulating aspects of the state Medical Marijuana Act. The ordinance requires that marijuana be grown inside and prohibits caregivers - those who provide marijuana to patients - from growing it within 1,000 feet of drug-free school zones.

Allain said he went to the meeting with bad information about the law's specifics.

"I was the south end of a horse facing north," he said.

As far as his illnesses, the former truck driver and Waste Management employee said he can only guess how he developed hepatitis C. All he knows for certain is that it and Crohn's disease cost him 18 inches of small intestine and resulted in a 30-pound weight loss.

"I've been dealing with those issues ever since," said Allain, who gets by on disability benefits.

With marijuana, he doesn't have side effects like the night sweats and night terrors - essentially, panic attacks while sleeping - he experienced with other anti-depressants, he said. So he'll continue to smoke pot and, once he receives the OK from the state, grow it as well.

He just hopes he's not uprooted in the process.

...........
Indiana
-------
More than a dozen teens gathered in front of the Logan Tabernacle on Monday evening to rally for the legalization of marijuana.

It's 4/20, and where this is national marijuana day and we want to legalize marijuana ( we came to rally )," said Jamie Gurinch, 15, of Logan.

Internationally, April 20 typically motivates a series of rallies and special events among those who favor the legalization of marijuana.

Dylan Lofthouse, a 14-year-old who goes to Willow Valley Middle School in Wellsville, attended with his two brothers, ages 13 and 15. He said both his mom and his step-mom would agree with the cause as well.

* Everybody talks about legalizing it," he said, "but they never do anything; we thought we'd do something."

The ages of those in attendance ranged from 13 to 20. Their homes span the valley from Wellsville to Lewiston, and they attend a sprinkling of different middle schools and high schools.

We hang out every day," said Logan resident William Mohan, a 17-year-old who attends Cache High School.

Mohan said at about 6 p.m. that the group of friends had been there for two hours. It was his first rally.

We were just all hanging out and we thought we should go protest on 4/20," Mohan said. "We're pretty much standing for what we believe in."

Mohan said legalizing pot is their solution to getting the nation out of the recession, as the sales could stir the economy.

Teenage boys in sleeveless shirts screamed while holding signs that depicted their viewpoints.

One sign read: "The plant heals," while another said: "God made it."

Say no to man-made drugs," one yelled.

A plant's no crime," said another.

A few repeatedly chanted together, "Legalize Marijuana."

Richmond resident Kassy Sanders, a 17-year-old student at Fast Forward High, talked to a friend about one of their buddies they'd visited who was in jail for marijuana use.

We're supporting the kids who got locked up," she said, while emphasizing that the more important reason for the rally was much bigger than that.

Some of those who drove by honked and cheered, while other drivers pointed their heads straight ahead and kept quiet. A few muttered insults, such as "Get a life."

Mohan said police officers visited the group by earlier in the afternoon. Even though his group had not applied for a permit to protest, Mohan said an official said it was OK, as long as they stayed off the street.

Later in the evening, Logan Police Chief Russ Roper came by to make sure the rules were being kept.

I thought it was pretty cool," Mohan said. "It's pretty nice they're just going to let us keep doing it."
..............
Indiana
-------
The Illinois House committee gave the go-ahead for a plan that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.

As you could assume, some people aren't too happy about this decision. However, we think Illinois is thinking along the right lines.

Relieving the pain of cancer, AIDS and other diseases motivated lawmakers. By legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, people suffering ailments of all sorts will be able to use this drug for relief.

We think citizens who have a doctor's permission to use medical marijuana should be able to do so. People unnecessarily endure pain and suffering from diseases every day, and medical marijuana could help. For example, marijuana has been shown to help chemotherapy patients quell their nausea. It helps curb pains without some of the side effects heavier drugs tend to have.

If this plan is passed, patients who are registered to use medical marijuana would be allowed up to seven plants in their homes along with two ounces of medically usable marijuana.

This isn't the first time the question of medical marijuana's legalization has come to Illinois.

In 1978, the state actually authorized the use of medical marijuana. The only problem was they left it up to the Public Health Department to implement the policy.

And since there is clearly no medical marijuana in Illinois yet, we can see how well they did.

Just because the House committee said "OK" doesn't mean the plan is clear yet. It has yet to see a vote on the House floor.

Patricia Bellock is a Republican representative from Hinsdale, Ill., who isn't sold on the idea at this point. According to the Chicago Tribune, she doesn't disagree with using marijuana for medical purposes, but she does believe the plan is too lenient and that people will take advantage of the system.

So while some in Illinois aren't convinced that the benefits of legalizing medical marijuana use will outweigh its costs, we think the legislation is a model for progressive thinking.

We hope to see marijuana's medical legalization in the near future.
............

...oops....

2010-02-16T01:30:00.000-05:00

So, a fellow with an SUV pulled up to the pumps one cold morning, and the attendant came out, "Fill er up!" the driver said with a grin, "and can I leave the car running?"
"Sure," said the attendant, and started the pump, cleaned the winshield, the back window, the lights and plates...
After a bit, he tapped on the driver's window...
"Sir?" ha asked politely as the window rolled down, "Could you shut your engine off for a bit? your car's gaining on me,"

What a Ride!

2010-01-29T16:04:00.002-05:00

2010-01-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

no no...not BAKING on Alligators!

Change IS Good

2010-01-12T09:35:00.000-05:00

change is good?
well, just ask the guy on the street rattling his empty cup at people passing by.
change is certainly good for him.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe

2009-12-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

2009-08-13T11:11:00.003-04:00

Dear Friend,

This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.

Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.

As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let's disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that's actually been proposed.”

So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.

Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.

Thanks,
David

David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President

P.S. We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we've just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage

Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

8 common myths about health insurance reform

Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
We can’t afford reform: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
Reform would encourage "euthanasia": It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
Vets' health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.

Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now

Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf