I'm a little surprised I haven't seen this posted here yet. Steven Crowder of Pajamas TV did a 20-minute documentary about his recent experience in Canada with the healthcare system. He and his Canadian friends go around to different clinics and hospitals, posing as patients and speaking with both regular Canadians and workers in the system. More than once the workers recommend finding "private" care. Really worth watching!



(Also, for anyone who finds it a bonus when a man speaks a foreign language, Crowder speaks French. Yeah, it's the goofy French Canadian-accented variety, but still...French.)

I don't think I've seen this posted here yet. I think this crowd will enjoy it.

This should have been for the 4th of July, but I just got around to reading it today.

Holy Carp. It was funny.

If the Founding Fathers had used email and gadgets. Excerpt with mild profanity:

From: tomjeff@monticello.com
Sent: July 3, 1776, 3:21 p.m.
To: jadams@mass.col; benf@penn.col; livingstonipresume@ny.col; rsherman@conn.col; george@empire.gov
Subject: FW: RE: George

LOL I swear if he sends out one more swarm of Officers to eat out our substance I'm going to oppose with manly firmness his crotch with my foot. Got my back, G-Dub?

--------------------

From: rsherman@conn.col
Sent: July 3, 1776, 3:22 p.m.
To: jadams@mass.col; benf@penn.col; livingstonipresume@ny.col; tomjeff@monticello.com
Subject: RE: George

DUDE G-DUB IS WASHINGTON@MTV.COM

--------------------

From: livingstonipresume@ny.col
Sent: July 3, 1776, 3:22 p.m.
To: jadams@mass.col; benf@penn.col; tomjeff@monticello.com; rsherman@conn.col
Subject: RE: George

SHIT SHIT SHIT

--------------------

From: george@empire.gov
Sent: July 3, 1776, 5:00 p.m.
To: tomjeff@monticello.com; jadams@mass.col; benf@penn.col; livingstonipresume@ny.col; rsherman@conn.col;
Subject: RE: FW: RE: George

Gentlement or shld I even call U gentlement. U may not like evrything ido but at least I don't talk behind ur back. If U have something to say to me U shld at least be man enuf to say it to my face

HIS ROYAL MAJESTY
KING GEORGE WILLIAM FREDERICK
OF THE HOUSE OF HANOVER
SO ORDAINED BY THE WILL OF OUR LORD
"It's Good to Be the King" – Mel Brooks

There are so many hilarious details that I keep discovering. Like Livingston's email address is 'livingstonipresume@ny.col'. *dies laughing* And then King George's email signature?!!! HAHAHAHAH!!!! And Thomas Jefferson accidentally copies King George when he thinks he's emailing George Washington?!! Saints preserve us! It's hilarious!! I so appreciate when smart people create funny things for me to enjoy. *sigh*

x-posted to my journal

Inexplicably, the Washington Post ran a piece by Sarah Palin taking Obama's Crap and Trade Plan to town:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302852_pf.html

Mwahahaha!

THIS IS A NO-POLITICS-ALLOWED ZONE!

Take a break from all the wearing political talk, O fellow Potterfen, and come squee with me! Who's going to a midnight release party? Anyone dressing up? Did you re-read any of the books? Re-watch the movies? Have you found yourself reading/writing more fic, drawing more fanart, listening to more wizard rock?

Fess up: Who took off work today, tomorrow, or both because of the movie's release? (Me? I'm off today and tomorrow! BWAH!)

COME ON NOW, GANG! ARE YOU READY FOR HALF-BLOOD PRINCE???

Um, why do you THINK? Because some people hate Sarah Palin so much they'll take anyone's word over hers, even the word of the spoiled teenager whose baby Palin and her daughter are now raising -- a kid who thinks he's entitled to a movie deal just because he got his name in the headlines for impregnating his girlfriend.

But when even the Washington Post is forced to admit "he's got nothing," looks like Levi's 15 minutes are almost up.

(Of course, we could have told them that ages ago, and spared them the suffering of watching the interview, but some people just have to figure things out for themselves.)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A report says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee raised nearly $733,000 in its first five months.

A report filed Monday with the Federal Election Committee shows receipts totaled $732,867.70 in the period between Jan. 1 and June 30.

The former GOP vice presidential candidate launched the committee, SarahPAC, in late January, saying the goal was to help support candidates for federal and state office.

The report says SarahPAC made total disbursements of more than $276,000 and reported nearly $457,000 cash on hand.

So, do we have any thoughts on Eric Cantor? I am intrigued by him. That is, of course, I should be intrigued. I guess I'm just looking for another shining star. We need one.

One knows something's up when the Daily Koz and the Ron Paul groups agree... Thanks to Inibo for posting this from the Real News network, left leaning but they do get some things right!

So I don't know if anyone outside of Florida is hearing about this, but the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Jim Greer, has gone on a rampage purging any libertarian/ constitutionally-minded/ far right/ generally non-RINO Republicans from every level of the Republican Party of Florida.

First he banned one of Florida's top African-American conservatives, Orange County RPOF Committeeman and prominent Orlando lawyer Deon Long, formerly of the Federation of Black Florida Republicans, from associating with any aspect of the Republican Party. (source.) Mr. Long challenged Greer crony Lewis Oliver's win for the Orange County chairmanship. Oliver is an embarrassment to Florida in general, having lost uber conservative Orange County to Obama by more than 85,000 votes in '08. Mr. Long lost the chairmanship election 122-121 to Mr. Oliver, but contended fraud because at least a dozen of his supporters were BANNED from the election, due to Mr. Greer having instituted a new "loyalty oath" for the RPOF. The loyalty oath basically bans any Republican from criticizing other Republicans or Republican policy initiative, including critiquing the spending policies of the Bush administration, any aspect of the McCain campaign, any RiNOs, advocating small government, or backing "insurgent" candidates for various elections like Marco Rubio. Mr. Long's supporters were not given this new highly unconstitutional oath in time and were banned from voting; clearly he was the real winner and was kicked out for challenging Greer's friend.

This week, Greer has bragged publicly about "hand picking" a committee to start purging the RPOF of "disloyal" members, including the state chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, Will Pitts, as well as various libertarian/ Rubio supporters/ small-government advocates from Miami to Jacksonville. Basically he is purging the state party of any opposition. Some people are starting to think that it's a huge spectacle to keep Rubio from winning the Senatorial candidacy over textbook RiNO Gov. Charlie Crist (who couldn't accept Obama's stimulus money fast enough and who is in no way, shape or form an actual conservative IMHO).

Details of the Will Pitts drama are here, and I'm now reading on the Yahoo! group for the RLC of FL that Greer has named nearly 2 dozen people he wants to ban from the RPOF - all of them in opposition to his personal favorite candidates, especially Crist. Greer is also trying to revive last year's effort to get the Republican Liberty Caucus to remove the word "Republican" from the caucus.

Considering insurgent Marco Rubio is winning straw poll after straw poll across the state and is looking more and more like the popular Senatorial candidate, and considering the success of the Tea Parties and the growing intra-party disenchantment, and also considering that the state party is near bankruptcy and spending over $500K more than it's taking in per year, it basically looks like my state's GOP is about to collapse outright.

Yes, i'm ready to download and put em' all over various parts of Vegas. Heck, woulda' been good to do tonight after FF and the C4L group of Ron Paul folks but we've been too busy debating over British organic strawberry beer. ;-)

How many people are watching this? I haven't really been paying much attention to it, but I am enjoying the end.

SPOILER WARNING

I went to see Transformers:  Revenge of The Fallen with my husband.  (I like movies about giant transforming robots, don't judge me.)   I know the movie has been in the works for awhile and the script was penned and most if not all of the filming was done prior to the switch over in presidencies.  Having said that, it is specifically stated that the President in this movie is President Obama.

( There be SPOLIERS ahead )

www.freedomfest.com is going on about the same time as the Campaign for Liberty here in Las Vegas.

Over 800 people (self-counted) turned out to hear Ron Paul tonight on the main convention stage. His wife Carol came along w/ him this time and introduced him as the love of her life, so endearingly sweet. what a huge contrast to the 100 people falling out of a banquet hall not even in the hotel 2 years ago. The energy was electric. All the ol' libs, local reformed repubs from AZ, CA, WY and NV turned out. the message was clear from End the Fed (now 263 co-sponsors in House, 8 in Senate) to never give up. We are so close to a 'reset' with the Fed just the beginning.

Tomorrow, more training for the folks at C4L, lecture/seminars from Peter Schiff to Wayne Root handing out advance copies of his new book "The Conscience of a Libertarian" Tax haven, jury nullification, economic and marijuana policy project lectures to more FREE BEER and oh yes, the advance tasting of tequila by invitation of the vendor.

Good times. ;-)

p.s. the scuttlebut for this community is that Sarah Palin was practically forced out of Alaska by the local and national Repubs w/ continuing lawsuits. she refuses to play by their games. the ron paul repubs are reforming and taking over at all levels possible particularly california having lost major donors pissed off by RINOS. northern nevada particularly continues to make strides - contrast to them shutting down our convention a year ago.

So apparently moveon.org is rallying people to write their senators to support Obama's National Health Care plan. And I kind of begin to wonder. Do they not realize he basically wants socialized health care?! Like, what Europe and Canada have? This seriously worries me. Has anyone talked with any liberal friends? What are they saying?

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/07/while-state-run-media-continues-to.html

While the state-run media continues to hammer Sen. Ensign on his affair, here are a few of the real crimes you won't hear about:

** Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) wife Monica was convicted on bribery charges. An associate also implicated Rep. Conyers and Senator Stabenow (D-MI) in the crimes. The state-run media hasn't touched this.

** The jury in Rep. Jefferson's (D-LA)criminal case saw tape this week of him accepting bribes and were handed photos of his frozen cold cash this week.

** Mr. John Harris pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud this week. He pledged to cooporate with prosecutors in the investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) in exchange for the lenient sentence.

** Criminal accusations against Senator Dodd (D-Conn.)continue. Dodd has not been straightforward about the value of his 10-acre waterfront home in Ireland. Since 2002 he listed the value of the home at $250,000. In February his office changed that to $127,000. In March, Dodd told The Hartford Current he paid $177,000 for the home. In May he told Newsweek he paid $207,000. Acording to the senator's most recent financial disclosure form, the cottage is actually worth $658,000.

** Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has come under scrutiny as more defense contractors associated with him are being investigated. This time the names include Mountaintop Technologies which received $10 million in earmarks and Kuchera Industries which got $9 million in earmarks in 2008. The Pennsylvania representative allegedly used his seniority and position on the U.S. House Appropriations committee to secure the earmarks that he passed on to companies with whom he had relationships. Donations from executives of Mountaintop to Murtha's campaigns amounted to $40,200 while employees of Kuchera kicked in $89,000.

** Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus (Dems) are under investigation for taking an illegal trip to Cuba where these members sucked up to Fidel Castro.

** The House ethics committee opened an inquiry into whether Caribbean trips taken by Representative Charles Rangel violated House gift rules.

** Sen. Inouye (D-Hawaii) acts on behalf of a constituent, who turns out to be in large part himself (a troubled bank in which his ownership share makes up ‘the bulk of his personal wealth’), via Instapundit. The media is silent.

** The House so far has ignored Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. of Illinois over his reported effort to persuade ousted Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to appoint him to fill President Obama's former Senate seat.

** And, there's also Speaker Pelosi who lied about her knowlege of waterboarding and then charged the CIA with lying.

The Obama kids wear expensive clothes, and that's a good thing. But if the Palins buy (or even borrow) nice clothes. . . .

The Europeans want Michelle to shut up and be a good little clotheshorse, and she complies, and that's a good thing. But if Laura Bush does it. . . .

In an interview with the New York Times, Justice Ruth Ginsburg came out of the Eugenics Closet...

Q: Are you talking about the distances women have to travel because in parts of the country, abortion is essentially unavailable, because there are so few doctors and clinics that do the procedure? And also, the lack of Medicaid for abortions for poor women?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong.

Whole article HERE.

There are others claiming contex, but I've read the article. I've read the statement over and over. There IS NO OTHER context for "growth in populations we don't want to have too many of."

It's so sickening, despite what simply being what many of us already knew.

Ginsburg also revealed liberal colors of wanting to legislate and regulate EVERYTHING, down to the CHORES you do in your own home!

Q: In the 1980s, you wrote about how while the sphere for women has widened to include more work, men haven’t taken on as much domestic responsibility. Do you think that things are beginning to change?
JUSTICE GINSBURG: That’s going to take time, changing that kind of culture. But looking at my own family, my daughter Jane teaches at Columbia, she travels all over the world, and she has the most outstanding supportive husband who certainly carries his fair share of the load. Although their division of labor is different than mine and my husband’s, because my daughter is a super cook.
Q: Can courts play a role in changing that culture?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: The Legislature can make the change, can facilitate the change, as laws like the Family Medical Leave Act do. But it’s not something a court can decree. A court can’t tell the man, You’ve got to do more than carry out the garbage.

Well, why not? The court can do everything else, apparently!!