The way things are going, we may need this in the US soon. A "Zero" dollar note. We already have that, though, and it has Andrew Jackson's picture on it.

via blogs.worldbank.org

Hopefully Obama is pleased that he may now have the 60th vote necessary to block a GOP filibuster in the Senate of his landmark healthcare legislation.

The revisions here in the legislation are the biggest changes in healthcare in decades. However, the final legislation that is slated to pass is a watered down, diluted shadow of the original intent; every American does not get health care as affordable rates.

Instead of providing healthcare to every single person in the country as a moral obligation of basic necessity of life, the government is providing a massive give-away to the insurance companies. Sure, there will be rules about people being denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions… but the new "market" for insurance is just another way for them to pull in customers at the government threat of fines for not having insurance.

The final straw that allowed the dems to obtain their 60th vote was adding provisions for restrictions on abortion funding for those policies funded through the "exchange" sponsored by the government. The restriction would be that the insurance wouldn't pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk. Really? That's the restriction? Go for it! Here is the crux of it; we all pay for everything in insurance through our group plans. I don't want to pay for people to have abortions because they use it as a form of birth control.

If someone is raped, then they may not have been on the pill, and the rapist I am certain isn't going to stop and put his rubber on. You know what? That makes sense, because no one should be forced to give birth to a rapists baby. On the other hand, if your boyfriend doesn't like rubbers, and you're easy, and you want an abortion… pay for it yourself. Have a dozen abortions, but I don't want to pay for a single one.

Ultimately, I suppose a watered down bill is better than no bill at all. We are a far cry from universal healthcare, and definitely a good clip away from the socialism that the conservatives keep screaming about. There are some good things in the legislation, but it doesn't go far enough.

Eventually we will, as a people, accept that everyone deserves healthcare, regardless of their socio-economic status. Until that day comes, we will just have to clean this mess up bit by bit. Eventually we'll come to a place of equality. I just don't think it will be in my lifetime, not if my judgement of people opposing these changes has any ring of truth to it.

Last night, Bill Maher had a one-on-one episode since he is currently on break from his HBO series Real Time. One of his guests was Bill Moyers, who is one of the great journalists of our time, and one that still has the ethical compass pointing in the right direction.

On the topic of healthcare, he said the best metaphor for our current situation is that "we're all in the same boat" which got me thinking… really? Are we really in the same boat? Or are we all really in different boats?

The first boat is the luxury cruise ship. These are the folks who can afford the best healthcare at any whim, they have the best health insurance available, and no worries. The next boat is where the majority of Americans are floating; this boat is the minimum health insurance with high co-pays, high deductibles, and that insurance will not exist once you get sick. The third boat is, well, the Titanic. This is where the rest of American's are floating, and it is straight down the Ganges.

The healthcare battle is really about the haves and have nots. People who have good jobs and good insurance don't 'want to pay for everyone else'. But of course, in every society, we need ditch diggers in addition to investment bankers; I for one think those ditch diggers, those retail employees, those restaurant servers bringing the bankers their martini lunches deserve just as good of insurance as everyone else, but they don't… instead that have limited coverage, or worse, no coverage. This also means their children have no coverage.

The truth is, we don't have healthcare in the United States. Instead, we have 'sick care'. Specifically, we care for the sick, but we don't foster prevention for the betterment of all of the persons in the country. There is an absolute, moral imperative to ensure everyone is fed, clothed, housed, and cared for. This includes ensuring each and every person has healthcare coverage, including preventative care; the emergency room is not a plan for long term health.

There are those who think a 'moral imperative' has something to do with religion, and those who believe that without religion, we can not have morals. Here's the reality… bull-hockey. The reality is that each of us has the care of each other within us, but there are those who are more concerned with having a 5,000 square foot home so they don't have to see the other members of their family, rather than living in a reasonably sized home in an urban center and ensuring that their neighbors are cared for.

So the question is, what is the proper metaphor? Since everything in this country seems to have to surround religion, here is the answer for the average midwesterner: "What Would Jesus Do? He wouldn't let people suffer so he could have lower taxes." These folks at the town halls protesting abortion, socialism, and calling the president Hitler are deflecting the real message away from what really matters; Jesus of Nazareth would care a lot more about those poor suffering souls with no health insurance than the upper middle class blond in pink bitch driving the minivan with two televisions in it. There was never a greater socialist than Jesus of Nazareth; "…I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Cove Fish Market
Originally uploaded by skycorgan

The best lobster roll I’ve had since I’ve moved to Connecticut is from the Cove Fish Market in Stonington, CT.

If you’ve never heard of a lobster roll, it is essentially a pile of lobster meat piled into a roll bun which has crust only on the top and bottom, and not on the side. It comes in a choice of hot, or cold which has a bit of mayo and dill mixed in.

DSC01623
Originally uploaded by skycorgan

Up close and personal. I know he heard me click the shutter on my camera, because he jumped as soon as it went off. I need to get a quieter camera.