I had emergency surgery on Saturday....

I had severe bladder and uretha infections and passed out in the shower and woke up in a pool of blood. I passed out from the pain. I got emergency surgery at the best hospital in Tacoma and was told when I checked out this morning that the bill will probably about 25K thank God I have insurance. It will cost me 450.00 but what if I didn't? I was born in Germany and grew up with universal health care. Never a problem and I had a very serious illness as an infant. Superb treatment and care. It floors me, that we in the US don't push harder for single payer. Just think we wouldn't be beholden to our work for health care. I personally feel that this is human rights violation on the part of the US Government. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I DID ON SATURDAY AND NOT HAVE TO BE INDEBTED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!!!

To all public schools!

Please allow me a personal entry. Today is graduation day for our daughter Julia. Our two children were born 11 years apart from each other, so this will be the first time in 24 years that we do not have a child in the public school system.

I wanted to take a moment as I reflect and thank all the public schools of the United States for the excellent work that they do and apologize for the all the nastiness that has been thrown their way these past 30 or so years. In an effort to privatize the school systems for a few to make major profit, public schools and teachers have been demonized, demeaned and denigrated so that the right can make a profit of what has always been and should stay a staple of our society (the right to a free education) You have done amazing work through the ages and have lots to be proud of.

I want to particularly thank the Tacoma School District #10. With your hands increasingly tied, funding cut and a concerted effort by big business to see you fail, you have done just the opposite with our children.

We were the victims of a house fire when our son was 7 and you responded with practical and counseling help so quickly and efficiently. When our daughter had seizures, you accommodated her needs and did it seamlessly.

Most of all you have been an extension of us, encouraged them to learn, reveled in their success, aided them in their struggles and helped them learn what community is all about.

On this graduation day, the success is not only Julia's but your as well. Thank you to all teachers, staff and administration of ALL public schools.

And to the graduates: take what you have leaned and give back!

Thank you Army Major Robert Daniel Collier (deceased)

Robert Collier was born in NYC ( he was fluent in 7 languages) and at 17 years old was inducted into the Army during World War II where he fought in the European war and then worked for the US government posing as a hotel clerk in East Germany passing information to the Allies. Soon after he was sent to Korea, fought there and then was assigned to West Germany where he met my mother. In 1963 when Vietnam was just heating up, he was sent as a military advisor and was shot by the Viet Cong, came back stateside and was retired from the military. On December 18, 1964 at the age of 38 he suffered a massive heart attack directly related to his wounds and died. I still remember hearing the rifle volley and listening to the playing of taps as he was laid to rest. On this Memorial Day: Thank Robert Daniel Collier and all others who have given their life in service to our nation. May we make peace and justice a priority in honor of these fallen men and women!

Favorite Easter Candy?

What do you like best?

If there is a Phelp's funeral

should there be protests?

Wow I am in shock

don't know what forum to put this in so kick it out if it's not in the right one.

WE JUST BECAME GRANDPARENTS
our daughter in law gave an emergency birth about 2 hours ago. Baby had a good birth weight
6lbs 7oz

Does anyone know where to find a cheap bassinett? I thought we had about 3 more weeks to do this!

2014 Election Resolution

who here is willing to join me in promising at least 12 hours of either door belling, envelope stuffing, letter writing, phone calling from Sept 1-Election Day and also 2 hours on election day of GOTV work. If you press like, I will remind you on Sept 1 and also on the eve of election day! THIS IS VITAL, we need the work, we need the excitement and the engagement of the committed!

Hi I just asked this in the thread I wrote last month

Last month, the best pet I ever had died. Stewie was this most wonderful social and interactive cat and we just all loved him so much and seriously grieved at his death. Many of you wrote very loving condolences and we so appreciated that. My dilemma. My teenage daughter misses having a pet and she would like for us to get another kitten soon. I don't know if I am ready for that but yet, I don't want to deprive her of that companionship and for her to have a creature that needs her care along with the rest of us. The problem is that I had never grieved so over a per such as Stewie. He was so unique and special. How long does one normally wait after a sorrowful pet death before adding another fury member to the family? Thanks for your advise! Mike

Who do you think is going to win the Superbowl?

THE WAR ON POVERTY

50 years ago today Lyndon Johnson in an address to Congress declared a "war on poverty" today you have a bunch of Republican assholes declaring that it didn't work. They're right! Because those fuckers made sure that it failed! Starting with the spending on the Vietnam War which the military industrial complex declared....to massive tax cuts for the rich, to failing to increase the cap on taxing social security earnings, to giving corporate welfare, to financing the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, to Reagan's SDI spending....all these doomed the war. As Al Sharpton said "it is the shortest war the US ever fought"
But it is even more than that, it was a shifting of attitudes by the rich, starting with Reagan and also dissing Kennedy's exhortation: "Ask not what your country can do, but ask what you can do for your country!" Our priorities have gotten fucked up and we collectively failed the poor and those with no voice...we have failed them by letting ourselves be led by selfish greedy repukes and corporatist whores and war mongering pigs!