What You Need to Know NOW about Health Care Reform

Why does this number matter? Click to find out.

An appeal from Consumers Union Action Fund that found its way to my email today makes a good point.

Right now, they’re counting the phone calls in your Representative’s office. Who is calling against health reform, who is for it.

They’re keeping a minute-by-minute tally – undecided members are getting swayed; those who already voted ‘yes’ are reconsidering.

These days it is easy to feel jaded about politics and about the influence of the people on the process.  We are far too often given reason to.   The fact is, however, that the voice of the people does still matter.  Politicians do respond to political pressure.  They always have and always will.  After all, no matter how much money political action committees, corporations or special interests channel into politics, politicians have to be re-elected.

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We are the World I and II

This is the video for the 25th anniversary version of “We Are the World”, made for the benefit of earthquake victims in Haiti.

This is a noble project.  The disaster in Haiti is certainly one of the worst in recent memory.  As of February 10 the reported number of deaths was 230,000.  Stalin once said “”A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic,” and I confess that 230,000 is a difficult number for me to wrap my head around, so I went looking for points of reference.  Comparisons are hard to find.

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“American VI: Ain’t No Grave” Wow!

Johnny Cash!  The Man in Black!  He’s had an amazing career.  One of his biggest hits was “I Walk the Line,” but for the most part Cash drew the line he walked.  It didn’t always go forward, either.  At points in his life Cash struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism.  He landed in jail more than once, and his first marriage ended because of infidelity.  But Cash ultimately kicked these habits and settled down with his second wife, June, who he lived with until she died in 2003. (bio)

He died 5 months later, but some of his most interesting albums came out toward the end of his life.  In the 90s Cash had lost his recording contract, but he made yet another comeback.  began working with producer Rick Rubin on American Recordings, a stark series of albums that showcase the ability of this great artist to write and interpret songs, making them his own.  But while Johnny has settled down in his life, he never stopped being something of a musical Rebel.  You’ll find Johnny Cash in the Country section of your record store, but you’ll find albums the really defy genres by a man who influenced fell musicians from the world of country, rock, new wave, punk, rhythm and blues and gospel, including Merle HaggardBruce SpringsteenBob Dylan, Ray Charles, U2, Oscar the GrouchSheryl Crown, Gaslight Anthem, Elvis Costello and Norah Jones
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Academic Freedom Media Review, February 12-19

Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Alabama Shooting Puts Spotlight on Tenure Process
The Associated Press, The New York Times, 2/18

Publish and be dumped?
Laurie Taylor, The Times Higher Education, 2/18

Is Heckling a Right?
Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 2/17

Education is the key for the future of Belarus
Bertel Haarder, Cristina Husmark Pehrsson, Rigmor Aasrud, Jan Vapaavuori, Katrin Jakobsdottir and Halldor Asgrimsson, EuObserver, 2/17

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Academic Freedom Media Review

January 30 – February 5, 2010
Compiled by Scholars at Risk

Terror and academic freedom
Rizwaan Sabir, The Guardian, 2/5

China snubs U of C over Dalai Lama, Accreditation lost after honour for spiritual leader
Gwendolyn Richards, Calgary Herald, 2/4

Quebec physicians urge Charest to call for end to silence on asbestos
Rhéal Séguin, The Globe and Mail, 2/4

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My Most Popular Ow.ly Links for the Week

These are the most popular ow.ly links in my twitter feed from the last seven days. I don’t shorten all links and I don’t always use Ow.ly, but I find it interesting to monitor this.
1. TIME Magazine names 50 best websites.
2. Tearing down Twitter’s walls
3. These stories are killing me. I need a new laptop so why not the Apple tablet. But I want it NOW!
4. Saw the pic and thought it was ridiculous for the President to use a teleprompter with children. Turns out he didn’t.
5. Suu Kyi ‘to be freed in November Outstanding news, but I’ll believe it only after she is released. November is far
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7. McDonnell Promotes His Rebuttal Via Google Ads”
8. Fact-checking Obama’s State of the Union speech Such a great service. And they started right away! Politifact
9. Google Voice finally on iPhone–in the browser”
10. Resources for Teaching about the Earthquake in Haiti” http://ow.ly/10gh8 A very limited list. Can you help with others? Thanks!

My Most Popular Tweets of the Last Seven Days

Here are my top 10 Tweets of the last seven days that contain links shortened using ow.ly.

  1. RT @florencedesruol English was the first #OpenSource language. http://ow.ly/XmZO Intriguing article on both English & concept of OpenSource
  2. Nation’s Largest Labor Union Group Creates Online Degree Programs http://ow.ly/XYE5
  3. Watching Young at Heart on PBS. So funny! And inspiring. http://ow.ly/Xi2n
  4. Academic Tattoos-Scholars with tattoos relating to their academic research http://ow.ly/XYZ2
  5. Offensive on so many levels. Pat Robinson says quake in Haiti result of deal with the devil. http://ow.ly/WgJa
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  7. Check out the Crazy Heart trailer and The Weary Kind theme song. http://ow.ly/Xx0d
  8. Democrats’ Senate supermajority may be at its end after Massachusetts’ special election, polls show http://ow.ly/Y2wb If Brown wins,…
  9. Call for Sessions: Technologies & Pedagogies for Teaching Language, Cultures, and International Relations http://ow.ly/VR3D
  10. California Law Encourages Digital Textbooks by 2020 http://ow.ly/XYGL
  11. Higher Ed Faculties Are Liberal Because Conservatives Don’t Seek Academic Careers, Study Finds http://ow.ly/XYOY

Open Letter to DNC re: Health Care Reform. Listen to Jon Stewart

To the Democratic National Committee:

I can’t tell you how much reading something like this which appeared on the USA Today site makes me.

Critical condition. Life support. Code red.Any kind of medical cliche can be used to describe the state of President Obama's health care initiative.The election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate gives the GOP the power to block a final health care bill, so the Obama White House and the Democrats are scrambling to figure out what they can do — if anything.

via Obama and health care: Critical condition

If you allow this single victory to derail legislation that should be a priority for the Democrats, then you will have proven yourself a truly failed leadership.  Let me refer you to the following clip from The Daily Show.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Mass Backwards
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Political Humor Health Care Crisis

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Sincerely,
Michael Toler

MusicForRelief.org // Download to Donate for Haiti

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via MusicForRelief.org // Download to Donate for Haiti.

Why Men Marry Men, According to Rush

Periodically some outrageous clip from Media Matters comes my way. I try to resist looking at them. Unless they are cushioned by the humor of The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, they just depress me. But every once in a while I can’t resist and I look at them. They are hilarious! That is until you realize these pundits are serious and people take them seriously.

Is he really serious? Someone who is a fan, tell me. Does he really think that families in which both spouses work they do so just to keep up with taxes and not the rising costs of gasoline, health care, groceries, education, utilities, bank fees and who knows what else? I’m single, so maybe I don’t understand at all. If your married and your spouse works, is it because of taxes? His final thought is that gay men are getting married for the same reason, the economics of it. If your gay, male and marred and reading this, is that why you’re married? If you can’t get married where you are but would like to, do you want to because you want to marry up?

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