Dylan Ratigan: Health Care: Let's Liberate the Masses

Dylan Ratigan: Health Care: Let's Liberate the Masses: "I work for the General Electric Company. It is, at least at NBC Universal, a very nice place to work and I am very lucky to work there.
You meet lots of interesting and accomplished people, there are lights and cameras and action.
And GE is a good company, with well-established systems to hire, transfer, promote and sometimes fire the hundreds of thousands of people that make up the business."

We are 1 Million Strong Against Socialized Fire Departments

Watch this for some humor.



then go to their site and sign up angrytownhall

Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese priest criticizes his bishop's leadership | National Catholic Reporter

Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese priest criticizes his bishop's leadership National Catholic Reporter:

"Father Michael J. Gillgannon, a widely respected missionary priest of the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, has written an open letter to his bishop, Robert W. Finn, taking strong exception to his leadership.
'You appear to me and many priests of my generation who lived the Spirit filled days of Vatican II,' wrote Gillgannon, 'as one whose task is to reverse the changes of that great event. You have given the impression that your changes were for the sake of a narrow 'orthodoxy' which seems to imply that the bishops and priests and laity before you were not orthodox.'
Ordained in 1958, Gillgannon began his career in campus ministry in 1962 at Western Missouri State University. In 1966, he served on the advisory committee of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference for the post-Vatican II reorganization of Catholic Campus Ministry in the United States. Since 1974, he has worked as a missionary in La Paz, serving as pastor of San Antonio Parish, as episcopal vicar of the Eastern Deanery of La Paz, and as national chaplain for Bolivian Campus Ministry. He is the founder and director of campus ministry for the La Paz, Bolivia Archdiocese and and occasional writer for NCR."

read more

Bishop decries 'combative tactics' of a minority of U.S. bishops | National Catholic Reporter

Bishop decries 'combative tactics' of a minority of U.S. bishops
'Catholic community risks isolating itself from the rest of the country.'
Aug. 26, 2009
By Tom Roberts
Politics

Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan Albuquerque, NM

A majority of U.S. bishops disagree with the loud tactics of some of their peers in opposing President Barack Obama’s May appearance at the University of Notre Dame, but remain silent because they do not want to engage in a public battle over the issue, according to Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM.

In an Aug. 12 interview at archdiocesan headquarters here with NCR, Sheehan took the opportunity to decry the combative tactics of what he described as a minority of U.S. bishops who spoke out against the university’s invitation and issuance of an honorary degree. Many urged the university to rescind the invitation because of Obama’s opposition to criminalizing abortion."

Read MoreBishop decries 'combative tactics' of a minority of U.S. bishops National Catholic Reporter:

Being imperfect

A Nearly Perfect Day

"Almost like heaven on earth." That is how I often describe the days when my Downtown Teens and our friends work and play and break bread together. I heard a Jesuit friend of mine died over the weekend. His legacy to me was his famous words: "It's a good life". My family and friends often hear me say those two things: "Like heaven on earth" and "I have a great life".

I have been writing about Volunteer Days at Little House. We have had two great weekends of working with friends, the Downtown Teens and residents of Little House to make our Little House a little homier.

This 130 year-old home is fraught with many items of routine maintenance along with the deferred maintenance necessary due to age. The battle is constantly to make the Little House feel warmer, homier and cozier to the residents who share housing in our four-family. We hope to instill a family atmosphere for our residents and for our Teens. Like with every family, even the best occasions can be marred by a single incident. In this case, after a long day of fixing and painting, it was discovered that one of our friend's had been the victim of a crime--the loss of money from her purse.

How does one deal with the sour note struck at the end of a beautiful symphony? Does it ruin the whole symphony for you? If I let it, it does for me. I am trying to contemplate all of the good of the weekend and put the sour incident in that context. I can't ignore the perpetrator. I want to make the next performance perfect, so I must address the incident. But how? I want to give an opportunity for the one or ones who marred an otherwise perfect day, to do the right thing. I want to find a way to make it easier for them to do the right thing.

It is not the first time that I have dealt with the darker side of human behavior. I certainly have to deal with it in my own life. I recognize many mitigating factors for those who feel they have less, to want more. I don't rationalize the behavior on my part (not for long anyway) and don't want to rationalize or excuse bad behavior on the part of those with whom I share my life.

Many scenarios leap to mind.These scenarios range from denial to acceptance. I try to convince myself, that the victim was wrong about the loss of money, or that they will discover it soon. I think that perhaps someone I don't know, slipped in and committed the crime. I think about who has motive. Who had opportunity? Who would do such a thing? Who is still so disconnected from me, that they would show that kind of disrespect for my friend? I have rehearsed several homilies on the topic of honesty in my head. I share my heartache over the event with those whom I respect and try to gain from their insights. I speculate as to who might have done this crime. My feelings take me from hurt to angry to disappointed to sad, back to hurt. My response to my feelings range from revenge to avoidance of conflict--shutting down. In my desire for revenge, I want to "fire" all of the Teens and evict my neighbors. To avoid conflict I want to withhold trust and not put myself in that situation again.

I am reminded that I am a parental/teacher figure in the life of our Teens. I am also a neighbor/landlord to those who live with us. How do I manage these different roles to the benefit of those who I am here to serve? As any parent will tell you, it is more fun to be a friend rather than authority figure. I struggle to maintain a balance. I fail miserably.

I mentioned breaking bread. When I use that phrase, it puts me in remembrance of the oft quoted Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Dorothy said in various words and ways:

"The most significant thing about The Catholic Worker is poverty, some say. The most significant thing is community, others say. We are not alone anymore. But the final word is love. At times it has been, in the words of Father Zossima [a character in The Brothers Karamozov], a harsh and dreadful thing, and our very faith in love has been tried through fire. We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other. We know Him in the breaking of the bread, and we know each other in the breaking of the bread, and we are not alone anymore. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet, too, even with a crust, where there is companionship."

Help me know. Help me not be alone. Help me to let others know they are not alone. Help me share that Heavenly banquet on earth.

I welcome your insights and responses to help me relate this to my Teens and neighbors this coming weekend for our last "Volunteer Day" at Little House. Please join us if you can. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to know, to love and to banquet together, even with the crust.

No Public Option, No Reform

"The Insurance Industry Profit Protection and Enhancement Act"” according to Wendel Potter, former CIGNA health insurance executive turned whistleblower:


BOOOOOO!!!!! Time for a party that represents the people-- the 63 - 73 percent who favor a public option.

http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2009/09/16/the-insurance-industry-profit-protection-and-enhancement-act/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/16/health.care/index.html?eref=rss_politics

For those of you who asked, Little House is...

...a safe transition from homeless shelter to permanent housing. By safe, I mean that we (us and our friends/benefactors) provide a safety net for people starting out on a second, third or fourth...attempt at financially independent living. Whereas Karen House is a Catholic Worker "House of Hospitality" (shelter), Little House, also known as Ella Dickson House, is a house of financial participation. The residents at Little House (hereafter, our house) pay a program fee (like rent) for a spacious, decent apartment in our four-family flat.

About five years ago, our friend, Mary Ann left Saint Louis for New York City. Mary Ann, a Sister of Loretto, had been the resident "manager" (for lack of better term), of Little House for more than 30 years. When Mary Ann left, she left Little House in our care. In those five years, we learned what we did not already know about taking care of a 130 year-old house.

Maintenance and insurance are higher with older homes. Both because there is more maintenance to do, due to age and because replacement of the home is virtually impossible with today's building practices. Our house is three brick courses thick for all exterior walls. It is on a stone foundation with a dirt basement and has original windows, doors and hardware. It has plumbing added when indoor plumbing came in vogue. Electricity has replaced the gas lighting...you get the idea. In five years we have spent over $80,000 maintaining and upgrading :) our house. In those five years, our residents have paid about $25,000 through their economic participation. We, along with our generous benefactors, have subsidized the rest of the costs.

In five years, we have housed four single moms and one person on a very low fixed income. In addition to the cost of maintaining our house, we have helped these moms with other necessities such as utility payments, child care, clothing, food and hopefully most important--moral support. In turn, they have shown us the hardships and joys of raising a family on low income, ingenuity in the face of lack and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. These families are true heroes. Some have transitioned more smoothly than others from the "care" of our Little House, but they have transitioned. They have learned or relearned how to survive as financially independent as possible. In some cases, they have finished their high school education and gone on to other pursuits. Some have kicked drug habits in the butt. Others have faced depression and other behavioral health issues and overcome. Currently we are housing a "pensioner", a mom, dad and three children and a single young man who was once part of our Downtown Teens (that's another story)  program.

Teka and I try to run Little House according to the Ways and Means of the Catholic Worker. I have had a harder time than Teka, since she has had thirty-plus years of practice at Karen House. Mostly, for me, I have a daily reminder of how good I have had it all my life and I just muddle through.

Thanks and God bless all of you who help us with your prayers, time and financial contributions.

Mike and Teka

PS Little House in keeping with Dorothy Day's Catholic Worker tradition, is not tax exempt. Donations can be made to Karen House (also not tax exempt, but has a business checking account)with a memo to Little House and mailed to Little House, 1538-A N. 17th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63106.

We're number 37

Being a Christian nation in a Pagan nation…

Posted by jzholloway on September 14, 2009

Keeping with Gregory Boyd’s concept that the United States is not a Christian nation, and that whole idea is a myth, I want to look at a quote from his book “The Myth of a Christian Nation.” “What if the energy and resources spent to preserve and tweak the civil religion [i.e. the Christian nation concept] was rather spent feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, befriending the drug addict, and visiting the prisoner?” (115, 116) The answer is simple, we would no longer just be going to church, but we would be the Church. We would no longer just call ourselves Christian, but be Christian… we would, as Boyd says, do the Kingdom. We would be called Christian not because we say we are, but because people would see the life of Christ in us.

for more see Jared's blog: http://jzholloway.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/being-a-christian-nation-in-a-pagan-nation/

POLITICO: Dems heckled Bush, but Wilson was different - Glenn Thrush

This question keeps popping up in one form or another. If Dems heckle it is OK, but if Republicans do it why is it wrong?

The way I was raised, there seemed a proper time and place for debate and perhaps even for heckling in the form of boos or hissing. Personal attacks are another matter and in my book are in bad taste especially if done publicly and especially if done by an elected representative and especially during a formal occasion.

But, it seems etiquette is changing in this regard. I can roll with that as well. It makes me sad though, to think that another era has passed.

Click here to see what Glenn Thrush thinks about it:
POLITICO: Dems heckled Bush, but Wilson was different - Glenn Thrush - Dems heckled Bush, but Wilson was different

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In reform debate, 'pro-lifers undermine their cause' | National Catholic Reporter

In reform debate, 'pro-lifers undermine their cause' | National Catholic Reporter

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Haves and Have Nots: a healthcare parable.

Once upon a time there was living in a proud republic, the Haves and the Have Nots. The Haves were always boasting about what they have, how good they have it and how anybody can have what they have if they just work hard enough. The Have Nots were always wanting what the Haves had but they never seem to have what the Haves have.

Even though the Haves like what they have (and who wouldn't), they didn't really want the Have Nots to have what they have. Along came the the Have A Lots, who are rarely seen in public unless they are testifying. The Have A Lots convinced the Haves that if the Have Nots have what the Haves have the Haves would no longer have what they have. This made the Haves very much afraid and the Have Nots very sad. How could the Haves who really like what they have not want the Have Nots to have it too?

Then something terrible began to happen. Many of the Haves became sick or unemployed or downsized and joined the Have Nots. The new Have Nots began to tell the old Have Nots what they once had and how to have it too. The Have Nots began to believe that what the Haves have is something that everyone should have. The Have Nots worked hard to elect representatives who happen to have what the Haves have, to help them get what the Haves have too so all could peaceful in the republic. The Have A Lots would have nothing of it. The Have A Lots told the Haves that the Have Nots are really "illegals" and socialists and communists and nazis. The Have A Lots warned of death panels and long lines and higher taxes. They said the Have Nots only wanted to take what the Haves have even if they didn't deserve it. The Haves listened to the lies of the Have A Lots and repeated the lies. They organized themselves from behind the scenes and told the Haves to be very afraid and to shout louder and louder in town halls and public squares that the Have Nots could not have what the Haves have because: it would be inconvenient.

Inconvenient? You see, the Haves like what they have. If they have to share what they have with the Have Nots they may have to wait in longer lines to get what they have. In reality it is the Have A Lots who would not have as much if the Have Nots get to have what the Haves have. But the Haves, being a fearful bunch were much afraid to read and find out the truth. They instead listened to Have A Lots who tell them how good they have it and how letting the Have Nots have what they have would be bad for them. Currently the Haves are in danger of becoming a Have Not if they get sick or lose their job or have some pre-existing condition. So, they want to have more of what the Have A Lots Have but not if it means helping the Have Nots to have what they have. They are so afraid of becoming a Have Not, that they don't realize how precarious their situation is. Since the Have Nots have nothing to lose, it was up to the Have Nots to help the Haves continue to have what they have, in the hopes that the Haves will help the Have Nots have what the Haves have.

The Have Nots concocted a plan to make sure the Haves get to keep what they have--and more--security, stability for less money. But the Haves having been convinced by the Have A Lots that they could lose what they have, didn't want to help the Have Nots to have what the Haves had. The Have Nots have had enough of the lies of the Have A Lots and the Haves. The Have Nots tried to tell the Haves that the Haves may not have what they've always had unless the Have Nots can have what the Haves have. But the Haves became deaf to the warnings of the Have Nots that the Have A Lots didn't really care if the Haves lost what they have. This made the Have A Lots very happy.

The End. Or is it?

Volunteer Days At Little House

3 Days, 4 Opportunities to help Little House.


Just a reminder to you. We have 3 Saturdays of volunteer opportunity. President Barak Obama has asked us to observe the anniversary of 9/11 with days of service. 

A donation in any amount to help defray costs of materials would also be welcome. Checks made to Karen House with a memo to Little House can be sent to 1538-A N 17th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63106

I posted a few days back, an article From Little House.
http://innostrumviadomus.blogspot.com/2009/08/from-little-house.html Now a Volunteer opportunity is available to you at Little House. If you can join us, please do. Please spread the word. Here is the letter and invitation:

We, at Little House, will be in the process of prepping an apartment for a new resident at Little House. In conjunction with the work going on downstairs, some repairs to our unit will be made to the plumbing and flooring and stairs. Sometime over the past few years, the shower had been leaking undetected into the floor and ceiling below and rotting portions of the floor. To repair the bathroom shower and floor, the ceiling under the floor will need be removed in order to access the plumbing. As long as the first floor unit is vacant we will also take some time to fix our stairs, which have become wobbly, by removing the ceiling under them and making the needed repairs. We will be patching, painting, sanding floors, fixing doors and windows and generally trying to accomplish other deferred maintenance tasks while the unit is unoccupied.

In order to get all of this work done in a timely manner, we have arranged three volunteer workdays in September. Saturdays in September, from nine in the morning until one in the afternoon we will be working with our Downtown Teens followed by a cookout/picnic. In addition, I will be working most weekdays as my schedule permits. You are welcome to join me on those days as well. Just let me know when you are available.

• We need volunteer workers.

o We have projects for all skill levels from caulking, patching and painting to tuck-pointing, carpentry and drywall hanging and finishing.

• We need financial donations (about $10,000) to cover the cost of fixtures, materials and labor—Teens and sub-contractors.

• We could also use two refrigerators, a microwave and a gas stove.

• In addition, we need meals for volunteers and Teens each Saturday (or donations to purchase meal items).

If you can help Little House, please let me know by responding to this post, email me or RSVP on Facebook.

Thanks,
Mike Baldwin
Official Invitation below:

Please come join Mike and Teka and the Downtown Teens

for any or all of our volunteer work days at Little House.

Saturdays September 12, 19, 26 from

9a.m. until 1 p.m. followed by lunch in the back yard.

Projects include but are not limited to:

gardening, wall and ceiling repairs, plumbing,

painting, construction, reconstruction, tuck-pointing,

basement clean-out, tree planting and winterizing.

All skill levels welcome, donations for materials gratefully accepted.

Check the facebook invitation http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=265129990227&ref=mf
or email me mbroute66@charter.net for more info

Everybody Agrees That It's Nobody's Fault

Commentary about Glenn Beck and the descent of Catholic/Christian/American culture by Mark Shea at Catholic and Enjoying It. Last paragraph: "By the way, Joe Carter at the First Things blog is also rather mystified by the weird way this guy has been anointed. He suspects it's a put-on. I don't think so. I think Beck is emotionally unstable and prone to histrionics. He seems to me to be headed for some sort of self-destructive flameout. Time will tell..." Everybody Agrees That It

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