Everytime I see this ad, I start screaming at the TV.

First of all, take a look for yourself at this campaign ad.

Are you screaming too?

If you are wealthy and your $150 per month healthcare premiums are just peanuts because that's what you spend on shoes every month anyway, well, then, good for you. And when you can afford to access any and all healthcare services under the sun because most of them are even cheaper than your vacation home on the beach, well then, good for you. You and I are on two different wavelengths.

For the rest of us, here is why I nearly jump out of my skin with rage when I see this ad featuring Scott Walker's running mate, Rebecca "Crazy Eyes" Kleefisch:

Crazy Eyes Kleefisch says: "[America has] the highest quality healthcare system in the world..."

Let's look at some facts, shall we? I know, I know. Politicians HATE facts. But let's do it anyway, for shits and giggles!

1. According to the most recent Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) report on the Maternal Mortality Rate, the United States ranked 39th in the entire world for maternal death.
2. The United States is 33rd in the world for infant mortality, according to the United Nations Population Division (and no, Crazy Eyes, that's not including abortions).
3. We're ranked 38th in the entire world for overall life expectancy, according to The United Nations.

If we indeed have the HIGHEST QUALITY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD (her words), how can you explain this? Something as simple and natural as childbirth and we rank 39th in the WORLD? Can you guess what the top 10 MMR countries have in common? Give up? They provide healthcare for every citizen. And my guess is that if you researched the other statistics, you'd find the same result.

Crazy Eyes Kleefisch says: "[A Government run health] plan would increase costs..."

But what are the real costs associated with privatized healthcare? Yes, the emergency room has to treat you if you are having a medical emergency. But what happens if you have no insurance and can't pay your bill, because your bill is likely to be in the range of $5,000-$100,000?

"Increasingly, hospitals are shifting costs to those who can pay," said Wynn Bailey, partner and health care expert with consulting firm AT Kearney. "That's the government, private insurers and the self-insured." Bailey said hospitals are negotiating higher treatment rates with insurance companies to offset the bad debt. In turn, commercial insurance providers are charging higher premiums to their clients, both businesses and individuals, to cover their cost increases. As businesses struggle with their employee health care costs, they are shifting a higher percentage of overall premiums to their workers. --CNN.com, "Underinsured Americans: Cost to you", March 2009.

And how about the fact that well over half of all bankrupcies filed in the US are as a result of health care costs...and, of those, over 75% had some form of health insurance!

Not to mention the fact that people DIE in this country from lack of health care at rate of about 1 death every 11 minutes. According to a Harvard study, somewhere in the neighborhood of 45,000 deaths annually can be attributed to lack of health care. And that figure will rise, since in 2010 the number of uninsured Americans increased by 4.3 million. Are we counting that as a cost, Crazy Eyes?

Crazy Eyes Kleefisch says: "[Tom Barrett wants to] put government in charge of our healthcare choices."

WHAT CHOICES? Really. What "low cost, world's greatest" choices are available for the average American making less that 6 figures without health care? 50.7 MILLION Americans do not have health insurance. That's 16.7% of us.

This witch is so out of touch it's frightening. Really, really frightening.

Living in the Moment

The remarkable thing about babies is that they live in the moment, and I think there's a great wisdom in following suit. Living in the moment in this cubicle isn't so great nor would I get much accomplished if I did so, but knowing how to stop on a sunny day and just be...listen to the wind in your ears, the feel of the pavement beneath your feet, the warmth of the sun on your skin...it's an invaluable skill that takes practice and patience and is worth it.

Sometimes it's hard to find the beauty in life. But maybe that's what makes the beautiful things in life so beautiful. Because you have to really look for them, they don't just pour themselves all over you. They are hidden treasures.

Talkin' Shit

I think it is important to make sure that you listen to points of view that may counter your own. I tend to lean left, so I have a few righties I go to, and in all honesty, sometimes I am all "Hell yeah!" about what they have to say. There are some people on "the other side" I respect greatly.

That is, until like 2 months before an election.

All the sudden, focus shifts from important issues to just straight-up shit talking anyone on the "other side." My guess is the lefties are doing the same thing, and sometimes I notice it and sometimes I don't.

It's as if a war breaks out, and we all have to pick a side or die in the crossfire.

The same goes for the politicians themselves. They widdle everything down into a few key talking points, refuse to go after any issue that might brand them as unelectable, and just become boring little puppets for a few months. Not to mention the mud slinging campaign ads. I think the worst campaign ads are the ones that are paid for by seemingly independent groups, when really it's not hard to figure out what political party is behind it.

Sigh. I look forward to November 3rd.

Capitalism

I don't mind Capitalism. I think it affords opportunites to anyone willing to work for them. The problem with Capitalism in this country is that those at the top have no regard for those at the bottom who hold them up and make their wealth possible. I almost wonder if shows like "Undercover Boss" are just a Republican fluff piece to show us common folk that those CEOs really care. But we don't need sappy music and pats on the back. We need healthcare! We need competitve wages! We need education! Those at the top pour massive amounts of money into the pockets of politicians to ensure that they can continue to have enough money to pour into the pockets of politicians so that they can get these politicians to oppose things like health care for everyone, which may, God forbid, take a few pennies out of their pockets. Meanwhile, they fire Americans and send American jobs overseas to nasty, unregulated shit holes that send back lead-poisoned toys and plastics that pour endocrine disruptors into our bloodstreams. Our 6 year old girls have DD breasts and our 10 year old boys can't do math and no one can figure out why as they fill their Wal-Mart shopping cart with cheap Chinese shit.

Honestly, are we past the point of rescue? Clearly the people in power are OBSESSED with profit and aren't willing to be a part of their global communities, lest their stock falls a point or two. How does a human being end up like that? Why are we a nation of "ME ME ME!" These are NOT the United States. We are far from united when we are unwilling to meet the BASIC needs of our neighbors and friends.