It's gonna take a lot of time and love to repair what the church has done to

to the LGBT community over so many centuries. I doubt if it can ever be totally repaired, but that's no reason not to try. It's not just the catholic church, many other Christian sects, and other non-christian religions, such as some of Islam, have caused, and continue to perpetrate and promote, hate, injustice, and inequality against us for no rational reason.

I am hoping that, at some point, the Pope will publicly denounce his former positions regarding LGBT persons and our rights, admit past lies and mistakes of the church, and ask catholics to accept LGBT individuals, families, and behavior as natural and not in any way offensive in the sight of the conceptual entity he/they recognize as their God.

I'm really tired of people hating me for no rational reason, and the Pope is in a position to help put an eventual stop to it. I was nearly in tears last night from some experiences I had yesterday, and had to think of the many good straight people who support me and don't hate me simply for who I am, in a struggle to prevent myself from becoming a hater in response.

Bigotry, hate, prejudice, inequality, injustice, and discrimination toward LGBT will never end until the religions that promote and perpetuate these vile conditions decree it to be wrong.

This is why it is so important for individuals to break the mold. Nothing changes until people

have had enough of ignorant institutionalized bullshit and move to the front of the bus, or lead the Pride Parade.

It takes serious grit, and if you want it, you have to go out there and engage in some form of martyrdom. You have to be conscious enough to learn how not to hate the people who are oppressing you when you come out in conflict with whatever taboo race/color/creed/gender expression/sexual orientation, etc, that the institutional authoritarian bullies have mandated for you. This can be really difficult, but it is necessary, because once you give in to the hating, they've broken you. Lesbians, gays, and transgenders who are out and open often have to struggle with these things on a daily basis, and it is generally more difficult for the men to buck traditional gender mores when they express what are preconceived aspects of "femininity".

In American society, in cases of males publicly expressing what are commonly held to be more feminine traits, and physically manifesting a preference for what is commonly held to be feminine self-expression, it takes a lot of courage. It's bucking the ancient status quo. Our society is patriarchal, misogynistic, and homo/transphobic. It is generally much more acceptable for a female to express in what is generally considered to be a masculine manner than it is for a male in what is generally considered to be a feminine manner, because men are traditionally and historically considered to be superior to women. A woman "acting more like a man" is more acceptable than a man "acting like a woman" because the traditional male role is enculturated as more important than the traditional female role. Hence, a man expressing anything considered to be "feminine" is making himself an object of scorn and disgust by lowering himself through adopting the behavior of the traditionally subordinate female.

This is because our society is institutionally ? traditionally patriarchal and misogynistic. It's a vicious cycle:

Oppression ? Repression ? Persecution ? Repression ? Conformity ? Homogeneity

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Reject and expose the lies, and tear down the walls, of the ancient castles of the institutional bullies.

Be the difference.

cali, cali, cali...this a new day, and we need to level the global playing field.

Workers in the US need to be brought down to the poverty levels of Third World slaves laborers. It's time to admit the Middle Class experiment has failed, and that the two class feudal systems of the past, when there were only kindly noble lords and their peasant serfs, are more efficient, and better in the long run for the unwashed masses who are not really capable of thinking for themselves.

And why should one country be allowed to have forests and clean water, while others have none? Best to make things equal, and just totally destroy the natural world everywhere (except on our masters' private hunting preserves, of course).

Let's not be selfish now...m'kay? We need to give back to the 1%.

Unbridled, unregulated, money making Free Market Capitalism - it is the Third Way, and it is the Only Way.



Let us pray.

If Obama had started a New Deal type program soon after he was first elected, like FDR did,

he would have an even larger majority in both Houses than he had during the first two years of his Presidency, again, like FDR did.

Many of us here at DU were screaming for Obama to implement New Deal type policies. Some, (like myself) were screaming for Reid to change Senate rules to simple majority so that we could steamroll necessary traditional Democratic Party reforms and policies into law. We knew it was our chance to beat down the republicans and make them our punks for decades. We knew that if Obama pulled an FDR, we could eventually wipe out Reaganism and 8 destructive years of Bush.

But no, instead of damning the torpedoes and going full speed ahead with traditional Democratic reforms, Obama, assisted by his trusty corporatist Third Way Wall St tool Harry Reid, proceeded to squander our large majorities in both Houses by embarking on a destructive, completely ludicrous agenda of compromising for the sake of "bipartisanship", pandering to republicans and appeasing Wall St banksters, republicans, and all other wealthy private interests.

The result for our large majority Congress?



Gosh, who knew? Who could have predicted that would happen?!?

We got 6 years of what has basically been a lame duck Presidency, with a deranged republican conservative/Third Way congress bullying Democrats into whining, pathetic helplessness as republicans filibuster anything that might lead to productive change like schoolyard bullies. Because they can. Because Democrats gave them the power by not standing up to them like adults and setting the boundaries from the get go.

And we stood by, outraged, unbelieving, and helpless, as Democrats squandered all our hard earned and well deserved hope.

It's almost like it was all planned this way.

Let's hope the ACA exchange system that will be implemented in 2014 is successful in giving people real time unquestionable relief, or we could lose even more seats next year.

And Reagan was obviously a sick, twisted creep, in case you didn't get that from observing his personal actions.

ACA exchange enrollment is open! Here is a (hopefully) easy to use basic Resource Guide

to help folks sign up for the Health Insurance Marketplace exchanges.

Affordable Care Act Basic Resource Guide

This is a compilation of links to websites that I have gathered, designed to give you fast, easy access to basic resources providing information that you may find helpful for understanding your health insurance options in the new Health Insurance Marketplace Exchanges.

Please keep in mind, because this is a new program, it may change as they work the bugs out.

Marketplace open enrollment is a 6 month period, from October 1 to March 31.

Health Insurance Marketplace: You can create your Marketplace Account beginning on Oct. 1.

https://www.healthcare.gov/

https://www.healthcare.gov/quick-answers/#step-1

https://www.healthcare.gov/creating-an-account-and-logging-in/

Kaiser Foundation Subsidy Calculator. There is important information for you at this link, and you can get an estimate of the insurance subsidy you may be eligible for here: *(Note: Because Exchanges are now open, this link will be deleted once traffic on Healthcare.gov slows down and becomes accessible to everyone.)

http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/

There are four types of plans:

• Bronze: Your plan pays 60%. You pay 40%.
• Silver: Your plan pays 70%. You pay 30%.
• Gold: Your plan pays 80%. You pay 20%
• Platinum: Your plan pays 90%. You pay 10%.

How to find the Health Insurance Plan that is right for you:

https://www.healthcare.gov/blog/how-to-find-the-health-insurance-plan-that-s-right-for-you/

Prices will be available for Marketplace Insurance Plans on Oct. 1:

https://www.healthcare.gov/how-much-will-marketplace-insurance-cost/

10 Essential Benefits you receive from the Affordable Care Act – What is covered under Marketplace Insurance Plans:

1. Ambulatory patient services
2. Emergency services
3. Hospitalization
4. Maternity and newborn care
5. Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
6. Prescription drugs
7. Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
8. Laboratory services
9. Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, and
10. Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

http://www.healthinsurance.org/learn/health-reforms-10-essential-benefits/

Kaiser Foundation: The Requirement To Buy Coverage Under The ACA:

http://kff.org/infographic/the-requirement-to-buy-coverage-under-the-affordable-care-act/

Who is required to obtain insurance under the ACA:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Questions-and-Answers-on-the-Individual-Shared-Responsibility-Provision

The ACA and Women:

http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2012/03/women03202012a.html

Premium Tax Credit

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/premium-tax-credit/

Qualifications For Lower Premiums:

https://www.healthcare.gov/will-i-qualify-to-save-on-monthly-premiums/

Some FAQ

http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions/

Medicaid Eligibility

http://www.medicaid.gov/AffordableCareAct/Provisions/Eligibility.html

The main ACA IRS homepage is:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions-Home

What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),[1] commonly called Obamacare[2][3] or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, it represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the country's healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.[4]
The ACA aims to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reduce the costs of health care for individuals and the government. It provides a number of mechanisms—including mandates, subsidies, and insurance exchanges—to increase coverage and affordability.[5][6] The law also requires insurance companies to cover all applicants within new minimum standards and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex.[7][8] Additional reforms aim to reduce costs and improve healthcare outcomes by shifting the system towards quality over quantity through increased competition, regulation, and incentives to streamline the delivery of health care. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the ACA will lower both future deficits[9] and Medicare spending.[10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_Care_Act

Full Text of the Affordable Care Act (this is a pdf file):

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr3590enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr3590enr.pdf

Oh, for chrissake, they really need to start teaching history in schools again.

Maybe it is President Obama's real intention to resolve this situation without using military force.

Assuming that it really was Assad who was responsible for the chemical weapons attack, it seems to me that having the sword of Damocles hanging over Assad's head, in the form of constant imminent threat of his personal annihilation by guided missile, will prevent Assad from using chemical weapons again.

Maybe Obama and Kerry are bluffing, buying time for a calculated diplomatic intervention and preventing Assad from gassing more people at the same time. This is a humane and reasonable course of action.

That's what I would do, assuming that the limited information I have regarding events in Syria is reasonably accurate.

I want to believe this. It's more pleasant than believing Obama and Kerry are PNAC neocon warmongers.

Several replies on this thread...Smells Like Sexist Teen Spirit

Notice that nobody has mentioned, or is mocking, any men whose opinions they feel should be considered valueless on Syria?

For example, "But, but, what does Matt Damon have to say?"

Or, "But I really want to know what Bono thinks"

Or, "I really want to know what Justin Bieber thinks"

Nope. All the disdain is directed at female artists, whose opinions are apparently considered valueless because they are just silly women.

*sigh*

Yes he did. He signed up to fight for the Carlyle Group, Shell Oil, Monsanto, and

every other major transnational corporation. Whatever they want him to do is exactly what he signed up to do. He should not have joined the military if he claims he did not have a clue as to what it is all about.

He signed himself up to be a punk for multinational private interests to use and abuse and use and abuse in any way they wish to use and abuse him.

We've been telling people just like him over and over about it for decades. I feel sorry for him, but making a deal with the devil is never wise.

We keep telling people just like him, over and over. And over, and over, and over, again...and they never see the writing, or the names, on the wall.

So, here it is, once again, for all you kiddies considering joining the military...