My Best Life

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posted by Claire @ 3/25/2007 01:56:00 PM

Say it Ain't So, Mrs. E

I am very sad about today's news that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned. I can imagine the thoughts that must be going through her mind. And knowing her, she is thinking about everyone else besides herself. I know that John Edwards would never have continued his campaign without Elizabeth's full support.

posted by Claire @ 3/22/2007 05:30:00 PM

Could You Do a Year Without Toilet Paper?

A couple in Manhattan are four months into a year-long experiment called "No Impact" during which they are trying to make no carbon footprint on the earth. Some of the sacrifices: No toilet paper No appliances No cars, cabs or buses No paper cups, brown paper lunch bags or straws No restaurant food Some of the benefits: Saving money Losing weight More sex I admire people who try to be carbon neutral. I don't know if I could do it. But it's inspiring. My aunt and uncle in St. Louis don't produce much garbage, but they still drive cars and use electricity. Their lifestyle seems extravagant compared to this couple. Here's the link to the Times story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/garden/22impact.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1

posted by Claire @ 3/22/2007 08:42:00 AM

Catholic Workers Roughed Up in Colorado

My dear friend Frank Cordaro, who happens to be a former priest, sent me an email today detailing his recent trip to Colorado Springs on St. Patrick's Day. He and a small group of fellow workers went out to walk in a parade with a bookstore who had applied for a permit in the parade. The trouble started when the group displayed anti-war posters during the peaceful march. Here are the photos that tell the rest of the story. Protesters roughed up: http://csaction.org/StPatsDay/31707.html

posted by Claire @ 3/21/2007 08:02:00 PM

All About Bears

I was just surfing the Web and found this cool site. For some reason I was just thinking about bears today. http://www.bearden.org/

posted by Claire @ 3/20/2007 10:58:00 PM

The Silent Victims of War

I just read a stunning article in the Times about the numbers of women who experience PTSD due to being sexually assaulted while serving in the military. They are exposed to all the normal combat stress, just like male soldiers such as roadside bombs and nighttime mortar attacks, but they constantly have to worry about being raped or propositioned by male soldiers who are away from home with no sexual outlet. I didn't know this before reading the article, but male and female soldiers are both more likely to have experienced previous sexual exploitation before even entering the military. Professionals who help the affected soliders have found that these traumatized women come home to a medical system more geared toward helping male amputees and less equipped to help women who have been assaulted, sometimes by their superiors. Here is the URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/magazine/18cover.html?pagewanted=8&ref=magazine

posted by Claire @ 3/18/2007 04:06:00 PM

Zodiac

Jim and I saw Zodiac last night. All I can say is WOW, what a great movie. I had to go pee the entire time and did not feel like I could get up and go because I was sure I would miss something. The movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes long, and it was fascinating. The only stand-out performance I can point to is Robert Downey Jr., who is one of the men in the movie who "lose themselves" to the investigation. He becomes a raging alcoholic and is unable to work due to his obsession with solving the case. The costumes, sets and music that accompanied the movie's dialogue was right on. You felt like you could feel the polyester in the clothes, smell the smoke in the air and remember what it was like to ride in a gigantic old Dodge with no seatbelt on. I need to go buy that book. The movie is definitely worth seeing, but don't drink a lot of soda before you go in!

posted by Claire @ 3/18/2007 03:28:00 PM

General Pace's Comments on Gays in the Military

General Pace just said out loud what most of the military brass probably think to themselves. It does not surprise me that one of the most macho organizations in the world is trying to stake itself out as anti-gay. Why would a gay person seek to serve in the military knowing that he or she is gay? By that time in their lives, I'm sure they already know the level of hatred that can be thrown their way. They must have a terrific sense of patriotism and duty to be able to overcome the level of bigotry they'd most likely face if they showed their true identity. General Pace's comments are not only outrageous, but he should be fired. The U.S. military lost its ability to be a moral authority in the world the second they marched into Iraq in this illegal and misguided attempt at imperialism. And to be perfectly clear, NO I do not think homosexuality is immoral. But, do think perpetrating a war where thousands of innocent civilians die is about as immoral as you can get.

posted by Claire @ 3/15/2007 07:16:00 AM

John Edwards's Health Care Plan DVD

I got a DVD from the Edwards campaign today. It's an interesting delivery system for his message. It's only about 10 minutes long, so it wasn't intrusive. I think Edwards has incredible political courage for coming out and saying that people deserve health care. I mean, think about it. What do people actually "deserve?" I would venture to say that people deserve to eat. Yet there are people in the richest country in the world that go to bed hungry. I think people deserve shelter, yet there are millions who look for place to lay their heads at night. I think people deserve to have a chance to go to college, yet it's out of reach for most young people due to the skyrocketing costs. Everyone needs health care. Medical emergencies can happen at any time, to anyone. Everyone has to be born, everyone has to die. In between, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go NOT as planned. For example, I just got the bills for Chelsey's surgery. Between the surgeon, the outpatient surgical suite, the anesthesia and the lab, the costs were nearly $8,000. And that was after all the insurance discounts. The U.S. already spends 50% more on health care per person than any other country in the world. In Edward's plan, he mentions that everyone will have to be smart about their health care. That means comparing prices, not going to the emergency room when you can go to a clinic and getting generic drugs whenever possible. Edwards also supports allowing people to choose from a variety of private insurance plans and also having a government sponsored plan. People would no longer have to worry about losing their health insurance if they lost or quit their job. It would also allow pre-existing conditions. We are all already paying for health care for all. The 47 million uninsured use the most expensive delivery systems and wait until they are very sick to get help. That is not to mention the indignities they suffer while waiting for even the most basic services. In the richest country in the world, where we flush money down the war machine and don't think a thing of handing the richest companies in the world billions of dollars in tax breaks, it's about time that we offer every person the assurance that they will be covered.

posted by Claire @ 3/12/2007 10:57:00 PM