From Atheist Cartoons. Very funny I thought and insightful.

Let’s talk about healthcare protesters. Glad they are speaking their minds, that’s freedom of speech in action. But I can’t help but notice that these folks likely aren’t among the 50 million people in this country who don’t have access to healthcare. They think things are fine because they have access to healthcare and/or haven’t become sick. It’s easy to take this position because from that view, the system isn’t broken – IT’S WORKING FOR THEM NOW.

If there is such a thing as karma these people will experience the downside of the healthcare system starting with some minor, but chronic condition requiring ongoing care and medicine. Then, they will lose their jobs. After COBRA coverage runs out, they will be unable to acquire new insurance at any reasonable price due to the “pre-existing condition.”

Now the minor chronic condition turns major because the treatment hasn’t been continued. Instead of a manageable situation, they are now sick. Really sick. These people will have their investments, life savings, and other assets depleted as they are forced to pay out of pocket to save their own lives. All of this because these people are now untouchables; uninsured and uninsurable with no place to turn.

About this point, one would have to imagine that these people would be wondering exactly why they fought so hard to protect a dysfunctional system that they assumed would work for them when needed. And at that point, it will be too late. And eventually, after enormous suffering personally and for their families, they will die.

For some, it’s difficult to imagine the scenario above. But the odds are more of us will become ill and slowly degrade requiring medical care than will meet a fast end.

When that happens for me or a loved one, I’d like to know there is good, ubiquitous healthcare available despite one’s economic situation. It’s pretty much like the fire department, you don’t need it most of the time, but when you do, you really do and you don’t want to have to hand over the Visa card for them to start extinguishing the fire. Let’s hope the protesters also choose to exercise their brains, and not just their mouths so that the situation above becomes a remnant of the past.

The bizarre story of the kidnapping and breeding of Jayzee Dugard came to light yesterday. Abducted from South Lake Tahoe in 1991, she lived in a backyard in Antioch (a community about 50 miles east of here) as was forced to breed with her captor producing two offspring.

How did all of this come to light? The two children were with the alleged perpetrator in Berkeley handing out religious literature and attracted the attention of local cops who tipped off the parole officer of the perp.

He also started a corporation called “god’s desire” to help spread the word, which he appeared to be using the children to do. Between priests that can’t keep their hands off children and preachers who seem to want to have illicit liaisons, and religions who seem to want polygamy, often with children, how can “regular” people still defend religion? And more to the point, where’s god in all this?

I don’t need some arcane ethical or mystical figure to know this horse hockey is wrong. Surely the faithful also see this is wrong. And, where is god? Wouldn’t a just, moral, ethical god smite these sinners – hitting them with lightning bolts left and right – for confusing “real, compassionate religion” from what these sick morons practice?

From the outside, it all looks the same to a non-believer. People talking to imaginary friends. How is it possible for me to determine if the imaginary friend the faithful talk to is saying “be kind, turn the other cheek” or “go kidnap that beautiful little girl, keep her in captivity, rape her, and force her to have your children?”

Since becoming a father, this stuff hits me harder than it used to. I can’t imagine the pain of the child or the pain of the family in this instance. That it was no doubt sanctioned by god makes it even worse. We should wise up as a society and get the god out, along with the morally bankrupt religion that supports and justifies it.

Yes, it’s true. I’m now part of the problem. After all the bad things I’ve had to say about Twitter, I finally took the plunge and started using my account. You can follow me on mah1. We’ll see how much I use it…

No, not The Tao of Pooh, really, the Tao of Poop. Yesterday Gracie (our faithful dog) and I were out taking a stroll in the neighborhood as we often do and I noticed a new sign along the way; the sign to the right. I should mention right up front Gracie produces the waste, I collect it and cart it away.

That’s the way of owning a dog in a neighborhood situation – you pack your poop around. Now, that being said, I know a number of our neighbors seem not to believe in poop take away and leave it in some poor unsuspecting neighbor’s yard to be stepped in, gardened upon, or some other distasteful interaction. And, being a home owner myself, I can understand the negative surprise of such an event in your own space.

Given these facts, I think it’s fair to say I understand, I even empathize that a neighbor is sufficiently disgusted to create a “no poop zone” around their domicile.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The presence of such signs make me want to take dear Gracie over and drop a load. It’s wrong, I know it is. I don’t do it. But it’s almost like it’s taunting me personally. So I’m wondering, what is it about us humans that we can see something we intellectually understand and we still seem to have an emotional, visceral, opposite reaction to it?

Well, Gracie and I will continue our walks. She’ll continue to poop, I’ll continue to pick it up and toss it. And, I suspect, I’ll continue to be tempted to flaunt and violate the no poop zone. But I won’t, I guess that’s just the way of dog poop…..