What would Jane Addams do?

Goddess of Revenge

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:43:15 +0000

For Christmas I received the book Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson. It is one of those books that if I were rich I’d buy a truck load of them and pass them out to passerbys like a Christian fundamentalist passing out bibles on college campus’. The book discusses the actions of the United States and how our imperalism, militarilism, and the erosion of the constitution will lead to eventual destruction of the American Republic. Johnson compares the end of Roman and British Empires to our current state and the similarities are present. The book leans left, but it isn’t a conspiracy theory book. One point the author makes that has me thinking is how the erosion of checks and balances have created in essessence an imperal presidency. George W. Bush was able to pass laws and legislation limiting the checks and balancing powers of Congress. Under the pretense of protecting the country against terrorism he was able to make decisions such as going war, renditions, torture, and wire tapping without the consent of Congress. Essentially, whatever George W. Bush wanted he got, the constitution be damned. Now we have a new President. We are perceiving that this President can not get anything done and therefore is failing. But is this really a fair assessment, or is this President allowing the Senate to provide the checks and balances the Framers desired? The President was never suppose to be the most powerful entity in our governemnt. After 8+ years of the imperial presidency of George W. Bush does the American public need to be re-schooled in what the powers of the presidency entail per the constitution?

Dear Lieberman, Go F Yourself. Sincerely-Whatwouldjaneaddamsdo

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:19:43 +0000

Lieberman is a fame whore! He does not appear to be in the Senate to conduct the peoples business, instead he just wants to be talked about and pursued like a celebrity. Why else would you frickin oppose a measure such as the medicare buy in plan that you have supported so vehemently in the past. Lieberman wants to feel like he matters, like he counts, he wants the popular kids to pay attention to him. He is the Lindsey Lohan of the Senate. He doesn’t care what people say about him as long as people are talking and putting his picture on t.v. I mean seriously, what Democrat killed Lieberman’s puppy or screwed his daughter because that is the only thing that would warrent such a blatant pursuit of revenge. Unfortch for us it isn’t his Democratic collegues in the Senate that bare the brunt of his juvenile antics it is the millions of Americans that are uninsured.

Getting Back to Social Work

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:40:16 +0000

The dreaded Direct Loans statement came in the mail today. I’ve been feeling pretty good so thought, what the hey, I’ll open it up this month. So, apparently the US Department of Education wants over $800 a month from me to pay back student loan for my Master of Social Work degree. Yeah right! Fuck you very much lenders!!! Seriously, you bail out the banks, a herd of greedy, amoral, vile, asshats that given a second chance decide to pad their own wallets, and you have the nerve to expect me to pay back $800 a month. At the same time you (mostly the cold hearted Republicans) want to defund and cut spending to mental health and social service agencies making the likelihood I will even find a decent paying job questionable. Therefore, I am basically donating a percentage of my time and money to this country, to the socially, economically, and mentally disadvantaged citizens. Throw a little of that bail out money to the social workers will ya! The teachers get the love with the loan forgiveness and most teachers I know are dumb as rocks. (to the teachers that read this, I don’t mean you But seriously, it takes a lot of nerve to charge a social worker the tuition many are charged and then only pay in the 30,000′s with a Master’s. Could it be because the majority of social workers are women, and women in this country are expected to get married, therefore making their paycheck “extra” money for the household? Possibly, but that is another blog post. However, I will be adding the word chump on my business card because that is what I feel like for spending 70 grand on an education that nets me 34 grand a year. Jane Addams, MSW, and henceforth known as the US Depart of Education’s bitch. Maybe one day the collective we will value the mental well-being of children enough to pay those that work with underserved and disadvantaged children a living wage.

A Time Out For Sanity’s Sake

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:49:30 +0000

Haven’t posted in awhile because I can’t bring myself to watch cable news. Watching the “debates” regarding Healthcare was seconds away from giving me a coronary and I decided 30 was too young for a heart attack. Then that shitheel Palin released her book and I decided I didn’t want to spend my evenings with my head over the toilet puking from disgust. And now the Iraq, I mean Afghanistan War. It is one of 2 areas where I’m just not sure I can support Obama and I can’t watch the Republicans act like they are so fucking pious when they dragged us into this sandtrap. And speaking of Republicans every f-ing time one of them gets on television with their fake outrage about government spending and some journalist/wanna be celebrity doesn’t take the opportunity to remind them they did not have such concerns when Bush was spending us into this mess I want to punch a small child in the face. Seriously, we have to spend money to make money ala healthcare energy reform, we have to spend money to help the citizens get through these tough times while the banks are swimming in pools of cash. The idea that people want to sell out the most disenfranchised people in our country makes me sick. I believe the record has shown that it isn’t the poor, minorities, immigrants, or gays that should scare us. It is the slick willies on wall street and the fat cats working in corporate America that are destroying the country. So, for my own mental health I’ve taken a break from Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, and as much as it pains me Rachel Maddow. With all this free time I’ve decided hang out with my new BFFs, Edward, Jacob, and Bella. Team Jacob all the way!

Michael Moore putting his money where his mouth is!

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:38:12 +0000

A letter Michael Moore emailed to members of the Traverse City, MI State Theatre. Mr. Moore puts on a annual movie festival every summer at this theatre and is well worth the time if you like Movies. Additionally, Mr. Moore is generous with his time and money in the Northern Michigan area as evidenced by this email.

From: “Michael Moore” > Subject: As a Thank You to TC, All Seats for “Capitalism: A Love Story” Will Be Free for Its Final Week! (plus, we’ll have special first-time-at-State Theatre showings of “Sicko”!)

Friends, Well, it’s been a heckuva run for the “movie made on Front Street” and now playing at the State Theatre. Over 7,000 people have come to see it in these three weeks, and it is now our third largest-grossing movie ever since we opened the new State in 2007 (“Juno” and “Slumdog Millionaire” are #1 and #2).

This has brought some much-needed revenue into the State after a slow September. So I’d personally like to say thanks to the people of the area for supporting this movie by making the final week of “Capitalism: A Love Story” free of charge to anyone who wants to see it. In other words, I’ll “buy” your ticket and make a donation to the State so that the theater has revenue for the week.
So, if you haven’t seen it yet, come on down, the show’s on me! Or if you’ve already seen it but want to see it again (and bring some friends), we’ll be happy to see you back!

But mostly I want to open up the State to those of you — or people you know — who are perhaps having a harder time making ends meet these days, to give you a chance to get out of the house and have a night at the movies! A lot of people these days have had to cut things like the movies out of their budgets. So, for one week, no one has to worry about that. The doors of the State will be open to anyone and everyone! All are welcome and encouraged to attend a film I think they and you will like.

Also, as a bonus, I’m offering daily screenings (except Saturday) of the movie I made before “Capitalism,” the Oscar-nominated “Sicko.” It is a very timely film, considering the debate taking place regarding universal health care. If you want to see things about this issue that you simply won’t see on the evening news, please come see “Sicko.” I truly believe it will rattle your bones!

There will be a $5 donation to see “Sicko,” and 100% of the donations will go to the free or sliding scale medical clinics that serve the poor and working poor of Antrim County. There will also be a special 25 cent morning matinee of “Sicko” next Thursday at 10:30 am.> > This special Thursday 25 cent “Sicko” matinee is in addition to our regular 25 cent Wednesday morning matinee, which will be the last in October’s “Great Who Dun Its” series, Robert Altman’s Gosford Park. And on Monday at 6 pm we’re hosting a Silent Movie Night with live accompaniment by Central High School orchestra students. Check out the schedule below.

In case there are a couple of you who might be upset because you have already paid to see “Capitalism: A Love Story” — and now others will get in to see it for free — please understand that we’re trying to do something nice for those who may be a bit worse off than some of us. And we’re always trying to find affordable ways to encourage others to try the State Theatre for the first time. With this film, we’re in a position to do these things because the studio has done very well with the film here. So all are welcome this coming week to see it for free. Consider it a celebration of the first Hollywood studio film made entirely here in TC! And let’s not make it the last!

Thanks again, everyone, for letting me share my work with you. This particular movie is a very personal one — it has lots of good humor, some much-needed investigative reporting about “The Crash,” and a whole lot of moments that will twist your gut and spin your head. Free kleenex, as always at the State, will be available.

The free shows start this Friday.

With gratitude,
Michael Moore

P.S. This is a movie teens and even pre-teens can and should see, in spite of the misguided ratings system. No one is killed, everyone keeps their clothes on. It was rated R because a man being wrongly evicted from his home calls the bank a name. Seriously, cursing Citibank got us an R! Go figure.

State Theatre Schedule This Week> > Friday, October 23> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 1, 3:30, 6 pm – FREE> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 8:30 pm – $5 Donation> > Saturday, October 24> Madeline (Rated PG) 10 am – 25 cents> Aida (Met Opera) 1 pm> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 6, 8:30 pm – FREE> > Sunday, October 25> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 1, 6 pm – $5 Donation> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 3:30, 8:30 pm – FREE> > Monday, October 26> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 1, 8:30 pm – FREE> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 3:30 pm – $5 Donation> CHS Orchestra Silent Movie Night (Not Rated) 6 pm – By Donation> > Tuesday, October 27> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 1, 3:30, 8:30 pm – FREE> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 6 pm – $5 Donation> > Wednesday, October 28> Gosford Park (Rated R) 11 am – 25 cents> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 2, 4:30, 9:30 pm – FREE> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 7 pm – $5 Donation
Thursday, October 29> Sicko (Rated PG-13) 10:30 am – 25 cents> Capitalism: A Love Story (Rated R) 1, 3:30, 6, 8:30 pm – FREE

This message was sent by: Traverse City Film Festival, 233 E Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49684

Where art thou media?

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:49:45 +0000

I saw Capitalism A Love Story last week and one part of the movie keeps nagging at me, and has me pondering why have we not heard the story of the judge sending kids to juvenile detention, aka kiddy jail, because he was getting kick backs from the private juvenile detention facility? Where is the media? Is this not the type of story that the American people, the American tax payer that foots the bill for such a disgusting travesty of justice needs to know about? Can they not fit this story in amongst the Balloon Boy and Swine Flu hysteria? The scars those kids that were sentanced unjustly have must be deep and long lasting. I hope the judge and the juvenile detention facility that was in cahoots with this judge apologized to the individual kids, their families, and the community. Where is the media? Oh right, the media is structured within a capitalist system where the corporations don’t report on what we the citizens SHOULD know, but what makes them the most money. They report on what will increase ratings while at the same time making sure not disrupt or piss off the rich and the bosses that right the paycheck.

2016 Bring It On

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:42:57 +0000

There are questions about whether Obama should go to Denmark in an attempt to convince the International Olympic Committee to bring the 2016 Summer Olympics to Chicago. I do not understand the controversy surrounding such a move. I can appreciate wanting to keep politics and the Olympics separated. However, I read that political leaders from the other countries in the running are scheduled to appear in Denmark to advocate for their countries bid for the Olympics. I can not see why this is a controversy for Obama. Why would someone criticize a decision to do whatever he can to bring jobs, tourism, and publicity to the United States. To the Midwest, the rust belt no less where the downturn in the economy has been felt the strongest. Bringing the Olympics to Chicago would not only mean an influx of tourism dollars in 2016, but would mean an increase in blue collar/Construction jobs for chicago years prior to the 2016 Olympics, making a positive impact on the economy during this recession. What is the big problemo???

P. S.
Too bad Detroit could not make a bid for the 2020 Olympics maybe we could clean up that city and provide some much needed jobs for Michigan because God knows it would take 11 years of full time jobs to get the city in “Olympic Shape”. I say it half jokingly but maybe an Olympic bid for Detroit would be just the right cure for it’s economic trouble.

Sin Tax

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:02:19 +0000

I love coca cola out of a can. Lu-uh-uv it! It gives me a little burst of energy to help me through the day. I miss coca cola. You see I’m off the sauce. I made the decision that I would like to be healthy and coca cola doesn’t fit in that equation. I either don’t have pop or I drink a diet coke. I received an email once that said if you put a nail in a can of coca cola the coke will eat away at the nail; imagine what coke does to your stomach. I have to admit; that made me stop and think. Regular pop makes you fat, turns your teeth colors, and rots out your stomach. Sounds disgusting but I still had a difficult time breaking up with my coke. I could not muster up enough shear will power. I used to think, man I wish they would just tax the shit out of this stuff and all the other unhealthy crap that I buy because it tastes good. I do not mind the healthy alternatives for many things, wheat instead of white, fresh fruits and veggies instead of easy to pack snacks but the alternatives are cheaper and when you are counting pennies it is hard to pass up the 99 cent white bread for the 2.50/3.00 whole grain. I know I’d buy healthier if it was cheaper especially since it is better for me. So my point, there is a proposal that regular pop should be taxed, a sin tax as it is known in D.C, similar to how we tax cigarettes and alcohol. Legislators believe that by taxing regular pop less people will by it therefore healthcare costs for obesity and diabetes will decrease and people’s quality of life will increase. But, there is a large profitable industry behind pop companies and they are not sitting by idlely. On MSNBC last week I heard a woman pontificate about the value of pop as a treat for people and how this tax will be most strongly felt by the poor. The doctor from Yale quickly pointed out that obesity and diabetes disproptionatly affect the poor so cutting back on the amount of regular soda would be beneficial. What I find bizarre is that pro pop for the poor advocates are what the media is willing to do segment on concerning the poor?? How about the lack of healthcare for the poor, or jobs for the poor, or education for the poor? Do not get on television and try to imply you are advocating for the poor and the “folks’” right to buy regular pop without a tax. As if putting a tax on pop is begrudging poor people a treat. That shit isn’t selling. You are advocating for the pop industry, an industry that sells a product that is bad for us in large amounts. It does not cost much to produce so they can sell it for cheap and still make a hefty profit and it works because we love good deals. We especially like things that taste good, make us think we have energy, and are cheap. But maybe we need to be saved from ourselves when it comes to our diets. Pop is not necessary for survival, it provides no nutritional value it just tastes good. If the pop industry is so concerned about our right to purchase a 2 liter for 99 cents, why don’t they absorb the cost? They can readjust their prices so that with the tax pop would still cost the same as it did before the tax. They could do this in the interest of protecting Americans right to purchase a product that makes you fat, rots your teeth, and rots your stomach tax free. Ugh seriously who gives a rats ass if pop is taxed. If it is deal with it America. Is a sin tax on pop really such a bad idea?

Heebie Jeebie Alert!

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:07:21 +0000

Something I hope we can all agree on!!!

If I have to watch Tom Delay shake his money maker one more time on Dancing with the Stars I think I’m going to vom! I have not felt that uncomfortable watching television in quite some time, and that includes having to explain to my mother why everyone was snickering at the Republicans for calling themselves teabaggers. (side note-I avoided her question and my sister told her to google it…and she did.lol) Why couldn’t he have started out with the Waltz or something? I mean you gotta ease us into seeing him shake da booty. Seriously, baby steps are required in a circumstance such as this.

Texas-We Gotsta Talk

whatwouldjaneaddamsdo — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:05:33 +0000

Okay Texas it is time for some tough love. Your bitching, moaning, whining, and threats about secession leave me compelled to assist you in putting some of your statements into perspective. You need a “Come to Jesus” talk about what you contribute and how your threats to secede are, frankly speaking, a little silly not to mention bizarre. The following will hurt me more than it hurts you….Texas you aren’t as great as you think you are. In fact, you’re a little craptastic. You have some great qualities but the magnitude and scope of your negatives are too insidious to ignore. Why do the rest of us find your threats to secede silly? Why do we not see it as a threat? Ok, here it goes…

So your economy is not as far in the toilet as most of the other states leading you to conclude that you are doing right by your citizens. However, there are many other components that make a state successful. Education, low teenage pregnancy, low incarceration rates, poverty, healthcare, and pollution might be characteristics that most people take into consideration when determining if a state wins bragging rights over all the others. Let’s take a looksey at how you are doing Texas. In the area of education in 2004 you were ranked 50 in high school graduation rates. Every other state in the United States had a larger percentage of their students graduate from high school than you. Now for full disclosure I did find another statistic from the Texas State Government Comptroller Dept that ranks Texas at 36 in the nation. Some believe this 36 comes from some fuzzy math regarding what counts toward a dropout and what does not. Regardless of how the number is computed, Texas your numbers are not fabulous. The Center for Public Policy Priorities states that when considering the percentage of adults 25 and older who have a high school diploma, Texas you rank 45. The percentage of 18-24 year olds completing high school, Texas you rank 49. So when you do lose students prior to their expected graduation year you have not found a way to pull them back in and make sure they obtain a diploma. Additionally, the Texas State Government Comptroller (no outsiders, this info comes from the Texas State Government) reports that for verbal SAT scores you rank 49 and for math you rank 46. Texas if you do not do a good job educating your citizens there are lifelong repercussions for not only those individuals and thier families but for your communities. Moving on, let’s discuss teenage pregnancy. The Dallas News on 11/5/07 ran an article stating that in terms of teenage births Texas you ranked #1 for the second year in a row. According to this article in 2006 and 2007 no other state produced more teenage mothers than Texas. More recently the Centers for Disease Control ranked Texas as having the 3rd highest teen pregnancy rate. That is a lot of baby mama’s. Next let us look at incarceration rates. The Public Agenda organization, citing the FBI, reports that in terms of the amount of Texans incarcerated with sentences of at least one year, Texas you rank #2. Only Louisiana puts more of its citizens in prison than you. Could there be a connection between not adequately educating people and incarceration rates? Most research has found the answer to be yes. Another connection between education, teenage pregnancy, and incarceration rates is poverty. The US Census Bureau reports that when comparing the percentage of Texans living in poverty to other states, Texas you rank 9, in child poverty you rank 8, and for seniors living in poverty you rank 10. Over 40 states have a lower percentage of its people living in poverty than you Texas. Not stellar numbers. More specifically, the Center for Public Policy Priorities states 22% of children 18 and under live in poverty compared to the U.S average of 18.95%. 30.3% of children 6 and under live in poverty compared to 24.7% of children under 6 nationally. The Center for Public Policy Priorities further states, “Child poverty-particularly among very young children is also significantly higher in Texas than in the nation as a whole. Public assistance programs in Texas offer extremely low benefits relative to other states, and a large share of poor Texas households include workers.” The premise that less government “handouts” will propel people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps is clearly not materializing in Texas. Social workers like to say, “How can you pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have no boots?” They can’t, as Texas numbers show. Poor Texans are working but still remain poor, yet Texas you boast about the success of your economy. Success means different things to different people I suppose.

Currently, healthcare is a hot topic but considering where Texas ranks in terms of education, poverty, incarceration, and teenage pregnancy you can probably already guess where Texas ranks in terms of the percentage of its population with healthcare coverage. If you guessed dead last you get the gold star. The Health Insurance Resource Center reports that Texas ranks 50th in the amount of Texans with health insurance. For public health funding Texas you rank 42, which is a crime considering the rates of poverty in your state. Texas these numbers are out of 50, you are at or near the bottom. Finally, I bring up pollution. Now Texas you might consider the fact that I would include pollution in this analysis a sign of my left wing liberal paranoia about global warming. Weeeellll, for shits and giggles let’s just see where you rank. A CBS channel 11 news station on 1/16/08 cites that Texas releases more greenhouse gases into the air than any other state. Here you rank #1 Texas, but not in a good way.

Texas you are doing a horrible job keeping your citizens healthy, out of prison, and educated. You are failing to ensure that Texans can breathe clean air. Couple the amount of pollution you spew into your air with the fact that you are failing in your ability to provide your citizen’s access to doctors, no matter the size of their paycheck, and it spells trouble for the health of the people of Texas. Oh and by the way Texas, I did not even mention racism, and let’s be frank, you have some improving to do in that department. If I lived in Texas I’d be pissed and taking to the streets too but not at a tea party rally, and definitely not at a rally calling for secession where people brag about how great a job Texas would do on its own because it does such a great job compared to other states. Texas you aren’t doing such a great job, and if you think you are you are delusional. Texas when you rant about secession you look like a jackass, especially when you then turn around and petition the federal government, the very entity you criticize, for money and assistance in times of need. i.e. hurricane relief and swine flu. When you bloviate about secession I want you to remind yourself that the funds you so desperately seek in times of crisis do not come from a magic money tree. The federal government gets this money from the pockets of your fellow American citizens, citizens that live in the other states from which you want to separate. Now for the tough love part – Texas you are a drain on the United States. Your lack of responsibility to your people affects the rest of us. It affects us spiritually, culturally, and financially.

Do we want you to secede? No. All fifty states are like one big family, and, as in every family there is that one crazy uncle. The one that when he talks the rest of us nod and smile at each other until said uncle leaves the room and we laugh at all the stupid things he said. We discuss half jokingly whether Uncle Texas is off his medication and we make imaginary plans as to who will facilitate the inevitable intervention. Texas you are our crazy uncle. Crazy Uncle Texas. You say stupid things and the rest of us have to bail you out of trouble at times, but you are family, we are stuck with you, and the family would not be the same without you. BUT, and I want you to hear this clearly, do not threaten us Texas! Do not go around acting like you are too good for the rest of us, especially when you can not even take care of your own affairs. Before you judge others and throw out secession rhetoric you should really make sure your own house is in order, because right now Texas your house is a sty!