The Equity Project

The Equity Project
The homepage for the school mentioned in previous link.

WaHI charter school article

WaHI charter school article
Will this work?

The 111th time around – Update

So for anyone who cares or was interested in any of the bills I am/was following in the new Congress here’s the update of where they are:

- H.R. 2: To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes. Signed by President Obama, yay!

- H.R. 18: Powder-Crack Cocaine Penalty Equalization Act of 2009. Still in committee, probably won’t see the floor, sigh.

- H.R. 11 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and S. 182: Paycheck Fairness Act. Enveloped into S.181 and signed by President Obama, another yay!

- H.R. 59: Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act of 2009. Committee.

On the list to watch because of absurdity or awesomeness of name:

- H.R. 390: College Football Playoff Act of 2009. Committee.

- H.R. 386: CLASS Act of 2009. Committee.

- H.R. 227: Sanctity of Human Life Act. Committee.

- H.R. 87: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Act of 2009. Committee.

So yeah, not much movement, but two bills already passed and signed, I’m a fan of that. Well, I’m a fan of that cause I’m a fan of those bills. Some of these I wouldn’t be so thrilled if they were signed into legislation. I wonder if the spending bill will ever make it out of Congress…

- suse

Talk about change…

It would be silly of me to try and write something about a man who was a wordsmith and orator of utter greatness. So here’s a simple link to give you some clips and words about the man and by the man.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

– suse

The 111th time around

Cause I have way too much time on my hands I was looking though govtrack.us at the new bills/actions introduced by the 111th Congress already this year. There are about a bajillion, so I didn’t look at all of them. I did look at a few and here are the ones I’ll be watching:

- H.R. 2: To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes. (Yay SCHIP! Expand away, but do so wisely, thanks.)

- H.R. 18: Powder-Crack Cocaine Penalty Equalization Act of 2009 (long overdue, and interestingly sponsored by a Republican)

- H.R. 11 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and S. 182: Paycheck Fairness Act (I’m not up on all the details of both bills, how they will be implemented in ‘real life’ and if they will actually get results, but I’m interested to see how these play out. Hillary Clinton is the main Senatorial sponsor of S.182, so that’s one thing she won’t be doing anymore.)

- H.R. 59: Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act of 2009 (Allows for felons to vote after a certain period. I’m interested cause I had a previous discussion with someone about how it was interesting that felons can be in office, but they can’t vote.)

On the list to watch because of absurdity or awesomeness of name:

- H.R. 390: College Football Playoff Act of 2009 (That’s right folks, no more BCS rankings determining bowl games, Congress is asking for a full on playoff system, and, unsurprisingly, it is sponsored by a Texan.)

- H.R. 386: CLASS Act of 2009 (Get it, CLASS act, get it? Also could be good, well from my point of view, I think it is giving more tax breaks to those who are currently repaying their student loans. Yeah, I’m a huge supporter of that.)

- H.R. 227: Sanctity of Human Life Act (It is as bad as you think it is. ‘The life of each human being begins with fertilization’. Oy. You can believe that, but don’t put what are basically religious beliefs into law and impose them on the nation. It is also a nice little way to get around the whole debate of Roe v Wade and just make all abortion completely illegal as they would be ‘murders’ under this law. Maybe we should look to actually provide access to low cost family planning programs and contraceptives, but of course, that just encourages sex, silly me.)

- H.R. 87: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Act of 2009 (I’m only in this for the name. Don’t see why this wouldn’t pass, just puts the option of giving $1 or more to the Federal Treasury on tax returns. Most definitely wins for best name.)

Also, Senator Inouye from Hawaii has three (that I saw, maybe more?) interesting health related bills that would expand public health service loans to also cover graduate programs in professional psychology, to expand Medicare coverage to include nursing school clinics, and to provide health care practitioners in rural areas with training in preventive health care, including both physical and mental care.

Also, also, the House has two resolutions that are to stop Congress from automatically getting a pay raise in 2010. Very interesting. Lets see if they actually vote to not give themselves more money.

- suse

There goes the neighborhood…

Cause this needs to be shared. John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris all in the same musical production? Yes please!!

more about ""Prop 8 – The Musical" starring Jack …", posted with vodpod

- suse

Change is Here!

For all of those of you who are sort of wistfully wondering in the salad days of the Obama transition team, “dude, where’s my change?” here you go!  Via the WaPo and Jezebel:

Jon "No Relation" Favreau Exemplifying Change

When Sam Cooke intoned “Change is Going to Come,” do you think that this is what was meant?  Regardless, change is certainly here.  Jon Favreau (no relation to Jon “Iron Man” Favreau) is intelligent, young, perhaps a speech writer you’d like to chastely discuss the finer points of prose with?  Certainly a change for this country.  This is the kind of dull, not so scandalous, Facebookery that will come with the new administration of digicam wielding millennials.

Speaking of which, I have a digital camera, a blog that I may come to regret at some medical school interview and a penchant for cardboard cutouts, where is my job, please?  I’ll take Secretary of Fierrrrrrce!  Or HHS.

- Ferrrosha