A new name leads to bold blogging...who knew?

Did you notice that something's changed around these parts?

Hint, hint...I am all kinds of official now...

Yep! I'm www.namastebyday.com. I did it! I bought my own domain name last night and I'm feeling very grown-up and a bit ballsy.

So much, in fact, that I'm going to talk about something that I swore I wouldn't....

*cue music of impending doom*

...health care reform.

I have sworn off talking about politics time and again but I feel pretty strongly about this topic. It is not a surprise to anyone that I am a bleeding-heart liberal somewhat left-leaning. So it shouldn't shock any of you that I actually am for the health care bill. Wait! Waitwaitwait...don't close me out yet.

I do not think it's flawless. I hate the fact that there is anything about student loans in the bill. I don't like the fact that they are increasing the taxes on capital gains to help pay for it. And yes, I know that spending a trillion dollars during a recession is scary. I get it. Oh. And do not get me started on the deals that were cut with certain senators. That is straight bullsh*t.

However.

I am praying that the non-partisan congressional budget office is correct...that it will actually lower the deficit in the long run. Increasing competition in health care market, investing in electronic health records, and cracking down on medicare fraud could do just that.

Giving people access to preventative care, reducing emergency room visits, and preventing families from going bankrupt due to medical bills also has to help. To me, it just makes sense.

I get why people are against it, to a degree.

However.

The vast majority of people were against Medicare when that idea first occurred as well. As a professional who does Medicare billing every month, I know how crucial it is to some of my kids who are medically fragile. Change is scary, but sometimes it is necessary.

I also am very aware of the concern over funds going to abortions. My thoughts on abortion is another post for another day. (Or not.) However, to calm some of my good blog-girls' fears, just know that there is something called the Hyde Law that has been the law of the land since the Carter Administration. It says no federal funds can be spent to pay for abortions. Obama signed an executive order affirming that remains the case under this new bill. Don't believe me? The Catholic Hospital Association and most of the nun orders endorsed the bill. Kind of makes you go 'hmmmm,' right?

However.

That's not the reason I am for health care reform. The other night, Bill O'Reilly (pick your chins up, I do watch him) hit the nail on the head by saying that liberals view health care reform as a moral issue and conservatives see it as a financial issue.

Amen, Bill. Amen.

I have a friend who lost her house because of her battle with cancer and the bills that came about. I have a father who was about to lose all medical coverage after his divorce because he simply couldn't afford it. I have more students than what is fair who get less than what they, as human beings, deserve, because they have medical issues that their moms and dads can't afford.

I am scared of what insurance will cost for L if B or I ever change jobs, because of L's prexisting condition of asthma.

I am infuriated by unfairness that has gone on for too long in the insurance industry, including discrimination, rescissions, and lifetime limits.

And if I have to pay a little more (which I won't...I don't make enough, but that's neither here nor there) to ensure that other people who have been dealt a worse hand than me improve their quality of life, so be it. Perhaps this won't work. However, something has absolutely got to change. Let's try it, and fix it if it doesn't.

You know I love me some comments. I welcome all of them, including those of you who don't agree with me. Just do me a favor and be respectful. I try to make this blog a place of - dare I say it - peace.

Regardless of your political affiliation...namaste.

My first drunk blog rant....

Warning....I am a little wine-drunk.

Logan's tantrums have literally driven me to drink. Today we went to Wal-Mart and had quite the standoff. He screamed in the parking lot because he didn't want to hold our hand. He screamed inside because he didn't want to sit in the cart. So we just sat on the bench outside (thank goodness it was a beautiful day) and waited. And waited. I told B we needed to visit a child psychiatrist. He told me we needed to leave. L screamed some more. Then...boom! L looked at me and said, "I sit in cart now, Mommy. I a good boy. I watch Harry Potter." (He gets "grounded" from Harry Potter when he tantrums.) So I scooped him up, put him in the cart, and gave him mad props for making "a good choice."

We made it through Hell the necessary evil of Wal-Mart with ZERO tantrums, got home, ate dinner, did great....and then he threw a tantrum because he didn't want to wait for me to wipe his hands and face before getting down and playing. I put him in time out, shut the door, and let him scream.

And then I cracked open a bottle of wine and am now drunk-blogging for the very first time.

Anyhoo.

I have decided to give up on politics. Buh-bye. When Obama was campaigning, I totally got into it. I actually went out and volunteered for him. However, I still listened to Fox News in order to get a well-rounded political education.

But when Sean Hannity literally gets on the radio and preaches hate hate hate, I am done. I am all for freedom of speech. I get it. But calling people to come together in order to hate, and attempt to overthrow the President of the United States? Really? I mean...what good is that going to do??? That is more than just venting.

I was driving to my oh-so-therapeutic spinning class today and I was listening to some other radio personality bitch about the damn liberals and stupid Obama trying to make peace with our enemies. I actually got tears in my eyes.

I am surrounded by Republicans. Hell...I'm married to one. Although I am pretty darn liberal, I do have some Republican-esque views. I believe that everyone's opinions are just that....opinions. But why the hate?

Don't get me wrong. I am certain that there are hateful liberals out there too. I don't listen to NPR or Air America but I would guess that there are some haters mouthing off there too.

Although I have absolutely not agreed with everything Obama has done since he got into office, I still am trying to have hope for him. It has not been that long. Give the man a chance. Or at the very least, respect the position. It's frustrating when my own family sends me rude Obama-hating forwards. Having a healthy debate with them is absolutely impossible.

So I am saying peace out (pun intended) to politics. I am making a pact with myself that if a political discussion arises, I will get up and walk away. No commenting on blog posts of political nature.

I know it's our world. I understand that it's our country. But I'm stepping away and focusing on things that don't make me cry. At least for a while.

And now I shall sit back and drink my wine and prepare for my first angry commenters to come out of lurking.

Namaste.