Living the American healthcare dream

Alright guys and gals, I am not kidding when I say I need any small donations you can swing this month. If just a few dozen people where to pitch in 10 or 20 bucks that would do it. My lifestyle is frugal. This is potentially dire, possibly even life and death. Here’s where things stand: I had a comprehensive review of all tests performed to date over the last several months, there are still more to be done, but for now the verdict is not terrible: my condition continues to improve. I’m feeling a lot better. But it a was a close call, I could have easily died or ended up a vegetable, and I’m not out of the woods completely both medically and financially. Sad to say, there is a political party that is literally trying to kill me and millions like me. [Read more…]

Tricksy politicians vs NASA

Thanks for the holiday contribs guys (I’m sorry, Christmas contribs, since holidays is a bad word now). I had a little PC malfunction yesterday but it seems to be barely working, now, after messing with it endlessly. Man I’m so sick of being poor, but at least I go to the doc today for what I expect will be some decent news. I wouldn’t even be able to afford that appointment if it wasn’t for you guys.

Here’s an example of how tricky ledge can be, this little bill will probably get passed by being attached to a much larger CR that both the GOP and WH want to see go through, lest there’s another crisis right in the middle of the holidays (Sorry, Christmas): [Read more…]

Mr. Non-believer goes to Washington

Thanks again to those who have kicked in to help me this year! I’m maybe 20% of where I need to be. A snail-mail address is linked above for those who don’t use Paypal. In unrelated news, I’ll be visiting Washington, DC this month, for a few days beginning around the 15th, and could use any suggestions on things to see or places to go (The Air & Space Museum is at the top of my list). It’s part of a science-y engineering side project I’m working on, nothing to do with skepticism or evolution or anything like that, but it’s a trip I don’t have to pay for and might result in some paid work. Which is great, because it’s not just me who’s broke, blogs all over are hitting their readers up this season. In large part because advertising pays much less than it once did. A LOT less. And our side just doesn’t have the kind of financial infrastructure, i.e., a zillionaire donor network, paid fellowships and cushy consulting jobs, cross-site lead generation, commissions from book and CD sales, all that stuff means my ideological counterparts don’t have to practice a hobby: they enjoy a career.

Early indications on Healthcare-dot-gov are promising

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Again I apologize for bombarding readers with a plea for holiday generosity, but without it this blog and my health would be much worse off. I used to only ask once a year, but beginning earlier this spring a freak heart attack and subsequent complications, combined with disability pay that clocked in below minimum wage, forced me to virtually panhandle like my life depended on it. The response was heartening. Without the help of a few dozen regulars, I would have been juggling couch surfing with friends or outright homelessness, while trying to recover from an ongoing, life threatening condition. The end may finally be near, if I get through this month, there’s good reason to hope things will begin to improve in every way.

Going through that nerve-wracking, humiliating ordeal while the national discourse was tainted with delusions and wanton cruelty emanating from (usually) ultra-conservative critics, many of whom proudly profess a belief in the principles of mercy and charity as conveyed by their savoir Jesus Christ, ranks among the most surreal, gritty , at times truly Orwellian experiences in my life. That rare kind of personal intrusion, where news ceases to be a TV show and suddenly leaps out from my screen, with intent to harm on par with an armed thug suddenly crashing through the front-door. After a glitchy roll out, and no end of Teaparty whining about people like me having an affordable option to preserve our health, the news this week has markedly improved for Healthcare.gov: [Read more…]

The system that FTB built: One case to house it all

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Over the long holiday weekend the collective “we” talked about building a PC for moi. Possibly using Linux and probably around this CPU and this MoBo. It’s kinda fun to scrounge around online or at the local junk store for other parts, it fondles my badly atrophied consumer conditioned reflex. But, if anyone happens to have a suitable case or power supply laying around that will work, let me know, maybe it’s cheaper to pay you for shipping than to get one. What do you get out of it? Why the sublime satisfaction that many pissed-off, progressive, science-y atheist rants reaching thousands and thousands of people here and elsewhere will be written on that very device.

I also found an old-ish chip card, 256MB DDR 400 MHZ Promos stick, like this, for a buck at a local parts bin. Will it have any use? I have to ask because you meddling kids with your RAM chips and your eight track tape players confuse and frighten me …

 

 

Jesus weeps at the Pope

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I can personally bear witness that poverty is a lot more fun when there’s company and the Pope is making it cool. Especially when he’s pointing out how rigged the game has become. Last week the Pontiff drew praise from all corners when he further noted just a few of the many grotesque inequalities between the growing have-nots and the tiny 0.1% of the have-more-and-mores. The World Nut Daily didn’t like that shit one bit, it could upset their entire scam, so they’ve come roaring back with one of the golden oldies of class-war imperialism: the Pope is making baby Jesus cry! [Read more…]

Churches of non-believers grow

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The nation is getting back to normal, as normal as that quasi-holiday period between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be anyway. Here at FTB/z, over the holiday week, we decided to build a PC and maybe use Linux, I’m back to blegging for a living, and Comet ISON fell apart at perihelion except maybe not completely. If the hustle and bustle is too much, you can always visit your local atheist church for whatever it is atheist churches offer. There’s one coming soon to a town near you: [Read more…]

Why do atheists “hate” Christmas?

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G. Scanlon
11512 Tincup DR # 109
Austin TX 78750
Back in the blegging game for the next couple of weeks, this month will be the crux, a sort of economic winter for my discontent, and small donations make a big difference to me right now. For Paypal, or those who prefer sending a check or money order to my literary agent’s snail mail address, the details are above. Payee should be Stephen Andrew or blank.

If not for FTB, thanks to the Great Recession and an ill-timed heart attack and blood chemistry issue, I don’t know where I would be this Christmas. Speaking of which, every now and then someone asks us why we celebrate Christmas, or accuses us of hating the season in some way … [Read more…]