My so far unpublished LTE

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 25, 2010 · 5:57 PM PDT

2010/10/25 · 17:57

So, I was considering what to write in my letter to the editor of the Daily Herald, the largest paper in the Chicago suburbs. They hadn't printed the one I sent about Kirk boasting about telling the Communist Chinese government not to trust our government (a thing that Alexi still hasn't taken as much advantage of as he could). And since they endorsed Kirk, I figured they wouldn't print another Kirk bashing letter. So, after giving it some thought, I decided to write something that points out the differences between the Dems and Republicans and also might motivate a few Dems that weren't thinking of voting to get off their butts and get to the booth. Follow me below the fold.

Poll

42 votes Show Results

Do letters to the editor matter?

42 votes Vote Now!

Do letters to the editor matter?

Yes, they can impact some of the readers.

9 votes

Maybe, but not very much.

2 votes

No, they are a waste of time.

31 votes

The stimulus did work

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 18, 2010 · 8:44 AM PDT

2010/10/18 · 08:44

I know just about everybody here already realizes that, even if many of us wish it had gone further with more money devoted to actual job creation than there was. But let's face it, over and over we hear from Republicans and the media, that the stimulus didn't do squat. Well, I was pleasantly surprised today when I checked on CNN's money site and saw the top article.

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 01, 2010 · 11:31 AM PDT

2010/10/01 · 11:31

It is pretty much a given that a political party cannot win an election unless its base turns out. That doesn't mean if the base turns out it will win, but if the base doesn't, the party is almost sure to go down to defeat. And this year, that is probably even more true. We know the Republican base (read Tea Party) is energized this year. The Democratic base is a little more iffy.

This diary is an attempt on my part to examine the two bases, what drives them, what motivates them, and what doesn't. Then I will take a little time to see what can happen between now and election day to make a difference.

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday March 24, 2010 · 6:22 PM PDT

2010/03/24 · 18:22

There has been a lot of talk today about threats to those Dems who voted for the health insurance reform bill, and rightfully so. Where you are not hearing any voices of concern coming from is the leadership of the Republican Party. And that is exactly why we should be afraid.

I'll explain more after the jump.

Poll

58 votes Show Results

Am I

58 votes Vote Now!

Am I

afraid for no reason

4 votes

reasonably worried but overstating the case

17 votes

right on the money

25 votes

understating the real situation

12 votes

The most important reason for the Public Option

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 20, 2009 · 7:16 AM PDT

2009/10/20 · 07:16

I haven't posted a diary here in years, nor have I commented very often of late, but I think, from the perspective of progressives there are many reasons why a public option (since single-payer isn't going to fly right now)needs to be included in health care reform. However, under all the facts and figures that are put on display about how many people aren't covered, how many people die due to lack of coverage, how the insurance companies are ripping people off, etc. there is one reason for the public option to be included in any health care reform that isn't really being talked about enough. And the reason it needs to be included is the biggest reason the Republicans are doing everything in their power to defeat it as well as any other type of real reform.

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday January 09, 2006 · 7:21 AM PST

2006/01/09 · 07:21

On Saturday I posted a diary reporting that my son had returned home from his tour in Iraq and mentioned a few things he had said.

Unfortunately, shortly after doing so my wife and I had to take my mother-in-law to the emergency room and by the time I got back, the diary had disapperaed from the front page.

When I went to look at it, there were far more comments than I had expected and the list of names that had recommended the diary overwhelmed me. Read More

My Son: The Soldier He's Home

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday January 07, 2006 · 9:20 AM PST

2006/01/07 · 09:20

Some of you may have read my previous diaries about my son's tour of duty in Iraq.

The tour is over, with his arriving home on New Year's Eve. My wife and I were there to see him lead his company in to a rousing welcome from family members. He is about to start his 30 day leave, after 10 days of reintegration.

I didn't talk to him a lot over there, as I think he needs time to kick back, get to know his family better, and let things sink in, but I did ask a few broad questions and his thoughts are on the flip side. Read More

My Son the Soldier: Part V

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 08, 2005 · 11:44 AM PST

2005/11/08 · 11:44

This is, hopefully, the next to last entry. The final will be after he finishes his tour in Iraq.

For those that haven't been following, you can read the previous diaries by clicking on my name.

But a quick summary before I head into the meat of this diary.

My son is a Captain in command of an ordnance company in Iraq. He was sent there in January and currently looks like he will return on time. He is in charge of a company that makes sure that ammunition gets to the "front line" troops.

Initially this meant that he was on a base and never required to leave that base. Things have changed, although he is quite reticient to discuss his actual duties, although we know he has had to travel by helicopter to different locations.

He recently was home on leave, which was both wonderful and painful. Wonderful because he got to see his wife, sons and the rest of his family. Painful because he had to go back. His eldest, who is four, has had a difficult time since he went back.

My Son, the Soldier: Part IV

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 06, 2005 · 10:39 AM PDT

2005/09/06 · 10:39

This will be a short entry.

first the good news:

As of this moment, he is reuniting with his wife and three sons whom he has not seen in 8 months.

The bad news is that in just over two weeks he will be returning to Iraq to finish his tour.

My Son: The Soldier Part III

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday June 20, 2005 · 10:03 AM PDT

2005/06/20 · 10:03

It's been a while since my last entry in this series. Mainly because, from all reports, his life has been fairly quiet.

And as I mentioned in the previous two diaries, he is in Support Operations, not in actual combat operations. He is a little over 1/3 of the way through his tour, and is looking forward to his leave in September.

My initial thinking for this diary was to talk about little stories, both about him and his family back home, and I will start with those, but some other things have come up which will be mentioned near the end. Read More

What if the holocaust HAD never happened?

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday June 17, 2005 · 7:04 AM PDT

2005/06/17 · 07:04

No, this is not a "the holocaust is a myth" diary. Nor is it an attempt to create an alternative history, like saying Israel wouldn't exist and the Middle East would be very different than it is, although that would be a possibility.

No, this is a look prompted by the constant right wing whine about Durbin's comments, Byrd's comments a few months ago, and any comment that uses the word Nazi.

This is off the cuff and may ramble, but bear with me. Read More

Schiavo and Insurance

JAPA21

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday March 31, 2005 · 12:54 PM PST

2005/03/31 · 12:54

Something that we can promote.

I was reading calistan's diary http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/31/112714/038 earlier today which makes the point about the lost lesson of Terri.

Although mentioned in a peripheral way, little emphasis has been placed on the inital cause of Terri's condition, a disease called bulimia nervosa. I have actually been somewhat surprised by this, at least in the sense that mental health experts (excepting myself, who I talk to a lot) have been silent on this.

Yet, this is one of those areas in which the Democrats can point to Terri's situation in a positive way, and use this tragedy, once the main stream noise machine has quieted down. How so?

Insurance. Read More

Newer
Older

RSS

My so far unpublished LTE

The stimulus did work

A Tale of Two Bases

Be Afraid...Seriously

The most important reason for the Public Option

One Big Thank You

My Son: The Soldier He's Home

My Son the Soldier: Part V

My Son, the Soldier: Part IV

My Son: The Soldier Part III

What if the holocaust HAD never happened?

Schiavo and Insurance