Sunday school for atheists

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DarkSydoTheMoon@aol.com

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

I posted Friday that I’m fighting CIGNA for two and a half months of Short Term Disability pay they owe me. That pay is only 60% of hourly base, minus a week here and there they call an initiation period of or some shit, so it works out to about $6.05 an hour even if I win. Sometime in the next few days or weeks I’ll be fired if they continue to blow me off. Here’s the real kicker though: In Texas you don’t get to file for unemployment if you’re deemed too unhealthy to work full time.

Under this system it is entirely possible for CIGNA to decide having a serious problem that initially caused a heart attack followed by an array of complications, some of which could have killed me or rendered me a vegetable, aren’t serious enough to qualify for the pay. They would decree I’m too healthy. And that would be enough to get me finally fired. But at the same time, when filing for unemployment and having to list the reason for being separated from service, Texas could legally decide I’m too unhealthy to work, deny people like me unemployment on those grounds, and basically tell us tough luck pal, you should have applied for short term disability! [Read more…]

They say money can’t buy love … secrets of blogging revealed

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Internet and even cable TV/phone have been dicey all day here in Central Texas. I’m sure it’s the cold, but it’s not that cold. So I haven’t been able to thank you all for the great response to this post begging for money, some of which came with gems of humor thrown in: after reading how tough the last few months have been for me, one person wrote “I’m NOT going to pray for you … instead I’m giving you something that will actually help!” and they enclosed a nice paypal donation. I laughed pretty hard and my shame for having to hold my hat out vanished with that short sentenced reminding me of what we’re all about.

In addition, a motherboard and processor has arrived from readed “M,” it’s one hell of a start to a nice system. Well, it’s a dreary day, they say money can’t buy love, but I sure feel gabby with you folks, and so I thought it might be a refreshing change from most blog posts these days to talk a little bit inside baseball on how bloggers and websites are making money, outside of ad revenues and blegging. IOW, the new stuff, some of it on the up and up, some of it a little invasive in my view, some of it going on when you have no idea and no say about it — even though it’s learning ALL about you. [Read more…]

Living the American healthcare dream

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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

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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

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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…]