Taking a break from the health care debate, President Obama discussed the topic of education in his latest Weekly Address. Specifically, President Obama outlined his administration’s plans to make changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (otherwise known as “No Child Left Behind”).

“[O]n Monday, my administration will send to Congress our blueprint for an updated Elementary and Secondary Education Act to overhaul No Child Left Behind. What this plan recognizes is that while the federal government can play a leading role in encouraging the reforms and high standards we need, the impetus for that change will come from states, and from local schools and school districts. So, yes, we set a high bar – but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it. Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down. For the majority of schools that fall in between – schools that do well but could do better – we will encourage continuous improvement to help keep our young people on track for a bright future: prepared for the jobs of the 21st Century. And because the most important factor in a child’s success is the person standing at the front of the classroom, we will better prepare teachers, support teachers, and encourage teachers to stay in the field. In short, we’ll treat the people who educate our sons and daughters like the professionals they are.”

The House Committee on Labor and Education reports that Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, March 17, to further discuss changes to No Child Left Behind.

Obama at Yellowstone National Park Video Footage

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A Little Four Page Bill Cure-All
by Steven D
Wed Mar 10th, 2010 at 05:32:25 PM EST

It’s a bill introduced by Rep. Alan Grayson to allow any American to buy in to Medicare buy at cost. I know I’m dreaming, but wouldn’t it be nice to see it passed?

Please, if you can, tell me what’s wrong with a bill that would increase competition, increase health care coverage and is not mandatory? No one would have to get rid of their old insurance coverage if that’s what they preferred, but neither would anyone be forced to stay at a bad job to keep their health insurance, or pay ridiculous rate hikes every year, or risk losing their insurance coverage if they lost their job, or have their claims for treatment denied at the whim of an insurance company executive. Aren’t we a nation that believes in the market? Well why don’t we let the market work? In my neck of the woods (lot’s of woods actually) we have basically two health care providers. The rates they charge are effectively the same. You can pay a lot for really crappy coverage or you can pay a lot more for somewhat better coverage.

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If you did not commit a crime, don’t plead guilty and sign a plea bargain unless, of course, you’re trying to protect someone. You should be especially mindful of not doing this in any circumstance involving the federal government.

Once you put your signature on a plea agreement in which you are willing to accept a reduced sentence in exchange for not getting a lot more time, your sentencing before the judge is not the point at which you should object to what is taking place. The sentencing is where you sniffle tearfully while apologizing to people and appreciating the court’s mercy and all that other stuff.

Monica Conyers appears to have missed this memo, but I figured maybe some other wayward soul could find it useful

Conyers, who is married to U.S. Rep. John Conyers — who was not in court and did not comment — pleaded guilty last summer for her role in a bribery scheme involving a $1.2-billion sludge hauling contract between the city and Texas-based Synagro Technologies.

Conyers is to report to prison July 1.

But, later Wednesday, Conyers filed a notice to appeal and was appointed representation by the Federal Defender’s Office.

Although defendants often are allowed to appeal rulings, there is a question if that applies to Conyers in this case because she signed a plea agreement as part of her admission of guilt on June 22 that indicates if the sentence imposed falls at 60 months or less, “defendant waives any right to appeal her conviction or sentence.”

…What did she think was going to happen? A free pass for having the courage to admit to bribery charges?

FYI, Mrs Conyers: The plea deal is the pass.

Here, Jon Stewart confronts that sadistic hypocrite Marc Theissen on torture. Yes, it’s shocking that this interview had to take place on a comedy network, but that’s the world we inhabit:

Lawrence O’Donnell also handed Thiessen his lunch on Morning Joke.

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From The Seattle Times

Boy who lost mom takes health-care story to D.C.
By Kyung M. Song

WASHINGTON — Marcelas Owens may be the only health-care lobbyist around here who needs an excused absence from school.

The fifth-grader at Seattle’s Orca K-8 school has been campaigning for changes in the health-care system since his mother died after she fell ill and lost her job and insurance coverage. He was 7 at the time.

Owens has told his story to Sen. Patty Murray, who, in turn, has retold it on the Senate floor as well as to President Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden.

On Tuesday, Marcelas is taking part in a protest rally in Washington, D.C., against insurance companies organized by Health Care for America Now, a nationwide lobbying campaign. He also is planning to buttonhole lawmakers, speak at a hearing and wage a sit-in as the yearlong congressional debate on health care approaches what may be a final showdown.

Health Care for America Now paid to take the boy and his grandmother to D.C.

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Even more importantly given the state of our economy, the legislation is projected to create 168,000 local jobs in communities all across the country. That, more than anything else, is what Americans urgently want, particularly the people who have been hardest hit by the tough economic times – poor people and people of color.

While job creation is the consensus number one national priority at the moment, global climate change threatens not only the long-term health of the planet but our economic viability as well. We believe that the solution to both these crucial problems is a clean energy economy that creates million of green jobs that do not harm the planet. Home Star moves us in the right direction. And it is exactly the kind of innovative thinking and leadership that the American people want.

That was evident this week in the results of a survey by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies which found that African Americans — who as a group were disproportionately impacted by the recession — said they were willing to pay more for clean energy in order to combat global warming.

During the last three weeks of November 2009, The Joint Center, a Washington think tank focused on African American issues, surveyed 500 black adults in each of four states — Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina. By considerable majorities in each state [See Table 6 of Survey], they said global warming was a major or moderate problem and that they were willing to pay an extra $10 each month on their electric bill if it would help fight global warming.

All we need now is leadership. Home Star is a small but significant step in the right direction.

Washington these days is spending a lot of time obsessing over its own gridlock, with each party blaming the other for the lack of action on issues critical to the American people. The completely broken process on health care reform stands as the prime example.

Outside of Washington however, the only concern is the ragged state of the job market and what is being done to fix it. Congress needs to pass a comprehensive jobs bill in order to further stimulate the economy, and that bill needs to include provisions that direct both investments and hiring to the people and communities where they are most needed. As we continue to debate the size and shape of such a jobs bill, Home Star is a good first step that can quickly generate jobs, many of them in low-income neighborhoods, and boost appliance sales.

Home Star, and the larger question of job creation, gives Washington a chance to break out of the current cycle of gridlock, recrimination and failure and do something for the American people at a time when we urgently need the government to be aggressively working on our most urgent interests.

Home Star will help three million American families retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient, and will save those consumers as much as $9.5 billion over ten years. The program dedicates $200 million to provide access to low-interest financing for homeowners to weatherize their homes or buy new, more energy efficient appliances.

In addition, the majority of the goods used for home weatherization are made in the U.S., and as a result the program will also boost domestic production in the building materials manufacturing sector. This sector is operating at less than 60 percent of capacity today, with an unemployment rate of almost 25 percent.

The country needs the economic jolt that Home Star can provide and Congress needs to rise to the occasion and pass it as soon as possible. If it gets to the President’s desk he is sure to sign it. Last week in Georgia he laid out the stakes around Home Star: “We know it will make our economy less dependent on fossil fuels, helping to protect the planet for future generations,” he said. “But I want to emphasize that Home Star will also create business and spur hiring up and down the economy.”

We are for that.

Really, Xeni Jardin says everything I could better over at Boing Boing and notes the food-related irony… Maybe all the crazy conservatives are just secretly jealous of Michelle Obama’s super-cool organic vegetable garden at the White House but can’t admit it.  I actually saw this commercial while watching Beck’s show (which is per his promise, classic this week although perhaps not in the way he hoped it would be). It’s way funnier and yet more pathetic than you might imagine. Oliver Willis posted the whole thing at Media Matters and I’ve embedded it above for your viewing pleasure.

I say, let all the freaked out racists build “socialist-free” (i.e. nigger-free) backyard bunkers for themselves with Glenn Beck and go hide in them to wait for the Rapture/Apocalypse/Meltdown/Totalitarian Takeover. It would give the rest of us more time to work on making America great again if we don’t have to worry about them anymore! We’ll let them know when it’s safe to come out.

Oh and btw Xeni got the deets from @Baratunde/Jack Turner from tha twitter. From one of the world’s most popular blogs, Boing Boing:

The Survival Seed Bank is advertising on Glenn Beck’s television show. They offer “survival seeds” for growing your own “crisis garden” amid “emerging totalitarianism.”

As Media Matters points out, the brand identity meshes well with the host’s apocalyptic visions of the future. “More valuable than silver or gold in a real meltdown,” the website reads.

They may quote WorldNetDaily as a news source, fine, but I really like the sound of the heirloom varieties they offer: Jacob’s Cattle Bean, Yellow Dent Corn, and non-hybrid varieties of tomato and leafy greens. I’d eat that!

“You’ll have confidence knowing that you and your family will be able to eat if the Insiders trigger some huge meltdown,” reads the promotional copy. Perhaps (and who are these “Insiders?”), but I’m not convinced $149 is such a great deal for a couple dozen packets of seeds and a little plant food, even if it’s enough for “a full acre Crisis Garden.” But hey, when the jackbooted Obama-thugs destroy all the grocery stores with their black helicopters, it does look like we may be going extreme vegan locavore for a while.

Make sure to listen to the audio testimonials from happy customers. (via Baratunde)

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Ezra Klein comments on healthcare.

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Rachel Maddow investigates Bart Stupak some more.

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The First Lady attended a soccer clinic in Washington on Friday that was designed to help promote healthy activities among the nation’s young people. (March 5)

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Even still, some of the speakers on this call really took things to a new level. Here’s what went down.

Meagan Ortiz from VivirLatino, who also listened in, writes:

One particular participant on the call wanted to raise the issue of women, specifically how Mexican women were the new “welfare queens” with their “anchor babies”, taking an old stereotype waged against African-American women in the age of Reagan and revamping it to use against Latina women. This caller was not dismissed but rather praised for his message and told to use the word “dependents” instead of “babies” or “children” because that word was emotional for “them”, meaning Latinos and other immigrants. “We have children, they have dependents”, another caller guided.

Divide and conquer politics seemed to be the name of the game on the call. When talking about jobs, one caller asked why the African-American community wasn’t angrier at immigration.

Erin Rosa from Campus Progress listened in, too, and took down a transcript:

CALLER 1:I would like to speak out on something. I feel the new welfare queen in America today is women coming from Mexico with a bunch of babies. So I feel they’re all coming over here and having all these babies, they are the new welfare queen in America….

New people in America today with a lot of babies, ’cause they coming from Mexico having a bunch of babies. And our tax dollars is taking care of them babies, ’cause the mothers are illegal. So to me, we need to speak out about letting them know they’re the new welfare queens in America.

CALLER 2: That was well said brother!

MACDONALD (the NumbersUSA staffer leading the call): We will make a note of that. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

‘Nuff said.

When it comes to scapegoating women of color, looks like brown is the new black.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we see this ugly divide-and-conquer strategy at the next Tea Fiesta.

Cross-Posted at America’s Voice and Daily Kos.

I’m sure Limbaugh chose Costa Rica for its sunny weather & tropical resort living. It’s popular with wealthy retirees in part not only because of the sunshine but also for its affordable, socialized medicine. Costa Rica, unlike the United States, has near universal, nationalized, high quality & affordable healthcare that is available to citizens and immigrants/foreigners alike. Yes, that’s right, Rush believes apparently that Costa Rica has a lot to offer besides being yet another tropical location where he can get high. It just shows how cruel, ignorant and selfish the Republicans who oppose healthcare reform here in the U.S. Sarah Palin’s family crossed the border to patronize the national healthcare system in Canada when she was a girl since it was superior to what was available locally in Alaska. Guess it must be a different set of rules if you’re Republican. Most Americans aren’t able to choose whether they get healthcare in this country or another country that does it cheaper and/or better.

From International Living which caters to rich Americans like Racist Rush looking for places to retire (emphasis mine):

Costa Rica has universal health care, one of the best health systems in Latin America. As always with nationalized health care, expect red tape and long waits, but the quality of Costa Rica’s health care is excellent. Private health care is also available, very affordable, and high quality. Many doctors speak English and have received training in Europe, Canada, or the U.S. There are three large, private hospitals that most expatriates use: CIMA hospital in Escazú, Clinica Biblica in San José, and Clinica Católica in San José-Guadalupe.

Statistics from the World Health Organization frequently place Costa Rica in the top country rankings in the world for long life expectancy, often even ahead of Great Britain and the United States, even though the per-capita income of Costa Ricans is about one-tenth that of the U.S. and the U.K. Arguably, one reason for this is the slower pace of living in Costa Rica. And, of course, the healthy, fresh, non-preservative-laden foods found there, and the welcoming tropical climate. Costa Rica just seems to be a healthy place to live.

With a government-sponsored network of more than 30 hospitals and more than 250 clinics throughout the country, the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) has primary responsibility for providing low-cost health care services to the Costa Rican populace. Although sometimes overburdened, this system has worked well for Costa Ricans for the past 60 or so years. Open not just to Costa Rican residents, the CCSS provides affordable medical service to any foreign resident or visitor. Foreigners living in Costa Rica can join the CCSS by paying a small monthly fee–based on income–or they can buy health insurance from the state monopoly Instituto de Seguro Nacional (INS), valid with over 200 affiliated doctors, hospitals, labs, and pharmacies in the private sector.

Despite being a much smaller, poorer country than the U.S. everyone in Costa Rica — no matter how poor and no matter where they are from — has access to affordable healthcare. And just so we’re all clear, due to the many compromises in the current healthcare reform bill, I’m not sure their healthcare system won’t still have some advantages over ours in terms of access and affordability — even after healthcare reform is finally passed here in America.

Costa Rica Has Had a Public Health Care System for 65 Years – System Spends $6,000 Less Per Capita Than the U.S. but Boasts a Longer Life Expectancy and an Infant Mortality Rate Nearly Equal to the U.S. – 86.8 Percent of Costa Ricans Are Covered: “It’s been more than 65 years since this small country of 4.6 million people introduced a public health care system. Spending $6,000 less per capita than the United States on health today, Costa Rica boasts a longer life expectancy and an infant mortality rate nearly equal to that of the U.S. With a reputation for high quality and low prices, the country has even fashioned an industry out of health care, attracting hundreds of visitors each year who take advantage of medical tourism. ‘What we don’t understand is how we are able to work with this,’ said Rosa Climent, medical director of the Costa Rican Social Security System, pointing to a chart that shows employers pay 9.25 percent and workers pay 5.50 percent of their salaries into the system, which covers ‘all our health needs. And how the U.S. pays so much more and doesn’t cover its citizens.’ Not only do Costa Ricans have an 86.8 percent coverage rate, but the public health system serves residents who live miles from cities.”

[...]

“Climent, director of the day-to-day operation of Costa Rica’s Social Security System, said she almost was turned away from the door when she sought emergency services for her daughter in the United States. She said her family wasn’t allowed to see a doctor at a hospital in Florida before presenting $600. ‘In our system, the people who earn the most, pay the most, and the people who earn less, pay less,’ she said. ‘But everyone has the right to the same services. The people who earn more pay more so that everyone has access to healthcare.’”

[Tico Times, 8/21/09]

8 = The number of people every minute who are denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition. [Source: HealthReform.gov]

8 = The number of lobbyists hired by special interests to influence health reform for every member of Congress in 2009. [Source: Center for Public Integrity]

This is pretty simple stuff — change gonna come & change gotta come. We’re talking about the right we should all hold dear to ensure we all have healthy lives.

As The Prez said: If not now, then when? If not us, then who?

(courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov)

The first recorded homosexual couple in history is commonly regarded as Khnumhotep and Niankhkhnum, an Egyptian male couple & royal manicurists, who lived around 2400 BCE. The pair are portrayed in a nose-kissing position, the most intimate pose in Egyptian art, surrounded by what appear to be their heirs.

I caught this moving video over at Pam’s House Blend. The first gay marriages in our nation’s capitol yesterday were first an African-American lesbian pair and then two brothers. I’m proud of my former hometown. I’m fortunate to have friends of all ages and from many walks of life. Some of them are homosexual. They are all wonderful people and they include one of my best friends from high school. Many of my gay friends  have very nice, hard-working, tax-paying partners much like themselves, and it’s nice to know that their relationships (at least in Washington DC) are now recognized by law. This is not only symbolic — although that’s important. Marriage also conveys a host of legal rights and responsibilities (as many as 1400 distinct benefits) connecting two people as family that do not exist in any other form currently.

There are some of us who believe that marriage is a religious and spiritual institution. That it’s sacred. Fair enough — I believe that it would be great if you could receive the exact same benefits under civil unions that you can under marriage. That would be a clearer separation of church and state, naw mean?

That notwithstanding, I do not join those who believe that somehow gay marriage takes something away from marriage between a man and a woman. I don’t see how that’s even possible — true love in its many precious forms ennobles us all. Love creates more love; it doesn’t subtract the dignity of another person’s love. So many of my heterosexual friends lived together for years before marrying (some still do) for a host of reasons including the marriage tax penalty and the exorbitant cost of weddings — now that’s a real threat to marriage, if you ask me. I think marriage is super-cool if it’s done for the right reasons between two consenting adults. Everyone has a right to love. And homosexuality ain’t going nowhere — it’s been with us since the dawn of time, history shows clearly, and is a part of the human experience.

I’m pretty sure most of my friends who are gay would tell you it’s not an option for them – they were born gay. I was born heterosexual — I couldn’t “choose” a gay “lifestyle” even if I wanted to do so. My LBGT friends’ relationships don’t impact my ability to make my own very different  choices. Yet I know it takes courage in America to stand for your rights as a full citizen are even in the face of those who misunderstand you or dehumanize you or hate you for reasons you can’t help, just because you exist. I do understand exactly what that’s like.

Celebrate a little belated black history below courtesy of Pam’s House Blend…

You can send congratulations to the couples marrying in DC today. Via HRCBackStory:

Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend
Officiant: Rev. David K. North, Pastor of Holy Redeemer of Metropolitan Community Churches, College Park, MD
Angelisa and Sinjoyla, both African-American women who reside in Ward 8 of the District, were the first in line to register for a marriage license, and will be the first lesbian couple to legally wed in the nation’s capital. Angelisa (age 47) and Sinjoyla (age 41) have been together for 12 years and have two children.

Reginald (Reggie) Stanley and Rocky Galloway
Officiant: Rev Sylvia E. Sumter, Pastor of Unity of Washington, DC
Reggie and Rocky, both African-American, are long-time residents of the District. They are both 50 years old and have two children. Reggie and Rocky will be married immediately following Angelisa and Sinjoyla. Participating in their ceremony will be Jim Cullion (the best man) and Cherrie McCoy (the best woman).

Rev. Elder Darlene Garner and Rev. Lorilyn Candy Holmes
Officiant: Rev. Dwayne Johnson, Pastor of Metropolitan Community Churches, Washington, DC
Rev. Elder Darlene and Rev. Candy, both African-American, were both born in D.C. and are currently residents of Laurel, MD. Each serve in leadership roles in the MCC Church and have been active in the D.C. community for more than 20 years. Darlene (61) and Candy (53), are mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and will celebrate their legal wedding ceremony immediately following Reggie and Rocky.

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I’ll just tell you this, if this passes and it’s five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented — I am leaving the country. I’ll go to Costa Rica.

So here’s my note to the White House. In every slideshow, talking point, speech and blog post, in addition to the facts and figures and compelling personal stories of citizens wronged by Big Insurance, close with this appeal:

“If Congress passes this legislation, Rush Limbaugh will leave the country for good. That’s change you can believe in.”

Hey — I’m kinda pleasantly surprised Lucas is taking the time to use actual black men in his new movie. Why not just use a green screen, find just a few brown people, reproduce them using Industrial Light & Magic special effects and paint them all blue or something? (Sorry, obligatory dig at Avatar’s bizarre sci-fi racial politics).

Lucasfilms is based here in California. If you live in the Bay Area, here’s a way for you to pay tribute personally to the mighty Tuskegee Airmen (and make a little bread plus get a free haircut at the same time). Wanna be in the movies? Keep reading below, unless you are bald…

(Thanks Sean Dugar for the tip.)

Beau Bonneau Casting in San Francisco is currently working on a George Lucas Film “Red Tails” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrance Howard. This is a story about the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American Combat Squadron in WWII in the 1940’s.

Seeking Non-union African American males for extra work to portray pilots and ground crew.
Age Range: 18-35. Height requirement: 5′7″- 6′1″. Waist requirement: 31-34. Must be fit and in shape. Also must have hair on head. Because bald heads were not the trend in the 1940’s, we are not looking for bald heads.

IMPORTANT: Everyone is required to go to a wardrobe fitting in San Rafael, prior to the shoot and all men will be receiving military haircuts at the fitting. You will receive an additional $10 for the haircut and one quarter check for the fitting.

Shoot location will be in Sonoma. You must have your own transportation.

Regarding shoot date: Wed. March 24. Must be avail early morning to late evening, without conflicts.

Movie shoots may last 10-12 hours or more. We never know the start time or exact location until the day/evening before. Saying you’re available means without interruption, from Very Early Morning to Late-Night. If selected, the non-union film extra rate is California minimum wage: $64.00 for up to
8 hours and overtime applies after 8 hours. This rate is set by production, not Beau Bonneau Casting.

* For proof of citizenship, all extras must have either a current passport or 2 pieces of id: a valid photo ID or drivers license with either a social security card or original birth certificate to bring to set, or you cannot be employed by production.

If you are interested and completely available please submit asap to
info@beaubonneaucasting.com
Please include First and Last name and Red Tails in subject line
1. 2 telephone contact numbers
2. Height, weight, Jacket size, shirt size: neck/sleeve, Pant size: waist/inseam, Shoe size
3. 2 current photos: One close up and full standing view. (no professional photos, simple digital
photos please.

Beau Bonneau Casting
www.beaubonneaucasting.com

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