Health Care Debate

Am I the only one who thinks that the health care system in America stinks? oh don't get me wrong, we have the best stuff around but if you're not Bill Gates, good luck trying to pay for or heck even gain access to that quality care.

Fact One: The United States ranks 23rd in infant mortality, down from 12th in 1960 and 21st in 1990

Fact Two: The United States ranks 20th in life expectancy for women down from 1st in 1945 and 13th in 1960

Fact Four: The United States ranks between 50th and 100th in immunizations depending on the immunization. Overall US is 67th, right behind Botswana

Fact Five: Outcome studies on a variety of diseases, such as coronary artery disease, and renal failure show the United States to rank below Canada and a wide variety of industrialized nations. (From the Connecticut Coliation for Universal Health Care).

I just find something very wrong in the United States, that as a citizen, living in the wealthiest nation on the planet, my health care is equivalent to that of a village woman in sub-saharan Africa.

Happy Song

Trolling on Youtube for videos on my favorite ice dancing couple (Candians Virtue and Moir) and I found this fanvid - its done very nicely! I really LOVED the song, called 'Slow Me Down,' by Emmy Rossum. Here is the original song but no video(the recording company disabled the embedding function but here is the link to the youtube video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maj8lPWF2pA

This song is very intoxicating and I'm just perplexed why I have never heard it before?? Had anyone else heard of this song? Why does mainstream radio play only the same 8 songs and pass on something great like this?? God bless Youtube and fanvideo's, I find a lot of great new songs that way.

Enjoy!

Tired, quick post

Sorry I am extremely tired, just got back from Austin/Houston Texas to see the last concert for this year of tours for New Kids on the Block. It was freaking amazing! I screamed till I made myself horse. It was great! The guys spent like 1/2 an hour thanking all of us loyal fans. It was very sweet, though upon later reflection I was a little off-put by all the drama. I mean its just boy-band music, its not like we are ending world hunger. But all in all, I had a fabulous time!!

I'm off to California for work, this coming week. San Diego, I can't wait - I've never been and I've heard it is super warm out there. Yay!! But me still without a bathing suit, bah.

Harry Potter, Romance author and Real Simple

I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince last night. It was freaking awesome!!! I am paying the price today (so sleepy) but it was worth it. The movie was dark and yet also funny. I loved the romance parts and all the main kids have grown as actors so it wasn't painful to watch them. They didn't stick exactly close to the book but close enough for me to declare this film, of all the Harry Potter films out so far, the best!! Rest assured my good friends, last night was just the first in a series of many viewings of this film - finally something worth seeing this summer, yipee!!

Tonight I am so excited because one of my favorite romance authors (romance novels are my guilty pleasure) is in Washington D.C. for some writer's conference and she sent a note out to all her fans on her email list (yes I'm that much of a romance novel geek I'm on an email distribution list), that she would be signing autographs, Wednesday, July 15th - from 5:30 to 7:30pm; simply perfect for me, right after work!! I am trying to compose something intelligent to say to her, I've been thinking of this all day, am narrowing it down to, "will you please write more books about Justin and his family?" (that is my favorite character) or "do you have any romance authors besides yourself you would recommend?" Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to ask her both!

One of my favorite magazines is Real Simple. Its like a Better Homes and Gardens or Good Housekeeping for young adults like myself (you know the 20's and 30's set). A close friend of mine let me know that Amazon.com is selling a year subscription of the magazine for $5 (she told me this while we waited for the Harry Potter movie to start). That is .42 cents per issue! If you like the magazine or maybe even need a gift idea, I'm providing the link below.
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Simple-1-year/dp/B00005R8BR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=magazines&qid=1247691073&sr=8-1

Upside Down World

I read this piece on commondreams.org about this poor black man who got locked up in jail for two years for a crime he did not commit (and in the end was found not guilty).

If ever there was an argument that circumstances beyond our control (where we were born, to whom, our upbringing) predispose us to our future, it is this man's story.

Here is an excerpt from the article -
But innocence and guilt are funny things in America. If you are rich and guilty, if you have defrauded banks and customers and investment firms of billions of dollars, as AIG or Citibank has, if you wear fancy suits and have degrees from elite universities that cost more per year than Brown used to make, you get taxpayer money. You get lots of it. You maintain the lavish lifestyle of jets and spas and million-dollar bonuses. You live a life of unchecked greed and have too much in a world where most have too little. If you are moral scum in America we take care of you. But if you are poor, if you are, say, Tearyan Brown and African-American and 39 years old with four kids and no job and you live in the inner city, you are in trouble. No one comes to help you. You don't get a second chance. This is what being poor means. - Chris Hedges

I maintain that poverty is not a choice, as right-wing and Republicans believe. I also continue to believe that crime and misdeed are not the domains of the poor alone and I strongly adhere to the adage that one should give a man a fish as well as teach him.

Read the full article here - http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/07/06

Blog Award

I recieved this from www.mommanator.blogspot.com

My first blog award!!!!

According to Mommanator's site, "If you receive this award, you are to credit the person who bestowed it, give it to 7 other blogs (let them know) and tell your readers 7 things about yourself that they don't know. The award is supposed to go to blogs that speak honestly, from the heart" I tried to do more research on the award (being my first and all) but I linked back to seven other blogs and still could not find the origins of this award, but it seems on the up and up and that is good enough for me).

Here are seven fun facts about Virginia Gal:
1. I am a romance book addict, but I try to temper that with reading at least one edifying book every two weeks.
2. Since starting my new job I've put on at least ten pounds, aye!
3. Lately, when bored at work, I shop on Amazon, this is not good on both my work ethic and my credit card.
4. I just saw the movie "Angels and Demons" and loved it!
5. I finally got my MBA diploma from VCU - it is now at the frame shop.
6. I am going to my third New Kids on the Block concert next Saturday.
7. I continue to google gossip about my favorite ice skating dance couple, Virtue and Moir, cause it is my desperate wish that they become a real-life couple off ice!

Now I'm suppose to pass this along to seven other bloggers, but since I can't decide, I spread it to all, please feel free to add the award to your blog and tell us seven things about yourself!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!!
It is my absolute favorite of all the holidays!
Please go out and celebrate this great nation's birthday
I will walk in the local parade and than watch fireworks with my father at the county baseball stadium (just remember to be safe).