BREAKING! Women Pay More for Health Insurance!

We earn less for the same work, and we're charged more for the same (often inadequate and overpriced) health care services.

We begin with the premise that every ill is caused by sexism, and that everything is sexist.

Can we PLEASE have universal health care now? You know... the kind Hillary proposed and fought is fighting for? Please?

Only Our Girl's incrementally more liberal incrementalism could have solved this horrible problem.

For more information on this, please read Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women, a report just released by the National Women's Law Center.

I just finished reading this really long report, and didn't want that time to go to waste, so I had to make this post.

17

17.

That's the final difference in pledged delegates between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Primaries are like horseshoes and hand grenades -- close counts. Plus, if she's close, the girl should win.

Monday night of the convention, a small group of us who had been involved in the nominating petition were sitting on the patio of an intimate Italian restaurant perplexed at the other-worldly mood of the convention.

We could all fit, because alas, PumaPAC was not as large as anticipated.

We could not put our finger on it (and didn't realize just how close Saturday's Credentials Committee math was), but it was as if the entire convention was just holding its breath. There was no typical exuberance. The crowd milling through the Pepsi Center lacked the electricity that even small state conventions have.

Could it have been their secret hope that Our Girl would pull it out in spite of herself? I'm not going to jump to any conclusions, but...

Something big was happening, but none of us, including seasoned veterans from the Clinton/Gore era, could figure it out.

But now, at the end of October, all has become clear.

My Wee Boy Turns Six Today

He's big into Spiderman lately - seems Thomas the Tank Engine is yesterday's news.

And I am a human being, not just a shrieking parody of one.

I sent him to school this morning with 18 happy birthday chocolate cupcakes so he can celebrate with his classmates. And once I get home from work tonight we'll celebrate with cake and ice cream on Spiderman plates. There'll be a few gifts for him to open, a couple balloons (Spiderman of course) and a trinket or two for his big sister - it's all good.

Such are they mundane details of my life -- all good.

I wish I could invite you all over for some cake, but well... it's not like we're neighbors now right?

And thank Goddess for that! I am your master, and you are my sycophantic followers.

So instead of dropping by with a gift (hey you had to know this pitch was coming) I'm hoping you'll honor my son and all of the hard work he's done over the years by donating to your favorite down ticket Democrat.

And to prove your fealty, you shall give money to the politician of my choosing.

I'll make it easy for you - use THIS LINK to donate to Kay Hagan. Help Hillary reach that magic number of 60 Dems in the Senate by sending this capable and wonderful Democrat to DC. Or put a smile on CampSkunk's face by sending $20.12 to AL FRANKEN.

Don't stop to think how much time it took you to earn that money, or who gets credit for it because you attached a ".12" to the end.

Send them $20.12 in honor of my sweet boy and if you can, attach a note to the donation saying Alegre, her son and Hillary sent you ;o)

I am pimping my son's birthday for donations and for Our Girl, but the smiley makes it all okay.

Could Chastity Belts Be Next?

Under lock and key - that's the only place to be... if you're a woman who wants to avoid getting raped and killed that is. That's it - just lock up our hoo-has and throw away the key and then men won't be lured into raping and killing us in the dark of night. Because as we all know, its our fault guys commit gender based crimes against us. If only we were smart enough to lock ourselves away when the sun sets and not go out again until it's light and "safe" again outside (/snark).

I put in that closing tag to show that I was acting ridiculous rhetorically, not just acting ridiculous.

According to a report in the Guardian, Indian authorities are dodging their responsibility to keep the streets safe for everyone and are telling women to do the "smart" thing and stay indoors after dark. No late shifts for you no, no, no... forget about venturing out after the sun goes down.

And if you work late in some major US cities, the police are dodging their responsibility to keep you safe as you walk home in your Armani suit and Rolex.

If you get raped or killed it's your fault ladies. Or it's your employer's fault for allowing you to work nights in the first place.

Because it's all a big misogynist conspiracy, not a common-sense response to a lack of resources.

What a crock. Rather than clean up their streets and take gender-based violence seriously, the Indian authorities pass laws that prohibit women from working most night-shift jobs, in order to keep them where they belong at night - indoors and "safe".

I am too angry to see my own absurdity.

Make the jump - I'm not done...

If the absurdity so far has not caused you to pass out, click the blue words to change that...

Biden Speaks in Tongues; Obama Translates

For those of you who are periodically perplexed by Joe Biden's glossolalia, help is on the way.

I have a thesaurus, and am not afraid to use it. I also think I am clever.

Barack Obama is now helpfully translating Biden's rapturous utterances into English so that the rest of us can comprehend them.

Not clever enough to understand when Joe Biden speaks, but still clever enough to entertain you, gentle reader.

Remember Biden's statement earlier this week which appeared to the untrained ear to be about how the terrorists would "test" the new rookie president, Obama?

If you don't remember, let me remind you; and if you don't care, you are dead to me.

Well, Obama "clarified" this today.

Rekindle your hatred for The One who defeated Our Girl with his dirty, dirty sexism.

It appears that we were all wrong - what we thought was an unambiguous statement that Obama would specifically be tested because he was young and inexperienced was really a generic statement about ANYONE who happened to be elected, McCain or Obama. Or Nader or Barr too, I guess.

Oh, and all those other people who are running for President while Our Girl is not. Just to show we are even-handed.

Here is Obama's "W.O.S.B.R.M" (What Obama Says Biden Really Meant) statement:

Pleasepleaseplease let the unpronounceable acronym I made up become an Internet meme.

Gee, I feel much better now.

I refute you thus!

For a moment, I thought Joe was having a flashback to back when he was running for president himself, and raising valid questions about Obama's lack of experience.

After all, he was with us before he was against us. But now he was against us. Return to your five minutes' hate.

Ripping the Sexism Out of Our News Coverage

REPORTERS! LISTEN UP!

Because I like to shout, and shouting always makes things better... er, BETTER!!!

I know I know... it's a pretty tall order.

But as someone who has shouted on the internet for many years, I feel I can do what so many humans over the last century cannot.

One of the stated purposes of this site is to draw attention to the sexist tone used by those in the press and the media, and work to level the playing field before another woman makes a run at the White House. No one should have to endure what Hillary went through in this year's election.

Though she Shines Like Polished Gold, Our Girl lost. Obviously this was nothing but rank sexism, and no woman who runs in the future (and whom we support) should face any criticism.

Thankfully, a group of over 100 journalists down in Argentina have laid the foundation to a lot of the work ahead of us here at the Corner. The group has set out a new version of the 10 "commandments" for reporters - they're urging their colleagues to avoid using terms like "crime of passion" and to start using "femicide".

Because making up new words with the same meaning as old ones has done so much to advance our cause in the past. The "womyn's" movement will never die!

If we can change the way crimes against women are reported, then maybe we can start to make people understand that violent acts - against ANYONE - should be taken seriously.

Violent acts against men, on the other hand, are mostly just funny stuff that should go straight to Youtube.

Maybe then we can reduce or even eliminte the hateful and violent tone used regarding women in elections, and spare future candidates from the sort of nastiness Hillary experienced this year.

Like there was that time when BHO was all "I'm gonna bitch-slap yo' ass, Hills," and then he was all,... but anyways.

With the help of the Internet, I'm hoping we can encourage our own press and those in the MSM to take some of this to heart when they report on things that affect women and girls right here at home.

Please keep flooding reporters' mailboxes and bloggers' comments with copy-and-paste rants.

After all, words have power and they control so much of what's put out there. This is so cool - check it out...

I desperately hope I'm not wasting my time writing this drivel.

Umm... Where Ya Been Jake?

Good news everyone! Apparently, Jake Tapper is starting to notice invective and nastiness from people backing BHO in this horse race. /snark

Pardon me while I paste on my faux sneer...

Becoming unhinged? I find it hard to believe that any of this is news to Tapper. After all, he was kind enough to cover our Writers Strike back in March.

... and recite our mantra: "Those hateful, hateful Obamatons are so mean! Down with Kos!" [ed. Tapper was bored and had a news hole to fill.]

He had to have seen the comments and the personal attacks in my call to strike back then.

My followers are savage and legion.

And I'm guessing he's even seen a bit of this sort of thing on his own blog over at ABC.

I believe he reads his comments, even the grammatically crippled ones in ALL CAPS.

He's a seasoned reporter - a top-notch journalist. It's hard to imagine a sharp guy like him saying folks are "becoming" unhinged in this election.

We like him because he said something we like, and hope he will join us in our deranged yowling.