I'm periodically political

(Caution: political rant coming up)

I try not to think about it, but I can get really passionate about politics.  I read the news every day, especially things relevant to me as a young gay boy, such as Joe My God and the Prop 8 Trial Tracker.  Usually just keeping informed is enough for me, and I go about my day.  But sometimes, I can't help but let myself become infuriated at one story or another.  Most recently it was a story not about GLBT topics, but about healthcare.  Mike Huckabee, a former Republican governor from Arkansas (and now a host on Fox News), was complaining at some political event about a new law denying insurance carriers from refusing insurance against people who have pre-existing conditions:

Here's a clip - it's short (1:30)

He compares asking for insurance when you have a pre-existing condition to asking for insurance after your house burns down.

Okay, first of all, where the fuck do I start?  Maybe that you can't compare the two, because one can be rebuilt since it's not alive, and the other cannot?  Maybe you don't die after your house burns down (presuming you're not in it of course) if you can't get it insured, but you certainly will die if you somehow aren't covered after being diagnosed with heart disease and you're trying to switch to a different provider?

The fact that he would equate a person's health and well-being to a house is really stupid, callous, insulting, and down-right just plain mean.

In reality, he doesn't want to pay for people.  In his mind, if you can't afford healthcare, or are unlucky enough to come down with diabetes, heart disease, or any number of diseases that you would have a good chance of getting as you age, you don't deserve to be treated.  At least, not without paying a buttload of money.

I don't get why these people don't just up and say, "yeah I don't want to pay any taxes, I don't want to give any money away, I don't want to do any of that because I earned my goddamned money and if you don't have any, you can just die in a ditch.  What's mine is mine, you feckless bum.  You can't have any of it, because I'm better than you"


Because while they're not saying that, they are saying that, and it drives me up the wall.


Similarly, that's exactly their stance on gay rights.  If it's not religion, it's just "not natural" or "not traditional" or "hyper-normal", or whatever their excuse is this week.  But in reality, it's just they think they're better than us 'cause they're straight.  They feel that heterosexual relationships are superior to gay relationships, for the simple fact that they just are.  No way around it; no need to explain.  It's just the way it is.

So yeah, you can see I get worked up >_<

I usually try not to, because I know I can't change anything.  I know I can't do anything about what's going on in U.S. politics, so I'm just getting upset over nothing.  And so I just try to read the news, and breathe deeply whenever I feel myself getting irritated over some thug who starts preaching how I'm the scum of the earth and how he is the shit, and how the whole country should get behind him and his ideas because god knows, a greater genius could not have come up with a better plan.


Speaking of politics, I registered for a class called Canadian Government, because I had a slot for a class free (I was originally registered for a music class, but ended up dropping it after I decided I wasn't too interested in taking it this semester).  It always annoyed me how Kyle has so little understanding of politics here.  I would ask him questions every now and then about things and he has no idea.  I mean, I'm not a political buff or anything, but I think the least a citizen of a country can do is to understand how his/her government works.  After all, they have to live under its rule for their entire lives (unless they emigrate, but that's a whole different issue).  So, since Canada may become my adopted country (who knows what the future holds, yeah?), I figured I should enlighten myself about its government.  The parliamentary system always intrigued me, and in some ways I feel it has advantages over the presidential system the U.S. uses.  So I'm excited to get started and dive in and learn ^^


Friday was a pretty ordinary day.  Other than my math lecture in the afternoon, I did nothing.  When Kyle and I came home, we just played SimCity 4 a bit, and then he went to work.  I ended up staying up until 6am (much like this evening T_T) watching a hilarious British sitcom called My Family.  Kyle's really into it and torrented the eps, so I started to watch the first season.  It's hilarious!


Today was much the same as yesterday, except without a class.  I woke up late (around 4pm XD) and just relaxed all day.  I don't have any homework, so I don't have to do anything.  I played games most of the day (Diablo 2!).  Kyle and I had dinner and then he went to work.  I stayed up and watched White Collar (a great TV show by the way... I'm all caught up now, and I'm soooo irritated by the end UGH why do they DO that?!  Stupid cliffhangers >.<).  Now I'm writing this journal, and then I'm going to sleep.


Weeeee ^_^


Oh, that reminds me.  Friday I also got my medical insurance, which I get through the school.  I was a bit miffed that the school didn't say anything on what I had to do to get it in the first place, so when I got a letter from them saying I hadn't enrolled yet and I should have when I started, I hopped right over to the international students' office and got it taken care of.  They apologized at the fact that they never told me, so I suppose I shouldn't harbor a grudge.  The person's who's handling it is just a month into the job.


In the meeting she was talking about the facilities on campus (there's a clinic with a real doctor there during business hours) and the benefits I get from the insurance (doctors' visits, emergency room coverage, prescriptions, dental, optometric, and a bunch of other stuff).  It's crazy... all of this for under $1000 for the whole year, whereas in the U.S., to get that level of coverage you have to pay way, way more.  I remember my mom complaining about how much my health insurance costs, so I think she's really happy that it's a lot cheaper now through the school here.  I love universal healthcare XD


Anyway, during the talk about the facilities, she mentioned the gym on-campus, which is, apparently, huge.  Indoor track and field, rock wall, pools (yes, plural), weight room, tennis and basketball courts, and the list goes on... it reminded me that I should start doing some of that stuff.  I used to be in martial arts a couple of years ago, but then I quit because things were getting pretty intense in my life.  Since then I haven't really worked out much, and a few months before I came here my appetite really picked up and I put on a bit of weight.  I'm still thin, but a bit softer, which I've never been.  Since I moved here, though, my appetite went back to "normal" (or what it's always been) and I lost most of it, so I'm happy about that =D   The only issue is, I want to start working out so I'm not the lanky kid I've (almost) always been.  Problem is, Kyle is adverse to anything physical (he's thin too, though, so he doesn't really need to worry about it), and I don't want to go by myself.  I guess, though, that I'll have to if I want to do anything.  I don't want to go all uber-muscly, but a bit of definition never hurt anyone.  That, and my stamina SUCKS, so anything to bring that up would be great.


Oh man, this turned out to be a long post about a bunch of random things.  Well, Sunday, 6am is a pretty random time to be posting a blog.  Add to that the fact that I haven't gone to sleep yet, and I guess that explains the randomness.


So, my apologies on the spaghetti I just threw everywhere =)  my next post will be more coherent, I promise ^^


<33


-skybluekid