Solution Versus Problem

We are in a mell of a hess, doubtless.  However, it is just as fair to say that the body politic is the real problem.  The body-politic is any elected official in the federal government, or any federal employee who creates, changes, affects, government intervention into state’s right’s.
It is clear that the problems (the only problems) they have any ideas about solving are the ones that they create.  When it comes time to deal with Katrina, Haiti, Iraq, anything that does not concern a lobbyist, they are clueless, and they are dangerous.  They have the power to fix the problems, and no expertise.
The body politic, however, is able to overspend, misspend, pork,  and misappropriate, our money.  Then, as if it is a surprise to the people that they have stolen the money, we have a gigantic debt.  And, the body politic makes speeches, promises, rivers of  bovine nitrogenous discharge, telling us that the responsible people will be punished. Those who created such terrible financial burden on “us”, will be held accountable!  But, it is not “us” that must bear the burden, because they (body politic) are not a part of us, they are “they”, the ones who created the problem.
Us, we the people are raped, ignored, and misused, as one might misuse an old car.  But, it is us who must fund the next set of solutions to the next “biggest problems” that this country has ever faced.  And, we keep repeating the same process, and we expect different results.  Come on!
There are a few things wrong with our system of government.  And, an even longer list of problems with the thieves we have elected to run the system.  I think it is a real problem when a person can work a job for 2-6 years and get full retirement benefits.  There is a real problem when a person can vote himself a raise any time he chooses, without recourse from his employers.  It seems unfair that big business is more important than the little people who make the businesses big.
Yes, I am frustrated.  It is true that I see no way for this country to continue to be a/the world leader it was before we allowed the minority to usurp the majority, and  doing so in the name of political correctness.  And, yes  I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.  It is on the front of a runaway train, and that light is getting larger every moment we accept mediocrity from those who are charged with leadership

Personal Observations

How interesting this is that  I am returning to this conversation 2 years, and two days, after the first entry.  Those things that are different include, being two years older, I no longer work at Lucky T’s, but, I am working weekends at Barry County Care Center, there are only 18 animals on the place, and I do have satellite service, although it will be ending in one week.
Those things that are basically the same include my strong belief that the end of America is not far away,  I am in good health,  for the most part,  my politics is unchanged,  as I trust not one of them.
My life is different,  because I do not have Red close-by,  Monte and Cynthia are somewhat close, but close friends because of their unique living arrangements.  Dale Walden lost his wife Theresa, last year, and the Motorcycle Supply Shop appears to be moving to Eureka Springs.  My boss, at BCCC, is Margaret Ott.  She is, additionally, a friend of substance.  Topas is my Canadian lady friend, and she is trying to get in position to stay semi-permanently in the United States.  Cynthia is helping her with the task.  As to her chances, I have no clue.  There is a plan for almost total debt freedom, that is in its first month.  However,  after further study of the income-expense ratio, I am going to be able to do even better than I first thought.  Blue is running great, and Silverwing is just perfect.  I cannot avoid the fact that my back is not doing well.  In most all other aspects, my health is good.   My back is only poor, or at best, fair.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Ping Pong

It make sense that politics is much like the game ping pong was proven, yet again, in Massachusetts, on January 19, 2010.  It is time to admit that the American citizenry has but a small voice in determining the future, and either accept it, or change the truth.
Here is my best explanation.  Voters are on one side of the table, then one of the two viable parties causes the voters (the ball) to change direction, returning them (the ball) to the other side of the table, with great power (enthusiasm).  But, the voters (ball) expects to be treated differently than they (the ball) had been treated a very short time earlier.  After a short time on the side of the table that the voters (the ball) started, they are smacked, and returned to the opposite side of the table.
It should be obvious that there is only one  table.  There is only one group of people, they are simply divided into named-groups to protect both from becoming irrelevant.
In the past 20 years, I have experienced a long list of emotions.  I have watched the Truth become transparently clear.  “We are controlled, in all the important ways, by a small group of people who hold all of the important power.
Violence, upheaval, social chaos, are things that may happen in the future.  What will not happen is for the people without power to take power away from the people who have the power.  The Rule Of Gold is in effect, and will be the basic “rule” for as long as there are people with excessive power.  The Rule Of Gold:  “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

Health Care

After watching T. R. Reid, and President Obama, it seems that this is our best ever chance for “universal” health care.
It seemed as though, from the president’s speech, that he had had a long conversation with Mr. Reid, and actually listened.  I am not saying that before the September 9, 2009 speech he, and almost everyone else in America, did not know that this is the only wealthy country on the planet to not care for all of its citizens health care needs.  However, the president did admit, point out, that thus far, we have been to self-absorbed to care for anyone more than our like-minded peers.  Or, “I got enough, and you don’t, and that’s fine by me”.
Who are we going to blame if the American people do not get involved, talk straight about caring for each other, and get prepared to change the paradigm?  The time is now, the reasons for not changing the status-quo are few, and the resultant catastrophe if we do not change is going to be colossal.
“They” are not to be the only ones to blame if we do not get change!  “We” will be as guilty as any politician in America.

Health Care

It is my opinion that there is nothing wrong with the health care in this country.  There is, just nothing wrong with the health care, at all; if one is able to afford to get the health care one might need.
Yes, the trouble is not the “care”, the trouble is the cost of the care.  The trouble is we have been convinced that we might actually suffer from a Tylenol deficiency.  The trouble is we have been convinced that no matter how small the trouble is, the only solution is a medication, a drug if you will allow me.
The medications that modern science has developed, in and by themselves, are wonderful.  But, to believe that it is OK to eat an entire pizza, cheese sticks, ranch dressing, a diet drink, is not dangerous if one just takes the right post-binge medication is childish.  But, that is exactly what is suggested, is stated, in advertising.  And, it is not the fault of the advertisers, or the media.
The reason for the media is to make money for the owners of each medium.  The critics are wrong, the reason for media is not to baby sit every person who sits in front of a TV, or reads a magazine, or (Heaven forbid!) actually reads a newspaper.
What is the alternative?  Think about your health instead of relying on others to care for you.  If you are sedentary, if you are fat, you are putting yourself at risk.  If you are fat and think you are not at risk, go ahead keep eating, keep getting fatter, and your list of medical problems will grow till you figure out what you have been told since you got fat.  It is not health, and no amount of “loving high calorie foods” will make it healthy.
Cut down on your caloric intake, move till you break a sweat, and you will probably lose a bit of weight, you’ll feel better, and you’ll be controlling your own health.
Now, to the cost of health care, in America.  Stupid is not a nice word, but it fits.  We stupidly allowed the collective representatives (senators, and all the rest) to allow the AMA to become a policy making arm of the government.
And, it is not a surprise that in too many instances a doctor will not even talk to a person for less than $75.00-$100.00.  And, the cost of any procedure is driven into the stratosphere by the additional people that are involved in reading charts, diagnosing diagnoses, reading x-rays that have been read, et al.
Insurance companies charge stupidly high rates, and use any/every trick in the book (and, they have a big book) to deny coverage, and collect robbery rates from the doctors to cover the doctors inadequacies, called “mistakes”.
The solutions to the high rates are not simple, they are complex, and they involve the one thing that makes it hardest to sell to the American voter:  It involves sacrificing.  The Canadians sacrifice, and they have reasonably priced health care.  The residents of Quebec sacrifice, and they have basically no cost for the services, not free, health care.
A car tag costs a great deal more than one does in the United States.  Cigarettes are outrageously high, and just as unhealthy as they are in America.  A by-pass surgery is basically free.  Is it worth it?  You bet.
Now, I am going to get personal.  In August, 2009, I went to Quebec for a stress test, an echo cardiogram, and an EKG.  It was suggested by my doctor, here in Missouri, that I go to Springfield, Missouri for the procedures, at a cost of $19,000 for the stress test, and the echo cardiogram.
I was, due to a sympathetic doctor, basically treated as if I were a resident of Quebec.  I paid a bit more than what a resident of Quebec would have paid, and was proud, and grateful, to pay the money.
I am not exaggerating, I paid $153.00 for the three tests, the consultation with the doctor, and $5.00 for parking.  I had all three tests done, the consultation, and was back in a friends house in 1 hour 32 minutes, exactly!  I bring this out due to the silly stories of people waiting for endless hours just to see a doctor, in Canada.
Health care is not free any where in the world.  However, in some places, people are willing to pay more for other things, and have affordable health care.
Our problem is we believe, as a society, that the cake can be cut into 16 pieces, and still have enough left to serve more cake at the next meal, and there will be a bit left over for a midnight snack.
In reality, we have decided that we’d rather pay insurance rates from Hell, and put up with the abuse, than to fight for decent rates, reasonable coverage, and quality care, as a package.
I am not a Republican, I cannot even spell Demacrit (or, crat, or whatever it is)  but, I hope the Dems will get the changes made that must be made to make way for the eventual changes that would be made, if we are to have affordable health care in America.  The changes must get started, and now is a good time.
This is not an issue that is unfix able, unless it is treated as a football.   If we allow the politicians to kick it around enough, the air will go out of it, and we will have the same, maybe worse, situation that we have today.

Drug Trucking

Sirs, Madams, All who read this,

Today is another sad day, as I ponder this country‘s fate. When the Mexican Government first started blaming America for some of its drug troubles I was offended. But, after further review of the facts, not the patriotic feelings, it is obvious that the inability to control the desire to be chemically altered, for so many people of all ages, we are contributing too much to be outraged by the Truth. Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora who came to this grim conclusion: “In that sense, the U.S. is already financing this war. It is just financing it on the wrong side”. These are the words that motivated me to write this letter to America.

In Truth, we do little to stop drugs from being sold to children, to senators, grandparents, residents of the ghettos, and doctors. And, it cannot be coincidental that we do nothing (in the big picture) to stop the drugs from coming into this country from Mexico.

Now, since we already have all but porous borders, please do not allow the trucking industry to be overrun, to be (infested) seems to be a good word, with trucks coming across the Mexican border with little, or no, scrutiny. To allow this NAFTA inspired mistake would sound the death bell for our country. And, it would put a stake in the heart of drug law-enforcement efforts.

All I can do is vote against the people who make no effort to fight this horrendous mistake that would signal to the drug-dealers world-wide that we have given up the battle to even pretend that drugs are bad for the county.

Trust me, this is no threat! I promise, from the bottom of my soul, I will do anything/everything possible to unseat the people who do nothing to stop this (additional) attempt to destroy America.

Paul Harvey An Irreplaceable Loss

March 2, 2009, 6:25 AM
Over the weekend, America lost still another conservative voice.  This one, this beautiful, common sense, brilliantly measured, voice was not the last, he was the only voice, of his kind.  Paul Harvey is silenced, and there can be no the “next” Paul Harvey.
In a business where anyone who can have an opinion can be an expert, Paul Harvey was ‘the’ expert at expressing important, political, or everyday, thoughts, ideas, and events, into clear, easily understood, but not ordinary wordage.
Mister Harvey was a main reason that I chose radio/TV as my profession.  He was my first, and obviously, my best role-mode.  And, I failed him miserably.  Being from his hometown, Tulsa, Oklahoma, being in the city where it started for the news business’s most eloquent, most clear, to the point, without complications, voice, was a wonderful burden that I enjoyed as much as any I have ever carried.
No one ever said that I sounded like Mister Harvey, but I always had a hope that a fraction of his style was reflected in my news reading, and my story writing, during my 36 years in the business.  Did it?  I hope so, and that is all I have, with one exception.
In 1976, I was working at KLOR radio, in Ponca City, Oklahoma, a small town in the extreme north-central part of the state.  I did a newscast that followed Mister Harvey’s 12-12:15 news, and I was listening to his broadcast when I heard him mispronounce  the name of Salina, Kansas, as “Saleena”.   I called Chicago, and I was amazed by the fact that I got to him.  I was suddenly embarrassed that I had called.  After telling him that I was from Tulsa, that he was my role-model, that I thought he was the best, (he was the best) I told him about the pronunciation mistake.  He shocked me, truly shocked me.  He was not apologetic, he was grateful, he said “thank you for your help…” (at this point I was mortified that I had called, because I understood full-well what made him so great) and he would make a mental note of the mistake, and not repeat it, again.  It was as if, no not “as if”, he did elevate my self-worth, my profession pride, and he made me see his truly giant size.
I never had the occasion to speak to him, again.  Truth is, I did not need to speak to him, there was nothing I could add to his life, and he added to my life by just being Paul Harvey, the newsman, writer, great American.
I am 63 years of age, and it is certain, were I to live to be 163 years of age, there would/could not be another Paul Harvey.
“Good day” it was not when we lost Paul Harvey.