From Make: Online :

"Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models"

Imagine what would happen if we spent the same amount of money on science education in high school that we spend on the dozen students that 'make the team'. Swap cheer leaders for computer programs. Not new bleachers but a new chemistry lab instead. Think about it. The future of a thousands of students versus a few dozen whose future evaporates as soon as their athletic skills do. Now that's the kind of world I would love to see...sigh.

From Thoughts from a Liberal Mom:

How does she look at herself in the mirror?

Speaking of Sarah Quittypants as I was, I ran across this interesting piece on the subject. Enjoy!

Yes, I'm Following this blog!

Facebook?

During the past two days I was lured into participating a Facebook fracas. Well, lured isn't the right word, I was eager to join in. It seemed that a Friend of a Friend made some disparaging remarks concerning those of us who had agreed with a disparaging review of Sarah Quittypants latest fiction novel, Going Rogue. Of course I had to respond. And then my sister, also a good Liberal, joined in plus some other good Liberals that I didn't know but were Friends. After one or more of these exchanges, the Friend of a Friend, from now on known as the Evil One, began to become quite upset and started using the ALL CAPS method of shouting at us as the fracas moved from Mrs. Quittypants to our President and the Democratic Party in general. It turned out that the Evil One actually believed every single word uttered on Fox News and had never heard of NPR. He also believed the 'Birthers' and their wacky claims. The list of things that he believed was overwhelming. And funny if he hadn't been serious. I had never met one of these people before, on-line or in person, so it was startling to read what he was saying.

Okay, I'm convinced, these people do exist. They have no knowledge of history. They exist in the 'now'. They are easily led by anyone with a cause…say Glenn Beck? They will not listen to reason. The fact that they vote is scary. Shouldn't you have to have some knowledge of how our government operates before you vote? Okay, that's dangerous territory, I will move away from the voting statements. But I still believe them.

Anyway, I'm not going to get into any more Facebook discussions that go beyond 10 comments. The Evil One could be lurking…

From Journey Home

Darn him!

That Thomas Jefferson guy was a real troublemaker. It's a good thing he's not around today to say these things.

From Now Listen Here

Wacko, Commie, Socialist, Pinkos Least Corrupt In Universe - Who Did They Bribe?

Alright...this is where I found that link to the CPI pages. Read on and gain some good knowledge. And then shake your head. What is wrong with our elected officials? Are they insane?

CPI 2009

The Perceived Corruption Index

As it is often said, Perception is Reality.

I found this page while wandering and was quite happy to see that the US of A made it into 19th place and ahead of France. (#24) Those darn cheese eating surrender monkeys don't even deserve the 24th place...but that's another story. What is important are the CPI scores of the nations where we are so firmly entrenched. Iraq has a score of #176 and Afghanistan is #179. Yes, the bottom 5. I'm assuming that Iraq got the better score because we are leaving.

And in the top ten are a bunch of...gasp!...socialist countries! Oh, the horror of it.

Some things

I was just reading a blog where the author mentioned some of the things in the past that she loved and that are now gone. And, not surprisingly, I missed some of the same things. True, I'm a vocal supporter of change and can't stand to hear people talk about the 'good old days' because there really aren't any good old days. If those 'old days' were real, our life span wouldn't have increased over the past half century. It is certainly not wrong for me to support change and at the same time, long for the memories of childhood. Dichotomy is built into the human psyche and few are exempt. The 'good old days' are for sweet memories and not to be sought after …but I digress.

Some things that I miss.

• Going to the airport to watch the planes land and takeoff.
  
• Walking…everywhere.
  
• Knowing that the house was unlocked and I wouldn't have to worry about getting in.
  
• The same with my car. The keys were in it. If not in the ignition, they were on the floor or seat.
  
• Solitude. It used to be easy to find.
  
• Radio
  
• 
   
• 
   

 

I was going to continue the list but I ran out of memories. Now, that happened either because I am old or because I am on drugs. Both are true. But those memories are sufficient for this day and have given me some enjoyment. But, after that, I'm looking for some changes!

Rising

sea levels threaten Caribbean region -- latimes.com:

"For five years, Alfonso, 74, has watched tides rise higher and higher in the Boca Grande section of Cartagena. This month, tides briefly inundated the only mainland connection to his neighborhood, a converted sandbar where about 60 high-rise condo and hotel towers have been built in the last decade or so."

As we all know, the global warming issue is a conspiracy by the 'left' to do something or another; I forgot, but I'm sure it's right. I heard it on Fox News so it must be true. Anyway, Alfonso, being 74 years old is probably senile and only imagines the water pouring across the roadway. Besides, it's in Colombia and so why would we care?

Poor, poor, poor...

Poor California...poor in more ways than one. And every day we see evidence of how the legislators led us down the primrose path. A new headline of horror every day. Forget the governors, it is the legislators who are at fault. Not one is exempt from guilt. If they were innocent, we would have heard from them day after day, week after week. We didn't.

Turning aside protests by students, the University of California Board of Regents approved a 32% increase in student fees. That amounted to $2,500 per student.

"I hate to say it, but if you have no choice, you have no choice," UC President Mark G. Yudof told reporters before the vote. The students, he said, should protest state lawmakers who have cut education funding.

I'm sure they would love to go to Sacramento to protest, but most can't afford to. I'm with the students. They should demonstrate at every campus. Wherever an overpaid president sits in a comfortable office, there should be a protest. Sit in his office. Make him buy you dinner, a pizza at least. Do you know how much these people are paid? University presidents make over $400k a year. The President of the USA makes just $400k a year. (Yes, he does have a nice plane...but I think he works harder)

From Time Goes By...

Gray Matters: Health Insurance Companies

A very clear look at our health care problem. No hidden agendas here, just some indisputable facts. Starting with this one...

The United States is unique in that we have a for-profit health insurance industry which has not done very well in providing health care. In France and Switzerland, such insurance companies are non-profit and tightly regulated. But almost everywhere else where there is a form of national health insurance, there are no such things as companies that make profits based on a person’s health – and no one is without access to health care.

Don't read it if you already have the health care problem solved in your mind.

California

lawmakers, officials face 18% pay cut -- latimes.com

18%? Is that all? Well, I suppose some of the lawmakers may have to resign and find other employment that will pay better. We can always wish for that, but it would be dreaming on our part. California dreaming...

Greater Optimism ?

About U.S. Health System Coverage, Costs

Interesting results as long as you're only talking about America, but what happens when Mr. Gallup goes to Canada, UK or France or Spain or Switzerland or Germany or Holland or anywhere else? Just wondering.

From My Left Wing

My Obligatory "Palin, the Parvenu," Post

I don't know who created this image, but whoever it was is a true artist, able to capture the soul of their subject.

A long wait

I'm waiting. Still waiting. For the republican health care bill. Where is it? I hear a lot of republican whining but not one constructive word. No. Not one. Is that because they don't want one? Because they think we don't need one? I'm waiting, along with 300 million other Americans…minus Congress and the Senate of course.

Clinton

Arrives in Kabul for Karzai Inauguration (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

I'm not a diplomat, in fact I'm known to be less than diplomatic at times, but aren't we giving the Karzai government far too much legitimacy with this visit? Wouldn't staying away or arriving late have underscored our concerns with this crook's government?

(Yes, here we go again, supporting the 'bad guy'...)

Experts question

motives of mammogram guidelines | Health | Reuters

"What is going to happen is insurers are going to say, 'The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force doesn't support screening. We're not going to pay for it,'"

No kidding. If you want to cut health care costs you might want to start with the 'care' that patients receive. What about the pharmaceuticals? What about Medicare fraud? Everyone can easily add to the list of things that could cut health care costs before telling patients that early detection is not cost effective.

In Reversal,

U.S. Guidelines Urge Mammograms at 50, Not 40 - NYTimes.com:
"new guidelines released Monday by an influential group that provides guidance to doctors, insurance companies and policy makers."

Why do I get this feeling that women should be afraid, very afraid, when they read this?

Headlines again

Drug Makers Raise Prices in Face of Health Care Reform
By DUFF WILSON
Critics say the industry is trying to establish a higher price base before Congress passes legislation that tries to curb drug spending in coming years.

Can anyone answer the question; the USA has the highest drug prices of any nation on the planet and now they are going higher...why? Isn't this a question for your Congressperson and Senators? Would they answer it is a better question...but I'm going to ask them.

From the NYTimes.com

Op-Ed Contributor - My Near Death Panel Experience

Go ahead and take the time to log in, the article is worth your time.

Morning Headlines

"The budget implications of President Obama's decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say."

And well they should. Doesn't anyone read history anymore? Even recent history would reveal the fact that the Soviet breakup was fueled by the immense costs of their attempt to pacify and rule Afghanistan. No, it wasn't Ronnie yelling, 'Tear down this wall!' that broke the Soviet hold, it was the economics that did them in. As it did to all who have ventured into the Afghan lands with war on their minds.

Has anyone tried to peacefully help the Afghans? We did this once by helping them convert the poppy crops into cotton crops. And then when they went to sell their cotton on the world market, they couldn't compete against American cotton because it is subsidized to a point where no one else can compete against American growers. The Afghan cotton was plowed under the poppies merged once again. And a lesson was learned by Afghan farmers. Don't trust America.

Why can't we try again? And do it right this time. It costs a $1 million dollars a year per soldier to keep him or her in Afghanistan. One million dollars. How many Afghan schools could we build and supply for that one million? And then with the next million, or one soldiers worth, we could help a school right here. General Chrystal wants forty to fifty thousand more soldiers to go to Afghanistan, at a cost of one million per. (You do the math…I'm tired of these numbers) How many schools do we have in the US? Forty or fifty thousand? No. We would have money left over if we used that million at each of our schools. Perhaps we could use the extra $$$ for healthcare? And let's not forget, that's a cost per year. We could do it all over again next year! And I haven't even counted the soldiers that are already there and could be pulled back home. Let's use that money we saved to educate Afghans. That is what they want. They've said it a million times and yet we bring them war.

I've already heard the Republicans, who have never seen a war they couldn't love, are beating the drums to escalate this one. They want to win! Win what? And how? They can't tell you, they just love a parade. They are warning that the Taliban will rush across the border from Pakistan if we leave and they will bring Al-Qaida with them. Well, the Taliban is already there and in power. It is their country and they know it well. Al-Qaida can operate anywhere and have for years. It's like Whack-A-Mole and we cannot outspend these people because they don't use money as much as they use ideology and we have to be able to show the people a better ideology with education. Sadly, our departments of Education and Health don't have anywhere near the budget that the Department of War has.

Too Good

...couldn't help myself. Saw this clip a few minutes ago and had to put it up. Is there anyone sane at Fox news? Anyone?

Survey says…

Yikes! The approval rating for Congress is 21% and 22% by Gallup Polls and the Wall St. Journal, respectively. Yes, the dog catcher has higher approval ratings. And yet these thoroughly disliked Congresspersons act as if nothing were wrong and continue to make laws for us. Why do we allow that? Are we stupid?

From some dark hole on the 'net

- Lest We've Forgotten, Health Care Is Not a Right

I found this gem (link above) and an 'answer' to a question I hadn't even asked. Yes, Wendy, health care is a right and it comes to us as soon as we are born. I'm just glad I wasn't born in her version of the world.

(and now I'm sorry I even linked to her thoughts on the matter...but it is best to know your enemy and she is one)

For Abortion Foes, a Victory in Health Care Vote - NYTimes.com

For Abortion Foes, a Victory in Health Care Vote - NYTimes.com:

"A restriction on abortion coverage, added late Saturday to the health care bill passed by the House, has energized abortion opponents with their biggest victory in years — emboldening them for a pitched battle in the Senate."

This has to go to the Supreme Court. Please. No religious group has any right to be making law and it's about time we told them so...

Will they prevail?

One hopes not. Let's all send some money to help Kendrick Meek show 'Mount Rushbo' that he's on a fool's errand and he's the fool.

in reference to:

"Conservative Republican group shuns party-backed Senate candidate in Florida"
- Conservative Republican group shuns party-backed Senate candidate in Florida - On Politics - USATODAY.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

I shouldn't read...

All it does is make me want to vomit. I'm reading the comments of the republican Senators (And a few Democrats) as they prepare to do battle against the American people and all I see behind their words are the millions of dollars spent by the health insurance companies to make certain the battle goes their way. I don't see some high moral purpose in their stand; I only see dollars.
As bad as the House bill is, loaded with republican garbage, I am still hoping that the Senate can make it a better bill. But at this hour, it seems a distant hope.
I guess I am just naive, but I simply don't understand how a modern day industrialized nation such as ours can NOT make certain that all of their citizens are covered by adequate health care. We were once a leader among the industrialized nations. Now we are not. And all of those other nations are able to take care of all of their citizens and spend even less money than we do taking care of fewer of our citizens. Why doesn't anyone answer that question?
And this; I read one sniveling note that said "health care is not a right". What? Are we that far gone into depravity that we can even consider such a notion? Of course it's a right! I could go on and on citing chapter and verse that shows just how greedy we have become as a nation. But why? It only makes me mad and it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference.

For more information on how the rest of the world takes care of their citizens, here's a link...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care

Historic? Maybe...

Once again the republicans have proved that they only care about ideology and not their fellow citizens. And this bill, 'historic' as it may be, is riddled with imperfections that will leave us at the bottom of the heap when it comes to industrialized nations. That's right where we've been all along for the past decade, so it won't be strange territory for us. One can only hope that the Senate can give some life to this bill.

Why am I disappointed at what should be a victory for progressives? Because of the cowardice of the Congress, that's why. This bill should have been Medicare for all.

Okay, so why do Republicans hate this country?

in reference to:

"US President Barack Obama has hailed as "historic" the approval of a health bill by the House of Representatives."
- BBC NEWS | Americas | Obama says health vote 'historic' (view on Google Sidewiki)

Gail's got it !

She really knows the voters and how to interpret their every vote. Great column from someone who puts it all in the right perspective for us. Funny.

One, ignore the headlines and use your brains instead.

Two, repeat One.

Three, read Gail Collins more often.

in reference to: Op-Ed Columnist - Hark! The Voters Speak! - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

And we are here, why?

This is the kind of news that makes you want to gag.

"Abdullah Abdullah, the chief rival to President Hamid Karzai,
plans to announce on Sunday his decision to withdraw from the
Nov. 7 run-off election, effectively handing a new five-year
term to Mr. Karzai, according to Western diplomats here and
people close to Mr. Abdullah."

Now is the time to change our emphasis from a war we'll never win, to an aid mission that will educate and truly help the people of Afghanistan. Imagine, if they were educated, thieves such as Karzai wouldn't have a chance.

An odd fact; true, maybe not...but I read that the cost to support one U.S soldier for a year in Afghanistan would build 200 schools for these beleagured people.

Amazing!

I would be remiss if I didn't pass this link around. The video loops for you to see it twice if you weren't astounded enough the first time. The link.

Something new

I'm back into the business of pricing old books once more. A few years back, I volunteered to do this data input for our local Friends of the Library. The Friends subscribe to an online book selling service for the donated books that may be of some value. As the Friends receive donations all of the time and some of those donations really do have value, it's a small but worthwhile enterprise. We average about $1,000 a year in online sales and although it's not much, it's all collected by volunteer labor so it goes directly to helping the local library. Long story short; I did the data entry for about six months max and then it shifted over to my long suffering wife who continued it quite bravely for the past few years. It's really a dreadfully dull business to search out book titles and their possible values, all online of course. Once you have settled on a price you have to describe the book in question, another boring job. Until recently. My wife told me a few weeks ago that she was seeing some expensive books in the boxes that were littering her side of the study. She was pricing some into the $75 dollar range and that is very high for the usual books we see. Our supplier, the man who does the collection, pickup and sorting had told us that he had picked up a large number of books from a local estate and they looked pretty good to him. He was right. Then, a few days ago my wife complained to me that the books were beginning to affect her breathing, a definite job hazard when opening old and musty books. I volunteered to take my old job back since I can't do much of anything else and right away I hit pay dirt, an $80 dollar book followed by some $40's and $60's. Then I picked up a pair of books, volumes 1 and 2 of 'The Outer Shores' by Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck. Hmmm? The Steinbeck name would give these books some value and they were exceptionally clean looking. So I began my search for value and was quite shocked to see $300 as the price for a similar duo. Single titles from the pair were going for $200. Whoa! A jackpot for the Friends of the Library…if someone buys them. So we will post them online and then put them into a rusty old trailer in the city yard that serves as our storage facility. And wait. In the meantime, before they go, I will read some from this pair and then I've already set aside that $80 dollar book, Modoc War, that I want to read. It's all a benefit for the labor. I get to read expensive books in exchange for typing a few lines of data. Fair enough. And I think I'll get one of those dust masks to wear from now on.

9.7 million gallons and counting

How did I miss this story for the past few months? Sure, it's happening a long way from here, but what happens if the same thing occurs off our own coasts? It won't happen again? Oh, good.

in reference to:

"off the coasts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida’s Gulf Coast and Panhandle beaches."
- Journey Home (view on Google Sidewiki)

Turn it off!

Shameful...

And when do they play?

in reference to:

"The amount of television usage by children reached an eight-year high, with kids ages 2 to 5 watching the screen for more than 32 hours a week on average and those ages 6 to 11 watching more than 28 hours."
- Kids watch more than a day of TV each week -- latimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Great stuff here...

Check out the whole story. Link at the bottom.

in reference to:

"Were you aware of the fact that in countries like England, France and Canada, people over the age of sixty-five are advised not to vacation in the United States because if they get sick or injured over here it could cost them everything?"
- "The Rant" by Tom Degan: Health Care and Woe (view on Google Sidewiki)

Only twenty?

Ran across this blog with helpful reasons to not vote for the GOP. I had to Sidewiki it...link at the bottom.

in reference to: "The Rant" by Tom Degan (view on Google Sidewiki)

Familiar

This is the best thing we ever did. Severed our connection to the satellite dishes and bought ourselves a nice new 47" set to replace our 20 year old 27" set. We use it for Wii games and for our Netflix connection (Roku) for movies and television shows. No more $60 satellite bills.

News? That's what the internet is for.

in reference to: Pulling the TV cord yet staying plugged in -- latimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

From Wired

Ralph Keeney: Cheat Death:

"We may know that it's bad to drive without a seat belt. But we don't correctly weigh the cost (the three seconds it takes to buckle up) against the risk (death)."

Great little story that confirms what I thought...we are becoming dumber every day.

Going hunting

"Brek allowed police to search his Linden home and officers found 43 firearms, Kelly said. The firearms were still being processed, but no illegal guns had been found.

A message left by The Associated Press at Brek's home Wednesday was not immediately returned. His father, John, told The Star-Ledger of Newark that his son has the guns because he's an avid hunter." (Define 'avid')

Let me guess, he's also a lifetime member of the NRA? And you know what? My fellow Americans scare the heck out of me!

in reference to: The Associated Press: Newark, NJ, airport guard accused of Obama threat (view on Google Sidewiki)

Missed

A place I always wanted to go to when I lived there...but I didn't. Sigh.

Testing

I'm using Google Sidewiki to post here. It looks like a handy way to comment and share different websites. And it may allow me to add something to my blog easily. This will be the test...will it show up when I press 'publish'?

in reference to: Projections (view on Google Sidewiki)

What's up

It looks like my posts here will be infrequent. I'm taking far too many drugs (all legal!) these days and as the warnings on the bottles stated, "may cause loss of concentration, sleepiness, drowsiness, etc, etc," and they were right. I can't drive a car anymore because of these drugs and the latest one I'm taking, Lyrica, has my mind wandering off to play somewhere other than where I am. OK, I was exaggerating. But what is happening is an inability to type more than four words without having to go back and correct at least three of them. And since typing is needed for blog posts...as well as a sound mind. I'm only going to post when I have moments of clarity.

Quote

Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labor; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it.
- Samuel Johnson

The Real Story on Health Insurance

And very well written. Worth your time...

New

Some new words on my Short Laps blog…

Off the Shelf

Onto the Laptop - Libraries Try Digital Books - NYTimes.com

I was just reading this New York Times article about libraries and the increase of e-book collections. Exciting stuff. Yes, there are some restrictions such as publishers that won‘t allow their books to be digitized. That won’t last for long. And the fact that e-books can’t be read on Kindle or iPhone’s. That too will change as the collections grow. Sony Reader and others can do it and will have an edge. Who wants to pay $10 for an Amazon book when you can download it for free at the library? How much does a Sony Reader cost? $199

Curses!

Borrowed from the New York Times

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"I think the administration has put her in the driver's seat; it's very disconcerting."

REPRESENTATIVE RAÚL M. GRIJALVA, Democrat of Arizona, on Senator Olympia J. Snowe's influence in the health care debate.

Disconcerting? It's criminal! Who cares what she thinks? She's the enemy! She is owned by the health insurance companies. Didn't anyone in the Administration notice that she was a Republican? I would like to use to use profanity here but I won't. You'll just have to imagine it for yourself. Be my guest and indulge yourselves for me.

One Term

It's really quite simple. Without the Public Option, the health care bill is irrelevant. Pounds of paper without meaning. And so is a Democratic Party that has abandoned all who supported it. (I'm glad I got out six years ago) This President will have one term if the Public Option isn't in place when he signs the bill.

Stupid!

The so called historic health care bill is making its way out of committee and all because one Republican voted for it. What a shame. Democrats have the majority and the power and they depend on Republicans. What? They should ignore the Republicans altogether. They're evil and they are never going to change.

"Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the legislation would place the nation on a "slippery slope to more and more government control of health care.""

I believe that there are millions of Americans that would disagree most vehemently with Mr. Grassley; might even ask him outside for a comment like that. We want more government control of health care because that's the only thing that works! Under private control we have slipped to unheard of levels in health care. Former Soviet countries have better health care than we do. And the one thing that all of those superior countries have in common is government run health care.

It's too bad there isn't one very public forum on the net where all of the people who have been abused by insurance companies could share their stories and name the companies and the representatives that they had to deal with. Then invite the Senators and representatives to read and comment. Maybe those sharing their stories could include their Zip codes and then the data could be given to the correct Senator and Representative. Let them see how well the 'private' sector deals with their constituents.

Me, I'm still sending emails to my Senators/Representative with the message that I want Single Payer or Medicare for all. I have to keep trying, and I always include my age so that they know that not all elders are stupid.

News for you

I've been reading the usual world news via the internet and the Economist magazine. With that combination I think I get close to the truth. Why a 'foreign' news magazine? Well, it's because if you wish to have a more truthful view of the world you have to know how we, as a nation are perceived from afar. You can't surround yourself with national news magazine that have a national bias, plus there are so few news magazine that are even close to the stature of the Economist. Time Magazine is a joke from cover to cover and fit only for Greyhound Bus waiting rooms, along with People magazine. Newsweek is a close second to Time.

I'm not trying to sell subscriptions to the Economist, though I can say it would be a smart move on anyone's part to read it. I donate my weekly issue to the local library for inclusion in their magazine rack. I live in a bright 'red' county, so a weekly dose of genuine news is my contribution to the effort of opening closed minds. But, enough about that. As I was trying to get my own mind in gear, I searched for 'news magazines' and found this link to all magazines with free on-line content. I tried one of the links and I found no surprises and so I'm assuming that they are all like that. I'm already adding a bunch of these to my RSS feeds. There are some great ones in there…I just added the Utne Reader.

http://www.world-newspapers.com/news-magazine.html

Top Judge

Calls Calif. Government ‘Dysfunctional’ - NYTimes.com:
And he is right on the money...

"“Much of this constitutional and statutory structure has been brought about not by legislative fact-gathering and deliberation, but rather by the approval of voter initiative measures, often (always) funded by special interests. These interests are allowed under the law to pay a bounty to signature-gatherers for each signer. Frequent amendments — coupled with the implicit threat of more in the future — have rendered our state government dysfunctional, at least in times of severe economic decline.”"

Unfortunately, special interests rule this state; just ask any lawmaker in Sacramento.

The GOP Speaks

From Mother Jones

Late, but entertaining...

Who are these people?

Reading

Due to my 'infirmities' I have been reading more than I ever have in my life. I've been going through the books at our local library at a furious pace and although I had good intentions of recording all of the titles on my Shelfari web page, it never happened. I added a hundred or so titles and then forgot for awhile and then it seemed like a wasted effort to try and catch up, so I didn't.

Ah! Thank goodness for the local library. Though it's a small town and located in a poor county, the library is still open. We're suffering through some abbreviated hours, but the head librarian decided, on her own, to help the budget process by retiring early. I think that helped immensely. And she still shows up once a week to help out.

Yesterday was one of the abbreviated days at the library and we forgot, so we had to make two trips to town for me to return the books and then plunder the New Book section. Unlike a lot of libraries, we can take as many new books as we want and I wanted five new books yesterday. One caught my eye just as I was about to leave and I grabbed it, a large paperback titled 'King Leopold's Ghost'. When I got home I read the Intro and was fascinated. I think I'm going to like this one.

Now that I've done some research, I find that the book is eleven years old and an award winning documentary was filmed three years ago. Sigh. OK, that's the downside of a small town library. The book was new…to our library. And to me. That's the important part.

From life on peach eater creek:

what i'm reading now

I think Wally has found another great book to read, but who will read it? Those who should, won't. And in some cases, those who should, can't. So the minority, that's us, get to read the book in peace and quiet. And that's a darn shame! Books like this should create uproar and outrage. There should be vows from both left and right to correct the situation...but there won't be and the book will pass into obscurity.

Runners

(and walkers) are baring their very soles -- latimes.com

I have been a fan of this idea for quite awhile and I've always threatened to do a 5K or a half marathon barefooted. But, alas, I've never followed through...which is a shame. Growing up, as I did, at the beach, I was never in shoes except for the hours I was in school. I soon developed a very thick callous on my feet and was never bothered by rocks or anything else that was on the ground. Later, much later, I attended a racewalking clinic that featured a program on core strength and balance and the speaker noted that humans have nerves on the soles of their feet that are there strictly to feel the surface we are on and to direct the muscles to help us stay balanced. We shield those nerves with $100 track shoes and they soon become insensitive. You need to wake them up! Especially true for elders...who have far too many falls.

Venting

Here we go again. Another day in paradise. No, that's not true, Paradise is small community 40 miles east of us. Anyway, back to our own 'paradise', if somebody offered us the right amount for this place, we would be out of here in a minute. The majority of the people in this county are Republicans, conservatives, non-thinkers, anti-intellectuals and afraid of any change. All the smart children leave the community as soon as they graduate and never come back. Truly, these are the people we need to be afraid of in this country, not terrorists.

I never know how I will feel when I wake up and this morning it was time for a Norco immediately. No waiting. Do it now. That's not a good harbinger for the day. So now I sit here in a narcotic haze but the pain is forgotten for the moment. The pain is not gone and that's because it is nerve pain and it never goes away, but forgotten is always a good thing. Yesterday, it was close to five hours after I awoke before I needed the first Norco. What's different? What caused the early pain this morning? Who knows. I never know and I always do the same thing, day after day. It must be written in the stars, perhaps I should use my Magic Eight Ball before I even get out of bed.

Looking back at what I have typed, it seems that I'm just a tad pessimistic this morning. Well, at seven this morning I will take my handful of prescribed pills and in there, amongst all of the other pills, are my antidepressants. Half an hour later and all will be rosy again and I will take the 'For Sale' sign down. Or not.

Believe it or not, I haven't even read the headlines, yet my pessimism hangs over me like a cloud. That's probably because I already know what the headlines say. (Loud sigh) Imagine how pessimistic I would be if I watched television! Yikes! Those 'talking heads' should drive us all crazy, but sadly they don't. Some people actually believe what they hear from the lips of those bozos. I know…it's weird; why would they believe them? Didn't they go to school? Ah! Perhaps that's the problem…they did go to school. And 'critical thinking' is not in the curriculum. Never has been. Apparently we all want good little boys and girls and good little boys and girls don't ask questions in school. I was not a good little boy.

That's enough venting for the day. Thank heavens we have blogs! Otherwise we would just hold all of this stuff in until we exploded and that would be messy.

Senate finance panel

nearly done with its healthcare bill -- latimes.com

Without the public Option, it's not a bill at all. It's a license to steal (even more) for the health insurance industry. Shame on the Democrats if this is the best they can come up with! I, for one, am not forgetting it...

Something new

A new post on my Short Laps blog

My new favorite song...

My Rainbow Race by Pete Seeger

Sing Along

Netflix delivered a copy of 'Pete Seeger; The Power of Song' and we watched it last night. Even if that era is 'ancient history' to you, you should watch this film. I learned so much from watching it. And one thing I learned was that the Right Wingnuts have been around forever, spreading hatred wherever they could. It was scary to watch ignorant Americans driven to such a fury that they would throw rocks at their fellow Americans. Children throwing rocks at children with their parents helping. You could have inserted an ancient news clip of Germans throwing rocks at Jews in the 1930's and you would not have seen a difference. The parallels with today's society were quite clear. If you don't understand something or someone, then it should be hated and destroyed. And Pete Seeger has always done the right thing throughout his life no matter what was done to him. He sang and sang again. He has never stopped singing.

What's the Border Fence Good for?

Subsidizing Mexican Scrap Metal Entrepreneurs |

Gosh! I hate to say 'I told you so' but I did. But hey, it's only money. The same money that could be used for education, health, etc, etc.

Change is good

I was reading about some fools in Arizona that want to eliminate the provision in the proposed health care bill that would mandate insurance coverage for all and they are citing 'states rights' as some sort of reason for their foolishness. Well, I've had it up to here with the 'states rights' rhetoric. This is the twenty first century and it's time to remove states altogether. Do we have to show our passport to move between states? Of course not. We're all Americans and that should be enough. Why don't we argue about 'county rights'? Or 'city rights'? it would make as much sense as it does to argue about states rights'. They are simply lines on a map and mean nothing unless you are a congressperson. Think of the duplication of services that we all have to pay for because of the state, county, city bureaucrats. It's time for a change!

What's New

I was wandering and came across a NY Times article that talked about 'Justice', the Harvard University lecture course that is now being web broadcast. The lecturer is Michael Sandel and he is great. Plain and simple...great. And well worth your time to watch.

http://www.justiceharvard.org/

It’s bothering me

After I read the morning news and went through the various blogs this morning, I had this feeling that I was on some sort of runaway train. The throttle is wide open and we're rocketing down the tracks, the passenger cars swaying from side to side as the speed increases. Now substitute our country for the train. Okay, I know I shouldn't let the news get to me like this…it's generated by people who want you to look at their product and not necessarily because they want to inform you. Eyes good, brain bad. I should think about it more carefully before I let the 'runaway train' scare me. For instance, aren't all of the networks in trouble financially? I read that cable is draining them dry. So if they are in that kind of trouble, why would I believe that the news departments are told to search out the truth, no matter what the cost is? Sorry, Walter Cronkite is dead. And it's the same scenario with newspapers, isn't it? Are they hiring investigative reporters to crack open stories that just might offend an advertiser? Or a possible influence peddling Congressman with local clout? I don't think so. I feel the train slowing down.

Now that the 'train' has stopped, the question is…where do we find good, responsible news?

Something I Found

Sarcasm is always fun early in the morning. It gets your brain moving.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Again

The day starts with this piece of news, "The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a classified assessment of the war there that he needs
additional troops within the next year or else the conflict "will likely result in failure.""

Does any of that sound familiar? I heard it in the 60's and 70's and so it's very clear to me as to the meaning. What it is, is an advance warning of what will be a total failure on our part and the death of thousands of innocents. Afghans and Americans. Very much like what the Soviets experienced when they tried to subdue Afghanistan. In fact, it's exactly the same. Eerie.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear a top administrator say, "We need more books and teachers in Afghanistan. We are getting close to winning the war on poverty there and it will only take a few more million to build colleges and fund new co-ops." But that won't happen, there's too much money to be made from bombs and very little profit in books.

ACORN

CEO 'Outraged' by Behavior of Employees in Prostitute Tapes

I have to agree. Some of these people were acting just like members of Congress. Shameful!

But on the other hand, ACORN hasn't resorted to lying as Congress does. These folks were just telling the truth. And they apparently didn't ask for money for the information. Now a Congressman wouldn't let that opportunity pass him by. Or her.

From A Majority of Two:

If You Can't Say Something Nice...

Here it is again. A Republican lie debunked. How can these people (republicans) show their faces in public without embarrassment? Don't they do any research at all? Is it all off the cuff and let the chips fall where they may? It's shame that Democrats are too classy to shout 'you lie' to these people when it's obvious that they are lying.

From Orcinus

Orcinus

Here's a good story about Canadian health care, you know...the single payer form of health care that we so wisely avoid. No sir! No socialism for us. Anyway, the story has to be a lie from beginning to end. The US of A has the best health care system in the galaxy, certainly not Canada!

And I may hold my breath until I turn blue if you don't agree with me

Dancing is

good for your health!

Found this on Daily KOS

and I wanted to be counted when when it comes to the fight against socialism. Yes sir, count me in! I've already filled mine out so go ahead and use this blank copy to sign your name to this most patriotic document!

I, ________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:

• Social Security
• Medicare/Medicaid
• State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
• Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
• US Postal Service
• Roads and Highways
• Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
• The US Railway System
• Public Subways and Metro Systems
• Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
• Rest Areas on Highways
• Sidewalks
• All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations)
• Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
• Public and State Universities and Colleges
• Public Primary and Secondary Schools
• Sesame Street
• Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
• Public Museums
• Libraries
• Public Parks and Beaches
• State and National Parks
• Public Zoos
• Unemployment Insurance
• Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
• Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
• Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
• Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
• Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
• Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
• Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies

If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:

• Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
• The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
• The government-operated Statue of Liberty
• The Grand Canyon
• The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
• The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery
• All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.

_____________ _________________________

Signed Printed Name/Town and State

From Rachel Maddow --

Why Do 1/3 of New Jersey Conservatives Think Obama Might Be the Anti-Christ?

Please...watch the video. Mr. Schaeffer paints an all too life-like portrait of the Christian Right wing. Yes, they are very unintelligent, but they are extremely dangerous because of that fact. They left Christianity behind a long time ago and are pursuing an agenda that cannot be argued against...simply because they won't allow arguments. I've seen this happening in the small town that I live near. We even went to their church for a short time. But, my being a questioning sort of guy, I quickly saw that we were not going to be welcome there and we left. Now, one of their leaders has been elected to the city council and that scares the heck out of me. Who will be elected next time? And in how many cities is this happening?

From The Clever Pup:

Say Ahhhh!

"Canada's health care system has its share of problems, (long wait times, doctor shortages)"

Umh...can I tell you about my experiences with long wait times and doctor shortages right here in the US of A? I didn't think so. I know...you've heard it all before and even experienced it yourself. Yet the Wingnuts still claim the US is superior when it comes to health care. Where do these people live? Venus?

Acorn Sting

"Pimp" is Rutgers Alum Who Hates Lucky Charms | NBC New York

I know it's a serious story...but anyone who believed this guy was a 'pimp' really deserves to be fired for 'terminal stupidity' for letting the guy talk for more than a minute without throwing him out. I don't see corruption here at all, just stupid people.

Jimmy Carter...is right

Jimmy Carter gets flak for racism charge against Rep. Joe Wilson - even from White House

As someone who traveled extensively in the rural South during the early years of this century, I can say that once you leave Atlanta or any other large city in the South, you also leave this century...

From Just my little piece of the world:

10 Lessons for Tea Baggers, Hey Wing Nuts.. That Means YOU!:

"Conservative Republicans failed America over the past 30 years and did so without shame or apology using hypocrisy and false equivalency as tools of deceit and revisionist history."

Sadly true...whatever happened to real Republicans?

Traitor

The health care bill has been released…

Baucus is a fool and we have all wasted our money in giving him a salary during the past year. But wait…he doesn't need our money, he works for the insurance industry.

Am I upset over this? Nah!

Browser

I was browsing the Los Angeles Times as I usually do at this hour and I read an article I wanted to share. Well, I went through the usual hoops and then I saw that Firefox and the Times had a new way to share called Share This and so I have tried it. It works OK, but I do have to go back to the post and edit it if I want to add my comments. And then there was the fact that it posted the same article three times in a row. Maybe my fault? I think what I really liked was the fact that a major newspaper had put in a way for bloggers to easily share their articles. That's different. Now, will Share This work on other news sites?

Behind the right's attack on Obama -- latimes.com

Behind the right's attack on Obama -- latimes.com

Posted using ShareThis

From Roger Cohen

an Op-Ed Columnist - Get Real on Health Care - NYTimes.com

This guy lays it out straight and honest and with honest to goodness - logic! Why is this so hard for republicans to understand? Is it because they can't refute anything he says and that makes them cranky and stubborn?

So again, why do republicans hate America?

Venting

I'm getting crabbier each day as I read of the republicans attempt to subvert the health care bills. Without a Public Option we will have no reform at all and the democrats will have failed at the task they were mandated to accomplish. On a personal level, if anyone I'm talking with brings up 'socialism', I'm ending the conversation at that point and telling the person that I will not discuss important matters with the uninformed. Or the stupid. Depending on how crabby I am.

Just recently

I heard, first hand, of a discussion among some local citizens and the discussion centered around the question of whether or not you should trust and obey your government. What scared me, when I heard the responses was that all, except for my lovely wife, were of the opinion that government knew best and should be trusted. What? I simply do not understand their reasoning. First, we have already established, without any doubt, all government officials are quite likely to be liars. President's lie. Yes, they do…and it goes downhill from there. Even Reagan, a terrible liar himself (you could almost see his nose growing), said 'Trust-but verify'. My lovely wife asked the group if they thought Rosa Parks had done something wrong by defying the government? Confusion reigned.

I'm sorry to say, it's actually your patriotic duty to be skeptical of government and what they tell you to do. Governments needs to be tested at all levels and at all times. Complacency breeds disaster.

Child welfare:

The nanny state | The Economist:

"Nine states are well below the group average; these laggards include America. It is not just infant mortality, an essential indicator, in which America lags behind (see chart). Though it has the world’s most expensive health system and spends more per child than most oecd countries, outcomes are poor. Performance falls behind on several indicators, ranging from birth-weight to teenage pregnancies."

We may be just ahead of Mexico and Turkey in infant mortality rates but we don't have any of of that commie pinko socialist health care that Sweden, Japan and that evil minded France have. We're red, white and blue, through and through, even if we have to sacrifice some of our babies to do it.

Better Place

A much Better Place

Interesting concept; your electric car battery is swapped out at 'Battery Stations' by a robotics driven service device as soon as you feel the need for 'fuel'.. Just like going to the gas station. You rent the batteries and are charged by the amount of power you consume. It's rumored that if you use enough power, they will throw in the car for free. Nissan is already making the proper sized battery to fit the battery stations needs. It's a California company but they are working all around the world, just not here in California (that I know of) Didn't some wacko's suggest that California was losing corporations right and left?

Obama

rallies Minneapolis crowd for healthcare reform -- latimes.com:

"'I don't know if you agree with me, but I think the time for bickering is over,' he said. 'The time for games has passed. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to deliver on healthcare for every American.'"

It's getting late. It's time for the President to put all of his efforts into getting a decent health care bill passed and not one that republicans have watered down to a piece of meaningless paper. Yes, I wanted the single payer...and that was thrown away in 'negotiations'. And whoever negotiated it out needs to pack their bags and leave. And whatever happened to Medicare For All? Even the Public Option looks precarious now and if it goes, I'm through. I'm an independent voter and this is not what I gave my money for. No, I will never vote for a republican...I'm not stupid. But I will support the others that run for President because if this health care bill fails we will have a one term President.

Legislative year

ends with a whimper -- latimes.com:

"Sacramento lawmakers adjourn with little progress to pacify a restive public. Key prison and energy efforts got watered down, and the governor plans to veto most of the few bills that did pass."

Getting away with murder. Where is the governor in this? Why isn't he forcing the legislators back into session? He has that power but he doesn't want to offend the few republican friends he has left. They all need to be turned out! Yep, I'm still cranky!

Iraq's freedoms under threat:

Could a police state return? | The Economist:

"“This is the new Iraq.” Legal protections, he noted, count for little. “Power”, he added, “is held by the men with the guns.”"

This is what our trillions of dollars paid for...and we keep paying. But, hey...they get to vote. (as if it makes a difference...Saddam let them vote as well)

With Its Prisons Dangerously Full...

Why Is California Fighting for Custody of a Dying Prisoner Across the Country?

Ya know, I have to get out of this state before I'm crazy...
Is there a sane place anywhere in these United States? A place where intelligent people might gather to discuss and ponder those things that make up 'life'?

Pessimism

It looks like the health reform bill we need is going to be watered down and starved until there is little left to support…unless you are an insurance company. They will love it! Sure, I'm still writing to my Senators and to my idiot congressman, Wally Buffoon. I've heard back from one Senator so far and hope is fading for the rest. Wally Buffoon has even stopped sending me his form letters, does that mean he doesn't love me anymore? Whatever…hope fades.

So many people say that we can't afford to have a single payer option or even the public option. But that's not true. It's a lie. A very minor adjustment to the withholding tax rates (the cut off amount) would provide the money needed. And if they were really the concerned lawmakers that they say they are, they would be going after the obvious; over 70% of all corporations, foreign and domestic, pay no tax at all. None. Zero. Taxes are for peasants to pay. I saw it happen with the company I retired from. Some expeditious changes in the corporate structure and suddenly they were tax free! $6 million dollars in yearly taxes were suddenly the responsibility of the public sector. You and me. The peasants.

Of course all of this makes me very angry with the 'Fourth Estate', the so-called free press. These are the ones that should be calling out the liars and rubbing their noses in it. It used to be their job. It's what they went to journalism school for. Now it's a less than cohesive band of bloggers that are ferreting out the truth and what can they do with it? Sure they publish it on their blogs, but who reads it? Other bloggers. The sad fact is, the majority of the citizens are computer ignorant and they like it that way. They get their news from bobble heads on the 6 O'clock news and they believe every word they hear. They don't even want to verify what they have just been told. Doesn't anyone question anymore?

CIA -

The World Factbook -- Country Comparison :: Current account balance

Something I found while surfing. It's really quite interesting as it is found on the CIA's website and we all know that the CIA doesn't lie...well, not about this stuff.

So start at the top of the page and look at the worlds wealthiest nations; it starts with China which is no surprise. OK, scroll down. Hmmm? Where's the US of A? Keep scrolling. Wow! I bet you didn't know this many nations were on this planet. Keep scrolling. Weird names! Are you sure these are countries? Keep scrolling...ah! There we are at #190. Thank you very much Republicans. With your leadership, we are now poorer than Latvia.

Link to Just Ain't Right, where I think I found this bit of info

From 'Just Ain't Right'

Just Ain't Right:

"During the past 10 (and arguably as much as 28) years since the republicans were in the majority, this country has turned into a near third-world country. We have the highest infant mortality rate of any industrialized nation, we are #42 in healthcare for our citizens. We have 45 million uninsured and a healthcare-related bankruptcy every 30 minutes. We have lost more jobs in the past 10 years."

I was wandering around the internet this morning and putting new feeds into my Sage Feed reader. I have to do this every now and then as my tastes change or blog authors go somewhere else. (Where do they go? Is there a rest home for tired bloggers?) Anyway, I was rummaging through Citizen K's list of blogs and found this one. I like it. I like anyone who can put thoughts together in a cogent manner. It's something I'm unable to do on a regular basis; it's a personality thing and all INFP's have the problem. When I feel passionately about something, my mind will not focus on the one thing it needs to and I'm soon mumbling...passionately. So I admire this author and many others of the same bent.

Obama

Speaks to Congress Tonight on Health Care:

"Between 18,000 and 22,000 people die every year for lack of money for treatment. Medicare will run out of funds in eight years. Health care costs will double or, possibly, triple in ten years along with the costs of the private insurance people buy now."

This is the scenario that those who oppose the Public Option want to continue. The deaths of all of those people can be laid at the doorsteps of the Right Wingnuts.

When did we become a nation that didn't care?

Home Again

The family reunion is over and I'm convinced that the great-great grandparents of the Dunn, Zumwalt and Deffebach families would be proud of us all. We live in a world that they could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. And that will happen to our great-great grandchildren as well. Life goes on…

Lake Tahoe was exceptionally beautiful during our visit and life was grand. The children were well behaved as were the adults. We couldn't have asked for a better time during this rare event. Can we do it again? There's talk of doing it at Lake Almanor in the near future and we will have to see if that idea gains traction.

Now that I'm back in front of my normal sized computer monitor, I've been browsing the sites that I usually visit and I see that Ronni Bennett has some good stuff on the health care crisis. She speaks well and she says exactly what I would say if I were as eloquent.

I must admit that I am totally baffled by the public response to the health care proposals. It's as if the citizens have lost their minds, or perhaps they have tumbled down that rabbit hole that Alice did and are now in 'Wonderland' where white is black, right is wrong and idiocy is sanity. Have we all lost our minds? Do we really want insurance companies to own us, body and soul? I for one don't want it and I don't want it for my children and grandchildren. Enough is enough; it's time for reasoned arguments and it's time to push Limbaugh, Beck and others of that mentality back into the holes they came from.

Link to Ronni Bennett

Van Jones quits

"he used a vulgar term to describe Republicans."

You mean they didn't deserve it? Of course they did, so what's the problem?

E-mails

on illegal immigration are eye-opening -- latimes.com

As much as I hate this kind of bottom feeding email, (just reading it gives me the creeps) it's best to read the truth and be prepared when some bozo wants to spread the 'facts' to your mailbox.

Life on the lake

A while ago, perhaps six month ago, my sister decided that 2009 would be a great year for a family reunion and so she went to work on the planning. This is a small family, less than twenty people at the present time but growing; even so, the logistics were challenging. The family is split geographically between Arizona, S. California and N. California. Most members have jobs and free time was minimal. We were the only retired couple and basically free for any schedule.

Short story, she did most of the organizing work before handing off shopping and cooking chores to volunteers and now we are all gathered together in one large house at Lake Tahoe. A 9-bedroom and 7-bath house at the north end of the lake. Truth is, only a few couldn't make it, but most are here and that's quite an accomplishment. Thanks, Kitty!

So here I sit, early in the morning, overlooking a very black lake that will turn a splendid shade of blue in just a few hours. The air is clean and clear and it has a hint of fall in it. Our family lies asleep all around me. I have a cup of coffee and a super fast wireless internet connection. Life is good.

From Bill Moyers Journal

"Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, has been fined a record $2.3 billion dollars as a civil and criminal — yes, that's criminal, as in fraud — penalty for promoting prescription drugs with the subtlety of the Russian mafia. It's the fourth time in a decade Pfizer's been called on the carpet."

Did we really expect otherwise? What would be a surprise, would be for someone (any0ne?) within the ranks of Pfizer to serve any jail time.

From The Economist

Reshaping Cisco: The world according to Chambers

Great article about a fascinating company; Cisco. Who knew that routers and servers could be so much fun to read about. And Mr. Chambers; who will often begin a conversation with these words, “What do you expect from this conversation?” Now that's a great line! But Mr. Chambers is a serious guy and this article tells you just how serious Cisco is in taking the lead in many aspects of digital technology... including Cisco in your home via Flip camcorders that will transmit HD video to your home screen via wireless. Yes, Cisco bought Flip.

What I really enjoyed about the article was the simple fact that new technology is back in the news and in a good way. If I had any money I would buy Cisco stock...

From Citizen K.

Health Care Town Hall Meeting

Even if you don't read the whole article, you need to read these facts...

• 47,000,000 Americans are uninsured, including
• 4,ooo,ooo since the onset of the recession
• 10,000 working families a day lose insurance
• annually, we spend $2.2 trillion (emphasis mine) on health care
• 60% of all U. S. bankruptcies are due at least in part to unpaid medical bills
• 80% of the uninsured work
• the rest of the industrialized world spends $2800 per person annually on health insurance or coverage compared to $6500 in the U.S.
• U.S. life expectancy is below that of Bosnia and Jordan
• as a per cent of the economy, health care costs have risen from 8% in 1980 to 16% today
• without reform, trends indicate that health care costs will be 35% of the economy by 2040

Still, read the article. Then write to those who claim to represent you.

Bill Moyers

Money-Driven Medicine - The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much | Health and Wellness | AlterNet:

"There are at least a dozen countries with lower rates of preventable mortalities than the United States and not one of those countries spends 60 percent of what we do on health care."

Item: I have a bone growth stimulator that I have worn ever since my surgery. It's a fairly simple looking device that connects to a couple of adhesive pads that allow a small current of electricity to flow between them and stimulate the bone. The device is plastic and is the size of a deck of cards. 1/3 of that size is a battery. Cost? A little over $4,000.

Innocent but Dead - NYTimes.com

"Cameron Todd Willingham, who refused to accept a guilty plea that would have spared his life, and who insisted until his last painful breath that he was innocent, had in fact been telling the truth all along."

How many others? When are we going to stop this barbaric practice that accomplishes nothing?

"...the state fire marshal who investigated the case and testified against Willingham “seems to be wholly without any realistic understanding of fires.” He said the marshal’s approach seemed to lack “rational reasoning” and he likened it to the practices “of mystics or psychics.”