Random Thoughts

   I have watched many SOTU speeches by many Presidents of both parties.  I have ‘never’ see a President of these United States publically berate the Supreme Court. I was embarrassed.

   Did you ever actually hear The President  tell us ‘the state of the union’?  I’ve never watched one of these without being told, generally the state of the union is good, great, wonderful… just never seen one without being told.  I feel cheated. 

   Hmm – more and more people of prominence have begun questioning the trial of the terrorist(s in New York City.  I wonder what has changed their collective minds.  Three of note,  my man Rudy, Mayor Bloomberg, and today I heard Governor Patterson.  I am beginning to see an escape for President Obama.

   Ford Motor <EARNED> 2.7 Billion in 2009 without taking a bailout.  Better tax their butts some more… some sort of penalty should be in order.

   I love new technology and the new IPAD has my mouth watering, but honestly I think the name is too close to the IPOD.  Just my opinion, but… btw, Apple has made boo koo buckeroos with their technology.  Better tax them!!!

   And finally, a little levity -

A married couple was in a terrible accident where the woman's face was severely burned. The doctor told the husband that they couldn't graft any skin from her body because she was too skinny.
So the husband offered to donate some of his own skin. However, the only skin on his body that the doctor felt was suitable would have to come from his buttocks.

The husband and wife agreed that they would tell no one about where the skin came from, and requested that the doctor also honor their secret. After all, this was a very delicate matter.

After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at the woman's new beauty. She looked more beautiful than she ever had before! All her friends and relatives just went on and on about her youthful beauty!

One day, she was alone with her husband, and she was overcome with emotion at his sacrifice. She said, "Dear, I just want to thank you for everything you did for me. There is no way I could ever repay you."
"My darling," he replied, "think nothing of it. I get all the thanks I need every time I see your mother kiss you on the cheek."

White House gate crashers invoke Fifth Amendment

   To me, the hearings before Congress involving these two are a ‘perfect’ example of why the American people are umm, ticked.

   Think about this – who allowed these two people to get onto the White House grounds?  You can NOT blame ‘them’ for getting their fifteen minutes of fame. 

   The person or persons who should have been before Congress are those responsible for allowing the crashers to get in, ‘period’. End of discussion. 

White House gate crashers invoke Fifth Amendment

Stunned Surprise

   I was stunned and surprised at the outcome in the North East yesterday.  I knew nothing about this man, but what I heard from him during his acceptance speech was again, stunning and surprising.

   He made no bones about the fact he was ‘for’ health care reform, just done right.  He made no bones about where he stood as far as bringing terrorists to this country to be tried. He made no bones about what increased taxation is doing to this countries economy.

   Now… I don’t care if he is a Democrat or a Republican or a Independent or a Whig, or a Teabagger.  I want more people like him who are not afraid to speak clearly running for office.

   It was and is total ecstasy watching the Democrats trying to explain this man’s victory.  I especially enjoyed watching the vitriol originating from MSNBC last night.  Methinks the Republic is making a course correction. 

Amazing Senate battle heads to the finish line - BostonHerald.com

   I guess nobody really knows how this election will come out as of this writing, ‘but’ I am not too sure Republicans should be over the top if Brown wins.  The reason?

   Brown is essentially one who believes in states rights (that is good).  In other words he is ‘for’ what MA has approved in regards to health care.  MA essentially has public health care for those who do not know.  Brown is just saying he does not want the federal government to take over.  Forget the fact the health system in MA is deeply in the red and within two years of enactment.

   I wonder how many Republicans would still be for him if they knew what his position is as it pertains to healthcare.  I do know this – his winning would prevent a rubber stamp for The President, so it wouldn’t be bad. Time will tell. 

Amazing Senate battle heads to the finish line - BostonHerald.com

Political Landscape

   Dunno where we are headed, but a few observations.

1) Interesting to watch The President’s poll numbers fall.  I suspect the independents have finally seen the ‘words’ were just ‘words’.  Point of fact, The President is and has been doing precisely what he said he would, but “I” he said it so poetically I don’t think anybody believed him.

2)  I think more than anything the polls show the down the middle split in this country.

3)  If Brown wins in Mass. it will be something to behold.  Coakley has made bonehead blunder after bonehead blunder, but usually, in the past, blunders have never affected the outcome there.

4)  I continue to be amazed at who people look to for their news / views.  I mean, who really talks about Pelosi, Reid, and other leaders in Congress.  Think of your friends and associates.  They probably talk about the talking heads on radio and or TV vice the people really making the decisions. 

Pat Robertson

Please shut your pie hole!!

Snowmen

We’ve had enough snow to build mucho snowmen.  I was out and about again today and suddenly noticed I have not seen even one snowman. 

What gives I wonder.  When we moved to town in 19 and 59 A.D. I was 15 ish.  We had a large snow storm as I recall, and we built snowmen and even a snow fort. 

Today I suspect the culprit is video games.  Probably the same reason I didn’t have even one lad come and ask if I wanted my snow shoveled.  Seems we made some dinero as young lads… had sore backs, but made some funds.

So how many have you seen?

How cold is Europe? Even Norway's buses can't take it. - Yahoo! News

   I only put the link here to reflect what I was talking about.  The most interesting thing to me, as it regards our climate is this.  The global warming folks, no matter what the weather, say it is due to warming. 

   I ‘can’ remember as a young adult they were talking about the ice age coming, and soon!! Just amazing to me how we suck up their spewing(s).

How cold is Europe? Even Norway's buses can't take it. - Yahoo! News

A Confirmation of Fears

   I don’t know if ‘fear’ is the right word, but I had my annual physical yesterday.  When the nurse came in to do the initial preliminaries she was wheeling a laptop on a stand.  I made the comment that they were moving uptown which opened the floodgates.  Mandated was the word on the laptops.  In a nutshell, they are being mandated to put all this stuff online so when they file for reimbursement they get paid by the coding applied.  Sounds good right? 

   I’ve been seeing this doctor for nearly 25 years now, since I got out of the military.  Both the nurse ‘and’ the doctor confirmed we are not gonna like what is coming.  Everybody agrees there are problems, but the solutions being spewed out upon us are going to be painful for many folks.  If the new procedures are not implemented by mid year, the doctor will take another 6% cut in their reimbursements.  With government fees at the bone now, this would put them literally losing money. 

   And this ladies and gents is ‘before’ the new requirements are implemented (if passed).  I had an 8:30 appointment and I didn’t get out of there until 10:20.  Doctor told me she is able to see less patients due to all the new requirements.  Why, by the time she got to the anal part of the exam she was P.O.’d and I said OWWWW!!!  And this after 25 years!  I’m used to a tender touch.

   We did have quite a discussion,and about all I can say is, my personal doctor confirmed just about everything I’ve been fearing about the future.  Not good.

Mayo Clinic in Arizona to Stop Treating Some Medicare Patients - Bloomberg.com

Read it and weep… click the link below and you will see what’s coming.  And people ‘should’ realize this is ‘before’ the proposed billions of Medicare cuts proposed in the bill before the Congress right now. 

Medicare fees have been a problem for sometime; this may have been the result even were there no new bill(s) being proposed, but this, it seems to me, will escalate the refusal to take on Medicare patients.  

Mayo Clinic in Arizona to Stop Treating Some Medicare Patients - Bloomberg.com