Changing jobs

Doctor: from the Latin word "docere", meaning teacher. After working in the specialty of Urgent Care medicine for a lucky number 13 years, a new opportunity dropped into my lap.

Four months ago, I just happened to notice that my former residency program, where I trained to be a Family Medicine specialist, was looking to add new faculty. So I sent the program director an email inquiry. I didn't hear back from him for 2 months, so I just assumed that they already filled the position.

Then, 2 months ago, I got a reply from the program director, Dr Gregg Mitchell, telling me that they were indeed looking for new attending physicians to teach the doctors. We met for lunch a couple of times and had a great time catching up with each other. Dr Mitchell was a resident at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Family Medicine department, when I did a 3 month rotation with them. He became faculty in the program during my last 6 months of training

After much thought, prayer and discussion with my wife, I decided to make a more formal inquiry. So I met with Dr Mitchell again, but this time he was accompanied by Dr David Maness, chairman of the Medical school Department of Family Medicine. After talking with Drs Mitchell and Maness, I told them I was very interested in the position.

Three weeks ago, I was offered the job. After a couple more weeks of thought and prayer, I accepted their offer. I will be an official Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine for The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Family Medicine, Jackson, Tennessee.

I will still have a few days of my own clinic every week, but my primary responsibility will be teaching newly graduated physicians how to become Family Docs. I'll give lectures; see, examine, and discuss treatment plans for patients with the residents. I'll also occasionally round at the hospital with the residents, teaching them how to manage everything from newborn baby exams, to managing acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks, to administering comfort measures to patients dying in the Intensive Care Unit.

I always thought I would enjoy teaching at the college or post-graduate level. This will be exciting, intellectually stimulating and scary at the same time! A lot has changed in the 13 years since I admitted hospital patients.

I will deeply miss my current partners. They are the best group of physicians I've ever met, and are more like family than colleagues. Hopefully, before too long, my new colleagues will seem the same!

Podcasts

I've lately become addicted to talk-show format podcasts. I've listened to the Dennis Miller show for several years. Lately I've discovered Leo Laporte's network, TWIT. Thru that, I've found the No Agenda Show, which has rapidly become my favorite podcast.

It's hosted by Adam Curry and John Dvorak, AKA "Crack Pot" and "Buzz Kill". They are on twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays, and spend most of 2.5 hours breaking down the news into it's quantum level. They frequently point out the conspiracy theories behind almost everything that the main stream media or the government wants you to be brainwashed into believing.

The hosts have incredible chemistry, with rapid repartee often leading to tangential topics that eventually lead back to the stories they are covering.

I find their show quite refreshing. I would label them both as classical libertarians. By libertarians, I am most definitely NOT referring to the wacky political party that has hijacked the name "libertarian". What I mean is that they don't trust Big Government or Big Business. They just want people to be left alone. They'll trash Presidents Obama and Bush in the same show, pointing out the hypocrisy that exists in our modern times. Back in the "good old days", they would probably fall under the term "classical liberalism". However, the term "liberalism" has also been hijacked by douch bags.

They have no commercials, and their only sponsors are their listeners, who voluntarily send the show money in support of their cause. Any amount is acceptable, from $5 on up. They aren't yet taking BitCoins, but just give them time.

Anyway, give them a try. Listen to 4 episodes of the show before you make up your mind.

Gun Control

The government wants to keep people with "serious" mental illness or who are "potentially"dangerous from owning guns.

On the surface, this sounds great. But what bothers me is who gets to determine what serious is, or what potentially dangerous is?

Remember, the government is mandating that your personal Medical records be computerized, thus easily available to be screened and audited by government bureaucrats. I think everyone would agree that someone who is psychopathic, chronically violent, or Severely schizophrenic should not own a gun.

But what about the husband who goes to his doctor because he's grieving after the death of his wife of 50 years. Once his doctor diagnoses him with grief or anxiety, the mental illness flag is up. Would this keep him from owning a gun?
Or the woman with postpartum depression?

And how can you determine who is potentially dangerous, or who might commit a crime? More people are killed in automobile accidents then by firearms. Should the guy who's gotten 4 speeding tickets in the past two years be considered potentially dangerous?

Is the guy with the "who is John Galt" bumper sticker dangerous? Is the person with the pro-choice license plate dangerous?

The new Pope

I am truly excited about the future of Christianity with the election of the newest Pope, Francis I. Everything I read about this man is grand. A truly humble man, he refused to live in the mansion available to him in Argentina. He lived in a small apartment. Cooked his own meals. Road the bus to the slums to visit with the poor and forgotten. According to an article in our local paper, the Argentinian poor have a nickname for this holy man of God. El Chabon, ( the Dude).

Now, I realize that Pope Francis I is just a man. And after the media infatuation has ended, I'm sure I'll read all sorts of less-than-kind things about him.

However, I choose to believe that, like his namesake Saint Francis of Assisi, God has called this man to rebuild his Church.

Problem with pain pills

There has been much in the media lately about the prescription drug problem we face in America. "Something must be done," the masses cry. So, in typical bureaucratic fashion, the FDA convened a panel. These esteemed experts have decided that if they classify hydrocodone as a Schedule II narcotic, less people will become addicted or abuse the drugs.

The sad truth is that won't do a thing to stem the tide that is narcotic abuse. Most people who abuse narcotics are obtaining them illegally, either on the streets or in their mothers medicine cabinet. What it will do is make it more difficult, and more expensive, for legitimate patients to obtain the pain medication they need. Fewer doctors will be willing to prescribe them, and the patient will be required to pay for a office visit each month to get their meds.

I agree there is a problem. I don't think new laws and regulations will help. What people need can't be provided by the Looters in government.

I've stopped watching the news

Anyone who knows me knows that I wasn't too happy with the election results. I really do not think that Pres. Obama loves this country. Despite the fact that he,himself is a multi millionaire, he doesn't seem to want anyone else to succeed.

I discovered, with the direct confrontation of my wife, that I was becoming very angry and bitter every time I watch the news. So I decided to stop.

I still read the local paper. I still occasionally browse news websites and use iPad apps like "Zite" & "Flipboard."

But instead, I have been reading more, and watching more Netflix. And I can definitely say that I'm a much happier person now.

I'm sure at some point I'll start watching cable news again, but hopefully not for a while.

I still pray almost every night that Obama is guided by the Lord's grace and will. But I don't expect Obama to change. And since I can't change him, I'll have to change myself.

Star Trek & iPads.

I've been watching a lot of reruns of Star Trek the Next Generation lately.

It's supposed to be approximately 300 years in the future.

I've noticed that despite the several hundred years that have gone by, we are still using iPads, both regular size and Mini.

Steve Jobs must be quite proud!

Equality for All

Congratulations America! We elected Barack Hussain Obama for another 4 years!

In the Obamanation, equality for all will be guaranteed, by force if necessary.

In the Obamanation, if you work overtime, your money will be redistributed to those who napped on the job. Equality!

In the Obamanation, if you get A's in school, your grade will be lowered to a C, and any poor unfortunate student who would have gotten an F will be be raised to a C. Equality!!

In the Obamanation, success will be punished, sloth will be rewarded.

In the Obamanation, private charities will all be closed. The Red Cross & Salvation Army are both offensive to non-christians, muslims in particular. The Government will take care of you in a storm.

In the Obamanation, there will be no clinging to your guns or your religion. All private citizens with guns will be asked to turn them in to the proper authorities. Of course, all the crime lords, gang members general psychotic will still keep theirs, since they weren't stupid enough to buy their guns legally.

In the Obamanation, you'll be allowed to keep the health care you already have, as long as what you already have is Medicare or Medicaid. All others will be transitioned to Medicare or Medicaid.

In the Obamanation, you can go to the Church of your choice. As long as the Church of your choice has openly gay ministers, hands out birth control pills to all girls over age 12 and preaches how abortion is not only just but you can abort your "fetus" up to 1 year after it's born.

Remember the Communist motto: FORWARD

E reading

I've read several books on my iPad 3 over the past few months. I have to admit that I really like it. Both the iBooks and Kindle apps are excellent. The letters are crisp and clear, and I really love the animation when I turn pages.

I'm going to go back to my E-ink Kindle soon so I can really compare the two formats. I still think that the kindle feels better in my hands when I'm reading for a long time.

Obama vs Romney

It's almost time for the 21012 presidential election. What follows is an overall review of the candidates' position on several important issues facing our countries. These positions are taken from the candidates own public statements or positions. I hope it helps you make an informed decision on who to vote for this fall. This is from the website www.CatholicVote.org.

Obama on life:

Supports Roe v. Wade and affirms, “I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.” (Source: White House Press Statement)

As part of his healthcare legislation, almost every health insurance plan will be required to cover sterilizations and contraception–including birth control pills that can cause abortions–with no co-pay. (Source: US Department Health & Human Services)

Overturned a law that prevented the government from giving aid to international family planning groups. Now our government can pay for people’s contraception (including abortifacients) overseas as well. (Source: White House Executive Order)

His campaign boasts that he “stood up to Republicans trying to roll back a woman’s right to choose and defund Planned Parenthood.” He praises Planned Parenthood and refuses to cut government funding ($487 million in 2012) for the organization. Planned Parenthood performs on average 900 abortions per day. (Source: Huffington Post)

In the Senate, he opposed a pro-life bill designed to prevent partial-birth abortions. (Source: IL General Assembly)

Ended a ban on using taxpayer money to fund embryonic stem cell research, which kills human embryos. (Source: White House Executive Order)

Eliminated conscience protections for medical workers who morally object to dispensing the morning-after pill (which is designed to destroy embryos). Recipients of federal money can now discriminate against these workers.(Source: Catholic News Agency)

Promises to veto legislation that would prevent taxpayer funding of abortion.(Source: LifeNews.com)

Obama is endorsed by pro-choice groups NARAL and Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood spent $1.4 million on an ad campaign for Obama. (Source: Planned Parenthood)

Romney on life:

Believes abortions should be limited to only cases of rape or incest or to save the mother’s life. (Source: CBS News)

Supports overturning Roe v. Wade and promises to appoint Supreme Court Justices who are committed to fair interpretation of the Constitution (Source: Life News) Supports the Hyde Amendment, which bars using federal tax revenue to pay for abortions (Source: Mitt Romney)

Promises to support efforts to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood (Source: Huffington Post)

Promises to support the Mexico City Policy, which will bar NGOs that receive federal funding from promoting or performing abortions as a method of family planning in other countries. (Source: Mitt Romney)

Promises to advocate for and support legislation that will make it illegal to destroy unborn children who are developmentally capable of feeling pain (Source: Life News) He says, “If I have the opportunity to serve as our nation’s next president, I commit to doing everything in my power to cultivate, promote, and support a culture of life in America.” (Source: Mitt Romney)

As governor of Massachusetts, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed girls of any age to obtain emergency contraceptive pills (which are designed to destroy embryos) without parental consent (Source: Mitt Romney)

As governor of Massachusetts, he opposed legislation that would allow the creation of human embryos for the purpose of stem cell research, which would result directly in the destruction of those embryos (Source: Romney at NRLC)

Obama on marriage:

Supports homosexual “marriage” (Source: CNN Politics)

Believes the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) should be repealed (Source: The Atlantic – Wire)

Decided with the Justice Department that they would not defend DOMA in new cases (Source: Dept. of Justice – Press Release 2/23/11)

Extended to same-sex partners of federal employees many of the benefits that spouses of federal employees enjoy and supports legislation that would grant same-sex partners of federal employees exactly the same benefits as spouses (Source: Politico & OPM Rule) Required any hospital receiving federal funds to allow visitation rights for same-sex partners (Source: Washington Post)

Supports the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires all states to recognize same-sex “marriages” performed in other states, which would effectively make homosexual “marriage” legal–even as he emphasizes his belief that the question of same-sex “marriage” should be decided by individual states. (Source: Whitehouse.gov – Blog & “Respect Marriage Act”)

Romney on marriage:

Romney’s campaign page says, “Marriage is more than a personally rewarding social custom. It is also critical for the well-being of a civilization. That is why it is so important to preserve traditional marriage – the joining together of one man and one woman.” (Source: MittRomney.com)

Opposes civil unions that resemble marriage (Source: USA Today)

Favors some domestic partnership benefits but believes that states should decide which of these benefits are appropriate. (Source: Real Clear Politics – with Video) Promises to appoint an Attorney General who will defend DOMA (Source: MittRomney.com)

Promises to champion a new amendment to the Constitution that will define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. (Source: National Review Online & MittRomney.com)

Obama on religious liberty:

Obama’s Affordable Care Act will require most employers to purchase insurance that covers abortions, sterilizations, and contraception with no co-pay, even though many of those employers–including Catholic schools, hospitals, and dioceses as well as individual business owners and people of many different faiths–object to paying for such insurance plans on religious grounds. (Source: The Weekly Standard)

Obama’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claimed the power to compel a church to rehire a former employee to a teaching position. The case (Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church v. EEOC) went to the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in favor of the church. The decision reads, “authority to select and control who will minister to the faithful is the church’s alone.” (Source: Wall Street Journal Online)

Obama’s HHS would not renew funding to the Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), which provides services to refugees, migrating children, and human trafficking victims, because MRS, a Catholic organization, refused to provide or refer for abortions or contraception. (Source: National Catholic Register)

Romney on religious liberty

Romney writes, “If I am elected President, on day one of my administration I will issue an executive order directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a waiver from its requirements to all 50 states.” This would allow states to not force employers to purchase insurance that fully covers abortions, contraception, and sterilization, limiting the effects of Obama’s healthcare legislation while he works to repeal it entirely. (Source: Washington Examiner – OpEd)

Supported the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC decision that affirmed the right of churches to make their own hiring decisions. (Source: ABC News)

Defended the right of Catholic Charities of Boston to decide on its own whether it would allow same-sex couples to adopt children in its care. (Source: Fox News)

Obama on fiscal responsibility:

Added more to the national debt than the previous 43 presidents combined (Source: CNS News)

Almost doubled the national debt over his term as President (Source: CBS News)

Added $1 trillion to the deficit each year as President (Source: Real Clear Politics)

Spent 25% of GDP, the highest spending-to-GDP ratio since World War II (Source: Forbes)

Romney on fiscal responsibility:

Romney’s goal is to reduce federal spending to 20% of GDP by the end of his first term (Source: Mitt Romney)

Promises to send a bill to Congress that will cut non-security discretionary spending by 5% (Source: Mitt Romney)

Promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, privatize Amtrak, reduce subsidies to organizations that have access to other funding sources or that offer duplicate services, eliminate federal funding of groups that perform abortions, and reduce foreign aid for a total projected savings of $97.6 billion. (Source: Townhall)

Wants to cap Medicaid spending and allow it to grow at the inflation rate + 1% per year (Source: Economist)

Plans to reliquish more power to the states, resulting in federal savings (Source: Mitt Romney)

Plans to work to repeal the the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires the government to pay its employees above-market wages (Source: Mitt Romney)

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney closed a $3 billion budget gap without raising taxes and left $2 billion in a rainy-day fund (Source: Mitt Romney)

Obama on education:

Increased federal funding for scholarships and financial aid (Source: Whitehouse.gov) Spent $100 billion of the $831 billion stimulus on education-related issues, including teacher salaries (Source: Eductopia.org)

Issued waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to 26 states after Congress would not repeal the law, freeing the states from the obligation to ensure that students are proficient in math and reading by 2014 (Source: NY Times)

Implemented Race to the Top, a program that rewards schools with money for conforming to a set of federal standards (Source: Wall Street Journal Online)

Refused to continue funding the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, which grants public-school students in DC vouchers for private-school tuition (Source: National Review)

Romney on education:

In the third year of his term as governor, Massachusetts 4th graders and 8th graders ranked first in the nation in math and reading (Source: Taunton Daily Gazette)

As governor, he vetoed a bill that would have put a moratorium on adding charter schools in the state. (Source: MittRomney.com)

Created the “John and Abigail Adams Scholarship” to reward high-performing high school students with college scholarships to any state institution. (Source: MittRomney.com)

Supports empowering states to determine education policy, rewarding teachers based on student achievement, and school choice for students (Source: NY Times)

Obama on health care:

Raised taxes by $500 billion to pay for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which the CBO estimates will cost $1.5 trillion over the next decade. (Source: Congressional Budget Office)

The ACA compels insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. (Source: New York Times)

The ACA, along with the HHS mandate, requires most employers to purchase insurance that covers abortions, sterilizations, and contraception with no co-pay, even though many of those employers–including Catholic schools, hospitals, and dioceses as well as individual business owners and people of many different faiths–object to paying for such insurance plans on moral grounds. (Source: USCCB)

The ACA requires every individual to purchase health insurance, whether or not they need or want it. (Source: The Huffington Post)

The ACA makes it illegal for a health insurance company to spend more than an arbitrary amount on employee salaries, administrative costs, and marketing. (Source: PennLive.com)

Romney on health care:

Promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act as soon as possible, beginning with the stopgap of offering waivers to all 50 states while he works on reversing the law entirely. (Source: Mitt Romney)

Envisions the federal government’s primary role in health care as creating a level playing field for competition with the goal of driving down premiums. (Source: Mitt Romney)

Plans to cap the amount that a person can win in court for suing a doctor. (Source: Christian Science Monitor)

Promises to prevent discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage. (Source: Mitt Romney)

Will end tax disincentives that make it relatively more expensive for individuals to purchase health insurance apart from their employers, increasing real consumer choice. (Source: New York Times)

Will allow individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, increasing competition. (Source: National Public Radio)

Jim Gaffigan

Went to Jim Gaffigan's show at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis. It was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. If you get the chance, go see him in person. Also, if you get the chance, get tickets to go backstage and meet him. He's extremely personable, and seems like a genuinely nice guy.

E-books

Someone recommended the book "A Year in Province" by Peter Mayle. Went to amazon.com, thinking I'd get the Kindle version. Lo and behold, amazon is asking $3.50 MORE for the ebook than for the actual, physical, book!!! Crap.

E-reading

I've owned a Kindle since their first version came out, and I now have the keyboard version that came out right before they started selling the Kindle Fire. I love reading on it.

I recently bought the new iPad. I've used the Kindle app on my iPhone from time to time, when I had a few minutes to spare. Well, I recently thought I'd try reading on my iPad for an extended period of time.

After doing this for a couple of weeks, I have to say that I prefer reading on the e-ink Kindle. The screen images on the iPad are amazing, to be sure. And, even though the iPad is really lightweight, after awhile of holding it, it feels like it weighs a ton. That never happens on my Kindle. And I do seem to get more eye strain from the backlit iPad than I get from the e-ink on Kindle.

The iPad has replaced much of what I do on my MacBook Pro (unless it involves a lot of typing, like this!). But I think I'll stick with the Kindle for reading.

As for Amazon vs Apple's book store, I'm a bit miffed that the prices are always exactly the same on both sites! And with publishers pitching a fit about Amazon's initial pricing, e-books aren't nearly the bargain they used to be.

The Earth. The big blue marble

This is one One of the most awesome pictures I've ever seen. http://bit.ly/LWU9UT

Yet another adult stem cell victory

In another blow to the embryonic stem cell crowd, adult stem cells have PROVEN to be successful again. The AP is reporting today that doctors in London have "successfully transplanted a vein grown with a patient's own stem cells."

Doctors in Poland have successfully made blood vessels from skin stem cells.

Drop the abomination that is fetal stem cell research, and start plowing money into ADULT STEM CELLS!!!

New Grill

After going over a year with no outdoor cooking appliance, I broke down and got a charcoal grill. I was looking at the Big Green Egg, but my goodness they are expensive!!

I ended up getting the Akorn Kamado grill. I've used it 3 times so far and I'm pleased. Very little lump charcoal heats up to over 400 degrees in about 15 mins.

Shameful. He's on MSNBC. What a surprise.

Chris Hayes, journalist and talking head on MSNBC, recently said that he is "uncomfortable" calling our fallen men and women of the military "Heroes." I guess his liberal friends on the upper east side would snicker at him at the next cocktail party if he were to utter such words. Even CNN mentioned this guy's cowardice.

I guess the pressure finally got to him, and he issued a 3 paragraph apology; the text of the apology seemed kind of slimy to me (throwing in a dig on people who support the military but never enlisted).

I wonder if he had Keith Olbermann proofread the apology, first?

The Avengers rocked!

Joss Whedon knocked it out of the park with this Avengers movie. Just plain fun from start to finish. The acting was very good, the writing was great and the special effects were incredible! And, in my opinion, Mark Ruffalo is the best Bruce Banner of the 3 actors who've played the part.

If you haven't seen it, go. Perfect big screen movie! Plus, be sure to stay for the end of the credits!

Nice day today

Despite being mostly cloudy, it was quite a nice day. No rain. Temp in the 70's with a slight breeze. New puppy learning to poo outside, not in the kitchen. New iPad working smooth as silk. Hope yours was good, too.

Composite girlfriends

Apparently president Obama made up parts of his autobiography. The part about taking his white girlfriend to a play written by a black playwright never happened. That girl never existed. She was a " composite" of several different girls he dated, and he was just trying to comment on the racial tensions that existed at the time.

Wonder how many other parts of his "autobiography" are made of compost as well.?.?

Super moon

Had a great view of the "super moon" tonight. Clear skies. Even with just binoculars, the detail of the moon surface was incredible! Just wish my camera would pick up the detail.

Apple TV

As if I haven't spent enough money at my nearest Apple retail store, I also broke down and bought an Apple TV.

Another Apple product that I just love! My local Internet provider sells me 10 meg download speed, which is more than fast enough to stream Netflix. I do hate that almost nothing "new" is available for streaming; however most of my Netflix viewing is tv shows, of which there are plenty to choose from. And streaming on the Apple TV is nearly perfect.

Also, with iTunes match and iPhoto AirPlay, I can listen to my personal music collection while the tv screen is cascading my pictures.

Finally, you haven't played Angry Birds until you can play it on your flat screen tv.

Sable

Blogger app

This is my first attempt to blog using an app. The only one I could find was "Blogger" & it's really only available for the iPhone. Anyone know any good apps I can use with this blog site that work with the iPad?

The newest iPad is awesome

I bought my wife the first generation iPad a couple of years ago. She loved it. I stuck with my iPhone. After hearing so much about the newest iPad, I broke down and got two. One for me, one for my wife and gave the old one to my son. So far it has lived up to the hype. The retina display is amazing for photos and the 1080p video is great!

When I got my first gen kindle, I remember feeling like I was on the starship Enterprise when I used it. Well, the iPad is even better! I can see Captain Picard walking thru the halls, reading his latest briefings on the iPad.

It's great for games. I love using twitter on it. I've discovered apps like Flipboard, which for a news junkie like me is just plain awesome! I've converted over half of my magazines over to the newsstand app. The ones I haven't are just because they aren't available yet. I'm disappointed that the Wall Street Journal isn't newsstand compatible; but it's own app works great.

I'm still not sold on iBooks though. I just like the look of e-ink better, and I prefer the feel of my 3rd gen kindle while reading for a long period of time.

Overall I give the new iPad 5 stars, and recommend you get the best one you can afford.

New addition to the family

We've recently been blessed with a new member of the family. One day, while watching the show "Too Cute" on Animal Planet we saw a dog breed we'd never even heard of, but immediately fell in love with: the Havanese. After doing some research, we decided to get one. She's a beautiful 2 pound, eight week old dynamo. She's fit right in already and seems smart as a whip. We look forward to watching her grow.

Part of the official definition of the breed mentions that their expressions are "mischievous rather than cute.". Nothing could be more true.

Low carb update

I've lost close to 40 pounds since Jan 2! My LDL ( bad cholesterol) has gone from 170 to 86 and my triglycerides went from 201 to 120! Blood pressure stays below 110/80! My acid reflux is completely gone. Without medication.

Everybody needs to read Gary Taubes book "Why we get fat." It's an eye opener.

Low carb dieting

I'm starting a low carb diet for my new years resolution. I'm using the Atkins book as a guide. If you've never actually tried it, I would encourage you to actually read his book. I have found that, without exception, people who criticize the diet have never actually read the book. It's not all bacon and eggs (although that is one of the best parts...I LOVE bacon). Tons of vegetables and protein on the diet.

He has a pretty convincing argument that our modern lifestyle of over-abundant, highly-refined, low-nutrient high-carb lifestyle is killing us. People are eating a low fat, high carb diet in record numbers, yet America is getting fatter and fatter. We just weren't designed to eat foods that nearly instantly turn to sugar in our bodies.

4 days into the diet, and I am having absolutely no acid reflux (I've completely stopped my heartburn meds). I have no headaches. Have already lost some weight (which Dr Atkins freely admits is initially partly water weight). But for the first time in years, I was able to pass up the donuts at work this morning without even a second thought.

Again, let me stress that you should read the book before you criticize him. Even if you don't start his eating plan, you'll learn a lot about nutrition.

Things we should all agree on

1. Mapquest direction should begin on step #4. I'm pretty sure I already know how to get out of my own neighborhood.

2. Everyone should boycott movie & television technology beyond Blueray. I'm sick and tired of having to purchase all my movies again and again.

3. US citizens should adopt the afternoon siesta.

4. Don't tell your doctor that you have a "high pain tolerance." We all automatically know you are a wuss at that point.

5. When asking your doctor for pain meds, don't request them by their street names (i.e. "hydros")

6. Texting while driving should be a capital offense. Or at least life imprisonment spent breaking big boulders into pea gravel.

7. Dogs are man's best friend. Cats would be happy to claw out your eyes.

8. MTV should be required to show at least 3 music videos a day.

9. Opinions are not like a$$holes or belly buttons. I've seen people who don't have a navel or an anus.

10. Broadcasting fishing or bowling on TV should be limited to prison televisions.

This day in history

On January 4, 1903, Thomas Edison electrocuted Topsy the elephant, in an attempt to demonstrate how AC current was too dangerous to use for our country's power grid. It was actually caught on film.

Despite this gruesome display, Edison's Direct Current electricity grid just didn't have the oomph to power our growing country. Tesla's AC system won out in the end. Edison was a genius, for sure; but this example of poor judgement shows he was all to human as well.

Health care rationing

As Thomas Sowell has eloquently put it, general economics is not a zero sum game. Just because person X makes more money, that doesn't mean person Y has to lose a proportionate amount.

However, government controlled health care will indeed be zero-sum. Since it's actually impossible for government to create wealth, and their only way to actually get more money is to raise taxes, there is only a finite amount of money that can be budgeted towards health care. So they will soon have to make decisions for the "public good." This will mean that once you reach the end of your usefulness to the government, they will no longer provide access to medical care.

In other words, your elderly grandmother will be denied dialysis based on government actuary tables.

It's the only way they can control costs. Which, lets be honest, is the only reason big government Looters want socialized medicine. They don't care if you live longer & healthier. They certainly don't care if a physician practice is more efficient. In fact, the earlier you die, the less you cost. Can you say "Logan's Run?" Or "Soylent Green is people!!!?

Fall is here!

It finally seems that fall is here! High temps in the 70s, lows in the 50's. For a few weeks, the weather will be perfect! And miracles of miracles, the Detroit Lions are 3-0!

Kelo vs city of New London, update

Remember the Supreme Court case, Kelo v the City of New London? Where the Supreme Court ruled that it was legal for the government to steal your private property if they thought they might get to make money off of it?

Well, 6 years have gone by, and Ms Kelo's house is now officially the city dump. Seems that the government's greedy plans fell through, and Pfizer never built their mega-complex; thus no windfall tax profits for the Looters of New London. BUT, Ms Kelo still lost her private property. Private property is essentially what the Revolutionary War was about.

I hope that the ACLU would support a new case. Kelo v Supreme Court. Maybe Kelo v New London & Pfizer, as well. Seems she deserves some restitution, no?

The soul of a man

"The soul of a man, left to it's own natural level, is a potentially lucid crystal left in darkness. It is perfect in its own nature, but it lacks something that it can only receive from outside and above itself. But when the light shines on it, it becomes in a manner transformed into light and seems to lose its nature in the splendor of a higher nature, the nature of the light that is in it."-- Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain

The Future of America

This was emailed to me. No author was given. Welcome to...the Twilight Zone

Thanksgiving 2022

"Winston, come into the dining room, it's time to eat," Julia yelled to her husband.



"In a minute, honey, it's a tie score," he answered.


Actually Winston wasn't very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington.



Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its "unseemly violence" and the "bad example it sets for the rest of the world", Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be.

Two-hand touch wasn't nearly as exciting.Yet it wasn't the game that Winston was uninterested in.



It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey. Even though it was the best type of VeggieMeat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce, and mincemeat pie), it wasn't anything like real turkey.

And ever since the government officially changed the name of "Thanksgiving Day" to "A National Day of Atonement" in 2020, to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims' historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.

Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of government-mandated CFL light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold.

Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats - which were monitored and controlled by the electric company - be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.

Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family.

Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment.

He had had many heated conversations with the
Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program.

And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort.

"The RHC's resources are limited", explained the
government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. "Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled. I'm sorry for your loss."

Ed couldn't make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines - for everyone but government officials.

The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn't want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.

Thankfully, Winston's brother, John, and his wife were flying in.

Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion.

No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids.

Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added "inconvenience" was an "absolute necessity" in order to stay "one step ahead of the terrorists."

Winston's own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022.

That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for "unequal scrutiny," even when probable cause was involved.

Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine.



Almost.

The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact.

"A living Constitution is extremely flexible", said the Court's eldest member, Elena Kagan. "Europe has had laws like this one for years. We should learn from their example", she added.

Winston's thoughts turned to his own children.
He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him. Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner.

Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford.

She whined for a week, but got over it.

His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism, or any of a number of other calamities were "just around the corner", but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility.

It didn't help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking anywhere within 500 feet of another human being.

Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13.

The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to "spur economic growth."

This time, they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.

Yet the family had a lot for which to be thankful, Winston thought, before remembering it was a Day of Atonement.

At least, he had his memories.

He felt a twinge of sadness when he realized his children would never know what life was like in the Good Old Days, long before government promises to make life "fair for everyone" realized their full potential.

Winston, like so many of his fellow Americans, never realized how much things could change when they didn't happen all at once, but little by little, so people could get used to them.

He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense began.

"Maybe we wouldn't be where we are today if we'd just said 'enough is enough' when we had the chance," he thought.





Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so.

Forgive me for repeating myself.

I bought my first Kindle in 2008. It was the 1st generation. I loved it. Bought tons of e-books. My wife loved the fact that I wasn't taking up any more book shelf real estate.

I recently purchaced the 3rd gen Kindle, which I think is much better than the first version. Thinner, lighter, better contrast, faster response time, longer battery life, etc.

However, today I think I've seen what will kill the e-book readers. I was going to get a book that was reviewed in the Our Sunday Visitor. Went to Amazon's website, and they were asking $16.50 for the fricken' kindle edition! What the heck?

For just a few dollars more I could get a "like-new" hardback. That I can touch, smell and lend to a friend. Why should I pay that much money for 1's and 0's?

I know the publishers threatened to sue Amazon and are now the ones who set the e-book prices. But it costs the publisher's next to nothing to sell me the e-book, after it's been converted (once!). No paper to buy. No hard board for covers. No glue.

Kindle Book Prices too High now

I realize Amazon has lost control of pricing now, and that it's up to publishers to set the prices. But this is outrageous. Once the book is in electronic format, there is little to no cost to the publisher to let me download a book. I just looked at a book that Amazon was selling for $16.50!!! For a few 0's and 1's. No paper pages. No hardback binding. No shipping packaging.

I wrote a review of my first kindle back in 2008. I now have a 3rd generation Kindle, which I think is even better. But I doubt I'll ever buy another one.

It's one thing to get an e-book for significant savings, but when I can hold a real book for just a few more bucks, I'll take the real thing.

Rain, rain go away, come again another day

Man, will it ever stop raining? My back yard is like a swamp. I think we're gonna need a bigger boat.

May 1st, in history

On May 1st, throughout recorded history several important things have happened.

1. Adolf Hitler declared dead, 1945

2. Osama bin Laden shot & killed by US Navy SEALS, 2011

3. Blessed Pope John Paul II beatified, 2011.

Wonder what else happened on this date.

Gas Prices

Gas prices seem to be going up, up, up! And our president doesn't seem to care. When, at a presidential photo op, asked by a man what the President was going to do about gas prices, President Obama just laughed and said " if you're getting eight miles a gallon you may want to think about a trade-in.."

Once again showing how out of touch he is with real Americans.

They guy is having trouble buying gas, and the president just laughs it off. How does Mr Obama know what this guy drives? Maybe he already has a Prius or a Nissan Leaf? What kind of mileage does the presidential limo get? I know, he needs the protection. But still, don't make a joke out of something that is hurting most Americans who actually have to pay for what they need.

This sounds to me like a Marie Antoinette moment (let them eat cake...)

WikiLeaks

I'm torn by all this WikiLeaks controversy.

On one hand, the libertarian in me supports what they've done. I don't trust big government, whether it's Dubya or Barry. The thing that's kept this country great for so long is that our government leaders aren't deities, and we can reign them in by shining some light on their slime mold plans and schemes.

On the other hand, I can see how leaks of top secret government documents, especially military related plans, can endanger the lives of our young men and women in the Armed Forces. If my son were to be killed in, say Kandahar, and plans related to his units movements were plastered on the web, I'd want Julian Assange's head on a platter.

Just because one CAN do something doesn't mean one SHOULD do it...

I knew I liked sourdough for a reason

Turns out that plain, old-fashioned sourdough bread is healthier than whole wheat. According to the University of Guleph, in Ontario, Canada, people who eat sourdough bread have the lowest spikes in blood sugar, as compared to those eating white or even (shocker) whole wheat bread.

So I guess this makes Sourdough the Miller Lite of the bread world! (great taste, less filling!)

Vitamin D testing

Nary a day goes by when I don't read about how Americans are low in Vitamin D, and that "everybody" should get tested. (As a society, we get enough Vitamin D in our diets and by multivitamins to prevent Rickets, but still have sub-optimal levels).

Well, here's the truth about being tested for Vitamin D:

1. The testing is really expensive. From $50-$150, depending on the lab.

2. Most insurance plans don't pay for it, unless you have a proven low level of Vitamin D. How are you gonna know if you have low Vitamin D, if you don't know your Vitamin D level? (truth be told, odds are you are low. Just about everybody is.)

3. Vitamin D supplements are DIRT CHEAP. Everybody can afford it OTC. We're talking pennies a day.

So, instead of paying to check your level, just take 2000 units of Vitamin D3 every day, and get 15-20 minutes of sunlight daily.

Sourdough heaven

I've been experimenting with various sourdough bread recipes lately, and I've had some moderate success. Google the term "sourdough bread starter" and, surprise, surprise, you'll get a billion different sites. After spending several hours, and being told by my wife that I was obsessed, I narrowed the sites down to just a few.

Making sourdough bread is surprisingly simple, but to create your own starter takes some time. Following this method took me about 7 full days to get a starter that was nice and frothy. The only thing I did different was use King Arthur unbleached, unbromated bread flour. I didn't use any whole wheat flour.

On to the baking. There were several good recipies ( here, and here and here). But I settled on a video series I found on YouTube, by Chef Mike.

I haven't yet gotten the timing down just right, especially since my work schedule varies so much. Sometimes I'm ready to bake at noon, sometimes it's not until 10 pm! And, for some unexplained reason, my starter seemed to die after the 3rd loaf. Instead of throwing it away, I just added flour and water, waited 12 hours and threw away 1/2 of it and re-added flour and water, and 48 hours later my started was exploding again. Go figure.

Physician suicide

The New York Times published a disturbing article on Oct 7, 2010. It seems that physicians commit suicide at a much higher rate than the general population.

Most physicians are very driven people, having this deep, spiritual need to succeed. We were able to be at the top of our class in high school and college. And then we got thrown in a room full of over-acheivers, and life became a bit harder for most. Then we had to compete for residency positions, many of which only accepted you if you made all "A's" in med school.

Then there's residency, where long hours with little sleep (at least until recently!!!!) combined to wear us down. Some of us then still had to complete for that special fellowship.

Then private practice, where we suddenly had to pay bills, which we never did before. Our expenses continue to go up, but our reimbursement from Medicare and insurance companies goes down every year. We pull out our hair dealing with insurance companies' ever-changing regulations, forms, phone calls, etc. On top of that, our patients don't respect us like they did "in the good old days" (if those ever really existed). They are demanding, angry, don't want to pay their co-pays or keep follow up appointments; they want free care over the phone, internet, email, etc.

On top of that, there are those patients who we truly care about, but get worse or die anyway, despite us doing everything we can. After they pass, Duey Cheatem and Howe, Esq, send us the legal summons telling us what idiots we are for obviously missing the lawsuit-disease-of-the-month.

Most of us don't have the luxury of paid vacation or sick time. So we work to pay the bills, even when most of our patients complain about needing work notes.

To make matters worse, if physicians do admit to depression or suicidal thoughts, they are branded as "impaired physicians" for the rest of their lives. This makes it harder to get appointments to hospitals and insurance plans. Some could even lose their license to practice medicine.

This can weight down our souls, often times so much we miss the good times. The patient who thanks us for caring or helping. The little old lady who brings us cookies. The widower who thanks us for helping him get thru his grief afer his wife died. The child at the grocery store who yells "Hey, Doc!".


Stop right now, and say a prayer for your physician.

Kindle prices coming down, but not their e-book prices

Amazon's Kindle e-book reader has been an awesome experience, from my standpoint. However, after almost 3 years of use, I'm a little peeved that Amazon has been gradually raising the prices of their e-books. I don't understand why an e-book needs to cost over $10, ever. I mean, it doesn't cost Amazon or the publishers anything for me to download their product. All the money went to conversion to the e-book format. But there is no physical printing on their part, no paper costs, no binding fees, no shipping costs. I press one button, and in about 1 minute, the book is on my Kindle.

Amazon, KEEP YOUR PRICES LOW! I'll go back to real books if prices keep getting closer. At least then, I can let someone borrow the actual book.

I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill

I don't recall any "Slaughter" rule in that old Saturday morning cartoon about how a bill becomes a law. The House democrats are about to use unconstitutional means to pass a bill that can't pass by ordinary measures. If it passes, American health care will begin a rapid, downward spiral.

What's more, the Democrats will have opened a Pandora's Box with this trickery. Some day, they WILL be in the minority again. The Republicans, who have proven themselves just as slimy when they are the majority, will pull this same crap to pass something. The Democrats will whine and fuss about it. But, they will be reminded that the "Slaughter" rule is named after the Democrat who proposed it. Not like "reconciliation" which no one really knows which parted started using.

Democrats, reap what you sew.

Chuck Norris

There is no such thing as a theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures that Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

What an honor, or What the crap...

By now, everybody knows that President Barak Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

What the crap?? What has this guy done to deserve the Peace Prize? I suppose people have been miraculously healed just by passing under his shadow. Maybe it's for all those thrills going up people's legs.

Come on. Are we supposed to believe that Obama is more worthy than Mahatma Gandhi???

September remembrances

Anybody else find it odd that President Obama could make it to New York City for the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, but couldn't make it for the 8th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack?

Health Care reform.

I just watched the President's press conference tonight about health care reform, and I learned something about myself I didn't know. Apparently, I am an evil scumbag who just wants to take tonsils out just to make myself rich. Bad doctor.

Also, a reporter asked the big O if he would go on the record and promise that the government would NEVER deny a patient a service and that those types of services would only be decided by the patient & their Doctor. He also asked the president if he and the rest of the gubment would go on the Public option as being offered.

I was shocked that Mr Obama wouldn't answer either question. Must be because, A- you most certainly will be denied care just because some bureaucrat says so, and B- no way in hell will the Looters in DC be forced to take the crappy socialized coverage.

the Death of the Physician

Currently, the health care reform bills before Congress are 1000+ pages long. Obviously no one is going to be able to read this monstrosity before it is voted on.

However, a few pages have been brought to my attention, and I thought I'd pass them on. I believe this bill will be the death of the American physician.

Page 461 states that mid level providers (i.e. nurse practitioner) will be placed in charge of “a patient centered medical home.”

Page 463 states that primary care will be defined as being provided by either a physician or a midlevel.

Page 480 defines a primary care provider as “a physician or other health care practitioner (including a nurse practitioner) who specializes in family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatrics, or obstetrics and gynecology.”

And page 778 describes how midlevels will be paid the same as physicians for providing care.

So what this seems to say to me is that, as a primary care provider, I wasted my time going to medical school for 4 years and then on to 3 years of residency. I racked up $120,000+ of debt for nothing. I should have just gone to nursing school and I could have saved a fortune.

Is Health Care a Right?

A “right” is something to which a person is entitled to just because they exist. It is nothing they can earn. It is not provided by whatever form of government under which they live. It applies to all people equally, no matter their color, religion, sex, age, economic status or number of extremities. It is nothing that can lawfully be taken away. It is something that cannot be denied to them.

If healthcare is a “right”, then the government cannot limit one’s access to it. Just like government cannot limit their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How else can this be done then by trampling on the “rights” of the health care provider? How else can the government tell people they have the right to health care without saying to their physician, “You have no right to your own mind, to your own thoughts, to your own actions”?

“I deserve health care. I want health care, and I want it free. It is my right. And I want it now,” is what people are saying.

With the right to life, no one is required to feed them, clothe them, and provide them shelter. The right to the pursuit of happiness is not a guarantee that anybody else will make you happy or even try to. Nothing is imposed on anybody but yourself. But the right to health care, by definition, must impose a duty on other people to satisfy your own needs; they have no choice in the matter. Their right to anything at another’s expense makes that other person rightless. Their “right” to health care makes the physician a slave to the desires of others.

Consumer Confidence CNN Crok

On June 30, 2009, CNN anchor Christing Romans did her best to brainwash the viewers.

She stated " We've seen a spring stock market rally that has been quite incredible! Job losses are slowing! Consumer confidence is improving! People are feeling a little better. They're feeling better because they're spending less. They're saving more money. They're getting back to basics. There's a new frugality that's making them feel better. "

Sounds awesome, doesn't it?

Except for one small detail. That same day, the Consumer Confidence Index fell significantly.

Too bad Ms Romans didn't actually get this news before she made a fool of herself.

What the ....

When will people wake up and see how dangerous this is? The editor of Newsweek magazine is seen here calling Obama "God" and Chris Matthews in gleeful agreement. This was broadcast on the show "hardball" on June 6, 2009. Shameful.

Socialism creeping down to local government

Our local utility department has recently begun a "round up contribution" campaign to aide a local charity. Without notifying me, last month they began to round up my bill to the nearest dollar. I didn't notice it then.

Today, when I opened up my statement, I thought it strange that, for 2 months in a row my utility bill ended in $xx.00. So I called them up, and they said that the City government authorized them to begin taking the "contribution" for the local charity.

What the crap?

How in the heck can I "contribute" when I have never been asked? I never authorized this. They stated that if we didn't want to "help out" we were to notify them.

So, as of today, I am no longer having this money stolen from me. Is it a lot of money? No. But if I want to "contribute" to charity (which I do to a tune of over 15% of my income yearly), I will choose the specific charity and how much to give.

Socialism in Western TN at work.

Stem cells may cure diabetes

A new study shows that there might actually be a cure for Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes. Using stem cells! Unfortunately for progressives, the cells are adult stem cells, not embryonic.

Researchers in Brazil have shown that by using a diabetic's own bone marrow to harvest ADULT stem cells,and then injecting them back into the same patient, 50% of the diabetics were still not requiring insulin injections- after almost 3 years!

So once again, science has shown that stem cells indeed may offer miracle cures. And once again, it is adult stem cells, not embryonic cells, to the rescue. Why do people keep denying this fact and insist on destroying embryos?

My Arms are Broken

Secrets to a happy marriage

Take My World Apart

One of my absolute favorite songs, and incredibly appropriate for this weekend:

Government Charity

When Indonesia was devastated by a tsunami in 2004, private American citizens gave millions of dollars towards recovery.

Now, 1n 2009, Italy has experienced a massive earthquake. Just to the north of Rome. Entire towns have been destroyed. Over 100 people killed, thousands now homeless. Priceless medieval buildings lie in ruins. And all the US Government can do is give $50,000.


True, Italy is not Indonesia. And President Obama did offer rescue teams, which the Italian government turned down. But $50,000 seems more like an insult than an offer of aid. Especially in light of the gazillions being offered to AIG, GM, etc.

Your taxes are going up, in spite of what he said...

"I can make a firm pledge," then presidential-candidate Barack Obama said on Sept. 12,2008, in Dover, New Hampshire. "Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."

"Any form...". Humm.

Well, that's not what's happening. Starting today, the taxes on tobacco have skyrocketed. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for enticing people to stop smoking. And of course, the money is going to help children. Who can be against that, right? Unfortunately, the vast majority of smokers make less than $250,000/year.

A disproportionate number of lower-income-bracket people smoke; they are the ones that Mr Obama said he would help by not raising their taxes.

So, Mr Obama, would you care to revise your Sept 12,2008, statement?

AIG fiasco...and worse

I am appalled and disgusted by AIG in giving out $165 million in bonuses, especially after they came groveling to the federal government for bailout money. However, I am also very concerned about Congress’ response to this travesty.


Our founding fathers knew what it was like to live under a totalitarian regime that could, and frequently did, single out individuals for punishment by confiscatory measures. The Framers of our Constitution realized that for America to truly be a free country, they would have to ensure that the government could not pass any laws singling out specific peoples for pecuniary punishment. Also, they realized that Americans could not truly have liberty if they could be punished by ex post facto laws. That is exactly what this Congress has done. The House has passed a law that they want to be applied retroactively! This is clearly unconstitutional, based on Article 1, section 9, of the US Constitution.

So while I personally will never try to do business with AIG or is subsidiaries, I also think it’s too late to do anything about it. Maybe if the Looters in Washington had actually READ THE FRICKIN' “stimulus” bill before they signed it, they would have known this could have happened; then they could have legally done something about it.

Happy St Patrick's Day

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I've been waiting my whole life for this...

Finally, the movie that I've been waiting for my entire life...

How disgusting

For the second time, Democrats are gleeful that our country's situation is going down the toilet. First, Rahm Emanuel jokingly stated that Democrats should "Never let a serious crisis go to waste" (Nov 2008)

Now, Mrs Clinton has jumped on the "celebrate the destruction of America" bandwagon. She was speaking to the European Parliament yesterday and told the crown of gathered socialists, "Never waste a good crisis" when describing the current economic state.

I pray that the hard working people in this country wake up and see these disgusting Looters for the scumbags that they really are. The Producers in our society must rise up and demand change from the Looters in DC. Without us, the Moochers would have no welfare, unemployment, medicaid, etc. I pray that the Moochers realize that the governmental Looters to not really care about them; Looters only care about the power they get from taking what doesn't belong to them and giving it to others.

A majority of Americans voted for "Change" this past election. Well, people, be careful what you wish for.

Atlas may be shrugging soon.

Don't expect the government to help you...

Here an excerpt from an editorial by Ben Stein:

"You have been -- you are now -- bombarded every day with TV shows, radio news, and newspapers telling you of this government support plan and that government support plan and how they are going to rescue you. To which I can only say, when you hear the word ‘government,' in your mind, substitute the words ‘Department of Motor Vehicles.' When was the last time they rescued you? When was the last time they bailed you out of anything at all?"

"...But to expect that ‘government' is a fairy godmother who will rescue you from your problems over any long period is just fantasy. Here's the good news: This country will be rescued by each of us doing what we can do in our own individual sphere of action as government works in its sphere of action. There are roughly 142 million men and women in the labor force. Their ingenuity, flexibility, energy, and confidence will make more difference than anything government does on an individual basis...In the free society, we rescue ourselves "

SNOW!!!

Ayn Rand Shrugged

Sales of the Ayn Rand masterpiece, "Atlas Shrugged" are thru the roof. Year to date, the book sales numbers have tripled in 2009, compared to 2008. A friend just went to our local bookstore to buy copy, and the clerk told her that there was a waiting list, but that they were ordering them as fast as they could. She asked her if one of the local colleges was using the book, and the clerk said "no".


The economic turmoil that Ms Rand described seems to be eerily coming true. As equally scary, the economic "solutions" our government is currently proposing are nearly identical to the ones that ultimately destroy society in her books.

Harry Reid says that Income Taxes are voluntary

A buddy sent me this link. It's an interview between Sen Harry Reid, democrat from NV, and Jan Helfeld. Now I've never heard of Mr Helfeld before, but it's great to hear it from the mouth of Senator Reid that my income taxes are voluntary! But, his definition of "voluntary" is different than mine. His is "volunteer to give me half your money, or go to jail". What dictionary is he using??




What Mr Helfeld apparently edited out of the interview is that taxes ARE indeed voluntary, but only if you are a member of the Democrat party, right Mr Geitner, Daschel, et al?

Don't laugh at this...

http://media.putfile.com/SNL-Debbie-Downer-WDW

Johnny the Bagger

Take 3 minutes and watch this clip:

Why bother reading it...

This is supposed to be a stimulus?

According to the Associated Press (hardly a right-leaning organization), the latest version of the stimulus plan will give Americans a whopping $13/week. Only a moron thinks $13/week will improve anything.

America doesn't care..

According to the Honorable Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Americans really don't mind all the wasteful spending that he so clings to. We don't care? What frickin' planet does this guy live on??????




What an arrogant SOB.

The New Quayle

Thank goodness for Joe Biden, the new Dan Quayle.

Biden, well known for multiple verbal gaffes, recently made fun of Chief Justice Roberts for messing up the presidential oath of office. After all, EVERYBODY loves it when a conservative screws up, right?

So, what does VP Biden-Quayle turn around and do himself? Screws up the Secretary of State oath of office.

Why is it that, when anybody right-of-center makes a mistake, it's front page news, but when lefties like Biden do it, "Oh, it's just Joe..."?

Some perspective on the financial failure

It seems horrible that, for the year 2008, 25 banks failed in the USA.

However, during the first 10 months of 1930, 744 banks failed.

So don't believe the media that this is another Great Depression.

Why do they do it?

Once again, a group has come together to discuss the dangers of global warming. This time in Buffalo, NY.

Today's temperature there was minus 6 degrees. Why do they keep scheduling these meetings IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER?

You wanna try to convince people that the world is getting hotter, try holding your dad-gum meetings in August in the South!

Looters, Moochers and Producers

Looters have a genetic predisposition for taking money from Producers and giving it to Moochers.

Unfortunately, Producers have a natural tendency to avoid politics, and since Moochers are just plain lazy, only the Looters make it in the political world.

Tax Cheats

Then: “Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. ” Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507.

Now: "Never mind"- Tom Daschle, 2009*







*First quote, true. Second quote, implied.

Trust me, I'm from the Government...

Mr Obama is trying very hard to convince the American public that only Government can solve our problems. Just trust him and his cabinet (like the tax-cheating Secretary of the Treasury) and everything will be fine.

Well, I started thinking about September 11th, today. Not really sure why. But the thought hit me "what failed on that day?" Was it private citizens, or the Looters in DC?

Seems to me that it was the government that failed (and, yes, I know that Bush 43 was the president at the time). In fact, it was private citizens (Todd Beamer, et al) who actually acted. They didn't blindly follow FAA rules. They used their cell phones. They didn't remain seated with their seat belts fashioned, their heads between their knees. They stood up like free men, rising up against the terrorists and, at the cost of their own lives, prevented Flight 93 from killing possibly thousands more.

On that day, when big government failed, the only good news came from private individuals.

So, Mr Obama, I'd rather you didn't send me a stimulus check. Just let me keep my own money, to spend as I see fit. Protect us, sure. But let private citizens do what we do best, and the country will be just fine.

CNN blows it's "objective" cover

CNN for years has fought against the political Right's claim that CNN is a liberal network in the pants pocket of the Left. Now, it seems that CNN has proven the Right right.

CNN.com's website is selling a "historic" T-shirt to honor the election of Mr Obama. Honor may be the wrong word. More like deify. "Obama raises hand, lifts a nation."

Come on. That is really sycophantic. CNN will soon be changing it's name to Pravda.

Economic stimulus

The government TARP program has so far done diddly squat. What a surprise. A government program that promised more than it could deliver.

Recently in the news, it was reported that Merrill Lynch executives spent $1.2 million on renovating an executive suite. When I first heard this I was appalled. How dare they spend taxpayer money on a shiny new toilet!!

However, it turns out that the media, in it's race to vilify capitalists, was WRONG. Not a single dime of taxpayer money was spent on this renovation. In fact, the renovation was about 9 months before the "bailout" was even imagined.

Seems to me that the media could have spent a little more time investigating this story before plastering it all over the place. But then, they wouldn't have had that thrill go down their leg that they all seem to get when capitalism is the bad guy.

As a matter of fact, Merrill Lynch did a much better job stimulating the economy by having the renovation done than the Looters in DC have ever done. That $1.2 million dollars had an immediate impact. The money went to taxpayers (decorators, contractors, delivery services and suppliers) and no bureaucrats got their grubby little fingers on it.

So I'm sorry, Merrill Lynch, that I got caught up in the vilification. Thank you for an effective economic stimulus.

Stuff that's broke

In the past few months, we've had some stuff malfunction, or break down entirely. Here's a list of some of the stuff that's gone kerplewie during the past 12 months:

Central heating and air unit
refrigerator
dishwasher
radio in my wife's car
the main television in the house
cordless phone
my laptop computer

I'm sure there's more, I just can't remember it all.

Go figure.

Kid's say the darndest thing

A short while ago, while bringing my son home from his art class, he told me something quite profound.

"Dad, I know what I'm gonna be when I grow up."

"What's that, son"

"I'm gonna be in the car business. I'm gonna call it GNW's..." Then he paused, and followed that up with:

"Or an actor. Or a director. Or a producer. Or a cranberry farmer."

God Bless the little children.

Ransacking the White House

I don't know if you remember, but when the first black president left office in 2001, his staffers showed their class and sophistication by ransacking the White House. Walls were covered with graffiti. Computer keyboards were destroyed beyond use. Phone lines were severed. Filing cabinets were super glued shut. Pornographic photos were left strewn about like ticker-tape.

Well, as the media loves to report, we're supposed to believe that George W. Bush is the most vile president to ever hold the public office. So, I'm sure that his staffers are just as perverted. But, so far, I've not heard a single report about their damaging or desecrating the White House or the office of President. Humm...

I'm sure that Dick Cheney was able to use the dark side of the Force to suppress the reports of destruction. Because we all know that Republicans are worse than Democrats in every respect, right MSNBC?

You mean I need to pay my taxes?

I find it absurd that Mr Obama cannot find someone more qualified for the position of Secretary of the Treasury than Mr Timothy Geithner. The man who would be in charge of the IRS claims it was an innocent mistake when he didn't pay his taxes for the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

What the crap??? For 4 years, this man didn't realize that he owed the United States of American his Social Security and Medicare Taxes??? And he wants to be involved in setting tax policy for the rest of us?

Would I have been treated just as lightly if I had "innocently" forgotten to pay my quarterly taxes? Even after I had signed (four years in a row) a statement from my employer affirming that I was aware that it was my responsibility to pay said taxes?

Hell no.

Do I believe that it was an accident? Sure. I don't think that this caring, empathetic Democrat withheld his tax money on purpose. I'm sure he probably believes that it's patriotic to pay your fair share in taxes. And, after all, he did say that he was sorry. I'll try that if I get audited.

However, I do wholeheartedly believe that mistake disqualifies him from the position of Secretary of Treasury.

Back door gun ban

In the landmark Supreme Court of the United States decision, Heller vs DC, the Justices finally ponied up and agreed that the Second Amendment of the US Constitution does indeed guarantee Americans' right to own guns.

Now, in several states, legislation has been introduced that might be a back-door ban of weapons. If the Looters can't take away our guns, maybe they can take away our ammunition. These bills go by a variety of names, but they all essentially do the same thing.

These bills would require ammunition manufacturers to "encode" every single bullet and cartridge with a serial number, under the guise of improving public safety. Surprise, surprise: that these bills are being heavily lobbied by a commercial enterprise that has a patent on technology to imprint the codes. They are trying to create a demand for their product by making it mandatory.

My state was one of the culprits in 2008. Fortunately, these unconstitutional bills didn't pass. The legislation would have required that private citizens turn in all of their currently-owned ammunition, without any compensation; it would be illegal to possess non-encoded ammo. Every box of new, encoded, ammo would need to be registered. It would be illegal for people to reload their own ammunition, a process practiced by tens of thousands of gun owners. Private citizens would have to keep detailed records of when and where the ammo was used. A tax of up to 5 cents PER bullet would need to be paid.

The ultimate effect of these bills, if passed, would be to prevent gun owners from having ammunition for defense, practice, sport and hunting. The fact that these bills are not gun bans is a really just a technicality because, in practical terms, ammo bans are gun bans.

The death of the American Auto

Part of me feels sad that the big three American auto manufacturers are in such trouble. "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet", as they used to say, were what America was about. Now, to be honest, I've only ever bought 1 "American" car in my life (a Saturn SL); at least that's what I thought until I read the January 12, 2009 addition of AutoWeek magazine.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicle that is the "most" American is the Ford Crown Vic. Makes sense. Ford is as American as they get, right? The Crown Vic is only 90% American. That means that 10% of it's parts are from overseas. And, truth be told, the Vic is actually assembled in Canada, not the USA.

The second most American car? The Toyota Sienna, at 85%. The Honda Odyssey is up there, too, at 75% American. The Mercedes-Benz M-class ranks at 62% American. Nissan's pickups are 65%.

Near the bottom of the list is the Chevrolet Aveo, at only 5% American. The Saturn Astra? Three (3) percent. The Ford Fusion is only 40% American. The Chrysler Crossfire is zero percent (that's completely un-American, folks).

So, it would appear that my brother's Nissan pickup is more American than many Fords, Chevys and Chryslers. Buy American? I just might. Just not one who's manufacturer claims to be from Detroit.