An Appeal for Health Care Logic

Tags

common sense, common sense in health care, health care, logic

Perhaps for many years, it has been established and acceptable protocol for either house of Congress to pass a bill which virtually no one had read in its entirety.

I don’t know.

Perhaps whether Republican led or Democrat led, our representatives have routinely voted up or down on important legislature they have not read.

I don’t know.

Today, the health bill before the House of Representatives is of staggering size; 1990 pages. Am I missing something? But doesn’t this seem ridiculous, confusing, incomprehensible, unreasonable, too much bureaucracy, too many words, too much mumbo jumbo?

I think so.

We are told the cost for these measures will exceed $1.055 trillion. More than a trillion! I said, although I hardly can push the words from my mouth, and my ordinary brain can in no way compute such a figure.

And yes, the “death panel” section did survive.

And no, I don’t like it.

Has common sense completely fled? Are we totally unable to be “down-to-earth sensible?” How can our representatives wisely vote on a package of such ponderous weight and girth? Is there not a better solution for our health care issues?

I don’t know for sure, but logic whispers in my ear: There must be a better way.

AP Photo

Health-Care Insight by Maxine

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Maxine, preposterous health care proposition

Let me get this straight.

-

…we’re going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it,
passed by a Congress that hasn’t read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn’t read it, and who smokes,
with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s nearly broke.

What could possibly go wrong?

Source: Frankly stolen from Terry Wilbanks

Humor for the Day

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C-section, natural born president

Upon learning that the Constitution requires a president to be a natural born citizen, a college student said: “What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified than one born by C-section?”

Thomas Sowell

Kudos to Our Press!

Tags

Fox News, Kenneth Feinberg, Washington Bureau Chiefs, While House pool

The Obama administration on Thursday tried to make “pay czar” Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews to every member of the White House pool except Fox News. But the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox News was included.

Source: Fox News

The Little Red Hen and Free Bread

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free bread, Little Red Hen, socialism

The little red hen called all of her liberal neighbors together and
said, ‘If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will
help me plant it?’

‘Not I,’ said the cow.

‘Not I,’ said the duck.

‘Not I,’ said the pig.

‘Not I,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she
did.   The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

‘Who will help me reap my wheat?’ asked the little red hen.

‘Not I,’ said the duck.

‘Out of my classification,’ said the pig.

‘I’d lose my seniority,’ said the cow.

‘I’d lose my unemployment compensation,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread.   ‘Who will help me bake the
bread?’ asked the little red hen.

‘That would be overtime for me,’ said the cow.

‘I’d lose my welfare benefits,’ said the duck.

‘I’m a dropout and never learned how,’ said the pig.

‘If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,’ said the goose.

‘Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to
see.  They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little
red hen said, ‘No, I shall eat all five loaves.’

‘Excess profits!’ cried the Pelosi cow.

‘Capitalist leech!’ screamed the Boxer duck.

‘I demand equal rights!’ yelled the Jackson goose.

The Kennedy pig just grunted in disdain.

And they all painted ‘Unfair!’ picket signs and marched around and
around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the leftist farmer came. He said to the little red hen, ‘You
must not be so greedy.’

‘But I earned the bread,’ said the little red hen.
‘Exactly,’ said the farmer. ‘That is what makes our free enterprise
system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he
wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive
workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy
and idle.’

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen
who smiled and clucked, ‘I am grateful, for now I truly understand.’

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again
baked bread because she joined the ‘party’ and got her bread free. And
all the liberals smiled.  Fairness and compassionate equality had been
established.  Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed;
perhaps no one cared…so long as there was free bread that ‘the rich’
were paying for.

Author unknown

Came my way via the cutting-edge internet, so it must be true, wouldn’t you say.

Global Warming…Chilling Danger

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Article 6 Constitution, ceding of America, Copenhagen Treaty, global government, global warming, Lord Monckton, trump the Constitution, video Lord Monckton

I’m thinking of a particular dear and long-standing friend of Jerry’s and mine whose bent in philosophy, politics and religion is in the same direction as ours, but who, through the years, has demonstrated a tendency toward extreme right-wing publications that hinted (or downright smacked) of conspiracy theories, and that alluded to devious, wide-spread undermining of the United States of America. Many times I listened to his reports, but always with reservations about some of the conclusions.

It both frightens and angers me to think of my beloved country ever falling into the hands of those who wish the demise of the United States of America. Perhaps it is my positive nature, and what seems to be inbred naivete–for despite my advancing years, I am occasionally forced to recognize that, yet again, I have been naive–perhaps it is these traits that make it difficult for me to comprehend that indeed it is possible (likely?) that America is being undermined, and that the principles of our great country–the greatest by far on this earth–are being compromised. Yet, blazing signals and ill-disguised clues abound.

Prominent in this mix is the issue of Global Warming. For many months now I have struggled to understand how such a physical, scientific, earthy issue could be partisan, while observing that to be clearly so. Exceptions abound, I am sure, but predominantly it is those of liberal mind-set who believe global warming is caused by man’s influence on the earth, while we conservatives believe that not to be the case. How can that be, I have wondered. What is there about Global Warming that politically divides America (and other areas of the world)?

It is chilling, but worthwhile to consider, the issue that is raised in this video by Christopher Monckton. Speaking at the Minnesota Free Market Institute a few days ago Mr. Monckton said that within the climate treaty that Obama is so willing to sign, the ceding of our sovereignty awaits. A global government will be established that will be run of course by the U.N.; the scary part of all of this? Once Obama signs the climate treaty and if the Senate were to ratify that treaty, that treaty by virtue of Article 6 of the Constitution, would effectively trump the Constitution.

Christopher Walter Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley (born 14 February 1952) is a British politician, business consultant, policy adviser, writer, columnist, inventor and hereditary peer. He served as an advisor to Margaret Thatcher‘s policy unit in the 1980s and invented the Eternity puzzle at the end of the 1990s. More recently, he has attracted controversy for his public opposition to the mainstream scientific consensus on global warming. He also announced a sequel to his original puzzle called Eternity II in 2007, and it is still unsolved.

From Wikipedia

A few days ago, concerning another subject,  I scurried about in my mind about the difficulty, yet the wisdom and authenticity, that come about when a person can say, “I was wrong about that.” America, let us look closely at what is transpiring about us, let us listen, and be ever fierce guardians of godliness and of liberty. Let us lay aside preconceived notions and opinions if such can be seen as blocking full illumination of the truth.

Is Lord Monckton right? Or is this of extreme, edgy, far right thinking into which my dear friend has engaged for years? I don’t know. I hope Lord Monckton is wrong, but let us not be ignorant nor allow ourselves to be blindsided in such a crucial matter. If you can find the time, please listen to the entire tape which is more than an hour long, but clearly debunks the man-made Global Warming theory. I’m eager to know your thinking.

The Birthday of Rebecca Jean

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Barnes and Noble, birthday lunch, childbirth, life challenges, Rebecca Cowen

She was full-term, but tiny; 5 lbs 8 ounces 18 1/2 inches long, when on October 19th, Rebecca joined our family, rounding us out to five now. Her birth was before the days of routine sonograms, so I didn’t know the sex of the new baby, and having thus far only male beings around me, I was hoping for a daughter. Jerry and I had decided her name would be Rebecca. In the delivery room, slightly hazed from drugs, I heard my baby wailing, and the doctor said, “Mrs. Buxton, you have a baby girl.”

“A girl?”

“Yes, Mrs. Buxton, a girl.”

“Are you sure? Are you sure it’s a girl?” I remember feeling warmly foggy, and asking this question, which didn’t seem at all extraordinary to me.

The doctor chuckled, then spoke again, “Mrs. Buxton, I’ve had lots of experience telling boys from girls, and this definitely is a girl.”

The nurses and doctor did their work, then they handed me my daughter. Rebecca. Little did I know at that moment what a precious person had been given to the earth. Today is her birthday, and with all sincerity I say there could be no better daughter than my Rebecca. She loves God, is a remarkable mother, dotes on her dad, looks after me, cares about her siblings, is kind and tender-hearted, beautiful, fair, intelligent and strong. She’s had many rough breaks in life. Severe, life-threatening health issues have battered her about, knocked her down, and ravaged her. Inevitably, she rises, and with rare courage and gutsy strength, she walks again.

Friday, we met for lunch, then while Jerry got a haircut and picked up Nathaniel from school, she and I went to Barnes and Noble and the World Market where we prowled about for a couple of hours.

I am most blessed to say I am the mother of a truly remarkable, beautiful person–Rebecca Jean. And at this moment, I wish her a very happy day…and the kind of future she deserves.

“Tell the Gang Hello”

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grocery shopping, loneliness, Redlands CA, Thanksgiving, WalMart

Jerry had to go to his doctor’s (in California)  for a routine check-up, so Wednesday night after church here in Lake Havasu we drove to Crestline and spent a couple of days in our home there. I went down to Redlands with him on Friday and while he was with his doctor I popped over to WalMart and to Berean Bible Book Store.

Anticipating that a gaggle of family members will find their way to our house for Thanksgiving, I filled my WalMart basket to the brim–paper towels, tp, laundry detergent, apple juice, soft drinks, cocoa, yeast, canned goods….and the like. Only one person was behind me in the checkout line–a gentleman in a wheelchair. My checker was a somber, slow lady, looking over my purchases, then, in a sauntering way, reaching here and there for an item that would fit nicely into the bag she was filling. Once from the corner of my eye, I saw the gentleman behind me back up his chair, as though to change lines, then, I suppose having a change of mind, pulled it back in line behind me. I smiled at him.

Finally there was a space on the counter behind my groceries, and there the gentleman placed three small items. “Yours is easier than mine,” I said to him.

“Yes, I’m buying only for myself. Looks like you have quite a gang there.”

“I do,” I responded. I thought to tell him there really is only Jerry and me, that we live up in Crestline, and that mostly these days we are in Lake Havasu, but that we have a large family and I’m hoping many of them will come for Thanksgiving, and about the week I just had with some of the grandkids…but I didn’t say anything. Just stood there thinking. Thinking of my great family…and wondering about the gentleman in the wheel chair. Did he have family? Children? Live nearby? Spend Thanksgiving together? A rather lonely air accompanied him.

I paid the clerk, took the receipt she handed me, and before I placed my hand on my basket to push it away, I turned to the gentleman. “Hope you have a good day.”

His face brightened. Then he spoke. “Tell the gang hello for me. Tell them hello”

Brought up short, I paused for a minute, then responded. “I will. I will tell them.”

Uh, How About a Little Common Sense, Folks?

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Cameroons, Cancun, common sense, Facebook, Maxi Sopo, Mexico, Zachary Christie

The little boy was so excited about his camping apparatus that he took it to school, carried it in his hot little fist to his class–a first grade class. Bam! He was removed from school under a zero tolerance rule that allowed for no weapons of any kind. Likely sentence? 45 days in an alternative school for unruly youngsters. His weapon? His offense? The possession and display of a folding knife, spoon and fork with which he planned to eat lunch. Silly, just silly.

Wisely, now the seven-member Christiana school board have reversed themselves and are  allowing Zachary back in his regular class.

Things have not ended so well, though, for Maxi Sopo, a 26 year old resident of the Cameroons, a fugitive, who had run to Mexico. He was kicking back on the beaches of Cancun during the daytime, then prancing around in the clubs at night.

Enter the lack of common sense: On his Facebook account, he talked extensively about how much fun he was having, then added a former Justice department official as a friend. Wham! He was arrested, is in jail in Mexico City, awaiting now extradition to the United States on bank fraud charges. It is reported that he and a friend illegally obtained more than $200,000 from Seattle-area banks and credit unions.

I strongly suspect his charges will not be so quickly reversed as were those of little Zachary.

.

Peanut Brittle!

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candy-making, fund-raising, very best peanut brittle

They sold thousands of bags. Thousands. They were young, my three older children, so young that their kid brother, Andrew, had not yet been born, when Stephen, Michael and Rebecca sold thousands of bags of peanut brittle. I’m not sure just how it became a popular fund-raiser in many of our Pentecostal churches, but there is no telling how many churches have virtually been built by the sales of peanut brittle.

Now here we are again, involved in this delightful way to raise money. Cooked 99 packages this morning, following our 7:00 am prayer meeting over at the church. It’s such a fun and profitable activity.

Hope is one of our CIP graduates and we love her dearly. She is a “hoot,” a vivacious red-head, a veritable dynamo of energy. For the past few weeks she has been helping us cook this delicious candy.

“Hope, how many rings do you have on?”

She grinned at me when I asked in the kitchen this morning, paused a little, and together, we bent over her hands and counted. Fourteen. She had on fourteen rings. Those beautiful bountifully bedecked hands cooked, packaged and cleaned this morning as our happy team turned out mounds of luscious candy.

Want some peanut brittle? We cook it up so that it is very tasty…and it’s helping fund our thriving church here in Lake Havasu.

NOTE 10/17/2010: For those who have asked for the recipe and I have not responded, I have posted the recipe on my recipe site. Check it out.