PUBLIC OPTION IS NOT OPTIONAL

PUBLIC OPTION IS NOT OPTIONAL

The Public Option is not an option.It is the core of the health care plan! Stop playing games with us
The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.

Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?

Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.

To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.

An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.

Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:

"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.

"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.

"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.

Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?

Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.

Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare

Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation preceeded the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush,Obama eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.

 

Your personal computer, be it a laptop or a desktop can last you as long as a Volkswagen if you regularly perform some simple tasks. My suggestions are based on my own personal experiences. I taught myself how to operate a PC in the earliest days of the Internet. I learned the hard way after repeated freezes and crashes. In those early days there was no google to go to for advice. The only way out of the simplest problem was to reboot. There were no preventive maintenance programs.

1.Do not trust the protection promised by your Internet Providers,Cable or Phone Company DSL providers or any other third party program. The "Lord helps those who protect themselves" is a good motto when you are dealing with millions of hackers who get their jollies from destroying your equipment. Invest in a good top of the line software package and do not skimp on the price. Most are ineffective and a complete waste. Besides the anti-virus feature they should also provide anti-spam, network security,anti-phishing,id protection, a two way firewall, anti-tracking devices,Internet worm protection, browser protection,intrusion preventions and web site authentication. My personal favorite is the Norton Internet Security package. It is simple but incredibly effective. Run the scan feature at least once a week to see where your problems originate and delete the suspect programs. Once you have Norton installed you won't even know what horrible things are going on in the background because Norton cuts 99% of them off before they ever cause a critical problem. Scan and delete the programs causing them anyway. Eventually they will wear your PC down much as an engine running with 2 year old engine oil in the crankcase of your car. If your DSL constantly slows down until you would be better off with the old dial-up, be advised it is most likely a virus problem. Your DSL repairmen whether they be from Direct TV,Time-Warner, or Verizon will not tell you this as they understandably have to to justify their jobs. The answerman tells you right now that almost all slow-down problems ruining your cyber experience are related to hidden infections you know nothing about! Buy and install the Norton programs or equivalent software packages from reliable manufacturers. The times you are suddenly logged off will virtually disappear. The Norton pkg costs about $89.00 at Staples, Best Buy etc.

2. Get a good Malaware program like Malwarebytes. Copy and paste this link in your browser window and then click on go: http://www.malwarebytes.org/. This program scans your hard drive for worms, bugs,viruses etc which are already on your PC. It identifies them by name, Vondos,Trojan, etc and removes them with a quick reboot and restart. Dell customer support showed me where to get a free download of this program but you might have to pay for it if you find it on your own.

3. Use the chkdsk feature, monthly. Run it at night while you are sleeping as it can take hours to complete: Follow these instructions very carefully. Click Start and then click My Computer. Right-click the hard disk drive to scan, and click Properties. In the Local Disk Properties window, click the Tools tab. Click Check Now. In the Check Disk Local Disk window, click to select the box next to Automatically fix file system errors. note It is advisable to select "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" to physically check the surface of the hard disk. However, this step increases the time it takes to complete the scan. What do you care? You will be snoring away. Click Start. A prompt may appear to perform the scan the next time the computer restarts. If so, click Yes. The computer restarts and runs Checkdisk and you go to bed. That's it. Actually its not as difficult as it sounds.If my instructions confuse you, ask the manufacturer of your PC to help you or google check disk. There is an optional program, DEFRAG which you can also use but I don't think its that important. Comments and topic suggestions welcomed and appreciated

TWO DOLLAR A GALLON GASOLINE WITHIN ONE MONTH

There are approximately 150 million motor vehicles on the road in the United States of America.

This figure represents the number of automobiles only. There are approximately another 95 million trucks,construction off highway vehicles etc.

For the purposes of this article I will stay with the 150 million vehicle figure.

For my simple solution which will drive gas prices at the pump to $2.00 a gallon within one month lets say that the average fuel tank in these vehicles holds 14 gallons.

Okay are yout still with me? Now ,lets say, for the sake of this discussion, each of these vehicles fills their tank about every 10 days. Extrapolating will yield a total figure of 2 billion, one hundred million gallons of fuel pumped out of the nations supply and into storage (i.e. stored in those 150 million fourteen gallon fuel tanks).

So ,if, starting this 10 day "fill-up" cycle Monday morning, May 2,2011, and continuing it though May 11,2011 each vehicle, instead of filling their tank,opted to instead pump only 7 gallons into their tanks. In other words, 150 million car owners decided to fill their tank half way instead of full.

Within 10 days the amount of gasoline stored in motor vehicles in the United States would drop from 2 billion, one hundred million gallons to a new figure of approximately:

1 Billion, 50 Million gallons

In just 10 days we will have added over 1 Billion gallons to our fuel supply.

How fast would this supply/demand reversal reduce prices at the pump and by how much?

I am too old and too simple minded to figure that out for certain but my hunch tells me we would be looking at $2.00 a gallon gasoline by the end of May

What do my readers think?

Ten Movies Nominated for Oscars? There haven't been 10 Oscar worthy movies in the past 10 years!

Hollywood has jumped the shark and who can take them serious anymore?

They now nominate 10 movies a year instead of the 5 top films considered for the previous decades.

Are they implying that any one of 10 movies in 2010 might be worthy of this hallowed award?

Here are some movies I watched during the past 12 months, all of which I deleted before viewing 10 minutes of the film:

Nine ... Undoubtedly the worst musical in Hollywood history

The Other Guys... Will Farrell not content with wrecking his own career; he now wants to drag Mark Wahlberg along with him. Leslie Neilson risen from the dead would not be able to save this bomb.

Get Him to the Greek... What ?????????????????????

Nice Guy Johnny... Nice guy but OMG is he boring.

I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With... Sarah Silverman and Jeff Garlin- A match made in Hell

Date Night... Tina and Steve will never appear opposite each other again. They wouldn't dare.

Leap Year...Amy Adams, a gifted actress spends 90 minutes walking and running through mud up to her ankles in Dublin and never once removes her skyscraper heels. Laughable and sad.

It's Complicated... Could have been a decent movie but Meryl Streep no longer even attempts to emote; her facial expression is frozen in time due to one too many face lifts.

Shutter Island... Most depressing movie since Peter Lorre as "M"

Duplicity...Is Drew Barrymore the only actress remaining who can bring present day mummified actors out of thier comas?

The Bounty Hunter... Anniston's 10th consecutive ridiculous role.

Neighbor...With Mink Stole and Stink Fisher. Nuff said.

Observe and Report... Seth Rogen gives a valiant effort but even Laurence Olivier couldn't have saved this turkey.

Public Enemies... Watching Bonnie and Clyde 100 times in a week would be more entertaining than watching this clone once.

An Education... An old geezer destroys the innocence of a very very young maiden. Stomach curdling

Role Models... Great Cast in a worthless movie; only in drug addled La La Hollywood

Vicky Cristina Barcelona... Three terrific stars and not one ounce of chemistry among them. Again, where else but in Hollywood could a screening not recognize this?

So I ask you in all seriousness. How Can these crack heads, heroin freaks and pot heads foist this type of stuff on us and then have the chutzpah to nominate 10 top movies in this or any other year???

PUBLIC OPTION IS NOT OPTIONAL

The Public Option is not an option.It is the core of the health care plan! Stop playing games with us
The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.

Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?

Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.

To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.

An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.

Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:

"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.

"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.

"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.

Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?

Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.

Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare

Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.

Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!

The Public Option is not an option.It is the core of the health care plan! Stop playing games with us

The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.

Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?

Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.

To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.

An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.

Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:

"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.

"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.

"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.

Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?

Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.

Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare

Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.

Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!

Al Szekley,the Nam vet evicted from a homeless shelter for being homeless, is just the tip of a gigantic iceberg!

Some additional information about Al Szekely first, and then a broader view of the homeless vet problem in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

HERE'S AL.................



Al is an ordained minister and the founder of "Chairs for Christ"-Supplying Medical equipment-(wheelchairs,crutches,braces,& etc.) to those in need.

Here are some quotes from him back in 2006 when he lived on the streets of Bethesda,Md.:

"One thing I do is keep my faith strong with God,"said the graying and bearded man. "The more adversity people face, they're going to gain faith or lose it. My faith is stronger. I can still smile, tell a joke, make someone laugh, make their day better.If you manage what little you got, you can make do"

"There need to be more shelters," he said. "But not of the kind most people think about.Shelters are no more than warehouses. I'm not talking about handouts. Give me an opportunity to go to school. Give me an opportunity for honest work. Homeless people need educational resources, job placement and training and some form of counseling to get you back into society."

Here are some facts and figures about homeless veterans from a wonderful, informative site

http://oldtimer.wordpress.com/homeless-veterans-an-overview-of-the-problem/

750,000 total homeless count in U.S
400,000 veterans are homeless at some time in a year
200,000 veterans homeless in any one night

27% of our male U.S. population are veterans but:
43% of all homeless males are veterans – why?

7688 beds funded by the VA for homeless veterans
192,312 sleeping elsewhere – shelters, grates, creek beds, back alleys. We have Heroes sleeping on sidewalks in every big city.

95% of homeless vets have honorable discharges

If the homeless veterans were properly cared for by our country, the total homeless population would fall by more than 40 percent over night.

Pretty powerful stats. Here are some quotes from those vets and their loved ones:

"They use the “addicted” and “mental” labels to scare the public about homeless veterans. They want the money. Adult veterans do not deserve bunk beds and shared group showers and rotten food bank food. Where does all the money go? Veterans are not allowed to get real job training in the shelters just “how to write your name” classes."

"Obama is now saying he’ll at least make sure the homeless veterans get “some type of transitional housing”; all that mean is more of the same overcrowded human warehouses, forced 12 step religion, more never-ending group therapy, bunk beds, open bay group showers, and when the veterans get so sick of that because the are not allowed to get real career training/education or PRIVACY…blow their heads off or back to the streets. Homeless veterans do not need jail conditions. they want to move on! Any agency that says “We give a hand up not a hand out” means they keep all the money given for the veterans and the veterans get squat!"

"I am so thankful for a website such as your own………I am at the same time very angry at the so called Christians in our present day society.. (I am one of them).I am so tired of hearing this prosperity message while there are homeless eeking out a meager existence under bridges…They are tortured souls, yet humiliated by their own society even further.Perhaps some of our leading evangelists could do away with $650.00 shoes, and Lear jets and put their money where their mouths are…Jesus said “feed the hungry,clothe the naked.” The answer to homelessness is the church.” It is our responsibility to do these things. Can you only imagine if we stopped building these enormous churches which cost millions upon millions to build and operate (cystal Cathedral is a good example), and started to put that money into the poor and homeless of this world, what huge differences we could make…God help us all who run around with the “What would Jesus do?” bumper stickers and let a world go hungry and naked.Explain this prosperity message to me a little more one of you big shot pastors wit a jet and 7 or 800,000 dollar homes……The men who made that a reality for you are homeless….Those veterans who fought for your freedom…..The church alone has the ability to stop homelessness and hunger………We should all pray and seek forgiveness…"

"My father is veteran of the Korean War, and we live in Roanoke, VA. The Salem, VA is the regional office for the State of VA. There are more homeless vets in this small city than in a lot of bigger cities surrounding us. I am looking into private funding to renovate 1 of many old houses here and try to house some of them. They deserve proper care, or better care than what they receive in the system. Proper food (a cook), proper health care (a full-time nurse), and a clean environment, service to assist their living habits daily. Just want to give back what my Dad did for this country. He is 77, retired and enjoying his life; all vets should do the same."


Think back to the beginning of every war that was ever fought and you can recall the marching bands, patriotic songs, flags waving from every house. Think back only a few years when the initial contingent of troops was sent to Iraq.

Zillions of tiny flags waving from car antennas and even more bumper stickers on those same cars shouting "Support Our Troops"

Where are the patriots now when those troops need them most?

“They Arrested a Homeless Man in a Shelter for Being Homeless.”

So you thought that was impossible in Poor and Rich America?

( Second in a series about being poor and/or old in America)

It happened to Al Szekley,a Nam vet who was shot in the spine in Fu Bai in 1972.

I see vets like Al all over the place but especially at patriotic events in downtown assemblages all over America.

They usually sit on curbs right next to the band shell and they are usually fractured from the pot/booze combo. I am a sucker for people who are hurting, but when I see a Nam vet especially one in a wheelchair,I get a lump in my throat.There is a special glow about them almost like a halo.

Al was sitting in his permanent prison on wheels on G St. in D.C. He lives here and sleeps here now. At 62, he is just entering the ranks of the poor and old but he has been poor for decades.Eight months ago he was evicted from a homeless shelter because of an outstanding warrant which he never answered. The warrant was for sleeping on a sidewalk in a Washington suburb.

Follow me closely.

The odds are that if Al slept on a sidewalk in any city in America in his wheelchair they would just let him be. The keyword here is SUBURB.

It just happened that Al ran afoul of the law in Virginia but it could just have well have been in any ritzy suburb, let's say for an example ,Spring Lake, N.J.. They give you a ticket for parking your car in the street overnight in Spring Lake.

Can you imagine what those people in those 5 million dollar houses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean would do with this homeless vet sleeping in his wheelchair in front of one of those stately mansions?

Oh my God. Think of what it would do to their resale values? Oh the shame of it.

But back to Al Szekely. Let's look at the whole story. Obviously,I suspect you well off suburbans are thinking; Al must have a lot more in his background than is being covered by the left wing media.

Not so.

Al is an "ordained minister,who does not drink,do drugs or curse in front of ladies" according to Ms Ehrenreich, NY Times columnist.

So you see the headline to this article is real . I happens every day in Poor and Rich America.


They do arrest homeless men in a shelters for being homeless.