Robot Bartender

A man walked into a very high-tech bar. As he sat down on a stool he noticed that the bartender was a robot. The robot clicked to attention and asked, "Sir, what will you have?"The man thought a moment then replied, "A martini please." The robot clicked a couple of times and mixed the best martini the man had ever had. The robot then asked, "Sir, what is your IQ?" The man answered "Oh, about 164." The robot then proceeded to discuss the 'theory of relativity', 'inter-steller space travel', 'the latest medical breakthroughs', etc....... The man was most impressed. He left the bar but thought he would try a different tact. He returned and took a seat. Again the robot clicked and asked what he would have? "A Martini please." Again it was superb. The robot again asked "what is your IQ sir?" This time the man answered, "Oh about 100". So the robot started discussing NASCAR racing, the latest basketball scores, and what to expect the Dodgers to do this weekend. The guy had to try it one more time. So he left, returned, and took a stool.... Again a martini, and the question, "What is your IQ?"?? This time the man drawled out "Uh..... bout 50". The robot clicked then leaned close and very slowly asked, "A-r-e y-o-u-r p-e-o-p-l-e h-a-p-p-y w-i-t-h O-B-A-M-A?????

Here we go! Healthcare

I have been asked by several blog followers why I haven't posted my opinion on "Obamacare" and one person emailed me about health care and I told him I would respond when we got home from vacation, so consider this my response. Where to begin? First of all, I am an Originalist when it comes to our Constitution. I believe it means what it says, and is not a "living, breathing document that changes with the times, as Al Gore would have it. The 10th Amendment, a part of the Bill of Rights, specifically states that, " The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people". Sounds pretty plain to me, and since there is absolutely nothing in the Constitution about providing health care to the people, the government has absolutely no constitutional authority to take over 1/6 of the US economy, with a plan that will bring about huge increases in costs and huge tax increases, which will by nature result in rationing, long waits for services, etc. in order to control those costs. Don't worry about Grandma or Grandpa getting their plug pulled by a "death panel" though, because they'll never get plugged in to begin with.

My solution to the healthcare "problem", which I'm not really sure exists, is:

1. TORT REFORM

Pain and suffering awards should be limited to a maximum of $150,000. Economic damages (i.e. lost wages, special equipment required, etc,) should still be awarded. Malpractice insurance can cost doctors up to $800,000 a year. Doctors order every possible test, even unnecessary ones, in order to protect themselves from liability. All this cost gets passed on to patients or insurance companies. One further point about tort reform. In order to prevent the filing of frivolous lawsuits which cost doctors and insurance companies millions, if not billions, in legal fees every year to defend, it should be made mandatory that the losing side pay legal fees of both sides.

2. INSURANCE COMPANIES

Ah, the big bad "boggie man" of this entire operation (no pun intended). Well, right now they are one of most highly regulated industries in this country. They make a profit? How horrible! Well, they sell a service and are entitled to make a profit on it just like I'm entitled to make a profit when I go to a customer's house and kill a yellow jacket nest or some mice. Should I be demonized because I make a profit? Insurance company customers should be able to buy the coverage they want and not have to buy coverage for some disease, because the "Government" mandates that it be covered, if their family history and life style mean they will probably will never get it.
Insurance customers and small businesses should be able to put their resources together and buy insurance across state lines, which is currently illegal.

3. 47 MILLION UNINSURED

Now, taken at face value that represents about 15% of the country's population, but that figure is totally bogus, by the way, because:

a. 8.4 million of those are what are called "invincibles", young people who don't think they will get sick and decide not to participate in or purchase a medical plan. Should the government force them to participate? I don't think so.

b. 8 million are kids who are eligible for coverage of some sort, but their parents haven't signed them up. Is the Government supposed to make up for parents stupidity? I don't think so.

c. 18 million have access and choose not to sign up or are temporarily between jobs and not covered. This is the same as full employment with about a 3-3.5 % unemployment rate. There will always be some people uncovered by medical insurance just as there will always be some unemployed. Are the rest of us supposed to pay for coverage for people like this? Do we pay people's salaries just because they are unemployed? I don't think so.

d. 12.6 million are illegal immigrants who should not even be in the country, never mind be covered by government health care. Come here legally if you love this country that much. Should we provide heathcare for people who are here ILLEGALLY? I don't think so.

But for the sake of argument, let's just say that it is true, and the new government plan covers every last one of them. That would mean that in order to maintain services at their current level there would have to be an immediate (upon passage of "Obamacare") 18% increase in the number of doctors, nurses, clinics, blood labs, radiology centers, hospitals, etc. Does anyone really think that is going to happen? The result will have to be rationing.
Not one single person in this country is denied medical coverage. All they have to do is show up at an emergency room and by Federal law they have to be treated even if they cannot pay.

4. MSA's (medical savings accounts)

These are similar to IRA's, or your 401K. You put money aside each month, tax free, and these funds have to be used on medical expenses, insurance, etc. Any amount left over at the end of the year can be rolled over. This would allow people to shop for their own medical insurance coverage, and/or pay their own bills (if they so desire). The important part of this is that healthcare decisions would be returned to the individual and away from the insurance companies and the government. Insurance companies and medical professionals would be competing for your dollars and this along with reduced malpractice insurance premiums because of tort reform, would cause prices to fall. In a lot of cases, they would fall drastically.

5. CONTROL

Does anyone really believe that the government is trying to force through government run healthcare because they are some benevolent organization who just cares about the "little people"? I don't think so. If they get control of your healthcare, they get control of you! They can tell you what to eat, what to drink, how to live, and on and on and on....... It is very simple, for those of you who haven't been paying attention, that the Left wants to control your life and they are in power now and they are rapidly pushing through as much legislation, as fast as they can before we wake up and realize what is going on. If they succeed, it will be too late for the America we knew.

If anyone has an opinion feel free to leave a comment on the blog.

This is where we are headed, if it isn't stopped! Actually, this is where we are!

Thought you might be interested in how much you and your family owe, and you thought it was just your credit card balance, car loan, and mortgage.

http://www.usdebtclock.org

Absolutely unbelievable!!!!

Do you remember my post about the waitress who didn't know who Chris Dodd is? Well, it happened again! Before we went on vacation, my father, my wife, and I went to a Civil War (you know, the war between the States) reenactment at Three Rivers Park, here in Woodbury. As we were standing there waiting for the battle to begin I overheard a father behind me ask his young son "So, are we going to root for the British or the Americans?" What!!!! Blue vs. Gray, Yanks vs. Rebels, North vs. South, Union vs. Confederacy - how basic does a knowledge of US history get? I could understand if it was the son asking the father.
Remember, these people vote!!!!

Immigrant Citizenship Test

My wife and I went out to dinner last night at a local restaurant. It was our first trip to "The Woodbury Diner". It actually is a very nice place with good food, although it doesn't serve adult beverages. I had on my "Dump Chris Dodd" T-shirt, and as we walked in the door a waitress who I would guess was late teens-early twenties saw the shirt and asked me "Who is Chris Dodd?". Now, here is a girl who is probably a product of our public school system. Who is Chris Dodd? I was floored!
Now that got me to thinking, which can be very dangerous. I thought of the immigrants to this country who came here legally (we'll leave the illegal ones for a future post). They have to be here a certain period of time, and then they can become U.S. citizens, but in order to do this they must first pass a Naturalization test about this country. I went up on the internet, found the test, printed it out, and took a look at it. I doubt if the girl in the restaurant could have gotten even one question right, and she either has or will be "voting" in future elections. How is she going to base her vote if she has no clue as to the working of our government? She'll vote based on sound bites, emotion, and promises that the government will give her everything she needs. She reminds me of the women at an Obama campaign rally in Florida last year who said, "I hope he gets elected because if he does I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage or putting gas in my car." What ???? She probably went to the same school as the waitress.
I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that in order to register to vote, American born citizens should have to get a passing grade on the same test the immigrants have to take to become citizens. Why does this country have to have totally clueless people voting????

Sieg Heil ! - Guess I'm a Nazi

I am against the Democrat's proposed Health care reform and their entire spend, spend, spend, and regulate, regulate, regulate agenda, and because of my opposition, their leadership (i.e. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, et al) have labeled me and any other Americans who oppose them members of a mob, right wing extremists, and they have even called us a Nazis. Does anyone remember last year, during the campaign, when Hillary Clinton said "that dissent is the highest form of Patriotism", and "Since when has it been part of American patriotism to keep our mouths shut?" Does that only apply to them? I guess it's all right for the left to dissent, call people names, smear them, and practice what they are so good at - the politics of personal destruction. They can't win when arguing the facts, so they have to result to name calling. I am really getting sick and tired of ordinary Americans standing up, asking legitimate questions about the Health Care Bill, at Town Hall Meetings with their Representatives and Senators, and being shouted down, and called names by the Democrats, the media, and other leftist loonies. Are the leftists the only ones who can dissent?

Apparently they are!

P.S.
If there are any "lefty" snitches out their following my blog, please feel free to pass this on to Barack Obama's White House "snitch" web site!

One man's statement...The Gathering Storm

When the storm finally hits (and it will), those of you who supported the Obama administration will be affected as well. It won't just be us gun owners or Flat Taxers, or Pro-Lifers that get hit. You'll be right there next to us. You see, you all thought the Conservatives were nut cases. You know, all of us who believe in God, small government, the Second Amendment, etc., and you thought you could just go back to sleep after the election was over. In your world, America will continue as before. You'll still have the same rights, the same nice house, the same big screen television - it's all good. After all, your high school football team won and the other team lost - go team! Even if you have bothered to look up from the daily grind since Nov 4th, you dismissed everything that has occurred as "politics as usual" - "the same old stuff". In the end, it'll all be OK, won't it?
Not this time. There are a growing number of citizens in the US that are ready to fight to shut down the government's grab of personal freedom, it's blatant abuse of the constitution, and it's attempt to replace the American way of life with socialism. You have to listen carefully to hear them, but they are there. I won't start that fight, but, when it goes down, I will join it.
As for you, why, you'll be shocked because you didn't see it coming, and eventually you'll be saddened when you see that we have truly lost the way of life in which you grew up. You'll be saddened that your children and grandchildren live in a socialist, government-controlled gulag where their every movement from cradle to grave is tracked by the government, but most of all, you'll be saddened by the death of friends and relatives who are brave enough to fight and die for something they believe in.
You know, McCain wasn't much of a candidate. I'll give you that. He was the lesser of two evils for most of us. I don't blame you for not voting for him since, at the time, you didn't know what we all know now, but at least John McCain was an American. He was a supporter of the American way of life and he understood that you can't negotiate with terrorists. He understood and appreciated the sacrifice made by my father and other members of the Greatest Generation.
Mark my words, friends, all across America groups are forming. They are forming out of anger and out of desperation at the thought of losing America . They're not militia groups--terrorists as the Department of Homeland security would have you believe. They are Americans, loyal to the Constitution. They are mothers and fathers and grandparents. They belong to groups like the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, the Peaceful Resistance, the Constitution Party, the Young Conservatives, the 9/12 Project, and Grassfire. Right now they are fragmented, each focused on its own cause, but sometime in the next two years, our government is going to do something really stupid and these groups will come together. Watch for it, wait for it, get ready, it will happen. When that event happens, whatever "it" is, our great country is going to plunge into chaos for a while. I pray to God that we make it through that time and emerge a stronger, smarter country.
Jerry Wilson
Live Free or Die Fighting

A Real American Hero

I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers.

One of the "Band of Brothers" soldiers died on June 17, 2009.

Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.

Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . " at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . .. do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.

I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade.

No big event in Staples Center.

No wall to wall, back to back, 24x7 news coverage.

No weeping fans on television.

And that is not right!