It just dawned on me, and this is a really flimsy argument with no reading up on or thinking in depth about, but I am starting to see how the Housing Crisis has predicted the outcome of our Great Medical debate.
In a nutshell, Americans were buying homes they could not afford. When push came to shove, and Adjustable Rate Mortgages adjusted the upwards way, people couldn't afford their mortgage, and everything else collapsed.
What if the Medical field is the same thing? What if we have advanced so far, on the heels of unthinkable profits by the triumverate of modern medicine (Insurance Providers, Pharmaceutical Companies and Wall Street), that the costs of operating modern medicine are exceeding what we can actually afford.
This isn't a question of who should receive the treatments, in this case I am not talking specifically about the Health Care debate, I'm talking about the notion that the High Cost surgeries, x-rays, drugs, prescriptions, plastic limbs and miniature cameras that are all inside people's bodies...what if all of those things add up to a cost that far exceeds what we can actually afford?
The Housing situation is clearly shifting, we are seeing some markets, like Massachusetts, show growth in home purchase numbers, even in places like Las Vegas and Florida as well - things are looking up. The reason, I think, is because everyone has changed their mindset, right? There was obviously relief in the form of loan leniency as well as tax breaks for first time home buyers - but the reasons are less important than the fact that there are reasons. And most certainly people aren't buying homes they cannot afford, and if they are, they are doing it on money borrowed from Mom & Dad as opposed to a bank that is charging 2% now and 18% later.
So what form would it take with modern medicine? What is the choice? We have gone too far, we cannot look back, can we? Maybe we have to. To put it in the housing terms, maybe we cannot afford the jacuzzi and the 4th bedroom, and we have to live in a 2-Bedroom ranch in a town we don't want to live in.
The trail my brain is going down is terrifying. Imagine the Gov't decision-making that would have to take place on where we'd have to sacrifice? Would it be no more MRI's? Would it be no more anti-depressant or other psychological drugs? What if we cannot afford all this stuff?
Now, the thing you're probably thinking is, "of course we can afford it, but the price has just been gouged so high by Pharmas and HMO's, and that is fixable..." Is it? Does a house really have to cost a 1/2 million? You do realize that we are equating "health" in the Housing Market with a return to "normal" prices and a return to acceptable level of people willing to pay those prices. What makes you think it'd be any different for a 2 week supply of Prozac?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
...Patriots and Sports...
It is so nice to be watching football again - the NBA season was strong, but this lack of sports-watching since June has hurt me pretty badly. I suppose I've filled it with Golf and other things, but I do miss following the ins and outs of an entire league.
The Patriots are playing the Redskins in a preseason game tonight, and it has been more fun to watch than I had anticipated. Here are some of the reasons why:
> First incompletion of the game by Brady was a flare pass out to Fred Taylor, which to the viewer was easily seen as an incomplete forward pass, but you can easily understand why Taylor, the Pats RB, may have not seen that so clearly. It was so refreshing to see him chase the ball down, as if it may have been a lateral or backwards pass, and to see a genuine kind of hustle that helps teams win championships.
> The Redskins are exactly, exactly, what I think they are. They are a fantastic roster of athletes, who cannot contain themselves when it comes to penalties. They are individuals who think they need to make all the plays. Haynesworth jumping a snap for an encroachment, Smoot dancing like a moron after each tackle, D. Hall with a facemask on a tackle that stopped Moss for fourth down, and also Hall getting beat b/c he bit too hard on a pumpfake. All these are examples of individuals thinking they need to to the extraordinary thing, rather than doing their job.
> Brady has the best combination of arm strength and accuracy I have ever seen. Maybe, and I hate to say it, Marino may have bested him. Montana had lots of things going on, as did Steve Young, but Brady has managed to package it all up into something remarkable. Which leads me to my next point...
> Belichick has mastered the thought process of, "Why Run?" He has decided, "While most teams have to run to keep defenses honest, I have Moss and Brady, so I don't need to think like that. I am going to run only when I have to, try to stop me."
> I decided the worst sports moments of my life are as follows, from 5th most painful to most painful:
5. The moment when I missed a penalty kick in a soccer game that would have sent us to "States". To this day I don't even know what that means. But I know I felt pain and my parents bought me Dairy Queen. That Dairy Queen is now a bank, and I don't like soccer, but it stuck with me as exceptionally painful.
4. Coming in 3rd in my league championship in Javelin my Sr. Year, after having gone completely undefeated in the league during the entire Spring Season. I went into the event as the #1 seed, so to speak, and knew, knew, with barely above average throws I could squeak it out. I was right, but I threw below average all day. I faulted on my best throw, and the championship slipped through my fingers. That had no silver lining, I learned no lesson. The next week I came in 2nd in Eastern Massachusetts to qualify for states, so it felt more like a nuisance to lose than a life lesson. That still really irks me.
3. Twisted Metal Ultimate losing to GOAT in the Game to go to Nationals in '04. The most painful personal sports moment of my life, but it really had so many silver linings:
a) I used this a big time motivational tool for myself personally in my career, and even developed a presentation based on this weekend to get myself a job in the Spring of '05
b) The Boston Ultimate landscape was changed forever by Metal, and I am proud to say I had something to do with that. This game was so entirely huge for everyone who played in it, and it really was an important game for dozens of close friends.
c) The game itself was so remarkable I was so proud to be a part of it. Tons of fans, tons of spectators, those who were watching and playing got a clear understanding of what Ultimate meant to all of us, and the comraderie I felt with my team and the opposing team during and after this loss was second to none.
2. Red Sox lose to the Yankees in the '03 ALCS on a walk off homer by Boone. This feels like light years away, and I know I was blown away so completely by this loss. I didn't speak for I think almost 24 hours aside from a "goodbye" to my parents as I left their house. I was damaged to a point where I just stopped letting sports on a professional level get to me that much. I realized I didn't have it in me to feel that way for the rest of my life. Wow, I used to really care about baseball.
1. Patriots lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl. At the time I didn't let it kill me, and I remember laughing about it and not being disheartened to the point where I was upset. I think that I can't get that feeling anymore for sports, that time of my life is past, which is fine by me. But it is criminal that they lost, the "what if's" about that game extend far beyond the game itself - the perfect season lost, the blemish on Bill and Brady's records in the playoffs, and just the incongruity of it all. It makes no sense to this day, and it never will. A blight on our sports life that is unreasonable.
> Laurence Maroney is doing everything he can to separate himself from the likes of Taylor, Green-Ellis and Morris. Wow, this Pats team is so stacked.
> Another heady play, Derrick Burgess stayed home, didn't rush into the backfield, and chased Jason Campbell back about 25 yards before he had to throw it away. All these guys do is their job, over and over and over again.
I can't gush anymore over this team, that'll have to wait for week 1.
The Patriots are playing the Redskins in a preseason game tonight, and it has been more fun to watch than I had anticipated. Here are some of the reasons why:
> First incompletion of the game by Brady was a flare pass out to Fred Taylor, which to the viewer was easily seen as an incomplete forward pass, but you can easily understand why Taylor, the Pats RB, may have not seen that so clearly. It was so refreshing to see him chase the ball down, as if it may have been a lateral or backwards pass, and to see a genuine kind of hustle that helps teams win championships.
> The Redskins are exactly, exactly, what I think they are. They are a fantastic roster of athletes, who cannot contain themselves when it comes to penalties. They are individuals who think they need to make all the plays. Haynesworth jumping a snap for an encroachment, Smoot dancing like a moron after each tackle, D. Hall with a facemask on a tackle that stopped Moss for fourth down, and also Hall getting beat b/c he bit too hard on a pumpfake. All these are examples of individuals thinking they need to to the extraordinary thing, rather than doing their job.
> Brady has the best combination of arm strength and accuracy I have ever seen. Maybe, and I hate to say it, Marino may have bested him. Montana had lots of things going on, as did Steve Young, but Brady has managed to package it all up into something remarkable. Which leads me to my next point...
> Belichick has mastered the thought process of, "Why Run?" He has decided, "While most teams have to run to keep defenses honest, I have Moss and Brady, so I don't need to think like that. I am going to run only when I have to, try to stop me."
> I decided the worst sports moments of my life are as follows, from 5th most painful to most painful:
5. The moment when I missed a penalty kick in a soccer game that would have sent us to "States". To this day I don't even know what that means. But I know I felt pain and my parents bought me Dairy Queen. That Dairy Queen is now a bank, and I don't like soccer, but it stuck with me as exceptionally painful.
4. Coming in 3rd in my league championship in Javelin my Sr. Year, after having gone completely undefeated in the league during the entire Spring Season. I went into the event as the #1 seed, so to speak, and knew, knew, with barely above average throws I could squeak it out. I was right, but I threw below average all day. I faulted on my best throw, and the championship slipped through my fingers. That had no silver lining, I learned no lesson. The next week I came in 2nd in Eastern Massachusetts to qualify for states, so it felt more like a nuisance to lose than a life lesson. That still really irks me.
3. Twisted Metal Ultimate losing to GOAT in the Game to go to Nationals in '04. The most painful personal sports moment of my life, but it really had so many silver linings:
a) I used this a big time motivational tool for myself personally in my career, and even developed a presentation based on this weekend to get myself a job in the Spring of '05
b) The Boston Ultimate landscape was changed forever by Metal, and I am proud to say I had something to do with that. This game was so entirely huge for everyone who played in it, and it really was an important game for dozens of close friends.
c) The game itself was so remarkable I was so proud to be a part of it. Tons of fans, tons of spectators, those who were watching and playing got a clear understanding of what Ultimate meant to all of us, and the comraderie I felt with my team and the opposing team during and after this loss was second to none.
2. Red Sox lose to the Yankees in the '03 ALCS on a walk off homer by Boone. This feels like light years away, and I know I was blown away so completely by this loss. I didn't speak for I think almost 24 hours aside from a "goodbye" to my parents as I left their house. I was damaged to a point where I just stopped letting sports on a professional level get to me that much. I realized I didn't have it in me to feel that way for the rest of my life. Wow, I used to really care about baseball.
1. Patriots lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl. At the time I didn't let it kill me, and I remember laughing about it and not being disheartened to the point where I was upset. I think that I can't get that feeling anymore for sports, that time of my life is past, which is fine by me. But it is criminal that they lost, the "what if's" about that game extend far beyond the game itself - the perfect season lost, the blemish on Bill and Brady's records in the playoffs, and just the incongruity of it all. It makes no sense to this day, and it never will. A blight on our sports life that is unreasonable.
> Laurence Maroney is doing everything he can to separate himself from the likes of Taylor, Green-Ellis and Morris. Wow, this Pats team is so stacked.
> Another heady play, Derrick Burgess stayed home, didn't rush into the backfield, and chased Jason Campbell back about 25 yards before he had to throw it away. All these guys do is their job, over and over and over again.
I can't gush anymore over this team, that'll have to wait for week 1.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
...Juvie Hall; Calm Health Care Debate; Jefferson; CIA Interrogation; Kennedy;
Tuesday, 8/25
4 New York Prisons In New York Used Excessive Force
I think I am completely tired of stories like this - although the story of the Investigations into CIA abuse don't bore me...but I think it's more of a matter that we all know, know, not think, that this type of abuse happens at every prison in this country, on every level.
The line that jumped out at me was, "Investigators found that physical force was often the first response to any act of insubordination by residents, who are all under 16, despite rules allowing force only as a last resort." This just gets to me on so many levels, especially the level that understands that kids who are 16 or under, already screwed up enough to have found themselves in Youth Prison, do everything they can to illicit this type of reaction from any kind of superior. It's such a played out and tired story, and the reality is, the laziness of everyone in these kid's lives, starting with parents and moving on to probably 95% of those who have touched their lives, lead them into a place where they get demolished by some 22 year old college-dropout semi-alcoholic prison guard. Yuk.
Calm, but Moved to Be Heard In the Debate Over Health Care
I think this was the single best article I have read regarding anything to do with health care. It was able to look at the reality of what many American's think about the whole deal, and it was the Times going as far Right as they possibly could, which is I think still a little bit Left of center. I urge you to read the article with an open mind and really try to think like it's subject, the Collier family.
From the article, "What prompted the Colliers to attend a Congressional district meeting for the first time was an almost solemn sense of the magnitude of the health care issue, and its place in determining the scope of American government." That really is a powerful line if you stop and think about it - this really is one of those moments in our History that will shape a great deal of policy in the future, and I think the Left maybe has been a little dismissive of that fact, myself included. I am starting to turn a corner, mostly because as news trickles out, the reality is this Health Care plan is going to look nothing like what Obama campaigned on, and it looks more and more like it won't fix anything, nothing at all.
The article continues, "The Colliers are committed conservatives who have voted Republican in presidential elections since 1980. They receive much of their news from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh's radio program, and Matt Druge's Web Site." Am I the only person who votes Democrat, and watches Fox News and listens to Rush as much as he listens/watches any other news outlet? Is that not the only way to start to engage in an intelligent discussion on any issue?
If I was going to debate who was History would say is a better QB, Favre or Brady, would I not go into detailed research on each QB? Would I not study what the possible arguments are, both for and against each particular QB? Listening to Rush over the past few months, in particular, has been completely eye-opening. I don't mean that purely in the, "What the F#$* did he just say?" sense. I mean it in the, "Well, that sorta does make sense, and it sorta does weaken my position - I need to think about that a bit more..."
I am not married to my ideals in relation to Politics, I am married to being honest with myself and other people. I am okay attacking Obama on things like this stupid double-war we have found ourselves in, that he isn't any different than GW in this thing besides the fact that he isn't waterboarding anyone...My point is that getting your news from one place is stupid, its childish and short-sighted and isn't what will prepare you to understand anything. Sorry to preach, but this is one thing where I don't mind preaching.
I am reading this book right now, and there couldn't be a President more amazingly interesting to read about right now, in our political climate, than this guy. Of course, I don't know what I am talking about, but this guy was a "Small Government" guy to the extreme, to a point where he could never operate in our public sphere. As a matter of fact, guys like Ron Paul take a cue from Jefferson, but tone it down a notch, and look at how laughed at he is right now?
The thing that completely kills me is that the US public, particularly the right, is so Jingoistically Pro-America to the point where you cannot criticize any of this countries practices in regards to our choices...we can do no wrong in their eyes. Yet, when those same people elect leaders to the Senate, Congress, the Oval Office, etc, it is okay to dismantle everything the politicians think. In other words, their thinking is: Americans are the greatest, they are never wrong. Except when voting in our leaders, then we are wrong most of the time.
Jefferson felt that the role of the US President was so minimal to the point that he didn't even think the President should have a title that ornate. The reasons why he would be rolling over in his grave about the powers that Obama is taking on are explained nearly on every page of the book, but the most interesting thing was how quickly Jefferson, a completely Small-Government guy, changed his tune when it came to expanding the country and essentially buying the Louisiana Territory (aka, most of this country), without consulting the people, the elected officials, or anyone but his own ego.
There are times when the leader of the Nation has to do something that may be unpopular, unliked and unprecedented. This is clearly one of those times. More power to Obama. Just fix it, cuz I don't mind saying you were wrong if all this doesn't work out.
Wednesday, 8/26
Records Show Strict Rules For C.I.A. Interrogations
The record needs to be set straight. War=Torture. The two cannot coexist without each other, and the two cannot exist on their own. It is so naive and ignorant to imagine this country in multiple wars in dozens of countries and not think that we are completely kicking someone's ass in a way that doesn't demolish all "rules of war". Rules of war, don't get me started, could anything be more childlike? Literally, like when you played war in the backyard and you couldn't drink your Mom's Iced Tea until you were "dead", those kinds of things. Don't shoot the medic. What? Don't do the thing that may effectively wipe out your opponent, ultimately ending the war. How many medics did we "shoot" when we bombed Hiroshima? How does this rule work, exactly?
The article speaks about how "'The detainee finds himself in the complete control of Americans; the procedures he is subjected to are precise, quiet and almost clinical,' noted one document." I love the use of "almost" in there, it really is just so they can stop short of accusing Cheney's highest ranking torture official of being Josef Mengele.
Again, if you are pro this war, or any war, you have to accept the fact that you are pro torture. Torture of all unimaginable kinds. Pulling toenails is child's play compared to what these monsters come up with now, and all of this is with no direct proof that any reliable information is procured as a result of these processes, on a statistical scale, at least.
Obama needs to do 3 things for me to respect him on this one:
1. He needs to admit that he is Holder's boss, and he is going to tell Holder what to do and when to do it. Holder isn't operating independently on this matter, and shouldn't be. It is okay, Barack. You can hate the things that happened as a result of Bush/Cheney policies.
2. He needs to shut the hell up about how the past is the past, he needs to talk about, show pictures of, and discuss in detail these abuses by our Gov't in time of war. For someone who had everything to say about "teachable moments" when it comes to race relations in the case of a maniac on his front porch in Cambridge, he surprisingly wants to teach very little about the monstrosity of torture and the reasons why the relationship between the US and the rest of the world are so closely tied to the practices.
Thursday, 8/27
Senator Kennedy, Battle Lost, Is Hailed as a Leader
No need to link this one, Boston.com is engaging in 24 hour coverage for the next 72 days, so no need to worry. I understand he is a Kennedy, but I think the amazing thing that is happening is that those who are over 42 or so seem to forget that my generation, and the majority of those out there right now, while we may have respect for Ted, we don't have the reverence for him that news agencies think he deserves.
The real story behind this is the last few days of Kennedy's life, and the political wranglings that were attempted. My thoughts are that Kennedy was not in position to make the kinds of judgments and proposals that came from his camp in the last 10 days. His "people" clearly were behind this, and that makes it worse, not better. "Under current law, a sepcial election could not take place until at least 145 days after a Senate Seat opens." This has been covered completely by news agencies, and we all know this rule came into effect, at Kennedy's urging, when John Kerry looked like the next President of the US in '04.
As the story goes, Romney was Gov. of MA, people were afraid he'd appoint a Republican Senator, and the law was changed by a powerful Dem. legislature in the state. Yesterday's NYTimes editorial (sorta) hit the nail on the head. They spoke about the political reasons why you cannot just change the law, and they also spoke about how all Senators should be elected, stating that as much as 27% of the US Population is represented by a Senator who was appointed, not elected. Scary.
But if the Left wanted to be honest with itself, and I am suprised I am not reading more of this, if Kennedy and the MA Democratic leadership really cared about the future of the state, in a wholesome and altruistic way, Kennedy would have resigned his seat months ago. 145 days ago he could have stepped down, citing that he is "Sick, tired and hopeful the state will elect a Democratic voice to continue with the policies I was so integral in developing and enacting," or something along those lines.
The issue isn't that this state will Democratically elect a Republican to be our Senator, we won't...we will nominate Deval Patrick as Senator before we throw a Republican next to Kerry on capital hill. The issue is that we are now 1 Democrat short of 60, and short of vote-tipping power.
Kennedy and his people were selfish, plain and simple. They wanted their name on this Health Care Bill, they wanted everything associated with it to be pushed towards Ted for his final days, and now the entire Democratic voting population is paying the price.
The Left, the Democrats, in November were up by 3 Touchdowns to use a football metaphor. And since then, they have been taking a knee with the ball and playing Prevent defense, allowing big strike after big strike, which has allowed the Republicans to chip away and chip away. This lead is probably, at this point, barely more than a field goal (to continue the metaphor) and there is no sign of things slowing down. 2010 is the least of the Dems concerns, because right now we are looking like 2012 is a landslide victory for our first Mormon President.
That's enough for now.
4 New York Prisons In New York Used Excessive Force
I think I am completely tired of stories like this - although the story of the Investigations into CIA abuse don't bore me...but I think it's more of a matter that we all know, know, not think, that this type of abuse happens at every prison in this country, on every level.
The line that jumped out at me was, "Investigators found that physical force was often the first response to any act of insubordination by residents, who are all under 16, despite rules allowing force only as a last resort." This just gets to me on so many levels, especially the level that understands that kids who are 16 or under, already screwed up enough to have found themselves in Youth Prison, do everything they can to illicit this type of reaction from any kind of superior. It's such a played out and tired story, and the reality is, the laziness of everyone in these kid's lives, starting with parents and moving on to probably 95% of those who have touched their lives, lead them into a place where they get demolished by some 22 year old college-dropout semi-alcoholic prison guard. Yuk.
Calm, but Moved to Be Heard In the Debate Over Health Care
I think this was the single best article I have read regarding anything to do with health care. It was able to look at the reality of what many American's think about the whole deal, and it was the Times going as far Right as they possibly could, which is I think still a little bit Left of center. I urge you to read the article with an open mind and really try to think like it's subject, the Collier family.
From the article, "What prompted the Colliers to attend a Congressional district meeting for the first time was an almost solemn sense of the magnitude of the health care issue, and its place in determining the scope of American government." That really is a powerful line if you stop and think about it - this really is one of those moments in our History that will shape a great deal of policy in the future, and I think the Left maybe has been a little dismissive of that fact, myself included. I am starting to turn a corner, mostly because as news trickles out, the reality is this Health Care plan is going to look nothing like what Obama campaigned on, and it looks more and more like it won't fix anything, nothing at all.
The article continues, "The Colliers are committed conservatives who have voted Republican in presidential elections since 1980. They receive much of their news from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh's radio program, and Matt Druge's Web Site." Am I the only person who votes Democrat, and watches Fox News and listens to Rush as much as he listens/watches any other news outlet? Is that not the only way to start to engage in an intelligent discussion on any issue?
If I was going to debate who was History would say is a better QB, Favre or Brady, would I not go into detailed research on each QB? Would I not study what the possible arguments are, both for and against each particular QB? Listening to Rush over the past few months, in particular, has been completely eye-opening. I don't mean that purely in the, "What the F#$* did he just say?" sense. I mean it in the, "Well, that sorta does make sense, and it sorta does weaken my position - I need to think about that a bit more..."
I am not married to my ideals in relation to Politics, I am married to being honest with myself and other people. I am okay attacking Obama on things like this stupid double-war we have found ourselves in, that he isn't any different than GW in this thing besides the fact that he isn't waterboarding anyone...My point is that getting your news from one place is stupid, its childish and short-sighted and isn't what will prepare you to understand anything. Sorry to preach, but this is one thing where I don't mind preaching.
I am reading this book right now, and there couldn't be a President more amazingly interesting to read about right now, in our political climate, than this guy. Of course, I don't know what I am talking about, but this guy was a "Small Government" guy to the extreme, to a point where he could never operate in our public sphere. As a matter of fact, guys like Ron Paul take a cue from Jefferson, but tone it down a notch, and look at how laughed at he is right now?
The thing that completely kills me is that the US public, particularly the right, is so Jingoistically Pro-America to the point where you cannot criticize any of this countries practices in regards to our choices...we can do no wrong in their eyes. Yet, when those same people elect leaders to the Senate, Congress, the Oval Office, etc, it is okay to dismantle everything the politicians think. In other words, their thinking is: Americans are the greatest, they are never wrong. Except when voting in our leaders, then we are wrong most of the time.
Jefferson felt that the role of the US President was so minimal to the point that he didn't even think the President should have a title that ornate. The reasons why he would be rolling over in his grave about the powers that Obama is taking on are explained nearly on every page of the book, but the most interesting thing was how quickly Jefferson, a completely Small-Government guy, changed his tune when it came to expanding the country and essentially buying the Louisiana Territory (aka, most of this country), without consulting the people, the elected officials, or anyone but his own ego.
There are times when the leader of the Nation has to do something that may be unpopular, unliked and unprecedented. This is clearly one of those times. More power to Obama. Just fix it, cuz I don't mind saying you were wrong if all this doesn't work out.
Wednesday, 8/26
Records Show Strict Rules For C.I.A. Interrogations
The record needs to be set straight. War=Torture. The two cannot coexist without each other, and the two cannot exist on their own. It is so naive and ignorant to imagine this country in multiple wars in dozens of countries and not think that we are completely kicking someone's ass in a way that doesn't demolish all "rules of war". Rules of war, don't get me started, could anything be more childlike? Literally, like when you played war in the backyard and you couldn't drink your Mom's Iced Tea until you were "dead", those kinds of things. Don't shoot the medic. What? Don't do the thing that may effectively wipe out your opponent, ultimately ending the war. How many medics did we "shoot" when we bombed Hiroshima? How does this rule work, exactly?
The article speaks about how "'The detainee finds himself in the complete control of Americans; the procedures he is subjected to are precise, quiet and almost clinical,' noted one document." I love the use of "almost" in there, it really is just so they can stop short of accusing Cheney's highest ranking torture official of being Josef Mengele.
Again, if you are pro this war, or any war, you have to accept the fact that you are pro torture. Torture of all unimaginable kinds. Pulling toenails is child's play compared to what these monsters come up with now, and all of this is with no direct proof that any reliable information is procured as a result of these processes, on a statistical scale, at least.
Obama needs to do 3 things for me to respect him on this one:
1. He needs to admit that he is Holder's boss, and he is going to tell Holder what to do and when to do it. Holder isn't operating independently on this matter, and shouldn't be. It is okay, Barack. You can hate the things that happened as a result of Bush/Cheney policies.
2. He needs to shut the hell up about how the past is the past, he needs to talk about, show pictures of, and discuss in detail these abuses by our Gov't in time of war. For someone who had everything to say about "teachable moments" when it comes to race relations in the case of a maniac on his front porch in Cambridge, he surprisingly wants to teach very little about the monstrosity of torture and the reasons why the relationship between the US and the rest of the world are so closely tied to the practices.
Thursday, 8/27
Senator Kennedy, Battle Lost, Is Hailed as a Leader
No need to link this one, Boston.com is engaging in 24 hour coverage for the next 72 days, so no need to worry. I understand he is a Kennedy, but I think the amazing thing that is happening is that those who are over 42 or so seem to forget that my generation, and the majority of those out there right now, while we may have respect for Ted, we don't have the reverence for him that news agencies think he deserves.
The real story behind this is the last few days of Kennedy's life, and the political wranglings that were attempted. My thoughts are that Kennedy was not in position to make the kinds of judgments and proposals that came from his camp in the last 10 days. His "people" clearly were behind this, and that makes it worse, not better. "Under current law, a sepcial election could not take place until at least 145 days after a Senate Seat opens." This has been covered completely by news agencies, and we all know this rule came into effect, at Kennedy's urging, when John Kerry looked like the next President of the US in '04.
As the story goes, Romney was Gov. of MA, people were afraid he'd appoint a Republican Senator, and the law was changed by a powerful Dem. legislature in the state. Yesterday's NYTimes editorial (sorta) hit the nail on the head. They spoke about the political reasons why you cannot just change the law, and they also spoke about how all Senators should be elected, stating that as much as 27% of the US Population is represented by a Senator who was appointed, not elected. Scary.
But if the Left wanted to be honest with itself, and I am suprised I am not reading more of this, if Kennedy and the MA Democratic leadership really cared about the future of the state, in a wholesome and altruistic way, Kennedy would have resigned his seat months ago. 145 days ago he could have stepped down, citing that he is "Sick, tired and hopeful the state will elect a Democratic voice to continue with the policies I was so integral in developing and enacting," or something along those lines.
The issue isn't that this state will Democratically elect a Republican to be our Senator, we won't...we will nominate Deval Patrick as Senator before we throw a Republican next to Kerry on capital hill. The issue is that we are now 1 Democrat short of 60, and short of vote-tipping power.
Kennedy and his people were selfish, plain and simple. They wanted their name on this Health Care Bill, they wanted everything associated with it to be pushed towards Ted for his final days, and now the entire Democratic voting population is paying the price.
The Left, the Democrats, in November were up by 3 Touchdowns to use a football metaphor. And since then, they have been taking a knee with the ball and playing Prevent defense, allowing big strike after big strike, which has allowed the Republicans to chip away and chip away. This lead is probably, at this point, barely more than a field goal (to continue the metaphor) and there is no sign of things slowing down. 2010 is the least of the Dems concerns, because right now we are looking like 2012 is a landslide victory for our first Mormon President.
That's enough for now.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
...I bought a new car...
I have purchased a new car.
This is my first new car since 2001 when I bought a Toyota Echo. I won't go into the specifics but that was a long time ago, in a Nick galaxy far, far away.
This time around I went to a bunch of dealerships and drove a lot of cars in 2 days.
I drove the following:
Mazda 3 (2 versions)
Toyota Camry (3 versions)
Subaru Outback (1 version)
Volkswagen Jetta (1 version)
I drove the Mazda first, and I liked it the most. I went back to it after driving the Jetta and drove the Mazda again, and I loved the way it drove and handled.
I originally posted a link here with images/details on the car, but I realized that Mazda times out the link, so I'll have to repost from a different site tomorrow. See the end of this Blog post to see what the car is and you can google it to get images/detail.
Here is also a link to a video that some dude on Youtube did that shows the interior, I got all these features and I cannot be more excited. I didn't get the blackberry, however, so I am not sure how this will interact with my iPhone, but I'm still very excited.
Officially, the car I bought is the Mazda3 s Grand Touring Edition, 2.5 Cyl, 167hp, with Tech Pack included. Black leather interior, Granite Mica Exterior.
Sweet.
This is my first new car since 2001 when I bought a Toyota Echo. I won't go into the specifics but that was a long time ago, in a Nick galaxy far, far away.
This time around I went to a bunch of dealerships and drove a lot of cars in 2 days.
I drove the following:
Mazda 3 (2 versions)
Toyota Camry (3 versions)
Subaru Outback (1 version)
Volkswagen Jetta (1 version)
I drove the Mazda first, and I liked it the most. I went back to it after driving the Jetta and drove the Mazda again, and I loved the way it drove and handled.
I originally posted a link here with images/details on the car, but I realized that Mazda times out the link, so I'll have to repost from a different site tomorrow. See the end of this Blog post to see what the car is and you can google it to get images/detail.
Here is also a link to a video that some dude on Youtube did that shows the interior, I got all these features and I cannot be more excited. I didn't get the blackberry, however, so I am not sure how this will interact with my iPhone, but I'm still very excited.
Officially, the car I bought is the Mazda3 s Grand Touring Edition, 2.5 Cyl, 167hp, with Tech Pack included. Black leather interior, Granite Mica Exterior.
Sweet.
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