Freedom Dies With Thunderous Applause: Democrats Shove Government Health Care Down Our Throats

The vote on a government takeover of Health Care last night was sickening. What was even more sickening was the fact that when the final tally was in, the Democrats stood up and gave themselves a standing ovation.

It reminded me of what Amadala said in Star Wars: Episode III: “So, this is how freedom dies. With thunderous applause.”

If this bill is not killed in the courts for it’s unconstitutionality, in addition to higher taxes, here is what we will be looking forward to:

Cruel And Neglectful Care Of One Million British Patients Exposed

Man Collapses With Ruptured Appendix … Three Weeks After It Was Removed

More Reasons Why We Do Not Want Socialized Medicine

Statement From The American College Of Surgeons Regarding Disinformation Being Spread By Barack Obama

Oregon Woman Denied Medicine, Offered Assisted Suicide Instead

Another Look At Socialized Medicine From A Canadian Doctor

A Look At Socialized Medicine Through The Eyes Of A British Oncologist

Another Example Of The Horrors That Socialized Medicine Will Bring Us

Socialized Medicine: Enforcing Your Duty To Die

Another Example Of What Awaits Us In A Socialized Medicine System: Father Dies In Waiting Room While In Intense Pain

[Via http://84rules.wordpress.com]

On the Look out: Mar 28, 2010

So this is a product look out that I’m putting up. I’m planning to get this and it is…..

The NEW Nintendo DSi XL!

This is the UK versions… comes in the described as burgandy, white, and bronze. Currently the bronze and burgandy are available in America.

This is a future planning purchase because I have an original DS Lite which still works great and has a bunch of scratch marks from the stylus (going to replace that screen soon though). I don’t like the color selection so I’m going to wait until they come out with some other colors and then I’ll go and get it.

BTW, coming out Mar 28, 2010 in Canada and retails for $199.99CDN.

[Via http://dodotheextinctsworld.wordpress.com]

Universal Coverage or Maintaining the Status Quo?

For all the smoke and mirrors, all the outrageous claims, and all the frustration about what is not in the Democrat’s health care reform legislation, the fundamental impact of the proposed reform is very simple.  The Senate bill, soon to be voted on by the House, uses public funds to insure Americans who do not have insurance.  (Making sense of the polling, from the Washington Post)

In providing for universal coverage, it satisfies President Obama’s preemenant campaign goal — one he has not walked away from despite profound economic turmoil and deep political resistance.

It is amazing that the debate over such a simple idea took so long and involved so many distractions.

Republicans do not want to spend public funds to insure the uninsured — plain and simple.  Though they do not say it so clearly, instead, hiding behind claims that the deficit, the recession, and public opinion polls are the reason that the bill is wrong for America.

Smoke and mirrors.  (Krugman dispels some myths)

President Obama seeks to add an entitlement, consistent with contemporary democratic principles of capitalism with a social safety net.  Republicans, consistent with principles of individual effort and individual reward, seek to resist it.

What is more puzzling is why the left is so fractured in its desire for reform.  There has not been a serious proposal for an open-enrollment public option or for single payer public insurance on the table since the beginning.  This is not to say that the United States wont move towards public insurance or public medicine in the long run.  But with only a subsidy and insurance regulation on the table, the left’s threats to undermine President Obama’s universal coverage program because it does not do away with the for profit medical system makes little sense.

What would make sense is to take a longer range view:  To believe that universal coverage is an important step in the direction of providing good care for all; to trust that reforms included in this legislation can be used to regulate for-profit insurance practices to eliminate exclusions and rescissions which kept people who wanted insurance from receiving it; and to recognize that a variety of reasonable cost-containment measures will be used to slow the growth of health care inflation.

I have written often about deficits and debt, reform of fee for service medicine and changing financial incentives in health care.  And I think this legislation is serious medicine for the problems we have in these respects.  And I have spoken with Canadians and Europeans who love their publicly funding health care systems.  And I still think that this legislation is a serious attempt to insure that all Americans can receive adequate health care.  If I were like most supporters of this health care reform, I would say that this legislation is poor, for one reason or another, and then suggest that it was the best we could get under the circumstances.  But this legislation is powerful, historic and designed to solve the problems we face.  So why, complain?

Pass the bill.

(Sign the petition)

. .

More thoughts on national issues: my podcast ramblings and conversations with Jessica Pieklo.

March 19, 2010 Update:  Paul Krugman sounding more positive as well in the New York Times.

[Via http://marcivanseltzer.wordpress.com]

ShoWest: Sex And The City 2 Plot Details Revealed

Special Thanks to Elisa S for this

from http://www.cinemablend.com/

A lot of exciting new films showed some of their first- ever footage during this afternoon’s Warner Bros. panel, but one of the ones revealing the most was Sex and the City 2, which is still tightly under wraps even though it hits theaters in just two months.Director Michael Patrick King and stars Sarah JessicaParker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis all took the stage to introduce a new trailer for the film, which– at last!– revealed some actual plot. A lot of the rumors we’ve heard were true, but there were a lot of new wrinkles too. Here are the highlights:– Stanford and Anthony are in fact getting married, in a lavish ceremony where Carrie wears a tuxedo (very fashion-forward, of course) and Stanford wears a white tux, “Like a virgin.” Stanford and Anthony both stomp on the glass like Jewish grooms, and Liza Minelli officiates. Fabulous!

– The desert location where we saw all the girls in the preview is Abu Dhabi, where Samantha has somehow has hooked them up with a weeklong trip. There were scant details reviewed about the actual trip– they ride camels, they hit up a lavish nightclub, Samantha ogles some dude– but there was one surprise waiting for them overseas…

– Carrie runs into Aidan in a market, and quickly the two are spending a lot of time together in Abu Dhabi, causing Charlotte to scold Carrie “You’re playing with fire.” Looks like Carrie is once again getting itchy feet in a relationship, except this time it’s Aidan who’s the other man.

– SPeaking of itchy feet, Charlotte seems to feel a little overwhelmed by life with two children, and based on the rumors about Harry having an affair with a hot Irish nanny, he’s feeling the same. Miranda, on the other hand, is sick of being in the office and wants to get home and spend more time with her family. Both Charlotte and Miranda seem to be taking the Abu Dhabi trip as a chance for a much-needed break.

– The hormone pills that are rumored to be part of Samantha’s plot make an appearance early on, though it’s not clear that they’re for menopause– she just says she’s using them to be younger. 

– Carrie and Big do not have a baby– she says they’re “somewhere between wed and a baby”– and Carrie gives him a watch that says “me and you, just us two.” There are clearly babies on the brain, though, and Carrie’s likely fling with Aidan might be a result of all that anxiety. Also Penelope Cruz shows up at a bar looking flirtily at Mr. Big, so rumors of him cheating may turn out to be very true as well. 

Overall the character was a lot more appealing than I expected it to be, with much less focus on designer labels and rich-people activities, and much more focus on the wicked humor that made the original show so enjoyable. There was at least no song from Fergie about looking for labels and love– they used “Empire State of Mind” instead– so that’s a definite step forward.

[Via http://nealbinnyc.wordpress.com]

Don't Assume and Don't Lie

A story about the pitfalls of making assumptions.

Overheard at triage the other day, between a maybe too-slick paramedic and a very elderly, very sharp female patient supposed — assumed — to be hard-of-hearing, demented or maybe a little of both.

Paramedic: . . . and her vital signs are stable, heart rate 83, BP 138/66. . .

Patient: Wait, wait a second!

Paramedic: What, dear?

Patient: How could you know my blood pressure? You didn’t even check it!

Paramedic: (covering) I, uh, estimated it checking your pulse.

Triage Nurse: [.  .  .]!

Patient: You did no such thing! I used to be a nurse, you know.

Oops. Is there a prize for boneheadedness? I think I was even more astonished and amazed by the second lie which, of course, only made things totally and incomprehensibly worse. The paramedic, needless to say was deeply (and deservedly so, I might add) embarrassed.

[Via http://torontoemerg.wordpress.com]

The City Of Toronto Is Not Paying For Corey Haim's Funeral.

If you’re a resident of Toronto who is currently in the middle of plotting your fake death so that the city can cut your family a big check for a lavish funeral, stop what you’re doing. Your dream of taking that funeral money and using it to retire to Thailand has been crushed. The city of Toronto issued a statement saying they are not paying for Corey Haim’s funeral service. The city does help local residents pay for a bare bones funeral if the family can’t afford it.

This past weekend, Corey’s mother Judy told Access Hollywood that Toronto is going to take care of the bill for her son’s funeral. Toronto’s communications director tells People that this isn’t so, “The City of Toronto confirms no involvement in funeral costs for Mr. Haim. The City of Toronto has never received an application for assistance with the funeral costs for Mr. Haim.”

A private memorial fund has been to set up to help Judy cover the funeral costs. The Steeles Memorial Chapel, where Corey’s funeral is taking place, has also agreed to help with some of the costs.

Written by Michael K of dlisted.

from http://www.dlisted.com/node/36460

[Via http://melissadesa.wordpress.com]

Emigration Expo for Scots

by Wendy Wan

The air was thick with dreams and anticipation of  people wanting a new life far away from Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow at the weekend. 

According to the government, between 2007 and 2008 almost 38,800 Scots moved abroad, with almost the same number, 38,500 adopting Scotland as their new home from overseas. 

Every year around 200,000 UK citizens emigrate, with the most popular destination being Australia, followed by Canada and New Zealand.

An estimate of 4000 visitors showed up at the SECC exhibition designed specifically to pave the way for people to leave thier country of birth and adopt another. 

But due to the recession things are changing.  Australia has now introduced changes to their legislation designed to preserve jobs for Aussies, making it harder for those who want to emigrate. 

That however is not stopping the 200,000 Brits from moving abroad looking for a better standard of living.  Many UK citizens move to Canada for bigger and cheaper housing as well as for their impressive education and health care.

Things are not always greener on the other side though, an estimate 25% of emigrants end up returning to the UK.

[Via http://edinburghnapiernews.com]