Either Way, You Could Lose

This week....the American Journal of Public Health estimated that 45,000 deaths per year...come about in the heartland of America....because of lack of health insurance. I paused over that number for several minutes. I pondered for a while.

You know, if you spend twenty years in the Air Force...you start to notice another interesting statistic...although I can't project the number.

I worked with a senior NCO who felt he had a light case of flu in the late afternoon. The next morning...he got up and felt light-headed and just called in and said he was taking the day off (it’s typically mandatory that you go to sick-call before you get the day off). Four hours later....he died of a heart attack.

I knew another senior NCO...was light-headed all day long...took six to eight aspirin. Went home around 4PM, and around 10PM that night...had a heart attack in the shower of his house.

I knew a senior officer who felt sick all day long...got into his car around 5PM...and had a heart attack half way home.

I knew a guy who spent months complaining about exhaustion but never went to a doctor on base about it. When he finally did...he was dying of cancer and had barely three months left to live.

Everyone of them...had free and competent health care....compliments of the US government. Heck, we have the best ambulance crews in America. We have every advanced medical testing device within every single base medical facility.

None of these guys used what was their best benefit.

I think I can match the 45,000 folks who died because they didn't have universal health care....with another 45,000 folks who had lots of health care, and didn't damn use it.

Statistics are a lousy game. Once you open Pandora's box....things come out that would be best left alone.

Just a Dose of Reality

This afternoon...the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that Indiana's voter identification law is unconstitutional. This was the law which required a photo identification by you....in order to vote. It'll progress onto the US Supreme Court....without a doubt.

But if you were a pondering sort of person...and this logic is ok...then pause for a moment.

So if the cops stopped you...the logic would work there and you shouldn't have to ID yourself...right?

So if you were buying a flask of Jacky D's and you appeared awful young....you shouldn't have to ID yourself...right?

So if you were at the 7-11 to buy some Marlboro smokes and you appeared to be 15 years old....you shouldn't have to ID yourself....right?

So if you were selling diamond bracelets at the county cattle sales barn parking lot and cops were suspicious.....you shouldn't have to ID yourself....right?

So if you were wanting to cash a check to yourself for $1200...you shouldn't have to ID yourself...right?

So if you were about to apply for a marriage license....you shouldn't have to ID yourself....right?

So if you were about to get on the state ballot to run for some office....in fact....any office...you shouldn't have to ID yourself...right?

At some point with my questions....you start to grin....and back off from the argument....even if you were a hard decent democrat. For those who like health care arguments...and always chat about the US being the only industrialized country with no real health care program....well....we are also the only industrialized country that allows folks to vote with no mandatory national ID card or passport.

You can pretend to be stupid...but after a while...just pretending ain't enough. Either you are, or you aren't.

A Moment of Jimmy

CNN reports.....Former Jimmy Carter, has shown brave and courageous stamina......voicing his displeasure with rapper Kanye West (as President Obama had already done).

According to Jimmy.....it was "completely uncalled for."

Jimmy used great care in avoiding the term jackass, dumbass, dimwit, or just plain stupid.

At this point, President Bush I, Bush II, Bill Clinton, and former VP Dick Cheney have yet to weigh in on the the Kanye West episode.....so we are still waiting on their comments.

The only thing we might want to question...is this going to be a daily thing for CNN to ask former President Carter what he thinks? And if so.....does anyone care?

Flip - Flop

Great news out of Massachusetts yesterday. The Massachusetts House voted to finally change state law to give state Democratic Governor Deval Patrick the authority to appoint a temporary successor to the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy. This is strictly a short-term sitting....until the election is held in January.

The amusing thing is that this is simply the reversal of the 2004 change in the law stripped then Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of the power to appoint a successor if Democratic Sen. John Kerry would have won the presidency.

How long will this state law exist? Up until the point that a Republican governor comes into office....and then they will reverse again.

Then when a Democratic governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Then when a Republican governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Then when a Democratic governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Then when a Republican governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Then when a Democratic governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Then when a Republican governor comes into power....they will reverse it back.

Eventually...a bunch of drunk state senators will pass some kind of law that allows a lobster fisherman named Gus to just pick anyone he wants except dwarfs, New York Yankees fans, or truck drivers.

Why Contractor Work Sucks

My company...which shall remain nameless....came up this morning (it is timecard day, you know)….and dictated a last-minute change. Apparently, the company that runs the time-card service has issued the requirement to note COLA (cost of living allowance). For those not in the contractor business…it’s basically an allowance to cover extra costs of living in Germany. Don’t worry….you can’t get rich off this….and if you were lucky….you might be able to pay your rent with this total monthly sum.

So they gave us an imaginary COLA charge number. Then they want us to mark each single day with a “1”…..to include Saturdays and Sundays. At the end, it doesn’t add anything whatsoever….so it’s just an imaginary charge number, for imaginary charge days, for COLA.

We all wasted twenty minutes each….figuring out the instructions this morning and resubmitting our timecards.

IF you fail to put a “1” in each single column….you get docked that day’s percentage of COLA. It would have to be corrected, but it’d take an entire pay period to correct that. Course, they didn't say if I could just write 14 in the first block and just forget about this entire game for the rest of the two weeks.

No one from company leadership can explain the logic to this….except to do it….each and everyday. Curious how they would do this….on a timecard submission day. I checked my contract….I’m paid COLA by my monthly pay….not by days worked….so nothing makes any sense.