Double Standards – The Obama-phile way

http://obama.senate.gov/votes/index.cfm?start=1 <- Barack Obama’s voting record. Really not showing up to work eh? He has a lot in common with Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts who never shows up for for since he was elected.

Dennis Kucinich on the other hand shows up to work: http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=318

The Governor of Alaska actually works as can be evidenced from the reforms she has brought to the state and being a mom of 5 at the same time. Seems that liberal women are threatened by her prowess.

Health Care Issue Must Be Addressed

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040502348.html

It is tough to speak to this problem eloquently, however the issue is that it keeps getting brushed under the rug and this will not go away!

Culprits:

a. Practicioners overbilling: I look at what it cost to bring my baby in so the “doctor could have a look” – she billed the insurance $350.00 for a 3 minute looksie. There was nothing wrong, but yeah, the fear game and my wife being a new mom allowed for this.  Many doctors have made the human body a profit center – extirpating parts that may be deemed cancerous, at risk etc. If it is a woman’s breast the chances are that a great deal of fuss will go into it, and why not take out both? How many men get their penises or testicles amputated? What is the ratio of female to male doctors doing this? Unnecessary hysterectomies – another profit center. The list goes on and on…

b. Hospitals overbilling, double billing and just out of control: One can pay $3500-5000 for a midwife, however my wife was not into that – so we go the hospital seeking “natural birth” – end up with a C-Section – the anesthesia (applied in a shitty way) was $4500 plus, overall the cost was around $20K for a three day stay at Mt. Auburn. Was it necessary? Not the point of this particular blog – but many are not – they make more money for the hospital and the practicioners involved.

c. Insurance companies trying to fight back with negotiated solutions. then being accused of chintzing on health care. The public relations nightmare.

d. Ambulance chasing attorneys - lawsuits galore. A separate blog could be dedicated to them, for now I will dedicate two more words: John Edwards.

• How many doctors are going broke?
• How many insurance companies are going broke?
• How many people are enslaved to medical bills or going broke? Aha.

Some solutions -

a. State-sponsored ambulatory care – not necessarily run on the state budget – I envision clinics run by interns, doctors awaiting their license to practice in the U.S., nurses, etc, hired by larger companies. A bucket of sorts.

b. Regulation – this has failed miserably owing to the people regulating. They are inept and powerless if they are not inept.

As you can see – I am unable to provide clear solutions – but a farmer’s common sense approach needs to be adopted and we need to stop helping out so many people from overseas for free. This only spreads the burden on us. We must be able to address this problem, as in everything in life, it is a choice – let’s choose to have a healthy nation.

Olympics Masks Pain of a People Twice

Millions died at the hands of the current regime – a regime in place for over 60 years. The inheritance of Mao continues with a crafy government pragmatically embracing proto-capitalism as a means of survival for its heavily taxed engine. The burden of maintaining social programs and controlling every aspect of a society is costly and grossly inefficient. In addition to this the regime squashes smaller countries outside its borders.

What is just as preoccupying is that Moscow, which only shed its wolf’s disguise in favor of a weakend bear that now lashes out… surprise, surprise – Oil propels the confidence of that country as they bring destruction to tiny Georgia in the name of keeping Abkhazians and Ossetians safe. Sheer lies, as we know that prominent Russians own large amounts of valuable real estate, especially in Abkhazia and the prospect of losing this before the Sochi Winter Olympics is untenable. They fear that by Russia losing her influence, their profits will be affected, and for this, why not kill thousands of innocents or if they are lucky, displace them from their homes? This is a war in its most base sense. Hard to believe it is 2009 – and it won’t change for 2014.

Behind the Smile Lurks Death

The Problem with AT&T’s 3G

Whle some companies have been working on 4G, AT&T tells the mis-informed public that they are the cool boy on the block with their 3G… what they are not telling you is that Verizon and Sprint had arrived there over two years ago and continue to possess a larger footprint than AT&T. AT&T will respond to this with: “Oh we cover the world” – I wonder how many users they have really travel as much as they try to make it sound? And then when their customers travel, they seem to be imbeciles that rely on other people’s handsets/networks and have no clue on how to plan trips or act in the corporate world?

Because You are that Empty

 

The past year of AT&T’s commercial campaign is no mistake – they are diverting attention from the increased dropped call rate in the United States and the patchiness of their 3G network. AT&T should run for office – they are the kings of flim-flam!

They successfully got hordes of techoslaves to line up for the lowly iPhone on a 1X network, then pulled a Microsoft Windows in conjunction with their bedfellow Apple to launch the 3G on a very green (as in immature) network. No matter, the techoslaves suffer from Stockholm Syndrome and they define the essence of a captive customer and reflect the very saps that AT&T has the audacity to depict on its recent ad campaign. Sad.

Onion Soup – Is it really French?

Onion Soup - The Queen of Soups

I pose the question only because every country I have been to seems to have a similar version of this wonderful “brew” and this morning for some odd reason it hit me that the best onion soup that I had tasted was in Santander region in Colombia and I believe that it was there that my search for the ultimate onion soup began! Was it the height in the mountains? The cheese? The consistency of the bread used? It is hard for me to remember, it was over 20 years ago, yet that soup always stood out, and not matter after a parade of restos in Wien, Frankfurt, New York, Montreal, Miami, Bogota, Caracas and more I have yet to find the soup that will upend the experience I had with my first one.

I enjoy cooking a great deal – so I will try to share my favorite recipes in follow up posts. At this point I need to run to work and forget about the comfort of a hot bowl of soup!

Olympics – Are They All That Great?

One questions the validity of some of the Olympic Sports – what is it based on? Superior lobbying power? Gladly, Softball and Baseball will disappear from roster and I believe that other sports that are played only regionally should also find their way out. Rugby should be included – it is a physical sport, and great deal more athletic and international than beach volleyball (which I love) ; the deal of course is you really do not want to see these players (male or female) wearing the skimpy outfits female beach volleyball players favor or according to some, are forced to wear. What is the deal with that? Something that hugs the crack and does not allow sand in it would make more sense!

In any case even the legit sports are marred by the contention of professional, multi-million dollar athletes. It used to be about amateurism but then the Commies ruined it with their heavy subsidies of athletes, rendering them employed – so the point was moot. Perhaps there should be Olympics for the Weekend Warriors like me, but then there would be asswipes that would get worked up and start fights over every call… Speaking of calls – what is up with Skating and Gymnastics. I can’t see my kids doing any of those sports as they would not be graceful about the judges favoritism and abuse. They would clock them, and rightfully so.

Georgia invaded – Obama aides fumble again

Senator Obama deserves a vacation – I mean, he went all over the globe acting like a President and all that role playing is exhausting, especially when you are too busy to visit injured American soldiers.

President’s are meant to be alert – yet he seemed to enjoy his time off as the Russian imperialist machine attacked Georgia. President Bush has been reviled as a war-monger, what history will prove is that he was right to detect the increasing tide of Islam’s radicalism throughout the world and how this spawns violence. The advance of Islam many centuries ago was far from romantic, and the lack of historical knowledge for many seems to be crippling.

I dislike war, yet it seems that the United States is the only nation on this planet willing to speak up to the bullies and rogues of the world. Russia has a history of expanisionism and imperialism regardless of their governement and political system. The Georgia issue provides an example of how deep ingrained this bloodlust is.

It follows that we must have decisive leaders in power and not a “talker” with no record of military service.

Es importante distinguir entre la constante habladera del candidato democrata, cuya experiencia militar es nula. No ha sacrificado nada por su nacion y su esposa hasta hace poco se avergonzaba de ser Americana. Estas personas no deben ser electas. No se dejen engañar por los ardides de la izquierda aqui en Estados Unidos. Son liberales de cafetin, burgueses que nada aportan a tu lucha economica.  Al fuego se le combate con fuego – creando empleos, negociando terminos de imigracion. McCain fue quien pidio el cese a las deportaciones. Los democratas las apoyan – porque? Porque los sindicatos son un bloque poderoso que utilizan a Obama como a una marioneta.

Chavez, An embarrassment to Venezuela

Chavez designated his own brother as the Minister in charge of “Culture and Science” then had him turn the clocks to a 30 minute offset over a year ago. The stupid idea spawned more crime owing to the fact that it gets dark earlier in Venezuela and this creates more opportunity for muggings. In a display of Mr. Chavez’ stupidity he declared to reporters covering Beijing that Venezuelan athletes will perform better because they “wake up in the sun”. The man is a roving ass.

Safety in Children’s Sports – Some Kids are Unsafe

Enforcing safety in children’s sports starts with verifying that all of the players are fit to be playing on the field. This includes behavioral problems. Yesterday, my own children partook in a flag rugby jamboree in Canton, MA where one seemingly disturbed child  kept incurring in fouls by blocking (not allowed), biting, punching and ultimately putting an elbow to my son’s back while he did not even have a ball. After the game I went to speak to the organizers about this child, as many of the players on my team were dumbfounded by the lack of enforcement with this child and a brute coaching the host side told me to “drop it” and proceeded to spew lies about what the our kids were doing and spoke to me in a demeaning way and aggressively. I was on coaching and line judge duty and saw nothing he stated except that child that insisted on playing contact and in a dirty way. When I clarified that this was not about the game, rather that as a parent I am concerned and that two of my boys were playing, he stated “I don’t give a shit“, and that set me off. No need to indulge in the language I used with him (I am ashamed, but never say you do not give a shit about my kids). I am just shocked that somebody involved with children would condone that type of violent behavior and then try to create a situation with me for expressing concern.

Does Not Care About Children Safety

Gratitude – Learning from the Babes

So we (the kids’ rugby team and I) went to the Massachusetts Veterans post in Worcester for an ice cream social to share some time with the Veterans. It was interesting to see the faces on the older men as the kids walked in. The kids were somewhat shy but one child decided to break the ice – that was my older son. I had turned away for a minute to talk to a parent and there he was talking to two veterans – Desert Storm and Viet Nam respectively. I had a chance to shake their hands and thank them for their service, for allowing me to live in the United States in freedom, without the threats that I faced in Venezuela and Colombia – I was able to thank another gentleman that served in Viet Nam as well. I could see the tears in his eyes. My sons made me proud by saying thanks too – their grandfather was a condecorated War Vet and I have instilled in them to be proud of our Armed Forces.

It took us only twenty minutes, and no, no cameras on premises. I do not need them. I won’t compare myself to Barack Obama, I have more civility and decency than he does, I have more life experience than he does, I am more grateful than he is, I know what bullets flying at me are, I know what it is to be locked up for no reason, I know repression and I know that OUR ARMY protects us… I know that my country of birth SUCKS which is why I am here…… he could have taken 15 minutes to visit wounded soldiers in Germany, but he did not. Barack – you suck. You ungrateful prick.