Who would have thought that giving away money would turn out to be so popular? Apparently, not the US government. "Cash for Clunkers" has run out of cash, and the program is being suspended until further funding can be found.
A congress who couldn't see this coming probably shouldn't be in charge of a $1 trillion-plus health care plan, either.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Reducing The Number Of The 50 Million Uninsured
House Republicans have introduced a health care bill to counter the one currently being promoted by Obama and the Democrats. The plan is estimated to cost about $700 billion-- not a bad price when compared to ObamaCare's $1 trillion-plus. The Republican plan involves offering tax incentives for people to purchase health insurance, creating grants to set up "high-risk pools" for people whose medical problems could result in their being denied coverage from traditional insurers, and allowing consumers to purchase insurance over the internet and across state lines, amongst other things. The Congressional Budget Office has yet to asses the plan, but Republicans believe that it will be fully paid for. I recommend reading the linked article for more information.
Of course, the article (written by the Associated Press, and posted on MSNBC.com) closes with the obligatory reminder of the "nearly 50 million" uninsured, and the writer wonders how far the Republican plan would go in reducing that number, mentioning that most experts believe the best way to go about it is to require people to purchase insurance (thereby ensuring that those who opt out of coverage due to cost will be forced to add their names to the government dole-- but surely that's just a coincidence... right?).
While neither the article nor the Republican plan offers a means of reducing the number ("nearly 50 million") of uninsured people in America, I have come up with a way to do so myself. (Ok, not ALL by myself-- this required a bit of research.)
First, we need to determine just who these "nearly 50 million" people are. The first thing we find is that these "nearly 50 million" people make up 15.9% of the population. While certainly significant, that's not that big of a number. Think of it in terms of a dollar: sure you've got almost 16 uninsured pennies, but let's try not to screw over the other 84.1 pennies who are insured, and likely perfectly happy the way they are. (I am terribly terrible at math; thinking about percentages in terms of a dollar [something concrete] rather than just part of a hundred [something a little bit abstract] helps me to make sense of the numbers. Please, humor me.)
And here's the thing about the US dollar-- it's made up of US pennies. However we've somehow managed to get some foreign coins mixed into our 16 uninsured pennies. Turns out that 20% (assuming my math is correct, please feel free to double-check my numbers, and let me know if I miscalculated!) of our uninsured pennies (3 of them) are actually not pennies at all! (Nearly 10 million illegal immigrants are included in the "nearly 50 million" uninsured Americans calculation-- people who do not pay taxes, but would receive benefits under the Democrat plan.) But hey, just by identifying them, we've found out that we actually only have 13 uninsured pennies! (At this point my analogy becomes imperfect because we also now only have 97 cents instead of a dollar... but let's look past that reality for the time being.)
Human will (or, to better fit my analogy, the will of anthropogenic coins) being what it is, some of your uninsured pennies-- 34%, or between 5 and 6 pennies (again, please correct my math if it is wrong!)-- can afford to insure themselves but simply choose not to take on the expense. Hey, it's a free country! If you want to take that gamble, take it-- it's YOUR money. For generally healthy people, it's usually a good gamble. So, since nearly 6 of your pennies do not actually want insurance, we can subtract them from our number of uninsured pennies, much as people who are out of work because they choose to be (and are not actively seeking employment) are not included in unemployment statistics. So now we have only 7 uninsured pennies, and among those are a few more foreign coins who chose not to purchase insurance despite the fact that they can afford it.
There you have it. I have spent absolutely $0, and managed to take the number of Americans in need of health insurance down from almost 16% to less than 7%. I should be in Congress!
Of course, the article (written by the Associated Press, and posted on MSNBC.com) closes with the obligatory reminder of the "nearly 50 million" uninsured, and the writer wonders how far the Republican plan would go in reducing that number, mentioning that most experts believe the best way to go about it is to require people to purchase insurance (thereby ensuring that those who opt out of coverage due to cost will be forced to add their names to the government dole-- but surely that's just a coincidence... right?).
While neither the article nor the Republican plan offers a means of reducing the number ("nearly 50 million") of uninsured people in America, I have come up with a way to do so myself. (Ok, not ALL by myself-- this required a bit of research.)
First, we need to determine just who these "nearly 50 million" people are. The first thing we find is that these "nearly 50 million" people make up 15.9% of the population. While certainly significant, that's not that big of a number. Think of it in terms of a dollar: sure you've got almost 16 uninsured pennies, but let's try not to screw over the other 84.1 pennies who are insured, and likely perfectly happy the way they are. (I am terribly terrible at math; thinking about percentages in terms of a dollar [something concrete] rather than just part of a hundred [something a little bit abstract] helps me to make sense of the numbers. Please, humor me.)
And here's the thing about the US dollar-- it's made up of US pennies. However we've somehow managed to get some foreign coins mixed into our 16 uninsured pennies. Turns out that 20% (assuming my math is correct, please feel free to double-check my numbers, and let me know if I miscalculated!) of our uninsured pennies (3 of them) are actually not pennies at all! (Nearly 10 million illegal immigrants are included in the "nearly 50 million" uninsured Americans calculation-- people who do not pay taxes, but would receive benefits under the Democrat plan.) But hey, just by identifying them, we've found out that we actually only have 13 uninsured pennies! (At this point my analogy becomes imperfect because we also now only have 97 cents instead of a dollar... but let's look past that reality for the time being.)
Human will (or, to better fit my analogy, the will of anthropogenic coins) being what it is, some of your uninsured pennies-- 34%, or between 5 and 6 pennies (again, please correct my math if it is wrong!)-- can afford to insure themselves but simply choose not to take on the expense. Hey, it's a free country! If you want to take that gamble, take it-- it's YOUR money. For generally healthy people, it's usually a good gamble. So, since nearly 6 of your pennies do not actually want insurance, we can subtract them from our number of uninsured pennies, much as people who are out of work because they choose to be (and are not actively seeking employment) are not included in unemployment statistics. So now we have only 7 uninsured pennies, and among those are a few more foreign coins who chose not to purchase insurance despite the fact that they can afford it.
There you have it. I have spent absolutely $0, and managed to take the number of Americans in need of health insurance down from almost 16% to less than 7%. I should be in Congress!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Yay!
Five out of five stars! Hooray for the Gulf Shores Public Beach! (I actually avoid it most of the time because it tends to be the most crowded, but all the beaches in the area generally have the same conditions from place to place.)
Just Thought I'd Share...
I don't have much time for blogging today, but I read this earlier and thought I'd pass it along.
UPDATE: Ok, I just realized that the link doesn't take you straight to the article. So, you're looking for the one titled "Liberals Need to Admit that Socialized Medicine Means Letting Old People Die to Save Money."
UPDATE: Ok, I just realized that the link doesn't take you straight to the article. So, you're looking for the one titled "Liberals Need to Admit that Socialized Medicine Means Letting Old People Die to Save Money."
Monday, July 27, 2009
How YOU Can Defy The Democrats
This chart was created by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and other Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee to "illustrate the organization of the Democratic health care plan." Republican representatives would like to mail this chart to their constituents to better educate them about the massive government overtake of health care in the United States. Democrats are using their majority to prevent these representatives from sending this as official mail.
Since the Democrats are so insistent that no one on the inside provide any real or useful information about health care "reform," it now falls on US to pass such things along. So, here you go, and use it wisely!
Since the Democrats are so insistent that no one on the inside provide any real or useful information about health care "reform," it now falls on US to pass such things along. So, here you go, and use it wisely!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Then What Exactly IS Our Goal?
"President Obama has put securing Afghanistan near the top of his foreign policy agenda, but 'victory' in the war-torn country isn't necessarily the United States' goal, he said Thursday in a TV interview.
'I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur,' Obama told ABC News.
The enemy facing U.S. and Afghan forces isn't so clearly defined, he explained.
'We're not dealing with nation states at this point. We're concerned with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, Al Qaeda's allies,' he said. 'So when you have a non-state actor, a shadowy operation like Al Qaeda, our goal is to make sure they can't attack the United States.'"
So, "victory" is not our goal in Afghanistan, but we want to make sure that Al Qaeda (the guys we're fighting in Afghanistan) is unable to attack the United States again. How will we make sure that Al Qaeda cannot attack us again? By rendering them unable. How will we render them unable? By defeating them. What is it called when you defeat someone? Well, Mr. President, most people call that a "victory."
Democrats can't even call a spade a spade when it's a good thing.
'I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur,' Obama told ABC News.
The enemy facing U.S. and Afghan forces isn't so clearly defined, he explained.
'We're not dealing with nation states at this point. We're concerned with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, Al Qaeda's allies,' he said. 'So when you have a non-state actor, a shadowy operation like Al Qaeda, our goal is to make sure they can't attack the United States.'"
So, "victory" is not our goal in Afghanistan, but we want to make sure that Al Qaeda (the guys we're fighting in Afghanistan) is unable to attack the United States again. How will we make sure that Al Qaeda cannot attack us again? By rendering them unable. How will we render them unable? By defeating them. What is it called when you defeat someone? Well, Mr. President, most people call that a "victory."
Democrats can't even call a spade a spade when it's a good thing.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Instead of making health care more like the DMV, how about we make it more like grocery stores? Give the poor and tough cases health stamps and let the rest of us buy health care -- and health insurance -- on the free market." --Ann Coulter
Policing While White UPDATED w/ Original Police Report
I'm going to work with the assumption that you have already heard about Henry Louis Gates-- arrested after a neighbor saw him trying to un-stick his front door and assumed there was a robbery in progress. Gates was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, and the charges were quickly dropped.
Upon reading the first account of the story, I was sympathetic to Gates-- imagine just getting home from a really long trip, and then you can't even get into your own house. You manage to pry open the stuck door, and in the process a neighbor notices you and calls 911. I felt very sorry for him, right up until I got to the part where he asked the police "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" OH, GAG ME!!!!! Seriously? Are you THAT hung up on your own racial identity that you can't understand that your neighbor-- who probably knew you were out of town for awhile and was kindly keeping an eye on your house-- probably thought they were doing you a favor? And when asked to accompany a police officer outside because you're currently a robbery suspect, instead of cooperating and explaining the misunderstanding, your first reaction is to assume that ANYBODY CARES what freaking color you are?!? According to the officers report, "Gates continued to yell at me, accusing me of racial bias and continued to tell me that I had not heard the last of him." So instead of clearing things up quickly, Gates exacerbated his situation by playing the tired, worn, frayed, and faded race card, sprinkled with threats. If someone was threatening you, and refusing to cooperate with you, you'd probably arrest them for disorderly conduct, too. Gates claimed that when asked for identification, he showed two forms of ID. He doesn't say when. One wonders if it was before or after telling the police officer, "You don't know who your [sic] messing with!" or "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside."
Did I mention that the charges were dropped? Even before they were, Gates was only facing a $150 fine, at worst. Really, not a bad fee for wasting an officer's time with a temper tantrum. But the charges were dropped, and Gates agreed that it was a "just resolution." Now Gates wants an official apology from Sgt. James Crowley, the officer who arrested him. Crowley refuses. I don't blame him.
Gates believes that "Crowley was clearly responding to racial profiling and 'couldn't understand a black man standing up for his rights, right in his face.'" Gates doesn't seem to have considered the idea that perhaps Crowley didn't want anyone right in his face-- particularly someone who was behaving so unpleasantly. Instead, Gates believes that Crowley is simply a "rogue policeman," unable to see beyond a racial bias. Maybe if Gates apologized for his behavior, something along the lines of, "I was very upset, as anyone else would have been, and I let myself get carried away with my emotions. I am very sorry about the things I said to Sgt. Crowley," Sgt. Crowley might feel a little bit more like he had something for which to apologize.
Of course now, the whole debacle is being used as an example of race-relations in America. "[Callie] Crossley said many people criticizing Gates for overreacting or for losing his cool have never been profiled by authorities because of their race." So here's where personal experience comes in: No, I've never been profiled because of my race. However, I have been profiled for being a young person in a little red sports car late at night. I got off work at 11pm every night and had to drive home through several small towns (famous for generating most of their revenue through traffic tickets) on my way home. I got pulled over at least once a week. I only got ticketed once. (I had a headlight out-- it had literally died the day before, and it was another two days until payday, but owing to my spectacular luck, it just wasn't soon enough!) Before long, I had the procedure memorized. Hand over my license and proof of insurance, then answer the inane questions as to why I was out so late. And I learned something very important and very helpful: The more cooperative you are, the quicker the ordeal is over. Besides, even if I was being profiled, it's not like the officer was going to admit to it. But just because some of them may have profiled me, doesn't mean that all of them did. This is where Gates gets himself into trouble. Do some police officers profile black people? I'm sure they do. Do all of them? No. And there is no way for Gates to know which kind of policeman is which. Arresting a black person is not the same as arresting a person because they are black.
In response to the matter, Al Sharpton said, "I have heard of driving while Black and even shopping while Black but now even going to your own home while Black is a new low in police community affairs."
I think that perhaps now it is time for us to bring attention to the unfortunate plight of those who are "Policing While White."
UPDATE: here's a link to the police report
Upon reading the first account of the story, I was sympathetic to Gates-- imagine just getting home from a really long trip, and then you can't even get into your own house. You manage to pry open the stuck door, and in the process a neighbor notices you and calls 911. I felt very sorry for him, right up until I got to the part where he asked the police "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" OH, GAG ME!!!!! Seriously? Are you THAT hung up on your own racial identity that you can't understand that your neighbor-- who probably knew you were out of town for awhile and was kindly keeping an eye on your house-- probably thought they were doing you a favor? And when asked to accompany a police officer outside because you're currently a robbery suspect, instead of cooperating and explaining the misunderstanding, your first reaction is to assume that ANYBODY CARES what freaking color you are?!? According to the officers report, "Gates continued to yell at me, accusing me of racial bias and continued to tell me that I had not heard the last of him." So instead of clearing things up quickly, Gates exacerbated his situation by playing the tired, worn, frayed, and faded race card, sprinkled with threats. If someone was threatening you, and refusing to cooperate with you, you'd probably arrest them for disorderly conduct, too. Gates claimed that when asked for identification, he showed two forms of ID. He doesn't say when. One wonders if it was before or after telling the police officer, "You don't know who your [sic] messing with!" or "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside."
Did I mention that the charges were dropped? Even before they were, Gates was only facing a $150 fine, at worst. Really, not a bad fee for wasting an officer's time with a temper tantrum. But the charges were dropped, and Gates agreed that it was a "just resolution." Now Gates wants an official apology from Sgt. James Crowley, the officer who arrested him. Crowley refuses. I don't blame him.
Gates believes that "Crowley was clearly responding to racial profiling and 'couldn't understand a black man standing up for his rights, right in his face.'" Gates doesn't seem to have considered the idea that perhaps Crowley didn't want anyone right in his face-- particularly someone who was behaving so unpleasantly. Instead, Gates believes that Crowley is simply a "rogue policeman," unable to see beyond a racial bias. Maybe if Gates apologized for his behavior, something along the lines of, "I was very upset, as anyone else would have been, and I let myself get carried away with my emotions. I am very sorry about the things I said to Sgt. Crowley," Sgt. Crowley might feel a little bit more like he had something for which to apologize.
Of course now, the whole debacle is being used as an example of race-relations in America. "[Callie] Crossley said many people criticizing Gates for overreacting or for losing his cool have never been profiled by authorities because of their race." So here's where personal experience comes in: No, I've never been profiled because of my race. However, I have been profiled for being a young person in a little red sports car late at night. I got off work at 11pm every night and had to drive home through several small towns (famous for generating most of their revenue through traffic tickets) on my way home. I got pulled over at least once a week. I only got ticketed once. (I had a headlight out-- it had literally died the day before, and it was another two days until payday, but owing to my spectacular luck, it just wasn't soon enough!) Before long, I had the procedure memorized. Hand over my license and proof of insurance, then answer the inane questions as to why I was out so late. And I learned something very important and very helpful: The more cooperative you are, the quicker the ordeal is over. Besides, even if I was being profiled, it's not like the officer was going to admit to it. But just because some of them may have profiled me, doesn't mean that all of them did. This is where Gates gets himself into trouble. Do some police officers profile black people? I'm sure they do. Do all of them? No. And there is no way for Gates to know which kind of policeman is which. Arresting a black person is not the same as arresting a person because they are black.
In response to the matter, Al Sharpton said, "I have heard of driving while Black and even shopping while Black but now even going to your own home while Black is a new low in police community affairs."
I think that perhaps now it is time for us to bring attention to the unfortunate plight of those who are "Policing While White."
UPDATE: here's a link to the police report
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I'm Having Trouble Wrapping My Head Around This
Anti-war former congresswoman Nancy Boyda has a new job. Ready for this? She is now working at the Pentagon as a "deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and personnel issues."
Yeah... no conflict of interest there...
Yeah... no conflict of interest there...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
This Just In: Michael Jackson Still DEAD.
When watching the news the night of Michael Jackson's death, I came to the realization that we were all in for a looooooooong ride. After all, in addition to singing and dancing, MJ also walked on water, fed the multitudes, and, oh... wait... nope. Turns out it was just the singing and dancing, and the obligatory throwing of money to pet causes in which nearly all rich celebrities partake. Other than that, his contribution to humanity has been nil. So why, oh why, oh WHY are we CONSTANTLY being told what a hero he was? A hero to whom, exactly? He's a black man who did everything he could to look like a white woman. So we can't say he was out championing racial or sexual issues (at least not in such a way that would normally garner one recognition). And let's not even get started on all of the accusations of pedophilia. Please.
American society (and actually, in this case, the society of the Western world as a whole) has severely warped the meaning of the word "hero." According to dictionary.com, the definition of hero is:
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal
Someone please tell me when, according to the definition above, Michael Jackson behaved heroically?
Allow me to introduce you to some real heroes:
-Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
-Pfc. Aaron Fairbairn was killed in a suicide bombing, also in Afghanistan.
-The seven soldiers killed Monday in Afghanistan.
-The four soldiers killed on the eve of withdrawal from Baghdad in Iraq.
This is a very short list, I've taken the most recent items from a very brief google search.
These are people who fully embody the definition of the word hero. Michael Jackson (pardon the pun) pales in comparison with these people. Next to these people it becomes obvious that a well-trained monkey could have done what Jackson did (except a monkey would have had to do all of the lyrics in sign language).
So again, why, oh why, oh WHY are so many people trying to hold up Michael Jackson as a hero? Please, let's be honest with ourselves. A lot of people liked Michael Jackson. He had talent, and, before all the weird settled in, a lot of people thought he was really cool. But by the time of his death, he had pretty much faded into obscurity, and because of his death we'll never know if he could have made a big comeback. But at the end of the day, even if he did make a comeback, his contribution to society will never measure up to the contribution of any of the dead soldiers mentioned above.
Please, don't forget who the real heroes are, America.
American society (and actually, in this case, the society of the Western world as a whole) has severely warped the meaning of the word "hero." According to dictionary.com, the definition of hero is:
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal
Someone please tell me when, according to the definition above, Michael Jackson behaved heroically?
Allow me to introduce you to some real heroes:
-Lt. Brian Bradshaw, 24, died in Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
-Pfc. Aaron Fairbairn was killed in a suicide bombing, also in Afghanistan.
-The seven soldiers killed Monday in Afghanistan.
-The four soldiers killed on the eve of withdrawal from Baghdad in Iraq.
This is a very short list, I've taken the most recent items from a very brief google search.
These are people who fully embody the definition of the word hero. Michael Jackson (pardon the pun) pales in comparison with these people. Next to these people it becomes obvious that a well-trained monkey could have done what Jackson did (except a monkey would have had to do all of the lyrics in sign language).
So again, why, oh why, oh WHY are so many people trying to hold up Michael Jackson as a hero? Please, let's be honest with ourselves. A lot of people liked Michael Jackson. He had talent, and, before all the weird settled in, a lot of people thought he was really cool. But by the time of his death, he had pretty much faded into obscurity, and because of his death we'll never know if he could have made a big comeback. But at the end of the day, even if he did make a comeback, his contribution to society will never measure up to the contribution of any of the dead soldiers mentioned above.
Please, don't forget who the real heroes are, America.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Happy Independence Day!!
Posting has been spotty as of late, and I would like to apologize. The biggest culprit is the fact that it's currently summer vacation, and thus I am constantly being pulled in ten different directions at home, as well as travelling all over the county in an attempt to keep the kids amused! August should net more content! That said, the point of today's post:
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! (I realize the actual holiday is tomorrow, but I will be very busy tomorrow getting ready for our annual 4th of July family/friends shindig!)
Please remember WHAT we are celebrating tomorrow, and most importantly remember that we ARE worth celebrating! The USA is the single greatest country in the world-- let's work to keep it that way!!
Stay safe tomorrow, and God Bless America!!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! (I realize the actual holiday is tomorrow, but I will be very busy tomorrow getting ready for our annual 4th of July family/friends shindig!)
Please remember WHAT we are celebrating tomorrow, and most importantly remember that we ARE worth celebrating! The USA is the single greatest country in the world-- let's work to keep it that way!!
Stay safe tomorrow, and God Bless America!!
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