Checking out the quality and cost of healthcare on a personal basis.
Be Back soon!
10/23/09
10/13/09
Birth Of A Camel
Crunch time for health reform legislation! Today , yet another Congressional committee will vote on much needed health care reform legislation. I believe that this is the fifth committee, three in the Senate and two in the house which has tried its hand on this issue. If a camel is a horse designed by a committee, what variation of a camel can we expect after the work of five committees is merged into one bill? It won't win any beauty contest but it will be a start.
10/12/09
Coumbus Day Hangs On
So today is Columbus Day! Hardly the day of celebration it was years ago. Apparently there are detractors who can make a case that he was a poor navigator who mistakenly led the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria to the shores of the New World. It seems the Vikings set foot on the same shores much earlier but left to roam the seas rather than explore the New World. Give Christopher his due - he stayed awhile! Today there will be the obligatory parade by Italian-Americans, the obligatory Columbus Day sales and the obligatory bank holidays. And some of us will oblige by flying the American flag as a means of saluting Christopher Columbus, that adventurous Italian who made it possible for me to be born to two other adventurous Italians in The United States of America.
10/9/09
Three Cheers For Obama!
Already the Republican vultures are circling to feed on negative comments. For shame! Sour grapes!
Already pundits are calling the award a liability for the President. Nonsense! Since when is recognition for promoting peace a liability.
The Peace Prize going to Obama is something America should be proud of . At last our military power is playing second fiddle to our power of diplomacy.
Suddenly peace on earth , good will toward men seems a step closer. Bravo, Obama!
10/2/09
Shrinking Newspapers
Went out in the cold rain this morning to pick up my Plain Dealer which had been accurately pitched by the carrier unto my muddy tree lawn. Luckily the carrier did encase it in a plastic sheath. I'll deal with both actions when I get my annual Christmas letter.
Better I had waited for the rain to cease. This morning like all mornings I had retrieved a poor imitation of a newspaper. Back in Depression days it would have been received unfavorably as a needed substitute for toilet paper. Sorry, I'm exaggerating but how else can you describe today's daily rag. Watch an old movie and you will see a real newpaper - large enough to serve as a small tablecloth.
Its gotten to the point that the only news fit to print is the sports news and corruption in County government. They are probably the only two categories that impress advertisers. As the paper's executives make clear, you can't publish a newspaper without advertisers.
Well, I get the point. If I want good coverage of world news I should watch TV. If I want the ranting of sports columnists I should read the Plain Dealer. I must admit the paper has quite an array of sports reporters and columnists. One columnist even doubles as a religious columnist. That makes sense since Cleveland sports are in dire need of the intervention of that great fan in the sky.
From the standpoint of writing, the ranting of sports writers outshines the drab reporting of metro writers. Probably because they are not saddled with a journalism education.
Actually the Plain Dealer could publish a reputable sports section with about half of the sports personnel they have. My suggestion is that they cut the sports newsprint in half.
Upon further thought, the foregoing is not such a good idea. The paper would be so light that I would have to search every bush on the street trying to find it. Actually the Plain Dealer has a better suggestion. All I need to do is to go to http://www.cleveland.com/ and I will get all the news I need with links to all the newspapers.com. Having been there, I can only report that it is one of the most confusing web sites I have encountered.
Of course if we all get our news on the Internet or TV there will be hundreds of unemployed carriers. That's not good, their Christmas letter is the only Christmas greeting I have been receiving lately.
I'll opt for continuing my subscription to the shrinking Plain Dealer. As they say , half a loaf is better than none!
Better I had waited for the rain to cease. This morning like all mornings I had retrieved a poor imitation of a newspaper. Back in Depression days it would have been received unfavorably as a needed substitute for toilet paper. Sorry, I'm exaggerating but how else can you describe today's daily rag. Watch an old movie and you will see a real newpaper - large enough to serve as a small tablecloth.
Its gotten to the point that the only news fit to print is the sports news and corruption in County government. They are probably the only two categories that impress advertisers. As the paper's executives make clear, you can't publish a newspaper without advertisers.
Well, I get the point. If I want good coverage of world news I should watch TV. If I want the ranting of sports columnists I should read the Plain Dealer. I must admit the paper has quite an array of sports reporters and columnists. One columnist even doubles as a religious columnist. That makes sense since Cleveland sports are in dire need of the intervention of that great fan in the sky.
From the standpoint of writing, the ranting of sports writers outshines the drab reporting of metro writers. Probably because they are not saddled with a journalism education.
Actually the Plain Dealer could publish a reputable sports section with about half of the sports personnel they have. My suggestion is that they cut the sports newsprint in half.
Upon further thought, the foregoing is not such a good idea. The paper would be so light that I would have to search every bush on the street trying to find it. Actually the Plain Dealer has a better suggestion. All I need to do is to go to http://www.cleveland.com/ and I will get all the news I need with links to all the newspapers.com. Having been there, I can only report that it is one of the most confusing web sites I have encountered.
Of course if we all get our news on the Internet or TV there will be hundreds of unemployed carriers. That's not good, their Christmas letter is the only Christmas greeting I have been receiving lately.
I'll opt for continuing my subscription to the shrinking Plain Dealer. As they say , half a loaf is better than none!
10/1/09
An Apple A Day
As the debate over health care reform rages on in Washington all kinds of proposals are advanced for reducing health care costs. So far our esteemed Senators have missed the opportunity to use apples to promote good health. It would make sense for the Senators from apple growing states like Washington, New York, Michigan and California to insist on an amendment mandating that all Americans are required to eat an apple a day. Everyone knows that an apple a day will keep the doctor away.
If such an amendment gains momentum, I'm sure the Republicans like the proverbial rotten apple that spoils the barrel will try to upset the applecart. I doubt that they will succeed once it becomes clear that eating an apple a day is as American as apple pie and the best thing for good health since sliced bread (multi grain not white).
If such an amendment gains momentum, I'm sure the Republicans like the proverbial rotten apple that spoils the barrel will try to upset the applecart. I doubt that they will succeed once it becomes clear that eating an apple a day is as American as apple pie and the best thing for good health since sliced bread (multi grain not white).
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