The United States is the gutterball of developed countries

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/opinion/20Dubinsky.html?src=me&ref=general

The money quote: "If members of Congress feel so strongly about undoing this important legislation (see Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010), perhaps we should stop providing them with health insurance."

And this: "... let them try to buy health insurance in the individual market. My bet is that they all would be denied. Health insurance reform might suddenly not seem to them like such a bad idea."

The link author is a CEO. You would think that buying individual plans for her family would be a piece of cake. It wasn't. If someone as honest and healthy as Dubinsky was repeatedly denied after listing minor pre-existing conditions, few insurers are going to underwrite the likes of John Boehner (Alcoholic Chain Smoker, Tanning Bed Enthusiast - Ohio), or a basket case like Michele Bachmann (Hyperthyroid, Delusional Disorder with Psychotic Features - Minnesota.)

Health care costs continue to widen our deficit crater. True health care reform would've been so easy. Open Medicare and Medicaid to all. The infrastructure is in place. Start up costs = zero. Mandates? Why? We don't need them. Invest in more fraud protection, open more clinics, and watch the economy and the job market explode. Top this explosive growth by making the U.S. an even attractive destination for medical tourists, and the benefits are endless. A deeper side benefits would be the loyalty of voters, making the practice of campaigning-while- legislating a thing of the past.

Only an obstructionist asshole would rail against these wins. A multitude of problems solved.

But we don't do things like this in the land of institutional greed. I think in terms of problems solved, so my opinion doesn't count.

Look at our loudest critics and their destroy this paltry piece of legislation. It's all but toothless, so where's the pay off? What are the obstructionists taking to the bank?

In truly developed countries, socialized medicine isn't an entitlement. It's a part of doing business, attracting business, and remaining competitive, never mind the basic wisdom of caring for your populace to ensure things like, you know, a stable GNP and healthy people.

Comprehension

This morning, I wrote a letter, on behalf of The Easter Bunny, from her regional office in Goldbar, WA. It was an Easter greeting to my younger two with instructions on where to find the chocolate. One day I'll get around to Ukrainian eggs, but for now, Cadbury is this thing. The letter gave clues on where to find large bunnies, creme eggs, and the elusive caramel eggs.

Mary complained, "This is like the WASL!" After a third reading, she followed directions and found everything. The Bunny forgot to inventory the mini eggs, so she counted them, divided by two, and re-hid her sister's eggs. Then she began micromanaging her sister's search.

They've arrived at a settlement. Mary keeps the mini eggs. Her sister will give her chocolate bunny to dad and keep the creme eggs, making Mary "the caramel cartel of Locust Way."

This is much better than the WASL or MAPS.

Bumpit saves the day

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/26/palin-mccain-rally-in-ari_n_515026.html

The Quitter is campaigning with Hanoi Hilton in Arizona.

"John McCain helped Sarah Palin launch her national political career two years ago. Now, she's trying to help McCain save his. The former running mates campaigned together Friday for the first time since losing the presidential race in 2008."

Someone's ham is on the line.

I don't know how the old man is polling, but the irony of the situation is that Palin and J.D. Hayworth have a lot in common. Both started their political careers by way of broadcasting. They have problems with brown people and a mistrust of government. A paradox, given their mutual desire to control the thing they hate. Arrogant and Christian, they can spar over who is more observantly Jewish, and he's sure to win a snort of approval after telling her about the man who married his horse. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if, after one too many hard lemonades, they toss the incumbent off the stage and joined forces in a GOP TEA revolt.

Meghan?

Scurvy

Hey Rob,

Interesting website. Lots of information about vitamin C, Linus Pauling's research (he won multiple Nobels, one of them in chemistry), the best sources, etc.

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/powder.shtml

Neither of us have been in the best of health. We keep getting sick. I think lots of people are in the same boat. Last week, I contacted a company about their vitamin C products, asking for the source of their ascorbate. They were nice enough to reply, and said that 80 % of the vitamin C we consume is made in China. Deal with it. I later found that it's actually 90 %. China has a near monopoly on vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid, and the factories producing it were temporarily closed right before the Beijing Olympics. Pollution problems. China's only competitor is DSM in Scotland, the manufacturer the Vitamin C Foundation recommends.

Pauling drank ascorbic acid with bicarb. He drank a lot of it, sometimes 18 grams a day, so buffering was important, although he failed to balance his intake with trace minerals, especially copper. (Yes, I'll dig into that one later.) I can easily buy buffered ascorbate, but it's made in China. I know, I'm old, fishbait in social and actuarial terms, but my gums are failing. I can't afford dental repairs or serious problems right now, so which is it going to be, vitamin C therapy or another trip to the dental school?

I want to test out their Euro C. You can blind fold me and I will always pick the most expensive thing, but this one kicks ass:
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=3

This contains everything needed to bring a person back from the dead. Aminos, 4 grams of C, B vitamins.

It has everything except the L.

Pillar of Lavender

That's how my daughter described a tall glass of blueberries and milk that I blended up for breakfast. When she describes mundane things which such elegance, I worry less about her report card. (She still won't tell me why she makes fun of DARPA.)

Upitty Bottom

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/05/rove-cheney-squirmed-when-offered-vp-spot/?fbid=dDZES6gHvYy

"Some people have suggested that Cheney engineered his own selection. This is far-fetched. I saw the man squirm as Bush pressed him to accept."

What took Karl Rove so long to publish this fan fiction? After Scott McClellan had the temerity to tell all, you knew Karl Rove would fight back. I'm guessing his lawyer dictated the timeline. Wait out the clock on prosecution over lying about Valerie Plame; divorce beard. Now he's a free man and ready to sell more books than Scotty and Sarah.

The irony is that is was Scooter Libby, Cheney's chief hatchet, who complained that he'd been shanked by Team Bush in order to save Rove from prosecution. What's with the posthumous team building?

How does Rove expect to refute the Pulitzer-winning work of Bart Gellman and Jo Becker, who documented Bush and Cheney's agreement? Cheney was already on the ticket when he played charades with the vice presidential selection process. After making GOP hopefuls submit to background checks, he never returned their calls.

The power differential between Cheney and Junior remains a subject of ongoing debate. Either Junior was played or he knew what he was getting, but during their administration, Cheney never squirmed.

Not that Dick or Karl care, but Meghan McCain called it last year: "They had their eight years. Now go away."

Happy Sunday

Sperm counts falling. Unhappiness increasing. We're all dead.

Sunday causes more anxiety for me than any other day of the week. I don't know why. This morning, I woke up and started reading a book about Three Mile Island.

Books don't belong in bed. They generate unhappiness.

The nuclear energy industry has rebranded itself. It's carbon free, versus coal fired, which is sometimes clean. Carbon neutrality is the latest excuse for restarting Unit One at Brown's Ferry and offering federal loan guarantees for new plants. The Bush/Obama Department of Energy is full of excuses. The price point of natural gas is too volatile, and solar is too expensive. Solar development is blamed for unemployment in Spain, and yet they just surpassed Germany and China in new development. Despite a substantial initial investment, Spain proves that solar can pay for itself within five years, a claim that nukes can't to make.

Solar is bad. Reprocessed reactor waste is good.

(Brown's Ferry burns and leaks. Next to Three Mile Island, it's our greatest contribution to nuclear plant mismanagement and cover up. Chernobyl has them beat, but we're still in medal contention.)

While we're at it, why not rebuild the CP-1, Enrico Fermi's stadium pile? The President is from Chicago. He'll back that.