An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Archive for July 2009
My New BFF
As you might have noticed, posting has been a tad light in recent days. Mzzzzzzzzzz Chris has taken up some of the slack, and I’m grateful. I’m down here in Texas, sweating my hinder off (I wish) spending time with the Brat, Ick, Brat Jr, and Short Person. For the first time, I’m actually staying in their house. Well, since they moved out of Dallas, they’ve actually got room for me. 
They’re at one end of the house, I’m at the other. Now, if we could just get that toilet to work, I’d be a happy camper! LOL Sadly, no one puts a mint on my pillow at night, and I have complained to the “management”, to no avail. Actually, I think he said something to the effect of…. “You gotta be sh*ttin’ me!” LMAO Hey…didn’t hurt to try, right?
I hope the Mr doesn’t get jealous, but I’ve got a new sleeping buddy. 
I haven’t figured out why yet, but he’s following me around quite a bit, and it’s quiet back here in the Bat Cave. When they lived in that tiny apartment up in Dallas, the Rocky Moose cat pretty much ignored me. Of course, I didn’t bring anything to dress him up this time, soooo…..?? I think the major attraction is that he’s escaping the over exuberant puppies. But why does he have to visit the toity with me too? 
Another Informative Read From J.D.
Government To Control American’s Lives by September First!
by J.D. Longstreet
Just a snippet:
“We are continuing to lose our privacy, here in America, at an ever-increasing speed. There is hardly a place in America one can go, these days, without being seen by someone’s security cameras. I recently stood in a parking lot of one of the Big Box stores and counted 22 cameras zeroed in on the parking area, and entrances, and exits, to the store. And that was just on the OUTSIDE, at the front, of the store!
If you think Big Brother’s snooping is bad now… just wait… it will get worse, a LOT worse, if we allow it.
Weigh too much? Lose weight… or the government won’t pay for your medical bills.
Drive too fast? Slow down or the government won’t pay for your medical bills if you’re in an accident.
Smoke? The government won’t pay for your medical bills, period.
Have more than (two) kids? Your medical bills will not be paid if you exceed the allowable limit on babies.
Pregnant with a third child and the government insists that you have an abortion, but you really want this third child? Well, either have an abortion, or that third child will have no medical coverage and the cost of the pregnancy, and delivery, will not be covered, either.
Read the entire post here.
I know there are people out there who believe the only way to save our health care system is for the gubmint to take over. Really? I wonder why people came from the world over to our shores just for medical care? Do you really believe that an entity that can’t even balance a checkbook can make you all better? Paleeeeeze! Right now, we’ve got the most inefficient run government in our entire history. You can NOT be serious!
I know a lot of people had issues with The Patriot Act, I’m one of them. If you thought that was an invasion of privacy, you ain’t seen NOTHIN’ yet! One of the major reasons health care has gotten so expensive….government intrusion. Remember when all we had was “hospitalization”? The insurance paid 80% of your hospital stay, you paid 20%. We all paid our own doctor visits, and prescriptions had a separate policy, just in case. Well, thanks to the tinkering of Washington, D.C., we now have a system, when it comes to paying the bills, seriously sucks! For the most part, we have the greatest health care providers in the world, and YOUR so called representatives want to put an end to that, plus get all up in your business. They MUST be stopped!
Oh, and sign this petition while you’re at it!
Free Our Health Care Now – Online Petition
Shut Up Already!!
Is anyone else as sick as I am of this little turd who is bound and determined to stay in the spotlight?
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The former fiance of Gov. Sarah Palin’s 18-year-old daughter says he thinks he knows why the Alaska governor is resigning — concerns over money.
Levi Johnston, 19, whose wedding to Bristol Palin was called off earlier this year, says he believes the governor is resigning over personal finances.
Johnston says he lived with the Palin family from early December to the second week in January. He claims he heard the governor several times say how nice it would be to take advantage of the lucrative deals that were being offered, including a reality show and a book.
“I think the big deal was the book. That was millions of dollars,” said Johnston, who has had a strained relationship with the family but now says things have improved.
Palin has a book deal, but compensation details haven’t been disclosed. The governor has said she is facing more than $500,000 in legal fees.
“It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills,” Palin family spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Johnston made his comments at a news conference Thursday at the office of his attorney, Rex Butler.
Johnston came forward, Butler said, because Alaskans want to know why Palin has decided to resign. She made the announcement last Friday.
Johnston also is pursuing his own book deal. He is working as a carpenter while also pursuing a movie deal.
A book deal? A movie deal? About what?? Who is he and what has he done? It is so patently obvious that this guy is desperately trying to stay in the limelight. He wants to cash in on the fact that he is the jilted fiancee of Bristol Palin. It seems to me that any time any member of the Palin family talks, he has his “insight” to add.
It really is quite pathetic. Please, just go away.
A True Inspiration
In this post, I touched on heroes and hero worship. This is the story of a REAL hero…
Emily Whitworth, 12, is always thinking about others.
“She’s would go up to the nursing home and read to the people who are blind,” said Elia Whitworth, Emily’s mother.
Pretty remarkable considering other kids in her situation might find it hard to think outside their own problems.
“When I was four I was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor and it was in my right kidney,” Emily said.
Two years later, the cancer came back in her lungs. The following year, there was more cancer. This time it was in her diaphragm.
“Just remembering everything, you know, it’s hard,” Emily said.
She had three bouts of cancer, and all three times the young girl beat it.
“She’s lost her hair three times,” Whitworth said. “… We would go to places and I would say ‘put your cap on’ or ‘put your hat.’
But Whitworth said she would reply, “Oh, I don’t care mom. I don’t care if people stare.”
Five years ago, Emily had a stem cell transplant and was in remission ever since. But, last month, doctors found another tumor in her thyroid.
Emily said she was surprised by the discovery. But, only one week since her last surgery, she is bouncing back again. As she prepared for a fourth round of radiation Wednesday, she headed to the salon first.
“My mom says to cut like 12 inches,” Emily told her stylist.
Emily’s sandy, curly tresses were going to Locks of Love. She said she hopes to spare another kid from the empty stares she got.
“I just think it helps their confidence,” Emily said.
For those struggling, Emily shared some words of wisdom.
“You just got to believe that you’re going to keep going,” she said. “And just keep your head up and keep fighting.”
Wow!! Thoughts and prayers to Emily and her family.
I Thought She Was Smarter
Got an email from my Rep yesterday, and while I appreciate her responding, I have to admit, I was rather surprised at a few things she said…or her lacky said, but I’m going to go on the assumption that whether or not she typed it herself, it’s her view. The part that got me was:
As you know, in recent years there has been an ongoing debate in Congress on the best legislative method to limit the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. One of these proposals known as “cap and trade,” would set ceilings on the amount of greenhouse gases that may be emitted. Under cap-and-trade plans, individual emitters would be allotted a predetermined number of emission allowances based on their historical emission levels. Emitters that do not use all of their allowances would be able to sell or trade their unused allowances to other emitters who produce more gases than their cap would otherwise allow.
Marsha….tell me it ain’t so! You aren’t really buying into this crap…..are you???
Yes, she voted against the Tax and Crap, but it should have been because that’s what it is….CRAP! Of course, her reasoning:
Additionally, the official budget revenue numbers for cap and trade may understate the actual revenue it will produce. The Wall Street Journal reported that Jason Furman, the White House Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, told a bipartisan group of Senate aides that the cap and trade indirect tax system could actually generate $1.3 trillion to $1.9 trillion between fiscal years 2012 and 2019. This cost for the typical Tennessean could be between $2100 to $3150 per person per year in higher energy costs. As a member on the House Committee of Energy and Commerce, I have serious concerns with the new mandates that are proposed in ACES and I have presented those concerns to my colleagues. Now is not the time for the U.S. to impose unilateral climate restrictions which will drive up energy costs for businesses and consumers, creating greater challenges for U.S. companies to compete with foreign businesses during a weakened economy.
The money aspect is important in voting AGAINST such an absurd bill, but even introducing such a bill in the first place, BASED ON FAULTY DATA, is beyond comprehension. Yes, it’s hot right now…..it’s called summer, although, to hear some folks talk up in the northern part of the east coast, it’s barely spring. CO2 seems to be an after affect when the earth’s temperature rises, it is not the cause of it rising. The planet goes through cycles, and for men, and women, to believe they have any affect whatsoever on what the huge ball in the universe does is beyond arrogance. WE DO NOT CONTROL THE PLANET!
EPA Admits Cap and Trade Will Fail
All economic pain, for no environmental gain. No wonder the Obama economy is failing.
One Big Ass Mistake America
Ann on Sarah
Forgetting Sarah Palin
by Ann Coulter
Sarah Palin has deeply disappointed her enemies. People who hate her guts feel she’s really let them down by resigning.
She’s like the ex-girlfriend they’re SO over, never want to see again, have already forgotten about — really, it’s O-ver — but they just can’t stop talking about her.
Liberal: Ha, ha … Sarah who? She’s over, she’s toast, a future Trivial Pursuit answer, nothing more.
Normal person: Whatever. How about the North Korean missiles?
Liberal: Can you believe she just resigned the governorship like that? What a quitter!
Normal person: Speaking of quitting, how’s work?
-5
Well, it seems that a few folks are finally waking up from their Kool Aid induced coma! Now, if we could just get a few more….then a few more….and they tell others….who knows! Reality might snap!
The Chadcast: No More Heroes
In this week’s podcast, Chad talks about hero worship, human beings and expectations. I’ve just a few comments to make on this one.
As Chad said, we tend to put heroes, whether they be athletes or pop icons, on a pedestal. I’m guilty of that myself. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was to hear that Steve McNair was unfaithful to his wife. This, as we know, resulted in his death. But…BUT…I, along with others, must remember that these are human beings. They are as susceptible as any one of us to temptation, whether it be another woman/man, drugs, or something else. I can’t explain why I feel disappointed when I hear that someone who “seemed like a good guy” gets in trouble. Folks, that happens every day of the week. The difference is, if you’re not in the public eye, people are not dissecting every aspect of your home life, your social life, etc. Is it fair to those who ARE in the public eye? Probably not. Especially, in my opinion, when it comes to someone who attempts to keep his/her life private but is simply not allowed to. But, it is a result of fame.
In the same vein, we come to the “humanness” of some people that we see on TV. On Tuesday, through very odd circumstances that I will not get into, I met one of the Green Bay Packers at his home. Now some of you know, and some of you don’t, that I am a born and bred Bears fan…BUT…my husband is a Packer fan and I live in Wisconsin, so I know nearly more about the Pack than the Bears. Anyway, silly me! I was actually a bit nervous on the way! I’ve seen this guy on the field, and he rocks. But ya know what? He is a kind, sweet gentle soul. Very soft-spoken, we spoke of kids and dogs. The only HINT I got that he is the same guy I see on the field is when he called to his dog – he put on his “football voice.” And God help me – by the time I left, I felt almost maternal!! And I AIN’T that old!! What I’m trying to point out is that these people we idolize, respect, whatever you want to call it, are simply human beings. No more, no less. Yes, they may have special talents, but they are no more or less susceptible to the same things as you or me.
As for the rest of the podcast, just go take a listen. I will not comment, because it made me think, and think HARD.
Enjoy!!
Just Sickening
Body of 2-Year-Old Stolen From Grave at Connecticut Cemetery Found in New Jersey River
A body found in a New Jersey river this week belonged to a 2-year-old girl whose remains were apparently stolen from a grave in Connecticut, police said Tuesday.
Two men fishing in the Passaic River on Sunday afternoon in Clifton, N.J., found a girl’s body in a bag at the shoreline. An investigation led authorities to the grave of a girl who was buried in Stamford in 2007.
Authorities exhumed the grave and found an empty coffin.
Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin would not release the child’s identity Tuesday but said authorities believe she was properly buried.
Police do not consider the girl’s family suspects and said they appeared shocked to hear that their child’s body was not in the grave, Conklin said.
“The Stamford Police Department’s heartfelt condolences go to the family, who are reliving the grief of the loss of their child,” he said.
The grave appeared undisturbed, but the coffin was damaged, an indication that the theft wasn’t recent, he said.
He said police have no suspects and no clear motive. The body was in “remarkably good” condition, he said, and police were looking for any signs that it might have been used in a ritual.
“We have speculation and theories as to why something took place,” he said.
What kind of sick SOB would dig up anyone’s body, much less that of a child. Have people really sunk to such levels? The family already had to go through the hell of losing their little girl once, then to find out some sick bastard dug her up? I’d have to rip the scum’s head off….just on general principles!
Obama = FAIL
Celebrating his first 100 days in office, President Barack Obama told the American people: “One hundred days ago, in the midst of the worst economic crisis in half a century, we passed the most sweeping economic recovery act in history…One hundred days later, we are already seeing results.” And he’s right, we are. Unemployment has risen to 9.5%, stocks fell to their lowest level in 10 weeks on Tuesday, and consumer credit delinquencies have hit a record high. Responding to the obvious failure of the Obama administration’s $787 billion stimulus package, some liberals in the House and Senate are calling for a second (really the third when you count President Bush’s 2008 effort) stimulus. How big of a second stimulus? Center for Economic and Policy Research co-director Dean Baker told Politico: “To my mind it’s pretty obvious we need another stimulus package, probably a lot bigger than the last one.”
To be fair, the Obama administration itself is not yet ready to admit their first $787 billion stimulus package failed. Both Vice President Joe Biden and Obama Council of Economic Advisers member Austan Goolsbee recently said it was premature to discuss crafting another stimulus. But outside adviser to President Obama Laura Tyson told an audience in Singapore yesterday that the stimulus package was indeed “a bit too small” and that the administration should consider a second effort. According to Bloomberg, Tyson then stressed “The U.S. needs to communicate its determination to reduce the annual shortfall once the economy recovers.” Unfortunately the Obama administration is sending no such credible signals.
Not that Obama hasn’t tried. First he held a “fiscal responsibility summit” the week after signing the largest single-year increase in domestic federal spending since World War II. Then he ordered his cabinet to identify $100 million in budget cuts, and proposed his own $17 billion in program terminations and reductions. He has even promised to try and resurrect the completely ineffectual PAYGO rules, but made it clear they would not apply to his own health care spending. Informed observers have not bought any of these shenanigans. The numbers don’t lie, and here is the story they tell:
- Obama’s “stimulus” bill alone will create more debt (approximately $1 trillion including interest costs), than Bush’s first three years of budget deficits combined ($948 billion).
- Under Obama’s budget, the national debt will increase by more in two years than it did under President Bush in eight years.
- Obama’s spending will reach 24.5 percent of GDP, far higher than the post-war average of about 20.2 percent.
Ignoring Obama’s lofty rhetoric and focusing on the hard numbers, investors are demanding higher interest rates to soak up the tremendous flows of debt coming out of the Treasury. This will mean higher interest rates for consumer loans, mortgage loans, business loans, etc. The debt-based Obama economic stimulus plan has become a major drag on economic recovery, just as expected. Looking at Obama’s housing rescue effort the Washington Post reports today: “More recently, long-term interest rates have increased as generalized investor panic has given way to a more specific worry: that the huge U.S. budget deficit is unsustainable and may set off high inflation. In other words, rising deficits are canceling out at least some of the Fed’s efforts to keep mortgages cheap.”
The President and the Congress must realize that world investors will not be swayed by new budget rules or other posturing. They want to see the economy strengthen while the deficit comes down now, and fast. The solution is to set aside all the new spending proposals and start cutting spending fast. Otherwise we’re going to have double digit unemployment for a long time to come.
It took Jimmah Cartah four whole years to become the “Worst President…..EVAH!” It’s only taken The ONE less than seven months to pass Carter, but I don’t think that’s a record to be proud of, do you?
Family Moments
Just a few of the critters….4 Demo….er jackasses….er donkeys.
This is my magnolia tree. My sister knows how much I love those things, so one Christmas, she decided to get me one. Problem was, magnolias don’t grown in Wisconsin, so they planted it. It’s grown quite a bit from the tin can version a few years ago. Oh, and that’s brother in law Tom, and Jr.
Jr, sister, and goats!
Jr and ferrets.
A few more nephews, Michael, Ryan and Reed. Oh yeah, and little one’s mom.
And just a few of the 90million dogs. Never could catch a shot of the zillions of cats. Obviously, I didn’t go hunting for the spiders, geckos, and heaven knows what else.
The Foundry’s Morning Bell
The Truth About Medicare’s Administrative Costs
Now that Al Franken has been seated in the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is now telling reporters he sees no need for the left to compromise on their demands for a government-run “public option” health care plan. Proponents of the public plan, like Schumer, believe government-run health care is needed “to keep the insurance companies honest,” because they believe private insurance companies have higher administrative costs than a government-run health care system would. The explanations for why liberals believe this are as numerous as they are erroneous: government is more efficient than the private sector; private insurance companies spend too much on marketing; executive compensation is too high; private firms fight too many claims; and, of course, private health care seeks too much profit.
But like many core beliefs of the left, the claim that government-run health care has lower administrative costs than private care is just plain false. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, for example, likes to cite data showing that Medicare only spends 3% of its total outlays on administrative costs compared to 14-22% for private care. The numbers themselves are correct, but measuring administrative efficiency by a percentage of total costs is completely useless. Heritage fellow Robert Book explains:
Imagine, for a moment, that Fred and Jane each have a credit card from a different bank. Fred charges $5,000 a month, and Jane charges $1,000 a month. Suppose it costs each bank $5 to produce and send a plastic credit card when the account is opened. That $5 “administrative cost” is a much lower percentage of Fred’s monthly charges than it is of Jane’s, but that does not mean Fred’s bank is more efficient. It is purely a mathematical artifact of Fred’s charging pattern, and it would be silly to compare the efficiency of bank operations on that basis. Yet that is how many analysts compare Medicare with private insurance.
A much more accurate way of capturing each system’s true administrative costs is by a per-patient basis. When this is done, government-run health care’s administrative costs are routinely higher than private care. In the years from 2000 to 2005, Medicare’s administrative costs per beneficiary were consistently higher than that for private insurance, ranging from 5 to 48 percent higher, depending on the year. This is despite the fact that private-sector “administrative” costs include state health insurance premium taxes of up to 4 percent (averaging around 2 percent, depending on the state)–an expense from which Medicare is exempt–as well as the cost of non-claim health care expenses, such as disease management and on-call nurse consultation services.
Without their lower administrative cost talking point, the left knows their justification for government run health care in a time of dangerously high deficits evaporates. That is why Paul Krugman has now attacked Book’s findings twice on his personal blog. In neither effort does Krugman ever refute that per-patient is the better metric nor does he cite any data to refute Book’s per-patient conclusions. Read both posts. And read Book’s responses. This is one liberal myth we can put to bed.
Hey….Chuckie…..blow it outcher wazoo! Like it or not, you still answer to the American people, and we STILL have the right to vote. Although, I’m wondering if people in Minnesota should retain that right.
Letter From Sen Corker
Y’know…..I really do hate form letters, but at least Corker does bother to respond.
Dear Mrs. XXXXXX,
Thank you for taking the time to contact my office to share your concerns about
climate change legislation. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.
As you know, I did not support the climate change legislation considered in the Senate in the previous Congress. Instead of being about climate security, and instead of being about something that really drives us toward using technologies that would cause our country to be energy secure, this bill in fact ended up being about money. This bill would have doled out trillions of dollars to various industries and organizations and forced hard-working Americans to pay more for gasoline, more for electricity, more for food, and more for everything they buy.
I didn’t think it was possible, but the Waxman-Markey climate bill appears to be even more problematic than the climate bill considered in the Senate last spring. I don’t know of many special interests that don’t receive a pay-off in this legislation, and if it comes to the Senate floor in this form, I’ll vote against it.
It is likely the Senate will return to climate change in some form later this fall, and I appreciate your concerns regarding a cap and trade or carbon tax bill. I assure you I will continue to remain an active participant in this debate, and the insight you’ve given here will certainly help my staff and me prepare for future discussions on this issue.
Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.
Sincerely,
Bob Corker
United States Senator
Look In The Mirror….FIRST!
Anger in America is Growing
by J.D. Longstreet
Just a snippet:
Raised as an evangelical I was taught to ”Love the sinner and hate the sin.” But, I have to tell you, it is getting far more difficult these days to not carry that hate for the sin over to the sinner, as well- especially when the sinner is constantly in your face, flaunting his crime against God in the face of a society he knows does not approve of his acts. It has also become uncommonly trying on those conservatives when they know they are being deliberately singled out in an attempt to cause them to break and react in a manner which may reflect hate rather than love.
Now, let’s understand one other very important thing, too. Not ALL conservatives are church going, bible reading, Christians. It is not required that a conservative to be a Christian.
Read the whole post here!
There are a lot of people who will claim the title of “Christian” even though their actions speak otherwise. Sitting in a pew on Sunday morning does not make you a Christian, any more than sitting in a garage will make you a Prius.
I can’t say as I’m one of those who uses hatred as a tool. I don’t hate. I don’t have the energy, nor the inclination. Never have, actually. It’s just not in my nature. I’ve had real strong dislike of a few individuals, but past that, it’s not worth the trouble. The left uses hatred as a tool, to distort a message, no matter what the subject. Their obviousl hatred for talk radio has always baffled me. How can you hate something so much, and blame something, when you aren’t even familiar with the talker? Just because you’ve heard the name, and your buddies in the moonbat brigade says it, doesn’t make it so.
Take for example blaming the shooting of the baby murderer. Wasn’t the man responsible for his own actions? Obviously, he was not a Christian. A Christian would work to convince the doctor, and the mother, NOT to murder the baby. A Christian would help the mother find an alternative, like adoption.
But, as with J.D., I’m finding it more difficult not to find hate in my heart. The struggle is difficult at times, because of the damage to our nation, and the anger I feel about the life with which my grandchildren will have to deal. A small example, just because something has become the norm, does not make it right. Passing out condoms to children is wrong, but it’s become quite normal. Instead of asking the parent or guardian if it’s ok to give the kid rubbers, they just hand ‘em over, in a variety of colors. Does this promote morality? Of course not! But it’s become the norm, so that’s suppose to make it ok. It’s not!
Back to the hate. Who hates more? The liberals or conservatives? The answer, to me at least, is fairly clear, although at times, the lines seem to become a tad blurred. The right is learning the tactics of the left, and it’s only dragging us down to their level…..in the pond scum. I’d prefer that not happen, but I’m only one person and am responsible only for my own actions. I’m also tired of always being on the defensive. Just because you don’t have the foundations of Truth, don’t make it my problem to deal with….YOU deal with it! If you want help finding your way, I, and many like me, will be more than happy to aid you on your way. But please, stop blaming us for some out of control lunatic, who takes matters into their own hands. It’s not Rush’s fault, or Hannity’s, or even Michael Savage. The responsibility lies solely with the person who commits the act.
This is just too amusing. Even had Jr looking over my shoulder cackling.
Shared by capper via email.
