This is gonna get ugly

Look out Washington.  Here they come!

The Democrats and Republicans have been waging a battle of wills....some would say stubbornness....as they fight about budgets and debt ceiling limits and such. The newspapers and cable TV report it, and some of us bloggers write about it, but odds are it has touched very few people any of us might know personally, if any at all.  

That could change in a big way very soon.  It's said that if the government defaults on paying it's bills (as soon as later this month), Social Security recipients, disabled veterans, military retirees, and others might not be getting their monthly checks.  I don't think the politicians realize what they're letting themselves in for when they start playing pinata with a beehive of Gray Hairs.

It's one thing to heap scorn on a welfare recipient who won't work and lives off his gubment handout and food stamps, yet has a new smartphone, a bottle of hooch and a carton of cigarettes, and a body full of expensive tattoos.  "Get off your ass you bums and get a job!"

I dare you to go up to your elderly neighbor wearing his "WWII Veteran" ball cap, or your grandmother, and tell them to "get a job you bum" because they can't pay for their apartment or food or medicine because their meager savings can't cover the shortfall of them not getting their social security checks.  Or the disabled veteran who is missing limbs because he/she did their time protecting you so you could get your MBA and land that great job on Wall Street, get rich, and join the Tea Party (or any party).

The government checks these people get are NOT welfare.  They PRE-PAID for these benefits by working for decades, paying into a supplemental retirement system every payday of their lives.  Same with veterans, whose terms of employment stipulated that if they were injured on the job they would be cared for.  Unilaterally change their terms of employment and not pay them NOW?  REALLY?

I agree there are lots of worthless programs our government can and should cut to save a buck.  But it would take a pretty cold person who shares a special relationship with the devil to hit on the Gray Hairs.

S

Keepin' it simple

I think I have this "living small" thing figured out.  It's essentially just a function of organization.  "Don't keep more than you need.  Everything has a place.  Everything in it's place."  I suppose it's a never ending refinement process, but I'm pleased with where I am now.  Life is good.  

See....simple, just like me.  Umm, no....wait....that didn't come out right.    ;)

(Seen this week on the freeway)  If you look out your window and see a delivery truck from Matthews International, DON'T ANSWER THE DOOR!

I've discovered that our 3rd floor terrace is the perfect place to see some spectacular sunsets.

For a lover of the evening time such as myself it's been a good week.  Hope you've had a good one, too.   :)

S

Which came first....Mr. T or the t-shirt?

Isn't it ironic that the one thing I can do well, I mean really world-class-well, is tie a necktie?  Why couldn't it be picking winning lottery numbers, or collecting hot women's hotel room keys a la James Bond?  (Disclaimer:  This would have been long before K, of course.)

Yesterday I was asked to do something I haven't been asked to do in 40+ years;  a total stranger stopped me on the street and asked if I knew how to tie a necktie.  I said yes, and he whipped one out and asked me to please help him out.  So I put it around my neck, round / round / tuck / pull, and there it was.  I loosened it, slipped it over my head, handed it to him, and off he ran.  I didn't even have time to ask him what this was all about.

Several light years ago, back when I was in college, I was the go-to guy for half the guys in my dorm who needed a tie tied.  Starting mid-afternoon on Saturday's guys would come to me one after another, waiting sometimes two or three deep, for me to tie their necktie, which they were sure would help them "round the bases" later in the evening.

The irony of all this is I absolutely HATE to wear a necktie myself.  I will lie, cheat, or fake appendicitis to avoid going to a wedding or a funeral, the only two occasions that in my mind still require a necktie.  In retirement I'm down to one suit and one sports coat, and two ties....one for marryin' and one for buryin'.   (At my age the buryin' one is now inching ahead in use.)

DAMN THOSE CROATIANS!

As I see it the guy who invented the necktie is in a sprint straight to hell with the guy who invented the business suit.  I live in Texas....it's 110 degrees....and I'm supposed to button my top shirt button, cinch a tie tight around my neck, and put on A COAT?  Does this make any sense at all?

After a little research I found that it was Croatian mercenaries fighting for the French in the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) who were first seen wearing knotted kerchiefs around their necks to denote their regimental affiliation.  And of course the French, being the little sissies they were (are?) thought it looked cool and made it fashionable.  Damn them all!

Today my wardrobe, courtesy of LL Bean, looks more like this.

I figure I started out life wearing a little "onesie" t-shirt, and I'll go out wearing a slightly larger XL t-shirt.  As God intended it.  :)

Happy weekend everyone!

S

Here come the Big Guns

Oh boy, now they've done it.  "They" being the Tea Party, and "it" being piss off the American business establishment.  Today's news reported that many high-profile, deep-pocketed pro-business groups have had about enough of Tea Party shenanigans.

Their frustration has grown so intense in recent days that several trade association officials warned....that they were considering helping wage primary campaigns against Republican lawmakers who had worked to engineer the political standoff in Washington.

Such an effort would thrust Washington’s traditionally cautious and pragmatic business lobby into open warfare with the Tea Party faction....

“We are looking at ways to counter the rise of an ideological brand of conservatism that, for lack of a better word, is more anti-establishment than it has been in the past,” said David French, the top lobbyist at the National Retail Federation.

The same talk is coming from the US Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable.

“It’s clearly this faction within the Republican Party that’s causing the issue right now,” said David M. Cote, the chief executive of Honeywell

This is great news.  As I've said all along, a strong, healthy, pragmatic Republican Party working with a strong, healthy, pragmatic Democratic Party is good for our country.

My personal wish is that we had a third party to speak for people like me; plain, middle class working people.  The business establishment has their party, and the unions and shall we say "disadvantaged"  faction have their party, but I don't feel I'm a true constituent of either. 

Maybe some day I'll get my wish for an un-bought-and-paid-for 3rd political party that survives on $1's and $5's, but for now I'll just content myself with the knowledge that thinking conservatives are once again gaining the upper hand in a more responsible GOP. 

 *happy dance*

S

An honest question for you....

As we all know our country is tied in knots right now, liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats ready to go toe-to-toe over health care reform, aka Obamacare.  As I've stated before, I'm afraid Obamacare is going to be a mess because it was written hurriedly by a bunch of bureaucrats and industry lobbyists.  IMO, however, the general concept seems to have merit based on some numbers I've just researched.

First....why do we go to a doctor or hospital?  To become and stay healthy, right?  To live a long life.  How do we measure that?  By measuring the "average life expectancy at birth".  Here are some current OECD* life expectancy statistics:

        Switzerland........82.7   years
        Spain..................82.33
        Italy....................82.09
        Sweden..............81.8
        France................81.67
        Norway...............81.3
        Netherlands........81.2
        Austria................81.03
        UK......................80.75
        Germany............80.74
        Belgium..............80.49
        Finland................80.47
        Denmark.............79.8
        US.......................78.64

The United States ranked 27th out of 34 OECD countries, which is more than a little worrisome to me.

Next, consider this:  All of those other countries mentioned have some sort of "universal health care".  Sometimes it's mandatory purchase of health insurance (in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, I believe), and in others it's flat out government provided (as in the UK).  

In common vernacular we here in the US just call it all "socialized medicine".  And that's the bug-a-boo.  Say the word socialized ______ and Americans just freak.  "Socialized, like in the old USSR?  No sirree, none of that commie crap here!)  We're very touchy about that word.

Now lets look at OECD numbers comparing the percentage of GDP by country spent on health care:

        US......................17.6% of GDP
        Netherlands........12
        Germany............11.6
        France................11.6
        Switzerland........11.4
        Denmark............11.1
        Austria................11
        Belgium..............10.5
        UK.......................9.6
        Sweden...............9.6
        Spain...................9.5
        Norway...............9.4
        Italy.....................9.3
        Finland................8.9

The United States ranked first (by a large margin) in a field of 34 advanced countries.  In this case being #1 is NOT a good thing.

"Yes, but all those countries pay a LOT more in taxes than we do."  True, from 5% to 16% more.  But that buys them a lot more than just health care.  That also pays for free (or at least very inexpensive) child care, college tuition, a much earlier retirement age, more generous "social security", more generous unemployment benefits, etc.  And as has been pointed out, that total "cradle to grave" welfare system is breaking their banks.

But I'm not looking at any of that here.  I'm just looking at health care, and in that one category, it seems like they're getting a MUCH better deal than we are.  They are spending less yet living longer.  (If I've misinterpreted anything here please feel free to correct me, and give your sources.)

The big complaint as I understand it is the wait time for elective procedures over there.  They might have to wait a year or more for, say, a hip or knee replacement, where here it can be scheduled in a matter of weeks.  

That is one of our medical establishment's big gripes against Obamacare.....30,000,000 new people are getting health care, yet no new doctors are being trained to treat them.  It's a very valid point, and will likely be a major nuisance.  Some, however will question even that, pointing out these people are getting care now, but just not paying for it.

Opponents of Obamacare say it is destroying our freedom.  Freedom to....what, pay more and die sooner?

Here is my question for you:  Forgetting about Obamacare as it is now written, and without using the dreaded "socialized" brand, do you think some form of "universal health care" is an option we should consider?  If no, please leave me a brief comment as to why you think not.  I honestly want to hear some different opinions.

Thanks,

S
     
* The OECD is a widely accepted international economic organization of 34 advanced nations founded in 1961 (an outgrowth of the 1948 US Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe) to promote economic growth and world trade.

The water closet library

Pretty impressive, huh?  No, it's not mine, but while I can't read the titles, I'm pretty sure it belongs to a guy.  It just looks like something a guy would have.  Plus the window has no curtains, and the walls aren't painted lavender or fuchsia.  (Always a dead give-away.)  

There's no telling how many great ideas, how many world-changing inventions, have originated in "think tanks" just like this.  I like this montessori style of learning.  I'm exposed to all kinds of new cultures, ideas, and even exotic languages.

"Foreigners must be perplexed by Whinging Poms but that's just the way it is--play it all down, make out it's really a bit of a fag, then go like the clappers with full commitment."

Well, yes, this foreigner is totally perplexed.  I have no idea what any of that means.  But the important thing is, I read, and I've learned new, exotic jibberish.  This was written by a contributor to Octane magazine, a UK-published car magazine that I read.  

I like leisurely perusing it because it gives reviews and tells stories and shows photos of vintage cars we don't see here on this side of the pond.  Cars like Lancia's and Alfa Romeo's and Delahaye's.

Here's something you're not likely to see in the Walmart parking lot.

I prefer to stock my water closet library with magazines.  That's because I don't eat enough to warrant stocking it with books.  A couple of magazine pages at a time is about right.  With books, some of those chapters can go on and on and....

On a related topic, I read just this morning that American adults are lagging behind adults in most other countries in things such as reading, math, and problem-solving skills.  Yes, part of the problem is probably because our kids are getting crappy educations (everyone gets an A so they won't get their feelings hurt), and of course kids eventually grow up to be adults.  Or inmates.  But my theory is it's because not enough adults pursue "continuing education".  

I think kids should be taught early to read.  If kids are fed properly and given access to thought provoking ideas, and taught it's good to read and learn every day, America will once again be

Or sometimes, #2.  ;)

S

From "hero" to "goat"

It's an old saying that means to go from someone who can do no wrong to a (scape)goat, the Biggest Loser.  It's everywhere....in sports, business, politics, and even in pet owners.

In sports:  I watched an absolutely incredible college football game on Saturday.  Highly favored and ranked Georgia escaped by the skin of their teeth after Tennessee surprisingly played them off their feet.  It was a classic Cinderella story until, in overtime no less, this Vols running back fumbled on the one yard line....

DOH!  Touchback, Georgia's ball, field goal, game over.  Tennessee loses.  That poor running back will live with that play for the rest of his life, especially in a football-crazy state like Tennessee.

And do I even have to mention the Dallas Cowboy's ridiculously overpaid quarterback, Tony "Choke" Romo, who threw for 500+ yards, an awesome feat, but then threw an interception with a minute to go in the game to lose it all?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

In business:  I remember being at the Farnborough airshow in the UK back in 2006 when Boeing was a hero, writing orders a hundred mph for their new plane still on the drawing board, the 787.  Now they're being delivered and have become little more than super-expensive Hangar Queens.  Various bits keep exploding, catching fire, and falling off....

It got so bad a couple of weeks ago Norwegian Airlines demanded Boeing send over its engineers and mechanics and fix their flying White Elephants.  And just this weekend a Korean Airlines 787 took off from Dallas/Ft. Worth headed to Seoul and immediately had to dump $$$ worth of fuel and return to DFW due to a malfunction.

Today I read that Japan Airlines, a solid, long-time Boeing customer, is buying $9.5B worth of Airbus jets.  I'm thinking Boeing would be turning out its lights if it wasn't for the fact that there is too much demand for new aircraft for either major manufacturer to build all by themselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In politics:  Sen. Ted Cruz, the huge embarrassment from my state of Texas, the once immensely popular poster boy for the Tea Party, is now spontaneously combusting.  

I guess Ted never heard the old political adage, "Always know the answer before you ask the question."  There is not now nor ever has been a snowball's chance in hell Brick O'bama would back off his health care agenda.  And he has a veto in his back pocket as a last resort.  Game, set, match.

Ted's gubment shutdown is doing no good whatsoever, and weekend polls now show the Republican's approval rating to be lower than an enema.  (It makes Congress' overall 10% approval rating look enviable.)  The majority seem to hold the GOP primarily responsible.

This game of chicken is just the opening act.  Next week comes raising the debt ceiling vote.  If it fails, the US theoretically will default for the first time ever paying it's bills.  Thinking Republicans are engineering a coup right now to squash the Tea Party extortionists.  The only magazine cover Ted will be on after that will be Mad magazine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And in pet owners:  That hero-to-goat figure would be me.  I took my breakfast, a (pre-cooked) sausage link and a croissant out on the terrace this morning.  Luke the Wonder Dog knows that the last little bite of sausage is his, per our dog/owner agreement.  He sat there, patiently waiting his turn.  Then, just as I was passing to him his little piece of meat, it slipped out of my fingers, bounced, and fell three-stories to its death.  

I looked into Luke's little brown eyes as his prize fell over the edge and could see plain as day what he was thinking:  "You dumb shit!  You're a goat.  You know that?"*

Yep, it's Monday.  Yea.

S  (or should it be G?)

* Don't worry, we're good now....I made it right.  :)