Health Care

Just back from vacation. Catching up on the news. I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised by our president. I wasn't one of the super-paranoid over having a black president, but I must admit to having been concerned over how the black population might react. It's all worked out quite well, and up until now, I have agreed with most everything he has done, until now.

We all need heathcare. I think we would all like to see a national heathcare system where everybody has coverage and it's part of the country's infrastructure. If you haven't been following what's going on, you need to. What is about pass (there are 3 different bills out there and they all include this provision), is ludicrous.

It will be required that every person purchase their own heath insurance, either on their own, or through their employer. You will be fined 2.5% of your income if you don't have it!. Of course the most heavily impacted are those that can least afford it.

Imagine making $10k-$30k a year.. really living on the edge and barely making it. Then being told you have to purchase health insurance at $200-$400 per family member, per month...meaning you have to give up your car, or your child's education, or something else just as critical. The alternative is to take the (much smaller due to lower income) fine, maybe only have to do without electricty(!), and still not have health insurance(!!!). Insane.

In what way does this make things better? An argument is being made that this will force the younger, healthier population to carry insurance, helping to balance out the high cost of all the older, more sickly people in the system now. Yeah, sure it will. If purchasing health insurance is mandatory, do you really think the insurance companies are going to *lower* rates? Fat chance.

This is coming, and it's coming fast. Somewhere along the line, the phrase "universal healthcare" got changed to "healthcare reform". Not all change is good. Wait and see.

One more Turkey Day Picture

I know these are WAY late, but to all of those people claiming my dogs are spoiled; Here's definitive proof! (Sorry... Buddy gets a bit excited at Thanksgiving)

Beaming Puzzle

Jim Beam and Sudoku. That's my company. Woo hoo!

Preparing for Post-Dinner Nap

Slacker

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Pup is Tired

Nobody is getting that bone!

Thanksgiving is Such a Stressful Time!

What with all the ninja turkeys to be slaughtered...

Digga-dig , Part 2

Got an offer I couldn't refuse on a horse I've been wanting for quite a while. Great horse, extremely mellow, should be an awesome rider. Buckskin quarterhorse gelding. That's all I'm saying.. don't want to get my hopes up until the deal is done.

IF (<- that's a big "if") I can afford to keep them both (not likely), this will be a near idea situation. I'll have one super-mellow horse to help me become a better rider, and one pretty crazy horse to make me a better trainer.

Now I just to dig up a western saddle, oh, and a trailer (you know, so I can actually go riding on plots of land bigger than 50 acres). Yes, a trailer would be good. Ideally a 3 or 4 horse slant load with ramps and living quarters. Those suckers aren't cheap.

Wish I could just trade my 5th wheel RV for one. Oh well. "Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which fills up first" , right?

Wine and Beer, it's Everywhere!

Been on a homebrewing and winemaking kick lately. I've researched the wine a lot. I've got 5 of the top wines all fermenting at the moment, with a 6th coming soon. 3 beers are fermenting and 2 more on the way.

Finally, after like 10 years, picked up some cornelius/'corny' (soda) kegs. Get one helluva deal on a commercial grade keg fridge. Just gotta convert it from 1 tap to 4. I'll use my 5th corny keg to secondary fermentation and carbonation before putting in the fridge (room for 4 in the fridge).

All this stuff has to age a while. Beers are 2-6 weeks, wine 2-6 months. God, my liver must hate me! No worries, I'm not drinking it all. I've got something more interesting in mind.

Oh no he didn't!

Men charged after skull dug up, used as bong | Oddly Enough | Reuters: