It Must Be Thursday

If you can't stand the heat maybe you shouldn't be in the kitchen.  Sarah Palin wants to be president (or does she?) and she can't take a little humor about her family?  Good grief, they are one whiny bunch.  I don't remember Republicans doing anything but laughing when 13 year old Chelsea Clinton was described by Rush Limbaugh as ugly because her father was Janet Reno.  And having read the joke about A-Rod knocking up a Palin, it sounded more like a slam on A-Rod than a dig at Willow or Bristol because in A-Rod's steroid induced haze he'd hit Amy Winehouse if she could stay away from her drugs for an hour.  Though he does seem to have a penchant for older women with kids which is why Sarah pretends to be so upset, she thought she was going to be the punchline.

Speaking of beauty queens that can't do their job, Miss California has finally been replaced by someone willing to represent California and not herself or her fake agenda.  Carrie Prejean was given more chances than Tom Sizemore and just like him she couldn't stay out of trouble or follow the terms of their probation.

Does the internet have a short attention span?  Of course it does.  Too much press about torture photos? Announce a Supreme Court nominee and poof! the photos go the way of the dodo bird.  Hopefully the same thing won't happen to the Inspector General report that's been hidden for five years.  Shooting an abortion doctor in a church provides a little too much heat and shows the hypocrisy of the Pro-Life or right wing extremist movement?  Poof!  Tase a 72 year old grandma for obnoxiously refusing to sign a traffic ticket.  I remember when cops used to be able to do their job without resorting to tasers or high speed chases that result in the deaths of innocent people.  Heaven forbid that the police do detective work and arrest them the old fashioned way.

The AMA opposes a government sponsored health plan for everyone.  Why would anyone be surprised by that?  When I was in school we had this elderly acupuncturist from China.  He talked about how he loved MRIs but the problem was you needed a whole building to use it and it didn't treat anything.  He also told a story about going to the doctor, he called them note givers.  You enter the office and the doctor doesn't even look up.  You start to tell him your problem and seventeen seconds later he has made his decision and either hands you a prescription, paperwork for a blood or urine test or sends you for X-rays.  You go back two weeks later and if you aren't better he gives you one of the the papers you didn't get the first time.  On your third visit he might look up from his desk, mainly because he wants to see who is causing him all this paperwork.  Chances are he hasn't touched you, which used to be known as palpation, because his assistant has done that for him.  You go home, still not feeling well so now you are on anti-depressants, and the bills start arriving.  Great system for the doctor, not so great for the patient.

There are mistakes and then there are MISTAKES.  No matter how much money this family receives, it will never replace the memories or the possessions.  It should be the law that when a house is going to be demolished that paperwork should be plastered on the doors, the mailbox and there should be an actual address, not just GPS coordinates.  A little common sense from the demolition company wouldn't have hurt either.  Such as the house was in good condition and there were valuables inside.  A few questions would have gone a long way in preventing this tragedy.

I would have had to have net worth for this statistic to directly affect me.  As it is I can't fix my broken tooth, mom broke her glasses this morning and I have no way to replace them which leaves her almost blind and even though I've dropped the price on my car by $1000 the only offers I've received have been obvious scams.  And the best part?  Due to a mixup Social Security is going to adjust mom's check by $300 in July.  And by adjust, I mean down not up.  Unless I sell the car for less than it's worth or a miracle happens, mom and I are going to be homeless.  Oh to be sixteen again, the fridge was always full and the rent was always paid.  As long as I'm dreaming, a fairy godmother would be really cool.  And nowadays it doesn't even have to be a woman.

Thirty five years ago yesterday at 4:55 pm  I raised my right hand and swore to defend this country by serving in the US Army.  Back then the enemy was Vietnam and communism.  Now we're falling apart from the inside.  Who would have ever guessed?