"Only two people have ever volunteered to die for you. One is Jesus Christ, and the other is the American Soldier." Unknown.
Happy Memorial Day
God bless the Fallen
Monday, May 30, 2011
In Memoriam
The following is the official video to Michael Jackson's song "Gone to Soon", a tribute to Ryan White, the young 1980's AIDS patient who helped to humanize those infected with HIV and who passed away in 1990. This video may seem inappropriate for a Memorial Day post but when I was listening to the song with my Mom it occurred to me that those who have fallen in battle are also "gone too soon", especially to their families. As photos of Ryan White appear in the video, the loved ones of the Fallen will see their son or daughter, father or mother, husband or wife, brother or sister and they will grieve for the one who was taken from them too soon. So this video is quite appropriate to post on Memorial Day as we, as a nation, remember all our great defenders who are "gone too soon". God bless them all.
Gone Too Soon
In Memory of the Fallen
Gone Too Soon
In Memory of the Fallen
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Small Taste Of Obamacare
I'm opposed to Obamacare but I always kind of thought it wouldn't impinge on me personally for a few years. I know, that's a naive thought but I did think it...until today. Today I got what I think is a small taste of Obamacare.
Today at work we learned that some changes are taking place in our company health benefits. To put it simply, our health insurance is getting more expensive. Our premiums are going up, new surcharges will apply under certain conditions and, worst of all to me, the co-pay system has been abolished. Instead, we will have to pay the contract cost for doctor's visits and procedures until our deductible is paid. After that we will pay 20% of the cost of visits and procedures. Like I said, our health care is getting more expensive. Didn't Obama promise Americans just the opposite?
The costly changes that my company is making to its health benefits is an example of the unintended(?) consequences of government intervention in health care and the free market. Two Obamacare policies appear to be driving my company's health benefits shake up. Those policies are the requirements for health insurance companies to provide free preventative care and to let parents carry their children on their health plans until those children are 26 years old (and there are no restrictions on these adult kids; they can be married and have kids of their own and still be eligible for their parents' health coverage).
On the surface these policies seem compassionate. What's wrong with free preventative care? What's wrong with letting parents keep their twenty-something kids on their health insurance plan? What's wrong is that somebody has to pay for these "reforms". "Free" preventative care is free only to the patient; it still costs money to the doctors, clinics, and hospitals who deliver that care, and that costs money to the insurance company. Likewise, forcing insurers to take on droves of new customers will raise their cost of doing business. How will insurance companies pay for these new expenses? By passing them onto consumers in the form of higher premiums, new charges, and/or reduced services. Nothing very compassionate about that.
The Founding Fathers were right not to make social welfare the responsibility of the federal government. In almost every instance, government "help" winds up creating more problems than it solves. In the case of Obamacare, federal "compassion" means that my co-workers and I will end up a bit poorer and possibly a bit less healthy. And all because Barak Obama cares.
I really wish he didn't.
Today at work we learned that some changes are taking place in our company health benefits. To put it simply, our health insurance is getting more expensive. Our premiums are going up, new surcharges will apply under certain conditions and, worst of all to me, the co-pay system has been abolished. Instead, we will have to pay the contract cost for doctor's visits and procedures until our deductible is paid. After that we will pay 20% of the cost of visits and procedures. Like I said, our health care is getting more expensive. Didn't Obama promise Americans just the opposite?
The costly changes that my company is making to its health benefits is an example of the unintended(?) consequences of government intervention in health care and the free market. Two Obamacare policies appear to be driving my company's health benefits shake up. Those policies are the requirements for health insurance companies to provide free preventative care and to let parents carry their children on their health plans until those children are 26 years old (and there are no restrictions on these adult kids; they can be married and have kids of their own and still be eligible for their parents' health coverage).
On the surface these policies seem compassionate. What's wrong with free preventative care? What's wrong with letting parents keep their twenty-something kids on their health insurance plan? What's wrong is that somebody has to pay for these "reforms". "Free" preventative care is free only to the patient; it still costs money to the doctors, clinics, and hospitals who deliver that care, and that costs money to the insurance company. Likewise, forcing insurers to take on droves of new customers will raise their cost of doing business. How will insurance companies pay for these new expenses? By passing them onto consumers in the form of higher premiums, new charges, and/or reduced services. Nothing very compassionate about that.
The Founding Fathers were right not to make social welfare the responsibility of the federal government. In almost every instance, government "help" winds up creating more problems than it solves. In the case of Obamacare, federal "compassion" means that my co-workers and I will end up a bit poorer and possibly a bit less healthy. And all because Barak Obama cares.
I really wish he didn't.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Celebrate Good Times, Come On!
I was just over at my friend Angel's blog and saw the wonderful photographs she'd posted of Americans celebrating the death of archterrorist and American killer Osama bin Laden. I was really moved by those pictures and decided to post a few here. Go to Angel's blog, Woman Honor Thyself, to see the rest of the pictures, I'm sure you'll be as moved as I was. Here are Americans doing what patriots do when their nation defeats its enemy: CELEBRATE!!!!
And the children shall lead...
Raise the flag up to the sky! How many of them can we make die?!
Long may she wave!
USA! USA!
Victory!
What getting bin Laden was all about.
And the children shall lead...
Raise the flag up to the sky! How many of them can we make die?!
Long may she wave!
USA! USA!
Victory!
What getting bin Laden was all about.
Monday, May 02, 2011
The Rat Is Dead!
"If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it's that you can kill anyone." Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Part 2
I learned last night, along with the rest of the country and the world, that Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, was killed by American special forces in a stunningly successful raid on his compound in Pakistan. Osama bin Laden is dead. Repeat, the rat who engineered the slaughter of 3000 American men, women, and children is DEAD!!!! This is a glorious day for America! Here's how things went down.
American intelligence received a tip back in August that bin Laden might be holed up in a Pakistani compound. Over the next several months US intelligence agents painstakingly gathered more information to make sure that bin Laden really was in that compound. Finally, the rat's presence in Pakistan was confirmed and Sunday the president green lighted a commando raid to capture or kill him. The Navy SEALS killed him, shooting bin Laden in the face. The last thing this murderer of Americans saw before he died was an American pointing a gun in his face. SWEET! And after his execution, the world's chief Muslim terrorist was buried at sea. Osama bin Laden sleeps with the fishes. Again, SWEET!!!!
The killing of bin Laden is a huge victory in our war against radical Islam, and it show cased the bravery and professionalism of America's armed forces. The credit for getting Osama goes entirely to our great military. Every American should feel immense pride in our special forces. This very dangerous raid was conducted without one American casualty. It was a flawless operation. Almost.
I do have one problem with the Osama operation, and that is Osama's burial at sea so soon after his demise. I'm very upset that the US military gave bin Laden a Muslim burial, complete with a body washing and a Muslim service, on board a US aircraft carrier before dumping his body at sea. Specifically, I'm upset that this burial was done, in part, to show--ugh!--sensitivity to Muslims. This sensitivity thing was also the reason Obama ordered a commando raid on Osama's compound instead of bombing the place. He felt a commando raid would make it easier to avoid civilian casualties. Again, ugh!
Why are we addicted to the delusion that we can earn radical Muslims' goodwill? Why do we continue this malignant obsession with trying to curry favor with Muslims? When are we going to admit it doesn't work, not even with "moderate" Muslims? We change our tactics, putting our own troops in increased danger, in order to protect Muslim civilians; we strive to show respect for Islamic law; we assert repeatedly that we're not at war with Islam yet, Muslims still hate and condemn us. Our deferment to Islamic burial customs didn't prevent the likes of Hamas, a major Egyptian imam, and Pakistan's ex-president, Musharraf, from condemning our killing of Osama. When will we face facts?
We will never win over Muslims, radical or "moderate", so we should stop trying. We should do what's necessary to defend ourselves, paying no regard to Muslim sensibilities. A respecful burial, in line with the customs of his faith, was uncalled for and something bin Laden was totally unworthy of. We shamed ourselves by giving him that honor and by continuing to believe the false promise of political correctness. Still, the burial is the only fault I can find with the demise of one of the dirtiest human beings on the planet. On Sunday, May 1, America got her man. We brought a mass murderer of our people to justice, Navy SEALs justice. The rat is finally dead. Good riddance and God bless America.
I learned last night, along with the rest of the country and the world, that Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, was killed by American special forces in a stunningly successful raid on his compound in Pakistan. Osama bin Laden is dead. Repeat, the rat who engineered the slaughter of 3000 American men, women, and children is DEAD!!!! This is a glorious day for America! Here's how things went down.
American intelligence received a tip back in August that bin Laden might be holed up in a Pakistani compound. Over the next several months US intelligence agents painstakingly gathered more information to make sure that bin Laden really was in that compound. Finally, the rat's presence in Pakistan was confirmed and Sunday the president green lighted a commando raid to capture or kill him. The Navy SEALS killed him, shooting bin Laden in the face. The last thing this murderer of Americans saw before he died was an American pointing a gun in his face. SWEET! And after his execution, the world's chief Muslim terrorist was buried at sea. Osama bin Laden sleeps with the fishes. Again, SWEET!!!!
The killing of bin Laden is a huge victory in our war against radical Islam, and it show cased the bravery and professionalism of America's armed forces. The credit for getting Osama goes entirely to our great military. Every American should feel immense pride in our special forces. This very dangerous raid was conducted without one American casualty. It was a flawless operation. Almost.
I do have one problem with the Osama operation, and that is Osama's burial at sea so soon after his demise. I'm very upset that the US military gave bin Laden a Muslim burial, complete with a body washing and a Muslim service, on board a US aircraft carrier before dumping his body at sea. Specifically, I'm upset that this burial was done, in part, to show--ugh!--sensitivity to Muslims. This sensitivity thing was also the reason Obama ordered a commando raid on Osama's compound instead of bombing the place. He felt a commando raid would make it easier to avoid civilian casualties. Again, ugh!
Why are we addicted to the delusion that we can earn radical Muslims' goodwill? Why do we continue this malignant obsession with trying to curry favor with Muslims? When are we going to admit it doesn't work, not even with "moderate" Muslims? We change our tactics, putting our own troops in increased danger, in order to protect Muslim civilians; we strive to show respect for Islamic law; we assert repeatedly that we're not at war with Islam yet, Muslims still hate and condemn us. Our deferment to Islamic burial customs didn't prevent the likes of Hamas, a major Egyptian imam, and Pakistan's ex-president, Musharraf, from condemning our killing of Osama. When will we face facts?
We will never win over Muslims, radical or "moderate", so we should stop trying. We should do what's necessary to defend ourselves, paying no regard to Muslim sensibilities. A respecful burial, in line with the customs of his faith, was uncalled for and something bin Laden was totally unworthy of. We shamed ourselves by giving him that honor and by continuing to believe the false promise of political correctness. Still, the burial is the only fault I can find with the demise of one of the dirtiest human beings on the planet. On Sunday, May 1, America got her man. We brought a mass murderer of our people to justice, Navy SEALs justice. The rat is finally dead. Good riddance and God bless America.
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