Air Jordans

Shopping frenzy over $180 athletic shoes. Shootings,fights,injuries. Marketing at it's best.

Everyone's Appalled, Nobody Wants to Act

Invariably, when I start a discussion with things like: "$3M for a 30 second advert at the Super Bowl is ridiculous", "top tier athletes get paid way too much", or "owners, networks and players have no incentive to keep costs down"; I get enthusiastic agreement. However, when I suggest that we do something about it by boycotting the Super Bowl, I get that look like I've got two heads! "Boycott the Super Bowl"? "I've got to watch the Super Bowl". "Why would you boycott the Super Bowl"?

Well, my friends, the entire feeding frenzy that generates the obscene amounts of money is all about getting your eyeballs on a product. So, by watching the game, no matter how much you are aghast at the outlandish costs, you are contributing to the problem. Join me in boycotting Super Bowl XLVI. Don't watch it!

Healthier Lifestyle Drives Healthcare Costs UP

Popular wisdom has it that if we live a healthier lifestyle, we'll keep the cost of healthcare down. I suggest that perhaps the opposite is true.

Not too many years ago, we got old, we got sick and we died. Sometimes we didn't even get old, we just got sick and died. We really didn't think much about a healthy lifestyle. We smoked, we watched a lot of TV, there were very few joggers. We rode a bicycle of we liked it, not to get any cardio benefit out of it. We ate trans fats and loaded up on cholesterol laden foods. We got cancer, heart failure or complications from diabetes. There wasn't much to be done except go home to die.

We now live longer than in the past for two main reasons: we live a healthier lifestyle and medical science has advanced to the point that they can now cure or slow down previously terminal diseases. While that is all well and good, it doesn't come free, and we have not yet figured out how to pay for our new-found health.

Our obsession with health leads to several costly things. The most glaring one is that, since we live longer, we are more likely to need nursing home care due to Alzheimer's, dementia or some other debilitating illness. Like it or not, no matter how healthy we are, our bodies eventually wear out. While there have been significant strides made in the area of prolonging life by lifestyle, medication,surgery and machines, there has been very little progress in dealing effectively with end of life issues. Collectively, we have not come to a realization that there is some point beyond which it is not worth keeping someone alive. As such, we spend enormous amounts of money on people who would choose death if it were an option.

Another costly effect of our healthy lifestyle is that we are no longer content to sit in front of the TV with our knee elevated when it is stiff and sore. We want to run, cycle, play golf and kayak. Not a problem, get a knee replacement, hip replacement, shoulder replacement.... or even two of each. These are not inexpensive procedures. I'll be the first one in line to get one as soon as I can no longer swing a golf club, but it should be recognized that these expensive procedures are part of the COST of a healthier lifestyle.

While it's somewhat related to the first issue, another costly result of living "healthier" and longer is that, in the long run, we need more medical care and medication. Again, like it or now, no matter how healthy we are, our bodies will wear out. We'll go to the doctor, we'll have surgery, we'll get medicine. First one pill, then two, then three. Some are necessary, like insulin for a diabetic. Others solve problems we didn't even know we had until we saw it on TV (didn't you always wonder why you were carrying around that beaker of green liquid?). The more different medicines we take, the more unpredictable are the interactions. Some mixed side effects lead to the prescription of yet another medicine.

So, if I don't smoke and get lots of exercise, I'm much less likely to get lung cancer and die when I'm 50. But, since I live past 50, I'll have a hip replacement, a knee replacement, a coronary bypass, treatment for prostate cancer, and extended physical therapy for a torn rotator cuff. I'll eventually be taking medicine for gout, overactive bladder, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and arthritis. I start to forget things and wander off in the grocery store. Finally, my wife can no longer take care of me, so it's off to assisted care, then a full blown nursing home where, in my lucid moments over a period of 8 years, I wish my life could end.

Again, I do NOT mean to imply that smoking from age 16 and getting cancer and dying at age 50 is a preferred life scenario. What I am saying is that the healthy lifestyle and longer life leads to expenses that neither we as individuals nor the country as a whole were able to anticipate or plan for. So as we continue to invent new cures, prolong life and fill up our nursing homes, we will continue to cripple ourselves with unsustainable cost increases.

What to do? The first order of business should be to figure out a way by which a healthy person can define, unambiguously, the point beyond which he/she no longer wants to live. When that point is reached, a humane, legal and socially acceptable means to end life should be available. We've got to quit avoiding this issue and figure out a way to deal with it. I want that option for myself and I know many people who think the same way.

Second, maybe it's time to slow down the pace of medical advancement. Or, if we're going to continue, we've got to consider the results of that advancement in the context of what is affordable. OOPS, is that starting to sound like rationing? As much as I hate to use that emotion-laden word, we already do it and to manage our health care costs in the future, we've got to get it out in the open and have an honest dialog about how to do it. We can either ration the development of new technology (by constraining the available research dollars), or ration the use of the technology (say, by constraining the number of a given procedure to be performed each year). Alternatively, we can come up with some kind of single payer system where we, as a nation, decide how much we want to spend on health care, we tax the citizens and businesses to collect that much money and we budget the expenditures to achieve that cost. Of course there won't be enough for EVERYONE to get ANY procedure at ANY time they want it. Of course, there will be abuse. Of course, the rich will be able to buy services outside the system. Those are issues to be addressed, not issues that invalidate a single payer system.

It's easy to bash "big pharma" or "greedy insurance companies", but they are only part of the problem. Our culture is another big part of the problem. We've got to think seriously about how our current expectations for health care are not affordable and part of solving that problem should be managing those expectations.

Headline: MSG Threatens TV Blackouts

My good friends at Time Warner just informed me that MSG (a NYC sports network) is raising their rates by 53%. It's time we stopped this vicious cycle. Players demand larger contracts, owners and leagues charge more for TV rights, TV Networks up the advertising, cable and satellite rates. Guess who pays in the end?

I watch a lot of sports on MSG, but I'm willing to give it up. This happens year after year. Some network asks for 53% and maybe they will settle for 25% and everyone will think it's a good deal. Well, I DON'T. Let them try to make ends meet with no cable or satellite TV revenue, and no advertising revenue (since nobody will be watching, why would advertisers pay?). Those of us who pay the bills have to do something about this or nobody will.

If you're a Time Warner customer who is being "threatened" by the loss of MSG, please let them know that they can take MSG and put it where the sun don't shine. What's more, if they DO negotiate a new rate that is a nickel above the rate of inflation, we'll start an effort to boycott MSG.

Tebowing

There are almost daily news reports about athletes an non-athletes "Tebowing". On the field, on the court, in the halls. Does this signal a resurgence of Christianity among US youth?

I think not. While there are undoubtedly many Christians who have added the Tebow move to their repertoire of religious gestures, most of the newbies who are drawing all the attention are doing it because it's COOL. A sports hero is doing it. Everyone is talking about it. I'll do it too. I want to belong. I would bet that if some new superstar saluted with the "sign of the horns", we would have an epedemic of that. How would the media and school administrators react to that?

Two Month Extension for Payroll Tax Cut

I don't know how many of you have jobs, but if you do, I'm sure at least 98% of you are expected to perform. You have a quota, target, goal, expectation. In most cases, if you continually miss your objectives, you're OUT!.

If you're expected to get XYZ done by December 31, what happens if you don't? When congress can't get it's job done, what happens? Well... we'll just fuck around for another 2 months and maybe we'll figure it out by then. Or maybe not.

In the meantime, every payroll department of every industry in the USA is wondering how much tax to withhold from employees. And, then they might have to update it 2 months later?

What do we pay these people to do????? How long have they had to plan for this problem????

I would suggest that you write to your Representative and Senator, but I've done that. Without exception, every one of them says they are not part of the problem. So what can you do? If NONE of the current elected officials are the problem, and there is a problem, it seems to me that maybe they ALL should go. What do you think?

New Deal Between NFL and TV Networks

Yipeeeeeeeeeeee!!! The NFL and Fox, CBS and NBC have finalized a deal for televising football through the 2022 season!! I'm so happy!!

But hang on a minute. The deal includes a 7% yearly increase. When was the last time you got a 7% increase? Oh.... and forget about promotions and job switches. When was the last time you got 7% for just doing the same job (albeit doing it well)?

And just where do the networks get the $3.1 billion (2022 cost)? Mostly from advertising I suspect. Where do the advertisers get their money? Well, ummmmm, who is there besides the people at the bottom of the food chain that buy the products.

Another source of revenue is the cable and satellite networks. Who pays for that? You got it. Next time your cable rates go up, don't be so fast to jump on Time Warner's case.

Here is just one more case where the people providing the money for this ridiculously expensive sport have nothing to say about how much it costs. Well, it's time we started showing that we've had enough. Join the Super Bowl boycott (http://www.bicephalic.com) now! Get the t-shirt at the Cafe Press Bicephalic Shop .

NTSB Recommends Cell Phone Ban

The NTSB is calling for a ban on cell phone use, including hands free devices EXCEPT for devices installed in the vehicle by the manufacturer. Can someone explain that exception to me?? Doh.... pressure from the auto industry lobby maybe??????

$254M to play baseball?????

Is there nothing that the consumer can do to stop this nonsense?? Albert Pujols is certainly a great baseball player, but this kind of contract drives the cost of everything from a seat at the stadium to the the price of a beer at the corner store. The fans are the ones that have to pay, yet we seem to have no way to control the cost. After the Super Bowl Boycott, we'll start boycotts of brands that advertise sporting events that include over priced players.

Smart Phone

My somewhat dated Motorola Razor clam-shell phone does everything I want/need it to do (make and receive phone calls). So why do I feel self conscious when I whip it out in the mall or an airport? Marketing and peer pressure are definitely at work here.

Super Bowl Boycott: 2012

Even before the playoff teams for the 2012 Super Bowl have been determined, I'll make my first call to boycott the event. I think it's time we made a stand against way in which the media over hypes the event with the sole purpose of shoving advertising down our throats so that we'll run to the store and spend more money to pay for the huge advertising bills, the TV rights and the players outrageous salaries.

To start the campaign off, refer to the following video featuring Michael Douglas that was shown at the beginning of the 2011 Super Bowl. Look closely at the events to which the Super Bowl is compared. Now, isn't that just a little "over the top"? The Super Bowl is the culmination of a long season rewarding two teams for being (arguably) the best. But..... it is a GAME played for entertainment. Nothing more. It's not D-Day, Iwo Jima or 9-11.

Let's start thinking of fun things we can do on Feburary 5, 2012 besides watching this over hyped extravaganza.

Payroll Tax Revisited

If you look past to my Payroll Tax posts of last December and listen to what's going on in Congress right now, you'll find that I hit this one right on the head. Both sides of the aisle are claiming that we cannot afford a TAX INCREASE while the economy is still fragile. Well, if you hadn't cut the Payroll Tax last year, you wouldn't be in this mess!!

Social Security is intended to be a self funded benefit. Until now, it has been. Keeping the Payroll Tax artificially low to "stimulate" the economy is not the answer to our problems.

I argued against reducing the Payroll Tax last year, and I oppose extending this ill advised reduction this year.

Black Friday: There outta be a law!!!

Black Friday. Stores put items on sale. Stores open the doors at midnight. Shoppers line up around the block to be the first ones in. Some people get hurt in the mad rush to get the sale items.

Some people are calling for laws to protect consumers from the dangers of Black Friday.

STOP, STOP, STOP!!!! Let's take care of ourselves here!! If you don't want to be subjected to the dangers of a mob trying to save $10, DO NOT GO!! It's that simple. Nobody is making you go to the store at midnight (or 5am or 9pm... whatever the time is). This is nonsense and we have to STOP asking the GOVERNMENT to protect us from the nonsense.

I must admit, this is one area where I strongly agree with Ron Paul. The government has no business getting involved in this. There are already enough laws on the books that protect us from assault. We don't need any special ones for Black Friday.

Super Committee Failure

I'm not surprised, though I'm still disappointed. Our political system is badly broken. I fear for our future. What more can I say.

Airline Baggage Fees

Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., has introduced legislation that would require airlines to allow passengers one checked bag and one carry-on bag for free. Just exactly why does the government have any business telling the airlines how they should run their business? Sen. Landrieu sites passenger dissatisfaction with the overloaded luggage bins on crowded flights. Perhaps the problem could be solved if the airlines charged for carry on bags as well. Perhaps they should charge by the pound regardless of where the luggage is carried.

I think the flying public needs to resolve this directly with the airlines. Express your dissatisfaction, fly Southwest Airlines, stop flying; but don't expect the government to do everything for you.

The Resurgence of Lay-Away

Lay-away is back at many big-box stores this year. And, once again, the government is stepping in to take care of us so we don't have to take care of ourselves.

Sen. Chuck Schumer is appalled that stores charge a fee for providing the lay-away service and that, depending on the cost of the item being bought, the fee could exceed normal credit card rates. Chuck, PLEASE; let us take care of ourselves!!! If a store wants to charge a $100 fee to lay away a $100 item, let them. Shame on the person who accepts such a stupid deal. Obviously the fee must be stated up-front, but let's start encouraging Americans to look out for themselves rather than expecting the government to make everything OK. We are adaptable creatures. We may make a few mistakes along the way, but we WILL learn.

Isn't there a fine line between.........

Isn't there a fine line between someone who hears voices in his head and acts on them (e.g. a psychotic) and someone who hears voices in his head and acts on them (e.g. a presidential candidate who does it because "God told me to")? Do we want someone as president who makes decisions based on some unseen, non-accountable, supernatural being or based on sound, reasonable, informed judgement?

Hang it up Mr. Cain.

Have you ever wondered.......?

Recently, while traveling the highways and byways of central New York on bicycle, I've noticed a large number of bolts along the side of the road. Where did they come from? Wouldn't you think that some number of them fell out of some "safety critical" part of a car or truck? Think of it; we're sharing the road with these cars and trucks that are missing bolts that hold the steering together??

12 Month DST?

If we had 12 months of Daylight Savings Time, would that become Standard Time? Then would we have DST on top of that?? Regardless, I'm for doing away with all this clock changing crap, let's just stick to what we currently call Daylight Savings Time. The light in the evening is good... why switch back in the winter. It's too depressing!!

Herman Cain is Toast

What more can I say? There is no way to dig out of a hole as big as his sexual harassment hole. Too bad. While I'm certain Herman never would have made it through the primaries, he has added some interesting and necessary angles to the contest so far. Sadly, we must say goodbye to 9-9-9.

What's next B of A??

The banks needed $0.44 per transaction to cover the cost of providing debit cards. Out "protectors" in congress decided they should only get $0.22 per transaction. "That's OK", said the banks, we'll just charge a $5.00 monthly fee for the privilege of using a debit card and all will be cool. (Of course, prices for merchandise went down as a result of the limitation on debit card fees. Haven't you noticed?)

Guess what?!?!? Customers revolted, banks backed down. So now what they gonna do?? If it really costs 44 cents and they are getting 22 cents, it's gotta come from somewhere. Or..... maybe it didn't really cost 44 cents after all???

Common Cold

Winter is almost upon us and over the next few months, most of us will come down with the dreaded common cold. While we will experience significant discomfort for a couple days or a couple weeks, very few of us will die. We'll just suffer through the sniffles, cough, sore throat and sleepless nights that usually accompany this dreaded disease.

We know there is no cure for the common cold, but what if a company came up with a yearly preventative injection, much like a flu shot, that would spare us from this misery? We would all line up to get the injection, right? What if, however, the injection cost $10,000 each? Maybe we would be less anxious. As you can imagine though, the very rich could afford such a luxury and would be more than willing to pay.

Hang on a minute, this is healthcare. All of us deserve the best that is available. Health is not just for the rich. We demand that our insurance cover the new shot.

Now, if everyone with insurance gets a new $10,000 shot every year, what do you think has to happen to the cost of the insurance?

Replace "common cold injection" with knee replacement, hip replacement, heart valves, exotic chemo therapy, etc. Technological advances far outpace our ability to pay, yet when it comes to medical care, we demand the very best and most modern procedures. And we wonder why we have a healthcare cost crisis.

Debit card swipe fees

I'm so glad our government stepped in to save us from the evil banks charging merchants too much for debit card swipes!! Yeah, I know the banks are introducing fees for debit cards, but the prices in the stores are going DOWN since they don't have to pay the evil banks so much, so all is good, right???

But, the banks can't charge fees for debit card use.... there otta be a law!!!

Take back your personal data??

There are several companies that crawl the internet looking for personal information about you, compile it, and sell it. They get the personal data from Facebook, real estate transactions, birth/death records, marriage records, news articles... you name it, they collect it.

Most of us share a name in common with other people in this country, so it is likely that information collected, based on name alone, is a contaminated mish-mash of meaningless bullshit.

"There otta be a law", says Consumer Reports. "Tell Congress to give you back control over your personal profile." We should be able to view data collected on us for free and be able to correct it.

Well, my friends, I have a different solution. Let the internet run its course and eventually people will understand that personal information from anyone other than the PERSON is of absolutely no value. It's time we started considering the source before using information of any kind, including personal information.

Don't post things on the internet that you don't want the general public to know about.

Don't believe what you see on the internet, even if you are stupid enough to pay $50 for access to the information. If it's really important, make sure you have multiple sources corroborating the information before taking action.

We've got to stop being so freaking lazy. Being on the internet doesn't make it true!! We've got to start treating it as bullshit first. If we're interested or have to make a decision based on what we see, find other sources!!! Too much work?? Maybe that's why "there otta be a law".

Facebook Timeline

The newest updates to Facebook profiles are the next step in enticing users to GIVE away more information so that they can SELL it for their profit. If anyone believes they can have an everlasting record of their major life events by posting them to Facebook is extremely naive. Facebook owns all information posted and as soon as it is no longer profitable to keep it, it will be gone. Facebook is a fad and it will disappear (within the next 5 years) like bell bottoms, pet rocks, disco and cabbage patch dolls.

Facebook is dead

You heard it here first. Facebook used to be easy, fun and innocent. Now it's difficult, a pain in the ass and dangerous. Zukerberg rolls out changes too fast and furious without consideration for how the changes affect millions of users.

It's time to move on. I only wish I was smart enough (or dumb enough) to stumble on the next thing to capture the imagination of the masses.

Facebook is about to start its downward spiral. Remember, you heard it here first.

I hate it when......

Someone just posted a link on Facebook for "Tell Congress: Support the Buffett Rule". It simply says: "As part of his deficit reduction plan, President Obama proposed a new tax on incomes over one million dollars that would prevent millionaires and billionaires from paying a lower tax rate than the middle class. Tell your member of Congress to make the super-wealthy pay their fair share!".

When you follow the link, you simply fill in your address and create an e-mail to your congress person urging him to support the "Buffett Rule". There is nothing that gives any statistics, nothing that provides any rationale. It's just populist bullshit and it creates such a flood of e-mail to senators and representatives that they ignore it all. Oh, yeah, the Buffett Rule, cool.... I'm for it. What is it and what effect does it really have?

Do the research before pushing the EASY button.

Just wondering......

Do some middle class working families that take deductions for a mortgage, healthcare expenses and dependent children pay less taxes than some of the "poor" people? Just wondering.

Holding Teachers Accountable

With the start of a new school year, we once again hear cries that we must hold our teachers accountable. Our educational system is in shambles, hold the teachers accountable. Our kids are falling behind those of other countries, hold our teachers accountable. Test them, fire them, make them stand up to the challenge.

Hang on a minute. When are we going to start making parents and students accountable? Why do we always have to blame it on someone else. Where is the "test" for parents? Do you read to your small children EVERY day? Do you read with your young children EVERY day. Is the home atmosphere conducive to doing homework? Are your children taught manners and values at HOME? Are the parents (or parent) there to offer help and support with homework?

I don't think the quality of teachers has gone down as much as the quality of the educational environment at home has gone down. It used to be that parents were INVOLVED with the education of their children both at home and in school. Teachers were held accountable by parents via interaction with them and the administration if necessary.

Unfortunately, many parents who want to be involved in their children's education send them to private schools or home school them. Again, this is taking the easy way out, rather than facing the problem and doing something about it. Again, the problem is NOT exclusively (if at all) the teachers. The problem is the parents who want to leave 100% of the responsibility for educating their children (socially, intellectually, morally, etc) to the teachers.

Test the teachers all you want. Fire the ones that don't make the grade. None of it will do any good unless we re-establish the home as the primary educator. Get your kids back in public school. Use your private school money to get a less demanding job. Get INVOLVED with the teachers and administrators of your school. Know what your children are studying and be aware of any difficulties they are having. Support them, help them, get help for them. Don't leave it up to someone else. Hold yourself accountable, as a parent, for the education of your children and the success of the educational system in your community.

Where Are The Candidates That Represent Most Americans?

It is a foregone conclusion that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President in 2012. Like him or not, the opposition is a bunch of bible thumping right wing ideologues that pander to the money of several key groups and represent an ideology that says god and business rule.

I'm sorry my friends, god only exists in whatever ideology people make up and business is only interested in turning a profit. Neither act in the best interest of the general population.

Where are the politicians who represent the mainstream "middle earth" people who just want a peaceful, prosperous society where we seek some middle ground between the extremes of liberal and conservative.

I think it's time for an INDEPENDENT to emerge that will strike a chord with the majority of Americans regardless of political affiliation. If that person can overcome the enormous disadvantage of election financing (also known as buying the outcome), we might find ourselves on the road to recovery. In the meantime, prepare for absolute gridlock for the next year and a half.

I'm confused (again)

So; last year, we cut the payroll tax by 2%, just because it seemed like a cool thing to do. This year, we nearly defaulted on our debt because we couldn't agree on a plan to cut spending (including social security, which the payroll tax funds). Heading into 2012, if we let the payroll tax reduction expire, it will be a tax INCREASE, that the Republicans will use to cut Obama's head off. But, least we feel sorry for our president, his jobs program will likely include a tax CUT. So, in order to get the debt under control, our president proposed a BALANCED plan of tax increases and spending reductions. Now, in order to stimulate job creation, we're going to cut taxes. And not only that, we're going to continue an ill advised tax cut that funds one of the favorite GOP targets. Is this insane or what?????

Oh, Come On!!!!!!!!

Don't these Washington idiots understand what the word "compromise" means? The Democrats want $1B more in taxes, the Republicans should offer $500M. The Republicans want $1B in Social Security cuts, the Democrats should offer $500M. Both sides have to give something. Compromise: "a settlement of differences by mutual concessions". Fucking Idiots!!!!!!

Tax the Rich?????

We hear this a lot these days all the way from the local level up to the federal. It's a popular outcry, but is that really the answer to our problems?

Just what does anyone think the "rich" do with their money. Other than maybe a few very eccentric ones, the rich do not stuff their mattresses with $100 bills. They buy houses and cars, both of which employ people in construction, manufacturing, real estate and other services. Some might have house keepers and grounds keepers; again, employing people (hopefully not illegal immigrants). Beyond that, they INVEST their money. They buy corporate bonds, loaning money to companies so they can build factories, buy materials and hire people. They buy municipal bonds, loaning money to municipalities so they can improve their infrastructure and thus make our towns more enjoyable to live in and providing jobs. They buy stock in companies, providing a source of revenue to enable growth in production, profits and employment. Some of the money goes in the local bank where it is loaned out so that others can buy houses and cars. Of course, when people buy houses and cars, someone has to build and maintain them... more jobs. And, many of the "rich" give large amounts of money to their favorite charitable organizations.

The next time you want to jump on the band wagon and bash the "rich" or "business", think of where the money that runs a successful economy comes from. The answer isn't taxes!! Taxes are only possible because an economy is strong, they cannot make it strong.

AT&T to buy T Mobile

AT&T wants to buy T Mobile and become the largest, of possibly only two national wireless carriers. The government is looking into the deal to make sure that you and I will be able to get reasonably priced wireless service after the deal.

Why does the government need to take care of us in this case? Sure, we've all come to know and love our wireless devices, but we do not NEED them. If the wireless carriers want to charge more than we think the service is worth, we should simply do without the service. It's time we started standing up for ourselves with our wallets rather than depending on government to burden the industry with more rules and regulations.

No Fly Zone

I'm sorry; I just don't get it. The rebels are unmanned on the ground as well as in the air. Another opportunity to kill innocent civilians and get into a situation that can only get worse. What is the expected outcome here anyhow?? What's the exit strategy?

Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It is also the only one of the top 10 for which there is NO PREVENTION and NO CURE. I applaud all efforts to discover a cure for this hideous disease, but in the meantime, where is the effort to define a way to end life with dignity before a supporting family is emotionally and financially bankrupt?

I do NOT have Alzheimer's, however, if I should get it, I would like to be able to define a measurable point in the irreversible progression after which I would be allowed to die with dignity and without the stigma of "suicide".

What if they discover a cure a month after I have ended my life? Oh, well. I missed it, but millions after me will be saved.

Yes, there are many legal and moral issues to be resolved, such as how to define the measurable point and how to make sure that relatives (or even the government) aren't making the decision against the person's will; but let's not just identify the problems, let's SOLVE them.

Let me decide when my life is no longer worth living because of an incurable and/or unaffordable disease.

A New Task For Unions

There probably isn't one of us whose life hasn't been touched, in a positive way, by what the labor unions have accomplished in this country. Child labor laws, 40 hour work week, salaries, benefits, etc.

However, many of these "improvements", particularly over the past 15 years, have been increases in wages and benefits without a corresponding increase in production. So if you pay more for the same output, where does the money come from.

This blogger gets sick and tired of hearing that BUSINESS (whoever that is) is the bad guy, the root of all evil, the cause of all problems. Well, BUSINESS (whoever that is) isn't perfect, but just where do the products that we sell come from without them? And don't ever forget, you can have the best bankers and teachers and librarians and road repair crews in the world, but if nobody has a product to sell, there isn't any money to pay them.

Unfortunately, when the unions were running around rallying people to demand higher salaries, better health benefits and more comfortable pensions; they didn't anticipate one key factor.... the globalization of the economy. Countless jobs that the unions "improved" in the USA can now be sourced overseas at a much lower cost. You can say it isn't "fair" all you want, but if you want goods produced at a price that you can afford, "business" has no choice. Believe it or not, business is in business to produce a product that will sell in order to make a profit. Profits are distributed to investors who believe enough in the product to take a risk and fork over some money to fund the business. The money the investors contribute are used to buy labor and materials to produce the product.

There isn't anything evil going on here until someone expects to get something for nothing. If I'm getting paid $1.00 for each widget I produce and the union convinces me I should get $2.00 each, we go on strike and the "business" caves and gives us $2.00. Where does that money come from??????? Raise the price, right? Nobody wants to pay that price and big bad business finds out that they can get the widgets built in Indonesia for $0.75 each. It's either buy them there or go out of business. In either case the people making $2.00/widget are out of a job.

How do we get out of this mess? The unions have done such a great job raising the quality of life here, they now need to do the same in all parts of the world where there is competition for labor. If everyone in the world gets $2.00 per widget, it will be much easier to keep the job here.

Get ready to pay $500 for that new pair of Nike's though!!

Health Care Cost

When are we going to start separating the cost of Health Care from the cost of Health Insurance. Certainly then are connected, but the media doesn't seem to treat the two any differently.

The cost of Health Care should simply be the cost to provide any given procedure or service, regardless of who pays for it. With nearly zero inflation over the past couple years, the cost of Health Care should not have gone up.

The cost of Health Insurance is, of course, be a horse of a different color. If the insurance pool of which you are a member has seen an increase in the claims associated with a certain type of procedure, the cost of insurance will probably rise so the insurance company can continue to make a profit.

So, why has the cost of Health Care risen in the last couple years? Or has it? Has the cost of Health CARE risen, or has the cost of Health INSURANCE risen? Certainly the second. I'm not sure about the first. And, regarding the second; what are the real underlying causes of the increase?

A message to Mr. Gadhafi

Dear Mr. Gadhafi,

Killing people just because they don't agree with you is not nice. Please be nice and step down from power.

Sincerely,

Hillary

(Not So) Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the culmination of the professional football season. 32 teams play all season to determine the two fortunate teams to meet in the final game. But that's all it is, isn't it? A game? A championship game, yes, but still just a game. Why do we have to treat it as such an epic, important event? It's entertainment for sure; but it really isn't all THAT important, is it?

Do Overs

I still don't understand why NFL referees get do-overs but the players don't.

Health Insurance Fable

Once upon a time, there was an insurance company named Profit Insurance. The Profit Insurance company sent it's marketing people across the land to determine the best price to charge for health insurance. The marketing results were that the best price for insurance was $100.

Management sent the the database trolls to the dungeon to work out a strategy for achieving the $100 price point. After examining years of health cost data, the trolls determined that they could sell insurance for $100, and still make a profit, if they did not sell it to people who were already sick. The managers liked the plan and made it so. Many people bought this insurance, but even though it was inexpensive, many young healthy people decided not to buy it. Profit Insurance managed expenses by artful claim denial and returned generous profits to the stockholders.

Now it turns out that in the same kingdom, there was a socially responsible insurance company that did not think it was nice to exclude people from having insurance just because they were sick. This benevolent insurance company decided to sell insurance to anyone who wanted it. Unfortunately, the trolls of the database told them they would have to charge $120 for this insurance policy. The management decided that the good hearted people of the land would surely be willing to pay $20 more to enable anyone to get insurance. Management put the Benevolent Insurance on the market.

People who were excluded from Profit Insurance because of existing illness flocked to Benevolent Insurance. Unfortunately (for Benevolent), existing Profit Insurance customers were not willing to pay $20 more for Benevolent Insurance, nor were the people who opted out of Profit Insurance willing to buy Benevolent Insurance. With only sick people in it's insurance pool, Benevolent Insurance was unable to survive at $120 and they went out of business.

The moral is that if you are in the insurance business and you want to maximize profits, it is best to limit your clients to the youngest, most healthy people you can find and deny as many claims as possible.

If, however, you want everyone to have the opportunity to buy affordable health insurance, you need to spread the risk across the entire population so that the young and/or healthy (while they are young and /or healthy) pay the majority of the costs of the old and/or infirm (until they become the old and/or infirm).

Single Payer/Medicare For All..... the only way to achieve reasonably priced coverage for all. If you bring in everyone, including the young and/or healthy who previously opted out; and eliminate the wasteful administrative duplication across the private insurance companies, everyone can be covered for the $100 (or less) policy.

Death by Budget Cut

In Arizona, a second person has died after he was denied Medicaid coverage for a transplant. Coverage was denied primarily due to budget cuts needed to close a shortfall. It seems to me that this is being reported as a tragic scenario. While it certainly is tragic on a personal level, it indicates one of the primary reasons our medical costs are out of control. Each and every one of us believes we are entitled to any and all procedures regardless of how much we make or how much they cost.

Unfortunately, when reality sets in, there ARE constraints on funding and someone, somewhere has to fall outside those constraints. If there is less money this year than last year, more people will fall outside. Unfortunate, but true. We have to accept it and move on.

End the "Official Review" Crap

When a player in a sporting event makes a mistake, he doesn't get a "do-over". If he makes a lot of mistakes, he gets fired. Why can't we go back to that mode of operation for the officials. All this review crap totally destroys the flow of the game. The referees get to see it once in real time, they make a call. Sometimes they blow one. They aren't any more perfect than the players. Let's give the human element back to sports officials.