Two-Tier Health Care Systems

I was initially opposed to the growing number of people who demanded Congress and the President must enroll in whatever government run health care is passed, but I've come around to that point of view after reading about the poor fellow in England who died of thirst in his hospital bed -- even after he called the police for help getting a drink.  But as James Lewis says, it shouldn't be just Congress and the President who have to enroll in ObamaCare, it should be all federal and state employees, without exception:

In Britain, Gordon Brown does not go to his local NHS clinic to get substandard medical care, nor does he go to the scandalously dirty hospitals in the Midlands. In Brussels, the European Union bureaucrats would just sneer at medical care for ordinary folks. They get nothing but the best. That hypocrisy is all over the American ruling left as it is emerging today

More and more "no" votes in Congress seem to be bending to "yes" as the back-door bribery continues.  Will the newest bribes ever be written down like the Senate care bribes were?  I doubt it.  If ObamaCare passes, we may start out with fine health care because we currently have fine health care -- but down the road, how long will it be until we, too, have people dying of thirst in hospital beds while those who pass this bill (against the clear will of the voters) get tender loving care in spa-like Congressional hospitals?

Question 9

Question 9 on the 2010 Census form is "What is Person 1's race?"  There are many options, but a growing number of people on every Census (over 20 million people on the 2000 Census) have been answering that question by selecting the "Other" box and writing in "American."  That's what I intend to do.  It is a truthful answer and it lets the government know I reject its efforts to classify Americans by race.

Norwell 47, Elmhurst 64

Elmhurst stopped the Norwell boys and Norwell girls this year at the sectional level.  Who knows what will happen next year with Elmhurst on the chopping block.

1973 International Harvester Wagonmaster

Because you know you wanted one...

137 years of Popular Science Magazine

Google and Popular Science have scanned in every page of every issue of 137 years of Popular Science.  Hit the links to browse at either site.

No Jail time for Lynch in the Siela trial

The trial in the accidental shooting of Landon Siela is over

"I never thought I would see a case where somebody dies and somebody doesn't go to prison," Judge Don Daniel told Lynch. "I don't believe putting you in prison would accomplish anything for anybody."

A moment's misjudgement and a lifetime of sorrow.

See Sad News from Purdue

Doctor's Advice

The Karate Kid - Official Trailer (2010)

The directory of the original "Karate Kid (1984)" (John Avildsen) was also the director of the original "Rocky (1976)." I read a nice article once about how Avildsen's brilliance showed in how he made the "Karate Kid" the exact opposite of "Rocky."

The hero is young, not old; quick witted, not mentally slow; the girlfriend is rich and pretty, not poor and plain; she's outgoing, not withdrawn; the Karate Kid's teacher is calm and not at all ambitious, while Rocky's manager is washed up and looking for the big win; the Kid's training scenes are set to light music and all shot among nature, while Rocky's theme was all big horns and shot on the docks and in the city.

Opposite setups, but both great fight movies. I wonder if the new one (with Will Smith's son Jaden as the Kid and Jacky Chan as the teacher) can live up to the old.

Update: (I found the article I refer to above): At 25, "The Karate Kid" still packs a punch

Five reasons why 24 is awful this year

1. President Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) is no David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) and worse, she's no Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). Her character seems little more than a prop, neither great, nor evil... just blah.

2. The addition of Katee Sackhoff as Dana Walsh has been a terrible disappointment. Fresh off of Battlestar Galactica, the kiss-ass and take no prisoners Starbuck has turned into a weak and mousy CTU agent, afraid to stand up for herself against a bully ex-boyfriend, afraid to stand up and ask her fiance for help, afraid of having her past uncovered... just afraid of everything and perfectly willing to let the country she serves and her fiance fall because her own personal issues are more important to her.

3. The new head of CTU (Mykelti Williamson's Brian Hastings) is no Bill Buchanan (James Morrison). Like Dana Walsh (see 2), he's perfectly willing to let the country fall as long as it doesn't hurt him politically. Bill Buchanan understood his assets: what Chloe and Tony and Jack were capable of and how best to use them. He had contacts and could put the right people in place for an operation. He supported and trusted his agents (to a fault, to be sure). Brian Hastings doesn't know or trust his agents and within a few hours of crisis had no one capable to field for an op but the newly minted grandfather, Jack Bauer.

4. The wonderful Annie Wersching returns this year as agent Renee Walker. Instead of internalizing and coming to terms with her experiences from last year, where she had to resort to torture to obtain information to save the country, she has instead gone mad. Facing a tough assignment and in a tight spot, she flipped out and stabbed an asset 17 times and couldn't stop with the knife until she had also stabbed Jack. Where last year, like Starbuck, she was a woman to be reckoned with, a woman who could take you down with a leg sweep or an elbow punch, this year she's as broken and useless as Dana Walsh (see 2).

5. The plot, so far, is little different than any of the previous seasons. There have been no surprises other than characters letting the viewers down. I can understand plots where characters turn out to be double agents, but there's been none of that this year... it's all been weak characters, bowing to bullies except for the perennial good guys Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chloe (the always wonderful Mary Lynn Rajskub), who have gone from being super-capable, to now being super-powered.

5 Ugly Truths Americans Will Have to Face

John Hawkins speaks the list few want to face

1. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will be cut
2. Our Military spending will be cut
3. Taxes will be going up
4. The economy will not get better
   
5. America's power will lessen across the world

Unless we stop growing the government. 

Replacing Bayh

It's interesting, isn't it, that the democratic Daily Kos poll, leaves out Marlin Stutzman when examining who the republicans should run to replace Evan Bayh

Though Hostettler performs better in the poll, many GOPers are lining up behind Coats. House GOP Conf. Chair Mike Pence, who passed on a SEN bid, has endorsed Coats.

I don't think so.  23 of 33 of the Indiana State Senators have endorsed Stutzman.  Coats had his time.  He quit, moved away and has been lawyering, lobbying and voting in Virginia for the last decade.  I think I'd rather have a farmer in office than another lawyer.

Don't Judge Too Quickly