Grateful Dead

Bowles- Simposon could have been bargained & adopted.

Nice quote Slo. Never would have thought of going there, but totally relevant about the US collective emotional response. Generous and harmless intentions: Guilty to a smaller degree Greed resulting in harmful intentions (and actions): Guilty in a large way Some things get foisted on the largest, most powerful nations because they are the largest, most powerful nations. Accepted. But to be defensive because we divorce ourselves from the facts of a massive military and weapons industry engaged in protecting corporate profit is ridiculous and ignorant. There was a time around 1955 when our country was mainly involved in the tasks of nation-building and rebuilding in the case of Italy, Germany and Japan. Society was more cohesive (not necessarily more enlightened) in this country and the family unit was far more intact. Personal and collective responsibility had more emphasis (and reality). This, I think, is where our childish injury and resentment was born from. Now, almost 60 years later, a glistening cube of diamond-like resentment by most Americans against any nation that dares question our intentions is the norm. What the hell happened Eleanor Rigby?

"There is a trait no other nation seems to possess in quite the same degree that we do - namely a feeling of almost childish injury and resentment unless the world as a whole recognizes how innocent we are of anything but the most generous and harmless intentions." -- Eleanor Roosevelt Truer words..........from the gentler gender

Taking stock of what lethal assistance is necessary for the Syrian rebels. It seems like the US is always taking stock of lethality, and not in a good way (like taking out an asteroid). This as Kerry practically did an air-drop of 60 million dollars in money on the rebels today, fearing the US would not have influence on a new Syrian govt.. This as we strangle ourselves financially. Stupid!

Politics don't matter till the government not spending directly on a program that Effects you Effects your community I don't pretend it doesn't matter when elderly shut-ins don't get their meals-on-wheels.

was sometimes like communion with souls attuned. reality turned out to be somewhat different, but I ain't complaining. have a great weekend!

This is the name of an article by Steven Brill in the current edition of Time. It is must reading for anybody wishing to know why the cost of health care is astronomical and out-of-control. Bottom line? Patients, doctors and nurses are taking a huge hit to their bank accounts while MRI makers, hospitals and insurance companies and big-Pharma are reaping -- truly, truly taking advantage of services provided to maintain health and save lives. Part of the problem is that when it comes to getting care in the hospital, we need what we need when we need it and are not predisposed to check the bill. We could compare hospitals by looking at their Master List of Charges and see for ourselves who is taking an unfair profit. Though that would be difficult in a true disaster such as a car accident where you have no choice or in a rural area where it is very inconvenient for the patient and their relatives to travel and be supported. The bottom line is that nobody is reading their medical bills and questioning their charges. A 325mg acetaminophen pill is costs $1.50 at a hospital. That is a 10,000% mark-up. Some hospitals charge for the ink that makes the mark for the surgeon's incision. The only fortunate thing we have as a comparison tool is Medicare. Medicare reimbursement is done in such a way that it is not supposed to pay out more than 6% profit. One operation for a person 64 years old and not on medicare costs $250,000. The same operation for a 66 year-old person on medicare (who lives on a yacht, but lets not go there) costs $25,000. Listen to the business channel once in a while and you will hear many recommendations to buy into medical diagnostic producing publicly traded corporations. They are making astronomical profits. This is more obscenity. Compare our "advanced" society with others in the area of health care costs as a measure of GDP and you will see a very sad picture. The USA is about money and business and profit and human beings are just another commodity to be exploited for further profit. Yes, we have other culture such as the wonderful music of the Grateful Dead but when it comes to the necessities of life politicians and special interests have set in place a system that does not uphold human life at a checked, reasonable profit. We need to call for a Congressional investigation and regulation in the form of a cap on the amount of profit (by percentage would be fair) on the health care system -- from the pharma-insurance complex to equipment manufacturers to hospitals to your local doctor's office. If we don't do it we will be more forced than we already are into rationed care. Otherwise, you got the gold, you get to live. If not, not... Is that really the kind of way you want to be treated? Please read the article and contact your Congressional delegation to start an investigation into the system of these heartless thieves before you have a tragic story to tell about yourself or a relative.

i like b, a lot, so i made an honest attempt last night at watching his address, but as luck would have it, my self-preservation instincts kicked in and i fell asleep about 10 min. into it. what an exercise in ego massage this always is, no matter the party elect.with that said, i would like to see all of the lights in the capitol building wired directly to the "clapper". That way, this silliness of standing and applauding at every 5th word spoken would stop and the linguistic fertilizer could be restricted to the appropriate 10 min. span....... of which i could have successfully completed a viewing. the remaining 1 hr. and 50 min could then be used to saturate the american air space with something useful and entertaining such as the bugs bunny/ road runner show. and the catholic church? they should take frank zappa's old advice and hire a pope who smokes dope and be done with it. they're in dire need of a plausible scapegoat anyway and at least with this idea, they'd have one.

I didn't watch it. I'll be honest and up front about it. Yeah, sure, I voted for another four years of the three-ring circus act that is Washington, D.C., but largely because he was clearly the better man for the job. I do agree with slo lettuce, though, that it's largely an exercise in massaging one's ego. Not sure if anyone here is familiar with the website/Facebook group "Being Liberal," but they posted an excellent quote from Mr. Carl Sagan this morning: "The US should legalize marijuana, tax it, and send all the proceeds to NASA. NASA would inspire kids to explore the universe and pot would inspire adults to explore the universe." Who knows, now that we have 2 out of 50 states who've legalized recreational marijuana use, we might be going somewhere revolutionary in terms of how this country views drugs and drug use. It would be nice, though, if our tax dollars could be spent more on exploration and discovery than on our growing paranoia complex. We as a country would do well with a little more introspection.

Could this mean God wants Obama for Pope?