Archive for March 21, 2011
“I’m Sorry I Didn’t Leave You a Better World”
“I’m sorry I didn’t leave you a better world.”
That would be one of the last things my liberal WWII veteran father said to me before he died in February, 1996.
Got that? We’re talking 1996. The U.S. was buzzing along, Glenn Beck was a drunk, Rush Limbaugh was a wannabe and Fox News didn’t exist.
Imagine that — a world without Fox, Beck or Rush.
I can only imagine what he would say today.
Don’t Have “Health” Insurance? Don’t Slip and Fall
Two weeks ago today Mr. SayItAintSoAlready slipped and fell on an icy sidewalk.
A passerby called an ambulance and he was taken to the hospital where they put seven staples in the back of his head to close a gash.
The first of the bills arrived today. $6,9412.25 for the hospital: $2,500 for a CAT scan, $4,034.00 for “Emergency Room general.” Plus other miscellaneous stuff.
The ambulance? The trip was roughly six miles: $797.00.
No word yet on what the radiologists who read the CAT scan will charge or the specialist who read the EKG (or anyone else who might send a bill).
Bottom line? The preliminary medical expenses for a slip and fall in the United States of America? Almost $8,000.
Got $8,000 lying around?
No?
Don’t slip and fall. You might not be seriously injured but it could ruin your (financial) life.
My God. I’m so glad our dear leaders are addressing this issue.
What? They’re not?
Not Made in America: Flower Vase All That’s Left After Living Room Cleared of Imported Products
Check out this video — here — produced by ABC News, documenting the scarcity of products that are made in America.
An ABC crew when to a home in Dallas and removed every item that wasn’t made in America. The living room, for example, was left with nothing but a flower vase.
“Majority” Approve of Obama’s Actions on Libya?
According to The Hill, a “majority” of Americans approve of what Obama’s doing in Libya:
According to the poll, conducted by CNN/Opinion Research on Friday through Sunday and released Monday, 50 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling Libya while 41 percent disapprove. The poll also found that 9 percent have no opinion.
Where I come from, 50% isn’t a “majority,” but be that as it may. 50% doesn’t strike me as a very high number when we’re talking about attacking another country. As I recall, when Bush invaded both Afghanistan and Iraq, those actions had something like 80% approval.
Radiation from Japan — Attention West Coasters
Heads up to folks in the L.A. area — here is a real-time chart from the EPA (one of those useless government entities Republicans want to do away with) showing radiation levels in your area.
Screenshot:
20% of Americans Control 93% of All the Money in the Country
If you aren’t overwhelmed by the cuts D.C. politicians are kicking around, or the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, or the possibility of a meltdown at their nuclear power plant, or our shiny new war against Libya (Afghanistan and Iraq were getting so boring, heh?), here’s a chart that well, I’ll put it this way: let’s hope this is the low point of the week.
Don’t know how much more we can take.
In other words, that little red wedge is the portion of the money in the United States that the bottom 80% controls.
(Thanks Claire!)
So, the United States is Broke Huh?
So, we’ve got to close schools, fire teachers, turn streetlights off, drive over decaying bridges, pare back Social Security, cut food to babies and let low-income elderly freeze but…
With allies expected to shoulder some of the bill, the initial stages of taking out Libya’s air defenses could ultimately cost U.S.-led coalition forces between $400 million and $800 million, according to a report released by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments earlier this month.
Maintaining a coastal no-fly-zone after those first strikes would cost in the range of $30 million to $100 million per week…
[...]
On the first day of strikes alone, U.S.-led forces launched from ships stationed off the Libyan coast 112 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which cost in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million apiece. That is $112 million to $168 million for the first day’s strike in missiles alone.
How Dumb Are We? Pretty Darn Dumb
Via Newsweek:
They’re the sort of scores that drive high-school history teachers to drink. When NEWSWEEK recently asked 1,000 U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29 percent couldn’t name the vice president. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why we fought the Cold War. Forty-four percent were unable to define the Bill of Rights. And 6 percent couldn’t even circle Independence Day on a calendar.
29 percent couldn’t name the vice president? Forty-four percent couldn’t define the Bill of Rights?
Wooha. Hey, I have an idea. Let’s eliminate the Department of Education and fire a bunch of teachers.
(Image via.)
