Fire Alarms

Headline: Tech students cause 3 alarms in 2 weeks. Brilliant.

How to be active in politics

Congressman Glenn Nye

116 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Congressman Nye,

I am writing to you to once again impart my feelings about the current lineup of proposed

legislation. While I am disappointed that the Congressional Budget Office managed to

deem the healthcare bill, H.R. 3962, appropriate for enactment, there is still plenty of

opportunity to stop enactment of this program. The principles of the legislation are

inappropriate for America, for nowhere does the Constitution say citizens have the right

to healthcare, nor do they have the right to many of the other things Americans take for

granted. Subsidizing another person's medical costs is not something I wish to do

involuntarily, so any type of expansion to the Medicare or Medicaid programs is

unwelcome in my view.

 

I could outline the costs I find offensive about H.R. 3962 to you here, but I will let the

author of the article I have attached do that.  To our benefit, she is able to succinctly lay

out the consequences of this bill; perhaps you will learn of some new details that you can

reveal to your colleagues in the House and the Senate and perchance open their eyes

about how this program's benefits are severely outweighed by its shortcomings.

 

The most atrocious thing about most of the major legislation Congress has enacted this

year is the cost. I do not wish to spend my life attempting to pay down a national debt

that was created on frivolous programs, nor do I want any future generations to have to

worry about carrying the burden created by irresponsible adults. As an about-to-graduate

engineering student, I see the need for solutions to problems in our world. However,

placing more emphasis on the federal government is not the proper method to carrying

out these solutions. Lowering mandates and regulations on healthcare insurers would be a

great start to reducing the high costs of healthcare, just as refining spent fuel would

provide a long-term fuel source for nuclear reactors to generate power. Rather than

junking the car and buying a new one, let's work efficiently to fix what we have. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Robert Carpenter

NOTE: I printed out and attached the following article: The Worst Bill Ever

 

The Secret is Out

Written by left-winger John Cassidy for The New Yorker:

The U.S. government is making a costly and open-ended commitment to help provide health coverage for the vast majority of its citizens. I support this commitment, and I think the federal government’s spending priorities should be altered to make it happen. But let’s not pretend that it isn’t a big deal, or that it will be self-financing, or that it will work out exactly as planned. It won’t.

Many Democratic insiders know all this, or most of it. What is really unfolding, I suspect, is the scenario that many conservatives feared. The Obama Administration, like the Bush Administration before it (and many other Administrations before that) is creating a new entitlement program, which, once established, will be virtually impossible to rescind. At some point in the future, the fiscal consequences of the reform will have to be dealt with in a more meaningful way, but by then the principle of (near) universal coverage will be well established. Even a twenty-first-century Ronald Reagan will have great difficult overturning it.

That takes me back to where I began. Both in terms of the political calculus of the Democratic Party, and in terms of making the United States a more equitable society, expanding health-care coverage now and worrying later about its long-term consequences is an eminently defensible strategy. Putting on my amateur historian’s cap, I might even claim that some subterfuge is historically necessary to get great reforms enacted. But as an economics reporter and commentator, I feel obliged to put on my green eyeshade and count the dollars.

Wow, looks like this guy really cares about the future of the nation. As someone who is supposed to be knowledgeable about the economy, how do you justify taxing the rich and businesses heavily, providing healthcare for free, and dealing with costs "later"?

Here is the full article for those who want to hear his full discussion. Mind you, it is devoid of meaningful numbers, as all economics should be: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2009/11/some-vaguely-heretical-thoughts-on-health-care-reform.html

Bike Lock Fail

It doesn't get much worse than this. May as well be unlocked.

Nice Bias

Taken from "G.O.P. Counters With a Health Plan of Its Own"

"In its opening section, the Republican bill, which has no chance of passing, promises to lower health care costs and expand insurance coverage 'without raising taxes, cutting Medicare benefits for seniors, adding to the national deficit, intervening in the doctor-patient relationship or instituting a government takeover of health care.' ”

Way to go, NY Times. I definitely didn't see any proof that there was 0% chance of passing. I guess being factual isn't what reporting is all about.

Halloween at the White House

Here's the rundown of the Halloween costumes at the White House:

Michelle Obama was Catwoman.  

Robert Gibbs was Darth Vader.

Barack Obama was.. Barack Obama, President of the United States.

Nancy Pelosi.. well... she doesn't need a costume to be scary.

Review: "By A Thread" - Gov't Mule

Halfway through this week I took delivery of the new Gov't Mule album, "By a Thread." Now, anyone who knows me will confirm that Mule is my favorite band to listen to and to attend concerts for. However, I was slightly disappointed that they released a new album so close to the end of 2009. Why? Earlier this year, Derek Trucks Band released a killer album, "Already Free." When I had listened to that album I said it was hands down the best album of 2009, perhaps unless the Mule released an album. Well, here it is.
This is a preview of the album that I pieced together to give you a sampling of the flavor of this disc:



The Review:
Needless to say, this album is awesome. Warren Haynes and gang never fail to impress me, and with Jorgen Carlsson onboard they have a new style at bass which is immediately apparent from the first few seconds of this album. All of the guitar work is stellar, and is somewhat of a depart from the power trio style of before. Everything sounds a bit more full, with more layers of guitar and keyboard than previously. Also, just like Already Free, Gov't Mule decided to try a more bluesy tone, although Mule remains a Southern Rock band whereas Derek Trucks lays down a set of Delta Blues tunes that cannot be rivaled in today's music scene.

One of the things I love about "Already Free" is that I don't really have that 'least favorite' track, the one that I always skip. Every since track on that album is great, and for the most part "By A Thread" is the same way. Their last album, "High and Mighty" had a few tracks that dragged on- and for a jam band, Mule is quite capable of avoiding that effect.

Obviously hearing the music for yourself is the best judge of the album, so commenting on detail is pointless. Warren busts out some amazing slide riffs on this album, but does seem to use the same tone for most of the slide licks. Not that it is a bad thing, because his tone is beautiful, but he isn't able to diversify as much as he did in "Dose" or their self-titles album. Either way, Warren Haynes gets better at playing every day, and does not disappoint.

My final verdict on this album is: 9.0/10.0
It isn't perfect, but it will definitely get many listens and should be in every jam band, southern rock, or blues lovers' collection. If you have $15, you would be foolish not to get this album.
As for whether it will win the Best of 2009 award (to be awarded in December), all I can say is that I am still heavily contemplating passing up an album by my favorite band for one of the best blues albums of all time. (Spoiler?)