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If I wasn't doing this, I'd be a pirate!
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Today I caught a sound bite from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Twit-RI), comparing reading the 2000+ page health care bill to a 13 year old girl blowing through a Harry Potter novel. That's an interesting take on it.

For the sake of argument, let's have a look at the difference.

A Harry Potter book runs in sequence, is cohesive and makes sense. Everything you need is right there in the same book and given to you in a logical sequence. That means that by the time you get to page 341, you have everything you need to make sense of what you are reading on that page.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (Twit-NV) Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not quite so simple. For example, have a look at the first page of proposed legislation after the index.

1 TITLE I—QUALITY, AFFORDABLE
2 HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
3 AMERICANS
4 Subtitle A—Immediate Improve
5 ments in Health Care Coverage
6 for All Americans
7 SEC. 1001. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
8 ACT.
9 Part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service
10 Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) is amended—
11 (1) by striking the part heading and inserting
12 the following:
13 ‘‘PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET
14 REFORMS’’;
15 (2) by redesignating sections 2704 through
16 2707 as sections 2725 through 2728, respectively;
17 (3) by redesignating sections 2711 through
18 2713 as sections 2731 through 2733, respectively;
19 (4) by redesignating sections 2721 through
20 2723 as sections 2735 through 2737, respectively;
21 and
22 (5) by inserting after section 2702, the fol
23 lowing:

You got all that, right? And that is just the fist page. The entire bill reads just like that. Don't believe me? Click the link and look for yourself.

There is a reason that legislators need time to not just read, but interpret anything they are going to vote on. In this case the proposed health care legislation will make changes made in almost every section of federal law from the Tax Code to Education to Social Security.  Properly interpreting the bill requires constant reference to vastly divergent parts of the United States Code to see what effect each and every one of those changes has on the existing law

Never forget that the only thing worse then a bad law is a badly written law.

The senator's suggestion that reading the healthcare bill compares favorably to a Harry Potter reading binge is complete bullshit. That leads us to one of two possibilities:

  1. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Twit-RI) really believes what he said. If that is the case he demonstrated in a highly public manner that he never personally read a bill in which case he has no place in U.S. Senate passing laws over the rest of us.
  2. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Twit-RI) intentionally set out to deceive the public. If this is the case, he has no place in U.S. Senate passing laws over the rest of us.

It is sometimes insulting to see just how stupid some of our congress critters think we are. But then again, we do keep electing them.


Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.
- Otto von Bismarck

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Current Location: At the kitchen table
Current Music: TV - Fox News

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CBS Evening News ran a story about a man that practices the ancient fine art of Anvil Shooting. A couple people wrote to me right after it ran asking if this was a relative of mine. They were both veterans of our now infamous Fourth of July parties. (We did not consider the parties a success until the police showed up answering a "someone set off dynamite" call.

Here's the video clip they are talking about: CBS News: Anvils Away 

This is the print story: CBS News: Anvils Fall Sky (No Cartoon Coyotes)

Let's see. I've launched beer cans, potatoes, a few five gallon pails, a couple watermelons, several cannon balls and one 55 gallon drum (we never did find that.) Too bad I didn't know about Anvil Shooting back then. But then again, I'm not dead yet.


When your opponent is drowning, throw the son of a bitch an anvil.
- James Carville

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Current Location: Home at the kitchen table
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: TV - Some mindless comedy...

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They found her.

Dead.

In a land fill.

There is a reason I am not a judge. In my view nothing anyone can do to the low life non-human that did this could make the cruel and unusual line.


Pedophilia is a sexual orientation like heterosexuality, homosexuality or lesbianism. This is what turns them on. It cannot be done way with through a seven year sentence and counseling.
- Dr. Frank Wesley, Director of

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Indianapolis, IN - No I'm not dead. Just been really busy. Too busy in fact. Here's something I found both amusing and sad.

Mike, one of my uplinking brethren, is working in Colorado on the runaway balloon story. That is the homemade weather balloon thing that authorities were led to believe may have escaped with a six year old boy on board.

He worked the live shown in the clip below. Being in television I found it amusing beyond words. But I also worry that the stress of the event and the pressure from being questioned about the circumstances made the little guy sick. What ever it is, it is documented for all time on the undying web. (If you are more then moderately squeamish, you might want to give this a miss.)

That poor kid is never going to live that down among his peers.


Live television is a harsh and unforgiving mistress.
- Me

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Current Location: Indianapolis Airport
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Crowd Noise

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Happy Birthday!!!!

Many more my friend.

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Pittsburgh, PA - The G-20 Summit has not started yet. In fact we are not even finished watching the union trolls cable in our stuff. But the protestors are already out in force. This fun loving bunch strolled by the truck making enough noise to drown out communications with the people upstairs.

The people in charge are anticipating trouble, but hoping for a peaceful turnout. However protesters are already making noises on the local news about not being "shut out" of the economic discussions due to take place.

"Shut out…" Give me a break. I remember when I was young and thought I was important just like these people. 

One protestor trying to muster righteous anger and rage for the camera said that he and his people are "at war against the capitalistic forces perverting economic and social justice around the world."

War my ass. Aside from being profoundly uninformed and remarkably lacking in common sense, that snot nosed little brat adorned in his Harvard T-shirt doesn't have a clue what war is all about. When the snot nose little brat takes heavy incoming fire trying to defend a wounded soldier, then he can talk about being "at war."

Social and economic justice. Who thinks these phrases up? Probably the same people in journalism schools that came up with "interpretive journalism" and "opinion shaping."

There is something else here too. If this clueless little brat is publicly declaring himself to be at war with the United States, doesn't that make him eligible for capture as an enemy combatant? I wonder if Gitmo has any rooms open.


"I love the smell of pepper spray in the morning. It smells like… news."
- Me

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Current Location: Yet another hotel
Current Mood: grumpy
Current Music: TV - NCIS: LA

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Orlando, FL - Happy Birthday Wolfwings, and many more. Now go out and buy something nice for your car.

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Current Location: One more hotel room.
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: TV-CSI Miami

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It was fun teaching you and the rest how to handle fully automatic weapons. You were good to work with and professional all the way. It is really sad you left us so soon. You will be missed.


"I never saw the Eckert Brothers again. In time, this war - like every other war - ended. But I never forgot. And I come to this place often, when no one else does. In the early days of World War 3, guerillas - mostly children - placed the names of their lost upon this rock. They fought here alone and gave up their lives, so that this nation should not perish from the earth."
- Lea Thompson as Erica speaking the closing lines from Red Dawn

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Current Location: Home at the kitchen table
Current Mood: sad
Current Music: TV

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I am pleased to announce that I will live a while longer. The heart catheterization went well enough and I learned a few things.

Until yesterday I did not know that could be done through the wrist. That is infinitely better then the groin entry which requires a six to eight hour post procedure period flat on your back deprived of bathroom, dignity and comfort. So through the wrist and into the artery they went.

The doctor did not find what he expected. But he did uncover the problem. There is a plan to get me well and feisty again. Tomorrow I get to resume more or less normal activities.

I cannot say enough for the cardiologist that treated me. He and his team are first class professionals all the way.  Thanks guys. I appreciate it.


Except for the occasional heart attack, I never felt better.
- Dick Cheney

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Current Location: Kitchen
Current Mood: tired
Current Music: DVD - Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

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So I took a cardiac stress test today. We are not talking epic fail here, it did not kill me this time. But fail I did.

By the last third of stage two I was really feeling it. We are talking weak, light headed, very short of breath and pain in the left arm and chest. For those of you familiar with EKGs the biggest problem was an elevated ST which indicates a blockage.

Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. I will present myself at the cardiac catheterization lab for some Rotor Rooter  work on my cardiac arteries.

Well shit…


"You know there is something wrong, don't you?"
- My Cardiologist after he stopped the test.

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Current Location: Home
Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: TV - Jeopardy

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Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) has an interesting idea to get universal health insurance coverage in the United States. He proposes fines on people that do not have health insurance. Read it for yourself.

The fines would be the stick to enforce a proposed requirement that all Americans get health insurance, much as auto coverage is now mandatory. The penalties would start at $750 a year for individuals, and $1,500 for families. Households making more than three times the federal poverty level - about $66,000 for a family of four - would face the maximum fines. For families, it would be $3,800, and for individuals, $950.

Baucus would offer carrots as well: tax credits to help pay premiums for households making up to three times the poverty level, and for small employers paying about average middle-class wages. People working for companies that offer coverage could avoid the fines by signing up.
The Associated Press: Fines proposed for going without health insurance

So lets see now…

We all know how well mandatory liability insurance on cars worked. 100% compliance and low prices across the board, right?

And if you lose your job and your insurance, big fine! Oh yeah, that's going to help. Just what every man and woman out of works needs is one more worry.

Do you think this policy will apply to illegal aliens too? It will be fun to watch Uncle Sam try to collect those fines. The feds will probably be at least as successful as the traffic courts and insurance companies that are chasing illegal aliens that have car accidents without the benefit of auto insurance.

Actually, to me it seems Sen. Baucus stumbled across a sure fire way to turn the tide of public opinion in favor of a government option. Think about it, if you are flat broke, unemployed and facing a yearly $1500 fine, a free ride from Uncle Sam suddenly looks really good.

Come on 2010, it is well past time to clean house.


Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices.
- Voltaire

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Current Location: Home surrounded by cats and dogs
Current Mood: cranky
Current Music: Silence

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This was in my spam filter today. The only reason I even looked it was the return e-mail address indicated it was from Clear Channel communications.

I have several friends who take great enjoyment from yanking the chains of scammers. One of them even got a Nigerian scammer to deposit $500 in an account he set up just for this purpose. (He took us all to dinner on it.)  This post is for them.


From: ClaireVaillancourt [ClaireVaillancourt@clear-------.com]
Sent:
To:
Subject:

Dear Winner,

We are delighted to inform you that your E-mail address has won a consultation prize from the UK International promotion programme EMAIL DRAW,Your Email appears to be one of the 7 Lucky Winners of £1,856,652.

Please Contact your Claims Personnel with the informations below for the processing of your Claims;

Contact Person: Mr. Dauler .K.
Email Address: claimsdaulerk023@live.com (WARNING: Don't click or write to this address unless you know what you are doing.) 

1. Full Names.
2. Residential Address.
3. Occupation.
4. Tel/Fax.
5. Date of Birth.
6. Nationality.

Please note that if you are below 18 years of age and you receive this, you will be automatically disqualified from your winning claim.

Vaillancourt Claire.


Let the games begin.


"There's a sucker born every minute."
- David Hannum describing P.T. Barnum's part in the Cardiff Giant hoax

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Current Location: Home surrounded by cats and dogs
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: TV - Big Bang Theory

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Tampa, FL - It was interesting listening to all the talking heads eulogize and canonize Senator Kennedy after his death. The praise came from all corners of the media. This included praise from people that just the week before were extremely critical of his health care stance.

What makes this interesting is that I was alive during the events the talking heads hashed over. I remember the things he wanted to to do and the things he did. That makes it hard to believe that last week's talking heads went through the same time line as myself.

For balance let me tell you what I remember of him.

I remember a short drive off an even shorter bridge resulting in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. It is hard to forget the profound lack of prosecution for a DUI accident, leaving the scene of an accident and vehicular manslaughter. Just to make sure there is no mistaking the circumstances involved, let us not forget the Senator waited until the following morning to call his lawyer. Then he called the police. For some reason the thought of calling rescue personnel didn't cross his mind the night of the crash.

I remember the women. His antics with the fairer sex were legendary inside the Beltway, Cape Cod and around the Florida residence. A writer covering the Kennedy's Florida compound summed it all up several years ago when he said in a CNN interview, "What can I say? The Kennedy's like to get laid." There were several "tell all" books on the subject. A couple of payoffs made it into the public spotlight as well.

"Integrity is the lifeblood of democracy. Deceit is a poison in its veins" is a quote attributed to Senator Kennedy.  Sadly, those powerful words lose a great deal when considering the man that coined them is the same one that did the things listed above.

I remember the booze. Right after Bobby's death the spotlight focused on Ted. Commentators to comedians all focused on the Senator's legendary appetite for liquor. Liquor and parties with lots of women, awe struck by power. There's not really anything wrong with this. But the fact does lend itself to the next paragraph.

Most of all I remember the pass he got from the media back then and even through today on all these personal failings and more. There are two sets of rules for politicians. One for media pets like the Obama and Kennedy clans. And another set for those that really did some good in for our nation like Presidents Bush, Bush and Reagan.

Anyone under the second set of rules would have been out of public life for good on any one of the above items. But not Sen. Kennedy. He was too important to the movement to tarnish with these trivialities.

Lastly I remember the Senator's obsession with my guns. He wanted nothing more in his life then to take my guns from me and every other private citizen. It is understandable. Having two brothers killed by assassins with firearms might twist him a little. So he gets a partial pass on this one. But the end result was that Sen. Kennedy had absolutely no use for the second amendment and no respect for law abiding firearms owners.

So consider this little rant equal time and balance to all the praise we heard last week.

He wasn't a saint. No where near it. He was just a man pursuing his ideals and living life for all he could get out of it.

That's really not a bad eulogy when you think about it.


"I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar.

The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault. And grievously hath Caesar answered it."
- William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2

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Current Location: Tampa, FL
Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: Refrigeration Units

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North of Detroit, MI - My Daughter will love this...


From I can haz cheezburger


God gives every bird his worm, but He does not throw it into the nest.
- P. D. James

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Current Location: Yet one more hotel...
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Silence

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Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) really hit the nail on the head.

Never were truer words spoken. I wish he were my congress critter. Better yet, I wish we had a majority that think just like him.


“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
- Margaret Thatcher

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Current Location: Home in the Office
Current Mood: determined
Current Music: TV - M*A*S*H

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