More on Obamacare

  Update: Hey, let's rename it! Maybe all the negativity will go away then!
  Update II: From NRO Corner:

The original policy became controversial out of the reasonable fear that in the drive to cut costs, the “counseling” could become “pressure” to refuse care. The assisted-suicide advocacy group Compassion and Choices, for example, bragged that it helped author the legislative provision — which would also have permitted outside experts to be delegated the counseling task. I am convinced that Compassion and Choices hopes to become the Planned Parenthood of death, and being paid by the government to counsel on end-of-life decisions would be a big step in that direction.

  The Daily Beast has an article by a Reason magazine writer about the current state of what is coming with Obamacare. It is chock full of horror stories. Here's a glimpse:

• The payment schemes are so onerous, confusing and punishing that those families who are too poor to be able to afford the bill will be penalized with even greater bills.
• Doctors and patients will face criminal charges and hefty penalties, up to $50,000, if they mistakenly offer "ineffective" or "unnecessary" care. The government will not need to prove "intent to defraud." They can just assign the penalty.[Of course, unnecessary is a relative term. Many procedures dare instituted to avoid lawsuits if medical personnel miss something. So will torte reform finally take place, in essence placing the medicine/the government off limits to lawsuits? Some deal that would be. Of course, much of medical billing-said to be 10%-is already fraudulent-grand schemes run by organized crime and others. But we know how well the government deals with grand fraudulent schemes, having instituted some of their own. Can you say Pigford? more on that later]

  This is an excellent article, spelling out many of the problems inherent in this burdensome health care program. In addition, talk of the death panels has returned.

  Encouraging folks to make the "right" medical decisions...does that sound like something we want the government in charge of, given that most of the money in health care goes toward the care of the older (60+) and the young under 5, now considered unnecessary to the culture, unless, of course, you are one of the elite? I know a few people who, quite ready to die, will want to hang on just to make the government mad.

   What is also ominous is the increasingly heavy fist that government entities are wielding with regard to citizens' rights. 
  Six law enforcement agency personnel coming to the home of a pilot who posted a video depicting the reality that pilots are security checked but not the numerous ancillary personnel who work behind the scenes, many of whom are immigrants? Rationalizing the intimate patdowns of citizens' private parts? Talk of expanding the "enhanced" (newspeak alert) patdowns to malls, hotels?
  Mmmm, you think the 1700s were a revolution? 
  Just watch.

O Holy Night

Aled Jones, through the miracle of technology, sings a duet with his much older self:

A Merry CHRISTmas to my reader/s

  I haven't had the heart to post some of the negative news out there: it's a constant battle to not drown in the muck. 
  Rest assured we'll get back to that tomorrow. 
  So, just for a few days, let's just bask in the enjoyment of spending time with the family, eating good food, enjoying the gifts (even the fruitcake, meh), and glory in the fact that some of those corrupt bastards from the 111th Congress are gone, and that the new year will bring new people for us to pressure to do the will of the people and fulfill the Constitution of the United States of America, the greatest country in the world.
  So, in the interest of keeping things cheerful and peaceful on the day we celebrate our Lord's birth, here is a video with the most inspiring message in a wish for the best Christmas holiday season for you all.
  The experience of raising money for billboards and candidates, participating in community activities to promote the Constitution of the United States and of corresponding with patriots (of like obsession and loyalty), most of whom I have never met, has been an experience unlike any other.
  I thank you for what you have brought into my life. I wish only the best for you this coming year as we work together to maintain the health and life of this country.

  Merry Christmas!

A pattern has emerged; vigilant we remain

  What's not to trust? 
  If you're a news hound, you're aware of these items already; let's review a bit.
  A few days ago Janet Napolitano said DHS was prepared 364 days a year, which has led to hooting around the web that DHS is in the habit of taking, forgive the expression, Christmas Day off which, if you'll recall, was the day last year an opportunity was seized by a young man to wreak havoc on a flight into Detroit.
  Then yesterday our Director of National Intelligence admitted on camera that he had no idea 12 men were arrested in London for plotting another nefarious incident. As Powerline points out, apparently the American Director of National Intelligence does not receive daily briefings.
  You heard it on the news. And the internet. And on the radio.
  But our DNI apparently knew nothing.
  Again.
  Commentary Magazine writes about Obama's overwhelming need to put his imprimatur on our health care system and the fact that he was repeatedly warned that this might destroy the democrat party for years to come; indeed, at least 1/3 of the lost democrat seats can be attributed to the unpopularity of the health care overhaul. 
  Do we see a pattern here? 
  Warned again and again of serious problems, this administration continues to focus on only what it wants, recklessly disregarding, ignoring or closing its eyes to reality.
  Is there a border problem?
  Not any more than usual.
  Is there a security problem with the airlines?
  We'll examine old ladies and nuns, put in place intrusive policies and questionable xray scanning devices, but open the floodgates for everyone who fits the profile of a, you know, person who shall not be named. 
  We don't want to discriminate, after all, particularly regarding Christians, Jews or Catholics. Also, like NASA, we might waste DHS resources on pursuing the global warming canard.
  Again.
  In today's WSJ, John Fund writes that the research done for the net neutrality rules passed by the FCC yesterday was commissioned by left wing groups such as Soros's oddly named "Open Society." (Newspeak.)
  They reached the conclusions they wanted and then the FCC justified doing what they did yesterday with that research. 
  Fund writes that Obama, having been repeatedly warned by the courts and Congress, not to mention the public, is "seeking to impose his will on the internet through the Executive branch," even though these changes have not been sought, are not needed and most likely will be met with resistance.
  Ha. Resistance. It's hard to imagine what the internet geeks will do if this administration tries to impose rules on free speech, such as discarding anonymity on the internet. 
  You think the Wikileaks debacle is bad? 
  Wait until the FCC tries to tell people what they can and cannot say online.
  All this being said, a certain Beckian gloom can settle over the patriot observer as we watch these events unfold.
  But our resolve is firm.
  If the RINOs who retained office do not behave, they will be removed, one by one. 
  The census, which appears to be untainted, has shifted seats away from the deeply indebted blue states and toward the red states.
  A significant slate of candidates is on hand for the Republicans, although we must guard against the standard old next rich white guy in line mentality.
  The nation is moving center right, not hard left as we have been subjected to the last two years. 
  In fact, the much adored by leftists Europe is grappling with the demise of socialism, finally understanding that it simply doesn't work to reward non-productivity and punish achievers. It's a hard road to go back, but they will have to do it.
  People can argue and scream all they want about this political view being right or wrong (usually it's some left winger mocking Palin or the right), but the truth remains that the world is made up politically of three kinds of people: passive, controllers, resisters.
  Years ago, commentators crowed that the left was defeated, never to be the same.
  Not long after, commentators crowed that the right was defeated, never to be the same.
  We may crow now that the left has been exposed and is on the downswing, but we must remember that these matters are cyclical, swinging back and forth between right and left periodically because that's the way humans are made.
  Middle, right and left, many are patriots.
  Some people want only moderation in their politics, but are queasy with anything that is too hard left or right.
  Others believe in conservative values, God and country and family. In the recent past, conservatives had the reputation for being judgmental and disapproving. Now, it seems, conservatives are more open and non-judgmental than the left.
  On the left has emerged a group of people who want to control every facet of daily life, from the internet we cruise, to the food we eat, to the money we pay the government to spend on such foolishness as superficial research studies that maintain the livelihood of numerous so-called academics living on the government teat. 
  And the emperor has no clothes, but the media praises his style.
  The struggle advances. The forces on the left, the new "McCarthyites," are formidable, organized and well-funded.
  Their pattern of behavior indicates that they are not so much interested in preserving the freedom, integrity and force of this nation, but rather to put into place numerous agencies, regulations and departments that will control and oppose the people of this great country, rather than its enemies.
  Odd how the governance of this administration has changed the citizens of this country over these two years. In a sense, we have realized this:

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

  Unlike the writer in the link above, I do not get chills when I read these words, even as I know that it is true that the tea partiers are the ones who have changed the course of history. There's little idealism in the repeating of those words: only determination, truth and a certain sardonic twisting smile.  
  Much like the 18th century farmers who owned little but their muskets and a small piece of land, those on the right have the fire of freedom burning in their breasts, a fire that is borne in the hearts of all men and women in all nations around the world.
  It isn't just Americans who love freedom.
  These are rights that are ordained by Nature's God, rights that cannot be forfeited or controlled by ill sighted governments who seek to destroy individualism and establish collectivism.
  "The battle, Sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

Sharpton helping FCC craft talk radio guidelines?

  It sure seems that way, as Sharpton is a frequent and apparently welcome visitor at the White House and FCC. Over at Spectator:

This Sharpton dictatorial inanity is fairly self-explanatory. The fact that he is being indulged by the FCC is more than a might disturbing. The fact that Sharpton first publicly called in November for the FCC to make this censorious move -- and it garnered the FCC's interest, not ridicule and summary dismissal, is more disturbing still. 

  Remember that Republicans aren't helpless when the FCC takeover happens today. There is a period of review; even some democrats are opposed to what the FCC is doing as far as ruling that the FCC has the right to regulate the internet. 
  As far as censoring speech such as on conservative talk radio, that's a different matter. We'll see.

Only two more weeks....

  It seems, in addition to waiting for the higher education bubble to burst, we're standing around waiting for not only states to declare bankruptcy but cities like Detroit and, presumably, Toledo. The headline over at The Guardian is $2 trillion debt threatens to bring down 100 US cities. Meredith Whitney is looking at collapse in 2011. Yet we continue to spend money we don't have.
  It's a pretty astounding article.
  The legacy of this administration has been to increase the country's debt enormously, in an attempt to gain political leverage and advantage. Gateway Pundit:

Obama tripled the deficit in one year. Pelosi has added $5 Trillion to the national deficit in 4 years. And, the democratic members in Congress are no better.

A new study found that Democrats out-porked Republicans this year 50 to 1.

  Meanwhile that pillar of honor Al Sharpton is trying to use his political leverage to have the FCC put on trials where they call conservative hosts to testify about their "hate speech." This man, who is responsible for fraudulently encouraging a young girl to file rape charges against a policeman, has a reputation for race-baiting.
  The clucking this morning is about Janet Napolitano's remark that Homeland Security, which has moved its focus away from the border and toward global warming, there is nothing for Americans to fear because DHS is working 24/7, 364 days a year.
  Um.
  Remember the Christmas Day bomber? Everything worked as it should? 
  What, they were off that day?
  Let's get those clowns off the stage. They've been fired and it is inexcusable that they are determining the course of this nation for years to come, as Professor Jacobsen says. What is wrong with the Republicans that they can't hold to their word and lock some of this stuff down.
  Why the rush on the treaty with Russia? 
  Why can't we have some time to think, deliberate important issues vital to the security of this country?
  Two more weeks.
 Merry CHRISTmas to y'all. 
 God is still in charge, even if our president thinks he himself is.

Pardon my expression!

You're a mean one, Ms.Totenburg
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
And as charming as an eel,
Ms. Totenburg!
You're a bad banana,
With a greasy black peel!
You're a monster, Ms. Totenburg!
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders.
You've got garlic in your soul,
Ms. Totenburg!
I wouldn't touch you
With a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
You're a vile one, Ms. Totenburg!
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile,
Ms. Totenburg!
Given the choice between the two of you,
I'd take the seasick crocodile!
You're a foul one, Ms. Totenburg!
You're a nasty, wasty skunk!
Your heart is full of unwashed socks.
Your soul is full of gunk,
Ms. Totenburg!
The three words that best describe you
Are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk!"
You're a rotter, Ms. Totenburg!
You're the king of sinful sots!
Your heart's a dead tomato,
Splotched with moldy, purple spots,
Ms. Totenburg!
Your soul is an appalling dump-heap,
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable,
Mangled-up in tangled-up knots!
You nauseate me, Ms. Totenburg!
With a nauseous super naus!
You're a crooked jerky jockey,
And you drive a crooked hoss,
Ms. Totenburg!
You're a three-decker sauerkraut
and toadstool sandwich,
With arsenic sauce! 

When pigs fly and pigs fly and pigs fly and pigs fly

  Pigford update: in this video, a black attorney admits that the USDA did not keep records and that at least 10% of the people who filed claims were frauds. Big Government has more. Watch it here:

  Read about the cold and snow in Europe? It's so bad, travel has been stopped, particularly in England. But remember this? In 2000, The Independent declared "Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past." Here's a taste:

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of EastAnglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.

The effects of snow-free winter in Britain are already becoming apparent. This year, for the first time ever, Hamleys, Britain's biggest toyshop, had no sledges on display in its Regent Street store. "It was a bit of a first," a spokesperson said.

  Here's the reality.

• Forecasters warned that parts of Britain could see record low temperatures this week of -26C (-15F). Heathrow will experience lows of about -9C (16F) tonight and further snowfall is expected in the South East during the evening rush hour. [SNIP]

• Commuters were warned to expect treacherous conditions with thick ice and freezing fog today. Train passengers also face delays and cancellations, particularly in the North. Eurostar services between London and Paris have also been affected.

  So now, of course, we'll have to go back to the "climate change" meme because of the inconvenient cooling. We'll see how everyone adapts.

  Meanwhile even Cuba is admitting communism, or whatever brand of monstrosity government Raul is running down there, doesn't work. They're running out of money and laying off 500,000 people, just like all the other anti-capitalist countries that try to make workers dependent on the government teat, even while treating an upper class to the bennies that the commoners don't have access to. AP.

  Speaking of Cuba, don't you think it's funny that Michael Moore is whining that Wikileaks revealed that his ridiculous film "Sicko," which everyone knew was a fraud, was banned in Cuba because even they knew it was a fraud?

  Speaking of whining, don't you think it's funny that Julian Assange is whining that the judge in his case revealed his current address and someone else leaked the details of the sex charges against him, which look a lot worse than we were led to believe? And, say, that's tricky that a third female has emerged to claim Assange is a pretty nasty chauvinist and even a person who assaults others in violent acts? The article is over at the Daily Mail but, be warned, there's a pretty unpleasant photo of Mr. Assange, complete with a yellow teeth smile that doesn't really go very far.

  And, hey, weren't we supposed to believe that the right wingers are the ones who want to regulate everything? Who'll be after you in a police state? Like the sweet hearted liberals are the sad oppressed creative folks painting Vs on subway walls in desperation to escape the narrow mindedness of the right wingers? Yeah, well, try the opposite, for having a pro second amendment bumper sticker on your car.

  But that won't be any surprise to the Washington Post, who's somehow surprised to learn that the government is building quite a network of spies to make sure that guy driving the truck with the 2nd amendment bumper sticker isn't planning to do something bad, like maybe add a NOBAMA bumper sticker to complement the other one.

  And in the event you're not depressed enough yet, what with the Christmas spirit and all, check out Coburn's report on the government's most wasteful spending, paying special attention to the Ohio monkey house, about which there is argument on the cost. Did we spend $175 million or $34 million? Neither, of course, represent real money so, meh, don't worry about it. Nobody cares anyway.

  So have good holiday cheer, mateys. January 4 is on the way. 

  And not soon enough.

JibJab year in review

So here it is if you haven't seen it yet....

Food regulation bill passed in lame duck sneak

  Just when you think it's safe to breathe easier for a day or two, the GOP allows/encourages/participates in the passing of a ridiculous food regulation bill that will prove onerous for smaller farmers and food producers unanimously. Over at The Hill.
  Repercussions await.

Tomorrow: FCC takes the reins of the internet

  For those of us non-techies on the outside looking in, the question of net neutrality has been a complex and confusing one. Reading both sides of the issue hasn't yielded much in the way of enlightenment, except that the government wants the amount of bandwidth controlled and a tiered system of pricing put into place. How this will affect the average consumer is hard to grasp, other than the government, as usual, wants to control more of our lives and somehow we always end up paying more.
  One of the FCC commissioners has written an article in the WSJ today:

Analysts and broadband companies of all sizes have told the FCC that new rules are likely to have the perverse effect of inhibiting capital investment, deterring innovation, raising operating costs, and ultimately increasing consumer prices. Others maintain that the new rules will kill jobs. By moving forward with Internet rules anyway, the FCC is not living up to its promise of being "data driven" in its pursuit of mandates—i.e., listening to the needs of the market.

  Red State wonders why we should trust the government with anything considering what they've done with what we've given them so far. 
  Some people say this is the end of the internet.
  Meanwhile, Chavez seeks to strictly regulate the internet in Venezuela.
  Stop the flow of information. That's what fascists try to do. Stop the flow of information until all we hear is what they want.

The higher education bubble, again

  Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit has repeatedly referred to the higher education bubble that is about to burst. What a student pays for college and what he/she receives for those debts have diminishing returns, considering the overpriced lack of content courses offered by many colleges. When you can get a degree in, say, Barbie, we might have a problem. 
  Heck, let's talk a lot about Barbie on college campus time. In fact, let's waste all our money on discussions about pop culture. Some of the courses offered by colleges are not to be believed (although what's so bad about learning Tolkien's elvish, I'm not so sure.)
  Bowyer writes of this over at Forbes. Here he lists the disadvantages and the fact that it now takes many students 6 years to get a degree:

Over the past year I've invited some of the fiercest critics of higher education finance onto the radio to discuss the problems with college. Numerous authors have minutely detailed the dangers to college consumers: the price tag is too high; the lending is too lax; the product is too low-quality; the socialization process is too coarsening; the parents are kept too much in the dark; the earning advantages are too aggressively touted; the alternatives are too cheap. 

A perspective on obtaining a PhD over at The Economist:

For most of history even a first degree at a university was the privilege of a rich few, and many academic staff did not hold doctorates. But as higher education expanded after the second world war, so did the expectation that lecturers would hold advanced degrees. American universities geared up first: by 1970 America was producing just under a third of the world’s university students and half of its science and technology PhDs (at that time it had only 6% of the global population). Since then America’s annual output of PhDs has doubled, to 64,000.

  Indeed, who needs such a professor but an institution of higher learning?
  Or perhaps lower learning. 
 There's more than one disadvantage to the higher education bubble, according to the National Association of Scholars. The sad truth is that students' lack of preparation from secondary school has led to a plethora of extraneous services offered in college, including tutoring for people who really shouldn't be there.
  Let's not even talk about salaries and maintaining pension requirements of people who retire at 50 or take a year or two off on sabbatical, although sabbaticals have been put on hold in many colleges to cut costs, "angering" faculty who complain their "research" and "teaching" will suffer. Mustn't inconvenience our betters, doncha know.
  Average pay for college professors:

• Harvard: $191,500 

• Columbia University: $188,600

• University of Chicago: $184,100

• Stanford: $181,400

• Princeton: $181,000

  Here's a rundown of faculty salaries; note the significant increases since last year.
  Here's a good description by a professor on what it's like to bear such a burden and how to avoid actually confronting a student for plagiarism, if, of course, you care that your students have plagiarized. Such a trial, after all.
  And who knows what's going to happen with student loans now that the government has taken them over. Will the government be in charge of who gets what money and determine what majors they will enter? Will low achieving minority students be directed into medical degrees?