Are you all ready for camp?  I’m so excited for the smores and ghost stories!

Oh, it’s not that kind of camp.  Well can I at least being my tin foil beanie?  Something tells me I’m going to need it after what current administration has to say.

With a number of polls showing a sustained level of opposition to the Democrats’ health care reform efforts more than five months after passage, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the Obama administration has “a lot of reeducation to do” heading into the midterms. [emphasis mine]

Reeducation huh?  I may not have the expensive alphabet soup after my name, but I can smell the BS in the health care propaganda.  And I mean the kind of BS you find in pastures, not institutions of higher learning although they can be hard to distinguish.

ABC news even provides this helpful bit about a recent poll the conducted.

In an ABC News/Washington Post poll, taken in July, 50 percent of Americans disapproved of the president’s handling of health care, with 45 percent saying they approved.  The level of disapproval was stronger than approval of the Obama administration’s actions.

50>45.  Gotcha.  Thanks for pointing that out.

To borrow a phrase from Dear Reader, let me be clear.  It is not that we don’t understand the health care bill.  It is that we don’t want the health care bill.  We don’t want yet another bloated bureaucracy sucking down tax dollars and creating onerous regulations that do nothing more than slow down the process of getting treatment.  I know, we’re supposed to believe that the new government agency will be a pillar of efficiency.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

*breathe

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Have you been to the DMV lately?  The post office?  Perhaps social security?

We were shipping a holster recently and so had the pleasure of visiting our local post office.  Since these trips mean sales are being made, we tend to enjoy them in spite of USPS.  Well, the postal worker at the counter didn’t have much faith in the flat rate box they had provided and proceeded to wrap it in several yards of tape.  (Tam, if you are reading this, we really had nothing to do with your box becoming a postal tape cocoon.) She kept repeating the same thing, “It’s free; may as well use it.”  We watched in amazement as every inch save where the address was written was converted into some kind of blue and white mass of sticky and plastic.  At least we know that it couldn’t escape.  Or maybe it became a butterfly, but I digress.

It’s that phrase.  “It’s free; may as well use it.”  This is what is so concerning.  It’s not free. It’s an office supply in a government agency.  You and I bought that roll of packing tape.  Or, actually that roll of packing tape is just one of the many things steadily increasing the debt of this particular insolvent government enterprise.

What happens when health care is free?  May as well use it right?  I can be very clumsy at times.  I break toes on a regular basis.  Heck, I’ve got an entire category in the sidebar devoted to strange ways I’ve hurt myself.  I’m currently sporting a rather impressive bruise on my thigh that corresponds perfectly to the foot on an industrial sewing machine table.  I don’t tend to go to the doctor much.  Why should I pay him a copay when all he is going to do is tape the broken toe to the adjacent toe and tell me to take ibuprofen?  I can do that and save myself the money.  Do you want to be paying for my toe tape?

But what about when seeing the doctor is free?  Would I find myself sitting in front of a nurse like the previously mentioned postal worker?*  “It’s free; may as well use it.”  I’d probably wind up with gauze and tape up to my knee.

The health care bill does nothing to solve any of the problems in the medical industry.  It will not control costs.  It will not inspire people to suddenly take responsibility for themselves.  It will coddle them into a false sense of security all while giving up just one more piece of liberty.

Does Kathleen Sebelius intend to reeducate us out of all of our high risk behavior that leads to expensive medical treatments?  Or does she just intend to reeducate us on the proper role of government in our lives?

See you at camp!

*no, I wouldn’t find myself there.  I’d still be taping my toe at home.  I hate waiting in lines.

It seems everyone is talking about the EPA’s move to ban traditional lead ammunition.  In addition to reminding us to comment to the EPA, Stranger reminds us that we really need to be telling our Congresscritters exactly what we think about this idea.

Here is the NSSF press release.

Tam has the right idea here.

* There is anecdotal evidence that the banning of traditional ammunition would have an adverse impact on government bureaucrat populations.

Or there is also my initial response to this news.

If you come for the lead ammunition, you might just get it.

This administration has done a delicate dance around the firearms issues.  Don’t be fooled.  If they can’t take your guns away, turning them into clubs would be the next best thing.  Any effort to eliminate ammunition (or even make it prohibitively expensive) is an assault on your freedoms.

Follow all those links up there in the post.  People have a lot to say about this subject.

Dear Hollywood celebrities,

You exist for my entertainment.  Some of you are great eye candy.  Some of you can deliver a line with such conviction that you bring tears to my eyes.  Some of you can scare the crap out of me.  Others make me laugh.  But you all have one thing in common, you only have a place in my world to entertain me.  That’s it.

You make your living pretending to be someone else.  Playing dress up like a retard*.  You live in a make believe world in front of a camera.  And often when you are away from one too.  Your entire existence depends on my patronage.

I’ll crank the organ grinder; you dance.

I don’t really care where you stand on issues.  Honestly, your stance matters far less to me than that of my neighbor.  You see, you aren’t real.  I turn off my TV or shut down my computer and you cease to exist in my world.  Once I am done with you, I can put you back in your little box until I want you to entertain me again.

I don’t care that you think the BP executives deserve the death penalty.  But I bet you looked cute saying it.

And you?  Really?  I’m supposed to care what the director of fluffy tripe made for gullible people thinks of those who realize global warming is a scam?  Get back into your bubble.  I’ll let you know when I’m in the mood for something blue and shiny.

Make me laugh, or cry.  Scare me.  But realize that the only words of yours that matter are scripted.  I might agree with some of you from time to time, but it doesn’t matter.  In my world, you exist solely for my entertainment.

So, shut your pie hole and dance, monkey!

*that’s a reference to a quote and not a commentary on the mentally impaired.  I’d never use that term for someone who didn’t choose to be mentally impaired.  But some people make the choice to not use their mental faculties and are voluntarily slow.  For those, the term is appropriate.

–and after all the linky (thanks Ambulance Driver, AEPilotJim,  Firehand, LawDog, and Borepatch) I realize there was a glaring lack of comma.

Since hubby has become self-employed, we’ve had good weeks and skinny weeks.  Last week was a skinny week.  It happens.  We’ve got plenty of food in the freezer and didn’t starve. All the utilities are still on.

It has become apparent that Michael is going to need a laptop that is devoted to the business.  He needs something portable so he can use it in both his studio and when traveling.  Since the business is internet based, he simply cannot afford to be out of t0uch.  We had looked at several inexpensive used models, but decided that it would serve him better to purchase a new machine with a warranty and support.  We shopped around and found a machine that should be very competent for several years for a reasonable price.  A price which we currently cannot afford.  I mean with real money.

We were approved for a line of credit at the electronics store and there is plenty of room on the business credit card to go ahead and make the purchase, but we didn’t.  We learned a long time ago that going into debt is unsustainable.  A lesson, it seems, many bureaucrats need to learn.  Take the new school in LA for example.

We are all well aware of the fact that the state of California is broke and yet they can spend $578 Million on a luxury school.  Lets write that number out: $578,000,000.00.  All while the school district is laying off teachers and facing a budget short fall of $640 Million.  Hmm…  I think I have an idea where some of the money may have gone.  Just a guess.

They can’t afford it, but they bought it anyway.  They don’t even have a new revenue stream coming in the foreseeable future.  Nope.  It’s just more debt that they are pushing off onto their children.  And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they are asking the federal government to bail the state out of its money troubles.  Now remember kids, the money at the federal government is yours and mine.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have a problem with them setting up some luxury school if they could afford it.  But that’s not what they did.  They are asking for my money (you know, that same money that can’t purchase a much needed laptop right this minute) to put a restaurant quality pizza oven in the school cafeteria.

This week looks to be a much better week.  We should be able to catch back up on bills and be purchasing that new laptop soon.  You know, when we can afford it.  Because we aren’t bureaucrats with our hands in your pockets.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (ironically, there are probably cave dwellers that are well versed), you have heard all the chatter about the Ground Zero Mosque.

People want to say that they have no right to build it.  Actually, they do.  They have every right to build it.  But just because they have a right to do it does not make it the right thing to do.

It is not the right thing to do.  It is a terrible and hurtful thing to do.  And if their goals were truly to build bridges, they would not even consider building it there.  Today’s Catholic church is a far cry from the organization that was behind the crusades, but you don’t see them building a cathedral on the very site where so many middle eastern people were slaughtered in their name.  The people behind this are lying.  The building of this ‘cultural center’ is not to foster communications and attempt to heal wounds.

It is a sign of victory.  They see ground zero as conquered lands, and they are compelled to mark it as such. They have no desire to gain any understanding of the beliefs of anyone else and care nothing for sensitivity.  Well, that’s not entirely accurate.  They care a lot about us being sensitive to them.  Personally, I find the abuse and subjugation of women in their culture quite offensive.  I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for an apology.  Also, I won’t threaten to behead anyone over it.  See how sensitive I can be?

They have the right to do it.  And I will not support any effort to deny them that right.  But they shouldn’t do it.  It’s not the right thing to do.

We’re all going to have to make sacrifices they said.  Tighten our belts and all.

There is no talk about how his plans might have to adjust to the nation’s wrenching financial crisis, but Obama does warn that change will not come easily.

“Bush has dug a deep hole. It’s going to take some time to dig us out. We’re all going to need to tighten our belts a little bit. We’re all going to need to sacrifice,” the senator says.

One has to wonder how many vacations they would have taken if they weren’t ’sacrificing.’  Michelle Malkin has the details on all of Mrs. O’s travel.

Although the comparisons to Marie Antoinette may seem appropriate, they’re off the mark.  Mrs. O would never encourage us to eat cake.

Hmm…

This calls for a t-shirt!

nocake, Let Them Eat…Arugula by JuniperLimb
Buy t-shirts at zazzle.com

Across the sea called Sweden.  There the people enjoy the Utopian bounty of these like free health care.  Sure their taxes are higher, but it’s a small price to pay for everyone to enjoy such luxuries as free access to doctors and other health care professionals.

A place where the clinics are never closed and emergency rooms are efficient.  Everyone is happy and rainbows lead you to unicorns bearing gifts.

That’s how it is supposed to work.  Right?  So surely there must be some kind of mistake here.  Surely in this wonderland, this gentleman couldn’t have found his local clinic closed thus forcing him to move on to the emergency room.  Impossible that he should have had to wait over an hour only to finally run out of patience and stitch his leg himself.

Couldn’t have happened that way.  Nah.  In RainbowUnicornUtopia land no one has to take care of themselves.  And if they do, they will be punished.

But hospital staff were not as impressed by his initiative and have reported the man on suspicion of criminal dispossession (egenmäktigt förfarande) for having used hospital equipment without authorization.

Silly citizen subject, initiative is for free men.  Can’t have any of that in liberal RainbowUnicornUtopia.  The collective will not tolerate self sufficiency.  Your needs will be met by the hive.

I noticed my son headed out to the backyard with a magnifying glass.

Me: Don’t burn anything on the deck

Kiddo: Ok

Me: Use the stepping stone.

Kiddo: Alright

After a few minutes, kiddo comes back in with a big grin on his face.

Me: So?  Did it work?*

Kiddo: Yep.  Burned some leaves and an ant.

Hey, it’s educational and skill building!  Perfect for children of all ages.  Okay, not all ages.  Besides, he’ll be going back to school soon where the learning is far more PC than burning ants in the backyard.  It’s not he was playing with something dangerous like rocks.  I suppose if the bureaucrats had their way he’d be studying a poster of fire instead.

Kids need a little risk.  They need to fail sometimes and hurt themselves.  Not badly, of course.  But enough to learn the lessons.  Success is meaningless if it’s guaranteed.  I don’t want my kid to be playing for the participation award.

In his experiment, he was safe from any harm.  He didn’t know it, but I was right there to make sure there wasn’t any real danger.  But he learned something.  In his first attempt, he failed.  The stepping stone was in a shady spot in the yard.  Rather than give up, he looked around for a better solution and moved the stone.  Could he have learned that from a poster?  Probably not.  Now if I could just get him to put things back where he found them…

*I already knew the answer.  What?  You really thought I’d let my kid go play with fire without being checked on?