If Dr. Seuss Worked for your Health Insurance Carrier

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Ten percent of people in the United States work for insurance companies.

What if Dr. Seuss had gone to work for an insurance company instead of writing children’s books. His letters might look like this:

We would not could not if you’ve smoked.
We would not, could not cover you.

Pay your premiums and don’t complain
You’ve done it to yourself; we’re not too blame.

Coverage for that just won’t happen;
As it’s something that actually might happen.

Medical impossibilities we seen a few
That’s all we’re covering, so go and stew.

A Gift from Durry Garbutt

"REALITY IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF STRESS AMONGST THOSE IN TOUCH WITH IT"

The Darkly Comical Powers That be

For thirty years my wife and I raised our family, worked in our small businesses and tried to follow a live and let-live philosophy. And we minded our own business.

We were wrong. We were complacent.

This financial crisis has revealed there is trouble in paradise. Trouble that has been growing at the core of our nation for a long time.

Our financial crisis has brought three groups out of their holes, off their webs and out from under their rocks to make strong grabs for whatever they can get.

It turns out there are three powers in the United States that have been battling for the last thirty years. Their battles in the past were behind the scenes but now this crisis has brought them out into the open. This crisis has made them visible and vulnerable.

Right before our eyes we are seeing three groups with super powers fighting for ultimate control. And in the process Politicians, Wall Street, Big Banks and Big Pharma, and the Media are revealing their true nature.

Each of the three groups already have vast legitimate power bases nurtured and honed to perfection. But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Politicians and Elected Officials – the power to make laws, establish taxes and go on television.

Wall Stree, Big Banking and Big Pharma – the power of unlimited $$$$$.

Media – Public Relations – the power to make or break anyone.

The current financial crisis is their opportunity to have it all.

But the current financial crisis has opened the gates of hell and allowed the average citizen to see what evil has lurked for a long time behind closed doors. And these three groups have now overplayed their hands because they’ve forgotten where they got their strengths in the first place—from 300,000,000+ Americans.

Even if you see this evil, why should you care? Because on a daily basis the average American is being abused by the hunger of these three groups.
And if we stand idly by we deserve what we’ve gotten and what we’re going to get. A form of slavery that’s insidious.

Seperately we can be bullied and pushed around by any of these three groups. We as Americans need to understand that we have the power to stop this. The power to take back what is ours; our lives and our country.

It’s been our complacency and laziness that gives these three groups such free reign.

What can we do?
1. We can turn off the news and the media. Look around and band together to discuss our problems on a local level. We’ll find we have more problems in common than we thought.

2. We can vote for politicians who will represent us and if they don’t, we vote them out of office. Or we go to Washington and remove them from office. And we find a way to stop lobbying, now.

3. Wall Street, Big Banking and Big Pharma are a little tougher but remember the American public controls almost 70% of the dollars spent in a year. On Wall Street our dollars are our votes. And if you own a few shares of stock then you have a say in how these giant corporations work.

We are not pawns. We are people.

In a democracy:
Why should 1% of the people own 35% of the wealth?
Why should 20% own 85% of the wealth?
Why should 80% of the people that hold 80% of the votes only have 15% of the wealth?

Plutarch said, “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”

It is time we took back our country and established that everyone deserves a job, a living wage, health care and a roof over their heads.

Even if you have these things, if you fear losing them you are not a free man.

It is time.

Trip to Walmart

This was forwarded to me by a friend - Durry Garbutt

Yesterday I was at my local Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina dog chow and was in the checkout line when woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.) Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's butt and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard. Wal-Mart won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say.

Fighting Against Evil Oppressors

We went to the movies this afternoon and smuggled in our own candy. Even in the face of signs that said we could not bring outside food into the theater. Audacity. Audacity. Ever audacity!

What’s the deal? Have we lost the freedom to carry our own candy bar when we pay a fee to enter a movie theater? Is there some new law that says if you bring your own candy you’re a dangerous movie terrorist?

And what if they catch you smuggling in your own chocolate or an illicit Charleston Chew? What’s the worse that will happen? Castigate you in front of the other movie patrons? Give you a harsh warning? Tell your mother? Throw you out?

You can close your mouth, I never said castrate.

Or is there some secret offshore movie theater penitentiary where they hold you wrapped in thick unbreakable chains made of stale popcorn on sewing thread where you don’t ever get to see even a rerun.

I am a candy smuggler. I’m proud of it. I’m admitting it right here in print. Right in a public published media (and the three of you who read this better not squeal).

I smuggle candy in and when the lights go way down, I quietly rip open the wrapper and my candy tastes better because it’s contraband.

And if I spot the movie deputy I shove the whole bar in my mouth for fear I’ll be spotted and hauled to the pokie. At the end of the movie I dump my wrapper in their garbage can just to show them what I’ve done, and that I’m not a litter bug.

And why do I feel justified breaking their rule?

Because when I’ve paid for my movie and the lights go down do I see my movie in peace? No. They show you not only previews (which I enjoy because they get me in the mood for the movie) but also a whole reel of commercials for everything from new television shows to commercials for the National Guard. I have nothing against the National Guard but the theater isn’t donating their time, these are paid advertisements we’re forced to watch.

Where does it end?

What’s next? Heaven forbid they start putting products on the screen during the movie. It makes me shudder to think or perhaps it’s just high blood sugar.

The Statesman and the Pretenders

“The great difference between the real statesman and the pretender is, that the one sees into the future, while the other regards only the present; the one lives by the day, and acts on expedience; the other acts on enduring principles.” – Burke

It strikes me that Barack Obama has been president for only two months and already I believe he will prove himself a statesman.

In that same two months, the House and Senate of the United States of America have continued to prove that they’re pretenders. Blundering buffoons baying at their altar: expedience.

Yesterday I saw Barack Obama reach out to Iran and offer to start a dialogue about the future of the world. He didn’t surrender. He didn’t say that nuclear proliferation was acceptable. He said, “Guys, let’s talk about this.” And he said it at an auspicious time—their New Year.

Yesterday I saw the House and Senate go after bonuses at AIG as if they were pilgrims at a Sunday prime-time witch burning. When will they stop before they act and recognize what’s happening at this moment is today’s crisis?

If every politician were to read and understand a little history and a little of the Constitution they would realize their first job is not to pander to their constituents but to recognize that the future of these United States are in their hands.

Don’t make decisions based on this moment in the light of anger, fear and confusion. That’s a fool’s errand. Stop. Look into the future of the United States. The future we would like to produce. Look at the potential future of the world.

See a positive future for the United States and the world. Make decisions that move the United States in the direction of that positive future.

Don’t panic. Don’t rush one way today and reverse course tomorrow. They remind me of a flock of wild turkeys in a barn during a thunderstorm.

If you are going to run our country by popularity polls what does that bode for the sake of our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren?