I’ll give you a trigger option: demolish Washington and return power to the people and the local governments where it belongs.

“Any real change requires the inclusion of a strong public option to promote competition and bring down costs,” she said in a news release. “If a vigorous public option is not included, it would be a major victory for the health insurance industry.”

Will someone remind me which government program has ever brought down costs and since when bringing in a monopoly power has increased competition?

“We recommend that after about five years, if the insurance companies don’t clean up their acts, then there’s sort of a trigger where certain things happen, and we think that’s a step in the right direction,” said former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, a Republican from Kansas.

What is the “trigger option?” It is a way for politicians to kick the football of responsibility off their court. It is a way to delay, but ensure passage of socialized medicine. And it is apparently a way for Bob Dole to show why he was soundly defeated in 96.

How about this trigger option: If Washington doesn’t clean up their act, reduce their costs, reduce their burden on Americans we turn the trigger on Washington. I call THAT a step in the right direction. And if a vigorous cutback on Washington isn’t included, it would be a major victory for fat cat Congressman.

In a family legacy where my grandparents just celebrated their 60th anniversary and both of our parents at about their 30th, we are celebrating our first milestone on the way to 60 with 5 years today!

In the past 5 years - we’ve grown in life experiences. We’ve grown the size of our family. We’ve grown our geographic exposure. We’ve grown in consistency of parenting. And most of all we’ve grown in love!

My wife blesses me daily with love, care, and devotion. God has given me a partner who is not only beautiful, but fun, soft hearted, and perfectly matched to my own idiosyncrasies. Our relationship is natural and rewarding and all I could ever ask for. Here is to 5 years, I love you!

I’m intrigued by history and plagued by a desire to understand all the facts. Plagued because it proves an impossible task. I want to start at the beginning and move forward, but history isn’t as neat as that. I also suffer from limitations of memory. Just reading, the facts fade too quickly from mind. I miss the academic setting to re-enforce with lectures and discussions. But perhaps through books, podcasts, and attempting to write articles I can capture a little bit more. I’m starting note taking in Google Docs, and if I ever have cohesive pieces I will post them. The subject is Christian History.

I found interesting a recent NPR podcast with James Morone, author of The Heart of Power. The interview is framed as a positive discussion on the need for national health care. But without hearing the  orgasmic pleasure in their voices over the idea of government control; looking only at sections of the transcript one would swear the interview intended to expose the negative side of the issue.

Morone talks about LBJ instructing a young Ted Kennedy saying:

“The first thing you’ve gotta do, is don’t let them predict those costs. This vibrant, big Lyndon Johnson, he just suppressed the cost figures.”

Tactic number one, just lie and ignore the truth.

“If we would have had accurate projections for Medicare, we never would have never passed the program.”

And this is a statement of victory, not of shame. He continues to say:

“Somehow the debate has become ‘can we afford this?’”

Somehow? Medicare is already going bankrupt, doesn’t that seem relevant? The fact that the program will be so grossly short of funds from day one that rations and a diminished quality of care will be the only result, I think maybe we should talk about the fiscal reality.

“The most important thing is you cant duck healthcare, you’ve gotta feel it in your gut. If you listen to the economists you’ll find you just cant afford it. Every successful president says to the economists ‘I hear you, now get out of my office’”

Don’t think, feel. Don’t listen to reason, live in fantasy land.

“If you look around the world…generally we’ve gotten the system in place first, then rationalized it, then worried about cost. And that’s how the debate aught to proceed”

This is the ideal? Shouldn’t we make a case for the need first, then see if it is feasible, THEN pass the system? Not with liberals. Act first, think later, and then when it is too late and the money isn’t there… inflate the dollar.

Morone goes on to discuss Hillary Clinton’s mistake. “You’ve got to move quickly. The Clinton’s waited a full year.” Forbid it that we should take the time to plan something so important as healthcare. 1000 page pieces of legislation, unread, with 8 hours of debate, rushed through Congress before the people have a say, and signed by the President without the promised waiting period – that’s not a good system.

Let’s talk instead about a Libertarian ideal - a full, thorough debate; a plan that makes economic sense and actually improves quality of care instead of stifles it.

First, remove the tax incentive toward employer provided healthcare. If I choose to buy my own healthcare, I shouldn’t be penalized. Then when I hold my own policy, when I leave my job and need it most, my healthcare comes with me. We need to move back to this as the standard.

Second, remove the restriction on purchasing across state lines. This will increase competition and choice many times over rather than “increasing choice” with one additional solution (Government insurance) that eventually puts all others out of business.

Third, remove coverage mandates. I should be allowed to choose the policy that fits my needs. If I am a healthy individual wanting only emergency coverage I should be allowed to have that. Mandated coverages on drug rehab, abortion, and health issues I have no concern over only drive my costs up.

And finally, something I’ve heard no proposals on how to achieve, but we need to increase consumer participation and cost transparency to introduce market pressures. There is probably also something to say about medical malpractice reform as a means of reducing the cost of healthcare, though the issue is more complicated.

I keep seeing quotes like this:

“Inside, the audience included a small group of New Haven, Conn., firefighters, including Frank Ricci, whose reverse discrimination claim was rejected by Sotomayor’s appeals court panel. The Supreme Court subsequently reversed that panel’s ruling.”

Discrimination is treating someone as inferior over something like race or gender. Reverse means to turn around and do the opposite. It’s not “reverse discrimination” to deny white and hispanic men promotions based on race, it is just plain discrimination.

We are blessed to have a garden apartment. And by “garden” I mean a 30×20 or so concrete slab. When we moved in there were edging blocks inartistically stacked in a square, minus a few made into a BBQ pit - that’s about all we had to work with. I hate renting because I’m not inclined to spend money on anything I can’t take with me, but I’ve decided to do what I can.

Last year I arranged the blocks in a more appealing pattern and was surprised how far I could get them to stretch. If this was my place I’d tear out some of the concrete to have a dirt bed - no such luck as renters.

Task #1: how to build up dirt without spending much money. These are row houses, so no digging it up from elsewhere. We have some sort of bamboo that grows like a weed so I’ve been cutting it back and piling it behind the blocks.

Urban Composting. You can buy some really nifty compost bins, but that defeats the point. I picked up a 30 gallon trash can, drilled holes every 6-8 inches, and started throwing weeds and scraps in (at the Rose house, there is a high percentage of coffee grounds in the mix). Most urban composting articles call for using red worms, but that again costs money. I’ve found the simple method works just as well, we’ve had no odors, no problems with rodents, only a lot of fruit flies escape when lifting the lid.

So with my weeds and compost we will slowly build up dirt behind the pavers.

Task #2: How to get pots, plants, and dirt home with no car. No problem, Lowe’s - “It’s just down the street”. Ok, carrying a fully loaded 30 gallon trash can a mile wasn’t as easy as I thought. Nor the repeat trip with fully loaded push cart in one hand and son in stroller in the other hand. But no matter, Rick doesn’t do spending money on Taxis.

Task #3: Vegetables. I’m a country boy by birth and whatever you call those red things you buy at the grocery store, they are not tomatoes. So I picked up tomato plants, red pepper, zucchini, and cucumber. I don’t want tons of pots and plants come with 6 - I don’t want to throw out too many. So one pot got 2 tomatos planted next to each other and a zucchini or cucumber in the back of the pot to grow out and up the fence. In the 6″ of dirt I do have against the back fence I planted the leftover vines. I’ve heard rumors that people have trouble with rodents eating the veggies in Brooklyn, but we’ll see how it turns out.

Task #4: flowers. Out were the plastic flowers my landlord put in front of the apartment, in were real flowers. …Out was my neighbors cigarette… in my flowers and up were my flowers in flames. Ok, not so successful in the front yard, but we have nice flowers all over in the back yard now.

Task #5: perennials. After our visit to relatives in New Jersey, our little concrete garden felt rather pathetic. I realized I need some more interesting plants and I can pot those as well to take with me when we leave. So I picked up some ornamental grasses, hostas, echinacea, etc. It’s a start. Perhaps my landscape guru father-in-law has suggested plant choices?

So far so good. We’re not winning any awards here, but I’m enjoying it.

My wife thinks Ann Coulter goes a bit far on her rhetoric when talking about abortion so I’ll add that warning… but I think this is an absolutely classic illustration of liberal absurdity.   Read her article 49 Million to Five or here’s the recap of the important parts. My paraphrasing in italics and square brackets.

[Liberals are quick to defend Muslims as "most are peaceful" after a Muslim commits an act of murder or terrorism. 911] would be the equivalent of 19 pro-lifers shouting “Abortion kills a beating heart!” as they gunned down thousands of innocent citizens in Wichita, Kan. [In the wake of the killing of abortionist Tiller,] Why aren’t liberals rushing to assure us this time that “most pro-lifers are peaceful”?

According to recent polling, a majority of Americans oppose abortion — which is consistent with liberals’ hysterical refusal to allow us to vote on the subject. In a country with approximately 150 million pro-lifers, five abortionists have been killed since Roe v. Wade.

In that same 36 years, more than 49 million babies have been killed by abortionists. Let’s recap that halftime score, sports fans: 49 million to five.

But the killing of about one abortionist per decade leads liberals to condemn the entire pro-life movement as “domestic terrorists.” At least liberals have finally found some terrorists they’d like to send to Guantanamo.

the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — coincidentally, the same church belonged to by Tiller’s fellow Wichita executioner, the BTK killer, the official Web page of the ELCA instructs: “A developing life in the womb does not have an absolute right to be born.” As long as we’re deciding who does and doesn’t have an “absolute right to be born,” who’s to say late-term abortionists have an “absolute right” to live?

[interjection: the finale is the most brilliant part, because you'll recognize this as the identical logic used to defend abortion, turned on its head]
I wouldn’t kill an abortionist myself, but I wouldn’t want to impose my moral values on others. No one is for shooting abortionists. But how will criminalizing men making difficult, often tragic, decisions be an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the shootings of abortionists?

Following the moral precepts of liberals, I believe the correct position is: If you don’t believe in shooting abortionists, then don’t shoot one.

Today we moved into our new office in Brooklyn, bringing the opportunity to reminisce…

So what is it like to commute by subway?

I walked a few blocks to the nearest station - you are always a few blocks from the nearest station in New York. I swiped my card and waited no more than 5 minutes for a train. Don’t count on a seat, but I sit at a desk all day and choose to stand even if there is a seat. On the ride you can read, listen to music, or zone out and sleep. I popped out near Penn Station, walked a few more blocks, and arrived at work.

How is a subway commute different from driving by car?

Commute time for many may be the same 20-40 minutes depending where you live, but the opportunity to zone out or read makes the time go quickly and reduces much stress. Stop and go traffic by car boils the nerves; you feel every minute, not so by subway.

Human nature is to complain and you will hear about unreliability of the rail lines. The truth is, a subway commute is the only way you can have an incredibly consistent commute. Sometimes the train stops briefly due to congestion or the train may run late - but this may add 5 minutes tops. Maybe a handful of times a year will a true delay occur causing 20 minute delays.

What is the worst part of taking the subway?

In the summer, the stations are not air conditioned and they get HOT. Luckily if you are travelling at peak times you are not waiting more than 5 minutes and then the subway cars are air conditioned, but you will sweat. During rush hour, especially in the morning, the trains can be packed. You may have to push your way in and feel like a sardine for a couple stations - but usually only a stop or two before a lot of people clear out again.

What will you miss most about your subway commute?

Actual time on the train was only about 20 minutes for me, but added together that was 3 1/2 hours of reading each week I could accomplish. It offered me a chance to relax and transition in and out of work.

What is something interesting one might not expect about the subways?

Performers. There are some truly talented people who gather to play music in the stations. I’ve often walked past thinking how given another context the quality of some of the performances is the type of thing I might travel and pay to go sit in a coffee shop and hear. Jazz music is most common, but also interesting things like percussion with buckets and pans, folk music, bluegrass, and I once saw an opera singer. 14th Street Union Square and Atlantic Avenue are where I saw the most.

What does it cost to travel by subway?

80 bucks gets you unlimited monthly rides. For the budget conscious imagine having zero variation for gas prices and car repairs. No insurance, no taxes, no car payments. This is a major area New Yorkers can make up ground for the otherwise higher cost of living.

So, what now?

I’ll be walking just under a mile to and from work. I’ve begun plotting the most scenic route and I’m looking forward to the exercise. I’ll miss my reading time, but I’m planning to keep up some podcasts. If I can find a place to secure my bike I could come home for lunch if I wanted. And as for rain, if I really need to I can take the subway with about half the walking on either end as my previous commute.

I’ve lightly abridged this article from (http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10153)

[In his first 100 days Obama's] made a running start toward transforming the federal government’s role in the economy and — if such a thing is even possible — further expanding the president’s role in American life.

On the bright side, though, at least this president has a sense of humor. How else can we interpret his offer to cut $100 million from a $3.9 trillion federal budget? Economist Greg Mankiw puts those numbers in perspective:

“Imagine that the head of a household with annual spending of $100,000 called everyone in the family together to deal with a $34,000 budget shortfall.” The new austerity plan? One fewer latte at Starbucks this year — the rest goes on the credit card.

Thus far, Obama has signed into law a major expansion of children’s health insurance and a $787 billion “stimulus” package that ramps up federal involvement in health care and education.

The projected $1.8 trillion deficit for the current fiscal year equals the entire federal budget in 2000. But have no fear, taxpayers: Obama’s going to ease your burden by forcing the Department of Homeland Security to buy its supplies in bulk and cancel some magazine subscriptions.

This is a president with grand plans and vast powers. He promises a “cure for cancer in our time” and views his budget as a “blueprint” for the entire American economy. This is a president who can fire the CEO of GM without so much as a courtesy call to major shareholders — a president who wants new powers allowing him to preemptively seize financial institutions deemed “too big to fail.”

But this president sweats the small stuff as well. Not a sparrow falls without our National Father noticing — and offering a seven-point plan for sparrow recovery. Last week, Obama assured Americans that the days of hidden credit card fees are over.

That followed upon his April 9 infomercial-style TV appearance urging you to take advantage of low interest rates and refinance your mortgage! This is a president who stands behind the warranty on your Chevy Suburban. You’re not gonna pay a lot for this muffler! POTUS commands it.

A raccoon-eyed Dick Cheney, newly emerged from his underground bunker, growls that Obama is shrinking presidential power in national security. It’s hard to see how that’s so. Hype and Hope aside, Obama’s anti-terror policies don’t differ that much from the Bush-Cheney approach.

Obama’s Justice Department has fought to retain most of the Bush-era powers governing enemy combatants and surveillance. They’ve embraced the Bush-Cheney position that the State Secrets Privilege bars the courthouse door to litigants who claim they’ve been harmed by warrantless wiretapping.

Worse, according to constitutional lawyer Glenn Greenwald, the Obama DOJ has gone even further than the Bush team, arguing that “all claims of illegal government surveillance are immunized in the absence of ‘willful disclosure’ to the public of the intercepted communications.”

Conservatives who recently screamed bloody murder over a DHS report targeting “right-wing extremists” ought to ask themselves if it was such a good idea to have fought relentlessly to expand federal wiretapping powers over the last eight years.

So far, Americans seem broadly tolerant of Obama’s power grab. In a recent Gallup poll, 86 percent think he’s met or exceeded early expectations. But danger lurks for Obama in some of Gallup’s numbers. More Americans reject an expanded role for government in fighting the financial crisis than support it, and only 13 percent want the expansion to be permanent.

From Christmas until mid March we had the use of a car and as we’ve been locked in about a 3 mile radius for 2 1/2 years we took advantage of the opportunity to take weekend trips to explore the northeast. Or as I like to call it, we implemented the Rose stimulus package.

Sleepy Hollow

Mystic, Connecticut

Bear Mountain

Mystic (Part 2)

Princeton

Woodstock

Cape Cod / Plymouth

At the beginning of January the Dow was at 9000 points. By early March it dropped to 6500 points. Now that the Rose stimulus money has taken affect we’re trending up by 1500 points since mid March. I think the results speak for themself.