Acid Test- Clarity On Health Care

An oft repeated cause for concern with the proposed health care reforms is in the vagueness of the intended actions. It has been said that it is written in such a way that one could interpret it to mean anything. And, with its exhausting length, most people, including those who we sent to represent us, have not read the proposal. Among those I've met who have read it, the other common complaint is in the intractable language, which adds to its vagueness, as one Congressman said, it takes a team of lawyers to understand it.

“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyer “What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”

Another contentious aspect is the haste with which it was to be enacted.

The answer is obvious. Slow down. Be specific. Be clear. Be brief.

There is little trust between the adherents of the two major Parties these days. Naturally.

That reality can serve us well if the author or any proposed legislation will keep in mind that at some point their political opposites will be in power and if a policy is written in a form that is open to interpretation they will one day have to live by the interpretation given by their opposition. So, it is in their best interest to make sure that they use precision and clarity. It isn't good enough for a politician to say something is or isn't in the Bill, spell it out with specificity, figuratively carve it in stone for all to see for all time. And, then give everyone (citizen and Representative alike) plenty of time to read, understand it, discuss it, and respond before you vote on it.

Ari Wins On KO

BWO- JammieWearingFool discovered at pajamasmedia

Movie Humor

Borrowed from John Hawks. A snippet of dialogue from the film, Too Many Husbands.

Melvyn Douglas: All right, spell "Pithecanthropus erectus."

Fred MacMurray: Why?

Melvyn Douglas: Because I say you can't.

Fred MacMurray: All right. P-I-T-H-E-C-A-N-T-H-R-O-P-U-S-E-R-E-C-T-U-S.

Jean Arthur: Is that right?

Melvyn Douglas: Yes.

Jean Arthur: What is it?

Melvyn Douglas: It's the missing link between ape and man. Like an athlete.

English Language Pravda On End Of American Capitalism

First, this isn't your parents Pravda. Not that I think your parents are commies, I intend to alert you to the distinction between the old Pravda, which folded up in 1991, and the current tabloid Pravda of today. That said, it remains telling to have a Russian newspaper signaling the end of American capitalism. For me, it reinforces how far off the mark we have moved.

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people..............

Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Teddy As Explained By Michael Kelly

What was written about Senator Kennedy in 1990 held true the rest of the man's life.

this famous portrait of Edward M. Kennedy, remarkable not only for its courage in exposing a senator’s vices but also for the balance of its tone.

Monument Men

Perhaps my first introduction to the art thievery conducted during WW II by the Nazis was from watching the great John Frankenheimer film starring Burt Lancaster, The Train.

The movie was based on a true story and no doubt did much to create a wider awareness of the importance of preserving cultural artifacts. During the war, and in the times that followed, there were already those that didn't need that lesson.

From 1942 until 1951, 365 men and women serving in the Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives division (MFAA) of the Allied forces.............. Known simply as the Monuments Men, they recovered Nazi records from bombed-out cathedrals and followed leads across the continent in a bid to recover Europe's most splendid treasures.

Now comes a book that relates the work of seven of these important people. I have not read it yet, but the subject matter puts it high on my wish list. It should be intriguing, if told right and truthfully.

Worth noting, the work isn't finished yet, some of the stolen pieces have not been found, but that may soon change according to the book's author Robert Edsel.

I think over the next 15 to 20 years many of those things that are missing will surface. As the WW II generation passes over the next five to 10 years, these things in attics and basements and on walls will pass on to younger generations, and they might try to sell them. Buyers will want to know what they are buying and where it came from — and that could lead to answers.

Let's hope so.

"Quotation" Marks

Found a blog that chronicles examples of the misuse of quotations marks.

Unnecessary

Love it! Bethany is doing the teaching that American education fails to do.

For those who don't see anything wrong with the examples provided at Bethany's site, God save us if even one of you really needs this link, Tina Blue offers a treatise on the proper usage of this punctuation.

What if his name had been Edward Moore?

40 years.

And, no justice.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
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.......

Pan Am Terrorist- What Should Have Been

As you must know by now, Scotland released the only person ever convicted in the Pan Am bombing over Lockerbie Scotland. The uproar over this slight to justice has not subsided, and will not soon.

The release was pending for awhile, his disease and the consequent expectation of his impending death was well known, as was his request for compassion.

I will never understand why our government did not step forward with a demand for extradition. And, I doubt the truth about why that didn't happen will be revealed. Just as I have little faith that we will come to know why Scotland set him free.

We have treaties with Scotland that could have forced their hand, if he was to go free, we had the obligation to make sure that it was only temporary. He should have spent his remaining days in jail, in Scotland or here, but in jail.

Maynard has asked, "What would Reagan do?" and explained that in a similar circumstance President Reagan used military power to recapture the Achille Lauro terrorists after Italy set them free. Our current President could have made the same move. He should have made the same move, having failed to intercede in a timely fashion to prevent the release in the first place. But none of the good choices happened.

My preference would have been to have seen Scotland offer him to us and we accept custody, second choice would have been for us to demand him and have our demand met. But, if I were President, I would not have used the same tactic as Reagan, no, if Scotland had failed to keep him or turn him over to us; I would have waited for his plane to enter Libyan air space and then shot it out of the sky. That would have put a just end to a creep, and it would have prevented the indecent celebration he received upon his return. And, it would have sent an unmistakable, and not soon forgotten message; kill innocent Americans and you can not run, you can not hide.

When The Left Found Dissent Cool

Just cause for attack says this loon,

Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face...," the flier said, "because of his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism's conquest of the planet, for telling the world that the free market and techno fixes can save us from climate change. From carbon trading to biofuels, these distractions are dangerous in and of themselves, while encouraging inaction with respect to the true problems at hand..."

After five minutes, Friedman returned to the stage undeterred, with only faint traces of the green cream on his clothing.

More cases of the leftist protesters behaving badly here, attack of the pies.

Now, during that last Presidential administration the big mouths that tell us what to think found these people and their actions to be okay, the ends justified the means. Morons.

These days regular citizens show up and ask questions and get demeaned as some kind of phonies. When, in fact, the real phonies are those who won't answer and those who attack the questioners instead of also demanding answers.

The booing of half-baked answers to legitimate questions may be rude to the speaker, but it is also rude of the speaker to arrogantly fail to respond completely and honestly. Vocal disagreement is a form of communication, if the respondent will listen to only the mood he will get the point. If he tries to hear the message he can learn where the concern lies. That is discourse. Throwing pies is assault.

Pterosaur Landing Strip?

I guess it is possible that it's tracks survived all this time. Click to the second picture to see the tracks.

The fact this pterosaur had the capability to stall during flight implies sophisticated flapping control of the wings, Padian said. Future research will hopefully uncover tracks made during takeoff, shedding further light on how these extinct creatures once flew.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

I'm tempted to remark how competent even the most obnoxious person can actually be, but someone might think that I am referring to someone in particular and I don't feel that controversial today.

Egna

On Disintegration Of The Negro Family Structure

Via: La Shawn Barber

Most of the major problems that many black people face are not amendable to political solutions and government anti-poverty programs.


By the way, the welfare state is an equal opportunity family destroyer. Today's illegitimacy rate among whites, at nearly 30 percent, is higher than it was among blacks in the 1960s when Moynihan sounded the alarm. In Sweden, the mother of the welfare state, illegitimacy is 54 percent. - Walter E. Williams

What is it?

Mr. Squiggle

A clever site wherein a "squiggle" is presented and the artist is challenged to use the lines within an artwork. Most fun. And puts the imagination gears into overdrive.

RightOnline Conference

As I write C-Span is airing the Americans For Prosperity Foundation conference for RightOnline bloggers. It is an instructional seminar focused on helping bloggers make their point in an effective manner.

C-Span does not list it, yet, among its video search results. When they get around to providing it I will add that link.

Many great points have been made, but the one that really caught my attention is that it is absolutely imperative that bloggers get the story right. Make sure of your facts, source your reference and keep your conclusions within the facts. (I will edit and add in the speaker's name and a direct quote when a replay is available).

And, while I was alerting a fellow blogger about the conference's presentation he added; (paraphrased) "and if you get it wrong go back as soon as you see your mistake and acknowledge the error." Well said, Steve.

Billy Mays- Another Theory On Cause Of Death

Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Cynthia Yockey says there may be an undiagnosed reason for Mr. Mays death.

Obstructive sleep apnea results in sleep deprivation, because it jars you slightly awake hundreds of times a night, usually without your being aware of it. But it also results in oxygen deprivation because the amount of time your airway is shut and you are not getting air can add up to almost half of every hour you are asleep. Oh, and by the way, the reason it doesn’t add up to a half hour OR MORE of every hour you are asleep is that once you reach that amount of time without air, you are circling the drain and could die any time. That’s because there’s a feedback system in the body between the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide and when the carbon dioxide level gets too high, the brain stops sending the signals to breathe.

When a person with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea takes therapeutic doses of medications for pain and/or anxiety — which means the normal dose on the correct schedule, not an overdose — they can die because those medications make it just hard enough to wake up that it is easy to cross that point of no return in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood that stops the brain from sending the signals to breathe — that is, which causes central apneas. (This situation is ditto for alcohol consumption or using recreational drugs, even in small or moderate amounts.)

In addition to his hypertensive heart disease, one of the things that convinces me that Billy Mays had obstructive sleep apnea is his use of cocaine a few days before his death. If he really had a drug problem, it would have been in his system when he died. No, the deprivation of sleep and oxygen from obstructive sleep apnea make you sleepy and foggy during activity. Billy Mays was famous for his energy and enthusiastic sales pitches. Cocaine perks you up. I think Billy Mays was self-medicating with cocaine to treat the sleepiness and fogginess resulting from his undiagnosed sleep apnea.

Pitino Admits Affair, Money Paid For Abortion

Pitino Makes Statement

This is a very sad tale. And, as a life-long University of Louisville fan I am appalled by the Coach's behavior. Facts remain in dispute, for instance; did he rape her as she alleges, did she attempt to extort him as he charges. What is apparently true is that he had extramarital sex, paid for an abortion and thereby contributed to the killing of a child.

I am sickened.

On Deprogramming Stereotypes

Two pieces that serve to explode certain contemporary cultural myths.

Via TigerHawk:

Crashing Conspiracy Theories

Via Instapundit:

Grouping Busted

"It's not ignorance does so much damage; it's knowin' so derned much that ain't so."- Josh Billings

Blair's Equine Rescue

They say it all at their website, B.E.R..

I'm proud to have friends that care so much.

Demes Some Possibilites

Found over at The Speculist.

"Susan Blackmore says that evolution has a third kind of replicator, following on the heels of genes and memes, and that this new replicator needs a name."

This one took a moment to sink in. In addition to DNA, there is a second, and even a third form of evolutionary blueprint being transferred?

According to the theory, evolution evolves too. And, it has led to humans having a different type of intelligence from other animals, and way back when it gave our cells their own little power plants.

"Billions of years ago, free-living bacteria are thought to have become incorporated into living cells as energy-providing mitochondria. Both sides benefited from the deal. Perhaps the same is happening to us now. The growing web of machines we let loose needs us to run the power stations, build the factories that make the computers, and repair things when they go wrong - and will do for some time yet. In return we get entertainment, tedious tasks done for us, facts at the click of a mouse and as much communication as we can ask for. It's a deal we are not likely to turn down."

As I read about the next wave, perhaps to be called "Demes", I envisioned nanotechnology that once inserted into a human performs its intended function and additionally replicates itself and is transferred from generation to generation. A mechanical DNA, if you will, with digital benefits for the host. I am also reminded of the possibility that bacteria may be countered by a communication blocking agent, perhaps dem "Demes" will serve a multitude of purposes that transforms man and medicine.

And One Day He Made Football

This isn't my first foray into the wide world of websites. I served for a time as a contributing writer at a blog dedicated to one of my heroes, Abraham Lincoln. And, I created a website for my fantasy football group, an eleven year old league we call Gridiron Godz.

My passion for both sites waned; but my attachment to the GG League never has. Our need for a location where our various members could go to see the Rules we had agreed upon for the league was apparent, {it is a ten man league with team owners spread across the North American continent, as far north as Calgary, as far south as Naples, Florida, east to Baltimore and Rhode Island and, west to California}, so, I learned enough HTML to make it happen.

I retain the Godz site, though I have not maintained the data in recent years.

It serves it purpose though, as we have discovered that our original agreement has been sufficient for our needs. In fact, that we have been able to play off one simple set of rules for so long gives me reason to wonder why our Congress is constantly writing new laws, if you do it right once that is enough.

But, I stray from my purpose; Gridiron Godz drafts 9/8 @ 9pm EST and after that I'll be a fool for all of the NFL news that is given up. That is the only way to be competitive, be informed.

Use It Or Lose IT

That is the advise I recently received from a doctor. I was concerned about a growing inability to recall, he gave me a quick test to determine if I had any reason for concern, concluded that I had no reason to worry and advised me to take up Soduku to sharpen my mind adding the admonish ion, "use it or lose".

Soduku, crossword puzzles, and I suppose trivia games all work as exercise for the brain. I vowed to pick up some of my old mathematics books to get fit. Let me say that differently, as one could conclude that I was using the books as some sort of weight lifting regimen like a muscle-head. The Bicep is connected to the cerebellum , not. What I mean is that for me it would be more rewarding to do math problems than it would be to solve puzzles. Not that I am knocking puzzles, I am determined to learn how to operate my decades old Rubik cube, I have a tutorial for that purpose and it is high on my list, (can you spell procrastination) puzzles are great, but sharpening my math skills has use in the real world.

I witnessed another activity this week that will keep those synapses firing; comedy improv. My old friend Steve is a player in the group, and invited me to their Thursday night show. For the players it must be a mental rush, as a witness my mind was tested in both keeping up with their quips and in working to imagine how I would respond. Great fun. I highly recommend this activity, I'll go back for more.

Einstein Didn't Roll Dice Either

As I create this post the History Channel is presenting a biography of Albert Einstein. Famously the great man once remarked that "God does not play dice with the Universe".

These days there is much effort to separate science from the concept that there is a God. Ironic that the perhaps smartest man yet had no such doubt about the existence of a supreme being, a creator.

The same is true for the father of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin.

Introduction

Welcome to RunningRabbitRoundup. This blog will be my destination to share a wide range of interests and ideas, basically, it will be about anything that interests me.

One day I may explain where the title came from or I may speak about some other personal experience, another I may cry out against some offense to reason, often I will decry politics, my sports favorites will be included, science is cool, love is a must, interesting places won't be my secret, and most assuredly anything that is new to me will be offered up for your reading too.

I will try to be reasonable at all times. I will have absolutely no use for anyone commenting from a partisan, hateful, or unsubstantiated point of view. If I miss the point, or when I am incorrect, let me know; but do it in a way that I can verify. Sources, explanations and proofs work; opinion, analogy and metaphor and especially insults are not convincing. Show me the science. I'll try to return the favor.