Healthcare reform, does anybody really get it?

I've been working in the health care industry for 40 years now. I started as a nurse's aide/student nurse and worked my way up. I understand many of the problems we have in health care but I really don't understand how they are going to fix them. I don't understand any of the plans so I couldn't say I like the plan. I centainly don't think those turkeys running our government understand how to fix the problems but I appreciate that some of them want to try. I'm sorry that meeting they had recently didn't settle any of the problems. Both sides are just too stubborn.

They are always quoting these polls on who wants health care reform. One side says the people want to fix the problem, the other side said no they don't. Has anyone polled you? No one polled me and if they did I'd say yes we need to fix the problem. It is really rediculous to listen to the results of polls without knowing anything about those who are being polled. Actually we've all been poled, deep and hard, for a while now, and by both sides.

I think there are certain issues in health care reform that we, the people, can all agree to.

There is a lot of abuse in the system that needs to be fixed. That might be a good place to start. Medicare and Medicaid are both full of problems. I've seen where young people with treatable cancer can't get the therapy they need to live because their parents work for a minimun wage income but someone on Medicaid, who may have never worked a day in their life, is recieving an expensive drug to treat a toenail fungus. Or granny, whose been laying in a nursing home for 10 years gets a bilateral hip replacement just before she dies. It's kind of crazy. They talk about death panels and scare people but there has to be a way to justify the need for certain procedures before spending tons of money to preform them on people when it won't improve their quality of life.

Everyone needs some way to finance health care so we do need a public option. It has always pissed me off that people, who have nothing, and don't want to work for a living, get more help that those who struggle to make ends meet working in a minimun wage job. What is the incentive to even try to work? Also many of us with health insurance, and had to use it recently, found out the hard way that it just doesn't cover much anymore. It's a real shocker.

Everyone who gets health care insurance, and everyone must have it, needs to contribute something to the system. Many who do get government assistance don't pay anything but they can still afford a cell phone and cable TV.

There is too much money going in the pockets of those trying to fix the problem. Stop that. As long as our law makers are recieving money from the health care industries, there is no hope of fixing the problems with these industries. Nada. Ain't going to happen.

Can't listen to those high paid turkeys with their radio shows telling us that we don't need any reform because they can slap down cash for their health care and they wouldn't even notice they had any money missing. I laugh when Rush L says we don't need anything in health care fixed and with the next breath he brags about having to go to the hospital and he wrote a check for $40,000 for something he needed. Do the people who listen to him get it? Why would anyone listen to a multimillionaire tell them what they want or need? He's making a good bit of his money to keep us from getting what we need. You're a great American Rush.

Those are just a few problems with health care that I think we can all agree need to be fixed. Do you agree and can you think of any others?

Insomnia - When someone says 'I don't sleep,' what do they mean?

It's a complaint as old as time, and yet do we really know why you just can not fall asleep.



According to the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research, 30 - 40% of American adults
experience some bouts of insomnia during a year. 10-15% report chronic symptoms.

Americans spend nearly $24 billion a year on sleep-related goods and services, buying $5,000 mattresses, 600-thread count sheets, high-end sound machines that simulate ocean waves or exotic animal noises, all in an effort to just get some sleep!

The market for insmonia drugs is expected to grow 78% by 2012, to nearly $3.9 billion. Are any of these 'new' remedies effective....or should we just take that cup of Sleeptime tea or that warm glass of milk...or even press the snooze on the radio & drift off to the sounds of some soothing music....Whatever gets you through the night.

From today's New York Times a series "All-Nighters" exploring insomnia, sleep, and the nocturnal life.



A Thousand and one sleepless nights

Yes, I'm tired of this cold weather!

Wanna dance Solar?

A lesson in Humility

Corey linked an article over at TM early this morning, about a columnist who wrote a piece that was critical of Palin - only to have the backlash force him to write an apology. But to me, the important thing is that he was forced to do a lot of soul searching in the process. I found this writer to be very soothing and thought provoking:

"And so this is Lent, that season of the Christian year in which believers fast, pray and repent of their sins. For the devout, this is a tall order, since there is a seemingly unlimited supply of repentable material.

It’s a humbling process, repentance. It covers everything from saying something wicked about someone else to making a fool of yourself.

Consider Lindsey Jacobellis. She came to the Vancouver Winter Olympics resolved to repent of her foolishness four years ago, when she had a gold medal in the bag before blowing it with a hot-dog move near the finish line. This time, she didn’t show off, merely skidded off-course and was disqualified as her dad watched in agony — along with millions of TV viewers.

That kind of humiliation can only be suffered with humility. In her own way, the Lenten pilgrim humbles herself by facing her less spectacular failures. Reminded by the ashes she will return to dust, she applies spiritual practice in hopes of running the course without crashing."

“Lenten disciplines train us like athletes, strengthening our earthly bodies and souls,” writes Frederica Matthewes-Green in Christianity Today. She recalls the Apostle Paul’s caution: “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” Charley Honey: Reader reaction to Sarah Palin column a lesson in humility

Westminster Best of Show Sadie

Here's the seven group winners....Who will be Best of Show?


Who is your favorite?






Terrier Group winner is Scottish Terrier 'Sadie'







Working group winner - Doberman
Pinscher 'Blazing Star'











Sporting Group winner - Brittany Spaniel
'Tally' (Talltean )




















Herding Group winner - Puli 'Conrad' (Field of Dreams)

Nonsporting Group winner - French Bulldog

'Bru' (I'm on Fire)

Toy Group Winner - Toy Poodle 'Walker'

(Moon Walk)

Hound Group Winner- Whippet 'Chanel'

Top Dogs! Must be Westminster

New York City....Two nights....February 15, 16, 2010....If you love dogs, this is the place to be...The 134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show...More than 150 breeds, over 2,500 entrants competing for the coveted "Best In Show"....


Some past winners.....


Last year, 2009, Stump a ten year old Sussex Spaniel strutted his stuff to the championship....


In 2008, Uno, the Beagle charmed everyone and won it all....

There was Josh, a Newfoundland in 2004....

And Spice Girl, a Miniature Poodle

in 2002....

How about J.R., the Bichon Frise in 2001....

Rufus, a Colored Bull Terrier, outdistanced the field in 2006.....

As did Carlee, a German Short Hair Pointer in 2005....

Over two nights, the groups to be judged include Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting, Herding, Sporting, Working and Terrier breeds and varieties....Then from the best of each group, "Best In Show" will be decided on Tuesday......

This year three new breeds have been added....Irish Red & White Setter in the sporting group, Norwegian Buhund and Pyrenean Shepherd in the herding group.....

Nationally USA Network & CNBC cable channels will share the televised coverage....

So dog lovers everywhere, curl up with your 'fur friend' and cheer on your favorite......

Happy Valentine's Day & to the Year of the Tiger

February 14, 2010, both the start of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger and Valentine's Day...... Whatever the true origin of Valentine's Day, legend has it that St. Valentine, a real priest who performed secret marriages for lovers during the reign of Claudius II, who had banned marriages of young men, was caught & while waiting to be executed, fell in love with his jailer's daughter and before he died left her a note, signed 'from your Valentine'....

Then in Great Britain in the 17th -18th century

it became popular to exchange small tokens of affection and notes between friends & lovers....

Today, the greeting card association estimates

that more than one billion valentine cards are

sent each year...with Christmas the only other

day when more greeting cards are sent....

However it started, to all of you have a Happy

Valentine's Day......

Today is also the start of Chinese New Year...It is the Year of the Tiger...the 3rd year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac...

The animals of Chinese astrology are believed by many to dictate personality traits. Tiger years

are 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022....The tiger is admired for

its vivid stripes that symbolize the balanced forces of 'yin' and 'yang'....Tigers are a force of nature, dependable, unpredictable, fearless, while tender and loving....

The legend of Chinese New Year says that a monster called the Nien or Nian would come the first day of the New Year to attack and eat crops, livestock and even children...Children dressed in red seemed to ward off the Nian, hence red is the color that is considered safe and lucky during Chinese New Year celebrations....Red lanterns, red scrolls, and red firecrackers are used

to scare off the evil Nian....A custom is for elders and married couples to give red envelopes filled with money to younger family members for luck....

Wishing you a year of health and prosperity....or 'Gung Hei Fat Choy!' (loose translation....Congratulations and be prosperous.....

Have we spoiled ourselves into dangerous territory?

Are we becoming a society of people who have to have what we want, when we want it or else? Where I work, in a correctional facility, I see many examples of that kind of attitude and I keep pondering why I'm seeing people who look like the students I used to teach in college years back. They come from nice homes, nice families and they were given the best of everything by their parents. Now their sitting in the slammer because they wanted something they couldn't afford to buy and didn't want to wait or work for it. They are wanting me to make their experience behind bars as pleasant as it can be. They want a bottom bunk, a special diet, an extra mat and something to help them sleep through the misery of that experience. I've been quilty of telling them, "you're in jail, this is not the Marriot."

Kids often want everything. I don't have any children so it's easy for me to complain but I've seen how parents, who are struggling to make ends meet themselves, go into debt to buy little Johnny and little Sally everything they want, those $150 fancy tennis shoes, designer jeans, the latest and most expensive cell phone, and a nice computer. They just put it on the credit card, that's maxed out at a high interest rate.

These young people then leave home and they want to have a nice house. Not just any house, a state of the art house, one a hundred times better than I ever had or even now have, after 40 plus years of employment. I have often pondered, how can they afford that kind of house and all the stuff that they have in it. They can't. I've been more than a little resentful to have to spend my hard earned tax dollars to bail out people who bit off more than they could chew because they wanted what they wanted, when they wanted it or else.

Now we hear of people going ballastic and shooting up other people because they were disappointed. Is this another side effect of the, we want what we want, when we want it or else, society that we have created?

Who will light the Olympic flame?

The Olympic torch has made its way through Canada for the last 106 days. Tonight the Olympic flame will be lit at the Opening Ceremonies at BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia and the Games will Begin.... This year's theme "To Inspire the World".

Who will be the last person to recieve the symbolic flame & light the Olympic cauldron?

Speculation continues....Will it be the great' Wayne Gretzky, or some other Canadian.

Others to consider...former Olympian Nancy Green Raine, who won gold & silver as a skier

at Grenoble, 1968... Betty Fox, mother of the late runner & Canadian icon,Terry Fox, who lost a leg to cancer & then embarked on a coast-to-coast Canadian run, only to succomb to the disease before he could finish.

BC Place, Vancouver...the opening ceremonies of the 21st Winter Games, Friday, February 12, 2010.

Let the games begin....

Prioritize...... Plan..... Execute

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. - Buddha


"The secret of getting ahead is getting started" - Mark Twain

I've been thinking a lot about
motivations (for the last 30 years or so, Ha!), which has to be related to procrastination (another interesting subject). Keeping in mind that motivation refers to the reason or reasons for engaging a a particular behavior, I know that it's where we have to start whenever we want to make any changes in our lives.

I recently read this online: "When you evolve and grow as a person you start with: 1) VALUES which create 2) ATTITUDES which create 3) BEHAVIORS."

But when you want to change, the process moves in reverse, making it this: " 1) NEW BEHAVIORS which will create 2) NEW ATTITUDES which will create 3) NEW VALUES. " and to me that's starting to make perfect sense. It tells me that the reward for changing behavior is often at the end, instead of the beginning. So that may be why we have to think a while (sometimes a long while) and visualize the possible results, before we start any new behavior. That's the way we get a good hold on what that reward at the end of the process will be.

The nice thing about dieting and exercise is that you begin to feel the rewards right away though. The key to accomplishing anything seems to be in finding a way to create a clear picture of exactly what it is we want to accomplish, and once that happens, everything else falls into place.

I agree with what Carol said the other day about taking small steps in the direction we want to go, and I believe that 'moderation' is one of the most important words in the English language. It's better to start out slow, and then as you start feeling the benefits, increase your workout and adjust your diet as/if necessary. My idea of a work out is going to be that new Yoga DVD I ordered (but haven't yet viewed). I may add aerobic exercise later on.

So what this is all leading to, is what we've been talking about here at the Swamp lately: Healthier eating habits, and a good exercise program. Thanks Solar for kicking it off!

I'm looking forward to hearing others ideas over the next few weeks on how we can accomplish these goals, at least I 'hope' that we continue in this direction. Spring is coming up, and it's the perfect time to begin new things. That's what Spring is all about!

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” John F. Kennedy

It's 'never too late to get in shape

Chloe,

In addition to that great post that U did about physical fitness; here is some information about a plan for life. This is a contract between you're mind, and your organism...the Body.!!

I always laugh at the advertisements that show a before and after; they seem so phony no??..so I won't show mine; and no pics or promises that if you buy something...in 10 days U will lose 10 pounds....

I believe in a complete new start, and thinking when it comes to making a commitment that will help us be successful...so if U do the following ...it is in it's-self all the motivation that one needs to keep fit....I do the following once a year.

First of all I started with the Seneca Indian fast:

"cleansing fast comes from a Seneca Indian tradition. The North American tribe believed in fasting as a means of connecting mind, body and spirit with all of Nature. Please see "How to Understand a Summer Cleansing Fast" (under Related eHows) and consult your doctor before beginning this fast.


Things You'll Need:

* Bragg Aminos
* Fresh Fruit
* Herbal Teas
* Mineral Bouillon
* Vegetables
* Fresh Fruit
* Vegetables

1.
Step 1

Prepare for your fast by gathering all the food you will need in advance. Avoid the temptation to eat a big "last supper" before the fast. Your mind, stomach and appetite need to get used to the idea that less food is acceptable. An internal bath before you begin your fast is also a good idea.
2.
Step 2

Eat all the fruit (except bananas) you want on the first day. Eat apples, berries, watermelon, peaches and cherries. Drink plenty of fresh juice, water and herbal tea.
3.
Step 3

Eat nothing on the second day. However, drink all the herbal tea you want for the second day. Drink your favorite teas, or some suggested teas are cyani, catnip, chickweed, buchu, dandelion, barberry, and black walnut. Use raw herbs boiled in water and then strain to make your own fresh tea.
4.
Step 4

Eat all the vegetables you want on the third day. Eat them raw, steamed, roasted or baked. Drink teas and juiced vegetables.
5.
Step 5

Prepare a big pot of vegetable broth on the fourth day. Boil all your leftover vegetables from the day before in a pot with water. Add other vegetables as well, such as potatoes, peas, corn, carrots, broccoli, green peppers, zucchini, cabbage and parsley.
6.
Step 6

Season your broth with Bragg Aminos or mineral bouillon.
7.
Step 7

Strain away the vegetables and drink only the broth of your stew throughout the fourth day of your fast. (Keep the vegetables and eat them the next day.) Drink tea and water as well.
8.
Step 8


dailymotion.com/flavor wave oven...click on the one on the right side..and follow the link

Break the fast on the fifth day with fruits in the morning, steamed vegetables for lunch, and a sensible, healthy dinner.

Now what I have told, and helped some friends that did all this, is that we can start doing some mild exercises...start by walking a mile..and eating more, of what U want; but keep in mind of what we just did..we need to eat more of the foods that we want...more chicken, turkey fish, and whole grain breads, and pasta, nuts, beans, salads, etc, for a little while...add some treats...cake, cookies, ice cream what ever you like...
but very little of it...stay with it as long as possible..but there is no guilt if you don't the important thing to remember, is that now U have to stay away from salt..that's the killer...and limit the amounts of sweets to a small amount...I use honey; brown sugar,and sugar less candy...after a cpl of months I ordered a pizza with everything....now I order one about every two months, instead of once a week, or every two wks...I order a size that will be eaten, and none left.

Nothing fried, and very little fat..I cook a lot of things in my Flavor Wave oven, saves time and everything tastes like bbq. And great for frozen foods.



After U walked one mile for a week, than it's time to do a little bit more. This is also a good time to make out a written contract with your self to exersice at least three times per week; or every other day.

Make sure that U now incorporate a little more protein now...specially after a work-out.

I didn't use pictures b/c I don't thing that they help, the only thing that U will need is to start, and stay with the first few day's and then the rest should follow...after the fast, it will make no sense not to do the rest...

If U want I will post my exersice routine, and then u could do them but at your own pace...jump in whenever u want?? Don I will post it, or email it to you if U want....let me know. One thing to remember, is that the first 15 minuets should be used for warming up, doing stretches, etc..it takes this long for the body to start working, and using energy, the long walks on the tread mill, and the rest of the routine that U do...will be the some for of light wieghts, and aerobics...

The walking should be brisk for a few wks, then it should be like almost marching very fast...the wieghts should start out at only a few lbs, and only a few added..but you should have a routine of at least 17-10 different exercises in it that will strengthen the different body muscles

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!! SUPER BOWL 2010

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!!!!

It's Super Sunday, Super Bowl 44 (XLIV) Super New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts

When the NFL football season started in September, there were 32 teams competing for the prize.....

Today, there are just Two.....

The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts play today in Miami and when it's over one of them will be Super Bowl Champions....

The world will be watching the tale of two quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Petyon Manning and while the Colts may be the favorites to win, the Saints, a team once called the 'aints', the pride of the City of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana has become the 'new' America's Team....

Before the season started, Drew Brees gave the members of the Saints team a motivational book "Finish Strong", which featured anecdotes about people overcoming adversity, together with a bracelet inscribed with the words "Finish Strong". These words have become the unofficial rally cry for the New Orleans Saints and their

fans, the 'Who Dat Nation'....

Today, the New Orleans Saints will again,

"Finish Strong"....




With Maggie leading the way, she knows a good thing when she finds it....

As part of Carol's Crew, we here are all honorary members of the 'Who Dat Nation'....as such, we stand and cheer the New Orleans Saints to victory....

"Who Dat? Who Dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints? Who Dat? Who Dat?" Today the answer will be, 'Nobody'.....

More members of Carol's Crew at work in Louisiana......

When the Saints and their fans arrived in Miami this week, they were greeted with the Miami Tower bathed in a golden glow....

To honor both of the Super Bowl teams, this weekend the Empire State Building is ablaze in gold & black for the Saints and blue & white for the Colts....and on Sunday night, the colors of the Super Bowl Champions....

For the City of New Orleans and the Who Dat Nation.....GO SAINTS!!!

Now let's play some football....