Covered Bridge Bicycle Classic

Hats off to my Son-in-Law, Jeff. He recruited me to ride with him in this event out of the unlikely town of Snelling, California, 30 miles east of the 99 Hwy and deep in almond and grape growing country. It was a little cool and breezy but the rest stop's chicken soup (never had this on a ride before) provided some warmth as we refueled. You might be able to tell from Jeff's attire that he is not exactly a bicycling enthusiast. But he is game for a good cause and part of a generation that is distinguishing itself for efforts devoted to something larger than themselves. Perhaps my experience is unique since my youngest son is also in the non-profit sector but I don't think so and I'm challenged by it. Check out Lifewind and Invisible Children.

Healthcare Reform?

Any discussion about healthcare in the U.S. ought to begin with a recognition of two undeniable facts - the U.S. has the finest healthcare system in the world and the vast majority of U.S. citizens are pleased with their healthcare. This does not suggest that improvements are not needed but people come from all over the world to get care in the U.S. and that alone ought to draw our focused attention when public debate turns to fixing a "healthcare crisis" and politicians seek to make "bold change". Just what are they wanting to fix and more importantly, what is the real root cause they are seeking to address? I submit that the vast majority of our elected representatives have little real understanding of the former and are mostly ignorant about the latter. We should expect more and they should be doing better. 

Today Dr. Z runs a radiation clinic. He is responsible for the cost of his state of the art linear accelerator in his office, the lease on his building and the wages of his support staff.  It is in the economic interest of Dr. Z to treat you. There are also other Dr.'s out there like Dr. Z and you have some choice about which Dr. to go to so the market tends to control the cost of treatment. You have a high probability of getting treated. If that same remedy is now controlled by the government, then the only point of cost control is in how many radiation treatments the government can afford. This could mean several things - a longer wait to get into a treatment program, maybe 3 radiation visits when you really need 6, maybe no radiation treatments because you are over the age of 70 or perhaps as in another type of medical care, a 10 month waiting list for prenatal care. The only point of cost control is you. It is in the economic interest of the government not to treat you. Healthcare isn't reformed. It's rationed - rationed like it is in every other country in the world where healthcare is run by the government. Be aware of any government representative that says their program will lower the cost of healthcare. Be very aware.

    

My Wife's Oatmeal

It's easy to find your top ten reasons for eating oatmeal. It may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. It can help you control your weight. It might reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and it's a good source of proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidents. Soy beans are supposed to be good for you too. Today at the grocery store I happened to catch a glimpse of a lady's shopping cart. There were nine, yes 9 tubs of tofu (organic tofu no less). That's a little too much tofu for me. She didn't seem too excited about it either. My wife uses this old fashioned oatmeal. Mix in some dried cranberries in the final two minutes. Serve with a scoop of yogurt in the center. Sprinkle with some toasted pecans and dust with a brown suger/cinnamon mixture (make a batch with 1/4 cup brown sugar, about 3/4 tsp of cinnamon, 1 packet of "Sugar in the Raw") and add berries liberally. Dynamite. If I see that lady from the grocery check out again I'll tell her about my wife's oatmeal.  

Health Care Reformers Ignore the Facts

The great philosopher Groucho Marx noted that politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong solutions. This seems to be especially true in the case of health care reform. History is littered with examples of good intentioned government programs. In virtually every case those same programs under deliver, cost far more than expected and create unintended consequences that require yet more spending and more regulation. We need to give serious thought and discussion to any health care reform. I vote no to giving it to the same people that brought us the mortgage meltdown, control social security, manage immigration policy, or run the railroad.