Stability For Our Time

In case you're interested, Medicare cut reimbursement rates to doctors by 20% today because the reimbursement rate is tied to GDP, which as we all know, is the only thing falling faster than Obama's approval ratings. Congress tried to ram a stop gap measure through to fix the problem for another 12 months, but were stopped by a Republican Senator who refused to vote for a bill that wasn't paid for.

This government that first tied medicare rates to a completely unrelated economic indicator, and then was unable to cut that tie is the same federal government that wants to manage all health care provision.

You'd have to be certifiably insane to want to let these clowns dictate when and where you get your health care.

I don't care whether they are Democrats or Republicans, the federal government is incapable of running any business or industry. We admitted as much when we elected a man with zero executive experience to the Presidency.

The news yesterday said that Handgun Carry Permits in Tennessee are way up, and that the city of Knoxville is the most heavily armed city in the state.

Finally, we're number one in a category we can be proud of!

I have an HCP, as does my wife, my brother-in-law, and my mother. My pastor, his secretary, and several members of the church board, as well as a substantial portion of the congregation all have HCPs.

Why do we all feel the need to carry a gun? Well, while I can't speak for all of them, I can tell you why I got a permit, and why I carry pretty much everywhere I go.

First, as a man, a husband, and a father, it is my duty to protect my family. And before you ask, no, it isn't the job of the police. Police don't prevent crime, they respond to it. Police come after the burglary, robbery, rape or murder, gather evidence and try to catch the guy who did it.

That's too late.

My job is to make sure the son of a bitch can't murder, rob, or rape any member of my family, and I will use any tool available to do so. While I agree with my non violent friends that evasion, distraction, and other less lethal means should be part of any defensive plan, I believe that it is also necessary to have offensive tools must also be a part of any strategy, and that includes weapons.

I have an HCP because while openly carrying a long gun is legal, it's bound to get you talked about. A handgun can be carried discreetly, which is not only a tactical advantage, but helps keep the sheep calm.

Second, if you read the second amendment, and place it into context, what it says is that not only do we have the right to arm ourselves, we have a duty to do so. When the Constitution was written, we had no standing army. The militia was the primary defensive force of the States, and was composed of all able-bodied male citizens. Members of the militia were expected to arm and equip, AKA regulate, themselves.

While I can and have armed myself with long guns, hand guns are an essential part of the package, as are various other weapons.

Third, one of the ironies of life is that an armed and prepared man is less likely to be attacked than an unarmed, unprepared man. The two walk differently, and carry themselves differently. Predators recognize victims; anyone who has gone to the trouble of arming themselves, and learning how to defend themselves no longer walks like a victim. Criminals will choose easier targets.

Finally, I have the right to defend myself. I was working the back shift in a Maryville convenience store when I was robbed by a guy with a gun. As I handed him the $40 in the register, all that kept going through my mind was that my life was in his hands, the hands of a doped-up two-bit thug.

Folks, that's not a happy realization.

Now there are some who would focus their fear on the gun, but I'm smarter than that. The gun was just the tool; the threat was the zombie behind the gun.Fortunately for me, whatever passed for a brain in this guy's head forgot how to pull the trigger, and he stumbled off into the night, leaving me with an empty register and full britches.

Needless to say, I left that job.

And the britches.

I didn't get a carry permit right away, but I knew I would never allow myself to get into a position where some random thug could hold my life in his hands.

President Obama said that he supports renewing America's nuclear power industry. If you're really worried about global warming and you want to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, then the only technology that's ready to step into the gap is nuclear power. None of the other alternatives are even close.

Nuke plants are clean, safe, and efficient. And before you ignorant hacks try to shout "Three Mile Island!" and "Chernobyl!" you might want to educate yourselves on what really happened, why it happened, and why it isn't a concern for the AMerican power program. Yes, it will take a little bit more work than watching a marathon of The China Syndrome, but wouldn't you like to have a few facts to back up your argument?

The fact is that at Three Mile Island, everything that could go wrong did, including operators who failed to recognize the signs of a bubble in the core, and a progressive coolant leak. Despite these major failures, nobody, not even the people on site, received a lethal dose of radiation. The highest dose received by any worker in the plant was about the equivalent of a heart angiogram. The Chernobyl plant had a problem due to a poor design, unapproved test procedures, and the Soviet Union's disregard for standard safety features, like a containment building.

Here's a clue. The US Navy operates dozens of nuclear reactors all over the country. These reactors have been on-line and running for years, operating under extreme conditions, going through major transients on a daily basis, and the NAvy's safety record is without a blemish.

These are 19 and 20-year-old kids running those reactors folks. If the Navy can do this with kids straight out of high school, well, surely Commonwealth Edison can do it with these same highly trained folks when they finish their service.

As for waste, the technological problem is solved; we're still fighting a political battle. Yucca Mountain has been studied every way it is possible to study. Unlike Global Warming, the data is widely available to all interested parties and to date, not one has found significant error. Waste stored at Yucca Mountain will not propose a risk of serious dose to the public for the next 1,000,000 years.

But hey, why let the facts get in the way of a little electioneering. President Obama tried to de-fund Yucca Mountain, claiming that it was no longer an option., an apparent bone to Sen Harry Reid. President Obama was overridden, but funding was reduced to its lowest level in the history of the project. Just like they did with the Clinch River Breeder Reactor, ignorant opponents are trying to strangle the project in red tape.

Solar power is decades away from being a viable source of the large quantities of energy we need. Geo thermal is a pipe dream right now. Hydro power is about tapped out; all the best spots are already taken. Wind power upsets almost as many wealthy liberals as nuke power because it might spoilt their expensive beach front views.

If you want to stimulate the job market, how about spending some money on jobs that will last for decades after the stimulus money runs out?. Our existing nuke plants have had their lifetimes extended multiple times and have operated for far longer than their design specs. We need new plants to replace our aging ones and even more new ones to augment their output. Besides the construction jobs, we'll have operating jobs, maintenance jobs, radcon jobs, safety jobs, manufacturing jobs, and waste disposal jobs. For every dollar spent in the original investment, we'll see a return of hundreds of dollars in job creation and clean power production.

Nuke plants. They'll bring jobs, energy independence, and greenhouse gas reduction. Oh, and cheap electricity for hundreds of years.

I just hope Obama doesn't change his mind on this one.

"I'll brook no interference," she said as she crossed the brook, the wind blowing her hair as she watched a hare wind its way across the field.
Peter ran fast while Paul stood fast and Mary wiled the time away by going on a fast.
Wouldn't it be odd if Bea was stung by a bee at the spelling bee?
Have you ever seen a Bass sing bass?
The north winds buffet the sides of the dining hall as we eat a delicious buffet.
The two dressers were too close to close the door.
I am content with the content of the contract.
I refuse to handle your refuse. You're going to have to take out your half of the trash.
Her tears tear at my heart.
With a light heart, I told her to turn left at the light, but she turned right instead and went right to the right address, which just wasn't right.
I still think he should have stood still while I emptied the still.
I've resigned myself to resigning as president, unless you resign the contract to finance the company.
On this present occasion, I am honored to present you with this present.
The clumsy waitress spilled pate on the bald pate of the governor.
A millisecond is a minute part of a minute.
When the dove came back, Noah's sons dove off of the ark.
Bacteria multiply by dividing, which works in biology class, but not so much in math.

It is unwise to carry car keys and a fully charged 9 volt battery in your pocket at the same time.

That is all.

Yesterday, I posted that the Tea Party movement was not a fringe right wing phenomenon, but a broad based rejection of both political parties by disaffected voters from both sides of the aisle.
Here's proof.

75% of independent voters approve of the Tea Party movement.

Independents made the difference in 2008 and it looks like they'll make an even bigger difference in 2012. The candidate who can tap into that growing sense of dissatisfaction will ride it to victory regardless of his or her party affiliation.

One thing that the DNC and GOP seem to agree on is that the Tea Party folks represent hardcore conservatives who hang out somewhere to the right of Limbaugh. As usual when both sides agree, they get it wrong.

I've been to a couple of Tea Party events and talked with the people there.

Sure there are hard core conservatives there, but there's also a lot of libertarians, and not a few moderate Democrats. I've seen a lot more G.O.O.O.H stickers and badges at these events than GOP, and an awful lot of sensible cars with Obama stickers on them.

People are pissed at the government and politicians in general, and a lot of them are in the mood to toss the whole lot of 'em and start over. Stalwart party apparatchiks on both sides of the aisle don't want to admit this, but the possibility of a true third party coalescing around the dissatisfied Tea Partiers is getting stronger all the time.

If we see a lot of upsets in the upcoming elections, with lots of new faces in the House and the Senate, regardless of whether there is an R or D after their name, the stage could be set for a very interesting 2012 campaign. Just consider that 16 men from both parties took the Senate hostage and forced through a compromise energy bill that neither the Republicans nor Democrats liked. Now consider what could happen in an evenly divided House and Senate if instead of an as hoc coalition forming in one chamber, 30-40 Reps and 15-20 Senators all formally committed to a new third party. If there were enough to prevent either Dems or Reps from holding a majority, well, all of the sudden, a vote for a third party candidate wouldn't be wasted, would it?

It could happen. There are a lot of blue dog Democrats feeling a lot of heat over Obama's administration, and with Scott Brown's example to follow, a conversion to a new party that taps into voter anger might be a pretty sound strategeric move.

It's going to be fun to watch for the next couple of years.

If you found the Tebow commercial objectionable then you are not Pro-Choice, you are Pro-Abortion. Period.

You may have noticed the lack of new posts over the last several days. My mother in law just had her colon removed and we've been spending most of the last five or six days in the hospital with her as she recovers. The doctor was able to reattche her lower intestine which in the long-term is a good thing because she doesn't need a colostomy bag, In the short-term, however, it's making her recovery a bit more challenging, and that plus her medically induced dementia requires that Lissa or I be there 24/7.

Even with us there to keep on the nurses and other caregivers, Shirley has been left to sit in her own wastes for extended periods of time, resulting in skin issues that require even more attention.

Despite these challenges, she is recovering nicely and has progressed to solid foods. In the next day or two, she'll be moved from the hospital to a convalescence center (sounds so much nicer than nursing home) for a couple of weeks.

Posting will continue to be light for the next few days as we spend most of our efforts on taking care of Shirley. Please keep her in your prayers.

Remember when President Obama said he cut taxes for the middle class last year? Lefty demagogues ran about proclaiming that The One had just given out the largest middle class tax cut in history. Of course, he did it differently. Instead of giving everybody a rebate, a la Bush, he changed the withholding rules so you would get an extra $12 or so in your pay check.

And there was much rejoicing.

But if you were paying attention, you noticed something very interesting; while he changed the withholding schedule, he didn't change the tax rates. What this means to you and me is that while we had less money deducted from our paychecks, we still had the same tax liability at the end of the year. What that means is that the refund you would have gotten this year paid for that $12 a paycheck through last year.

Not as much rejoicing.

Even better, there will be millions of people who actually owe money to the IRS this year instead of getting their usual refund.

Remember who to thank come November.

Did you know that it is possible to make a credit card payment too early?

Neither did I, but let me tell you about a bank called HSBC.

If you haven't heard of them, HSBC is a very large bank that not only issues their own credit cards to consumers, but supplies credit services to a number of retail stores like Best Buy and Helzberg Diamonds among others. If you have a store credit card in your wallet, take it out and take a look; you'll probably find the HSBC logo somewhere on the back in very fine print.

HSBC has a very interesting payment policy, one that I'm sure is very lucrative for them, but one that costs their customers a lot of money.

The HSBC billing cycle runs completely independently of your payment date. For example, if your payment date is on the 17th, and you pay on the 20th, you are a day late and you'll pay a $39.00 late fee. Now, say you decide to make a double payment to cancel out the late fee and protect yourself from additional interest. You pay on the 20th, after your due date, you make two payments, so you're good for next month, right?

Nope.

HSBC doesn't close out their billing cycle until the end of the month, so even though you paid enough to cover the late payment plus the current payment, it all gets credited to the late payment.

You still owe them for the next payment. And they'll be happy to tell you about it...after you miss the next payment and they can charge you another $39.00.

Their billing system penalizes you for paying too early. In my book, that's a rip off.

So lessons learned:
1. Don't get a credit card from HSBC.
2. If you already have one, pay the thing off and never get another one.
3. Avoid businesses who use HSBC to issue their credit cards and tell those businesses why.
4. If you have an account, make sure your payments go in after the billing cycle ends but before your due date. If your due date falls on the first of the month, God help you because the HSBC customer support surely won't.

This evening, the Pigeon Forge police conducted a sting to try and see if they could con bartenders into serving underage undercover officers.

Meanwhile, the man who shot Michael Mundy in the head is still on the loose.

Nice to see the local PD has their priorities straight.

One year, I decided to plant a garden. I laid out the garden, broke the ground, pulled up the roots and rocks, tilled the earth, added fertilizers and compost. I laid out the rows, built a fence to keep out the varmints. I built trellises, and tomato cages and bean poles. I planted tomatoes, and beans, and squash, and cucumbers. I planted corn, and peppers, and asparagus. I planted spinach and lettuce and cabbage. And I planted grapevines, blackberry brambles, strawberry patches, and some blueberry bushes. I planted enough that my family could eat fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden all year long.

As the year passed, I spent hours in the garden, weeding, waterin, and fertilizing, and when harvest time came, my garden was bountiful. There was plenty of food for my family, and because God had blessed my little garden, I gave 1 part in 10 of everything that came out of my garden to feed the poor and the homeless. The winter was long and times grew hard. When spring came, I planted again; this time because my family would need the food. Again, I spent hours in the garden, doing the work needed to bring a bountiful harvest. And again, my garden was bountiful, and I preserved enough food for my family to make it through the winter, and gave 1 part in 10 of everything to the poor and the hungry.

After the harvest, the government man came to my door.

“We heard you have a bountiful garden, and that you were able to preserve enough food for your family to make it through the winter.”

“Yes, that is true. God has rewarded my work.”

“Don’t you know that many of your neighbors are living in hunger, and won’t have enough to get through the winter? It’s not fair for you to have plenty when they have so little.”

“I’ve seen the hunger and the poverty of people in this community, and I have reached out to them. I gave 1 part in 10 of everything that came from my garden to help feed them.”

“But you still have more than they do, and that isn’t fair. There are still hungry people, while you are well fed. You have a social responsibility to share your wealth with those who don’t have your good fortune. We’ve determined that you owe 3 1/3 parts in 10 of everything that came from your garden.”

“Owe? How can I owe? Were you there to help me when I broke the ground, or pulled the stumps? Did you help plant the crops, or water and weed them through the hot summer? Were you there to help with the harvest, or the canning? If you didn’t share in the work, how can you be owed the fruits of that work? I give according to the dictates of God, not because I ‘owe’ anything to anybody.”

“Sir, that’s a bad attitude. Yes, you labored in your garden, but the poor and hungry would have liked to have a garden to work in, but they don’t have your good fortune. You profit by being a part of the village, so you owe it to the village to pay back some of that profit.”

“Very well, I will give you 2 1/3 parts in 10 of everything I have produced in my garden, since I’ve already given 1 part in 10 to the poor. If I give you more than that, my own family will go hungry.”

“We appreciate what you have given to the poor, but that does not reduce what you owe. 30% is the levy. But because we are generous, and want to encourage people like you to give, we will allow you to deduct the 1 part in 10 you already gave, and only apply the tax to what you have left, which means you only owe us 3 parts in 10.”

The government man took his 3 parts in 10 of the bounty of my garden, and used it to feed the poor, except for what he took to compensate him for his efforts in feeding the poor. My family and I got hungry as the winter seemed to linger even longer that year, but we made it through to spring. I planted a larger garden, because times were still hard, and I saw the hungry people in my town, and I knew the government man would be back. I worked longer hours in the larger garden to make sure I had a bountiful harvest.

Once again, God blessed my garden with a bountiful harvest, and once again, I gave 1 part in 10 to the poor and hungry, and set aside 3 parts in 10 for the government man, saving 6 parts in 10 for my family.

When the government man came, I showed him the 3 parts in 10 that were my tax.

He said, “We’ve noticed that your garden is larger and you are producing even more food. Why should you prosper when others go hungry?”

“My garden is larger not because I’m prospering, but because I increased the size of my garden enough to feed my family through the winter after giving my 1 in 10 to the poor and my 3 in 10 to you.”

“That may be true but it doesn’t matter. Your garden is bigger and producing more food; that means you can easily afford to give more. Your tax this year is 5 parts in 10 of everything your garden has produced.”

“Sir, that isn’t fair. Yes, I raised more, but because you get 3 parts in 10, you are already getting more as well. Don’t raise the parts as well! I can’t do that! My family went hungry last winter because we gave so much. If I give even more, we might starve!”

“Spare me your greed, sir! I look around and I see bushels of fresh produce and shelves filled with cans of preserved fruits and vegetables. You live at ease in the lap of luxury while your neighbors live in hunger and poverty. You are a greedy man, selfish and hateful, like all wealthy men. You have a social responsibility to meet the needs of the hungry people in this community, and it is my job to see that you do so. Give us the 5 in 10 parts, or we will take everything you have!”

The government man took his 5 in 10, and left us with what was left, and distributed our produce throughout the town to the hungry and poor, except of course for the part he kept as payment for his services. The winter was even longer and colder that year. My family was desperately hungry, and that winter is not one we care to remember.

When spring came, I was too weak to do the planting myself. I went down to where the poor and hungry stayed to hire some help for my fields. I offered to share a part of the crop with them at harvest time if they would work with me, and while several locals turned down the offer, saying they could eat from my garden without working for it, three young visitors from another village agreed to work with me.

With them helping, I was able to clear a larger amount of land for a larger garden. I gave each of my helpers their own plot to work for themselves, and together we all worked the main garden
We worked hard throughout the summer, and once again, God blessed us with a bountiful harvest. I set aside 1 part in 10 for God’s gift to the poor, 6 parts in 10 for the tax on the increased produce, and 3 parts in 10 to feed my family. The men who helped me got all of the food they raised in their plots, less 3 parts in 10 for their tax, and went home to feed their families for the winter, promising to return the next spring.

When the government man came, he was angry.

“How dare you take advantage of those poor men like you have? They are visitors to our land, and you forced them to work like servants. You have a social responsibility to meat their needs, not to exploit them! You are wealthy and greedy beyond all imagination! Look at all you have! When will it be enough for you? You will pay the tax on what the men raised on the plots you gave them out of your crop, refunding the 3 in 10 that you withheld from them, and then you will pay a penalty for abusing them as you did. That, on top of the 6 in 10 you already owe amounts to 8 parts in 10 of everything you produced in your garden.”

“Sir, if you take that much, my family will starve!”

“We can’t be held responsible for every undercapitalized farmer out there. Maybe you’ll learn a valuable lesson from this.”

The government man walked away with 8 parts in 10 from everything my garden had produced. That winter was the worst one yet. The weather wasn’t bad, but we nearly starved to death. We ate everything that the government man had left us, and it wasn’t enough. I tried to get some food for my family from the government man, but he turned me away, along with many others, saying we were too wealthy to need government food. He said we didn’t look hungry enough.

Spring came, and I went to the young men who worked with me the year before, but they told me that they were ‘organized’ now, and that I would have to give them 1 part in 10 each of the total harvest, plus all that they raised on their plots, plus I would have to pay their harvest tax.

It was too much. There was no way I could pay them and still have enough to pay my taxes, and feed my family. I would have to figure out another way. I told the young men I had no need for their labor this year, and went home.

A week later, the government man came, along with an angry mob. In the mob were the three young men, as well as many of the poor and hungry people of the town.
The government man asked me, ”Is it true what these three young men have told me? Did you fire them for no reason at all?”

“No sir, that isn’t true. I’m not hiring them because I can’t afford them this year.”

“You can’t afford? How greedy are you? You have one of the largest gardens in the county! Stop thinking about yourself and think about others for a change. What about what these young men need? Don’t they have the right to hold a job, and to provide for their families? You have a social responsibility to make sure that they are able to do productive labor!”

“Sir, I would be happy to give them a job if I had one to give, but I don’t. Their demands are too high for me to be able to afford them. I might be able to hire one at their new rates, but certainly not three.”

At this, the young men began to shout about solidarity, and how if all couldn’t work, none would. The crowd rallied around them and began to yell slogans and to call me names and threaten my family.

While the government man stood and smiled at the crowd in encouragement, I thought about the last few years. My garden had started as a way to feed my family, and now I was feeding almost half the village and racking up a back breaking debt all while my family was slowly starving. It simply wasn’t worth the effort anymore. I decided not to put in a garden, and to find another way to support my family.

When I announced my intention to abandon my garden, the crowd went silent as death. Worried looks filled their faces as they began to wonder how they would survive the coming winter. They turned to the government man who turned to me, shaking in fury.

“How dare you, sir! You have prospered for years in this village through exploiting the labor of visitors, and through exploiting the land you live on. And now, when we ask for just a little social responsibility, you decide to take your wealth and go home, leaving us destitute? No sir! That’s not fair, and we won’t allow it. If you won’t raise a garden on your land, we’ll take your land from you. In fact, the land belongs to all of us, as do the fruits of that land. Your greed and selfishness is what has caused so many of your neighbors to live in hunger. I don’t know why we tolerated you and your selfishness for so long. We don’t need you and your kind here. We look out for each other. Take your greed and your family, and leave this place immediately!”

The crowd roared their approval as I gathered my wife and children, and began the long walk to the next village to start all over again. As we gathered the few belongings the crowd would allow us to take, I heard them shouting and clapping in happiness, that soon they would be able to have all the food they wanted, now that they were landowners and I was no longer there to oppress them. I guided my family through the crowd and reached the edge of the village. My former neighbors cheered at my departure, but they fell silent when I turned and addressed them.

“Folks, I’m leaving, and you have all the lands that my garden used to sit on, and you are welcome to it and all that it will produce. I only have one question for you; which one of you will be the first one to pull the plow?”

I turned and walked away, and as we left the village, I heard the first fights breaking out.

Health Care reform has failed again, and for the same reason it failed when Hillary Clinton tried it. In both cases the reform was sold as "getting coverage to people who need it," but in a classic bait and switch scam, the plan the Democrats came up with affected the coverage of virtually everyone in the country, excepting themselves of course. In both cases, voters saw the scam and rejected it. Had Democrats stayed focused on addressing the actual need rather than trying to engage in social engineering and wealth redistribution, they could have easily crafted a plan that would pass with bipartisan support.

When the push for health care reform started up during the Obama campaign, we heard over and over about the (insert your favorite number here) of people who couldn't get health care under the current system. Obama promised that he would work to make sure that they were covered.

While I disagree with the idea that access to health care is a basic human right, (Nobody has a right to the fruits of another's labor. Period. This idea is so basic that it lies at the root of capitalism and communism.) it should be a privilege of living in a society as wealthy as we are. So how is it that such an obviously easy goal gets so screwed up each time it is tried? Hillary botched it so badly in 1993 that the issue was effectively tabled for 16 years and led directly to the Democrats losing control of the House for the first time in decades. We haven't seen all of the fallout from the Obama attempt, but seeing a Republican Senator from Massachusetts indicates that it will be massive.

What do they do wrong?

First, they lie to make the problem appear bigger than it is, which costs them credibility. Then they propagandize endlessly that we have a duty to help those less fortunate (We do.) and that passing health care reform will not only meet their need and our duty, it will save us money in the long run.

What's not to like?

So they get everybody on board to help out those who need it because none of us like to think about sick kids that can't get a little medicine. Then thepoliticians go into their little back rooms and begin to craft a plan that will address the identified need.

But something goes wrong in the process. The mission begins to creep. Instead of dealing with providing affordable basic care to those without, the target gets bigger. Now they want to deal with how insurance companies handle pre-existing conditions. And then they add portability to the package. And mental health benefits. And expanded prenatal care, to include abortions. And forcing more companies to provide more coverage at lower prices. And telling doctors what they can and can't charge, and what they can and can't treat. And taxing medical supply companies. And taxing existing plans for being "too good." And forcing people who opt out of coverage to pay a fine or go to jail.

All of the sudden, we're not talking about covering a few million people, but a complete federal takeover of our health care system, with the usual expense and efficiency the government brings to all of it's operations. Can you imagine hospitals run with TSA efficiency?

So then the Democrats do two things very quickly. They exempt themselves from the requirements they are about to foist on the people they "serve" and then they start a second propaganda campaign, calling everyone with the temerity to oppose reform cruel heartless monsters who want American children to die as they unveil a 1000 page monstrosity that will cost billions and affect the coverage of virtually everybody. The problem with that is that most of the American people are satisfied with their health care. Why would they want to change it?

And don't make the mistake of thinking that it's selfishness on their part, because it isn't. It's a natural reaction to the deceptive tactics used by the reformers. They promised better coverage for those without coverage and wind up recreating the entire health care delivery system along lines most Americans reject. Opponents of reform don't even have to work very hard to stop it. Consider that the proponents of health care reform had decisive advantages in the House and Senate, and a President who made the issue a priority, and opponents were still able to stop it.

This is the lesson that Democrats should carry away from Massachusetts. The people there voted for Mitt Romney, who built a state run health care coverage plan. While it is by no means perfect, it has effectively covered every state resident. The people who are living with a government manages health care system voted overwhelmingly for a man who clear and repeatedly said that he would oppose a national version of the plan, not because he didn't support the idea of unversal coverage, but because the package produced by the Obama administration was so awful, even when compared to the Massachusetts plan. The voters didn't say that the idea was bad, just the execution.

So instead of walking away for another decade or so, why not take another stab at reform, this time getting it right? The key to success is to maintain focus on the core issue; getting those who want coverage but can't afford it access to good quality care. Forget everything else, all the bells and whistles, and power grabs and pork and just concentrate on meeting the need.

Forget politics and get the people covered. After that's done, then start looking at ways to address other pieces of the puzzle, one at a time.

• Bullets aren't the only projectiles launched from the AR. Springs will fly out of place with great velocity if you aren't careful. Sometimes even if you are careful.


• Having an experienced friend help with the assembly is no guarantee that nothing will go wrong, but it does mean that you will have somebody to share the laughter.


• Some pieces will go in either way. Some won't. The ones that won't are the ones you will try to put in the wrong way.


• Three hands are better than two. Four hands are too many, except when playing bridge.


• When going to your friends house to assemble your rifle, make sure you go to the right house. Showing up on a random stranger's front porch with a scary black gun will get you talked about, even if it isn't fully assembled.


• Iron sights are all you need for an effective rifle, but electric sights are way cool. And expensive.


• The wife who is happy to let you build your rifle for $XXXX will be somewhat less happy to allow you to purchase electric sights for $XXX, unless there are a significant number of pairs of shoes involved.


• Assembling a lower for yourself helps you to understand exactly how the rifle functions. You pull the trigger and the gun goes bang. The bang pushes the bullet out of the barrel into the bad guy, and pushed the thing that holds the bullet back so a new bullet is loaded. Repeat as needed.
  
• Was that last tip too technical?


• You need to know the difference between a magazine and a clip. A magazine is the thing you read in the bathroom. A clip is what holds your money in your pocket. You can see where the confusion arises.


• You can't sight in an AR while standing on your back porch in the dark while it's raining. Don't let that stop you from trying.


• Some neighbors will hear you trying to sight in your rifle in the dark and rain and call the police. My neighbors come over to shoot with me.


• Cows are more afraid of a barking dog than a booming gun, which explains their position on the food chain.


• While there are several guides on the internet to building an AR-15, mine is the best. Of course, I haven't written it yet, but it's still true.

I want to thank SayUncle for walking me through the assembly process, and by "walking me through" I mean doing most of it while explaining what he was doing, and for letting me shoot his silenced .22 Walther. I've never heard the sound of bullets hitting the dirt before.

I'll have pictures up later.

Next purchase will be a sling.