Category Archives: Health
If You Like Your VA You can Keep Your VA
When a vet asks for treatment at the Phoenix VA his request is entered into one set of books. When the time draws near that he will actually be treated he’s entered into the real set of books. That way long waits look short and bureaucrats get bonuses.
Veterans Affairs boss Eric Shinseki says he’s mad as hell about this. It’s all news to president Obama. He found out about it on CNN. Now he’s madder than hell. But not mad enough to fire Shinseki.
VA for the 21st Century
You can go here to see the President bragging in 2009 about resetting the VA for the 21st century.
Western Water Wars
Western Water Wars went wild last week when young Dallas Swonger peed in an Oregon reservoir and forgot to flush.
Thanks to the Water Bureau’s quick thinking response, the three parts per billion of Swonger effluent were safely removed by draining 38 million gallons of water. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish – yes that’s his real name – humbly accepted credit for the life saving action:
“I didn’t have a choice. I don’t have the luxury of slicing it too thin when there’s a potential risk, however small, to public health,” he said. “Frankly, it’s one of those calls where you know you’re likely to be criticized no matter what. The professionals who report to me all said, ‘Dump the water. Don’t take any chances.’ It’s the conservative but correct call.”
Tale of Two Pulitzers
ABC News president Ben Sherwood had the bad form to complain about being denied a Pulitzer Prize. Television isn’t even eligible for the prizes. They’re awarded to newspapers and digital outlets. Is a TV network’s digital site eligible? Beats me.
Anyway, Sherwood sent a 4 page letter to the Center For Public integrity demanding that ABC reporter Brian Ross be cut in for a share of CPI‘s prize. The reporting was about a doctor/lawyer conspiracy to deprive black lung victims of medical benefits.
Last I heard from Brian Ross he was busy mis-identifying James Holmes, the Denver theater psycho killer, as a Tea Party member.
Two Pulitzers
Meanwhile, Ed Snowden and Vlad Putin were overlooked by the Pulitzer Committee for an award shared by The Washington Post and The Guardian. The two papers were honored for stories detailing NSA spying. The snubbed Snowden, hero or traitor, depending on your point of view, did the basic reporting by stealing information from the NSA. Putin, a renowned New York Times columnist and famous Russian hockey player, is Snowden’s patron.
The Debate Is So Over
The debate is over for ObamaCare, Climate Change, and Gay Marriage. Especially gay marriage.
Brendan Eich, former CEO of Mozilla, didn’t know that. In 2008 he made a $1000 contribution in support of California’s Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage. The majority of California voters didn’t know the debate was over either. They passed the proposition. To better help everyone understand that the debate is over, Brendan Eich was forced out of his job.
The Debate is Over, Dammit
The wizard standing on top of the guillotine has a hockey stick on his wizard hat. That’s in honor of Michael Mann’s “hockey stick” theory of global warming. Dr. Mann is a professor at Penn State University. The shaft of his “hockey stick” graph represents 1000 years of steady global temperatures and the blade shows a sharp increase in the 20th century. Some skeptics claimed Professor Mann’s model results in a hockey stick shape no matter what data you enter. This enraged the Professor. He went all goon and has been taking two handed slashes at his doubters ever since.
Some skeptical journalist drew an analogy to Mann’s methods and those of another noted Penn State figure, Jerry Sandusky. In order to help the journalists understand the debate is over Dr. Mann sued them.
