Pre-judging Repeal of the Affordable Care Act

From a story in the News Journal, printed March 10, 2017, covering local concerns about the effort to repeal and replace the ACA:

"People's lives are at risk, and it seems like...you have to be rich to be healthy, and I am so opposed to that," said Samantha Hypes, a medical social worker. "You shouldn't have to be rich to be healthy."

Ms. Hypes, I am, too. I am opposed to people being denied quality health care because of financial standing. However, your version of opposition is flawed, based on whatever your definition of 'rich' may be.

Consider this: I'm retired on total disability, meaning I live on a fixed income. When I left the job in 2013 my health premiums were $268 a month. Since that time they've skyrocketed to over eight hundred dollars a month, thanks to the (Un)Affordable Care Act's full implementation, and I can't draw on my social security contributions for another six years. When I called the local SSA office after being forced to retire due to on-duty injuries, I was told Ohio Police and Fire's definition of disability was quite different from theirs. I paid into SS for decades yet, despite the fact I have enough metal parts in me to build a Buick, I can't benefit; however illegal immigrants put hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of burden on the American taxpayer every year, with much of that money coming from SSA.

What I'll draw at age sixty-six, based on present-day figures, will cover about two-thirds of my monthly healthcare premiums.

The point is, the ACA as it currently stands is extremely flawed; insurance didn't become cheaper, as was touted; rather, premiums jumped by several hundred dollars a month.

And I ain't rich.

John Wick versus Jack Reacher: who wins?

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Someone please, tell me: what has the President done since January 20, 2017 that has been detrimental to women? I watched the Cleveland evening news and saw women...and a few 'males'... marching, protesting, celebrating a 'Day Without Women'. I saw a woman holding a sign saying that the President and Vice-President must be removed, calling them 'fascists'. Another held one that read 'Women's rights are human rights', yet I'm quite sure she supports killing the unborn, a gross violation of the right to life. I wonder if she realizes that many of those murdered unborns would have been little girls?

I still don't understand what the issue is. Equal pay for equal work? Pretty sure that became federal law several decades ago, yet these feminist protesters skipped out on their jobs to protest for equal pay? As with the 'Day Without Immigrants', some of the protesters will find themselves unemployed for their troubles.

Feminists need to realize that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of her political stance and liberal sympathies...and not because she is a woman.

And as for equality? Just ask my wife who runs things here at Ram Field Ranch.

Monday Morning Musings

I made a mistake.

I own up to it but, unfortunately, it can't be undone. I apologized to the affected party and will take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Ownership means not only taking credit for deeds well done but also those actions that have had a negative impact. I can blame no one but myself, the guy I see in the mirror while shaving.

Taking responsibility, or 'owning', an action nowadays is the exception rather than the rule. Too often we see or read daily of someone or some group blaming everyone but themselves for something they generated, offering outlandish excuses or turning a situation around to make it seem as if the 'other guy' emerged from an evil, cold, dark mist and committed an act for which there was a reaction they aren't responsible for.

Not so here. I am an imperfect person who sometimes makes mistakes; it's called being human. There's only been one man who has ever walked this earth that can be called a perfect being and you can read about Him in the bible.

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I have a neighbor, Rod Mobley. Rod is a very humble, quiet guy who goes about his business  unobtrusively, never making waves or drawing attention to himself. He and his wife Lisa are fantastic people whom my wife and I are proud to call not only neighbors but friends.

Last week the News Journal ran a story about Rob and his passion: arm wrestling.  It was a well-written article, giving readers a glimpse of the man and those who gather in his garage every Sunday afternoon to practice their craft, an activity that fills his driveway and causes overflow parking in the high school parking lot.

If only I weren't sixty years old with arthritic shoulders and thumbs...

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Straight out of 'Kids Say The Darndest Things', I offer this exchange between myself and my grandson Butch, age 4. I pick him up every Tuesday from daycare; part of our routine is stopping at Tim Horton's for a donut on the way home.

"Papaw, when you and Mamaw go to heaven, I will come and see you." I have no idea where that came from, completely out of the blue.

Me: "Yes, you will someday."

After a long pause: "Papaw are there donuts in heaven?"

I love that little man.

                                                           

International Drug Trafficking Right Here At Home

'Mansfield Police were told by postal inspectors Thursday a package from China containing a controlled substance was beign shipped to an address in Mansfield...'

Shocking? Maybe. A new tactic? Hardly.

In this day and age of 'point-and-click' it is very easy to purchase drugs via the internet...and has been for some time now. Your son or daughter, brother, aunt, even your grandfather can surf the web, find a foreign outlet for percocent, xanax or whatever precription drug of their choice may be and have it shipped to their door with just a few keystrokes on a laptop.

Even marijuana, cocaine and heroin can be delivered by the US Postal Service, FedEx, DHL or UPS, using sophisticated packaging put together by a guy in China, Paraguay or any third-world country to mask its contents. The Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs and Border Protection, postal inspectors and a plethora of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are scrambling daily to keep up with technology used by overseas traffickers in order to stem the flow of drugs into this country.

Years ago we had such a case in Lexington, that quiet bedroom community here in Richland county. We'd noticed short-duration traffic in and out of a residence in a rather upper middle-class residential area and did a little digging, using intelligence from an informant ( they're called 'cooperating individuals' now...'informant' was deemed to be a rather unflattering designation for persons giving information to police about crime and criminals ) and also utilized a simple, unsophisticated method to collect additional evidence of an active, ongoing crime occurring with some frequency at this particular house. We worked up a search warrant, got it signed by a judge and then rudely interrupted that household's evening when the tactical entry team swarmed through the house and secured the occupants.

Why did we use what's commonly called a 'SWAT' team? Well, you see, this 21 year old, living with his mother, her boyfriend and two younger sisters, had in his possession a fifty-caliber Desert Eagle hand-cannon, a tactical rifle and another handgun, and had been selling dope he'd bought over the internet right under the family's nose. The stuff was coming from a South American country under a phony pharmaceutical name and he was in possession of a large amount of pills and cash when the Boys in Black had knocked, ever so gently, on the front and back doors.

That same senario occurrs daily, multiple times, in these United States, as evidenced by the first paragraph; an entry that confirms the massive obstacles law enforcement faces when combatting the tsunami of overseas traffickers.

If you see something, say something. A house in your neighborhood gets multiple weekly deliveries from commercial carriers, followed by a lot of short-stay visitors? It may be nothing, but then again...

Unsung Hero

The word 'hero' can have different meaning to different people; for instance, my biggest hero growing up was my Dad. He wasn't an athlete or politician, he was never in the military, but he taught me values, morals and how to approach life. He worked two jobs a good part of my childhood and wasn't around a lot of the time because of it but, looking back now, he's an even bigger hero to me.

He did what he had to do in order to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and clothes on our backs. If something broke at the house, chances were very good that Dad could fix it...and did. Dad's gone now, passing away in October of 2014 at the age of 88, and I miss him greatly.

Times have changed since my generation began its trek towards senior citizenship...and so has American society. In today's world, generally, two-income households are the norm rather than the exception. They have to be. It takes two wage-earners to provide a stable income for the family, one that allows for things such as cars for the young driver(s), college education(s) and all the latest, most current electronic personal entertainment devices: video gaming systems, cell phones, tablets...you get the idea.

Single-parent homes are commonplace as well. If you want to see the walking, talking definition of the word 'stress', try talking to a single parent having full custody of a child or children. Paying bills for basic needs such as rent, utilities, and transportation is tough enough; add in child care costs and college tuition and the task becomes almost insurmountable.

That brings me to a current personal hero of mine, one that works two jobs, goes to college and raises a child alone. Rent, utilities, insurance, car payment, tuition for higher education for herself, food, clothing and all the associated costs of raising a son...I can't imagine the stress in this young woman's life, yet she handles it with aplomb. My wife and I know very well how good of a mother she is because we have the privilege of calling her our 'adopted daughter', a gal we love very much; her son, Butch, calls Stacy and I Mamaw and Papaw, and he is one of the centerpieces of our lives.

My hero's name is Cassy Hetrick.

Friday Odds 'n Ends

According to the local paper, today's high temp is forecast to be 76 degrees. Is this really February in Ohio? I can already hear endorsers of climate change screaming from the rooftops. For those people, I have one question: when the massive glaciers that covered North America melted away thousands of years ago, was that climate change also? Did mankind cause that event?

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Geico, the mega-insurance provider, is at it again. Their newest entry in the television advertising arena shows three thieves exiting an art museum with stolen loot; their getaway ride is an Uber vehicle which is late in arriving and, of course, they're apprehended by police. The rub?

All three of the criminals are portrayed by Caucasian males.

Geico joins ADT, Lifelock and a handful of other companies whose portrayal of criminals in ad spots are white dudes. Every time. No Hispanics, Chinese or African Americans....not even a female. As a retired police officer, I can assure you that not every single criminal is a white male. Another instance of political-correctness-gone-wild? Mind you, I'm not complaining...I just find it funny/ridiculous.

Then there's the commercial featuring a guy named Nick Bolton, dressed in a tan fatigue t-shirt and camo pants, endorsing a multi-function, high-intensity mini flashlight. In this entry, he even runs over the light in a Hummer and says that it is very similar to those lights that are used in 'tactical' situations. Here's a fact: even though his manner of dress and use of military/police jargon leads the average viewer to think so, Bolton never served in the military; he's a firefighter-turned-fitness model.

Then there's the commercial's allegation that the light will scare the beejeebies out of a burglar stealing your wife's jewelry or a guy lurking on a dark porch as if preparing to break in when the light is used in a rapidly-flashing strobe mode. Particularly ridiculous in this ad is the scene where the man of the house is awakened by his spouse, presumptively after hearing a noise in the darkened home. The guy sits up, grabs his Tac Lite and confronts the burglar, holding the light next to his head, staring sternly as if to say ( in his best Kurt Russell 'Tombstone' voice ) "YOU CALLED DOWN THE THUNDER, YOU GOT IT!!" Myself, I'd prefer to respond with the flashlight and my Smith & Wesson .40 cal ...you know, just in case the criminals aren't actually intimidated by the flashlight itself.

Both 'criminals' in the Tac Lite ad are, of course, white guys.


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I have discovered smooth jazz.

Particularly, smooth jazz bassists. Being a former bass player, I've always been attentive to bass tracks in any music I listen to, and find that the instrument is featured in a lot of jazz entries. Guys like Marcus Miller, Andre Berry, Frank Itt, Remco Hendrix ( absolutely no relation to Jimi )...these guys are in another bass-talent universe. If you want to sample some of their work, just enter those names in a YouTube search, then sit back and enjoy.

...and search Candy Dulfer, too. She's not a bassist, she's an amazing saxophonist.

And extremely gorgeous.

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Have a great weekend and MAKE TODAY COUNT!

What Difference, At This Point, Will It Make?

....and how much did it cost the American taxpayer? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yesterday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced to the world that it had discovered seven new 'Earth-like' planets revolving around a small star, some of which may be sustaining some form of life.

Great. Wonderful. Let's start planning a mission to go there, maybe set up a colony.

Hold on a minute. How far away are those planets?

Oh, only a mere 40 light-years.

Wrap your mind around this: a beam of light would circle the Earth four times in one second. There are 31,536,000 seconds in a year. A light year measures distance in space, or how far a beam of light travels in a year. Now, multiply that distance by a factor of 40....and you'll have a rough idea how far away those new discoveries are.

I have several questions for NASA concerning their grand proclamation: how much did this discovery cost the taxpayers and, furthermore, what does it mean right now, this very second? NASA's estimated budget for fiscal year 2016 was 19.3 billion dollars, an increase of $1.3 billion over the year before. BILLIONS of dollars, a portion of which was used to find these seven planets that are so far away you can't even see them from Sarah Palin's house.

HOW does their discovery affect those of us right here in Mainstream USA? NASA spends money on Mars missions, the International Space Station and a plethora of other projects, yet we have citizens in these United States that can't even get clean drinking water unless it comes out of a plastic bottle; we have homeless military veterans existing from day to day, hungry children from single-parent families in our schools, elderly citizens surviving on cat food...and we're supposed to be excited about the money NASA invested in finding these irrelevant planets?

I think not.