Living with MCL

And what a year it was. So many things happened in 2008, it’s hard to know where to begin.

First and foremost was the free fall in stocks, the near collapse of the worlds financial markets, the rise and fall of oil and gasoline prices, and of course there was the election of Barack Obama as the next president of the United States. My faith in the American public was finally restored.

Everything else pales in comparison, even the fact Edie and I made it through 2008 not much worse for wear than we started the year, but there was at least one thing of note.

Edie did have an autologous transplant in October, but so far she seems to be recovering fine. She still suffers from persistent neuropathy, resulting from the Velcade she was taking for her Multiple Myeloma, but this month she was approved for Social Security Disability so that has helped. Edie no longer has to endure the unendurable anymore by trying to work.

But it seems there is always a downside to everything. Now .. continue reading ..

Sorry for being so political lately, but I actually believed Republicans would do the right thing today, and vote in favor of much needed legislation, providing liquidity to the US financial system, and helping home owners, who got caught up in the American dream of home ownership.

But will wonders never cease, the Republicans today (and admittedly some Democrats as well) reaffirmed my belief the Republican philosophy of I’ve got mine, who cares about anyone else, still reigns true, by helping to defeat the proposed legislation.

And to think I almost believed John McCain, when he said he would change the way Congress works, and would reach across the isle to work with Democrats in a bipartisan fashion. But after hearing John McCain’s speech today, I now realize his calls for reaching across the isle, were simply to make it easier for him to stick a knife in the back of Democrats, when they weren’t watching.

Hopefully the American public will wake up in the next 36 days, and see the light, before it’s too late.

Here it is 1:30 AM Tuesday morning, and for the second night in a row, I can’t sleep.

There are just so many things going on in my mind, the stock market crashing, and likely to go down significantly more, the Democrats and Obama are about to squander another opportunity to elect a president, and set this country on a different track, and then of course Edie’s upcoming transplant.

It’s like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

In the midst of all the chaos going on in the US right now, a financial system on the verge of collapse, unemployment in excess of 6%, inflation (despite what government statistics might indicate) running rampant, it seems the American public is inclined to elect a third straight Republican, who wants to continue the economic policies of the past 8 years, and actually believes the US economy is still strong.

Talk about elitism, and being out of touch with middle America.

We’re about to elect a man, who believes we should continue spending billions of dollars fighting an unnecessary war, which has already killed over 4,000 brave young Americans, while our real enemies are growing stronger elsewhere in the world, and millions of Americans are ignored and neglected at home.

Here’s a man that believes we should give additional tax breaks to big business and the wealthy, to spur job creation, and then balance the budget on the backs of the sick, the poor and the elderly, by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Well John McCain, just what products are all the businesses going to produce, with all the employees they’re going to hire, as more Americans lose their homes, watch their savings shrink, and continue to cut back on the purchase of everything?

But what I really don’t get is why so many Americans seem more inclined to focus not on what is best for the entire country, or even their own pocketbooks, but rather focus almost exclusively on cultural issues.

Am I the only one who doesn’t get it?

Does it really mean what it sounds like, or is it just a euphemism for “it’s all about me, and to hell with everyone else?”

Today, the senate failed to muster enough votes to overturn a planned 10.6% reduction in medicare reimbursements to healthcare providers, forcing doctors to accept even fewer medicare patients, and ultimately leaving many sick and elderly without access to healthcare.

Of the 48 republicans in the senate, only 7 voted with the democrats in favor of the bill.  John McCain didn’t bother voting.  I’m sure he was more concerned for the welfare of the people of Iraq, and the war, than the poor, sick and elderly citizens of America.

The bill was opposed by many senate Republicans, and President Bush, because it

would partially offset the cost of the bill by cutting some bonus payments to private Medicare Advantage plans

In other words it would cut subsidies to the health insurance industry.

And as if that wasn’t enough, President Bush is proposing even greater cuts than last year, in the growth of Medicare and Medicaid, in his new budget plan.

Thank you President Bush, for not compromising on your principles, by considering raising taxes, or ending the war in Iraq, which would save far more than your proposed budget cuts. Balance the budget on the backs of the poor, the sick and the elderly.  After all, they’re not productive segments of society.  They’re only a drain.

Besides why should you care? You and you’re family are healthy [and wealthy], and should you get sick, you’re guaranteed access to the best medical care available, for the rest of your life, all at taxpayer expense.