jeffreymark

JACK LASTRAIN RIP

You probably know by now about the passing of fitness guru Jack LaLain. Who can argue with his regimen. He lived to a ripe old age of 96. 

Yet, my favorite fitness trainer was Jack LaStrain. Mr. LaStrain remains relatively anonymous even to this day. And, he died about 20 years younger than LaLain. But, he taught us the healthy art of laughing. 

Follow this link to watch this incredibly buff individual offer tips for getting in shape and living longer.

ET TU LIBERAL MEDIA?

Has liberal media outlet Brute (CBS) turned on Caesar Obama? Even his most faithful propagandists are publishing numbers antagonistic to Obama's public sector revolution:

OBAMA RECEIVES TELLING ENDORSEMENT

Used to, the very name Fidel Castro was synonymous with evil communist empire. The mystery surrounding Castro's enduring presence, however, prompts infatuated liberals to worship this man as if he represents some mysterious deity. Reminds me of Ancient Egypt's hypnotic worship of a mere mortal named Pharaoh. 

Almighty Castro recently applauded Obama's health care plan:

"We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his (Obama's) government," Castro wrote in an essay published in state media, adding that it would strengthen the president's hand against lobbyists and "mercenaries."

Oh how I eagerly await the day I can live in squaller like most who reside in communist Cuba. Thanks, Mr. Castro, for hastening that coveted day. 

SILVER LININGS?

John Hinderaker beholds a few silver linings in the dark cloud of health care that hovers over our nation. 

* The health care battle is just beginning. Next, the Senate will try to enact the House's "fixes" to the original Senate bill. Some Senators say that won't happen. If not, then President Obama has the option of signing the original Senate bill--now passed by the House--Cornhusker Kickback and all. I assume he would do that, but the resulting blowback from House Democrats, not to mention the American people, would be something to behold. 

* The health care bill's taxes will go into effect promptly, but its substantive provisions are, for the most part, deferred for four years. This means that we have plenty of time to repeal the legislation. Sure, it will take a new Congress and new President. But repealing this disaster of a bill will by a rallying cry for the American people for years to come. Moreover, even if the Republicans only take over the House in November, and not the Senate, won't it be possible to throw roadblocks in the way of the bill's implementation? Won't budget appropriations be necessary to sustain the various federal tentacles the bill seeks to establish? What will happen if the House simply refuses to fund them?

 * I've never been prouder to be a Republican. The party's Congressional leaders have fought this battle to the end on behalf of the American people--with intelligence, toughness, persistence and good humor. The contrast between the parties has never been starker than in today's debate. If any intelligent Democrats were watching--there must be some left--they had to be embarrassed for their party. 

* Paul Ryan has emerged as one of the conservative movement's strongest spokesmen. In the years to come, I think we will hear the words "I'm a Paul Ryan Republican" with increasing frequency. 

* The health care debate has energized the conservative movement and awoken the sleeping giant, that is, the American people. The Democrats misinterpreted their electoral victories in 2006 and 2008 as a mandate for socialism. Now a majority of voters are intent on disabusing them of that misapprehension. Just about all of the political energy today is on the right--a remarkable fact, only sixteen months after the Democrats' high-water mark in November 2008. 

* Barack Obama has used his political capital--pretty much all of it--on unpopular legislation that will continue to rile the voters for years to come. As a result, Obama is a remarkably unpopular second-year President. And he hasn't even experienced any bad luck yet. It is hard to see how he will be able to regain his footing.

My experience with human nature in troubled churches offers me a window of wisdom on the matter that I wish to add:

• For the most part, good, decent, hard working Americans assume the best in people and take them at face value. This is precisely why they elected liberal democrats. Recent bullying and shady back room deals, however, have awakened the American populace to reality, perhaps ending their naivete concerning liberalism-hopefully for a generation. We shall see.
• As John alluded to above, out of adversity emerges champions. Conservatives may witness a Phoenix arising from the ashes by the name of Paul Ryan.
• Conservatives may learn to quit appeasing the press. With today's glut of bloggers, Fox News, and Rush Limbaugh's, they need to tell the mainliners to "go to hell, we don't need you."

Nevertheless, I do not think the fat lady has sung yet. In fact she's still waiting her turn back stage. And, she may not get that opportunity. 

HEALTH CARE CRYSTAL BALL

Since when has the government done anything right? Outside of military victories and a few paved roads the record on government takeover is despicable. In the name of philanthropy, which seems to sound increasingly, yet deceptively noble, elitist pseudo-intellectuals gain the most. Such is the nefarious character of tyranny. It vaguely reminds me of Jesus words to the elitist religious leaders of his day when he declared they were like whitewashed tombstones. They looked all clean on the outside, but on the inside they were full of dead men's bones. Investor's Business Daily, via National Review, suggests we look to the states as our national health care model:

Hawaii, Oregon, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Maine have all created some version of government takeover or administration of health care, and all are a mess.

Hawaii's Prepaid Healthcare Act and its coverage mandates have left Hawaiians with fewer coverage choices, higher costs and nearly double the number of uninsured. Recent budget cuts resulted in discontinuation of its coverage for children.

Oregon's state-controlled care includes an official list that dictates what treatments will be covered based on annual budget constraints. If your disease is above the treatment line, you are covered. Below the line — you're not.

However, patients being denied treatment often receive an additional note in their denial letters — the system telling them it will pay for "physician aid in dying." Oregon won't help you live, but it will help you die.

In the three years since the Massachusetts "universal" coverage plan was launched, the state still has thousands of uninsured, costs have exploded to unsustainable levels, and waiting lists for treatments have appeared.

Tennessee's "TennCare" program, an attempt to expand coverage to low-income uninsured, included dead people, escaped felons and NBA stars. It drove doctors and insurers out of the state, and has been on the brink of insolvency several times.

Tennessee's Democrat governor, Phil Bredesen, recently went to Washington, D.C., to explain to Congress that government health care does not lower cost.

But perhaps the worst — and closest — example of why a federal takeover of health care won't work comes from Maine. . . .

Six years after it was passed, it has insured only 3% — roughly 3,400 — of the 128,000 promised.

By 2007, the system was so broke that it closed to new enrollees. It still has not reopened and has also cut and capped benefits. The "streamlined" bureaucracy has cost the state's taxpayers $17 million in administrative costs to cover 9,600 people, leading one to wonder if there are more bureaucrats in the system than enrollees.

CONSERVATIVE PUBLICATION HEALTH SITE

The conservative publication NewsMax has launched a new informative health site called NewsMax Health. The site combines cutting edge medical news with medical and fitness advice.

JACK WEBB SCHOOLS OBAMA ON HEALTHCARE VIA JOE FRIDAY

Joe Friday's a straight up guy. He gives Obama a lesson on Democracy. (Via Big Hollywood)

REDUCING HEALTH CARE COSTS THE HEALTHY WAY

Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post introduces us to John Mackey co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market Inc. In a moment when everyone desperately wants a new plan for health care Mackey approaches the matter with both economic and natural solutions:

In an op-ed article for The Wall Street Journal, Mackey not only insisted that personal responsibility and choice are preferable to bureaucratic dispensation of health benefits, he went so far as to assert that health care isn't a right, any more than food or shelter are.
Mackey went on to list alternative policy reforms that would do much to improve our health care system (and maybe even our health). His ideas include repealing state laws to allow insurance companies to compete across state lines; tort reform to end “ruinous lawsuits” that force doctors to pay exorbitant insurance premiums that drive up the cost of health care; Medicare reform; revision of tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned insurance carry the same tax benefits.

Whole Foods, as the name suggests, is what we used to call a “health food store.” The company's focus is on whole foods rather than those (processed by man — white bread, chips, cookies) with sweeteners, preservatives, trans fats and artificial additives.

Abundant research has established the link between processed foods and weight gain. As Mackey points out, most of our degenerative diseases, and therefore our exorbitant health costs, could be reduced with better diet.

Continue reading here.

AMAZING PARADOX AND UNION THUGS

News savvy Americans know about the town hall meetings focused on socialized medicine around the nation. Drudge posts links to videos where meetings apparently turned violent at the hands of union thugs. Thus an amazing paradox enters the arena here. Human nature compels most to defend the weaker. When thugs beat up concerned citizens the thugs always lose. Furthermore, they exacerbate the very concern they seek to squelch.   At this point no one can confidently determine the extent to which Obama's minions may be involved in speech suppression. Eventually they will lose.

In addition, I've always been one to believe President Obama possesses a big liberal socialist heart. As so often is the case, his dysfunctional family may have created a vulnerable disposition. He craves attention, affection, and relevance, perhaps more than those raised in healthy families. Harvard filled the philosophical void with its seminal elitist, socialist doctrine. In Obama Harvard highbrowism produced the prototypical liberal intellectual. And Obama is smart-plenty smart. Yet, he lacks one key characteristic as Peggy Noonan so eloquently explains in relation to recent protests:

All of this is unnecessarily and unhelpfully divisive and provocative. They are mocking and menacing concerned citizens. This only makes a hot situation hotter. Is this what the president wants? It couldn’t be. But then in an odd way he sometimes seems not to have fully absorbed the awesome stature of his office. You really, if you’re president, can’t call an individual American stupid, if for no other reason than that you’re too big. You cannot allow your allies to call people protesting a health-care plan “extremists” and “right wing,” or bought, or Nazi-like, either. They’re citizens. They’re concerned. They deserve respect. (bold mine)

Democrat leadership often cannot absorb the awesome stature of their positions, because by nature their political philosophy emanates from adolescent utopianism, a disregard for historical authority, and selfish irresponsibility. That's precisely why liberals often appeal to youth. The very words teenage, collegian, and rebellion, are synonymous. Liberalism looks inviting; promises heaven on earth; appears enticingly cerebral. What young person looking for answers would not be sucked in a bit to it's ambitious promises. Indeed, George Will waxed prophetic when he once exclaimed, "Americans need conservatives to hold idealism in check!"  When reality hits liberalism's true nature emerges. It's a house of cards-smoke and mirrors. Reality for the Obama administration raised its disappointing head through town hall meetings. His minions and thugs must deal with this fact or continue to get stung by the amazing paradox.   

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA POLITICS

Once in a great while Californians really mess it up big time. Looks like this time they kind of know it. Seems these posters are making their way around LA.

Most internet savvy folks know about Obama/joker posters. But, the real joke remains California voters. Our secret agent Delbert Muldoon filmed a California Obama supporter in the act of getting needlessly rejected by one of our own state run health care programs. The poor Californian's name is Earnest T. Bass, and it looks like he's out for blood. Muldoon assures me that Mr. Bass indeed is the prototypical California voter. Watch the pitiful scene below if you dare. I warn you, it may make you cry.