Michele Lies a Little for a Good Cause

"I don't need government to be successful," she proudly told Bill O'Reilly in fall 2009 when he asked why she inspired such ire among liberal critics.

(LA Times)

That she would be Michelle Bachmann, beneficiary of government money--farm subsidies, counseling clinic funds-- and currently running for King of America. A definite disconnect between "what I say" and "what I do".

Everyone is Gay Now

There is applause from all the usual corners at New York's passing of a marriage equity law that will allow same sex couples to marry. Because it's New York, one of the most important states in every measurable category (demographics, economic impact), the willingness to change the norms is seen as a foreshadow of wider changes on a national level. They have rushed to get President Obama's two cents on the matter, and he has remained uncommitted to alienating the portion of the electorate that might not be too thrilled at the momentous social change going on. Possibly, he might not believe the change is good. (And woe to those who buck the tide, for isn't the tide always right?)

Those against same sex marriage usually take the religious perspective, and point out that only a man and woman can procreate and that the Bible gives no explicit endorsement of other arrangements. Another explanation is that allowing gay marriage is a slippery slope that will just result in the acceptance of other alternative or deviant arrangements and there will be no legal underpinning to prevent that.  If all else fails, (and thus far it has), the impact on children is brought forward. The argument is made that same sex couples will have a bad effect on children by influencing them toward a future gay lifestyle; the gay life itself is assumed to be bad without a lot of explication in the same way that we know soda is bad without knowing all the science behind it.

We have an opinion on all of this which we have probably stated in other posts and have no intention of repeating here beyond saying that it's amazing how everything that was one way 20 or 40 years ago in terms of public and professional opinion can completely change to the opposite. We also take issue with the idea that the majority (the tide) at any point in history is indicative of "what should be". Societies often do things, and reap their own loss or reward later. And not all social change is created equal or represents the same thing.

Our second thought is that this huge show of liberalism will benefit Obama and represents a huge force that will ultimately blunt the force of the Republican candidates who on the whole do not believe in same sex anything.  Republicans will surely rally the base over the issue, while riling the larger electorate, which is filled with people willing to go along with most anything that seems to be good at the time.

LA Times Gives Cornel West's Heavy Breathing More Air

Glen Beck Explains Obama

We are not huge fans of race hustlers, having grown up in NYC in the 1980's during Al Sharpton's rabble rousing apex. He has since mellowed, though at the time his track suit and shock of hair was annoyingly all over the local news. Since then others have replaced him, including Professor Cornel West, who we have always disliked. Self appointed big idea people (Newt Gingrich) or intellectuals (West) are only good as their product, and West in particular always seemed to be saying an awful lot, in spirited pseudo-minister cadence and style, with a substance content approaching that of pork in a can of pork and beans.

In recent months he has been lashing out at Obama for not being appropriately focused on black issues, and various people, including other black academics have agreed with or disputed the accusation. Commentary had a piece a few months back taking Cornel to task, and the today's Los Angeles Times does an inconclusive write-up of the debate, adding this bizarre thought point into the mix:

The real problem with the assimilation-versus-nationalism battle is that it isn't really a battle anymore because black leaders, whatever philosophy they espouse these days, rarely put black interests first. Harold Cruse warned about this in his classic 1967 book, "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual." In Cruse's view, the crisis then was a direct result of the black intelligentsia repeatedly abdicating its responsibility to assess black social conditions and craft action agendas entirely unique to America's racial history. As long as it deferred to integrationist approaches that didn't primarily have blacks' interests in mind, Cruse said, black people would always be reduced to reacting and protesting crises in the future. West's broadside of Obama is such a protest, though in it is a hope that a black man who is in a historic position to address the latest crisis will find it in his conscience to do so.

(LA Times)

The above seems particularly wrong, and further implies that black needs are so uniquely divergent from the standard population that one must some how carve out a microscopic focus on blacks alone. The fact remains that if you are trying to do something as monumental as reform the health care system, or bring troops home from war, you are in fact doing quite a bit for blacks.

Or, when you are making or supporting policy (TARP) that sustains our banking system, you are in fact helping black people, who will invariably fare far worse under a collapsed or strictly bare bones money system than your broader population of whites or Asians. Health care in itself is such a comprehensive influence on daily well being, impacting blacks more than any other group. It just so happens that there are enough people in the wider population without affordable or appropriate care as well, masking the high utility to the black population.

Debates between blacks always happen when one aggrieved party feels like the other is not properly, face it, black enough in outward symbolism. The assumption in the back of the mind is that when a black person gets into office, or some position of influence, they will bring others along and "share the spoils" (publicity, influence, prestige, money), regardless of any deeper philosophical affinity. Cornel West is not being invited into the White House to discuss policy, or turned to as a wise counselor. Obama is not racing out to symposiums or interviews with specifically black show hosts (like Tavis Smiley), and this does not sit well with those who want to appear to be in proximity to power and peacock an artificial influence.

Obama has the power and influence. Granted its constantly under attack by the united forces of Republicans who are playing a dangerous game of stall and character assassination, but Obama has the power and his own vision. In the end there are always people trying to pull you back, change your focus, or create drama while ignoring what you are actually achieving.

United States of Alexander Economic Reform Backseat Driver Package 2012

So many people are running for president without a tangible history of results. People like to say this about President Obama, by way of demoting his community activist efforts, ignoring his teaching of young people, and generally disregarding every successful legislative effort. His most vibrant critics continue this process now that he is president by ignoring quite a large list of accomplishments. They refuse to acknowledge what they don't like, or what could be made better, by obstinately clinging to the delusion that he has done nothing at all. The majority of people--via tax cuts, via stimulus that prolonged or saved a job, via new voices on the Supreme Court, via a still functioning bank branch--have benefited in some fashion.

What is most striking with a few candidates, like Michelle Bachmann, is that there is little legislative achievement at all. The vast majority of the Republican candidates have not articulated any vision that extends beyond tax cuts, social cuts, and attitudinal/patriotic sounding platitudes, under assumption that all problems can be solved with an appealing cookie cutter answer.

Fixing a damaged economy takes work, and the requisite question for everyone should be, "What steps would you take to repair the economy, restore jobs, and protect the general welfare of all Americans?"  A government's role is arguably limited, and government divided against itself can do very little at all.  There is no magic by which to concoct an amazing economy.

That said, this is our voodoo:

• Stimulus 2.0: Obama had one chance to do stimulus, and it was distorted by GOP opposition, then unsupported by the GOP on rollout. The tax cut component should have been minimal. From the start the money should have all gone to the states, and we would dedicate ourselves, after election, to helping states get their books balanced. A kind of freeze and bail, where states must hold spending, and then receive cash incentives to use selectively.

• Affordable Care Act 2.0: We would push through a government provider option and create incentives to strip healthcare from employment and employers. How this gets done is the hard part. If it could be done, the economic and geographical freedom such a process  provides would spur amazing growth. One method might be to give every American a health account, and each account would have certain basic services covered: maternity, child needs, regular check ups for female and male issues, medicines. Most of that would be funded off of income taxes and the national sales tax (see tax reform).  People could also add funds to their account and get matched dollar for dollar, thus encouraging saving for their own care. Additional features and services could be added to the accounts, and in some kind of partnership with the private sector. Most care would be managed by current insurance and medical institutions who would be encouraged to pursue cost benefits through size. 

• Doctor Debt Relief: As part of improving the Affordable Care Act, we would create incentives to increase doctor support for reform by offering some package of scholarships and debt caps (for new students) and debt forgiveness (for existing practitioners). The greatest resistance among doctors due to their income concerns (when not worrying about some mythical heavy government hand), and removing that keeps an important group focused on the big picture.

• Federal Sovereign Funds: Like Norway's Oil Fund and Alaska's Permanent fund, we would form a pair of Federal funds that would be used to benefit Americans. The first would be for natural disasters and relief, and would accept donations from the private sector and be quasi independent, and funded off of taxes and fines from industries that pollute. The second fund would be based off of a small tax, perhaps some sort of broad value added tax, and would be designated toward education, healthcare, and veterans. Each fund would be seeded by about $250 billion dollars, and phased into action. The healthcare component might be paid out to individuals in the form of a dividend, which they could put in their health account (and get matched) or use toward private additional coverage.

• Tax reform: Broad and clear tax mandates are important. We would raise taxes on the top 10% of earners much like President Obama intends, but we would combine this with lowering and flattening rates on lower incomes. We would also cut capital gains taxes as well, while removing most tax loopholes. Part of the tax adjustments would include a national tax for a Federal sovereign fund. 

• Normalize Military Activity: We would begin to repatriate most American troops including those in Afghanistan, leaving just a stub of 20,000 or so. We would focus our efforts on the capital, Kabul, and immediate surrounding area, creating a safe, vibrant example of what life could be. The remainder of the country could maintain resistance, but they would be fighting Afghani troops, not Americans.  A portion of those troops brought home would be used along the border to thwart illegal immigration. Broad cuts in the military budget would be sought, while maintaining a vigorous projection capability (carriers, subs, aircraft). 

• Illegal Immigration Package: We are at a standstill now because those supporting illegal immigration are really not happy with any deal that A) punishes those now here or that B) restricts more from coming. On the flip side, those against illegal immigration take a similar all or nothing approach, wanting a wall on the border and the deportation of every illegal back to Mexico. Neither approach is logical, feasible or compatible. Our simple ABC plan would be called "Accept, Build and Control". 

1. Build: We would begin by building a wall and processing/relief stations on the border. At these stations, people could get information about the United States and applications to begin the process, essentially turning the border into a type of consulate. 
2. Accept: At the same time, we would resolve to accept all workers currently here in a multi-step legalization process that would include English language instruction, classes on the Constitution and American living, the paying over time of a levy or fine, and the completion of one or several "good citizen" tasks, like getting a degree, buying a home, or holding a job. 
3. Control: Under the control portion, we would change the requirements for who is allowed to become a citizen.  There would be incentives for those with businesses or money, and who are willing to invest in the American economy. There would be a continued priority for those coming from oppressive lands. All would still have to pay a fee, adjusted for income, and go through requisite classes and instruction when necessary. While we think citizenship should be offered to those with at least one parent who is a citizen, and not based on being born on American soil, making such a change might be near impossible. 

• Home Relief: Finally, and using the government's jackboot capabilities, which can be enormous, we would mandate that the major financial firms that received Federal aid in 2008 help the homeowners they do business with. Those that are servicing mortgages would be required to allow every homeowner who purchased a home after a certain cutoff (maybe 2006?) to convert their loan to a flat, affordable rate based on their last three years of salary. The debt would not be erased to the extent they maintain ownership. They would also be able to convert to renter status, handing over ownership rights, and in contract with the holder of the mortgage, and with a manageable fee ($7000) that could be paid over time. The idea here being to remove pressure on people so they can focus on work and opportunity. Do people deserve to have pressure removed? We honestly think not. But we are being practical and forward thinking.

We have not advocated for Medicare reform or fixing social security. We tend to view the latter as a long term problem and the former is addressed in part through the Affordable Care Act improvements. We were thinking primarily of actions that would normalize people's pressures and concerns, free people to pursue work and create jobs, and allow for more geographical freedom.

We don't expect any of this would instantly turn the economy around in the same way that we didn't instantly stumble upon the mortgage collapse that got us here. Everything is a process that involves time and compromise. The above steps are the type steps we should be seeking in candidates for president. If they are not offering something new, then there should be questions. If they are not offering major structural changes or finding ways to compromise, then the candidate is suspect.

American Dream Team

Twitter: Diversifying and Expanding Communication with a Vengeance

In a stab for greater diversity, Twitter hires more guys in plaid shirts, and a few less people in open collared button-ups. According to national statistics, the unemployment rate for plaid shirt wearing Americans approaches 16%, and they are often the last hired and first fired. Kudos to Twitter, at the cutting edge of communication. "It's just the right thing to do," said Dick Costolo, the current CEO.

Big Banks Swiping Nose on Citzens

Sometime today Congress will be debating a banking "swipe fee" law. On one side you have the big banks, who are paid a certain fee every time a credit card is used. This fee is paid by merchants, who are on the other side of the debate, and who either absorb the cost or pass it along. At stake is about $16 billion dollars, and judging from what we read, the politicians in Washington are undecided on this issue, It amuses because one might think their time would be far better spent on issues like flooding in the country's belly region; or wars in places like Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and Syria; or the absolute stagnation in the economy brought on by Republican unwillingness to put employment before ideology.

(Presidential candidate dreamer/enthusiast Tim Pawlenty came out of the closet with his "economic" plan, which includes cutting taxes and conjuring 5% a year growth. Which is quite amazing actually. I don't think anyone, whether Reagan, Bush, or Obama, has cut taxes and reaped a windfall of revenue or sudden growth.)

So while those in Washington debate whether to side with banks or retailers, we sit at home, reviewing the letter we just received in the mail from Bank of America Theftocracy Corp. It reads:

"On August 6y, 2011 your Bank of America My Access Checking account will change to a new Bank of America Enhanced checking account. Below you will find all of our new checking accounts available to you."

Keeping in mind that the account we have was opened over the internet, and we were instructed never ever to use a live human lest fees result, it boggles the mind that the account they have decided to switch us over to automatically is the "Enhanced" account that carries a $15 fee. The only way to kill the fee is to deposit $2000 every month, maintain combined balances of $5000 in all accounts, or use my linked BofA credit card. Of course, we don't have any of that, and if we did, it would be sitting in a brokerage account and we would be sitting in Cayman.

We were forced to call Bank of America and have them switch our account to the new  "ebanking" account that actually resembles the old "online" account. It's hardly an enhanced experience to go from no fees to $15 fees.One of the benefits of the super duper "Premium" checking is the ability to have no fee overdraft protection using your savings or checking (aka your own money). I suppose it's an account we can aspire to while looking in the branch window longingly and un-serviced by real humans.

The banks have blamed Washington for these fee increases and account transformations, and one can only assume that should they lose the swipe fee argument, more fee monstrosities will be in the pipeline. Of course that also means that hastens the moment when the big banks will accidentally kill themselves. There are far too many options out there, including online accounts and solid firms like USAA that now offer their services to anyone.

It amazes that an industry that is alive due to public funds can be so arrogant toward citizens already battered by mortgage problems and growing job difficulties. That politicians can be giving swipe fees their full undivided attention is stunning. And wrong.

Beware the Ides of March, in May

I barely made my way out into the Phoenix evening heat, leaving work at 5:30 after a new "imposed from on high" four day work week consisting of 600 minutes. The extra hours, when actually in them, are not too bad and pass briskly, but over the course of the day, the clock on the computer ticks slower, then stops for a break, refusing to budge.

I am two and a half weeks now out of the hospital. First there was a strong dose of gout that shocked my knee, keeping me off my feet from May 8th to May 12. There was a brief interlude, on Friday the 13th, of visiting the cardiologist. My PCP had urged me a year ago to get my ECG (or EKG if you are feeling Germanic) checked due to the rather gapping spaces in the squiggly line that indicated a left bundle branch block. "Hmmm," I thought at the time, looking deeply concerned, before going on to spend 2010 losing my job and insurance and neglecting any follow-ups with the PCP or specialist.

So after a week of beggary for meds to knock out my gout, by the 13th I could hobble well enough to the cardiologist, where he promptly reproduced the results of the year before. Unfortunately (for me), he was more concerned with my racing pulse. "You need to go to emergency," he said. I argued the point, doubting his expertise, figuring that an overweight guy off his feet for a week and hobbling with a cane across a ginormous office is unlikely to have a normal pulse. I agreed to go, and he called to give them a heads up.

Upon leaving, I decided my own judgment was superior. I picked up a pulse meter at Walgreens, went home, and chilled. The next morning I planned to see Thor with the girlfriend. I arose early, headed to the rest room, and passed out on the loo. I was awakened by my dear mother, who found me curled up with my head resting on the garbage can like a pillow, and snoring. I was actually dreaming a quite vivid dream, and upon waking, reached around to find my underwear firmly around my buttox. Somewhere between falling off the toilet and hitting the ground and drifting into pleasant sleep, one of my more responsible hands had the good sense to reach around and pull up the Fruit of the Looms.

I kind of crawled into my room to get dressed. I was sitting on my floor pantless, head drifting. I had moved in the previous year as a means of saving money so that I could make some major life changes.  I had saved zero funds so far, so mostly I was getting all the aggravation of living with a parent, with no accumulating collateral benefits (well... aside from free rent and plenty of unasked for scriptural instruction).

As I pulled on the first leg of pants, I awoke to find myself tipped over and still unpantsed. I called out to my mom suggesting it might be a good idea to call 911 after all. It seemed a bad idea to be hauled out of the house by firemen naked, so I quickly pulled on some clothes and walked bent and carrying sneakers to a chair in the living room. "I'll just put my sneakers on my feet and that way I can walk out instead of being carried," I said to myself, before tipping over as I bent down to put the first shoe on. I awoke to see about four fireman plugging my arm with a needle, with questions of "Do you know where you are?" and "Do you know who you are?" and "Do you know where you are going to, and do you like the things that life is showing you?" It at first seemed like blurry deities were getting me acclimated to the afterlife, before I realized, "Oh yea, the fire guys are taking me to the hospital." I vaguely wondered if their expertise was greater in fire or emergency medicine.

They took me to my PCP's hospital, conveniently five minutes away. I chatted a bit on the ambulance, though I really think the guy was not listening, all focused on vital statistics and not accidentally killing me. We arrived, and I was wheeled into Emergency. March 14th. Uhm, beware the Ides of March, in May.

After a bit of routine experimentation in Emergency--blood tests, IV attachment, assorted pills, blood pressure and a certain amount of "I hear you but I am not really hearing you" on my part- they moved me upstairs. But not before I passed out on return from the bathroom. (I awoke greatly relieved that some bodily functions were out of the way and I could proceed with hearing any dreadful news without worries of assisted bathroom usage).

The immediate concern seemed to be my heart and dehydration. They kept asking do I feel any pain, or was I having breathing problems, and I assured them I was fine, except for when I moved, in which I case I wasn't fine. They gave me some solution that was plumping my innards with liquid. They thought that might do the trick. Various nurses and doctors revolved through, and each time I told the story of my passing out, and that I felt fine, and about Thor, and about the wrongheaded cardiologist. I stressed to them that being off your feet for five days with gout probably had an effect on something.

Eventually one doctor came to the conclusion that perhaps, just maybe, the gout in my leg created a blood clot, and that the clot might have traveled.

"I will give you this one test and it will tell us with 99% accuracy if you have a clot."
"Sounds good. And then?"
"And if you have a clot, then we will run an MRI and see what the deal is."

I was expecting a blow by blow. Some sort of update with someone telling me, "Indeed, the test shows a clot and this is a grave concern for us all, even... the world". I mean after all, the nurses had a hard enough time--all seven of them--finding a vein to draw blood and an update on the success of that effort would have been nice. Instead they suddenly reappeared to move me down to the section of the hospital where they ran most of their machine tests.

I was wheeled in, and they were about to combine powers (Wonder Twins...form of "six of us", shape of "wish he was not as heavy as he is") to kind of flip roll me over, but I assured them I could do it on my own. "May I just hit the restroom first?" I asked and they said sure. I shuffled in, had another moment of urination, reminding myself that it was necessary to take moments in the bathroom on my own while I had strength, lest I end up in some messy bed pan moment during visiting hours when all fifty of my future roommates relatives were on hand to lend moral support to his hole in the heart. (I had started off in my own room, but apparently my importance was downgraded).

I walked out of the bathroom and could feel things starting to lose focus. I tried to prop myself on the MRI table, and then.... fade, then awake, then struggle. Three people were on each side of me trying to hold me as I flailed. I was gasping for air and they propped me up, but I was using considerable energy of my own to stay in that position.

"Let me lay down. I can't breath. I need to lay back. I'm...using... energy...holding myself up". I had to repeat that before they felt comfortable letting me down. They slapped an oxygen mask on me, gathered on each side and tried to push and shove my body into the correct position. The franticity was overwhelming.

"Wait... wait. Just wait a second. Let me relax just a second. Let me breath. I'm okay. Just a minute to relax," I begged; their bellies near my head on each side of me were making me claustrophobic. They relented, I relaxed and then they loaded me in. My concern was not about this big magnet, or the warm flushed feeling in my body, but rather, that during the struggle I could have sworn I was losing my bowels, and that the moment I feared most, an embarrassing bathroom moment, had occurred. Indeed 90% of my stress centered around whether I would ultimately need assistance going to the bathroom. Mercifully, the gods intervened and one nurse later informed me that, "Oh no, you just let out a lot of bad gas." Thank you nurse; sometimes honesty is unwarranted even if I did bring up the subject of my rectal fears.

They moved me to an intensive care unit for people with heart issues.A battalion of nurses gathered to hook me up and get me situated as the new guy. Then from Mt. Olympus it was ordered that the lung specialist likes all his people up on the 11th floor. All the heart nurses promptly disappeared. "False alarm, he's not one of us," I could hear their disappearance saying.

It was here at midnight that I reached my moment of darkness. It was around 12:30 pm. I was watching "Magnificent Seven," the original with Yul Brynner. The nurses were all male. One of them expressed a love for old westerns and I urged him to see Once Upon A Time in the West, featuring a deliciously evil Henry Fonda. He hadn't seen it, but said he would. I wondered how many patients offered tips and suggestions while laying there interrupting his train of medical thought on each shift.

This first nurse was replaced by tall, beefy guy, who had a young son. He started talking about how seeing his boy starting to run around and be active made him more concerned than ever about his own health. He said, "You would think as a nurse I would know better, but we struggle just like everyone else." He wanted to drop about 70 pounds or so and be more fit.

I had stopped focusing on the movie, with thoughts of the bathroom looming ever stronger. But since I couldn't actually move without passing out, I was now fearful. You cannot pass out six or so times without it eventually starting to impose "expectation fear." The passing out was fine, if worrying; the waking was the scary part, as it eventually got to the point where I would be waking without air.

I rang the nurse bell, the nurse came, and I said, "I am thinking I am going to have to use a bed pan and this won't be pleasant and I am sorry. I wish I could walk, but I don't want to pass out either." He assured me it was no problem, routine. He grabbed a wholly inappropriately constructed bed pan and some other materials.

(Note to society: We need less Groupons, less LinkedIn's, more hospital beds designed with built in waste management systems. Maybe a slot that slides open to reveal a butt sized hole.)

It was probably one of the most degrading experiences of my life, but I was relieved ever after, in every way. I was now free to focus on more pressing issues, like would my vacation time and sick days cover my stay, how far behind would I get on my work, might these clots travel into my head and kill me, and several collateral issues related to elevated protein and my peculiar kidneys. I occasionally thought about death.

My condition settled and they felt comfortable moving me back downstairs.

Laid back young male doctor returned to inform me that his hunch was right, and that my lungs were very clotted. In addition to hydrating me, they started me on injections of blood thinner and blood pressure medicine and other medicinals. My girlfriend and mom were visiting each day. I took meds and ate tuna melts with potatoes and gravy. It was a meal that went down smooth. I made my girlfriend the honorary bathroom assistant, and she stood in front of me holding my robe up to form a privacy wall. "No peeking," I reminded her, wanting to keep the moment's somber integrity. The first time I promptly passed out once back at the bed and my girlfriend had to hold me down as nurses rushed in to up my oxygen. They slapped a yellow "fall risk" armband on my arm and reminded me that I must be assisted in the bathroom. "Okay".

The rest of the time was a mix of doctors and injections, of "How are you feeling?" and blood draws, and with the cardiologist popping in periodically to tell me that the heart stuff, more or less, was fine. Each time he kind of implied that I could just pack up, rise up, and walk. This more or less created a constant dichotomy given the advice and treatment plans of every other specialist who was tagging in to offer their wisdom. I assume that to a cardiologist, the world revolves around your heart. I made an effort to apologize to him for doubting his wisdom, which he accepted in the same hurried "I am really too busy for a conversation longer than three sentences" grace that he showed when popping in to tell me to go home already.

The last three or so days were easy going, and with a great group of nurses. In fact the whole haphazard experience made me thank my stars (that being God) that I was born in a western nation. But it also reminded me of the luck I had in having a job with virtually free insurance (if you are single, but 1/4 of my take home if I opted to ever marry and have things like family covered). Had this happened during my employment lull in the summer of 2010, I would have been in deep trouble, and sitting with a bill in the thousands. ($59,000 thus far, to be exact) That health care is not an automatic "must have" part of the government safety net is why I voted for Obama in the first place after years of voting for Republicans. You hit a certain age, and start to realize you are not Superman, or Thor, and that the wrong confluence of controllable or uncontrollable events could upset your life and set you back forever.

I am still not feeling normal. There are still questions about my heart (a scarred part) and my kidneys. My PCP was a bit annoyed with her colleagues at the hospital for not calling her, or taking a look at her own tests, some of which they duplicated. In her casual way she informed me of the fatty liver I never knew I had. Elevated triglycerides or something, and the Niacin she prescribed I've yet to take out of a certain fear of side effects (like passing out).

All in all I feel worn, but am lucky. Lucky to have a job and people who love me: at least two of them. There have been moments when I thought, "I don't want to live like this," and my higher self reminds me that such attitudes are an insult to God, and to those who actually have greater problems, and who struggle on despite the difficulties. Being sick and in the hospital has a way of making you think the world revolves around you and the drama can be intoxicating in some odd way. You have to fight to retain perspective.

Uptick in MBA Hiring

Positive economic indicator...more MBA's getting hired, increased company visits to campuses.

Overall, 57% of full-time M.B.A. students in the U.S. had offers by mid-March, compared with 40% a year earlier, according to a Graduate Management Admission Council survey released last month of 905 companies and 127 business schools nationwide. And the improvement continues as the latest school year closes out. 

"More companies are wanting to dance," said Cheri Paulson, director of the center for career development at Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. The school saw listings for full-time jobs increase 39% over last year.

(WSJ)

Hopefully this trickles down to the Plebeians.

Cut Taxes, Cut Spending, Lay Off People, Knee Cap the Economy

May was a particularly arduous month, with personal health issues running rampant. We learned two things: that nurses, male and female, are an awesome group of people, and that I have a particular fondness for hospital cafeteria tuna melts and mashed potatoes.

Our economy seems headed into the hospital as well, what with unemployment ticking up to 9.1% and housing prices reaching new lows. The media, which tends to extrapolate any given moment into a perpetual future, started up with the "Obama may lose his job due to jobs" framing.

In particular, we find that state governments are still massively cutting employee rolls while the private sector does its minimal best to add jobs. Republicans, presidential aspirants and other scavengers (Sarah Palin) have taken to suggesting that the President is failing due to his inability to create jobs. It amuses.

We can remember back to the November 2010 election when it was suggested that a vote for Republicans would be because THEY could in fact get the jobs rolling. The tax cut agreement in December was to be further ammunition towards increasing jobs.

But that's all...wait for it. Nonsense. Even the Republican talking point that the private sector is "unsure" (and therefore not hiring anyone en masse) due to Obama's lack of clarity is nonsense.

Let us remind ourselves of a few things. Neither the federal government nor state governments, can "create" jobs in the private sector out of thin air.  There are three ways the government can impact job growth.

The government at different levels can hire people. At the state level, each teacher or police officer remaining employed or hired becomes a taxpayer, a purchaser at the local level of consumer goods, a discretionary spender, a mortgage payer, and an optimist. Having a job does that.

Second, governments can spend tax payer money on "stuff" purchased from the private sector. Contracts for infrastructure, repairs, goods and other services all make their way out into the private sector, increasing activity demand. You can cut an individual's taxes and he may bank or hoard the difference. Keep the tax rates the same or raise them, and that money that would go unspent by individuals can be forced into the economy by government purchasing.

Finally the government can create an environment conducive to business via fiscal and monetary policies, legal regulations and various other initiatives.

The reality is that Republicans have been working double-time to clip all three methods of government influence and economic stimulation while taking jabs at Obama for not doing anything. By suggesting tax cuts combined with spending cuts (which usually result in layoffs), they are depriving the government of its ability to stimulate demand, while also concentrating severe economic hardship on those who get laid off. At the same time, they are fighting Obama every step of the way on appointments, law and policy that would add clarity and confidence.

The debate over raising the debt ceiling is part of this. They will fight him on raising it, and going forward, use that as a noose around Obama's neck, tarring him as the first president to bring economic disarray to the United States. Fancy that. Never before in modern U.S. history have we seen such a united front of politicians so determined to win power that they will risk the economic health of the nation to achieve such a goal.

Ideally, during a recession it makes far better sense to have targeted government spending to help states and keep a recession from deepening. It also makes abundant sense to reform areas of the economy where rapid cost increases have gone unchecked--the Affordable Care Act starts the ball rolling on health care cost savings and reform.

But most of all, and via reasonable permanent and temporary tax increases, it makes better policy to spread pain among all citizens than lower taxes and inflict maximum pain among a smaller group that gets laid off. An individual still might spend on a certain amount of junk, even if salary were cut 10 or 20%. Take that salary away and not only will that person not spend, but all their bills will go unpaid, their health risks and costs will increase, and they will eventually have a massive cost effect on the surrounding community and financial sector.

We truly wonder if Americans will see through the game that is being played by the Republican opposition. When some Republican blames the current administration for not "creating jobs", hopefully people will cock an eyebrow and wonder why Republicans are talking against their own theology (that the government cannot create jobs). Are Republicans utilizing the power the government does have to support economic growth, or are they standing in the way, hoping division breeds a fire only they can pretend to put out come November 2012 elections?

Here in Arizona fires are raging up north. Our geriatric governor was on scene via helicopter viewing the smoke. One wonders how many people are viewing the smoke, or setting the fires, comfortable enough to let the U.S. economic dysfunction continue in order to make an almost theologically inane political point.