Republicans See Gyro Meat in Obama's Healthcare Plan

Some of my loves--and we are talking food here--are Jamaican beef patties, Chinese food, pizza, and gyros. In fact growing up in my part of Queens, we called them "gyros" as in gyroscope. Even today, and knowing that the "g" should be dropped and the y should screech like an "eee", I still fill uncomfortable getting so phonetically correct. It's a JIRO in my head, and ever more shall be.

The New York Times has a story today about the evolution of the mass production of that gyro mystery meat, and it's an entertaining read, thy type of reading that takes your mind off the pressures of the day, the worries of the mind, the reality of deeper things. You turn on some Michael Buble, whom a woman on my job loves, or my Mark Knopfler, and you sit back and read about people with a dream. The dream being to supply you and your hungry tummy with a cheap and satisfying meal of beef and lamb trimmings (and added seasonings, bread crumbs).

But no, don't tell me the details, lest I stand there in the Asian owned burger joint near me, staring too intently at the vertically resting meat, thinking thoughts my belly doesn't want to process. Such is life, that reality intercedes in the middle of dream and desire.

David Segal's gyro piece gives us this:

Feeling somewhat burned but eager to move on, the couple eventually opened that restaurant with the dolphins, and two others, none of which sold gyros.

The Garlics moved to Orlando, Fla., in the early 1980s, where John sold subdivisions for a developer. He did well, but when he became sick, the family’s savings were drained to pay for treatments not covered by insurance. After her husband died, Ms. Garlic waited tables to support her children.

As gyros went nationwide and earned millions for a handful of entrepreneurs, the sight of rotisseries broke Ms. Garlic’s heart a little. “That was our idea,” she would think. She’s rarely discussed her and her husband’s role in Greek-American food history, but only because the subject rarely comes up. When it does, people think she’s kidding.

(N.Y.Times)

Every time you hear someone who is not in favor of any kind of healthcare reform, or who resorts to straw arguments about socialism, ask them how they would resolve the issue of people being financially drained down to zero due to health concerns.

Today the U.S. Senate began the process of moving forward, with some on board, and others growing more critical, but not necessarily constructively critical.

President Barack Obama achieved a milestone Wednesday when a Senate committee approved a plan to revamp the U.S. health care system. The Senate panel's action, which attracted no Republican votes, came as the president's campaign organization rolled out television ads to build support for his top domestic priority.

Obama met with Republicans at the White House in search of an elusive bipartisan compromise on his call to expand coverage to the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans as well as restrain spending increases in health care.

But the 13-10 party-line vote in the Senate health committee signaled a deepening rift in Congress. While Democrats respond to Obama's call for action with renewed determination, Republicans are using harsher words to voice their misgivings.

(A.P.)

The question is not so much as whether Obama or Democrats are mostly right. I have my doubts too. But the other side in the debate refuses to budge on significant change, cloaking their concerns in rhetorical fantasies based more in fear than in substance. They cannot conceive of how an economy filled with workers unburdened by health concerns might be significantly more productive.

It's amazing how reality pushes in, when all you want is a nice bite of gyro, maybe a side of fries, and some coke.