Is the Obama Portuguese Water-Dog a rescue dog?

[shezan.livejournal.com]

That Obama Portuguese Water-Dog is "making a big splash," according to (who else) MSNBC.

The little guy is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog given to the Obama girls as a gift by that Portuguese water dog-lovin' senator himself, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Am I the only one to think that of all people, Ted Kennedy was the least appropriate to give a water dog?

ETA from the Dept. Of You Couldn't Make It Up: Ted Kennedy's dog is called "Splash". Trufax.

Come to Sugar Grove, PA!

[slm76.livejournal.com]

This tiny, one-street town in northwest PA is holding a Tax Day Tea Party from 6pm - 8pm. My husband grew up in this town and we noticed home-made signs for the event while driving around yesterday. There's even a local politician supposed to speak. Sadly, I've forgotten his name - I know it's Paul something - so I can't tell you anything about him.

I had been contemplating attending either Rochester or Corning's events, but each place is a 2 hour drive each way. Sugar Grove is a mere hour, and we can park in my mother-in-law's driveway! It's then a 1-minute walk to the centre of town. It really is a small place. No traffic lights, and few stop signs. We've got a Kwik Fill, an independently-owned grocery store, and the bar. Oh yes, and an Amish community.

I have no idea how many people will be at this event. My husband says I might be surprised by the turnout. This is truly at the Grass Roots level. I'm looking forward to maybe making contact with fellow conservatives in the area. We might even meet people we know!

This does indeed make up for discovering some Carville/Begala book on our uncle's coffee table yesterday!

Working in health care sucks... and I'm just the wife ranting about it!

[slm76.livejournal.com]

This afternoon in the post office, I got talking to a young doctor who was in the line behind me. He was wearing a hospital ID badge so I asked which department he was in. (No, he doesn't know my husband because PT hubby works with out-patients *g*)

This man explained that he had only recently begun working at the hospital after having his own practice. He gave up being his own boss because he wasn't making enough money. Why wasn't he making enough money? Well, because the insurance and MedicAid simply don't pay the entire cost of a patient's visit.

This is something most of us, on some level, know. But when you speak to someone who had the dream but had to give it up, it becomes startling. While insurance is bad, the biggest low-payer is the government in the form of MedicAid. MedicAid paid only $7 per person per visit. Yeah, that doesn't even cover one hour of your employee wage. Nevermind all the costs associated with the building, utilities, equipment, medical supplies, etc. He couldn't make enough money to keep everything going. He felt bad for his patients, but something had to give.

It really makes you wonder why anyone would want to go into medicine in the first place.

He came down really with two pieces of advice: Don't have your own practice, for medicine or physical therapy. And if you do have your own practice, don't take MedicAid patients. Of course, when it comes to PT, those MedicAid patients just end up as out-patients at the hospital. Which is where my husband has the delight of hearing them crow over how the government is paying for their treatment.

Except, of course, the government isn't.

Yeah, I can hardly wait for socialised healthcare to happen. Especially since I knew the NHS was bad which is why we made the decision to live in the USA... where my husband could fulfill his goal and make a decent living at it. I bet my mother is adding this to her list of, "Why did you have to go live so far away?" if she's not already done so.

more on Sugar Grove, PA TEA Party

[slm76.livejournal.com]

Hmm... looks like my hubby has a cancellation; he's just forwarded me more info on the SG TEA Party ;)

Sugar Grove Area Tea Party

I'm not sure how much we'll get to see. Hubby doesn't finish work until 5pm. It'll be a mad drive to get over to SG in time. But yes, I'll take the camera.

WTF?

[leahfu.livejournal.com]

Have any of you seen this??

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hj111-5

H. J. Res. 5:

2009-2010 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second...

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

O_o!!!!!