Michael

Okay, though I risk cultural suicide, I must say that I DO NOT UNDERSTAND the Michael Jackson hysteria.

Disclaimer: I understand that he was extremely talented (fighting the urge to ask, "so what?"). I understand that he accomplished a lot in the arts and entertainment world. I understand that he bridged the gap in a racially divided industry. And heck, I'm a huge Motown fan... c'mon Jackson 5.

However, I do not understand the fawning over a dead MAN. That's it... he's just a man. And a very tormented, misguided man at that. I don't care how much you like or were influenced by his music... what did he really ever do for you? What was worth the pure idol worship going on today? (Especially from those, like myself, who would call themselves Christians.) Where was the eternal perspective in all of the hoopla? I think the lack thereof is what bothered me the most.

I checked my facebook twice today and was assaulted by MJ memorial play-by-play... seriously people?

I didn't catch much of the news coverage (honestly, I had no interest in watching it), but the couple parts I saw were just absurd. Brooke Shields saying she knew Michael was "perched somewhere in a crescent moon..."? Smokey Robinson saying that Jackson would "live on and on and on and on" and everyone cheering obsessively? From someone who believes in the eternal, I would say, yes, MJ is living on and on and on... possibly in eternal torment. What is worth cheering about that? Let's hope he met His Creator (the one who gave him all his talent) on this side of eternity.

In all the news coverage, one image kept coming to my mind: the statue Jackson had of himself on the cover of his "History" album. We really are not that immortal, are we? There is only one King and Michael is not him. All the fame and fortune and talent and fanfare got him where? Dead at 50 from a probable drug overdose? I am reminded of the Scripture that says, "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

And that really is a reminder to those of us still living (not a cut on Michael himself). We are the ones who elevate celebrities to god-like status. We are the ones who strive for god-like status ourselves. We want to turn the other way and pretend immorality is no big deal. We are the idol worshipers. At this point, God is the only person who knows the condition of Michael's eternal soul, but what does this say about the soul of America?

Ok, let's talk healthcare...

I've been meaning to write a post pertaining to the issue of healthcare for a while, and due to some issues raised by my sister's last post, I decided to go on and do it. I by no means consider myself an expert in the field, so I'm mostly curious to hear your opinion in regard to healthcare--does our current system in America work, and if not, what can be done to fix it?

I personally think healthcare in America needs some major revamping. My husband is a small business owner, so we have to buy our own health insurance--I know firsthand that it is ridiculously unaffordable for the average American who doesn't have this benefit through their job.

In most business transactions, there are two parties involved--the party providing a product or service and the party consuming that product or service. Why in healthcare is there a third party--the insurance company--making a killing off my healthcare? Does this not drive costs way up? Because the insurance company foots the bill, doctors can pretty much charge whatever they want--it eliminates alot of the competition that makes other sectors of our economy work.

And does it not make the consumer much less conscientious in regards to their healthcare? If all I pay is a $20 co-pay when I go to the doctor, I don't really care how many unnecessary things they do--I'm not paying for it. When I recently had a baby, I didn't care how many doctors charged hundreds of dollars to stop by my room and basically do nothing more than tell me how cute my baby was. But because we recently switched our insurance to an HSA, you better believe I'm now an extremely conscientious shopper when it comes to medical care. I've started calling around to pediatricians to find out how much it will cost to bring my child in for a well baby checkup, and do you know what? They can't tell me! They have absolutely no accountability to the customer, because they just bill the insurance company. Now, before anyone does anything to a member of my family at the doctor, I want to know what they're doing, why they're doing it, and how much it will cost. They look at me like I'm crazy. This system is crazy!

I mean, think about the implications in any other business transaction. Let's take grocery shopping for example. If I walked into the grocery store, paid a $20 co-pay, and was then able to get whatever I want with a third party footing the bill, I'd have a hay day! No more looking for good deals. No more comparing prices. No more off-brands for me! Heck, the store wouldn't even need to bother posting prices. Who cares? It seems ridiculous when you look at it in this light, so why do we take this system for granted when it comes to healthcare?

In my opinion, costs would go down if we gave individuals more responsibility for their own healthcare, and medical providers more responsibility for offering good services at competitive prices...not to mention eliminating third party profits.

So why not government funded, universal healthcare? In some ways, I wish I could make myself believe that it was a just and efficacious system. It certainly seems like it would make things easier on me personally to not have to pay for or worry about my own healthcare. But I just don't think it's right, and I just don't think it works.

When I think about someone else paying for my healthcare, I selfishly think it's a great idea. But when I watch my husband's company pay thousands of dollars in taxes to fund current medicare programs, I think "hey! that's the money I was gonna use to feed my kids with this month!" We have a hard enough time now running a business that provides us and others with a livelihood--I honestly don't know if we could do it if Obama increases our taxes as much as he would have to to fund his proposed healthcare plan. So in that sense, I would definitely rather pay for my own healthcare than watch the government tax my husband out of a job. We wouldn't be able to eat or have a roof over our heads, but hey, we'd have free healthcare!

And, as my sister pointed out in a recent comment, it's not right for those who live a healthy lifestyle (don't smoke or do drugs, don't drink excessively, don't have sex with multiple partners resulting in STD's, don't have abortions, eat healthy and exercise, etc.), to pay the medical costs of those who make different choices.

And I'm not even going to take time to touch on the fact that from everything I've read or studied, it is simply not sustainable long-term for the government to pay for universal healthcare, even if it were a good idea.

That being said, I know it's an extremely complex, not cut-and-dry issue. I know there are times when people need life-saving treatments and can't afford them. And I don't know what the solution is. What do you think?

One Question...

With the onset and expansion of so many new government programs and spending (new cap and trade bill, universal healthcare, etc.), I find myself wanting to ask Obama one question. If I could be in a room with him face to face, here's what I'd want to know:

Are you stupid (completely ignorant of history and even present day examples of socialistic failure)? OR Do you genuinely believe that you can do it better than anyone who's preceded you, that these policies will work because you have a new and better way than the thousands who've tried for utopia before you? OR Are you simply power hungry and deliberately deceiving people so that you can make them dependent on you and enslaved forever?

It has to be one of those options, right? I know he's not stupid. So what do you think motivates Obama and other liberals?

For your viewing enjoyment!

These are 2 conservative students from Dartmouth College.... delivering their message in a very entertaining way. I saw them on Fox News this morning. Enjoy!

Young Con Anthem

Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

Yesterday President Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace Justice David Souter on the United States Supreme Court.  I'm more than a little troubled by this nomination.  We seem to have lost sight of the job description of the Supreme Court.  The Court's job is not to legislate, or make law, but to apply the law in different situations.  Judge Sotomayor, however, has a history of saying things such as, "...the court of appeals is where policy is made."  W-w-what??  This is the complete antithesis of the role of judges and courts.  Judges must strive to be completely impartial, laying aside all personal agendas, and simply interpret the laws that are already in existence.  Now I realize our country has come a LONG way from this, but how have we come so far that our President would choose someone who has such a bold-faced misunderstanding of their job description?  Would you hire someone to work for your company who was under the impression that their role in working for you was the opposite of what it actually was?  I think not.

Obama's self-proclaimed goal in his nomination was to find a judge who had empathy.  Excuse me?  Empathy is a wonderful thing, but it has no place on the bench.  As already stated, a judge is to be impartial, administering justice according to the law, not operating out of their feelings and personal sentiments.  Obama thought Judge Sotomayor would be a perfect candidate for a Supreme Court Justice, because her background would cause her to be empathetic.  Well then make her a social worker, don't put her on the Supreme Court. 

We need judges who will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.  Let's hope the Senate will do their job in exploring this candidate's judicial philosophy during the confirmation hearings. 

In other news, please excuse my long absence from the blogging world.  I've been busy birthing my second baby and enjoying life as a wife and mother of two.

Jon & Kate

"Jon & Kate, Plus 8" is a popular reality show on TLC that follows a couple who has both twins and sextuplets. There's been lots of recent chatter about their marriage and possible divorce. My friend Clayton has an excellent post on the matter and on relationships in general.

Read it here.

I was watching Sesame Street...

with my 2 yr old this morning. Oscar and fellow grouches were running a news station when one of them proceeded to comment: "Maybe I'll start watching the Fox News Network. Now there's a TRASHY news program."

Unbelievable. It starts so young.