What's the deal with the swine flu vaccine???

You know, I cannot help running the risk of sounding a wee bit paranoid!!! This is just a little too "fantastic" for my liking! First, "they" tried to get us to panic about the bird flu and the horrors we might face from it...when this pandemic didn't show as feared, "they" must have gone back to the drawing board and came up with yet another version of doom!

Who are "they" you might ask?? Not so sure myself! It could be simply the press and their never ending lust for sensationalism. (Or feeding ours!) It could be the pharmaceutical industry, trying to make yet more money than ever. First and foremost, it's just a crock that a "new strain" of the flu suddenly rears it's ugly head in Mexico (Why there? Because it's a popular GLOBAL vacation spot and a good place to start when your objective is to spread something as quickly as possible!). Then, miraculously, in less than 6 months, the pharmaceutical industry produces and our FDA approves for use a vaccine to save our lives! God bless them!!!

Interestingly enough, drug trials generally last several years before a new drug is presented to the FDA for approval. Then, after scrutinizing the supporting documents submitted by the respective pharma company, the FDA may or may not approve said drug for use and distribution. The FDA might also demand certain warnings be added to the label and any advertising associated with it. Hmmmm, not sure about you, but it doesn't seem to me that there has been much testing/clinical trials done prior to releasing this vaccine. Or has there??? Perhaps this vaccine has been in development for years...well before a need developed, and now that there is a need, the stuff is done just in time!!! What a lucky break for us poor smucks!!!
Either way, I know that I will take my chances with H1N1 and will not get a flu shot, nor will my family!!

What's the deal with sugar???

Not sure if everyone has heard, but in a misguided effort to help curb the obesity epidemic, our Government has decided it would be a good idea to assess a tax on drink items containing sugar. (We're talking sugary soft drinks, teas, certain juice products...you name it!) Do you really think paying 3 cents more for a can of coke will stop a junk food junkie??? Puhlease! In my opinion they're sugar coating (pardon the pun) a new tax by having us believe that it is in the best interest of public health! Sorry, I'm not buying it!

Supposedly, this extra money will go toward health care. According to several reports I've read, sugary soft drinks are the root of the obesity evil. And I say again, other than making us mad, will a few extra cents really stop us from indulging in our soda obsession??? NOT!

Now mind you, I do agree with the general assessment that soda is bad for our bodies. I rarely drink any, and I seldom allow my kids to. My CHOICE!!! But do we really need to be told what to do and be punished (in the form of a new tax) for not listening? Educate folks, give them options, but for God's sake allow us the freedom to destroy our health if we want to!!

What's the deal with the FDA???

You can't watch TV these days without being inundated by (prescription) drug commercials, tauting "cures" for anything from a limp dick to various pulmonary conditions! If you pay close attention, you actually understand some of the warnings that usually end the commercials, with some speed talker trying not to get his tongue in a knot.

Seriously, people! Who in their right mind would ever want to take a medication that has so many side effects?? And they all do!!! Not sure about you guys, but if there is a risk of "serious side effects, even death that has been reported" I'm not putting that in my body! (Thank God I don't have to worry about having a limp dick! LOL) I have yet to see a commercial that does not warn about some sort of side effects associated with their product...what gives??? And why in the hell does our Food and Drug Administration approve the use of these drugs???

I guess this goes back to the pharmaceutical companies lobbying on Capital Hill. Once approved, then they wine and dine the doctors, giving them incentives to prescribe THEIR medications.

Same goes for food...milk produced by growth-hormone injected cows, the meat from cloned animals, pesticides used on the vegetables, the list goes on! You don't have to be a scientist to know that this can't possibly be good for you!!! Is it really a wonder that one third of our population is considered obese??? That cancer and other serious diseases are running rampant?? Diseases that increase the need for heavy duty medications! Which in turn will increase sales for the pharmaceutical companies! Wake up! No one cares about what's best for the general population...it always comes back to one thing...MONEY!

What's the deal with the bailouts???

So all this talk about insurance reminded me about the Government bailing out the insurance industry after the 2 hurricanes hit a few years back...that led me to think about the bailouts of the auto industry and the banks. And now I'm thinking...So who in the hell is going to bail me out???

Since Government is synonimous with tax dollars, it is us the people flipping the bill to uphold the "back bone" of our country. Go ahead folks, dig deep. Who cares that you don't have a job, or that you're self-employed and your business tanked thanks to the poor economy. Who cares that you pay through the nose for gasoline...our tax dollars are hard at work fighting for the oil, instead of finding alternative methods to keep us on the go. (But that's another subject!)

I myself fall into this category. Pursued the American dream of small business ownership. Did it without a loan or a grant...just risked everything I owned. Wanted to be part of what makes this country great...and lost! I was at the beginning of the mortgage crisis, so no offers to help us with lower rates, no 2 year foreclosure time during which to pursue a short sale, nope...I just got screwed. Which leads me to another question...ahem, if you don't make a 20% down payment at the time you purchase your home, you are forced to pay mortgage insurance. So wasn't my lender covered when I was no longer able to pay??? If so, then why did they go after me? Isn't that double-dipping?? Anyway, now the car dealers are offering security to their customers in case they find themselves jobless, without dinging up their credit (I even see some home builders making this offer)...where in the HELL was all this help when I needed it??? Forgive me if I sound a little angry, but this just pisses me off!!!

The banks got the help, and instead of using the money to get straightend out and help more people keep their homes, they pay 7 digit bonuses to their executives. Nice!!! And for once, I don't have a suggestion on how to make this situation better. Anyone???

What's the deal with the insurance industry???

Well, I may have spoken too soon, when I declared the insurance industry the losers yesterday. Upon closer examination, maybe it really is us "The People" who loose! Since the insurers are in business to make money, they recover their loses by charging us higher premiums and cutting their services.

Let's say you got into a car accident and you get sued. The insurance company will try to find a loop hole in your contract or your behavior (lets say you had a cocktail) to get out of paying; or they will pay and drop you like a hot potato. That can happen whether you were to blame for the accident or not. Good luck finding new coverage (which, oh by the way, you're required to have by law) without paying through the nose!

And what about health insurance? They can actually deny you coverage if you have what they deem a (costly) preexisting condition. They also have the right to tell your doctor what course of treatment he/she is able to prescribe...forget what you may actually need!!! Unbelievable!!!

Same goes for life insurers...if you have any kind of condition that might contribute to your early demise...fugget about it! No insurance for you!!! But hey, if they think that you may be around until the ripe old age of 80-something, they'll gladly take your premium and cut the payout each year!!! What a crock!!!

And you better don't own a home!!! Premiums are sky high! (especially here in the sunshine state) They do include "Acts of God" in their coverage, but apparently a flood in conjunction with a hurricane is not considered one. Hmmm...so who is responsible for the flood??? I want to talk to him/her! WTF...who makes these rules???? And why do we just sit here and take it???

What's the deal with frivolous lawsuits???

Since touching upon the subject in my previous post, I've been giving it a lot of thought. When did it become OK to pursue money this way??? If memory serves, it all started with the McDonald coffee lady who placed a hot cup of coffee between her legs while driving and subsequently burned herself. Well, duh! And what about the judge and jury who agreed that it was the restaurant's fault??? Newton said "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"...so what did she think would happen??? And whatever happened to taking responsibility for your own actions?? We've become a society of blamers!!!

And worse, this particular ruling has opened a flood gate for these type of lawsuits that are now bogging down our legal system. Guess who is paying for all this?? We are squandering our tax dollars, people!! And who is making money (besides the person who wins the award)? The lawyers of these individuals!! They're raking it in hand over fist...advertising their "services" in elaborate (and expensive) TV and printed commercials. It is mind boggling that our Government permits this...or is it, considering that most of our elected officials are also attorneys. Hmmmm...

And who are the real losers in this (other than the poor uninsured smuck that accidentally rear-ended someone)...the insurance industry, since they're the ones paying for most of the settlements. Or is it us? Are we the ones loosing the most...by no longer taking responsibility for our actions, by seeking the easy way out, the quick buck...are we loosing our integrity by making a mockery of our legal system and our society...are we loosing ourselves?

What's the deal with cigarettes???

OK, so yesterdays post got me thinking about smoking...just like most everybody, I tried it as a teen and young adult, but just didn't like it. It tasted gross, it smelled gross...and yellow teeth and coughing fits are just not cool! LOL

So while I am an avid non-smoker, I don't think that I have the right to tell people what to do. Restaurants and bars SHOULD have a smoking section. I mean all those restrictions placed on smokers...might as well make nicotine a controlled substance!!! The other side of the coin is that I also don't believe that someone who CHOOSES to smoke should be able to file a lawsuit against the cigarette companies!!! It is completely ludicrous that any court would allow this (I think the McDonald coffee lady and the idiot judge/jury hearing her case started this trend. Thanks!) And please don't tell me that they (the tobacco companies) add things to the cigarettes to make them addictive...you have a CHOICE, you KNOW the risks, so deal with the CONSEQUENCES!!!

Please, pray tell, why are the distilleries not getting sued??? Alcohol is also addicting; it also causes serious health problems (cirrhosis of the liver, fetal alcohol syndrome, etc.) and just like second-hand smoke, it kills innocent people in the form of drunk drivers. So what is the difference??? I guess the alcohol industry has better lobbyists!!!

What's the deal with drugs???

Let me preface this by saying that personally, I have NEVER "done" drugs, I haven't even smoked a joint, nor do I care to! I think people who give in to peer pressure like that and end up getting addicted are WEAK! I despise weakness!

Having said that, I think that we should do what Holland does...legalize and tax the stuff. Put warning labels on the packaging, like with cigarettes. It would help fill our depleted coffers and eliminate at least some of the crime associated with drug running. Let our prisons be filled with "real" criminals and let the druggies be someone else's problem. In my opinion, drug addiction is not a criminal problem...just like any other addiction. Why does it matter whether you're addicted to smoking, alcohol, drugs or sex...the root of the problem is the addiction, not the substance. Prisons should not be forced rehab centers. Besides, it is my understanding that you can get pretty much anything in prison anyway...

I know this idea needs some more thought. Details need to be worked out and I'm sure scufflaws would try to continue to smuggle stuff in order to avoid paying the tax (gotta keep up those profit margins)...probably drugs would be more expensive?! Or maybe not, perhaps the already high (no pun intended) cost is associated with the illicit and seedy way the drugs are obtained. Hey, it may even stop at least a few young people from ever trying it, since I believe the same rule applies as with alcohol...it's only interesting because it's forbidden!!!

What's the deal with alcohol??

OK...I guess I'm having trouble with this concept because I was born and raised in Europe!! We grow up with what I would like to call a more "normal" relationship with alcohol. It's not the forbidden "pleasure" that it is here in our country.

I just can't grasp the concept that at age 16 you are allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, a potentially lethal weapon. At age 18, you can vote, you can be tried as an adult in a court of law (in some cases at an even younger age), you can fight and die for your country. But God forbid you should have a beer!!! Someone please explain! For one, this "law" does NOT seem to stop young people from drinking...I say it even enhances the allure...doing something "forbidden" makes it all the more interesting for a young person. I also believe that it creates a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol and drinking that's carried over into adulthood.

Growing up in an environment where alcohol is readily available and drinking is not made into this forbidden pleasure, yes, people do drink, and yes, young people experiment, but because it's no big deal, they focus their attention on other things and leave the drinking for a party, etc. Today, as an adult, I have a drink every now and then, but I don't drink every day and I rarely get drunk...case in point! :)

Farewell To Michael Jackson

You can't be of my generation and not feel something at his passing! He WAS the 80's! To most of us he was an enigma, but to 3 little people he was simply "Daddy". Finally seeing his (?) children after all this time is captivating and hearing little Paris profess her love for her father was simply heartbreaking! They have lost the only parent they knew, are now thrust into the limelight and might become pawns in a bid for their late father's estate. I pray that whatever happens will truly happen for the best of those children. I also pray that Michael Jackson has finally found the peace that eluded him in life! RIP!!!