How absurd it seems, that each of the fifty states among these United States can decide for themselves, according to dominent local biases and beliefs, who can marry within their own borders, and who can not.

"...in the name of Jesus."

I watched a chilling expose of African priests accusing small children of witchcraft and subjecting them to grisly exorcisms--not a giant conceptual leap from our own shamen stigmatizing babies with original sin.

Try as I may, I can think of no way in which I would be personally diminished by permitting gay marriage.

I received my $250 stimulus check. I can't decide whether to repair a highway or build a bridge.

post hoc ergo propter hoc (redux)

Following 9/11/01, Bush-Cheney launched an Inquisition ("Enhanced Interrogation Techniques") to combat Terrorism. Since then, there has not been another major attack on American soil. Torture works. Be a Patriot, torture a terrorist.

From 2001 to 2008, average U.S. temperature rose by 0.2 degrees Celsius. During that time, there has not been another major attack on American soil. Global Warming works. Be a Patriot, hang on to your Hummer.

In the debate between President Obama and former Vice President Cheney re: use of torture to keep us safe, the president must ultimately lose. Sooner or later, there will be another terrorist attack; when that happens, uncritical Americans will embrace Cheney's predictable post hoc conclusion: "Told you so!"

"We should look forward, not back."

If we fail to learn from History by exposing the previous criminal Adminstration, we are doomed to a succession of future criminal Administrations.

To the Editor

----- Original Message -----
To: letters@pressofac.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:01 AM
Subject: Health Care Costs

The letter writer (Voice of the People, 5/13) is right when she notes that malpractice suits constitute only a relatively small percentage of total health care costs. She is wrong, however, when she posits, instead, that excessive "paperwork...and huge salaries...of insurance executives" are "the reason for the outrageous cost of health care." We do need to streamline the administrative aspects of our medical system. And we do need tort reform. But physicians, themselves, directly or indirectly, generate the vast majority of health care costs: only physicians admit patients to hospitals and determine their lengths of stay, only physicians perform surgical procedures, only physicians order diagnostic tests and prescription drugs. Want to reduce "outrageous" health care costs? To do so, one must recognize that costs are a function of both price (fees) and volume (utilization); both factors must be addressed simultaneously. First, develop fair and consistent provider fee schedules that control fee escalation and reward effective, efficient professional practices. Second, implement mandatory educational provider Quality Assurance Programs aimed at eliminating unnecessary, inappropriate (and often dangerous) medical services. As we achieve optimal quality, optimal utilization (and cost) must follow, automatically and inevitably.

Just following orders?

I am disappointed that President Obama has elected not to prosecute the Bush-Cheney advocates and practitioners of torture. If our laws are not to be applied to the law makers and law enforcers, whence our moral authority to apply the laws to anyone?

Have Pith Helmet, Will Travel

I call my home The Aerie (The Eagle's Nest) and insist that it is as close to Xanadu as I am likely ever to get! This was supposed to be my Final Destination--then Fickle Fate stepped in; a Perfect Storm of personal circumstances coalesced to convince me that it's time to move on to my next Excellent Adventure.