A Dixie Carpetbagger

I just finished one of Heinlein’s essays (the last one in the Expanded Universe), where he projects the 1980 deficit.  He then marvels at how our government at our government would be half a trillion in debt, and points out the staggering amount that is a trillion.  He uses the fact that the Earth’s pole star will change from Polaris to Alrai to Alvahat to Vega and back to Polaris in the time it takes you to count to a trillion– if you count up by one every second of every day… for a little less than 32,000 years.  (31,709, to be exact.)

Be glad Bob was cremated– Southern California probably couldn’t stand the vibrations if he wasn’t… because he’d be SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE.  Right now, we’re over $13,000,000,000,000 (thirteen trillion) in debt and climbing.  That means every citizen (not just the taxpayers) owes over $42,000 in debt.

And you wonder why our economy is bad?  Hell, not even “bad” anymore– unbelievable, in every aspect– the debt, our unemployment… heck, even the statistics are bad.

Having now joined the rest of “the civilized world” by passing the health care control bill, we’re now going ro have to join the rest of the world in some other things, too.  Like having a VAT (value added tax).  And high unemployment.

In other words, we just formed up on the rest of the squadron, and they’re about to go all lawn-dart-y.

So, “Me Generation” Obama voters… you’ll be unemployed and living in your parent’s house.  But, hey, you’ll have health care!  Just consider the wait time as free entertainment, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

(H/T Tam)

The Massachusetts healthcare system is being gamed.

Thousands of consumers are gaming Massachusetts’ 2006 health insurance law by buying insurance when they need to cover pricey medical care, such as fertility treatments and knee surgery, and then swiftly dropping coverage, a practice that insurance executives say is driving up costs for other people and small businesses.

If there were only some highly popular one word answer from a movie to this situation…

(H/T Uncle)

Had an awesome Thanksgiving… three dinners in 24 hours.  However, I’m paying for it now.  I feel like just sitting here– which is good, seeing as I have papers to type.  So, I’ll be sitting here for a while…

Now, have a happy Black Friday, and remember that the American economy is strapped to Santa’s… sleigh.