Monday, July 27, 2009

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park is (Crystal Wind Chime) is:

Earth’s scars of human destruction (click title to entry - thank you)
By Irene Klotz Irene Klotz – Mon Jul 27, 7:28 am ET
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – A Canadian astronaut aboard the International Space Station said on Sunday it looks like Earth's ice caps have melted a bit since he was last in orbit 12 years ago.
Bob Thirsk, who is two months into a planned six-month stay aboard the station, said he is mostly in awe when he looks out the window, particularly at the sliver of atmosphere wrapped around the planet.
"It's a very thin veil of atmosphere around the Earth that keeps us alive," Thirsk said during an in-flight news conference. "Most of the time when I look out the window I'm in awe. But there are some effects of the human destruction of the Earth as well."
"This is probably just a perception, but I just have the feeling that the glaciers are melting, the snow capping the mountains is less than it was 12 years ago when I saw it last time," Thrisk said. "That saddens me a little bit."...


Astronaut Thrisk is more than qualified to make the observations he has regarding melting ice fields and planet caps. Observation is a scientifically sound method of analysis. If Astronaut Thrisk sees differences in the 'ice' of Earth from 215 miles above Earth the actual deterioration is significant.

Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary in 1976, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1978, a Doctorate of Medicine from McGill University in 1982, and a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1998.

Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Local Time: 2:47 PM AKDT (GMT -08)

Elevation :: 33 feet

Temperature :: 63 Fahrenheit

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 94%

Dew Point :: 61 Fahrenheit

Wind :: 4 mph from the West

Pressure :: 30.41 (steady)

Visibility :: 1.2 miles

UV :: 2 of 16

Clouds :: Scattered Clouds 1100 feet

Mostly Cloudy 6000 feet

Overcast 10,000 feet
(Above ground)

In 2008, the Mayo Clinic organization had group revenues of $7.2 billion. Net income was $205.3 million.


The Mayo Clinic makes a lot of money every year. A significant amount comes from Medicare. Hospitals surviving in the year 2009 aren't structured entirely around the monies paid for their services. Some are serviced by trust funds and other financial tools.

However.

Most are non-profit organizations.

But.

They are not really non-profit, but, they get away with it.

The hospitals in the USA with substantial incomes have a lot of financial mechanisms they use to remain solvent. They also aren't allowed, under USA law, to keep all their PROFITS as a non-profit. If a hospital has revenues from all sources that are showing significant profits they have to 'spend down' their incomes in order to maintain their non-profit status.

If one will notice, most major hospitals never stop building. That is because their income is so significant they have to continually have 'projects' to keep their monies.

ASK YOUSELF when you received an annual 'health care rebate' from your physician or hospital that operates as a non-profit. I already know the answer is never. Why should they send a rebate to their customers? That would relay the "W"rong message after all.


The chronic building of facilities may very well be more of an issue than the nation would like to address, but, these are huge entities with 'ideologies' of their own. They like to think they are the 'kindest' entity in any region of the country. Large hospital systems don't like to be questioned in their priorities and usually aren't. If they want to add facilities for whatever reason they do, there is always the understanding from the public that it is benefitting them. That is not necessarily the case. What is the case is that they are 'using' their monies and therefore legitimizing their 'income.'

Hospitals and health care systems also receive government monies that subsidize their activities. They aren't about to give that up either.

The issues that surround such organizations gets interesting. How many MRIs does a community need? Are there more in the area housed in physician facilities that are under utilized?

I believe the infrastructure of American Health Care will be better realized and utilized when there is some degree of cost controls. Right now there aren't any. There is also no 'oversight' to the enormity of some of these systems and the inherent 'chaos' and 'fiscal losses' that come with such huge entities.

The CEOs of these hospital systems will have to look closely at their expenditures and begin to realize they aren't going to have the 'usual' monies to 'throw around.'

One of the failures of the Bush/Cheney Administration is their willingness to allow community hospitals to close down without review or thought about the loss of community beds. One of the things that will become obvious to many CEOs is that the 'habits' of consolidation and elimination of competition is just a bad idea.

The health care 'infrastruture' will be fine. The people of the USA will be fine. The financial stability of these institutions are sound. Very sound. The 'awakening' that will occur following a National Health Care Reform Bill will be good for the country, good for 'affordable' health care and will bring the health care industry into 'line' with other corporations.

It is okay for a non-profit hospital to have a bad year. BUT. They never do. They all complain about Medicare reimbursement, but, they never complain about the elimination of competition that would accommodate the Medicare patient. They absolutely need Medicare patients as they are the backbone of many of the practices of their physicians.

Reform within our health care system will provide better infrastructure for the care of individuals. Whatever loss any health care system sustains regarding government programs is for their better outcome. They can't make all that much money every year.

The Health Care Reform Bill will be the vehicle for change in the USA. Health care will mature and research will become a focus of improving health in general. Remember also, these hospitals don't just treat Americans, they are entities that draw global populations to their doors. There is a lot to be done, but, increasing the cost of health care to Americans will have to stop and better, more efficient care will have to result. There is no room for arrogance in this health care measure, but, more like cooperation.

Mayo definately accepts Medicare. They, no different than many other hospitals, handle Medicare B in a variety of ways. They selected to be a non-participating provider, but, it is to provide venues of 'collection' whether Americans can afford it or not. It is a bit draconian, actually, when considering whom they are actually chasing for money. I would anticipate that to change somewhat.

Mayo Clinic is a non-participating provider in the Medicare Program. (click here)
We do not accept assignment on claims submitted to Part B Medicare except:
where the law requires us to;
...in the case of documented financial hardship;
...when the supplemental insurance is a contract payer;
...when the patient resides in the state of Minnesota.
When claims are sent to Medicare on a non-assigned basis,...


Have a better day and trust your President. He is a brilliant man with sincere concern for the people of this country. That translates into being sure all their health care providers can successfully provide care.

Enough already.

Orrin Hatch is ranting again regarding protecting the wealthy instead of securing a National Health Care Reform Bill. He invited all those..

...listening at home to pay attention and comment. So, I figured I'd oblige him.

You know, Orrin Hatch made a remarkable statement. He said he's been around a long time in Washington, DC and have seen a lot of folks come and go. I agree. I also believe Orrin Hatch has been a liability for Utah for a long, long time. No one can get rid of him. I really need to take a look to see what exactly Utah thinks they are getting with him. Military money or what?

At any rate, Orrin has got issues. Poor Orrin. To begin with, when he doesn't get his way and he speaks ;he yells. That is what he is doing now. The decibles have done nothing but increase in his voice since he started having his FIT.

When he or Jeff Sessions have no clear answers for the nation's problems they resort to name calling. I guess that is better than nothing, but, they CHRONICALLY have a hatred of minorities. Currently, everyone from the President to Judge Sotomayor.

So, as long as Orrin and Sessions intend on character assassination as a methodolgy to resolving the nation's problems, I thought I'd do some of my own. I am confident that is not why Orrin invited 'the folks at home' to join in. He and the majority of Republicans remain clueless in believing that if they call on enough wealthy 'at home' they can defeat the bills of the Obama Administration. Will all the wealthy please raise their hands in support of Orrin and Sessions?

Not many, huh?

With that reality, there is some question about whether the surcharge will actually do what we believe it will, huh? That wasn't Orrin's point though. He is counting on the majority of the nation, the Middle Class and Lower Middle Class to see the benefits of allowing the wealthy to keep every penny in hopes they will create at least enough jobs to build each of them a yacht.

I tell you what, why don't we 'cut back' on all the taxes on the wealthy at Christmas so they can purchase their boats and get it over with. Then perhaps they'll 'feel better' about doing their part otherwise.

There you go, Orrin. Whatever floats your boat, honey.




During the unprecedented, raucous — at times even surreal — Senate hearings investigating the sexual harassment allegations Anita Hill made against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, Orrin Hatch accused the University of Oklahoma law professor of having words put in her mouth. He claimed that Hill, in collusion with “slick lawyers” bent on derailing Thomas’s nomination, had concocted the whole tale. And on October 12, 1991, Hatch accused Hill of fabricating charges against Thomas by subconsciously drawing on works of fiction she had read. Waving a copy of William Peter Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist, Hatch suggested that she’d stolen the by-then-infamous “pubic hair” anecdote from the book by quoting the following line: “There appeared to be an alien pubic hair floating around in my gin.”...

Sarah Palin in her 'exit speech' stated the wildlife of Alaska was flourishing.



Really? I wish she would simply stop her rhetoric and take her incompetency home with her. Her resignation is due to her own polarizing demeanor. She can't get along with people. She is too extreme.

She promoted teen pregnancy. There can't be consent to teen pregnancy in the USA. She opened her family up to scrutiny when she accepted the nomination by John McCann. She was wrong to do it. She hadn't even proved herself in government yet and she was flaunting her family as a means to political d0mination of 'privacy rights' of women. She was wrong to do it.

The Right Wing Republicans consent to pregnancy in children to validate their social moral policies. It is hideous. Completely. What was to happen under McCann/Palin, more and more teens having babies? The entire mess was an outrage and invalidated the conscience of Americans to have options for young people with lives that would suffer adversely if abortion was to become obsolete in the USA. Palin was completely wrong for federal office and it was an extremist position taken by McCann seeking the woman's vote and conservative vote.

Where does the Blue Dogs get their name? Does that dog hunt?


The Bluetick Coonhound was breed and developed in the Southern USA. The Blue Dog Democrats became known as such because they primarily originated in the Southern USA.
The Blue Dogs came to prominence during the administration of Harry S. Truman as they replaced Republicans with Democrats for the first time.
They are known primarily for fiscal conservative measures, however, under the "W" administration they have wandered too far right and now are placing their own constituents 'at risk' because their ideologies are unable to see the forest for the trees. So, the question is, "Are they still able to be flexible enough to make that left move from the hard right to save their constituency from peril?"
There is doubt in regard to this cultural divide and they need to examine their conscience while being a 'swing' vote taunted by Republicans. It might be that 30 years of Republican fiscal policy not only caused the country to bankrupt the banking system, but, also bankrupt the American people out of 'moral content' for the sake of capitalist policy that simply doesn't work in areas of life where 'supply and demand' are unrealistic.
The 'idea' that Americans could get attention by doctors to enhance their lives developed in the 20th century. It is difficult to pursue life, liberty and happiness of an American isn't well enough to do it. Persons that 'suffer' fiscal strain due to health care costs cannot effectively contribute to an economy and will ultimately cost the country its tax base. Health care policy in the USA has to be a mandate providing every American a chance to contribute to their country's fiscal well being.