He seemed to be posing for me while I waited for some help at the pet store.
2011-01-30
2011-01-29
2011-01-28
Seriouly, read this. The average savings will be either 10% or is it that is will cost you 30%!!??
Health Care Costs In Question As Obama Administration Grant Waivers
Published January 28, 2011 FoxNews.com
The Obama Administration claimed Friday its health care law will bring down costs for everyone once it takes full effect in 2014, even as the President made fun of its critics.
"You may have heard once or twice that this is a job-crushing, granny-threatening, budget-busting monstrosity. That's about how it's been portrayed by opponents," he joked to laughter among the crowd at a FamiliesUSA conference in Washington.
A new Health and Human Services Report states that families will save money under the law.
The original source of that conclusion is a 2009 analysis from the Congressional Budget office that looked at some provisions and predicted that "Average [health care] premiums would be seven to 10 percent lower..."
But the same analysis also predicted that other provisions of the law would have the opposite effect, saying "Average [health care] premiums would be 27 percent to 30 percent higher..."
That prompted Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, the Republican chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to issue a statement saying "This report would be laughable if it wasn't so disingenuous. The facts remain clear: the Democrats' health care law increases health care costs."
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has now tripled the number of waivers granted to employers who cannot meet with the requirements of the new law -- from a little more than 200 to more than 700.
"Even the Obama administration is admitting by granting these waivers that they better make some exceptions or they're going to have the unintended consequence of having more uninsured, not less," according to Jim Capretta of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a former official in the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004.
John Goodman of the National Center for Policy Analysis says "What's happening is the federal government is trying to force workers to have a health insurance plan that's more expensive than they or their employers can afford."
The law now forces all plans to offer at least 750,000 dollars in annual benefits, but the administration has already granted waivers to McDonald's and other low wage firms.
Goodman and others fear employers will just drop insurance altogether and pay the penalties, or hire fewer people.
"The cheapest thing for an employer not to do is not to hire people," Goodman says, "to hire only temporary workers. To hire contract laborers. And then you get out from under the fines. You get out from under the mandates, but is that really where we want to go?"
Hundreds of entities from banks to church groups to school districts are saying they can't live up to the law.
The group also includes dozens of unions chapters, most of which supported passage of the bill -- from electrical workers to Teamsters to the Service Employees Union, which organizes low wage workers.
Even a union representing NY Firefighters asked for a waiver, as well as several states whose own health care requirements were lower than the new federal law.
The waivers last for a year but can be renewed until 2014, at which point everyone has to get insurance from their employer, or through state run exchanges where those making less than 80 thousand dollars a year will get federal subsidies.
"They will be eligible for a new federal subsidy structure that will provide them with discounted premiums. That's the new entitlement in the health care law that's going to be so expensive."
And at the moment, the cost is the hottest issue. The administration promises everyone can have better health care at lower prices. Critics say they're spending a trillion dollars over ten years... and that money has to come from somewhere.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/28/health-care-costs-question-obama-administration-grant-waivers/#ixzz1CNpQN8qa
Man! I wish you could blog a smell!
I walk in the house and am BOWLED OVER by the awesome smell of toasted and chopped spices! Wow! It smells good!
2011-01-27
2011-01-26
Government Math
So, let me get this right... You ramp up spending to the highest level EVER, by FAR. Then you say, We're going to freeze spending at that high level and it's going to save $26 Billion over FIVE years. That's $5 Billion per year. We are running at a $1,300 Billion ($1.3 Trillion) YEARLY deficit! If you buy the logic that freezing spending increases saves you money, still Were talking about a proposal that cuts a whopping 0.3% out of our OVERAGE of the yearly budget. It sure seems like that's going to help...
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The Wall Street Article:
WASHINGTON—The federal government's budget deficit is expected to grow about 14% to $1.48 trillion by the end of the current fiscal year, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703293204576105902436635610.html
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Obama to call for spending freeze (The Lookout)
White House officials are now telling reporters that the president will call for a five-year freeze on discretionary spending, "as a down payment toward reducing the deficit."
But the freeze appears largely symbolic. It won't affect the major contributors to the federal deficit: Social Security, Medicare, and defense spending. It also won't apply to interest payments on the federal debt, homeland security or foreign aid -- the latter being a favorite target of small government advocates, though it represents a tiny share of government spending.
The plan would save a modest $26 billion over five years, the White House says.
Separately, President Obama will get behind a plan by Defense Secretary Bob Gates to cut defense spending by $78 billion, the White House says.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110125/us_yblog_thelookout/obama-to-call-for-spending-freeze-but-major-items-unaffected
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2011-01-24
My "Welcome to Invotec" plant is doing it's best...
It's trying to grow right through the winter and has found its way to my window.
2011-01-23
BucketLoads of MegaDeath fun
I think we were nearly rolling on the floor with fits of laughter. We had a "Dad war" as the kids called it. Best part, it was ALL from the comfort of my easy chair! ;)
Magno Bat: A Story by Johnny
Once upon a time, there was a teensy,weensy bat named Magno-Bat. He lived in a peaceful place called fanciful forest . The towns-critters were scared because each morning they found huts had been destroyed during the night. Magno-Bat was looking for bugs one night, since he's nocturnal, when he looked toward the sound he saw Mr.Ptero, the pterodactyl , busting up a hut.
"STOP!" "STOP!" Magno-bat yelled.
"Lay off, you creepy little bug eater!" Mr. Ptero growled.
All the critters woke up because of all the noise. They came running out to see what was happening. They all stood there aghast.
"Ptero, I challenge you to a flying race. The loser is banished forever," Magno-bat bravely said .
"Agreed!" Mr. Ptero smuggly said.
"Meet me at the raceway at 5:00 and we'll settle this ," Magno-bat said, as the critters cheered.
So at 5:00 everyone gathered to see the race. Everyone felt Magno-bat would win, but they were still a little anxious that he might lose .
Then the race began. All the critters cheered "YAY!" "YAY!" "YAY!" for Magno-bat. Early on, Mr. Ptero was in the lead, but when they got to the finish line it was too close to call. Mr.Ptero claimed he won, but when he saw the photo finish Magno-bat won by one centimeter.
Then Mr.Ptero had a baby fit and busted up one more hut. They all banished him to Fiery Forest where it's always hot. Then they all had a HERO PARTY for Magno-Bat, and made him their king.
Laser sight!
Johnny and I used a $2 laser pointer and 10 cents of Velcro to make a VERY accurate laser sight for his Nerf dart tag gun! Look out!
20110123-Vortex
Check out this video!
The boys and I have been saving up pop bottles so we could do this little trick of tying them together.
Johny: "It's a world pool!"
Andy: "I made my very first tornado!"
2011-01-22
How many words...?
Mom is reading her list of how many "i" words you can think of in 70 minutes. She's 70, so if you got to 70, game over! We won with 3 minutes to go.
Among the list:
Ignorant
In-laws
These were the best... HaHa
Andy was up early today!
He was dying to work more on his set. He finished it, now! They're having a blast rescuing all the Toy Story figures from the incinerator. :)
2011-01-21
The power of saving!
Andy's been saving his money for a special set. It arrived today. The best part is he learned that God loves a cheerful giver. They've learned to tithe and also set aside 10% in the bank. When he had finally saved enough, above that for the set, we found it for 20% off! On top of that, it arrived about 4 days early!
A night out on the town.
We we're given dinner by one of my favorite computer clients! Yum. Meadowlark!
Thanks Larry and Julie!
2011-01-19
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