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I don't think anyone would disagree that the second most-talked about political issue this year (with the economy being at the top) is health care. And it's a subject where, while I definitely believe there are a lot of issues that need to be fixed with the American health care system, I'm not entirely convinced that going to a government-run system is the answer.
I've read different articles regarding the Canadian health care system (the first one Americans supporting government-run health care point to as a reason why we need said government-run health care) that paint different pictures... either that it's a system Canadians love or it's a system in which people wait extremely lengthy times to get care. It gets to the point where I have no idea what is closer to the truth.
I will say this, though: I'd be careful about diving head-first into a government-run system. And the reason is, while Canadians in general do support their government-run system, the weaknesses with it, regardless whether they are rare or commonplace, are reasons why you have to be careful rushing into such a system.
From what I've gathered, the real advantages Americans have is that prescription drugs are easier to come by and that insurance plans here cover them (they don't in Canada) and there is a shorter waiting period for long-term care services or treatmentsr. While for Canadians, the real advantages are that primary and emergency care are more accessible and there is no waiting for them.
The latter two, I think, are where most Americans are concerned about. People who have no insurance still get emergency care (a factor that drives up insurance costs), and with regards to regular checkups, people can sometimes be scratching their heads as to exactly what their insurance provider (if they have one) may or may not cover and what a doctor may or may not want to do.
The one thought I have is this: Rather than having the government run the show, maybe the talk needs to be about simplifying the current insurance system so that there is uniformity as to what is covered for an annual checkup, thus more people will get such checkups, are less likely to run into problems requiring more expensive treatments, and thus lowering health care costs for people and lowering the costs the insurance companies pay.
Addressing the emergency care side is a bit trickier... but I think some simple solutions can be reached to address primary care and that could go a long way to not just addressing people's concerns, but also to addressing the issue as to why health care costs run pretty high in the United States. |
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A nonprofit organization that volunteers time and services for Sugarite Canyon State Park (that's the state park which is a 10-minute drive from Raton) is putting together what they call the Poor Man's Yacht Race, something that hasn't been held since 2001.
And with that, here's the story I wrote about the 2001 event.
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I am one of those fantasy football fans who does not believe in ranking kickers. The reason is that kickers seldom, if ever, make a difference in terms of putting together a fantasy football championship team. Additionally, the top-ranked fantasy kicker in recent years has often been a kicker that was never drafted.
In past seasons, Neil Rackers, Mason Crosby and Robbie Gould finished as the top fantasy kicker in terms of total points scored, based on Yahoo's default scoring. And those three were seldom drafted by anyone, if at all, prior to the years they finished on top.
Last season, some ranked Stephen Gostkowksi the top fantasy kicker and that is where he finished, based on Yahoo's default scoring. But that was the exception... the rule with fantasy kickers is that the top one often ends up being one nobody expected to be anywhere close to the top.
So rather than give you rankings, I give you four categories with four examples in each. There is a category for kickers who gets lots of PAT attempts given their high-scoring offenses, kickers who excel from long range, kickers that may not get drafted but have sleeper potential, and kickers who may be drafted based on certain factors but could easily turn into fantasy busts.
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When it comes to knowing what fantasy defense to add to your squad, it's important to remember that you are basing it on the unit as a whole. This means fantasy players should pay attention to what changes were made to the lineup, if the team is switching to a new scheme or if a new defensive coordinator is in place, as all of them can have an impact on how said defense does from one season to the next.
And while not all 2008 numbers can be relied upon, some can provide good indicators as to which units should be among the best to have, and which ones may not be elite but could prove useful.
As always, it's best not to draft a team defense too early... wait until the later rounds of your draft before making your selection.
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Continuing with the rankings, it's worth noting that the tight end position is quite deep from a fantasy standpoint. While the truly elite tight ends are few in number, many can contribute to fantasy teams, be it as an every-week starter or as one best played in favorable matchups.
And past seasons have shown that new finds can emerge among fantasy tight ends, so keeping an eye on the waiver wire can be helpful.
As with receivers, taking a tight end can also depend on your league's scoring system, as some are more valuable in those that emphasize touchdowns, while others carry plenty of value in leagues that score points for receptions. So keep your league's scoring system in mind when considering a tight end.
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| » Medical Malpractice Myth |
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With the debate about what the government should or shouldn't do regarding health care, there naturally comes the issue of just how much do medical malpractice suits come into play.
Here's an excerpt from Tom Baker's book The Medical Malpractice Myth... the excerpt alone gives some pretty good detail as to how the "malpractice suit" angle some push, while it may be a factor in health care costs, isn't as big a factor as people may think.
While I remain skeptical about the federal government expanding its role in health care, I remain of the belief that some changes need to happen, particularly with the insurance industry. Baker does credit folks in the insurance industry as being intelligent people, but they do appear to be folks who need to get a better grasp on what the problems really are and not just assume one factor alone represents the bulk of the problem.
Jun. 25th, 2009 @ 09:37 am
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| » Fantasy Football 2009: Wide Receiver Rankings |
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It's been a while since I touched upon fantasy football, but now my wide receiver rankings are finally completed.
One thing to keep in mind when drafting receivers is to keep your league's scoring system in mind. Certain receivers hold greater value in leagues that score points for receptions, while others will carry more weight in yardage-heavy leagues. And then there are those receivers who tend to be red zone targets, meaning they carry more value in leagues that emphasize touchdowns.
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Jun. 22nd, 2009 @ 03:15 pm
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| » Heh |
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Via Donklephant.
Jun. 22nd, 2009 @ 11:27 am
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| » This Is The Problem With Government |
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When Barack Obama ran for the Presidency, he promised more transperancy in the government. He's done that to an extent, but certainly nowhere near what he promised in his Presidential campaign.
But you know what really angers me about this New York Times article? It's this:
Five months into his administration, Mr. Obama has signed two dozen bills, but he has almost never waited five days. On the recent credit card legislation, which included a controversial measure to allow guns in national parks, he waited just two.
It's not just the part that Obama hasn't waited the five days he said he would before signing legislation.
It's also the fact that the credit card legislation included the provision about guns being allowed in national parks, when those two issues have NOTHING in relation to each other.
That annoys me just as much as Congressmen who attach pork projects to bills. Everything should be considered on its own merits, not just thrown in to appease somebody or otherwise get their votes.
Jun. 22nd, 2009 @ 11:13 am
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| » Where Else To Get Iranian Updates |
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Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit is doing plenty of blogging as well regarding what is happening in Irawn.
He is frequently linking to Michael Totten, who is giving a lot of updates regarding such developments.
Jun. 17th, 2009 @ 11:29 am
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| » And It Continues... |
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More from Donklephant on the recent Iranian election, including a few ayatollahs in Iran itself who are calling into question claims of Ahmadinejad winning decisively.
Is it possible Ahmadinejad truly won the election? Sure, it's possible.
But given the protests in Iran, I somehow doubt if he won, it was as decisive as the 2-to-1 margin that some polling suggested it might be.
I would hope those in Iran who are expressing their displeasure keep doing so... and that those of you reading this who want to see real change in Iran will support those Iranians who are expressing their displeasure.
Jun. 17th, 2009 @ 11:05 am
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| » More On Iran |
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Andrew Sullivan has also kept busy providing updates regarding what is transpiring in Iran.
Regardless of how widespread protests are, the actual legitimacy of the election or how much power the Iranian president really yields, I am crossing my fingers that the developments in Iran can become a catalyst for some real change in that nation.
Such change may be a longshot, but if change were to occur, the impact on the Middle East would be significant. Iran is a large domino with regards to the sovereignty of Israel and the possible settlement of issues between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the potential for true democracy to ultimately emerge in Iran. Plus it may also benefit Iran's economy, which has not been in good shape under Ahmadinejad.
Ahmadinejad may very well have carried the majority vote... but if that minority continues to be vocal, it will ultimately make a difference. Here's hoping that minority remains vocal.
Jun. 15th, 2009 @ 02:59 pm
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| » Election Day In Iran |
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If you take a trip over to Donklephant (a centrist blog I added to my list of links a few days ago), you'll get yourself a LOT of discussion about what is going on in Iran.
Specifically, the belief that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his cronies were involved in election fraud, in looking to prevent Mir Hossein Mousavi (said to be more willing to open relations with the United States than the guy Gib calls President Wackypants) from winning last Friday's presidential election in Iran.
While it remains to be seen whether anything really comes of an investigation into election fraud (and some folks at Donklephant are doubtful it will), what isn't in doubt is that plenty of Iran's citizens are not happy about things.
The next few weeks, or even months, are going to tell a lot about Iran's future and just how that might impact the Middle East... and part of me wonders if, whether or not Ahmadinejad is declared to have done nothng wrong, that his days as an Iranian leader are numbered.
UPDATE: More from Donklephant, which indicates that reports of election fraud, to the point it cost Mousavi the election, may not be all that accurate. Still, the initial reaction by Iranians to those reports would point to that, while Ahmadinejad may have won fairly, his overall support could be considered shaky. And the fact certain Iranians have been... shall we say, vocal... with regard to the results could mean pressure for change from within in the future. We shall see.
Jun. 15th, 2009 @ 09:40 am
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| » Just Another Day At The Office |
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So I went back into the newspaper office this evening because I needed to make a phone call there. As I enter the office and make my way to my desk, I suddenly feel like I stepped into something.
I look down and saw it was the universal sign that a dog had been there.
Turns out the folks in the mail room had brought their dog with them, and when one of the workers came to the front of the office to get something, the dog followed. Apparently the dog figured, since business is conducted in an office, he'd take care of business at that point.
It's one of those things, when it first happens, you are none too happy about it (especially after I had a hectic past two days of work).
But then again, a part of me just can't help but laugh at how absurd it is to have a dog doing his thing in a newspaper office.
Jun. 11th, 2009 @ 07:56 pm
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| » Jim Cornette On Politics |
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All the political pundits out there can take a back seat to the man who is the master of going off on a rant, Jim Cornette.
No, it's not that I agree with everything Cornette has to say... it's that when it comes to going off on an endless tangent, Cornette is the master of it.
(Warning: There is a lot of cursing on the linked podcast, so it is neither family friendly nor work friendly.)
Jun. 6th, 2009 @ 11:35 am
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| » Fantasy Football 2009: Running Backs |
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My fantasy football rankings continue with the running backs.
Many team's backfields will see two backs split the load, and a few may have backfields by committee, but that doesn't mean these backs have reduced value. Several of the top fantasy backs were part of these multiple-back offenses, so you can still find value if you look in the right places.
One thing to remember is, if a team has a workhorse back, to grab the backup as a handcuff. With split backfields, it may be tougher to get the top two as the secondary back often has good value as a No. 3 fantasy back.
In some cases, there will be battles in training camp to determine the depth charts to start the season, so keep checking the status of all the backs. Use the rankings as a guide for this point of the offseason, but changes can certainly happen depending on how the depth charts ultimately take shape.
( Read more... )
Jun. 5th, 2009 @ 03:46 pm
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| » Budget Hero Follow Up |
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A few weeks ago, I brought up the Budget Hero game, in which you can try your hand at making budget adjustments, based on 2008 figures, and see what impact they have in the coming years.
I've done my latest experiment and ended up with quite the result. I'll tell you in advance, though, that some of the things I did are likely to be unpopular among some people.
What I did is below the cut, along with my results. For further explanation of the items mentioned, you can check the Budget Hero game yourself.
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Jun. 2nd, 2009 @ 08:30 pm
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| » Fantasy Football 2009: Quarterback Rankings |
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Summertime is the point when fantasy sports thoughts start to turn toward football.
While there's still several weeks remaining before training camps get underway, there is still plenty to gauge as to how players may stack up from a fantasy standpoint.
I'll be posting my early rankings over the coming weeks, starting with the quarterbacks.
( Read more... )
Jun. 1st, 2009 @ 03:39 pm
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| » No Surprise |
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General Motors has filed for bankruptcy.
My reaction, obviously, is the title of the post. And nor should anyone be surprised... like Chrysler, the company has had plenty of issues and didn't do a good job addressing them. Ford showed better insight regarding what needed to be done and that American automaker is in better shape for it.
Obviously, the bankruptcy filing doesn't mean the end of GM. But it should hopefully mean a smarter business plan for GM in the future. And in particular, the company should work to make more reliable cars that last a while, and vehicles that better suit the needs of drivers.
Jun. 1st, 2009 @ 10:14 am
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| » Raton Range Highlights: Youth Hunter Education |
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It's been a while since I posted a story I wrote for The Raton Range in the 10 years I've been with the paper.
Every other summer, the NRA Whittington Center (located southwest of Raton) hosts the NRA International Youth Hunter Education Challenge. It will return this summer... it's an event that draws hundreds of youth and even more spectators.
Here's the story I wrote on the 2007 event:
( Read more... )
May. 29th, 2009 @ 09:16 am
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