The Guild 12-13-2003 12 Days

[mountaineer]

You're correct about the urgent need for tort reform, and the unlikelihood Hillary would support it. Personal injury lawyers give bazillions in campaign contributions, but only to Democrat candidates, and Hillary's not about to kill that goose. The Dems think everyone's problems will be solved if the taxpayers pay for everyone else's "health insurance" and "prescription drugs," but without solving the lawsuit abuse problem, costs will just go up and up, and insurers will want to limit their liability however they can (as apparently was the case with your son).

[mountaineer]

Michael Jackson's gone Mooslimb, so to speak, having joined Calypso Louie's group. I wonder if he'll have to wear one of those nifty bowties.

December 18, 2003 -- EXCLUSIVE

The King of Pop is restyling himself Jacko X.

Michael Jackson last night became a member of the Nation of Islam - and sources told The Post his religious changeover comes along with a shake-up of his personal staff. High-ranking members of the Nation of Islam have been working to bring Jackson into Rev. Louis Farrakhan's flock - and Jackson's conversion is now well-known in the NOI community.

Exactly why Jackson converted wasn't clear to The Post's sources. But Fox News's Web site reported yesterday that Jackson's brother Jermaine, who converted to Islam in 1989, has been seeking to win favor with his more famous sibling, and has brought Farrakhan's chief of staff, Leonard F. Muhammad, into Jacko's inner circle as a "bodyguard."

That's just one of many changes under way in Jackson's inner circle, sources said.

Word of Jackson's religious conversion comes as prosecutors prepared to formally file charges against him in a California child-molestation case - and as authorities agreed to return Jackson's passport to him so he can travel to Great Britain this weekend. Jackson isn't expected to return until Jan. 6, lawyers said in court papers. Lawyers also agreed to put off Jackson's arraignment for five days, until Jan. 16. rest of story

[Aggie Mama]

Your mother has been added to my list list.

[Aggie Mama]

Prayers for your niece too. Don't ever hesitate to ask for prayer (although I am always hesitant to ask too)!

[Aggie Mama]

My "list" list? I meant my prayer list. That's what a night of fussy baby and 3 year old will do to you. LOL. =)

[mountaineer]

Thank you!

[pubmom]

Prayers for you mom, I hope it isn't as serious as it seems.

IG, we'll be praying for Shelly and Pat here.

[Endeavor]

prayers for your mom. Tongues do bleed a lot.

[BigWaveBetty]

Hey all, things have been busy!

I hope everyone's preparations are going smoothly.

Timeout, dems are getting very squirrelly (if that's possible).

former governors such as Dean have "a tendency to say what they think without having everything checked out before they do things."

LOL, this is a plus?

Still catching up, back later.

[BigWaveBetty]

Prayers on the way.

[pubmom]

I had my lunch nearly ruined today by a nut sitting in the booth behind me. He was YELLING about how we are an occupying force in Iraq and not liberators, and to believe anything else is dumb. Why are these people so loud?

I then turned to my 4 year-old daughter and I said "Let's go, I've had enough of Bartcop and DU for today."

Boy, did his head whip around fast, LOL! He asked me what time it was, and I said I honestly didn't know. So smart about Iraq, but too dumb to notice the Weather Channel was on the TV screen right above him with the time on it.

[Endeavor]

Coelho's remarks about voter's not giving a damn about Dean's propensity to change positions is almost ver batim what some woman campaign type who is pro-Dean said the other nite on tv. Talking points?

[Endeavor]

"Clinton predicted that "in 10 years we'll all have a chip that will hold our genetic information, and we can hand them to our doctors and they can tell which disease we have a genetic marker for. The problem is, that chip will make us all uninsurable. [And your evidence for this is ...?]"

Actually it's quite possible. That doesn't mean I agree with Hillary's point, which is to make all medical care govt run so people won't be dumped by their insurance carriers. Most likely, once we know the markers for certain diseases (I'm not holding to Hilly's 10 year mark - it will vary for each disease state) and what our personal genetic code looks like, insurers will likely charge you more if you carry a gene for breast cancer. Kinda like they charge teenage boys more for car insurance.

[Endeavor]

Sorry to hear about your neice and her husband. Will pray.

[mountaineer]

The Dems know their core constituency (which is essentially braindead) will vote for them, no matter how often they lie, waffle, contradict themselves or change positions. Looks like they're actually admitting it.

[mountaineer]

I think I was taken aback more by her broad "will make us all uninsurable" comment than by the notion of an allknowing chip. Given her belief in vast conspiracies, though, I shouldn't have been surprised by it.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Movie star Bruce Willis is planning to honor the $1 million offer he made to the soldier who found Saddam Hussein.

The movie star visited troops in Iraq last month and promised to make the soldier who uncovered the country's former leader an overnight millionaire.

Willis is now trying to discover who he owes, and says, "It's a small price to pay. They're my heroes."

[Endeavor]

Well, again, it's part of her rhetorical use of fear to move her govt run health care agenda forward.

IG- I have to disagree with only one part of your explanation earlier on the need for tort reform - doctors aren't actually charging more. They are being reimbursed via medicare much less than what procedures cost and instead, are leaving medicine in droves.

Those who aren't leaving entirely, are no longer able to afford to perform high risk procedures (due to their exhorbitant malpractice fees) and are leaving that aspect of their practice behind.

For instance, the only 3 neurosurgeons practicing in Decatur, IL have recently left. There is no one in Decatur capable of performing neurosurgery. That means if you're in a car accident in the Decatur area and you require a neurosurgical procedure, you better pray you can be life-flighted from the scene to either Springfield or Champaign-Urbana. Otherwise, you're toast. Malpractice fees drove all three out of the area.

But it is the incredibly low medicare reimbursements that are driving the avg docs out of practice.

Here's another story: A friend I work with has parents in Sweden. Her mom waited years to have a hip replacement - a routine procedure. She is now in her early '80's and needs one done on the other hip, badly. She doesn't have the years and years to wait, so mom has saved up her money and is going to a private surgeon to have it done. Of course, mom pays 50% of her income in taxes every year and STILL can't get the procedure she needs. So much for govt run healthcare. And don't think it will be ANY different here if the 'Beaste has her way.

[BigWaveBetty]

What a great story. You're much more reserved than me, my drink would have accidentally on purpose fallen off my tray onto his lap.

At the dentist this week the hygienist commented on Saddam's capture and how at least now the troops know why they're there.

Knowing that she was about to come at me with sharp implements and that damn sand blasting machine I kept my comment to, "I have no doubt they know why they're there", and let it drop. Then as we waited for the doctor's check she brought it up again and seemed interested in what I knew about it. I told her I had read numerous letters, emails and opinion pieces from soldiers who were home for R&R and would watch the news and then fume about how the real story of the operation in Iraq was being distorted. Everyone of them and all their fellow troops knew why they were there and that they felt like they were making many lives better.

Don't know whether it made a difference. Guess I'll found out at the next cleaning. :-)

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I just love this photo.