Guard Dog

Japan and Cuba are looking tough in the WBC. I caught the Rays Twins game on mlb.com today. Nice to see David Price looking sharp.

I don't think New Orleans is the most dangerous town in the US by any means. That honor goes to Chicago. That place is out of control. Nevertheless you need to excersize common sense there like anywhere else. Some areas are high crime some are not. There are some cities it's best not to wander around and explore without a plan. That would be one of them. Miami is another one. The French Quarter, Garden District, Uptown, and Carrolton are all perfectly safe. Stay out of Iberville, the 7th Ward and the 9th Ward and DO NOT go near the levees at night. Lots of bad stuff in those neighborhoods.

I truely do not think the government gives a damn about my healthcare or quality of life. All they want is to have that over me. To have one more lever to force people to conform to their plan and have you so dependant on them you are compelled to vote for them. I cannot think of one single thing in the government with the possible exception of the military that is result oriented. Unless the result is eternal self-pereptuation. Right now our health care system is in utter ruins because of government interference. The worst part is the only way that is being suggested to fix it is to have the very people who ruined it take it over completely. And God help us all when they do.

That reminds me: what happened to your book? When we started our new company all my personal projects got put on the back burner. That one included. I hired an editor to proof and advise on changes last year and was looking into self publishing. That has never been easier now in the world or e-readers. I'm still editing and revising but have not even touched it in six months. Between the project in Mexico, South Dakota and our new Simon Mall project I'm too busy to do anything but work. Heck aside from chess I haven't even played a computer game in months.

Things you must do: 1) Go to a Baseball game. See the Red Sox in Boston, the Yankees in New York or the Cubs in Chicago or the Dodgers in LA. Any one of them. 2) Watch where you park in New Orleans. They will tow you car and then you'll report it stolen and then the cops will laugh at you. Trust me on this one. Drink Hurricanes while you're there. 3) Las Vegas. Nuff said You're going to hve a blast.

The RV idea would be pretty expensive. Where are you guys planning to go Mes?

You know guys there are some topics that merit serious discussion. I really didn't figure this was one of them. Far more American ex-pats flee to Central and South America and Mexico than GB. Ever been to Cabo San Lucas? I think there is more Americans than Mexicans there.There are probably around 50,000-70,000 US citizens living in GB right now on only 1700 or so are looking to stay permanently over taxes. Not exactly an overwhelming percentage. Taxes do merit serious discussion because, as you all know, there is a point where they do far more harm than good and most countries this one included passed that up a long time ago. But this story was so deliciously ironic I figured we'd get some laughs out of it.

Ugh, all right we'll take back Madonna but you have to take back Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. Ozzy can stay, he's harmless. Deal?

Excerpt: Rest is here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/9904314/Americans-renouncing-citizenship-to-become-British-thanks-to-tax-rise.html Wait a minute... we stopped being British over taxes. Actually I'm suprised to find the US Tax system has become more onerus than Britans. And on another note isn't this just what Great Britan needs, a bunch of foreign nationals moving in wanting to do everything their way? Kind of like Piers Morgan is doing here? So many directions to go with this one. Watch out Wals, Raithe, and the rest...the Yankees are coming!

That's how you undermine the home front. I wouldn't assume it would work unless public opinion was a factor. If it can be supressed or supplanted by nationalistic fervor casualties can be absorbed indefinitely. Of course if you can successfully make yourself more trouble than you are worth the opposing side might still lose interest. Even if public opinion is not an issue sooner or later the guys writing the checks want to see results. If there are none...

Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them?

It's cold, half snowing, half raining. I was going to grill some summer squash with a chicken breast and rice on the side. Seems like such a hassle though. A couple of eggos and a cup of coffee sound better and easier.

In the NPB I'm a fan of the Chiba Marines. Nobody cheers for the Ham Fighters! Well kudos to the Dutch. Big upset beating the ROK this morning. Brazil gave Japan a hard time and the Aussies laid an egg against Taipei.

The WBC starts tonight, Taiwan vs Austrailia. Go Aussies! I'll DVR it though, noway I'm getting up that early http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130228&content_id=42094002

Hmmm a Dannish conspiracy on the board? Something rotten in..... nah too obvious.

Ros wins!

Ok then we can agree the main problem with health care in the US is runaway prices. So here is the governments plan. Think of health insurance/care as a single commodity for the moment. Now suppose we were to 1) Artificially limit access to that commodity by preventing the providers of the commodity to sell only to select markets 2) Drive up the costs of providing the commodity with increased regulation, taxes on equipment, insurance requirements, etc 3) Force the providers of that commodity to maximize their costs to protect themselves for legal threats from a trial lawyer lobby that supported your election 4) Force everyone, on pain of legal sanction, to purchase that commodity. So lets see, artificially limit the quantity, artificially drive up the costs, force eveyone to buy it. Gee, what do you think that does to the price?

Right there is what is so insidious about government run healthcare. It makes a public interest in your private activites. I can see why the US Government wants it so bad. It is the ulitmate backstage pass into everything. Ban smoking, can't have that it makes you sick and we have to pay for it. Ban guns, you poor dears might get injured and we have to pay for it, ban red meat we might have to pay for your heart surgery one day. Not a soul in the government, ANY government gives a damn if you live another day. All they want is control over you if you do. You want people to live healthy? Make them pay for their own god damned healthcare. THAT will get their attention. No one should be asked to pay for poor decisions that someone else made.

Now reading The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I wanted to see what all the hoopla was about. It's good no doubt. Well worth the time if you guys could ever tear yourselves away from fantasy or sci-fi.

Well Mes that is one way to look at it.

I don't think I could do it. Being a manger in a big company that is. I guess I sort of am now but the only person in my company I work closely with is another engineer who is also a partner in the company. I think what would drive me nuts about it Calax is that by now you have invested a lot of effort to advance. It isn't just a low wage job for spending money for you. But to 99% of the people you will be in charge of it will be just that. BTW are they helping with your tuition when you get back in?

I think the Yankees are due for rebuilding Krook, but Cashman has been doing something no other Yankees GM has sone in a long time, focusing on minor league development. In hs tenure their farm system has gone from being ranked 28th to 14th, in fact ESPN has them at 10th. There will be new names to learn soon. Notice they haven't been chasing bad contracts lately, like A-Rod.

Oh yean and this: Manny Ramirez is going to play in the CPL in Taiwan this season. Soon they will hate him too. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130226&content_id=42013958&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

The World Baseball Classic has released it's first round schedule. The japanese teams have dominated this thing but I think Team Australia is going to make some noise because their players have just finished a season rather than have one in front of them. Call me crazy but I've always loved this thing. http://web.worldbaseballclassic.com/wbc/2013/schedule_and_tickets/