Health Care Debate Gets Personal:

After Lincoln put on an involuntary hunger strike due to an upper respiratory infection and fever - leading to dehydration - we wound up in the local ER to push some IV fluids last night. Overall, the experience was fine given the circumstances (watching him fight off two trained nurses giving him the stick, twice- resulting in the spurting and letting of baby blood, among the expensive and precious of all types of blood - directly behind dragon and unicorn blood - ironically due to their medical qualities) and even positive. However, it brings to mind some of my concerns with the current health care debate.

Like many, I get angry that "the government" is pretty good as wasting tax dollars (studies on the viscous properties of ketchup, the penny, and "bridges to nowhere" come to mind) and fixing little ethics problems with empty apologies and empty promises. On the other hand, I don't mind paying taxes, as they pay for many of the things we want and need. In many ways I think my taxes are too low (here I speak only for myself), and wouldn't mind paying a little more into Uncle Sam's coffers to boost education, support a strong and ambitious space program, build roads / bridges / mass transit, compete in a strong global economy, and promote and regulate effective health care. If I'm to back any kind of Health Care Reform - republican, democrat, or some type of green-tea-party hybrid, it must have one special interest caveat: current magazine subscriptions!

While utilizing the benefit of employer provided health insurance, waiting for competent and friendly medical professionals to help my son - my reading options were a December, 2009 "People" magazine (4 months old - not too shabby), an April 2008 "Better Homes and Garden" (that cake looked pretty good at 5am, but by now it was 2 years stale), and a March, 1971 National Geographic Seriously! 1971 - that sets a new record for me - it's rare to find a magazine printed and published before disco was popular. Sure, it had a nice story on Quebec, Ontario and a still referenced seminal work on cave rock formations - but come on.

Lincoln is doing much better, so enjoy the cover art...