Amazon is supposed to be a public use site for purchasing and reviewing products. However, only if you are of a particular political bent. Straight Left. Like a one-way sign.
So, since I don't qualify as a bent left liberal, and since I do have opinions, here is my review of Mrs. Clinton's tome (aka door stop / table support) "What Happened".
Aside from the obvious answer - You Lost - the only thing this particular Whine needs is a lot more cheese. It's like a fortified Port. An overwhelming tsunami of self-pity and blame for everyone but herself.
One thing my parents taught me, a very good lesson that's served me well in my sixty years upon planet Earth is: don't blame others for your own screw-ups.
If you fail, if you screw up, it's on YOU. It's no one else's fault. It's yours, so own it. Then you'll (hopefully) learn from it.
Yet, in all those pages of black overlaid on white, that is what Hillary does not do.
She does not step up, lift her chin in defiant acknowledgement that would result in at least some modicum of respect from others and say, "yes, I messed up. I'm sorry, but I did, and here's what I would do differently."
Oh, no! No, no no no no!!! Instead, she blames EVERYONE, and I do mean EVERYONE, but herself.
She blames me - a white suburban housewife.
She blames my husband.
She blames millions like me, and like my husband.
She blames the press, the churches, the... well, everyone, everything, and anything she can think of. Everything and everyone but herself.
The one person she doesn't blame in this entire thing is herself. Even the Macedonians - and who in modern history (sorry, guys, but you're not exactly frontline news in every day America) even THINKS about Macedonians these days? I don't. Except for the Bible and Biblical reference, I don't think about Macedonians - and yet Hillary blames them for a part of her losing an election. Really?
She doesn't even blink at the idea that maybe her messaging was non-existent. What was her message, anyway? It's less than a year out from the election that she claims should have been hers, and can anyone say what that message was? Come on - I dare you! Tell me what her message was - aside from "It's my turn."
Where was she in all those states that she lost? Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida and the rest - where was she?
California was a foregone conclusion. She spent weeks in Hollywood, sucking up to the most liberal of liberals, but only because they could give her money. That's the only reason she showed up here.
Hell! California lets illegal immigrants vote through motor-voter registrations, and no doubt they did in droves because they were certain-damned-guaranteed that if Hillary won they'd get amnesty. Take that vote away and Trump would've won the popular vote along with the electoral college.
The painful truth for Hillary is: She is an ugly, small, unimaginative and crass human being married to a serial rapist named Bill.
Her biggest problem, aside from being an ugly human being who blames everyone but herself for her failings, a small human being who blames everyone but herself for everything bad in her life, and her crassness in expecting hard-working people to pay for everything for everyone who doesn't want to lift a finger to contribute are things that normal, hard-working, get up at five to get to work by eight to work until five, decent Americans don't like that.
So, what happened in November? America woke up. America heard a new message. America heard something different, a hope that maybe things didn't have to be as they were. Miracles don't happen every day. Sometimes people intervene - like Hillary being small and ugly and crass and lazy.
As an American. As a voter. As someone who loves the prospect of what this country can be, all I can say is Thank God For That. Thank God for sense and wisdom and exhaustion of the people for same old, same old. Thank God for Donald J. Trump and for his vision for what American can be. I just hope he succeeds.
Best ~
Philippa
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Why I Will NEVER Fly United Airlines
We've all seen the video of Dr. Dao being dragged off the United Airlines flight last week. In its magnificent wisdom, United's policy has been that a passenger sitting in the seat he'd paid for has no rights.
A concussion, broken nose and two missing teeth later, United offers a bonehead "apology" - complementing the manner in which the staff handled the situation.
But this is SOP (standard operating procedure) for United - being bonehead.
Twenty years ago I swore I would never, ever fly United, and after seeing Dr. Dao's ordeal, my resolve is solidified. There are plenty of other options out there. It just takes planning and patience.
As a free citizen, I refuse to be herded like a cow heading for slaughter. I will not pay for the opportunity of being groped or strip searched, treated like a prisoner in a jail or a hunk of meat.
Aside from these things, my refusal to fly United is deeper.
Twenty-four years ago my daughter and I were flying from San Francisco to Seattle. The plane was delayed an hour-and-a-half because of a mechanical problem. Right there, that raised a big red flag, but what was I going to do? I was there with my daughter and our carry-on bags, sitting in the waiting area, ticket paid for. Options? None.
We boarded. Got settled. The plane stank as all planes stink - sweat, dust, under-cleaned toilets - a Greyhound bus for the air.
Take off was fine but, over southern Oregon, there was a loud BOOM and the plane jolted. You don't think that's a bit worrying?
Sudden silence. Everyone looking at everyone else, all thinking "oh SHIT!" or variants thereon. The attendants scurrying around, peering out the windows - not normal.
My four-year-old hasn't a clue, and I'm trying not to make what might be her last minutes on Earth worse than they might be, anyway.
Long story short, we landed safely in Portland. A series of firetrucks lined the runway like a bizarre honor guard, each of them following us to the gate. United's offer for both scaring the crap out of everyone, and inconveniencing us because WE had to scramble through the airport to try to find another flight? A $25 certificate off our next flight.
Yeah, right.
A concussion, broken nose and two missing teeth later, United offers a bonehead "apology" - complementing the manner in which the staff handled the situation.
But this is SOP (standard operating procedure) for United - being bonehead.
Twenty years ago I swore I would never, ever fly United, and after seeing Dr. Dao's ordeal, my resolve is solidified. There are plenty of other options out there. It just takes planning and patience.
As a free citizen, I refuse to be herded like a cow heading for slaughter. I will not pay for the opportunity of being groped or strip searched, treated like a prisoner in a jail or a hunk of meat.
Aside from these things, my refusal to fly United is deeper.
Twenty-four years ago my daughter and I were flying from San Francisco to Seattle. The plane was delayed an hour-and-a-half because of a mechanical problem. Right there, that raised a big red flag, but what was I going to do? I was there with my daughter and our carry-on bags, sitting in the waiting area, ticket paid for. Options? None.
We boarded. Got settled. The plane stank as all planes stink - sweat, dust, under-cleaned toilets - a Greyhound bus for the air.
Take off was fine but, over southern Oregon, there was a loud BOOM and the plane jolted. You don't think that's a bit worrying?
Sudden silence. Everyone looking at everyone else, all thinking "oh SHIT!" or variants thereon. The attendants scurrying around, peering out the windows - not normal.
My four-year-old hasn't a clue, and I'm trying not to make what might be her last minutes on Earth worse than they might be, anyway.
Long story short, we landed safely in Portland. A series of firetrucks lined the runway like a bizarre honor guard, each of them following us to the gate. United's offer for both scaring the crap out of everyone, and inconveniencing us because WE had to scramble through the airport to try to find another flight? A $25 certificate off our next flight.
Yeah, right.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
The Victim (#PizzaGate)
“I hate you!” Fists slammed against the polished steel hard enough to shatter bone but the subject didn’t seem to notice or care.
“Jesus.” Dr. Sara Shelby breathed the name into the dark
room, shocked by the vehemence shown by the pinpoint camera installed in the
cell. “How long has this been going on?”
The body flung itself from one wall to the other and back
again, as if determined to self-destruct.
“Since induction early this morning, brought over from the
ER.” Her assistant was equally rapt, watching the monitor with the date in the
corner. December 26, 2004.
“Any records, local or state?”
“Nope, we’re still double-checking, but no joy yet.”
“What happened?”
“Dunno, but they did a rape kit and it came up positive.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
August, 2008
Outside the familiar window, sunlight fell in a stream past
the trees, lighting the grass so brilliantly that green showed white. Inside,
the clock ticked in the corner, marking time. The subject lay on the tufted
leather lounge in the same position as every other week for the past
three-and-a-half years.
“Where were you?”
“Grandma’s house.” The sodium pentothal made speech slow and
slurred.
“Who else was there?”
A list of names was given and, for the first time, a
hesitation and a frown.
Dr. Shelby sat up. It’s
almost there. She waited, holding her breath for more. But nothing was
said. “Who else?” She prompted.
The dark head jerked in denial. “No one. No one else.”
She paused, considering, and then she took a chance. She had
the record, the list provided by the family. “What about your Uncle Kyle,
wasn’t he there?”
The body on the lounge jerked. The head whipped around, dark
eyes filled with terrible fear and a scream that escaped spittled lips. “No! Not him, not Uncle Kyle! He wasn’t,
he wasn’t. It was me.” The mask kept in place for years slipped away as the
tousled head fell forward with a sob. “It was me.”
February, 2011
The cinderblock cell was painted a chill green, suited to
the place. A polished steel plate for a mirror, stainless basin and commode
were attached to one wall, a formed concrete platform for sleeping protruded
from the other. Nothing fabric, nothing that could be made into a weapon or
noose was allowed. Clothing was not optional, it was forbidden so the cells were
kept at a constant seventy-eight degrees and the concrete benches contained
induction pipes through which warm water was pumped.
The subject lay on their side, not moving, just staring off
into the emptiness of memory. The
doctors had given up watching. There was nothing to see here and other patients
showed more promise. They missed the moment, the change.
It was shown in a start, an intensifying inward stare. The
subject tensed, moved and sat up. A frown appeared on the pallid face. The
first expression the features had worn in years.
“Kyle. It was Kyle who did that.”
Two floors up a technician glanced across the monitors, did
a double-take, shifted their chair and then hit the panic button. Thumbing the
mike, fighting to keep his voice calm, he announced, “Cell twenty-eight,
attendant to cell twenty-eight.”
Three attendants answered the call, clustering in the
hallway outside the heavy steel door and peering through the thick, deeply
scarred plexiglas viewport.
“What the…”
“Open it up!”
October, 2011
Adam, seventeen years old and rail skinny, sat on the
leather chair in the psychiatrist’s office. The bright blue jumpsuit was still
uncomfortable against his skin. After years of being naked, clothing felt
unnatural.
“Are you ready, Adam?” Dr. Shelby tried to hide her
excitement at seeing this moment, a moment she had waited for since Adam had
first arrived.
He looked up, his blue eyes blazing with feeling. “I am.”
She passed the eight-by-ten glossy photograph across. It
left her fingers, accepted by his.
There was a long pause, breathless in its power, and then
the face that had once been so wild and then so blank, crumpled. Tears fell onto the image. The head fell and
fingers tightened with the whisper of despair. “I hate you!”
====
Saturday, January 28, 2017
How To Repeal & Replace Obamacare In 3 Easy Steps
For all you geniuses inside the Beltway, here's how it looks from Real America where we're not drinking Koolaid and trying to breathe in a vacuum:
Stop wringing your hands.
Get off your butts and start working.
Repeal the damned thing and replace it.
It is easier than you're making it look. If you just stop fussing around the outside trying to pick and choose how to approach it, and do what the people who sent you to Washington have said they want to do, you could have this done by July 1st - the start of the next fiscal year. After all, this list comes from me sitting on my butt in my living room for about forty-five minutes, and it makes sense:
1) Set the goals - What Do the American People Want You To Do?
a) Repeal the Obamanation 100%. Rip it out, branch, trunk, root and tendril and send it through the shredder. Leave nothing behind to sprout up somewhere else.
b) Institute protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
c) Make sure that families who choose to can keep their kids on their plans until said kids turn 26.
2) Get started:
a) Again, stop with the hand wringing. We didn't elect you so you can stand in a circle and whine about how hard it is. We voted you into office so you could do this. Now you need to put your faith in us to support you and you need to get the job done. You have about twelve short months to make progress - if we see what you're doing and like it, you've got it made. Keep mucking about and waffling, you'll probably be unemployed come 2018.
b) Get medical professionals and insurance brokers involved - what do they say? What's going to make things better and easier for them to provide the best service and care to the American people?
c) Get rid of the lines, which means amending the Commerce Clause (probably the single hardest thing to do, but you're sharp legal minds - I'm sure you can figure out how to do an end run), so we can buy the insurance we want and need at reasonable cost from whatever state or exchange or whatever we choose to do.
d) Get rid of bureaucratic decision makers who tell us individuals what we have to include in our plans - let us decide what coverage we need. As a sixty-year old woman, I do not need pregnancy coverage or birth control. I do not need pediatric care. I do not need prostate screenings. Make sure that plans offer me a shopping list so that I can pick the coverage that best suits my needs.
e) TORT REFORM!!!! Get rid of the friggin' ambulance chasers who sue over a torn hangnail. If someone suffers a case of medical malpractice, okay - let them sue. People need to make choices for themselves and be responsible for understanding the risks they are taking when they sign up for surgery or medication. It should not be my responsibility to pay for someone else's uninformed decision. And prevent ridiculous awards at settlement time.
Make the settlements reasonable, based on the individual situation. If someone loses wages for 60-years, fine. Take their annual salary (gross), calculate the cost of medical care for the individual based on reasonable life expectancy + 10% and that's the maximum award. Period, end of story.
3) Replacement:
a) Let me pick and choose from any insurer I want from any state in the union. If I can't get an affordable plan here in California, then how about one from Louisiana or Minnesota or Utah?
b) Let me pick and choose from a menu of options. As I said, I don't need pregnancy or pediatric care, so why should a health plan I buy include that?
c) For the people with preexisting conditions, they pay a higher premium than someone who's healthy. Why should people who take care of themselves, who manage their weight, don't smoke or drink, who exercise regularly, get their routine physicals and eat properly pay for the excesses of others? Make people who make unhealthy choices pay for their own damned care.
If they can't afford free-market healthcare, make the individual states set up high risk pools, like those for uninsurable drivers who can't get car insurance from most auto insurance providers. They pay a higher premium but get the coverage they need.
d) If families choose to keep their kids on their plans, fine - make them pay for it on their own. Once the kids get insurance of their own, through an employer or on their own hook, mom and dad's premiums go down - but make them pay for it themselves.
e) Make it possible for me to negotiate my own healthcare costs with my providers or medical group if I choose to, and then my insurer comes into the picture. Why should an insurance company get to pick and choose what doctor or group of doctors I can see? If I want to see Dr. X who participates in Plan 1 because s/he's someone I like and trust, but also want to see Dr. Y who doesn't participate in that Plan but does participate in Plan 2 because they're a specialist in the field for which I need treatment, why should I pay extra?
See? If you just stop dithering and get to work, you can get this done and all Americans will thank you. This took me all of about thirty minutes to write up. I'm sure that you guys, with your brain trust and consultants and PR people can do something just as sweeping.
Did I hit all the points? No. Obviously not. But if you wipe the slate clean, 100% clean and wash it with acid so that even God can't find it, you can start new and fresh and it'll be a lot easier in the long run.
Now do what we sent you there to do - get to work and get it done. The clock is ticking.
Best~
Philippa
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories
Stop wringing your hands.
Get off your butts and start working.
Repeal the damned thing and replace it.
It is easier than you're making it look. If you just stop fussing around the outside trying to pick and choose how to approach it, and do what the people who sent you to Washington have said they want to do, you could have this done by July 1st - the start of the next fiscal year. After all, this list comes from me sitting on my butt in my living room for about forty-five minutes, and it makes sense:
1) Set the goals - What Do the American People Want You To Do?
a) Repeal the Obamanation 100%. Rip it out, branch, trunk, root and tendril and send it through the shredder. Leave nothing behind to sprout up somewhere else.
b) Institute protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
c) Make sure that families who choose to can keep their kids on their plans until said kids turn 26.
2) Get started:
a) Again, stop with the hand wringing. We didn't elect you so you can stand in a circle and whine about how hard it is. We voted you into office so you could do this. Now you need to put your faith in us to support you and you need to get the job done. You have about twelve short months to make progress - if we see what you're doing and like it, you've got it made. Keep mucking about and waffling, you'll probably be unemployed come 2018.
b) Get medical professionals and insurance brokers involved - what do they say? What's going to make things better and easier for them to provide the best service and care to the American people?
c) Get rid of the lines, which means amending the Commerce Clause (probably the single hardest thing to do, but you're sharp legal minds - I'm sure you can figure out how to do an end run), so we can buy the insurance we want and need at reasonable cost from whatever state or exchange or whatever we choose to do.
d) Get rid of bureaucratic decision makers who tell us individuals what we have to include in our plans - let us decide what coverage we need. As a sixty-year old woman, I do not need pregnancy coverage or birth control. I do not need pediatric care. I do not need prostate screenings. Make sure that plans offer me a shopping list so that I can pick the coverage that best suits my needs.
e) TORT REFORM!!!! Get rid of the friggin' ambulance chasers who sue over a torn hangnail. If someone suffers a case of medical malpractice, okay - let them sue. People need to make choices for themselves and be responsible for understanding the risks they are taking when they sign up for surgery or medication. It should not be my responsibility to pay for someone else's uninformed decision. And prevent ridiculous awards at settlement time.
Make the settlements reasonable, based on the individual situation. If someone loses wages for 60-years, fine. Take their annual salary (gross), calculate the cost of medical care for the individual based on reasonable life expectancy + 10% and that's the maximum award. Period, end of story.
3) Replacement:
a) Let me pick and choose from any insurer I want from any state in the union. If I can't get an affordable plan here in California, then how about one from Louisiana or Minnesota or Utah?
b) Let me pick and choose from a menu of options. As I said, I don't need pregnancy or pediatric care, so why should a health plan I buy include that?
c) For the people with preexisting conditions, they pay a higher premium than someone who's healthy. Why should people who take care of themselves, who manage their weight, don't smoke or drink, who exercise regularly, get their routine physicals and eat properly pay for the excesses of others? Make people who make unhealthy choices pay for their own damned care.
If they can't afford free-market healthcare, make the individual states set up high risk pools, like those for uninsurable drivers who can't get car insurance from most auto insurance providers. They pay a higher premium but get the coverage they need.
d) If families choose to keep their kids on their plans, fine - make them pay for it on their own. Once the kids get insurance of their own, through an employer or on their own hook, mom and dad's premiums go down - but make them pay for it themselves.
e) Make it possible for me to negotiate my own healthcare costs with my providers or medical group if I choose to, and then my insurer comes into the picture. Why should an insurance company get to pick and choose what doctor or group of doctors I can see? If I want to see Dr. X who participates in Plan 1 because s/he's someone I like and trust, but also want to see Dr. Y who doesn't participate in that Plan but does participate in Plan 2 because they're a specialist in the field for which I need treatment, why should I pay extra?
See? If you just stop dithering and get to work, you can get this done and all Americans will thank you. This took me all of about thirty minutes to write up. I'm sure that you guys, with your brain trust and consultants and PR people can do something just as sweeping.
Did I hit all the points? No. Obviously not. But if you wipe the slate clean, 100% clean and wash it with acid so that even God can't find it, you can start new and fresh and it'll be a lot easier in the long run.
Now do what we sent you there to do - get to work and get it done. The clock is ticking.
Best~
Philippa
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)