Jihad

Ah yes, those jihadi’s killing people because American’s are such bullies.

Or is it because they are religious whackjobs?

Police said Salman Taseer, a high-profile member of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), was killed by a member of his security detail.

………..

Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera’s correspondent, reporting from Islamabad said Taseer received nine bullets and was killed instantly.

“The policeman has been taken into custody and was reported to have said that he did shoot the governor and that it was because of his views.”

“Why Michael Vick needs a dog”

By Sandy Banks.

A pet could teach the former abuser how to be a human being

Isn’t that nice?

I am shocked that anyone would think that any animal “owes” Vick a lesson in humanity here.
Any pet that Vick gets would not have a choice in the matter so how on earth does that lead to a teaching moment?

Sure, if some therapy dog wants to help out Mr. Vick, I see no reason to disallow it. But that isn’t how life works for dogs. And no, Sandy, what will you say if the dog Vick ends up with is not a cuddler (I’ve had a few) or is more into chewing on furniture than sitting Vick down with a lesson book on humanity?

I understand Vick lived in the mean streets where dog fighting was normal. But it was not so normal that he didn’t try to hide his fighting dogs through elaborate means. Vick was a grown man who made bad choices. He has done his time and is now doing his probationary talks and “volunteer” work with the humane society.

He will get a dog when that’s up. May that dog happen to end up being the one he needs because should he get a different dog….well, I don’t care to think about that. Ms Banks, I think, assumes it’s a dogs job to save Vick. I disagree.

Medicare Fraud and Obama

From Reason:

More chillingly, however, the administration is defining Medicare fraud down to include “unnecessary” and “ineffective” care. And to root this out, it plans to make expanded use of private mercenaries—officially called Recovery Audit Contracts—who will be authorized to go to doctors’ offices and rummage through patients’ records, matching them with billing claims to uncover illicit charges.

And that IS chilling. The sad part is, that it IS needed. Medicare fraud is big. Right down to the masseuses who overcharge so they can make full price out of medicare patients.

BUT….get this…

This is utter insanity. And it has been caused by the transformation of health care into a government-controlled industry where the natural, self-regulating forces of the market have been badly subverted. There is nothing left but the coercive apparatus of the state to keep patients and doctors in line. This would be unimaginable where the customers receiving or contracting for services are actually the ones paying for it.

Amen.
Medicare isn’t going away any time soon so we’re stuck with it. And sadly that means policing it. Doctors have had years to police themselves and frankly I would approve of a more “voluntary” scheme and downward pressure for doctors to police themselves but yeah….some policing needs to be done if tax payers are going to be paying for the services.