It is often said that astronomers, other natural scientists, and some other enthusiasts on Earth are seeking intelligent life in the Universe. Hell, I would be happy if we found some intelligent life right here on Earth.
I mean, come on people, look around you and do so objectively. How many people do you know actually have any real level of “smartness” sufficiently enough to be labeled as intelligent? Now, take another look around you, and tell me how many people you know that you have at sometime thought to yourself “Wow, he (or she) is really dumb (or stupid)!” Come on; be honest.
In everyday contacts with people and in observing others, I bet most people who read Roland Hansen Commentary think the majority of folks are dumb. Chances are good that there is not a majority of people who can be called intelligent. Chances are that most people around us do not keep current on the affairs of their community, let alone the affairs of the nation. Chances are that most Americans do not even know the basics of our governmental system. Chances are that the bulk of Americans have absolutely no understanding neither of the authorities, responsibilities, or of the limitations of the various branches and levels of government, nor of our elected officials.
And yet, these are the very same people who elect our leaders, our representatives, and all the other various elected officials. These are the same people who constantly slam and criticize our government and cry about those who have been put into office through the electoral process. My, gosh! Stop and think. The elected officials who comprise our government are a reflection of the American electorate. To those people who are so critical of our government, of our elected officials, I say, look in a mirror. What do you see? It certainly does not reflect any intelligence on your part. I say, if you are intelligent, you would realize that all our elected officials are smarter than the majority of people; otherwise, you tell me how the elected official got there in the first place.
Oh, I cannot believe the lack of intelligence that permeates the American citizenry! The other day, I saw a campaign sign for a candidate to the state legislature with a few key phrases on it that left me scratching my head. A little elaboration of that perplexing and confounding political sign: One phrase stated “better schools” and yet we elect boards of education for that important function; another phrase stated “lower taxes” but did not say what public services should be eliminated as a result of decreased public revenues; and another phrase on that sign proclaimed “create new jobs” and yet that candidate was of the political party that professes the government should stay out of the affairs of private business enterprises advocating that capitalism of the marketplace regulate itself and should set its own pace.
Give me a break! How stupid! And yet, the public falls for such irrationalism. People lack the intelligence to properly read (or listen) and interpret the real message. People lack the ability to think for themselves. People also lack the initiative to obtain the facts for themselves. All they do is react. That is why negative advertising in campaigns works so well. The receivers of the negative campaign ad do not stop to process the information; they just knee jerk, saying “yeah, that’s right” and then vote for the other candidate without ever taking the time to gather objective information in order to intelligently assess that “other” candidate.
I dare say, none of those people even read Roland Hansen Commentary or any other material that requires their attention and mental processing. Most people are just too damn lazy; they prefer to complain and criticize and moan and groan and attack the few people who do have intelligence and initiative and a sense of real, true public service.
I am seeking intelligent life. Who wants to help me in my quest?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Religion and Politics
Religion and politics do not mix, just like oil and vinegar do not mix. Or at least religion and politics should not mix, regardless of all the so-called "good Americans" who think their personally held religious beliefs should control our everyday lives here in the United States of America. However, people do mix religion and politics, in the same way as they mix oil and vinegar, as described in part of the article to which I linked in the opening sentence, "There is a way to make oil and vinegar combine. For example, if you were to get grease on your hands..."
As I wrote over on my Roland's Ramblings blog:
Political conservatives and many persons who have embraced the Tea Party movement seem to have forgotten that very basic principal of the United States of America as they try to force their religious beliefs on others who do not share the same religious beliefs, things like prayer in school, returning CHRIST in xMas, declarations that the USA is a Christian nation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (as Yul Brynner said in The King and I).
It is my passionately held opinion that religion and politics do not mix and that religion and politics should be separate. "And now you know… the rest of the story." as told by me. This is (with all due respect to Paul Harvey) Roland Hansen ............. Good Day!
As I wrote over on my Roland's Ramblings blog:
Out of respect for the First Amendment, I cannot help but have the opinion that candidates for elective office, especially those persons who seek election to the United States Congress, and/or those who already hold elective office, should keep religion out of politics.It seems to me that some people think that their religion is the correct one and that everyone else should conform to their religious beliefs. Gee, if memory serves me correctly, I learned at a very early age in elementary school history class that the early colonists came to the New World in order to escape religious persecution and oppression and to safely observe their own religious beliefs.
I found an article in Wikipedia to be very interesting and I highly suggest you click on over to read:
Religion and politics in the United States
Political conservatives and many persons who have embraced the Tea Party movement seem to have forgotten that very basic principal of the United States of America as they try to force their religious beliefs on others who do not share the same religious beliefs, things like prayer in school, returning CHRIST in xMas, declarations that the USA is a Christian nation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (as Yul Brynner said in The King and I).
It is my passionately held opinion that religion and politics do not mix and that religion and politics should be separate. "And now you know… the rest of the story." as told by me. This is (with all due respect to Paul Harvey) Roland Hansen ............. Good Day!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Cost of a Colonoscopy
Okay, many people I know keep saying that a person of a certain age should get a colonoscopy at regular intervals just as a preventive medicine health care measure. I understand the necessity for a person at risk, i.e. for someone in which a health problem is medically suspected; but to have a colonoscopy on a regular, just because basis, I don't know. Especially when I see what the costs are for a colonoscopy.
Recently, my wife, Judy, was in need of a colonoscopy due to medical necessity in that the primary care physician suspected some problems after a physical examination and the return of some medical tests. I will not even go into the costs of these preliminary exams and tests.
However, I feel compelled to tell you about the costs of the colonoscopy including the associated costs of the removal of the five polyps that were discovered and removed during the process of the colonoscopy itself. All total, there have been five different medical providers involved. i.e. the surgeon, the facility, the anesthesiologist, the laboratory, and the pathologist.
Are you ready?
$3517.83 or $1363.10, depending upon how you look at it.
If a person has no medical insurance, the medical providers would make that person pay $3517.83 out of his or her own pocket.
But, if a person has the same medical insurance as I do, the medical providers would accept $1363.10 as payment in full. In our situation, my insurance company paid $729.90 and we paid $633.20 out of our own pocket. The medical providers actually wrote off $2154.73 of their charges because - - - well, basically because the insurance company said the medical providers were overcharging by that much.
This is a summary of that of which I just wrote:
Amount billed: $3517.83
Amount allowed: $1363.10
Insurance paid: $729.90
We paid: $633.20
Written off: $2154.73
If you want to know the details of all that, like how each of those line items are broken down by medical providers, go over to read my comments on Judy Hansen Commentary Medical Cost Ripoff and see the precise amount for each of the medical providers --- and I name names.
A person without health insurance would have to pay $3517.83 for a colonoscopy and removal of polyps. But, as you can see in the case of Judy, those same medical providers are willing to accept $1363.10 as payment in full for persons who have insurance such as mine. That means the person without insurance is charged $2154.73 more than a person with my type of medical insurance. HECK, for the uninsured, that is almost three times as much as it is for the insured. That kind of gouging of the uninsured by the medical providers is a real pain in the ---, just like a hemorrhoid.
I will never ever understand the compassionless political Conservatives and Republicans who think it is all right for low and moderate income people without adequately sufficient health insurance to go without needed health care because of the expensive, overpriced American Health Care Industry.
I do not need to go on with my thoughts on that particular matter because, as my regular readers may recall, I have written a previous Roland Hansen Commentary about health care in the United States.
Recently, my wife, Judy, was in need of a colonoscopy due to medical necessity in that the primary care physician suspected some problems after a physical examination and the return of some medical tests. I will not even go into the costs of these preliminary exams and tests.
However, I feel compelled to tell you about the costs of the colonoscopy including the associated costs of the removal of the five polyps that were discovered and removed during the process of the colonoscopy itself. All total, there have been five different medical providers involved. i.e. the surgeon, the facility, the anesthesiologist, the laboratory, and the pathologist.
Are you ready?
$3517.83 or $1363.10, depending upon how you look at it.
If a person has no medical insurance, the medical providers would make that person pay $3517.83 out of his or her own pocket.
But, if a person has the same medical insurance as I do, the medical providers would accept $1363.10 as payment in full. In our situation, my insurance company paid $729.90 and we paid $633.20 out of our own pocket. The medical providers actually wrote off $2154.73 of their charges because - - - well, basically because the insurance company said the medical providers were overcharging by that much.
This is a summary of that of which I just wrote:
Amount billed: $3517.83
Amount allowed: $1363.10
Insurance paid: $729.90
We paid: $633.20
Written off: $2154.73
If you want to know the details of all that, like how each of those line items are broken down by medical providers, go over to read my comments on Judy Hansen Commentary Medical Cost Ripoff and see the precise amount for each of the medical providers --- and I name names.
A person without health insurance would have to pay $3517.83 for a colonoscopy and removal of polyps. But, as you can see in the case of Judy, those same medical providers are willing to accept $1363.10 as payment in full for persons who have insurance such as mine. That means the person without insurance is charged $2154.73 more than a person with my type of medical insurance. HECK, for the uninsured, that is almost three times as much as it is for the insured. That kind of gouging of the uninsured by the medical providers is a real pain in the ---, just like a hemorrhoid.
I will never ever understand the compassionless political Conservatives and Republicans who think it is all right for low and moderate income people without adequately sufficient health insurance to go without needed health care because of the expensive, overpriced American Health Care Industry.
I do not need to go on with my thoughts on that particular matter because, as my regular readers may recall, I have written a previous Roland Hansen Commentary about health care in the United States.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Sarah Palin: Harmful to Women's Causes
Jill Miller Zimon is a woman I admire. Jill Miller Zimon is a real leader, a true thinker, an active advocate, and a genuine champion of women.
To me, Jill Miller Zimon is "She Who Could Be President" - SWCBP.
Or maybe,
I should proclaim Jill Miller Zimon: SWSBP - "She Who Should Be President."
Not so for Sarah Palin, "She Who Wishes To Be President" aka SWWTBP.
Read what Jill Miller Zimon has written about Sarah Palin in regards to advancing the social and political positions and causes of women. Just click on over to:
Palin Continues To Damage Women While Others Spend Time, Money To Help Them
In my opinion, it just seems to me that Paling Palin is harmful to women's causes. Speaking of women's causes, I would like to suggest you check out the website of Women for Women International.
To me, Jill Miller Zimon is "She Who Could Be President" - SWCBP.
Or maybe,
I should proclaim Jill Miller Zimon: SWSBP - "She Who Should Be President."
Not so for Sarah Palin, "She Who Wishes To Be President" aka SWWTBP.
Read what Jill Miller Zimon has written about Sarah Palin in regards to advancing the social and political positions and causes of women. Just click on over to:
Palin Continues To Damage Women While Others Spend Time, Money To Help Them
In my opinion, it just seems to me that Paling Palin is harmful to women's causes. Speaking of women's causes, I would like to suggest you check out the website of Women for Women International.
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