Health Care Constitutional With a Twist

The individual mandate provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The federal court held 2-1 that Congress does indeed have the power under the Commerce Clause to require citizens to purchase health insurance.

James L. Graham--appointed by President Ronald Reagan--dissented.

The ruling--written by Judge Boyce Martin, appointed by President Jimmy Carter--came with a twist. Self-choice to remain uninsured is not an option.

(...)

"Congress had a rational basis for concluding that the practice of self-insuring for the cost of health care has a substantial effect on interstate commerce," Judge (Boyce) Martin wrote, "and that the minimum coverage provision is an essential part of a broader economic regulatory scheme. Thus, the provision is constitutional notwithstanding the fact that it could be labeled as regulating inactivity."

Cited in Thomas More Law Center v. Obama--U.S. Supreme Court decision 317 U.S. 111 Wickard vs. Filburn, a ruling which determined the power of the government to regulate economic activity under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. (Article 1 Section 8).

Yet, Mr. Filburn's decision to grow excess wheat for home consumption as a single farmer would not substantially impact or undermine the regulation of wheat prices by the U.S. government.

But if Mr. Filburn's neighbors (and their neighbors and their neighbors and so on and so forth) had decided to carve out a backyard garden and grow more than the amount of wheat permitted by law so as to eliminate the need to purchase wheat on the open market, then the governmental stabilization of wheat prices "...by limiting the total supply of wheat produced and consumed..." would be undermined.

Judge Jeffrey Sutton--an appointee of President George W. Bush--agreed with the mandate that individuals be required to purchase health insurance by 2014.

(...)

The basic policy idea, for better or worse (and courts must assume better), is to compel individuals with the requisite income to pay now rather than later for health care. Faced with $43 billion in uncompensated care, Congress reasonably could require all covered individuals to pay for health care now so that money would be available later to pay for all care as the need arises. Call this mandate what you will--an affront to individual autonomy or an imperative of national health care--it meets the requirement of regulating activities that substantially affect interstate commerce.

Meaning--

One man's wheat is another man's health insurance.

(To reiterate. The $43 billion paid in 2008 by those of us with health insurance for those who could not (or would not), added $1,100 to family premiums the following year and approximately $410 to an individual premium).

The 4th Circuit and 11th Circuit will each issue their own decisions in the near future; in the meantime, read the Thomas More Law Center v. Obama decision over at Reason.

Currently, the health care constitutional count stands as follows: Obama: 3. Naysayers: 2.

(Doubt the count? Feel free to check out the count here: Ho! Ho! Ho! Health Care Constitutional, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and Health Care: Nothing Has Changed.

Talk to Me.

Hot Coffee

Tort reform is a much discussed "solution" offered by some as a means to truly reform health care.

Many believe compensatory and punitive damages awarded to plaintiffs as a result of successfully won lawsuits are passed down in the form of higher health care costs and insurance premiums to consumers and medical professionals

Capping frivolous suits (frivolous of course, unless it's yours) to a predetermined dollar figure and requiring employees to grievance through mandatory arbitration are examples of tort reform.

Unfortunately, both fail to hold the defendant in a case truly accountable for wrongs done to a plaintiff through judicial attention and jury deliberation, both constitutional givens absent during arbitration.

Hot Coffee is a HBO documentary currently airing that investigates the powers behind tort reform and the targeted campaign strategies utilized by Big Business lobbyists to convince both the public and the politicians that represent them that tort reform is indeed health care reform.

Unfortunately, such solutions come at the expense of our constitutional rights.

Talk to Me.

News Blues

A quick scan of the headlines tells me what I already know.

The news is on vacation.

Take the Rod Blagojevich conviction on 17 out of 20 counts stemming from charges he as the former of Illinois attempted to sell President Obama's vacated Senate seat. When this story first broke, the media could not get enough of Blago. The resolution resulted in barely a blip (or a bing or a google).

Yet, Ron Paul wants to audit the gold housed at Fort Knox. Now, that's a summer story, sort of like a remake of Geraldo Rivera reporting the excavation of Al Capone's vault.

Took awhile, but I did manage to find a story that rose above the summer fare. A family member recently experienced the full TSA pat down upon reentry to the US after traveling abroad, so the action taken by the Texas House making "groping" during a pat down a crime upon the touch of one's private areas caught my attention.

(...)

The move came just days after the measure appeared dead when the House speaker called it "unenforceable" and "an embarrassment to the state of Texas."

Speaker Joe Straus asked lawmakers to revise the measure with the help of the Texas attorney general's office after Straus' comments sparked a firestorm from conservative and Tea Party activists who see the bill as a way to strike a blow against "federal government tyranny," as bill author Representative David Simpson -- like Straus a Republican -- has said.

Federal officials had threatened to halt all flights out of Texas airports if the original bill were passed on the grounds that they would not be able to certify that the flights were safe.

"We've been working with the attorney general's office from the very beginning to ensure that the bill will accomplish our goal of stopping the humiliation of travelers while also maintaining language that will withstand judicial scrutiny," Simpson said in a statement on Monday.

The major change in the amended bill, Simpson said, is a requirement that the Transportation Security Administration agent have "reasonable suspicion" before conducting an enhanced pat-down, a less stringent standard than the "probable cause" in the original measure.

On second thought, this does sound like a summer story.

Weekend Zen

I can't understand it, so simple to me
People everywhere just got to be free.




The Rascals. 1969.

People Got to Be Free.

Florida Sightings: Why the Anthony Trial Matters

Conversation overheard today in the doctor's office regarding the Casey Anthony trial.

"You can't get away from it. It's on everywhere. And I'm sick of it."

Understandable. But the fact that this case is and has been everywhere these last several years is exactly why we all should pay close attention.

The sensational media coverage from the initial disappearance of Caylee Anthony has created a slippery slope of due process, a compromised slide of the constitutionally guaranteed legal rights afforded to the accused under the law. The trial has attracted legions of public followers, the majority who have declared Anthony guilty based on photographs and perception.

Case in point.

The trial droned on in the background of a local Mom and Pop shop visited by myself earlier in this week. After conducting business, I glanced over at the television, prompting the inevitable question from the Mom Half.

"So. Do you think she did it?"

The photographs of two young children hung on the wall behind her. A boy and a girl, likely the grandchildren of the business owners. I chose my words carefully. "I don't believe the state has made its case."

"Yeah, but look at how she acted, out partying and all those pictures of her, smiling and laughing when Caylee was missing." Mom Half proceeded to elaborate on how Anthony had reportedly used a past-tense reference to her daughter during the time period previous to the finding of the remains. "That's when I knew. That she killed that little girl."

Which brings us back to why the case is important to us or someone we care about who may at some time find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

The burden of proof in a criminal trial falls upon the prosecution to present a standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury for deliberation in reaching a verdict.

Not via innuendo, suggestion, fabrication, prejudice or projection of our values. To do any less places our own legal rights at risk.

On my way out of the doctor's office, the person sick of the Anthony trial appeared to feel much better.

He had flipped the station to ESPN.

Talk to Me.

Phishy

Before I download HijackThis and HouseCall on this otherwise glorious summer day, thought I'd pass along a few embedded links to help assist those who have recently attempted to open their Yahoo email, only to find the account compromised, i.e. password no longer works and security answers changed by pesky hackers to make certain the user's account is forever inaccessible.

Proof enough that web-based email accounts do not carry the same security protections as corporate accounts.

Per the CNet Hacker Chart, on June 1, 2011, "Google says attack originated in China and appeared designed to monitor communications of journalists, political activists and military personnel. After stealing passwords with a phishing attack, perpetrators apparently used the passwords to change Gmail users' forwarding and delegation settings. Attack was "disrupted" but it's unknown if any snooping was accomplished. Yahoo and Hotmail accounts were targeted in similar attacks, according to Trend Micro. (Google had reported in early 2010 that Gmail accounts of human rights activists were spied on and that someone stole intellectual property in an APT attack on its network. More than 30 other companies were also targeted in such attacks. )"

The "fun" goes way beyond inconvenience.

(...)

"Trend Micro researchers in Taiwan revealed a phishing attack that exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft's Hotmail service. In fact, rather than clicking a malicious link, even the simple act of previewing the malicious e-mail message can compromise a user's account. This phishing e-mail pretended to be from the Facebook security team," the post said. "In addition to Gmail and Hotmail users, Yahoo Mail users have also been targeted. We recently alerted Yahoo of an attempt to exploit Yahoo Mail by stealing users' cookies in order to gain access to their e-mail accounts. While this attempt appeared to fail, it does signify that attackers are attempting to attack Yahoo Mail users as well."

Find out how a fellow "hackee" finally debugged his computer system here.

Grrr.

Wal-Mart: Too Big to Sue

The Supreme Court appears to have gone as bananas as the yellow of my kitchen walls by ruling against one million women who filed a sexual discrimination class action suit against mega-giant Wal-Mart.

Plaintiffs alleged "...female Wal-Mart employees were paid less than men in every region and were underrepresented at every level of management".

But the SCOTUS ruling had less to do with the who and more about the how of the claim.

(...)

The justices unanimously overruled federal courts in San Francisco that had allowed all women who worked for Wal-Mart since December 1998 to join in a single, nationwide suit seeking back pay. But the court was split on the most critical issues in the case, with a five-member majority led by Justice Antonin Scalia setting tough new standards for future suits:

-- A company that allows local managers to decide pay and promotions can't be held responsible for sex-based disparities in the corporation unless those differences can be tied to some companywide practice that amounts to "a general policy of discrimination."

-- A company whose policies denied women equal pay would be entitled to individual hearings on the amount due to each worker. In contrast, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals proposed allowing hearings for a sample group of employees to determine back pay for the entire class, an approach that would save time and money but, Scalia said, would be unfair to the company.

Better put a cashier on the legal express line.

Read the ruling ruling in Wal-Mart vs. Dukes, 10-277 here.

Talk to Me.

Scott Backs Off Drug Testing of State Workers

Guv. Rick Scott quietly suspended his recent executive order requiring drug testing of Florida state employees.

(...)

In a memo to executive agency heads on June 10, Scott said he would halt the drug-testing policy while the lawsuit is pending. While Scott said he believed his order ultimately will be found to be constitutional, "it does not make sense for all agencies to move forward with the logistical issues involved in instituting the new policy."

The ACLU obtained the memo — which had not been publicized by the Governor's Office — late Wednesday, (June 15).

The ACLU was more than happy to circulate said memo to the press, celebrating the gubernatorial action as a "retreat". Yet, observers like myself might interpret the low key back-off by Scott as action taken by a man who a) doesn't like to be wrong and b) doesn't like to draw attention to himself with his foot in his mouth when wrong.

The suit will continue on both sides, with Guv. Scott convinced his order will prevail in the courts and the ACLU confident the order will be found unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. During the interim, the state's 21,000 correctional and probation officers have been drafted as guinea pigs, 'er participants in what is now referred to as a random drug testing "pilot program".

Perhaps before penning his next executive order, the Guv. will actually review the Constitution he so professes to uphold to better assess the constitutional integrity of if his eeny, meeny, miny, moe method of governing.

But I doubt it. My way or the highway types never second-guess themselves. That job, dear Reader, is for the attorneys retained to navigate the detours, as in this case, civil rights guaranteed workers under the law.

Talk to Me.

Weekend Zen

You keep lyin' when you oughta be truthin'
You keep losing when you oughta not bet
You keep samin' when you oughta be a'changin'
What's right is right but you ain't been right yet
These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.



Nancy Sinatra. 1966.

These Boots Are Made for Walking.

Short Shorts: Life Unexpected

The state has rested its case against Casey Anthony.

Has the prosecution proven its highly circumstantial case beyond a reasonable doubt? The defense takes the floor tomorrow and the word is, a mystery man has been added to the witness list.

(...)

The defense team's amended witness list now includes Vasco Thompson, an Orlando felon convicted on kidnapping charges in 1988.

Court documents show Thompson is a "recently discovered witness through the ongoing efforts of defense investigators."

Thompson, according to the filing, "was connected to George Anthony through his cell phone records." Records show four calls between Caylee's grandfather and Thompson on July 14, 2008 — a day before Cindy Anthony reported Caylee's disappearance to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Mr. Thompson has served a ten year sentence for kidnapping.

Personally, I feel the state has proven that liars are not necessarily murderers.

***

I have a friend who when asked, "Why do men tend to die before women?", will reply "Because they're glad to." Although said in jest, he might not be too far off the mark.

American Life Expectancy is Dropping.

While the United States has seen an increase in life expectancy over the last several decades, that trend is reversing, partially due to the lack of health insurance, accessibility to health care, and our sedentary lifestyles.

(...)

Population Health Metrics published its newest study titled, “Falling Behind: Life Expectancy in U.S. Counties.” From 2000 To 2007 in an International Context.” Using newly released mortality data by age, sex, and county for the U.S. from 2000 to 2007, they were able to compute life tables separately for each sex, for all races combined, for whites, and for blacks.

Life expectancy, across the United States, ranged from 65.9 to 81.1 years for men and 73.5 to 86.0 years for women. Life expectancy for black men ranged from 59.4 to 77.2 years; for black women, the range was 69.6 to 82.6 years. Average overall life expectancy is 73.5 years for men and 80.8 years for women.

***

John Edwards gets his profile shot and Newt demands NBC stop blaming his wife for the recent mass resignations of his campaign staffers.

***

UPDATE: Rep. Anthony Weiner is expected to resign his congressional position today. Press conference at two o'clock this afternoon. As mentioned by a commentator this morning (and I'll paraphrase), how sad to watch a promising career crash and burn due to one's own actions.

Talk to Me.

Abe Lincoln Who?

Who is this man?

According to the findings of The National Assessment of Educational Progress most of America's fourth graders couldn't tell you.

Yet, many educators would tell you that such results stem from the lopsided emphasis No Child Left Behind places on reading and math.

(...)

These findings are not surprising to some in higher education. "This society as a whole is not focused on history. We are a society that is so focused on current media and what happened two seconds ago and can't remember the week before, so how could we possibly get our kids interested in history when we don't read history books ourselves?" Stephen Darwall of Northampton asked.

The tests were given last spring to 7,000 fourth graders, nearly 12,000 eighth graders just over 12,000 12th graders nationwide.

Read it and weep. The Nation's Report Card: U.S. History 2010 can be downloaded here.

Talk to Me.

***

How does your knowledge matches up against a fourth grader?

Take the test here.

Rick Scott's Executive Order is Illegal

Gov. Rick Scott is willing to take the legal challenge of his executive order to drug test state employees all the way to the Supreme Court.

Meaning, Florida taxpayers will foot the bill for legal costs because the governor stuck his foot in his mouth with this latest attempt to transfer private business practices to the public sector.

As stated by Scott’s spokesperson, Amy Graham, “If it makes good business sense for private-sector companies to drug test their employees, why wouldn’t it make good business sense for the state?”

The answer is that private-sector employees have far fewer rights in the workplace than those who work for the public.

As held by the U.S. Supreme Court, “suspicionless drug testing by the government is an unreasonable search violative of the Fourth Amendment, except under certain special circumstances, such as those involving employees in safety-sensitive positions where there is a concrete danger of real harm.”

The Scott order cites that because the public interacts daily with state employees, the risk to the public’s safety is real should a state employee use drugs. The mere possibility of harm proved inadequate grounds to justify the drug testing of a planner who worked for Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice.

As a result, a federal judge struck down random testing without suspicion as unconstitutional in 2004.

As for newly hired state employees, the policy held by the city of Hollywood, Fla., to foster public integrity through the drug testing of all job applicants was found unconstitutional by the courts in 2000 due to “insufficient rationale.”

Detecting a pattern?

Scott’s executive order was unconstitutional the moment he signed off and clicked his pen closed.

With constitutional protections on the side of public employees, it’s no wonder conservative politicians like Scott aspire to transfer public authority to private groups. Privatization allows far more micro-managing with far less worry over the civil rights of workers.

Yet, what the self-proclaimed CEO of Florida has yet to realize is when the government is your employer, its decisions are generally covered by the U.S. or state Constitution protections.

Take that to court, governor.

***
Sunday Debate
Florida Today
June 12, 2011

Russell Crowe Twits Out

Russell Crowe is Twitter's latest bad boy, tweeting his definite opinion arguing circumcision as if over the back yard fence between dissenting neighbors instead of over a virtual fence extending into anyone's back yard with Internet access.

Crowe later deleted his "heated remarks" from his Twitter account and soon began the rounds of perfunctory apologies.

I'm not quite certain what people don't "get" regarding the massive scope of online communication in general, but as far as post-Anthony Weiner and Twitter, many continue to act like twits.

Perhaps it's the short form format that contributes to blue remarks. Maybe the @ utilized to direct one's tweets is reminiscent of symbols commonly utilized to portray a stream of profanity and chirps the 140 character limit totally off on the wrong note.

Whatever the deal, common courtesy seems to wing out the window once the squawk begins.

PC World reminded readers of Twitter etiquette a couple of summers back, noting that misuse and abuse is far more prevalent via the Bird than the Facebook, a comparison I attribute to the loss of anonymity on the FB and really, how low can one troll once Grandma gets "friended"?

How to Tweet Politely (7/28/20o9) is a good crash course on Twitter courtesy. The following informational bullet should stand out for anyone who lets anything fly in the public domain.

(...)

Twitter is public. Don't forget: Unlike a Facebook update, a Twitter post can be read by anyone. If you don't like the implications of this situation, either don't use the service or set your updates as protected (though this largely defeats the purpose of Twitter).

Stay clear of the bird droppings. Think before you tweet.

Boot Scott

My first thoughts swirling about for today's post went a little something like this.

Guv. Rick Scott went to Canada and all he brought back to Florida was ten cruddy jobs.

But when I viewed the photo of Scott showing off his cowboy boots to Toronto's mayor, I decided to start the clock on the governor.

As Titusville-raised comedian Daniel Tosh would say, give me twenty seconds to see how many captions I can come up with to describe this unfortunate snap shot.

Go.

Lawton Chiles just spun in his grave.

This photo op proves real men don't wear cowboy boots.

Isn't it a crime in Florida for men to scoot up their pant leg in public?

Argyle socks with boots? Or is that Florida's flag with a Solantic logo super-imposed over the state seal?

These boots are going to walk all over us.

This is my impression of a sandhill crane.

The Guv kicked health care to the Florida curb but kept Canadian-owned "never saw a fee not imposed on a customer" TD Bank.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford recognizes a heel when he sees one.

Yep, that's Jeb's autograph.

Bald is not always beautiful.

Scott is enjoying himself a little too much.

See me. Feel me. Touch me. Heel me.

"I'm a boot guy. That's all I wear," (Scott) said. "Not when I go to the beach though." (Or when pleading the fifth).

Scott left the NASCAR pair at his Naples motor home. In the carpetbag.

All that's missing is the manure.

Yes sirree Rob, I kicked this baby right up Florida's state university system.

I'm a rodeo clown on the weekends.

Rick Scott's boots are not on the ground.

Those aren't scuff marks on the sole of Scott's boot. That's Florida's middle class.

This boot's been where the sun no longer shines.

After Scott destroys the Sunshine State, I bet he boot scoot boogies right on out of here.

TIME.

Feel free to add your own caption.

Talk to Me.

Sweet Tea Saturday

The Deep South boasts iced tea so sweet cotton candy could likely be spun from the inside of the glass. Throw a couple of cubes into a frosty glass, stick a straw in the sugary goodness and settle back into the porch swing pillows to peruse a few topics I've kept on ice to kick off your weekend.

On a light note, the Palin emails are officially public. Read what interests you over at The Anchorage Daily News.

A bit of shameless self promotion. On June 12th, Marshall Frank and I Sunday Debate Guv. Scott's executive order requiring the random drug testing of Florida state workers. Interested if I opined yea or nay? Find out online here.

My column touches a bit on exactly why conservatives like Florida's Guv. Rick Scott strive for the privatization of public sector jobs. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn't any different, currently pushing a pilot program to privatize public schools. But what stands out are the interconnections between the for-profit companies and the political connections, including Christie himself, who worked as a registered lobbyist at the law firm that represented the for-hire educational management company Edison Schools, Inc.

Three persons have been arrested in the shooting death of a Melbourne 16 year old. Why should anyone care about another kid dead in the roughest part of town? Where some see thugs, I see elementary school students. Joseph was my former student. Worse, he is the second former student killed as the result of a shooting in the same neighborhood.

I am so tired of losing kids.

But I'm open to solutions.

Talk to Me.

Weekend Zen

When honey, you know
I've never lied to you...



Suspicious Minds.

Elvis.

Short Shorts: Gators and other Beasts

Gatorland Zips Up.

...as I stood there, on the first of seven wooden towers that link the 1,200-foot Screamin' Gator Zip Line, I couldn't help but look down. I had stared wild alligators in the eye aboard airboats as a bait-sized fourth-grader, but here, more than a decade later, I could barely hear the guide's reassuring words as I looked to the ground, fearing not the height or the fall but the open jaws waiting at the bottom.

Down about 50 feet and to the right was the "up-close-and-personal" feeding area for just some of the hundreds of alligators on the premises. I prayed it hadn't been too long since their last feast. I doubted that the alligators would forgive me for the gator burger I savored less than a week earlier.

That was all before the first leap of faith. Before I stepped into a harness and hooked my assortment of ropes and carabiners to a steel cord. Before I flew at nearly 25 mph above a breeding marsh teeming with alligators.

Zip for yourself here.

***

Cell phones may prove the destruction of all mankind. Conservative blogger Andrew Brietbart loses control of a graphic Weiner photograph via his own cell,

(...)

Andrew Breitbart appeared on The Opie and Anthony Show on Sirius Radio this morning in the latest stop on his “I Told You So” Tour and showed the hosts, Anthony Cumia and Gregg “Opie” Hughes a picture that he said he wouldn’t release... Breitbart showed the picture on his cell phone which he passed around. Unsurprisingly, the hosts quickly snapped a shot of the screen and tweeted the image out to numerous news outlets.

***

Conan O'Brien asks, "What would a history channel look like if it were run by Sarah Palin?"

(...)

In the first installment, "The Sarah Palin History Channel," (O'Brien) explains the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

"By day, they were plumbers, and loggers and truck drivers," a woman's voiceover says of the Founding Fathers. The Palin-sounding voice later goes on to say: "And then George Jefferson read this wonderful, little piece of paper about how we can have our own guns and such."

Among the other distortions--and yes, there are many--the reenactment features: Paul Revere and FDR riding in on a horse and wheelchair respectively, and Hitler, who makes a brief appearance before being shot and killed by the "Star Wars" character R2-D2. For the full comedic effect, you can watch the video here.

***

Sick people should not move to Florida.

As the twenty-six state health care challenge heads toward the Court of Appeals, Guv. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature have chosen to ignore implementation of federal health care law. To date, at least $19 million in federal funds have been returned.

(...)

Scott has stopped any state planning for the creation of mandated health care exchanges, which will let consumers comparison shop for health care plans. The decisions put Florida at odds with conservative governors in Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin, who are fighting the health law’s constitutionality on one hand and planning for the law on the other.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday in the suit pitting 26 states against the federal government.

(...)

Take Wisconsin and Indiana, which are parties to Florida’s lawsuit. Governors in both states have signed off on planning for the health care exchanges required by the federal law. In Florida, Scott has not. Pennsylvania, also part of the lawsuit, has 2,684 residents signed up for a program that provides low-cost health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions such as cancer and diabetes who can’t buy coverage anyplace else. Pennsylvania runs its own program with funding from the federal government and has more enrollees than any other state.

In Florida, only 770 people are enrolled in the same plan, and the state has declined to run its own program. And Texas has accepted $276 million for a program that provides health insurance to people over 55 who have retired but aren’t yet eligible for Medicare. Much of that money is going to Texas state employees.

Florida has accepted only $15 million for the early retirement program , with local governments taking the money. Scott plans to accept $37 million for the program — because the payout was agreed to by former Gov. Charlie Crist, officials said.

Read more here.

***

Talk to Me.

Brevard Animal Shelters Need Pet Parents

I'm heading out with The Millie Girl today to check out a top notch boarding facility, so that once in awhile I can head out of Dodge assured my canine friend will be left in good hands during my absence.

Millie is a two time survivor of the animal shelter. She came into our lives just prior to a third return. This beautiful dog joined our family with a severe case of separation anxiety, attributed to abandonment by her prior owners.

The vet explained that in such cases, the anxiety builds within an hour or so of the expected arrival home of a caretaker. My layman's guess is that on some primal level, an often sheltered animal anticipates her people will not return as the time grows near, the result being, exhibited behavior similar to a panic attack. In the case of Millie, she ate two of my couches in the first year, chewing and ripping apart the foam which I would find strewn across the floor upon entering the house.

Welcome home, Mom.

Millie has learned over the last three years that she can't shake us, all at once anyway. We've become fragmented travelers, with one of us left behind to care for The Girl. Although family is always my number one choice, such an arrangement often limits travel and hey, life is too short.

So, I have a bead on a Five Star Kennel, the sort of place where pet parents can phone to check in on their furry family members, who are read bedtime stories during the stay. To ward off any slip back into distressful behaviors, Millie is easing into canine society via today's on site visit. If all goes well --meaning if Mom is happy--after experiencing a few hours of successful doggie day care here and there, Millie will make the big leap into an overnight stay.

I've told you this story to tell you another.

Millie is one lucky dog.

The present economy has been tough on family cats and dogs. Homelessness, foreclosure, relocation and financial inability to sustain care have contributed to an increased number of pets abandoned.

Brevard County shelters are full of animals (including bunnies) in need of rescue, the number surrendered up 66% from last year. In my world view, opening one's home and heart to animal is a lifetime commitment that keeps giving back in the form of loyalty and devotion.

Before adopting, take a long look at your couch and think of Millie with the foam in her mouth. If that doesn't faze you, consider the rescue of an abandoned animal, a cat or a dog or perhaps one of each who I just bet would prefer snuggling to eating the settee.

Woof.

***

Melbourne: Brevard Animal Service Shelter Care and Adoption Center: 5100 West Eau Gallie Blvd. It's open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, they're open from noon until 7 p.m. Phone number: (321) 253-6608

Titusville: North Animal Care Center: 2605 Flake Road. They're open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Tuesday and Thursday, the shelter is open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Phone number: (321) 264-5119

Out Twittered

The truth was out there after all.

After several days of denial, Rep. Anthony Weiner admitted to taking and sending not just one but several photographs of himself via Twitter to at least six women with whom he had developed a consensual online relationship over a period of three years.

Weiner apologized and then indicated he would not resign his congressional seat, stating quite succinctly that "...he did not use government computers or phones for the conduct in question, and that he did not think he had violated his oath of office."

Hmm. I'm not so certain the rest of us would have such a choice, especially those of us with a moral turpitude clause lurking about somewhere in the contract.

That disconnect is what bothers me most about this latest scandal. It's the old double standard held close to heart by so many politicians and public figures. What may apply to you does not apply to me.

The Democratic congressman may find forgiveness with his constituents and even his wife, but he isn't quite off the hook with his colleagues. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for the House ethics committee to investigate whether Weiner violated any of the chamber’s rules, one which pretty much spells out that members “shall conduct him(her)self at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”

And that sounds like a moral turpitude clause to me.

Talk to Me.

Sod but True

This weekend I awarded myself a new title.

Sod Queen 2011.

With my canine "union rep" The Millie Girl alongside me on the work site to ensure all Starbucks iced coffee breaks as stipulated by weekend contract were indeed upheld, the backyard transformed from a vast wasteland to an actual lawn.

I tossed use of the wheelbarrow early to more efficiently transport sod from pallet by scooping both arms beneath to carry, drop and bop back for the next slice of turf. Quite the workout this technique and after an hour or so, the bopping slowed to the heavy tread well-known by the weary.

Yet, a certain zen calms the aching biceps, tender fingertips and screaming hamstrings as the lawn takes shape. The second wind (followed by a third and a fourth) kicks in and several hours later, this weekend laborer plopped into her favorite wicker chair, every muscle letting go in recognition of the physicality involved in such a project.

As I eased into exhausted fascination by the sheer beauty of a zipping Rain Bird, I can't imagine how those who throw sod for a living can do so day in, day out, many without the benefit of union representation.

This sod worker in spirit will definitely sleep in the morning after.

But then after all, I am the Sod Queen.

Summer Lemonade Reading

Clink o' the glass to you!

Nothing beats back the summer heat better than a glass of ice cold lemonade. This summer in particular, Florida boasts plenty of lemons primed for the squeeze by both bloggers and journalists.

The listed Daily Clips (compiled by Progress Florida) are the best articles of the week I consider ripe for the picking.

Settle back and enjoy a lazy summer Saturday read.

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Florida cracks down on everybody (except Decent People)

By Howard Troxler/St. Petersburg Times

Public employees, as we all know, are parasites who should be punished.

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Jeb Bush won't run for reelection, so his backers turn to Tim Pawlenty

By Mike Thomas/Orlando Sentinel

The Cult of Jeb held out hope until almost the very end that he would run for president.

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Gov. Rick Scott to launch inquiry into why some people were ejected from budget signing

By Michael C. Bender/St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau

Related: Video: What Rick Scott says about Democrats being booted from his budget signing

Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he will launch an inquiry into why people were selectively removed from an event in the Villages where he signed the state's $69.1 billion budget.

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Mike Haridopolos Falls Through His Own Donut Hole
By Inkberries/Beach Peanuts

Mike Haridopolos, the self-proclaimed champion of "health care freedom" is having a little bit of trouble dancing around the issue of his desire to "free you" of your health care, and it shows.

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Thirsty for more?

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Weekend Zen

On the corner is a banker with a motorcar
The little children laugh at him behind his back
And the banker never wears a mac in the pouring rain
Very strange.

The Beatles. Penny Lane as performed by Paul McCartney.

Short Shorts: Reps, FRS and Fair Districts

Florida U.S. Rep. Connie Mack has a plan to balance the federal books. Cut 1% annually from federal programs over six years. At that point, spending would be capped at 18%, specifically meaning, the total cost of the federal government would not exceed 18 percent of the total Gross Domestic Product.

Mack believes $7.5 trillion of debt will be cut should this plan be adopted.

Read more about The One Cent Solution here.

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Changes to the Florida Retirement System are coming fast and furious. State employees are playing beat the clock in order to participate in DROP which "...allows public employees to retire, continue working for up to five years and collect a paycheck while their pension payments accrue and earn 6.5 percent interest before a lump-sum payout."

After the changes go into effect July 1st, DROP enrollees will earn 1.3% on the lump sum payout.

The reduced interest rate would impact the DROP payout by 12%. As a result, "A number of districts have seen the number of teachers retiring nearly doubling so far," said Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association.

Check out the FAQs here.

And while sorting out the impact, check out this way too cheerful statement by state Rep. Ritch Workman. "Any change, justifiably, gives people the heebie-jeebies,"

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The Fair Districts Amendments have passed the feds review. Per The Orlando Sentinel, "Lawmakers are scheduled to complete work on new districts for 40 state Senate, 120 state House and 27 congressional districts – a gain of two from the current 25 – by next March."

Public hearings will be held beginning June 20th to solicit public input. Check for a hearing in your area here.

With any luck, Mr. Workman's cheerful statements as a Florida representative are numbered.

Talk to Me.

Haridopolos Kicked Off Conservative Talk Radio

After listening to the audio of a conservative radio show host kick Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos off the air, I'm asking for predictions on just when old Mike will "suspend" his campaign for U.S. Senate.

Here's the skinny. After Mike chose to waltz about the subject of Rep. Paul Ryan's much-discussed budget plan, "America's Loose Cannon" host Ray Junior punched the politician's dance card, specifically asking how MH would hypothetically vote as Florida's newly elected U.S. Senator.

(...)


“The question’s simple. You’re a senator today. The Ryan plan comes across your desk. Are you voting yes or no?” Junior asked several times. Haridopolos said he wanted to talk about his record in the Legislature, and was not interested in taking a specific position on a “hypothetical” vote. After nearly five minutes of back and forth, Junior asked his producer to kick Haridopolos off the line."


Of course Mike wouldn't answer on the record. Ryan’s plan would change Medicare from a provider of universal health care for seniors to a voucher program that would help them buy private insurance through subsidized exchanges. One hypothetical "yes" and wave bye-bye to the demographic Haridopolos has spent years attempting to persuade that he is the political pseudo-grandson that every senior citizen aspires to call their own.

Listen to the audio here.

All aTwitter

Back when FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder of X-Files fame carried mobile phones the size of sneakers, I doubt most would guess the new wave in telecommunications would evolve into the device most never leave home without.

But the question was bandied about even then. Could these phones cause brain cancer?

The World Health Organization has this to say about that.

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The WHO panel looked at research including the results of the decade-long Interphone study, which generally failed to connect brain tumors with cell phone usage. However, the panel noted that one study tied 30 minutes or more of talking on a mobile phone each day to a 40 percent rise in glioma tumors over 10 years. A February study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cell phone radiation changed brain chemistry by raising glucose levels.

Watchdog groups accuse the wireless industry of essentially turning the world's 5 billion users into guinea pigs. That includes Devra Davis, an epidemiologist who founded the Environmental Health Trust and wrote the book "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation." She suggests that many patients of rare brain tumors also happen to be heavy cell phone users--like Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died in 2009.

Based on recommendations made by the W.H.O., it may prove best to hold future cell conversations with the speaker phone on.

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“If I was giving a speech to 45,000 people and someone in the back of the room threw a pie or yelled out an insult,” he stated, “would I spend the next two hours responding to that?"

As Rep. Anthony Weiner finds himself embroiled in a Twitter of a dilemma, apparently the correct answer to that question is much more than two hours. A less than tasteful photograph was tweeted via Weiner's account to a 21-year-old female college student. Weiner insists his account was hacked, that the jokes about his last name never let up and proceeded to delve into an unfortunate pastry throwing explanation that left him with pie on his face.

Back to the 21 year old. She logged on to Twitter a few days back and learned just how easy one's life can be disrupted via technology.

(...)

When I checked one of the posts that I had been tagged in I saw that it was a picture that had supposedly been tweeted to me by Congressman Anthony Weiner.

The account that these tweets were sent from was familiar to me; this person had harassed me many times after the Congressman followed me on Twitter a month or so ago. Since I had dealt with this person and his cohorts before I assumed that the tweet and the picture were their latest attempts at defaming the Congressman and harassing his supporters.

Annoyed, I responded with something along the lines of "are you f***ing kidding me?" and "I've never seen this. You people are sick." I blocked their accounts, made my page private, and let the matter drop, expecting them to eventually do the same.

Within about an hour, however, I realized that I had grossly underestimated the severity of the situation that I had somehow become a part of.

The last 36 hours have been the most confusing, anxiety-ridden hours of my life. I've watched in sheer disbelief as my name, age, location, links to any social networking site I've ever used, my old phone numbers and pictures have been passed along from stranger to stranger.

My friends have received phone calls from people claiming to be old friends of mine, attempting to obtain my contact information. My siblings have received tweets that are similar in nature. I began taking steps, though not quickly enough, to remove as much personal information from the Internet as possible.

As Mulder would say, the truth is out there.

Talk to Me.