Memorial Day: Remembering Why

Yesterday's Memorial Day was just another day for most people, in fact many even had the day off.  However, I would like to take this opportunity to remember my Uncle Albert - a typical farm boy from Nebraska sucked into a war machine.  

A few weeks after I was born, Uncle Albert was sent with the re-formed 106th to the Ardennes Forest, arriving on Dec. 15, 1944, the day before Hitler’s army began the last big German offensive in WWII - the Battle of the Bulge. The 106th officers surrendered after German tanks mowed down most of their troops & the rest were marched & shipped in trains for weeks with little food or water to several stalags, ending up in Stalag III-A near the Oder River on Germany's border with Poland. Six months later, a week before Berlin fell, Russia's army liberated those POW camps & my uncle joined a few POWs who commandered a town's firetruck to get back to France. He was discharged 5 mo. later - a mere shell of his former self at 90 lbs. with most of his hair gone when he arrived back on my grandparents' farm, taking 10 years of Grandma's TLC to heal.

These young men were just ordinary guys living through a hell of someone else’s making ~ enduring the usual ravages of war - in hopes of peace among nations.

Contrast my uncle’s experience with that of 200,000+ Germans captured & brought to POW camps in the States. My home state of Nebraska had 9 POW camps that fed the Germans well & provided labor to nearby farmers whose sons were drafted ~ an odd twist of irony.  When the war ended, many of these young men didn’t want to return to Germany to face the destruction, starvation & roving refugees - they stayed and made a life here in the States.

To all who served or are serving now, and to those who lost loved ones or still have family members in Iraq/Afghanistan ~ Big HUGS ~ Moms

History of the Popes

Anyone Catholic or otherwise interested in the history of the Church, I highly recommend reading “A History of the Popes” (originally published as “Keepers of the Keys” in 1982) by Sir Nicolas Cheetham, an English classics scholar and diplomat, educated at Christ Church – Oxford.

Sir Cheetham (1910-2002) had a successful career as a British diplomat - first to NATO, then as British Ambassador to Hungary (1961-1963) and Mexico (1968-1972). He was the grandson of a British Parliament Member (House of Commons), and the son of a British diplomat and ambassador's daughter (Russian Empire's last ambassador to Italy). He is also the author of a number of books about history (Mexico, New Spain, Greece).

Sir Cheetham’s “History of the Popes” is a slow read as straight history, but an excellent resource book to learn the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

New Catholic Leader: Pope Francis

The new pope, calling himself Pope Francis, is the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina where he was born and became a Jesuit priest.  Promoted by two very conservative popes, it is no surprise that this pope is also very conservative.  Described as living humbly unlike most cardinals, he is known for cooperating with previous military juntas and dictators, but then clashing with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner - Argentina's first freely-elected female leader. 

Taking the name ‘Francis’ does not necessarily mean anything. This pope may have chosen the name after another Italian - Francis of Assisi, a non-ordained friar, or maybe after a Frenchman - Francis Xavier, founder of his order, the Society of Jesus, aka Jesuits.  Both men, one from early 1200's and the other from the 1500's, had shunned family wealth to “walk the talk” - becoming missionaries for Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church. 

The current crop of cardinals might see in Pope Francis a financial savior with the missionary zeal to convert billions of Asians, perhaps thinking where the money is going to come from in the future.  After all is said and done, the Church as an institution requires a lot of money to survive and all things lead to Rome.

Catholic Birth Control Ban - Do the Math

There are financial reasons why the Roman Catholic Church has continued its stance on birth control (BC) - just do the math to understand.  Is the Vatican's position rational?  I'll let you figure that out.

In 2 generations, Catholic families went from an average of 8 kids who had an average of 5 kids, to my generation with an average of 2 kids. The average total adults in a Catholic family donating to the church dropped from 50 [2+8+(8*5)] to 17 [2+5+(5*2)] after the pill arrived in 1964.  The impact of family members who have left the church because of BC ban magnifies the results.  

My parents had 6 kids & 16 grandkids, but only 4 out of the total of 22 are practicing Catholics.  Using $100 as today's average monthly donation of Catholic adults, the lost revenue annually from just one family is $21,600 (18 x $1200) or $216,000 in a decade if nothing changes. 

The Church's financial experts would look at this impact in the USA of:
1 million families   = $216,000,000,000 = $216 Billion
10 million families = $2,160,000,000,000 = $2.16 Trillion

$2.16 TRILLION is a heckuva lot of money!!

Unfortunately, at the same time families were having fewer kids & therefore higher disposable income, which could have translated into increased donations, the Vatican then doubled down on the BC ban causing those fewer kids to turn away from the church as adults.

Add financial settlements from decades of child sex abuse, which are the tip of this iceberg, and you begin to understand why the Roman Catholic Church faces grave financial troubles today.  To "bring Catholics back to the Church" would require the Pope, the Curia in the Vatican and all the Cardinals, as well as bishops and priests, to completely lift the ban on birth control... and increase the number of available parish priests by taking back those who left to marry.

Religious Poppycock

I keep thinking... maybe the earth slipped on its axis from all the hot air being broadcast 24/7. So many people, so little time to brainwash them into believing black is the new white and the wee little folks are 10 feet tall. Charles Dickens and C. S. Lewis would be having a field day about now what with dour pots calling kettles black and rich rotund Men in Black crying out about being victims. Don Marquis would have Archy telling Mehitabel, "Your kittens are YOUR problem... we cockroaches don't have too many little roaches." And, yes Alice, there really are talking rabbits who wear clothes & check time with a pocket watch.

Dickens, Lewis & Marquis would quickly realize Catholic bishops' crying "foul" over insuring birth control at affiliated universities and hospitals is a Giant Red Herring. Catholic cardinals as well as bishops are using "religious liberty" to drive a mack truck through so they won't have to report child sex abuse to secular authority... nor pay over $700 million in judgments that are on appeal. Don't take my word for it, take Cardinal Egan's word for his belief now, retracting his apology 10 years ago, that the Church has no obligation to report abuse cases.

The bishops are reasserting that Canon Law rules, not governments, to get Congress to overturn the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in United States vs. Lee, 455 U.S. 252 (1982).

Justice Burger, writing for a unimous Supreme Court: "Congress and the courts have been sensitive to the needs flowing from the Free Exercise Clause, but every person cannot be shielded from all the burdens incident to exercising every aspect of the right to practice religious beliefs. When followers of a particular sect enter into commercial activity as a matter of choice, the limits they accept on their own conduct as a matter of conscience and faith are not to be superimposed on the statutory schemes which are binding on others in that activity. Granting an exemption from social security taxes to an employer operates to impose the employer's religious faith on the employees."

This isn't new stuff - these folks mean business!  A year ago in March, the "Rights of Conscience Act" Bills were filed in the House & Senate (H.R.1179 and S.1467) and referred to Subcommittees on Health.  The Catholic bishops are now spending $50 million on public relations using code words like "freedom of religion" and "religious liberty" ... with help from their long-time frienemies.

I figure taking the Catholic Bishops' argument to its ultimate conclusion means spending $2 billion/year to Catholic affiliated universities and hospitals could be viewed as a violation of the Establishment Clause.  Then Bishops can tell their Catholic faithful to pay those costs out of their own pockets so they needn't worry about abiding by federal law.  Hummm... pitting Catholics against Catholics??

Song of Pill Power

The Pill has given women power over their lives since 1964, when my dear Catholic mother said, "If men could have babies, the Pope would make the pill a sacrament distributed at Mass."  Thanks to the Pill, women have been priming the pumps of our economy since then.  Thanks to Juanita Jean's "Thank you, Miss Loretta. You tell Doo & Rick Santorum How the Cow Ate the Cabbage for Loretta Lynn's song about The PILL.  Love that woman's music... she tells it like it is!! (See video on right.)

Jennifer Hudson Tribute to Whitney Houston

Jennifer Hudson showed what a true diva really is when she sang "I'll Always Love You" at the Grammy Awards in tribute to Whitney Houston.  Jennifer herself sets a high standard for celebrity icons.  Bless her heart!  (See video at right).

British Cuties: Sophia Grace & Rosie

British cuties, Sophia Grace & Rosie, have become regulars on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Sophia Grace (8) belts out pop songs by music superstars like she grew up with them from infancy.  Her cousin, Rosie (5), serves as her "hype girl" - as Nicki Manij said, giving her confidence.  She hardly needs any more confidence as you can see in the video.  Enjoy!!

Presidential Election Year - Game On!

Animated Cartoons by Ann Telnaes of The Washington Post
I'll probably sit in purgatory until the Milky Way disappears for this, but...
I just couldn't resist considering men can't have babies....

Some Seriously Silly Stuff

Like a toddler having a melt down, our nation really needs a "time out" for Some Serious Silly Stuff.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On was created by comedian, Jenny Slate, after she was dropped by Saturday Night Live for dropping the F-bomb on a SNL show. With help from her fiance, film-maker Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny created Marcel the Shell using things around the house and her comedic little-boy voice. Marcel the Shell went viral on the Internet and a STAR was born!

Marcel the Shell is now a celebrity with his very own picture book and iPhone/iPad app, too:
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me

Watch Marcel do his 'thing' in the videos at right & relax with Some Seriously Silly Stuff.

Nebraska: Water, Cattle, Manufacturing and Tourism

Nebraska's Sandhills have a unique beauty all their own.  Expansive grasslands as far as the eye can see growing under beautiful enormous skyscapes.  Most travelers totally miss it when crossing our country, thinking the entire state of Nebraska is but a wasteland!  

Loup River
in Sandhills
of Nebraska

Almost all of Nebraska covers the Ogallala Aquifer, which provides filtered pure water to man and beast alike, inviting migratory birds and other wildlife to feast there as well.  The Ogallala Aquifer is replenished by snow and rainfall, and due to depth and acres covered, Nebraska accounts for about 67% of the volume of the Aquifer's groundwater (Texas and Kansas account for 10% each).  The total water storage is about equal to that of Lake Huron, providing irrigation from the High Plains to almost 14 million acres in Nebraska (46%), Texas (30%) and Kansas (10%).  For more information: Water Encyclopedia

Irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer certainly helps Nebraska produce great grain crops and the Sandhills grasslands produce some of the world's best beef.  According to the Nebraska Beef Council, Nebraska's economic engine is fueled by beef cattle raised throughout the state - $6.5 billion cattle sales impacted its economy by $12.1 billion in 2009.  

Sandhills
Traffic Jam

The top 3 beef producing counties in the entire U.S. are in Nebraska - Cherry, Custer & Holt Counties.  Nearly 5 million head of cattle are marketed in a state with only 1.8 million residents (2010 Census).  The Nebraska Beef Council claims Nebraska produces more cattle per resident than all other states, including Texas and California. 

Choice cuts of beef can be ordered directly from Nebraska ranchers, which they deliver to any place so long as it is located in the United States.

Nebraska's work ethic has driven growth of manufacturing as well.  The list of Nebraska manufacturers is quite surprising; for example, Loup Valley Machinery & Mfg's molded waterproof electrical connectors made in Burwell - gateway to the Sandhills.  As of October, 2011, Nebraska's jobless rate is only 4.2%;(2nd only to North Dakota's 3.5% jobless rate, thanks to an oil boom). Why go to China when it can be made in Nebraska.

See some of the wild, wild West at Nebraska's Big Rodeo smack in the middle of ranch country.  Take your family to see the "real deal" - buckin' broncos, calf roping, barrel racing, and bull riding complete with clowns narrowly escaping those horns!  Chow down on Nebraska's choice steaks at the local Legion Club or enjoy some fine cuisine at the Sandhills Grill. Drive around the area and enjoy!

Nebraska's Big Rodeo is in Burwell, which is only a 3-hour scenic drive out of Lincoln, Nebraska's capital, along the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway.  But don't take my word for it - go see all of Nebraska's Scenic Byways - or take a virtual tour with the video at right (best view is full screen).

The NEBRASKAland Magazine is a treasure trove of interesting history and events held in Nebraska, including wildlife photos.  You will also find wonderful photos and descriptions of the Sandhills' landscape and its plant and animal life on Kody Unstad's website: The Nebraska Sandhills 

Diversions of the Soul: The Road Less Traveled

Dr. Susan Bodnar, a clinical psychologist teaching at Columbia University Teachers College, posted an article titled "Don't forget where you came from" at CNN's online: In America: You define America. What defines you? 

Dr. Bodnar's article kicked off very interesting comments discussing why our country is experiencing significant social division among the have-wannabes, the semi-haves and the never-will-haves.

Many stories posted in comments reflect the division between those who earned college degrees and those who have not, but it seems much of this division is driven by talk shows calling educated people "elite" as if it's a dirty word. Comments suggested those who left poverty behind by getting a college education have experienced considerable angst reconciling their educated upwardly-mobile lives with family and friends left behind.

Pursuit of a higher education used to be seen as good for the country. Higher education was the Holy Grail that immigrants worked so hard for their children to have, so when did it become something bad for the country & why???

The discussion has inspired Dr. Bodnar to delve further into the sensitive issue of who we really are as Americans - what divides us and what unites us.  Stay tuned for more later!

Flawed Politicians

In "Lessons Learned from John Edwards' Iowa Campaign" (Blog for Iowa), Paul Deaton writes of his deep disappointment in... and what can be learned from... John Edwards' fall from grace.

I felt the same way after Nixon, Reagan & Bush Sr showed their true colors... but learned only after they were in office. After being a Republican most of my life, I switched to vote for Jimmy Carter, but he was flawed in a different way. Despite being a peanut farmer, he imposed an embargo against shipping grain to Russia that devastated Iowa farmers. Canada & Australia picked up that third of US grain exports. President Carter proved to be morally right but economically stupid.

The media exposed Bill Clinton's sexual escapades while campaigning, but he was elected regardless of being morally challenged... and re-elected because he was economically smart.  GOP leadership seemed hell bent to waste the country's resources - time & money - to investigate and impeach Clinton on moral grounds, and ultimately failed to get a majority in the Senate to agree.  Meanwhile Clinton's Administration was able to scale back federal spending and balance the budget, leaving a surplus for the next Administration to squander by invading Iraq on a flawed premise.

Newt Gingrich's 'family values' GOP campaign to retake Congress used Iowa poster boy, Jim Nussle, a young lawyer who's wife and 3 kids (one disabled) were left back in Iowa.  Much like Newt, once in Congress young Jim had an affair with a lobbyist whom he ultimately married; however, unlike Newt, Jim limited his wives to only 2. Iowa voters continued to send him back to Congress anyway!

So, in 1996, I dumped the GOP and never looked back. As a registered Independent... a very cynical one... I listened to the debates and reluctantly voted for Al Gore, only to have the U.S. Supreme Court decide his fate over the people's wishes. Al Gore was flawed in much the same manner that Carter was, and might well have been economically stupid, too - although the financial success of 'An Inconvenient Truth' says otherwise.

In 2004, six editors of the Des Moines Register sorted out the Democrats & picked Edwards as "head and shoulders above" the rest. So I got Edwards' booklet outlining his positions, which likely was written by Elizabeth Edwards. For the first time since John Anderson ran on the GOP ticket in 1976, I actually went to a precinct caucus and discovered there were many supporting John Edwards.

They most likely feel like I do now... even more cynical & hugely disappointed in SERIOUSLY FLAWED people who have the ego & financial support to run for political office. People who thinks candidates aren't beholden to the big money interests need to have their heads examined.  The relevant questions are:  to whom and for what are they indebted.

Knowing they are ALL flawed to some degree, I can only hope that President Obama, whom I actively supported after digging into his background and record (but not his books!), is flawed only to the degree that he may still be addicted to smoking and teleprompters. Please, Lord, don't let it be otherwise.

The statue of David cartoon below reminds me of how voters view political candidates.  Keep in mind no matter the political party, most politicians are flawed & will eventually melt into nothing.

World News: Diversion

"As The World Turns" was a daytime soap opera watched religiously at one time.  Today Tunisia then Egypt give new meaning to "as the world turns" on 24/7 TV news channels and especially the Internet's gazillion social network sites.  Had enough?

Click on the new video on the right for British humorous insight into how the rest of the world views the news.

Of course there's always the Super Bowl for diversionary tactics today.  Can't wait to see who wins... the ad competition.  Pepsi and Doritos have customer-generated ads in the Five Finalists.  Will Pepsi beat Coca Cola?  Will Budweiser beat the California Happy Cows?  Which commercial will win the coveted $1 million prize?

Winter Diversions

My friend writes of their life in Nebraska's Sandhills, which I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do.  She's funny and down to earth... no pun intended.  Their life could be called simple, only it isn't really.  It is a reminder of the hardships others endure without complaint and with humor.  Another friend writes of Australia's devastation and her efforts to keep a grip on that famous Aussie humor.

Winter Wonderland in Middle America
"Hi from a Winter Wonderland.  It's over 8 inches of new snow now, it covers some icy spots from last snow.  At least we have plenty of wood to burn, and a good supply on the porch.  Got out a few times last week to meet friends, and Hubby played his tuba at the Nursing Home too.  All we do now is chores, and haying, and grinding corn when feedlot needs it.  Glad we are gaining daylight in the evenings, and need sun to come up earlier in mornings."

Winter Wonderland in Southern America
Around 8" of snow fell yesterday in the Deep South, but unfortunately sleet and icy rain arrived soon after.  I put on boots and trekked through the snow to refill the feeders before breakfast - sleet was just beginning then.  Cherry-red cardinals made a bright splash against the white snow, and there were the usual winter holdovers like tiny finches, chickadees, etc.  An entire fleet flew in for the feast and entertained me all day.  There were even a few goldfinches that apparently had decided not to enjoy winter in south Florida.  Mourning doves dropped by later to pick up seed trash dropped on the ground. By early afternoon the snow was covered with ice and the little ones were either skating or skiing wherever there was a little slope and their tiny talons couldn't get a grip.  Too funny!

The old forest woods surrounding us provide homes and cover for birds and other wildlife.  My feeders are full anyway, but that dang renegade squirrel likes to horn in on their banquet.  WE are still at war!

Winter Not-so-Wonderland - Down Under
In may be summer now in Australia, but another friend in Brisbane writes of their winter horror - flooding beyond anything Australia has ever seen before.  Rivers that know nothing of banks, dams give way causing 26 ft of an inland tsunami, and coal mining shut down (depriving Asian steelmakers 75% of their coal needs).  However, my friend writes that the beloved Kookaburra birds are returning after several weeks of absence.  Their laughing sounds are helping my friend get past the pain of devastation.  Keep that Aussie sense of humor going, my friend!

This, too, shall pass. . .

And so it did. . . pass, that is.  It has been a year since I last posted due to unforeseen health issues - after falling from the attic through my bathroom ceiling while looking for squirrels. Doing splits in mid-air at my age is no mean feat! Luckily one leg caught on the gas line to the furnace & a shoulder blade caught on a joist or I would not be here a year later to tell about it. As Elvis would put it, "I was all shook up!" with a whiplash & plenty sore for quite a while. I'm under orders now - No More Squirrel Chasing!!

Since then a lot of water under the proverbial political bridge has happened, including a mid-term election. Republicans took control of the House in much the same manner as the Democrats did during Reagan's first term. Brings to mind my mother's old adage ~ "This, too, shall pass. . ."

I moved on, too.  SO much of our American society has become highly politicized that, frankly, I just plain wore out tracking down all the misinformation, disinformation, no information, and fantastical claims.  No one seemed to care about factual information anymore & I got tired of trying to set the record straight.

Since I was benched for chasing squirrels in my attic, it proved to be a good time to read up on the Battle of the Bulge in World War II in order to begin a memorial to my uncle who was captured & held in several in German POW camps.  It proved to be quite a challenge. . . and remains to be finalized with a little help from his son.  It also proved to be a great reminder of how one little man (or woman) could so easily change the course of history and millions upon millions of lives.

The men and women who lived through that terrible war in the European or the Pacific theaters are dying at a fast clip.  If you know anyone who lived through it and have never heard their story, better visit them soon or it will be too late.

Posted in 2009 & Posts Never Posted. . .

2009 Posts on the Healthcare Reform Debate:

• Part I - Insurance control over physicians to increase profits.
• Part IA - Insurance CEO compensation from 2008 SEC filings.
• Part IB - Time for cooler heads to prevail.
• Part II - Physicians Support Health Care Reform.
• Part III - Confusion vs Facts
• Part IV - Progressives on Public Option
• Part V - Canadian Health Care System

Posts partially written that never came & will never be posted:

• Part VI - Town Meeting Anger: 'Pride & Prejudice' (coming).
• Part VII - Tort Reform - Whether Caps Reduce Costs (coming).
• Part VIII - What big pharmaceuticals get out of reform (coming).
• Part IX - Sorting out who gets what when & where (coming).
• Sidebar - Videos - factual & informative - with a little fun, too.

Health Reform: Part V - Canadian Medical Care System

Canadian Doctors for Medicare hosted a celebration of Medicare in Canada - a medical care system open to everyone in Canada. Some in the U.S. insist on calling the Canadian system 'socialist' but the Canadians do not consider it anything other than good common sense for the well-being of Canadians and Canada.

Speakers at the celebration included a former Commissioner on Health Care, Health Policy and Medical Research Consultant, President of Canadian Federation of Nurses Union, and three Canadian Doctors for Medicare.

They uploaded a video on YouTube to inform Americans that Canadian health care works well and there is absolutely nothing to fear about a universal health care system such as Canada has.  IN FACT, Canada enjoys excellent medical care with very low administration costs (1.5%), compared to U.S. private medical insurance record of high administrative costs (30%) and high claim rejection rates (20-40%).

Routine denial of claims is the REAL elephant in the room NO ONE talks about in town hall meetings ... or in the halls of Congress. California's Real Death Panels: Insurers Deny 21% of Claims.  The study prompted the State Attorney General to begin an investigation of the pattern and practice of claim denials by private insurance companies.  

Rescission and rejection policies of the top 18 insurance giants helped rack up profits of almost $16 BILLION in 2008 alone... for which their top executives are paid super-sized bonuses from... you guessed it... YOUR premiums! 

YOUR premiums were also used to take advantage of the anti-trust exemption private health insurance companies enjoy. 

Massive transfer of wealth from the many to the few?  Absolutely it is! OUR politicians and their media hacks have a lot of nerve ranting and raving against health care reform as redistribution of wealth???  Oh, give me a break!

Watch their video in the sidebar and get a better understanding of Canadian Medicare.

Health Reform: Progressives on Public Option

65 members of the House drew a line in the sand: no public option, no health care bill.

The public option gives our country freedom from being locked into private insurance. Individuals and small employers would not be held hostage by private insurance with their high administrative costs driven by high executive salaries, bonuses and profits. The public option would expand Medicare to everyone who applies at far cheaper premiums with 1/10th the administrative cost (30% vs 3%). 

Medicare Advantage (Part C) has provided free insurance to those with limited incomes, but the government's 12% subsidy has overpaid private insurance companies since it began in 2002.  The high subsidy must stop and people on Part C must begin paying a premium. Medicare Part A and B cost $96 per month, but has not increased in well over a decade. Many if not most people on Part A and B can afford to pay $15 to $25 more per month to keep the program going, which would also pay for training more new physicians.

There is NO free lunch - consumers pay one way or the other, but PLEASE, we must stop bailing out private insurance executives, too.  Freedom to buy medical care without padding executive salaries and investor pockets is the bottom line!

If you haven't understood the reasons why a public option is necessary, then you haven't read my posts about the high cost of private insurance... or listened to Wendell Potter or the doctors in the videos here.

If you want to tell Congress the public option is that important to our country, click here and sign the petition.

Health Reform: Part III - Confusion vs Facts

No one shouted or booed at health care forums held last spring, which were aired on C-Span and made available online. People were rational in their concerns that ranged from access to costs to insurance. People expressed quite a bit of fear but not boorish behavior like the town hall meetings. People are now scared and want straight answers.

Newspapers and news magazines would do everyone a huge favor by publishing a series based on facts to inform and educate its readers. TV producers could do likewise for folks who never read newspapers or magazines. The rest of us could help by getting informed ourselves and then asking our local newspaper editors to publish the facts.

First the news could explain how Medicare reimbursement works and varies widely by state. Physicians and hospitals accepting assignment are reimbursed 80% of charges set by regional areas. They agree to collect the remaining 20% from patients or their insurers. The difference between actual charges and what Medicare allows averages 65% nationwide, but reimbursement rates vary by regional areas that overlap state boundaries. In rural areas especially, the average charge is much lower than in metropolitan areas. Yet studies show there is no correlation between high costs and more effective medical care.

The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice began the Dartmouth Atlas Project over 20 years ago. They used 20 years of Medicare data to study distribution and use of medical resources. Researchers found glaring variations in efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system.

Check out Dartmouth's Interactive Map: Medicare Reimbursements Per Enrollee by State See: "Taming Wide Variations in Spending Key to Health Reform" Published February 26, 2009 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

We could reduce confusion by understanding the basics of health reform. The Kaiser Foundation's Explaining the Basics of Health Reform

We can also get informed about the uninsured in our states and in the nation from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Cover The Insured

At least then maybe... just maybe... we could have less emotionally-loaded discussions about health care reform!