Ebola

OK, I can’t sit here anymore and not say something. First, let’s get the basics out the way. I am not a medical person. (My wife is a nurse, my mother is a nurse, my neighbor is a nurse, and one of my best friend’s wife is a nurse.)I am a layman surrounded by medical people.

I have watched in horror, much about this Ebola panic. And yes, it is a panic. So, let’s get the facts straight about this disease. There have been a total of two confirm cases of people catching Ebola in this country. Yes, a total of four known people have enter the U.S. with the disease. Do the math.

So, how do we catch it? By coming in contact with bodily fluids of someone who is showing symptoms. WARNING: I am going to describe bodily fluids. Go to the next paragraph if you have a problem here. Bodily fluids are blood, sweat, urine, vomit, spit, semen, vaginal fluids, and fecal matter. Ebola is NOT an airborne disease. Now this is important, being in the same room and them not showing symptoms means you have such a low chance of getting it that does not even matter. The early symptoms are similar to that of someone catching the flu. Remember that for later.

The media is currently obsessed with this. The hysteria is out of control. Let’s dispel some of the stupid rumors going around, shall we? This is not a government bio weapon. Ebola has been around (meaning known) since about 1976. Every few years it flares up in Africa. This year it got worse for a variety of reasons. Most having to do with corruption, uninform population, and a poor health care system.

People are not crossing the borders to give it to Americans as some grand plan of ISIS. This is not going to be the next Black Death. This is not some crazy plan to take your guns and put people in FEMA camps. You can stop saying this and other things right now, you are only showing your ignorance.

Now why did the people in Dallas catch this disease? We have the best healthcare in the world, surly we can stop this in its tracks? Well, the sad fact is that the American Healthcare system is not really set up to deal with a lot of people with highly contagious diseases. We are good at long term care, cancers, and heart problems, but not the infectious diseases. We don’t have the training in every hospital and clinic for this sort of thing. The training and equipment cost lots of money and time. The equipment even has a shelf life. Most hospitals don’t see the need or profit to do this.

Finally, let’s look at the current efforts to keep the disease out of the country. Scanning people for a fever does not and will not work. Ebola has a 21 day incubation period. That means that you could be exposed and caught it and not show symptoms for the next 21 days. Remember I told you to remember the early symptoms and the similarity to the flu? Are you going to quarantine those with the flu? The flu is airborne and much more contagious.

Finally, the idea of stop all flights from the infected area. This also will not work. Since Ebola has a 21 day period, I could from the infected area to a third country and then come here. Easily getting around a flight quarantine. Ask this, are we going to stop people from going there to help and not let them come home? What about those who have samples that need to go to the CDC for study to find a cure? Going to stop them too? Trade with those countries is a big part of daily life. Remember that only a small part of the three countries are infected.

Last thought here. Everybody calm down. Take a few deep breaths. AND GET A GRIP! You have a better chance of catching the flu then Ebola. And the flu kills more people in the United States then Ebola has worldwide. (est. 36,000 vs. 3) You do the math and get some prospective.

Gun Rant

A gun issue rant:

First let’s get the preliminaries out of the way. I am a center left person. Deal with it. Yet, I can see both sides of the issue. Both have some good points and both have some stupid points.

First to those on the left. You are not going to get all the guns banned or confiscated. There is this little thing call the “Second Amendment.” It is a time honored tradition here in the United States that goes back 200 years. The Supreme Court has up held various versions of it since the beginning of the country. So, the guns are here to stay.

To the rabid gun owner, knock off the dumb rhetoric. The government is not coming for your guns. It’s not that you are a great threat to them, you not, it is the fact that 100 million guns is just too much of an effort for them. They have bigger fish to fry than you. So, quit thinking that you are going to help in some great uprising.

So, what can be done to prevent these mass shootings and killings that seem to be on the rise? Well, several things. But this means that both sides have to give a little. And admit that the other side has some good points too.

The NRA is right one major point. The government should be enforcing the current laws. Even the most gun friendly state has laws about gun ownership and those laws should be obeyed. So, what does this mean? Well, that means gun owners be careful for what you wish for. There was study done that showed that about 70,000 violations of application and background checks for gun ownership and only 7,000 were followed up.

What can the gun owner do to give a little? Three basic things. The first is Universal background checks. This means closing the gun show loophole. And no whining about how hard it would be to perform at the show. With the smart phones and iPads that are out there, the background check could be done in minutes. This would prevent people that have criminal records from getting these guns. Yes, I know that they will probably get them somewhere else illegally, but that does not mean you have to help them. This also means that states need to start reporting the info needed for the background check more consistently and accurately. Currently only 12 states actively report the correct info and 25 give it lip service.

The next two are hard for gun owners, but should be done. No more large ammo clips. Look, if you feel that you need a thirty round clip to hunt Bambi and Donald, than you are a piss poor hunter. And no that large clip is not going to help if you think that you are going over throw the government. Large clips like that just show that you are compensating for something.

The next is to stop the sale of all assault rifles. Notice that I did not say ban. Let’s stop putting more out there. You don’t need an AR-15, a Bushmaster, or a .50 cal for home defense. A hand gun or shot gun is better and easier to handle and cancel if necessary. Those of you on the left that are now screaming at me, here is a simply solution for you. Make the gun owner an offer to buy them. You would be surprised at how many of them will take you up on the offer if the price is right. Then you can do what you want with the guns.

To you on the left, you can take heart in a couple of things. Justice Antonin Scalia in his majority decision in D.C. vs. Heller stated that (And I’m paraphrasing) weapons, like the M-16, that would be used for true militias can be banned from the public. Yet he also stated that the Second Amendment does protect guns (Handgun, shotguns, and rifles) and that the Second Amendment rights are not unlimited.

Lawful guns owners do not have anything to worry about from people that want to stop the next Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, or Newtown. But throwing rhetoric around, about the Nazis and Communists taking guns as being the same as any sort of talk about gun control defeats your argument. And more guns, especially armed teachers in schools is not the answer. Kids will know which teacher is armed and the ones that have something to prove or have issues will take them out first.

So, there it is. You can call me names, insult me, or ignore me. But these are reasonable and honest feelings and ideas. It is a good compromise and everybody gets a little.

Follow up:

One of the points brought up about these mass shooting is the mental health of the shooter. Some have blamed the media (Video games and movies) for leading to these problems. Baloney!

In the 1950s, it was Comic Books that were leading kids to delinquency. In the 1960s, violent Westerns were the cause of campus up risings. In the 1970’s, Saturday morning cartoons were the cause. The 1980s saw how Crime Dramas and films were the cause of drug use. Finally, the 1990s and 2000s, it was Video games and Sci-FI/fantasy/cop films that lead to trouble with kids.

Kids today with real mental health issues don’t get the help that really need. Cut backs in Mental Health programs, the stigma of admitting that you have a problem, and people in just plain denial about a family member with an issue, have led to more people on the streets that are danger to themselves and society.

We need a real plan to get people mental health care. Not the stop gap measures that insurance companies think they can get away with. But real help that can sometimes take years to deal with.

So, what can be done in the mean time? Parent have to quit being in denial about the state of their kids health. Little Jane or Junior are not perfect. If they need help, don’t pretend that there is nothing wrong. Mental Health problems are harder to deal with then bumps, scraps, and bruises. Admit that there is problem and get the help.

Budget Cuts

OK folks, here a political rant. You don't want to read it, well you have been warned! As many of you know I lean left on some things and right on others. So let's talk areas that you are willing to see cuts happen. I will start.

First, let's get rid of the F-35 fighter program (AKA the joint defense fighter). Each plane will cost $612million per plane. The entire program is going to cost $1 Trillion. This plane is so over designed that a lot of the countries that were going to order it, have canceled their orders.

Next on my chopping block is Medicare-Plan-B. This program is planned to cost the public $727 Billion. By scrapping it and allowing Medicare to deal directly with the drug manufacturers, some estimates are that approximately 50% savings would happen. (That is $363.5 Billion)

Finally for this discussion, let’s all agree that we need to eliminate “New Child Left Behind.” Every teacher that I know say that the program does not work. It lowers expectations, does not allow for the smart kids to be smart, and sets standards to the lowest common dominator. This program cost a little over $75 Billion.

So, there are you have it, approximately $1.5 Trillion in cuts. So, what would you cut? (Tell us why and the amounts involved.) Usual rules apply, no personal attacks and keep it clean.

Healthcare and Budget cuts

Alright boys and girls. The recent healthcare ruling has caused much ranting, raving, and noshing of teeth. Everyone wants to cut stuff to some of the budget and make government small. So, here is your opportunity. What government program are you will to lose, that affects you personally? Oh, and the current healthcare law does not count. Discuss.

Birthright

Another friend just posted another "Birther" crazy rant about the lawsuit in NJ. So, let's try this on for size. Since the "Birthers" think Obama is ineligible to be president because one of his parents was not American (Obama was born in Hawaii), does this mean that Marko Rubio cannot run for V.P. (with Mitt Romney) because of his parents were born in Cuba? Remember, please be polite or I will delete your posts.

Ex-Wife

My ex-wife posted on her Blog a rant about my 14 year old nephew having a Facebook page. That is uncalled for. Say what you want about me (and most do), but you do not get to say one word about him! Children are off-limits! If you know her, say something. I have not seen her in 2 years. Yes, I'm pissed.