NPR was waxing enthusiastic about some three year med school programs. They claimed to have AMA approval, and it was giving student doctors more hands on work on real live patients. NPR loved the whole idea.
It ought to work. The armed services train medical corpsmen in a lot less than three years, and the corpsmen have established an enviable record over the years.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Potatoes on the Grill
Faster than the old wrap-in-foil baked potato method. Wash potato[s] and scrub any grit off the skin[s]. Quarter it lengthwise. Rub oil (any kinda oil, veggie, canola, olive etc) all over the spud quarters. Pop onto grill. Turn every 5 minutes or so. They will come out nice and brown. They are done when a fork sinks into them. Takes 15-20 minutes on my Weber grill. Leave the Weber cover on to hold the heat and cook 'em faster.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Inversions, Corporate type, jawboning against
Obama is jawboning American companies to stay in America and pay American taxes. He calls this "patriotic". His people have been bad mouthing companies for leaving the US.
Got news for you Mr. President. The management of corporations is under legal and moral imperatives to maximize the return of the company to stakeholders (workers, customers, investors, suppliers). This means they must relocate if it saves the company money. To do otherwise is immoral, not to say illegal.
If you want American companies to stay in America, you must lower American taxes (all of them, not just a favorite few) and repeal obnoxious regulation.
We voters are watching what you do and say.
Got news for you Mr. President. The management of corporations is under legal and moral imperatives to maximize the return of the company to stakeholders (workers, customers, investors, suppliers). This means they must relocate if it saves the company money. To do otherwise is immoral, not to say illegal.
If you want American companies to stay in America, you must lower American taxes (all of them, not just a favorite few) and repeal obnoxious regulation.
We voters are watching what you do and say.
Stuff flows downhill, swiftly
Lessons from history. Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933. In 1936 he re occupies the Rhineland. This was a stretch of German territory bordering Belgium and Holland. The treaty of Versailles, which ended WWI, declared that the Rhineland must be demilitarized, no soldiers, fortifications, no so much as a foxhole. A mere three years after taking power, Hitler felt strong enough to defy the Versailles treaty and send the German army into the Rhineland.
What should have happened, didn't. The British and the French had ten times Hitler's troop strength in 1936. They should have moved troops into the Rhineland, arrested or shot any German in uniform, and restored order, the Versailles way. If the Americans had supported the British and French (which we did not) it would have worked. Hitler would have lost enormous amounts of prestige, and might well have lost his office and his life. And that would have prevented WWII. But we did nothing, the British and the French did nothing, and WWII broke out 3 years later.
In 1938, Hitler "absorbed" Austria. A sizable territorial gain, Austria is maybe 10% the size of Grmany, kind of like California is to the rest of the United States. Austria was the Germany speaking part of the old Austro Hungarian empire, the part that used to run said empire. They had been trimmed back from Great Power status to third class European power status and they wanted to join the successful Nazi juggernaut, rather than be a footnote to history. With this kind of popular support for Anschluss, there wasn't much anyone could have done. But if the Rhineland reoccupation had been crushed two years before, the Anschluss probably would not have happened.
Later the same year, Hitler demanded the German speaking parts of Czechoslovakia be turned over to him. Hitler threatened war if he didn't get his way. The British and the French came to the infamous Munich conference, and joined hands with Hitler in browbeating the Czechoslovakians into yielding to Hitler's demands. The Americans stayed out of Munich. What should have happened. The British and the French declare war on Germany then and there and launch an invasion thru Germany's western border. This would have been trickier than the Rhineland, 'cause the German army was a lot stronger in 1938 than in 1936. But it wasn't yet strong enough to grab Czechoslovakia and fend off an Anglo French invasion at the same time.
Next year, 1939, Hitler managed to start up a Czechoslovakia Nazi party and take over the rest of the country by "legal" political subversion. By summer of 1939 Hitler decided to take over Poland. To his surprise, the British and the French had grown a pair between them and told the Poles they were 1000% behind them. Poland refused Hitler's demands. Hitler invaded in September of 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany and WWII was off and running.
Moral of the story. Let a bad guy get away with just one little thing, and the whole world can slide down the tubes.
So far we have let Assad stay in power in Syria, let Libya dissolve into chaos, pulled our troops out of Iraq letting ISIS take over, let Putin grab big chunks of Ukraine. For our next smooth move we pull our troops out of Afghanistan. That's more than just one little thing.
What should have happened, didn't. The British and the French had ten times Hitler's troop strength in 1936. They should have moved troops into the Rhineland, arrested or shot any German in uniform, and restored order, the Versailles way. If the Americans had supported the British and French (which we did not) it would have worked. Hitler would have lost enormous amounts of prestige, and might well have lost his office and his life. And that would have prevented WWII. But we did nothing, the British and the French did nothing, and WWII broke out 3 years later.
In 1938, Hitler "absorbed" Austria. A sizable territorial gain, Austria is maybe 10% the size of Grmany, kind of like California is to the rest of the United States. Austria was the Germany speaking part of the old Austro Hungarian empire, the part that used to run said empire. They had been trimmed back from Great Power status to third class European power status and they wanted to join the successful Nazi juggernaut, rather than be a footnote to history. With this kind of popular support for Anschluss, there wasn't much anyone could have done. But if the Rhineland reoccupation had been crushed two years before, the Anschluss probably would not have happened.
Later the same year, Hitler demanded the German speaking parts of Czechoslovakia be turned over to him. Hitler threatened war if he didn't get his way. The British and the French came to the infamous Munich conference, and joined hands with Hitler in browbeating the Czechoslovakians into yielding to Hitler's demands. The Americans stayed out of Munich. What should have happened. The British and the French declare war on Germany then and there and launch an invasion thru Germany's western border. This would have been trickier than the Rhineland, 'cause the German army was a lot stronger in 1938 than in 1936. But it wasn't yet strong enough to grab Czechoslovakia and fend off an Anglo French invasion at the same time.
Next year, 1939, Hitler managed to start up a Czechoslovakia Nazi party and take over the rest of the country by "legal" political subversion. By summer of 1939 Hitler decided to take over Poland. To his surprise, the British and the French had grown a pair between them and told the Poles they were 1000% behind them. Poland refused Hitler's demands. Hitler invaded in September of 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany and WWII was off and running.
Moral of the story. Let a bad guy get away with just one little thing, and the whole world can slide down the tubes.
So far we have let Assad stay in power in Syria, let Libya dissolve into chaos, pulled our troops out of Iraq letting ISIS take over, let Putin grab big chunks of Ukraine. For our next smooth move we pull our troops out of Afghanistan. That's more than just one little thing.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
This is America
We take care of our own. We do not allow fellow Americans to die in African jungles of a loathsome disease. We bring them home, care for them, and pray for their recovery.
Voices have been heard saying Ebola is so dangerous that we dare not bring the victims home. To hell with that. America will take care of its own. We will bring them home, care for them, and with God's help, cure them. That's the way America does things.
Voices have been heard saying Ebola is so dangerous that we dare not bring the victims home. To hell with that. America will take care of its own. We will bring them home, care for them, and with God's help, cure them. That's the way America does things.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy. Good Flick
Saw it last night. It's doing well, the Jax was pretty full and it's been playing up here for 3 days already. It's a pure space opera. Think of the first Star Wars. That kinda good. Best flick out of Hollywood this year. The cast are all new names to me.
It's live action (with a fair amount of CGI) rather than a cartoon. We have a handsome hero, a deadly fast samurai chick, a three foot tall raccoon who plans jailbreaks, Grout, a strange half plant half man who doesn't talk much, and a big beefy bruiser with a bald head and a big grudge. Over the course of the movie they go from wanting to kill each other to that good old three musketeers "One for all, all for one" spirit. Lots of combat. Nasty villains. Decent score, old but good pop music from the '90s. There is a plot, the action mostly follows it, I could mostly follow it. It's too complicated to explain here. The good guys win in the end.
You oughta go see it. Take the kids, they will love it.
It's live action (with a fair amount of CGI) rather than a cartoon. We have a handsome hero, a deadly fast samurai chick, a three foot tall raccoon who plans jailbreaks, Grout, a strange half plant half man who doesn't talk much, and a big beefy bruiser with a bald head and a big grudge. Over the course of the movie they go from wanting to kill each other to that good old three musketeers "One for all, all for one" spirit. Lots of combat. Nasty villains. Decent score, old but good pop music from the '90s. There is a plot, the action mostly follows it, I could mostly follow it. It's too complicated to explain here. The good guys win in the end.
You oughta go see it. Take the kids, they will love it.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
The Economist thinks Hamas is winning against Israel
The Economist thinks Hamas is gathering international support every time the MSM show another clip of wounded Gazans being hauled off to hospitals on US TV. They call for Israel to enter into a ceasefire, because it will look good to world (actually European) public opinion. According to the Economist Europe's anti Semitism is rising, and stands about where it did in 1938 (Kristallnacht).
There is probably something to this. Even though the Palestinians have asked for it, time and time again, I cannot feel good about seeing crummy buildings blown to bits, and young people killed and wounded. On the other hand, when Hamas violates a ceasefire only 90 minutes after it begins, it shows how tough it can be. Hamas clearly wants to keep on fighting. We care more about casualties in Gaza than they do.
I fear the best the Israelis can do is clear out some tunnels, blow up some rockets, and take some prisoners. The Israelis ought to have a list of undesirables, Hamas people ought to be on that list, and they ought to be arresting them. I don't think anything will change the minds of the people in Gaza. They want to drive the Jews into the sea. There ain't no compromise in that position. No hardship that the Israelis can lay on Gaza is gonna change those minds.
Bebi's choices seem to be, call it off, or keep on kicking ass. I don't know which choice will be better for Israel. The Economist may think they know it all, but I have my doubts.
There is probably something to this. Even though the Palestinians have asked for it, time and time again, I cannot feel good about seeing crummy buildings blown to bits, and young people killed and wounded. On the other hand, when Hamas violates a ceasefire only 90 minutes after it begins, it shows how tough it can be. Hamas clearly wants to keep on fighting. We care more about casualties in Gaza than they do.
I fear the best the Israelis can do is clear out some tunnels, blow up some rockets, and take some prisoners. The Israelis ought to have a list of undesirables, Hamas people ought to be on that list, and they ought to be arresting them. I don't think anything will change the minds of the people in Gaza. They want to drive the Jews into the sea. There ain't no compromise in that position. No hardship that the Israelis can lay on Gaza is gonna change those minds.
Bebi's choices seem to be, call it off, or keep on kicking ass. I don't know which choice will be better for Israel. The Economist may think they know it all, but I have my doubts.
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