POST SCRIPTS

by Jack Lee

This is something so serious, it is literally threatening to force many doctors out of business in the very near future.

UnitedHealth Groups decided to use the ACN Group of California as it's provider network. In order to improve their bottom line ACN slashed the reimbursement rates so low that chiropractors will not even be able to cover their own costs of providing patient care.

According to one local doctor that break even point runs about $28 per patient. And that is all ACN is allowing for reimbursement! To make matters worse, UnitedHealth merged with PacificCare of California and the patients from the second largest ever merger in managed care all went to ACN. That one merger gave ACN an almost monopolistic leverage to alter the referral network and either force doctors to accept the ACN reimbursement rates or leave the network abruptly. If the doctors try to leave there goes the bulk of their patients and they have to begin anew building up their patient inventory.

To make matters worse ACN requires more paper work adding to the office overhead and the ACN does vigorous oversight to prevent doctors from too many extra costs, such as X-Ray's or orthodic appliances that could help the doctors bottom line. That part is good for ethics and these doctors support reasonable oversight, but sometimes computer generated red flags pop up when there is no problem. Many of the doctors are feeling almost intimidated by this sort of heavy handed oversight.

According to the California Chiropractic Association, "With a combined market share of 26 million members, health care providers are faced with the agonizing choice of dropping the network and immediately losing a large percentage of their patient base or remaining part of the network and losing money on each patient until they can slowly transition away from accepting UnitedHealth Group patients.

Over the last decade the cost of an office visit to a Doctor of Chiropractics has not even been allowed to keep pace with the rate of inflation. A typical office visit in 1995 was about $29, today it is around $35. With the ACN taking a larger bite of their scant profits, California Chiropractors are being forced out of business and ultimately this means fewer choices for the patient. I happen to be a believer in chiropractic care and it's saved me from expensive and risky surgery, no doubt many of our readers have had a similar experience. If one can avoid surgery it seems to me this would be a great cost saving benefit to insurance industry and they would be more supportive of this area of patient care, but in practice it's just the opposite.

“Unacceptable aggregations of market power by health plans should not be allowed to the detriment of consumers and health care professionals,” said Kassie Donoghue, CCA president.

Folks, our private healthcare system in California has hit some serious snags and not just for Chiropractors and their patients. Currently the average family of 4 pays about $1100 a month for health insurance which has been growing by leaps and bounds for decades. At the current rate of growth we could be looking at an average health insurance policy for that same family costing over $2100 a month in the next 5 years. If that happens we will see more families dropping their health insurance. The uninsured gap will grow significantly for those too poor to afford insurance and those making too much money to qualify for Medical. That new and unhappy voter group would only strengthen the base of support for those now demanding socialized medicine for California.

Is that what you really want, a government run healthcare system?

We have to make some tough health care choices in the very near future and I am not sure the mix in our current State Legislature is up to it. If they fail, then by default the socialized medicine lobby will win.

From the ACN website: "George DeVries began working with the Minnesota-based American Chiropractic Network (ACN), a provider of management services to independent chiropractic provider associations that wanted to expand into California. With $5,000 of his own money, DeVries established himself as the exclusive management and marketing company for ACN in California, encouraging managed health care plans in the state to offer self-referred chiropractic benefit plans through the company.

Under DeVries' leadership, ACN obtained California's first chiropractic HMO license and profoundly impacted how the California HMO industry offers chiropractic benefits."

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:25 AM | Comments (9)

“It’s Cloud’s Illusions”

by Tina Grazier
The Woodstock crowd is pushing once again to break the will of the American people and crush the war effort. They are quintessential deniers…we endeavor to crush their anti-war delusion.

These folks suffer several aspects of war delusion, one being that the enemy doesn’t exist, and another, that our enemy is the victim! But the one that will keep any sane person up all night is that if we leave Iraq, no one there will be harmed. The people will not be killed, tortured, imprisoned or oppressed in any way. From my point of view this is an incredibly inconsistent position for a group that has always worn the compassion badge and waved the “we’re for the little guy" flag. But, I must remind myself, these are reinvented “progressives,” a mix of old hippies and young hippie knee sitters. Les enfants dream of their very own Woodstock, the elders are still dream of a peace legacy...all operate in little segments of "me". This reality is hip, mind you, and other-worldly…no box to think out of…just “be,” and then…move on.

One of the best examples of this hippie progressive delusion comes from, and you’re gonna love this, our favorite Viet Nam vet, the amazing and pompous, Senator John F. Kerry! Check out this suweeet reminder “It Didn’t Happen” from James Toranto’s “Opinion Journal” in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal online:

After returning from a tour of duty that lasted an astonishing four months, ...

Kerry also became an antiwar activist. In 1971 Kerry testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Vietnamese were a simple people, too simple to care about freedom or oppression: We found most people didn't even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies without helicopters strafing them and bombs with napalm burning their villages and tearing their country apart.

But the “clouds illusion” delusion of Kerry fame shows that he, and others like him, “really don’t know clouds….a-at all.” Here's more from the Toranto piece:

In 2001, California's Orange County Register published an investigation of communist re-education camps in postwar Vietnam: To corroborate the experiences of refugees now living in Orange County, the Register interviewed dozens of former inmates and their families, both in the United States and Vietnam; analyzed hundreds of pages of documents, including testimony from more than 800 individuals sent to jail; and interviewed Southeast Asian scholars. The review found:

An estimated 1 million people were imprisoned without formal charges or trials. ** 165,000 people died in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's re-education camps, according to published academic studies in the United States and Europe. ** Thousands were abused or tortured: their hands and legs shackled in painful positions for months, their skin slashed by bamboo canes studded with thorns, their veins injected with poisonous chemicals, their spirits broken with stories about relatives being killed. ** Prisoners were incarcerated for as long as 17 years, according to the U.S. Department of State, with most terms ranging from three to 10 years. ** At least 150 re-education prisons were built after Saigon fell 26 years ago. ** One in three South Vietnamese families had a relative in a re-education camp.

(Keep in mind, this report does not include the terrible slaughter and oppression of neighboring Cambodia)

War is a terrible thing but purposely losing a war is unforgivable. Are we ready, America, for a repeat of the horror we left behind in Viet Nam? If so, be prepared to face up to the carnage this time, it will be reported. And for those stuck in the hippie delusion, just be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. I've heard it makes all the difference.

Posted by Post Scripts at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2007

Here's A Way To Make 18% On Investment!

by Jack Lee

I've been playing around with the stock market since I was 13 years old and I can tell you that it's real tough to average 12-13% return on your investment. It doesn't matter if it stocks or something else, anything above that sort of return is pretty high risk and it's unlikely. So, when I saw the ad that said, "Make 18% return on your money, guaranteed! " I thought oh sure! But, then I read how it's done and by golly it's true! In fact, it's amazingly simple and here's the secret....

PAY OFF THAT CREDIT CARD DEBT! MOST CREDIT CARDS ARE 18% INTEREST OR MORE...PAY IT DOWN AND SAVE BIG MONEY!

Where else can you get a deal like that? Savings bonds? Not even close! An IRA? Ha! How about municipal bonds? Try about 7%. Look, I'm telling you this is a great way to save money and you will be doing yourself and your country a big favor. Many of us are afraid that when the first hickup in the economy hits folks living off credit cards are going to go belly up! That starts a whole bunch of bad things, like repo's, loan defaults, write offs, and it hurts us all with high loan fees and hidden costs on merchandise in the same way that theft is figured in to what we pay for things.

Cut back a tad on your spending and pay down that credit debt and save yourself a bundle, it's guaranteed!

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:58 PM | Comments (6)

The Search For A Good Used Car! - Part 1

By Jack Lee

This is the first of a six part series to help you get the most for your money when it comes time to buy a used car! We will guide YOU from selection right through to that final stop, ownership and the routine maintenance needed to protect your investment. But, first a special thank you to the folks at Wittmeier Auto Center at 2288 Forest Avenue in Chico.

They made it possible for me pass along some really helpful and money saving advice. The following tips noted below are courtesy of these car pro's, Rick Yuhnke, Sales Mgr., Sean Boese, and Shane Turk, both with 9 years in used car sales.

Step one: What are you looking for, a cheap car or a good car? There is a big difference! Do you have something in mind or will you just know it when you see it? A lot of us fit into this last category, but once you understand where "value" comes from you just might begin to see a certain kind of car in your future! And that car will depend a lot on YOUR priorities.

Cheap and stripped down is not
the best way to get the most for your $$$!

Age of the car. When you think of getting the most for your money Rick Yuhnke says, look for a 3 or 4 year old car with less than 50,000 miles on it. "After 50k it get progressively harder to sell", says Rick. It's been his experience that after 75k miles, people tend to get a little leery, because they "feel" that might be when things start to go wrong, although that is not necessarily always the case, he adds.

Mileage. Many other factors might determine how mileage affects vehicle wear, driving habits for one. Obviously all city driving is tough on a car because of the stops and starts and turning while freeway miles are the easiest miles to rack up because the car is cruising along in high gear, you're not using your brakes much and not revving the engine very much. So knowing where the miles came from might be more relevant than the mileage alone.

Upgraded cars verses the plain Jane, stripped down models. Rick thinks you should definitely go for the upgrades whenever you can! On a used car they are often a fraction of what they cost new. Shane Turk and Sean Boese agree and for an example they noted a sunroof can be a great feature that could have cost around a $1000 new, but for add on value to a used car it's likely worth about $150. Shane says, "A lot of people worry about a sunroof leaking, but those days are long gone." They think the ideal car is an automatic, under 50k on mileage, 4 doors and a light color like silver or gold. This is where you get the most customer appeal. When you're buying, its smart to buy with the idea that some day you will be the seller. You don't want to be selling an unpopular model with a bad color or it could get costly and take time to unload.

Next tip, regionally important features! This area gets pretty hot during summer so buying a car, even if you are buying in winter, get a car with a good air conditioning system. It means better resale potential, even if you don't like A/C.

Now back to the paint. I've had trouble with silver painted cars flaking paint, so I asked guys," But, doesn't silver tend to deteriorate faster than most other colors?" Sean said, "That was true about 1987-91, but rarely anymore. That was about the time when the EPA decided some paint additives were not good for the environment and they banned them. The reformulated paint had a transition period where it could have been better." They assured me paint today is the best it's ever been, including metallic that will last you as long as the solid colors. However, Shane Turk pointed out that there is an advantage to the lighter colors. They appeal to more people because they tend to not show the dirt as much nor those little parking lot dings," he said.

Upholstery. When it comes to upholstery these pro's said it's all a matter of your personal priority. There are plus and minuses with cloth, vinyl or leather, so it's more about what you are looking for in style and comfort. Wear ability is not really an issue until the vehicle is much older. However, the pro's noted that in cars with leather upholstery you also tend to get a car loaded with other extras...and that ups the value factor, more extras, more comfort and better resale appeal too!

Stereo, CD,s, etc. As for the sound package, an average factory sound system isn't too bad and sure shouldn't stop anyone from buying a car that otherwise meets their needs and their budget! This is an easy and fairly inexpensive upgrade, once you have bought the car. So, unless you are really into spending big bucks on a fantastic system, a "good" system meets most needs out here and you can get it on a small budget.

Speaking of after the purchase upgrades, once folks buy a car, one of their personal choice upgrades is usually a set of custom tires and wheels. However, the pro's caution, do it because you like them, not because you think it's going to add big value to your new ride. Custom wheels are just like those factory upgrades, they cost a fair amount when new, but on resale...well, you just won't come out, you get value out of these items by using them! And.... these really big wheels, like 18 inch rims...they affect performance, so be careful, says Shane Turk.

Exactly what kind or model cars really offer the best service life for the least investment? This is a real tough question and it could change in any given year, but the pro's tended to agree for now it's still the Japanese cars. Honda Civic is one hot model on the used car market. "It's really hard to beat the Civic for value", said Sean. Other types might be the Honda CRV, this is an SUV class vehicle with great gas mileage. Toyota Camry, is yet another great used car seller known for holding it's value. But, the bottom line when it comes to durability it is right now and in this order, Japanese, American, European and then all others.

To sum it all up, Rick Yuhnke, Sean Boese, and Shane Turk agree that in order to make your used car buying experience an enjoyable experience, it's up to you to know what you are looking for, that is, what kind of car will best suit your wants, needs and budget! Then prioritize those wants and needs.

And remember if you buy a used car from a trusted dealer like Wittmeier's, you're buying a car that has had a safety and mechanical inspection and in most cases their used cars will carry a limited warranty. The private party selling a car "as is" and that presents a certain risk should something go wrong right after the sale.

"Trying to save a few dollars buying from a private party may not always be the least expensive way to go in the long run." notes Shane Turk.

Lastly, to get a rough idea on used car pricing to see what fits your budget ... try KBB.com or the Autotrader on line. For more on buying a used car check out Edmunds.

NEXT MONDAY...We're going to a body shop to get the inside scoop on how to spot body damage on a used car before you BUY IT!

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:39 PM | Comments (8)

Turning Back Your Age

Resistance training not only makes you feel and look better, but also it can reverse aging, making muscles younger through regular workouts, according to researchers from the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, California and McMaster University Medical School in Hamilton, Ontario. They claim the proof is in "genetic fingerprints" that show that human tissue becomes younger after resistance training.

The study: Twenty-five healthy men and women with an average age of 70 engaged in twice-weekly, one-hour resistance training for six months using standard gym equipment. In addition, 25 students from McMaster University with an average age of 26 participated. Before-and-after tissue samples were taken from the thigh muscle of each participant. First, here's a lesson from Biology 101: Mitochondria act as the "powerhouse" of cells. Using the tissue samples, the researchers conducted gene expression profiles involving age-specific mitochondrial function. Multiple studies have suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in the loss of muscle mass and functional impairment commonly seen in older people. The study was the first to examine the gene expression profile, or the molecular "fingerprint," of aging in healthy disease-free humans. (Netscape editors.)

Here are nine specific ways you can add 30 years to your life.

9 ways to add 30 years to your life:

5 years: Don't smoke
It's not cool to smoke. You smell, your teeth turn yellow, your skin looks like leather and your voice gets low and raspy. It also gives you lung cancer. Ick.

5 years: Eat power foods
It's all about the antioxidants. Every day you should eat a handful of dark chocolate and almonds, as well as fruits, vegetables, garlic and even a glass of wine.

4 years: Skip the fast food
Drive past the McDonald's and Wendy's without stopping and you'll live a lot longer since you're not ingesting all that fat and cholesterol.

3 years: Get moving
Run for 30 minutes, five days a week and you can live up to four years longer. If you walk, you'll add three years.

3 years: Get married
Numerous studies have shown that married people are happier and healthier. Why? They take care of each other. Face it, most men see a doctor because their wives made the appointment and told them to go.

3 years: Eat salmon twice a week
Eating fatty fish that contains omega 3 fatty acids, such as wild salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines, not only appears to lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease, but also helps control triglyceride levels and inflammation.

3 years: Lose the fat
You'll not only look and feel better, but you'll be healthier if you lose weight. Being overweight increases your risk of death by 20 to 40 percent. Now that's motivation!

3 years: Have sex
Having sex two to three times a week helps you live longer by cutting in half your risk for heart disease and stroke. How? Sexual intercourse burns about 200 calories, which is the same as running for 30 minutes.

1 year: Floss daily
The greatest benefit of regular flossing is healthy gums. Research has shown that gum inflammation is linked to heart disease. Keep your gums healthy and your heart may follow.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:43 AM | Comments (0)

Bad News For Cola Drinkers!

Monday, July 23 2007 - If you drink more than two servings of cola a day, you could be putting your kidneys at great risk. Consuming just three cans of sweetened or diet cola daily more than doubles your chances of developing chronic kidney disease, reports Reuters Health of a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:38 AM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2007

Sideshow - A Deadly Game And Other Cop Stuff

by Jack Lee

A short time ago I got a cell call from my son (Ken Lee), he's a police officer in Stockton. He's still on duty sitting in his police car, but it's ok, he's taking his break and he was checking in to see how things are going up here in ol Chico. I tell him kinda slow. Then he tells me, late last night they (SPD) formed up with CHP to take down a "Sideshow" event. Ever hear of that? No? Well me either until now, although I just found this article about one..."OAKLAND -- Following a weekend that saw two deaths connected to "sideshow" activities, police said Monday they will put up to 80 additional officers on the streets on many weekends this summer."

Anyway, my son tells me this Sideshow, also called a Hyphy, is where a bunch of young adults and teenagers in cars gather to show off their driving skills. It typically late at night in a large parking lot or remote road and they do spin outs (360's) to entertain their friends. Sometimes there is a race, but, mostly it's spinouts or side skids. Sometimes the passengers hang out an open door as the car is spinning, other times passengers will sit in the door windows

or hang on to the top of the car as it spins and all just for a thrill. It's stupid dangerous! And of course accidents do happen and fairly regularly. As the news story above says, people have been killed in this reckless game and this is exactly why the City of Stockton was cracking down on these people.

Ok, back to the story... so one of the SPD undercover units had infiltrated a large gathering of these Hyphy or SIDESHOW vehicles and started video taping the action. They were identifying the main people involved and then calling in what they witnessed, mostly so responding units knew who to target and who to let go.

As luck would have it, SPD had about 15 police cars ready to roll and parked less than a mile away. The black and whites fanned out , surrounded the immediate area, and then closed in quickly. They bagged the whole group of Sideshow participants who simply had no where to run, even though a few tried. They netted about 30 adults and a smaller number of juveniles that were cited and released. They also hooked up 10 cars for impound (thats expensive). This time no weapons were found and only a small amount of weed, but weapons have been found at other events. It's not uncommon for gunfire to be heard during these stunts, it gets pretty crazy, my son said.

By 4:30 a.m. Ken finished up his paper work and was due back at work at 7 a.m. for a day shift. Fortunately, his sergeant took pity on him and told him to grab a couple of more hours of sleep, so he reported back in at 9 a.m. for a the remainder of his patrol shift.

My son said this week has been fairly rough on the officers, they've average one shooting a day and had two really brutal homicides by guns, one was possibly gang related. Two nights ago his sergeant was shot at by somebody with a shotgun while he was responding to another Sideshow event. A few hours early today Ken was in pursuit of a rape suspect that was reportedly armed with a handgun. The suspect was captured when other units blocked his escape. The suspects pistol was found nearby after he tried to toss it during the short chase.

As we were talking an armed robbery went down at the Circle K, but it was in south beat and well out of his area, so we chatter another minute until he spotted this guy acting strangely in a city park. So his break was cut short by half as he went to see what was up with the weirdo in the park. The last time he spotted somebody like that they had to Taser the guy when he pulled a knife. Several weeks ago in yet another similar incident, one that appeared very minor at first, resulted in the assailant be shot when he tried to pull a weapon. You just never know.

Well, that's just police work for you, never a dull shift, it's always something. The same kind of stuff happens right here in Chico too, just not quite as often...TG.

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

Impeach Him NOW!...or else.

by Tina Grazier
There's a hot new battle plan on the peacenik front as reported in the San Francisco Chronicle, by fearless leader, Cindy Sheehan.

The feedback I have been receiving since I announced that I would challenge U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, for her House seat -- unless she gives impeachment the go-ahead -- has been running about 3-to-1 positive. Some people have offered to quit their jobs to move to California's Eighth Congressional District to help my possible campaign. People are lining up to donate and help…

Holy Cow...they're actually lining up?!!? Not bad, three out of four of her pals are all for it…They sure stick together…love to move around too…buy...sell...could be it’s some newfangled hippie activity…an enterprising Realtor out there should jump on this right away…might make a dime or two.

Posted by Post Scripts at 12:19 PM | Comments (5)

Look What They Found Washed Up on the Beach!

A rare giant squid--one of the largest ever found--has washed up on a remote Australian beach, giving scientists a field day as they examine this mysterious deep-ocean creature they hardly ever see.

Look at the giant squid--as big as a bus--that washed up on a remote beach in Tasmania! The eyes are as big as volleyballs.

Reuters reports that the mantle (or main body) measures 6.5 feet long, but all told it's as big as a bus, measuring 26 feet from the tip of its body to the end of its tentacles. Found on Ocean Beach on the western coast of the island state Tasmania, the giant squid, whose tentacles were badly damaged, weighed in at 551 pounds. "It's a whopper," Tasmanian Museum senior curator Genefor Walker-Smith told local media.

The photo depicted above is a model located in Canada, but it will give you an idea of the relative size of the creature in Australia.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:56 AM | Comments (2)

July 21, 2007

CA Profs Really Dig Radical Islam

by Tina Grazier

Cinnamon Stillwell has written an excellent
article, posted at American Thinker, exposing a serious problem on a number of California’s college campuses:

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, it became painfully clear that if America was to become more engaged in the Middle East, it would need to develop a greater understanding of the area. Scholars of Middle East studies at our nation's universities were called upon to explain the religious, cultural and political dynamics of the region to students, journalists, and politicians

Unfortunately, many of the leading academic lights in the field proved to be woefully unprepared for the conflict at hand and-much worse, were actively hostile to the interests of the United States and its allies.

Ms Stillwell's article, “Campus Watch and California’s Middle East Academic Radicals,” highlights in particular instructors in our own tax funded colleges:

"As far as I can tell, American empire is safe and secure, despite my best efforts to topple it (although Musab al-Zarqawi seems to be doing a good job in Iraq)." - UC Irvine history and Islamic studies professor Mark LeVine

"Israel is an 'apartheid state' and a 'colonial state,' but Hamas and Hezbollah are 'liberation movements.'" - Diablo Valley College Middle East studies instructor Imam Amer Araim

"America's military presence is metastasizing throughout the Arab world to the point of malignancy. Isn't it curious that Muslims are the ones under pressure to proclaim that their religion is the 'religion of peace'?" - UC Berkeley Islamic studies professor Hamid Algar

"You can't have a Palestinian state with its own rights, when you have 150,000 Jewish extremists sitting in the middle." - UCLA history professor Gabriel Piterberg

"It's about time that we have an intifada in this country that change[s] fundamentally the political dynamics in here. ...They're gonna say some Palestinian being too radical - well, you haven't seen radicalism yet! - UC Berkeley Islamic studies lecturer Hatem Bazian

Those with kids heading off to college this fall might want to read the entire article and be sure to follow the links for an even broader perspective. CA tax payers might want to consider what their hard earned tax dollars are paying for as well. This isn’t education it’s inflamatory indoctrination. If you’d like to keep tabs on this subject visit campus watch started by Daniel Pipes, a Middle East scholar and the director of "Middle East Forum". He started the website in 2002 to "review and critique Middle East studies in North America, with an aim to improving them."

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

Who Ordered 911?

And in the bigger picture, what does it mean?

by Tina Grazier

An international intelligence website, Janes.com, is reporting the following from early intelligence information released out of Israel: Israel’s military intelligence service, Aman, suspects that Iraq is the state that sponsored the suicide attacks on the New York Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington. Directing the mission, Aman officers believe, were two of the world’s foremost terrorist masterminds: the Lebanese Imad Mughniyeh, head of the special overseas operations for Hizbullah, Imad_Mugniyah and the Egyptian Dr Ayman Al Zawahiri, senior member of Al-Qaeda and possible successor of the ailing Osama Bin Laden.

Mughniyeh was the only one believed to have tried it before. On April 12th 1997, he was reported to be only two hours away from achieving the highest goal of any terrorist organisation (until last week): blowing up an Israeli El-Al airliner above Tel Aviv. A man carrying a forged British passport with the name Andrew Jonathan Neumann was in a Jerusalem hotel preparing a bomb he was supposed to take on board an El-Al flight leaving Israel, when it accidentally went off. Andrew Jonathan Neumann was very badly injured but strong enough to reveal later to the Israelis that he was not British but Lebanese, and that his operation was supposed to be a special "gift" to Israel from Imad Mughniyeh *** "Bin Laden is a schoolboy in comparison with Mughniyeh," says an Israeli who knows Mughniyeh . "The guy is a genius, someone who refined the art of terrorism to its utmost level. We studied him and reached the conclusion that he is a clinical psychopath motivated by uncontrollable psychological reasons, which we have given up trying to understand. The killing of his two brothers by the Americans only inflamed his strong motivation." *** Experts on Iraq and Saddam Hussein also believe that Iraq was the state behind the two terror masterminds. "In recent months, there was a change, and Iraq decided to get into the terror business. On July 7th, they tried for the first time to send a suicide bomber, trained in Baghdad, to blow up Tel Aviv airport (Foreign Report No. 2651)." *** ...they believe the chief of the Iraqi SSO is Qusai Hussein, the dictator’s son, and his organisation is the most likely to have been involved.

If this little wrinkle in the fabric of world news isn’t sufficient to cause grave concern in the pit of your stomach it certainly should. Unfortunately the story doesn’t end there:

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Ahmadinejad follows up Damascus talks with a council of war in Tehran Friday with Hizballah, Hamas and Jihadi Islami leaders

Our Iranian and intelligence sources reveal that the Iranian president flew out of Damascus Thursday with this group saying: “I prefer cooler places but this region faces a torrid summer of victories.” *** Aboard his plane were four HIzballlah leaders, Secy-Gen. Hassan Nasrallah, defense chief Imad Mughniyeh, chief of staff Ibrahim Aqil and chief of special operations Unit 1800 Hajj Khalil Harb; and Jihad Islami’s Abdallah Ramadan Shalah and operations chief Zaid Nahle. *** Head of Hamas’ Damascus HQ Khaled Meshaal did not join the party flying to Tehran to avoid giving his Saudi and Egyptian friends the impression he was in Iran’s pocket. Either he flew there earlier, or else assigned a Hamas representative based in the Gulf to represent his moement at the council of war in Tehran. *** As for Syria’s role, DEBKAfile’s military sources reveal that 20 high-ranking Iranian officers were on the Iran president’s flight to Damascus, headed by defense minister Mustafa Najar. They did not join Ahmadinejad’s talks with Syrian president Bashar Assad. Instead, they were driven to Syrian General Staff headquarters, where they were awaited by Syrian defense minister Gen. Hassan Turkmani, chief of staff Gen. Ali Habib and corps commanders. *** Our intelligence sources believe this conference was in fact round one of the council of war which continued in Tehran Friday with Hizballah and Palestinian terrorist chiefs.

Do you suppose this man, Imad Mughniyeh, associated with reports from 1997 and implicated as a terrorist mastermind directed by Saddam Hussein or his son will be enough to shame or silence the “Bush lied” crowd? Is it possible that this new report of a “war council” that includes this same man's name is enough to strike some sense of urgency in the hearts and minds of our leftist friends…or will it take another terrible event, an event that may be imminent to get their full attention?

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:09 PM | Comments (8)

Monkey Business

by Tina Grazier

BIG business has been criticized as inherently filled with corruption and greed. Corporations are routinely maligned and harassed by government, the legal system and in the press. I find this fascinating since it is corporate strength that is largely responsible for the thriving and growing economy from which we all benefit in so many ways. Unions, on the other hand, create very few jobs and do absolutely nothing to create opportunity or wealth…or to strengthen the economy, yet they are considered, by contrast, to be a great benefit in the community.

Here’s an interesting tidbit from the "Patriot Post" that might intrigue:

Congressional Democrats are demanding greater oversight in virtually every facet of government and the private sector, but they are pulling the leash tight on the government watchdog when it comes to unions. In a none-too-subtle nod to their faithful friends in labor, House Democrats have proposed to cut 20 percent from the budget of the Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), the Labor Department agency tasked with reviewing union-fund disclosures. Congress has added close to $1 billion to the president’s 2008 budget request for the Labor Department as a whole. Every other Labor Department enforcement agency is due for an increase, but OLMS is losing $11 million. It’s not for lack of effort; the office has aided in the convictions of 775 corrupt union officials in the past six years. By reducing its budget, the House hopes to lighten the scrutiny OLMS exercises over how unions spend their members’ dues, which often go into the campaign coffers of Demo candidates nationwide.

Hmmm, Democrats de-funding the agency that has been successful in convicting corrupt union folks...sounds like monkey business to me…BIG monkey business!

Posted by Post Scripts at 05:02 PM | Comments (1)

One Way to Marital Bliss!

by Jack Lee

When your little sweetie says, "Hey! You on the couch... get out there and mow those weeds you jokingly call a lawn..." Researchers have come upon one thing men can do for a real clever come back... say, "Yes, dear!" And say it a lot!!! They say it is the secret to marital bliss.

"The study -1: The participants were 72 couples who had been married an average of seven years. All were relatively happy in their marriages. Each spouse independently completed a questionnaire about relationship satisfaction and did an assessment of overall decision-making within the relationship. Separately, each person was asked to identify a problem in the relationship. Couples were reunited and discussed those problem topics for 10 minutes. After the researchers left the room, these conversations were videotaped.

The results: The researchers rated each couple's interaction for demand and withdraw behaviors, including avoidance, discussion, blame, pressure for change and withdrawal. Overall, the wives not only talked more, but also got their husbands to agree with them.

"The women were communicating more powerful messages, and men were responding to those messages by agreeing or giving in," study co-leader David Vogel said in a statement. "The study at least suggests that the marriage is a place where women can exert some power. Whether or not it's because of changing societal roles, we don't know. But they are, at least, taking responsibility and power in these relationships."

I would like to write more on this subject, but Shari is calling me..."Yes, dear, be right there sweetie pie...."

-1 Findings courtesy of Netscape editors.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:17 AM | Comments (8)

July 20, 2007

A PRISON IS FOR HARD TIME!

by Jack Lee

I'm not saying prison is a cushy place to hang out, but things like weight training, law libraries, ethnic meals, observance of Wicken holidays, love letters to serial killers, prison marriages, smoke breaks, prisoners filing their own writs, tattoo artists, prisoner advocate groups gaining access to prisons for more prisoner rights, etc., they have just gone too far and the totality of it all is one big mess.