What happens

What happens when you get a group of Americans and put them half a world away from home and kin?



They come together in celebration of what and who they are.

Thanksgiving

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
While I'm cooking the bird I will be thinking of all of you. Hope everyone is where they want to be, and those that aren't I hope that you're among friends.

Socialism and my country

Pic is of Crisp point light house in the upper peninsula of Michigan. You are looking toward Duluth Minnisota some fourhundred miles west. turn right and you look toward Canada about a hundred miles.
So now we've had a day or two to digest the conversation between John and I. I just might, as John says be insufferably stupid. If so then I've got some Canadian company.
I see the election of Barak Obama as nothing les than putting Nancy and the gay guy...... (dammit I can't remember his name, so I'll call him Lispy) in charge of the hen house. These folks will do wonders with our money. Might even change the world. Ole Lispy's boyfriend worked for Fanny or Freddy, (can't remember which) and made a bundle. Wonder who got the mortgage on their love shack? (sorry I've got music in my head) So we should have some regulation? Can't trust folks to run an honest company? If someone did conspire to defraud investors of their money then they should be jailed. If someone lost money because of their own stupidity, then they should be laughed at and or pitied, NOT bailed out. What? My beloved GM needs money? I got a couple grand you can use. You take mine and Joe's and Pete's etc etc and you build something that makes all of us money. You don't however, buy Chrysler.
So back to John and I.
As most of you know I'm blind in one eye, and didn't see well out of the other. I then got a cataract in the high risk eye that I had left. It would seem that My friend (and I mean that) John also had a cataract. He had his removed first. He then had a Retinal detachment that went mis diagnosed for two weeks. He doesn't have useful function of the eye anymore. I had mine removed, and am seeing better then I've ever seen.
What might be the difference?
I'll tell you.
Socialized Medicine!
I and my Doctor were able to search out not only the best surgeon for my cataract, but also a Retina specialist to See me concurrently. The Retina guy told me to be ready for a detachment, but that if it was repairable he would do just that! The cataract guy is known as the best, east of the Mississippi. He knew he couldn't go in there like a bull in a china shop. I had a phone number to get ahold of the retina guy twenty four hours a day. Had something happened, I could have been in surgery within hours, not weeks. Johns country failed him. His Doctors failed him. He, failed him.
In this country you can go to any County hospital and get care at no charge if you are indigent. I remember when my youngest was a toddler. She had chronic ear infections. I had no insurance. I thought the world a cruel place that would let my child suffer this and not help. Some of my Canadian relatives (yes I have many) suggested that I go to Canada to get the surgery. I gave it some thought. I then found a social worker that knew just what to do, and whom to see. It was taken care of with just a small amount out of my pocket according to what I made. I am aware of many Canadians coming to America for treatment of one thing or another. Why? Cause they can, and it works.
In short, our system isn't broken, and I see. My friend on the other hand is now a member of my little club.

Election two

It would seem that I've witnessed my country receiving a mortal wound. I wouldn't have thought it would come from within. No matter, as I will stand watch over her as long as I've breath.
The eighth kingdom has now come to pass.