On the Moral Character of Leadership

Currently in the news is the lovely detail about our president's sex life that he may or may not have had sex with a porn star about a decade ago. Many of my conservative friends have posted on social media that they "don't care" if he did it or not since it was before the presidency, thereby implying that Bill Clinton is more of a lecher since he was a perv during his presidency.

I think it goes deeper than that. And please keep in mind that this comes from a die-hard conservative.

When are we going to be completely honest? We, as a nation, chose a couple of crappy candidates. Let's face it, every election the "lesser of two evils" vote becomes more and more pronounced.

I DO care that President Trump potentially had a "relationship" with a sex worker. It shows a lack of moral character and decent judgement on his part. Does it negate his ability to be president? Probably not. Should I have voted for Hillary? Goodness, no. But I do care. It matters. We need to not blindly follow either party's candidate or elected official simply because we don't like the other teams' politics.

My last post was a long time ago. Right before the election. The division in this country is horrific. No longer do we have intellectual debate. We have us vs. them. It's disheartening.

Some Thoughts on Exes

Exes.

It's hard to make it to your 40s, or even 30s, without having some sort of an ex. Whether an ex-spouse or an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, those feelings we have when the relationship ends are often painful and all-too-long-lasting.

Here's what I want to say to you, my friends.

Get Over It.

Really.

I'm not talking about the fresh break-up. It takes time to heal. I'm talking about the years-later-you-are-still-trash-talking-your-ex-and-thinking-of-ways-to-hurt-him kind of Get Over It.

I am talking to some of my friends, who are carrying around pain and anger, sometimes rightfully so, but who are allowing that hatred to infiltrate their lives. 

It will kill your soul.

I'm not foolish enough to think that everyone will be able to truly forgive their former love for perceived and actual wrongs. What I am saying is that you thinking about Him and how He did you wrong, how He spent all your money, how He treated you badly, how He moved on, and how you still want to run Him over with your car if you see Him, is doing no one any good. He doesn't care that you are ticked off. It isn't ruining His life. It's ruining yours.

I've been there. If I wanted to I could give a list of things my ex did that would curl your hair. But it's not worth my energy.  This weekend I am spending time with a whole bunch of people who last saw me when I was married. They knew my ex. There will be questions. That's fine. I will give them the truth, but abbreviated. Because I have moved on. I have Gotten Over It. And God has healed that pain.

Did it change me and leave scars? Of course. Did your break-up create long-term havoc and distress in your life? Of course it did. I'm not unsympathetic. You may not have wanted the divorce or you may have been the instigator.  Either way, it happened. You aren't responsible for punishing Him. Now is the time to move onward and upward.

 

Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)

I wish I could guarantee that the people who need to read this would see it. There are many in my life who are so busy hanging on to their ex that their present and future is being wasted. Some are my friends, some are not.

Trust me when I say, your hatred does not hurt your former spouse, but it will kill you inside.

I Really Don't Think I'm a Prude, But...

VH1 has a new show they are billing as a "romantic comedy". It is called Single Ladies and apparently, according to the commercial I saw, follows three friends. Two of these "ladies" are single and sleazy, and the third is married and sleazy.

So I am wondering how promiscuity and adultary are either romantic or comedy.

Maybe I am a bit of a prude. I guess I'm OK with that.

Soylent Green is People: or, Why I am Against Government Healthcare

The reason I am against government run and/or mandated health care is simple. I don't trust (our) government to make decisions based on a moral and ethical code. Let's be realistic. If we as a nation are currently trillions of dollars in debt, an amount that is rising second by second, and the American people are already screaming for less spending, lower taxes, etc, what is to stop the "powers that be" from making end-of-life decisions based on solely financial reasons. There are those who will argue that the elderly and sick don't improve the GNP and that we should warehouse them somewhere, make them comfortable, and essentially provide hospice care until they die.

Consider the following quote:

"We now have 10,000 Boomers a day retiring, and will for 20 years. It's demographic, which is inexorable…The reason is the medical technology. In the old days, you died of pneumonia or heart attack. It’s a terrible way to go, but from a societal perspective, it's cheap. Today you live in to old age and we die of cancers and dementias, and they are extremely expensive and intensive care… We welcome the medical advances, but the costs are astronomical…Unless we find a way to deal with the healthcare issue, we will go over a cliff.”

-- Charles Krauthammer on “Special Report with Bret Baier” discussing the new report that shows government assistance accounted for 18.3 percent of all U.S. income in 2010, an all-time high.

I think Soylent Green should be re-watched with an open mind. It's a bit of  science fiction that could be fact sooner than we realize.

I've Seen Enough Dead Bodies and Don't Need to See Osama's

In my discussions with people in the last couple of days concerning the death of bin Laden, I have had a few interesting debates. I was actually called a pacifist. That's a first. Let me preface this by saying a few things: I am totally for the death penalty; bin Laden got his just deserts; and I am confident that in meeting his maker that he was more than disappointed.

But I don't need to see a picture of his body. Really. I believe that the desire for images of his death lowers us as a nation to a level far beneath us. If we want to revel in the streets, holding signs mocking OBL and others, and so on, how does that make us any different from those whom we find so offensive when we see news clips of them doing it in the middle east?

I think a much more appropriate response is to thank those serving our country whenever you see them. Display a flag. Thank God for our men and women who fight for us.  And pray that our nation doesn't descend further into chaos.

UPDATE: Whatever the reason, whether common decency or fear of retaliation, it doesn't matter, President Obama has decided to not release the photo, and I thank him.

Thank You, Captain Obvious

I believe we have a culture of so much covering-our-a#@!s that apparently all common sense has left the building. Many of you know that I started a new position in the last week. Below is the word-for-word text of a sign that is posted on the wall of my new office. I'm a little peeved, and have already complained to my preceptor, that she didn't go over this during training. I've been doing it all wrong.

OFFICE CHAIR

The chair is on wheels and on a floor pad to allow the chair to move easily over the carpet.

SAFETY REMINDER

When getting out of the chair, turn the chair so the back is into the desk to prevent the chair from slipping outward. Always use the arm rest prior to sitting or standing.

Thank you,

Management

This is not a joke. Well, it is, but in a pathetic, head-slapping sort of way.

On Taxes

I just finished finding how much government waste I am funding this year. Let me just say, it ain't no picnic being single. Apparently, I am, according to the government statistics, in the middle class. I'd like to see those politicians live on my wages without a roommate in this area. It's tough! However, others have articulated my thoughts already, so here are a few taxation gems.

The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. ~Ronald Reagan

If the Lord loveth a cheerful giver, how he must hate the taxpayer! ~John Andrew Holmes

The best things in life are free, but sooner or later the government will find a way to tax them. ~Author Unknown

I guess I had better include a bit of attitude adjustment here at the end:

I am thankful for the taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed. ~Nancie J. Carmody

A Follow-up Article to My Medicaid Rant

This article appeared Wednesday in Austin, Texas' American Statesman. It was passed around at work today, and the general consensus was that we have patients who could probably surpass this record. I wish it were an April Fool's joke. But it's not funny.

A Rant on Medicaid

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. ~Thomas Jefferson

For those of you who either work with me, or who are subjected to my militant rants regarding the passing out of Medicaid in this state as if it were Halloween candy, bear with me. For the other two of you...read on.

I can only speak for the state of Washington, because that is where I see abuse firsthand, every day. Our Medicaid system is broken, seriously broken, yet our governor wants to expand the program and hand out free health care at an even faster rate.

Let me interrupt here and point out that I am not against helping those who need it. Welfare as a concept was designed for either those truly unable to work, or as a short-term solution; not a lifestyle. I believe that if children need medical attention, they should get it. I also believe that their parents should bear some of that responsibility for their care, in the way of co-pays. And if the elderly need assistance, I'm all for it. Truly, I'm not a heartless wretch.

However, here's what I see every day in the emergency room. The key word is emergency. Off the top of my head, without exaggeration, I would estimate that 60-70% of our patients in the ER are receiving Medicaid assistance. They come to the ER for coughs, colds, ear aches, slight fevers, sprains, etc. They come without having tried Tylenol and rest. And they come without co-pays, without any attempt at home remedies that take time, effort, or out of pocket expense. And they certainly don't want to go to the walk-in clinics. The number one reason given? They don't think they should have to wait. Seriously. This is the biggest frustration that I hear from staff. We have patients that we see...wait for it...3 or 4 times a week. For the flu, for back pain, for that persistant cough. This is in the ER.

So how to fix the problem? It seems simple. If you are unwilling to work, we are unwilling to spend tax dollars on you. Period. If you are down on your luck, and need temporary assistance, fine. Let's set a limit. But when you go to the ER, it will cost you $20. No more going in for free Tylenol. If you need that, go to Walgreens. It's $5. That's what I do.

Mediocre Tuesday is Over

I say that rather tongue-in-cheek. Is it just me, or is this the Longest-Campaign-Ever?

I did go to caucus last night. Here in Minot, they were expecting between 200-300 voters at the Republican caucus, and were surprised with a final total of 877. They ran out of ballots midway and had to run and print more. Which made me roll my eyes, but feel pleased with the large turnout.

Democracy in action is a good thing. I have very strong political views, but ultimately, because all, yes, all, of my political beliefs are formed and influenced by my faith, I choose a candidate who best matches those beliefs. This, for me, is voting my conscience. I realize, though, that in the general election I may not have the same liberty, but I am praying that the candidate who realizes the party's nomination is one that I can support.

There is one that I will not....but that's a whole other post!

I Can't Blog Because My Fingers are Frozen

It's -20 this morning. Yes, I said NEGATIVE TWENTY!

Pardon me for yelling. I'm just trying to keep warm.

That's without the windchill.

-50+ with the windchill, since the wind is blowing at over 20 mph steadily.

I am staying inside and drinking lots of coffee.