"Don't tell it like it is; tell it like it ought to be."

"Where did that crazy idea come from?"

"There's nothing in the bill like that?"

"The crazies are making this stuff up."

"It's just not true."

"It doesn't exist."

"We are going to take it out of the bill, since it confuses people."

Along with my sister, I participated in that decision for both our parents. They were both in comas and the decision was hard, but not really close. And, of course, consultation with the doctors was an ongoing natural process over time.  

No special, formal consultation was necessary and the idea of having one, charged for and reimbursed by public or private insurance, is distasteful to me. Some things just go with the territory.  “I’ll talk to you about pulling grandma’s plug if you make an appointment with my receptionist. You do have insurance for that, don’t you?”

My wife and I have living wills, and she is my designated plug puller. She accepted that responsibility readily, which I found a bit disconcerting. It doesn’t help that she’s always cleaning out the closets and giving perfectly good clothes to Goodwill. I, on the other hand, never throw anything out.

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"Give me the cash, but don't call me a clunker"

I'm not all that I used to be
Time has taken its toll on me

My rusted joints hurt like hell
My engine runs, but not very well

I've lost some efficiency
I'm not exactly carbon free

Folks don't want to share my air
But I'm not so sure that's fair

And they don't want any old fools
In their insurance pools

They will pay me to go away
To the junk heap if I'll stay

They can junk me and crush me if they must
Grind me down, back to dust

But, they are about to lose my trust

I'm beginning to suspect that the same sensitive souls
Behind "Cash for Clunkers"

Are now our principal
Health care reformers

A Grass Roots Report

When Wal-Mart recently announced support of the employer mandate portion of President Obama's Health Care proposal, a friend of my wife's, a small-business owner, expressed her anger during an extended manicure session. Not one to complain without action, she announced her intention to boycott Wal-Mart, where she had been a faithful shopper for years. She would begin her boycott as soon as she stocked up on some important staples, including washing detergent, fabric softener, and various types of canned goods. Good for her.