Thoughts On A Sunday

BeezleBub spent the weekend down at the WP In-Laws, which is a good thing for him and them.

Unfortunately both Deb and I have been fighting off colds. She's done a much better job of it than I, or she has a much higher tolerance for the discomforts of a cold than I do. I was hoping that today I would feel better than yesterday or Friday. That hope has been dashed.

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Dave Kopel tells us that Fred Thompson got it right and the UN got it wrong when it comes to the UN's declaration that individuals have no right to self-defense.

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As time goes on I am becoming more convinced that the best way to rein in health care costs is to do away with health insurance.

Costs didn't start rising faster than inflation until health insurance became common. One good reason for that is the paperwork required by insurance takes up so much time, resources, and money to process. Health professionals must also spend time justifying treatments they believe their patients need. That also takes time and costs money.

There are a number of other factors involved, but the evidence that points to health insurance as the major cause is mounting. Doctors that have turned their backs on health insurance have found they have better control over their costs, charging far less for services than doctors accepting insurance.

(Yeah, I know I'm being repetitive. But sometimes that's the only way to get the message across.)

Proponents of some kind of national health care may cite statistics to prove that we need it, but as Gregory Mankiw tells us, don't be fooled by the numbers. They don't mean what many people think.

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It was the New England Patriots (8-0) against the Indianapolis Colts (7-0) in Indianapolis this afternoon. This game has been much anticipated as it is a meeting between two undefeated and evenly matched teams.

Both teams were held scoreless during their first possessions, something unusual for them.

Frankly I think the Patriots were robbed during the first half with a pass interference call that should have been called on the Colts. They were robbed again at the beginning of the second half by a pass interference call that should have been made against the Colts. Even the TV announcers said it should have been called, showing in the instant replay of the Colts defender committing the penalty. Another offensive pass interference against the Patriots was bogus. The commentators didn't see the penalty, nor did the instant replay show any penalty. It makes me wonder about the quality of the referees at this game.

Despite the setbacks the Patriots hung in there, winning 24-20.

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Fred Thompson must be doing something right. How can I tell?

The agenda-driven press is trying very hard to discredit him.

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Doug Lambert warns us the present crop of Democrat Presidential hopefuls are playing into the hands of the Islamofascists by promising to ensure our defeat in Iraq by withdrawing our troops just when we are on the verge of victory. This is the same thing the Democrats did to us during the war in Vietnam, and we know how that turned out.

As Doug explains in detail, they are giving aid and comfort to the enemy, which the US Constitution defines as treason.

Maybe it's time for the Dems to realize that they're supposed to be on our side, not that of the Islamofascists. Whether they realize it or not, we are in a war for our very survival against these extremists.

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where fall is in full swing, the smell of woodsmoke fills the air, and where we have yet to fire up the furnace.