Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

Ever heard, "say what you mean and mean what you say?" I sure have. Heard it many times, and it's the theme of today's post which has been gnawing on me for about a week. Hang with me as you start reading as I'm probably not going where you think I am.

I've got 3 questions for you, and here's the first two:

1. Do you believe that "Black Lives Matter"?
2. Do you believe that "All Lives Matter"? 

Did you answer "yes"? If so, is that a truthful answer? Better be sure, because the truth will be revealed in question #3 later in this post.

I've been reviewing the transplant waiting list statistics. Those "statistics" are not just numbers. They represent real people - sick people with spouses, children, families, and good friends. These folks need help.

Currently, across the country, about 122,000 organs are needed for transplant, and organ failure doesn't discriminate based upon the color of a person's skin. In fact, the national waiting list is made up of approximately 40% white and 60% minorities (29% black, 20% Hispanic, and 11% other - click here, then "category" = waiting list, and then "organ by ethnicity" to see the data). Everyone on the list has one thing in common - a slow, suffering death is imminent if a matching donated organ doesn't come available in time. 

Each day in the U.S.:

• someone is added to the list every 9 minutes (160 per day) (here),
• 95 transplants are done (here), and
• 22 people die running out of time waiting on a match (here).

Those numbers amount to a net increase of 43 (160-95-22) added to the waiting list each day. The list just keeps growing even though surveys show that 95% of Americans support organ donation. The problem is that only about 60% of Americans are actually registered organ and tissue donors (here). Instead of being part of the solution, the 40% of Americans who are NOT registered are why 22 Americans needlessly die waiting for an organ every day.

TWENTY-TWO!!!

Courtesy : Donate Life America

Question #3 - are you registered as an organ and tissue donor? 

Some of you just answered "no" to #3, but also said, "Yes, I believe Black Lives Matter / All Lives Matter." Since 60% of the need for life-saving organ transplants is within minority communities, are those really truthful answers? Think about it - how can "lives matter" to you when you're not registered as a donor?

The honest truth is that if you're one of those people, then you do not mean what you say. If you did, you'd already be registered as a donor. Actions speak louder than words.

You can be part of the solution, though, instead of part of the problem. Just click on the "Donate Life" logo within this post. You'll be taken to a page where you can register in about 2 minutes. Then, one day you may save as many as 8 lives. Be sure to tell your family of your decision. Get them to register, too, if they have not.

Most of us want to make a positive impact in our community and our country. Organ and tissue donation is one way that we can all do just that.  

The Reality of Socialized Medicine and Medicare for All

We've heard talk lately about "Medicare for All" - the most recent proposal in which the federal government provides so-called "free" healthcare insurance to all Americans. It's just another version of socialized medicine modeled after Canada's. 

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Previously, I've posted about my dislike for socialized medicine and why I feel the way I do. The question now is, what is the reality of socialized medicine? A recent Forbes.com titled "What Socialized Medicine Looks Like" answers that question by sharing details about Canada's program. I hope you will read that entire article. However, below are some of the highlights:

1. Primary care doctors in Canada provide fewer services than their counterparts in the U.S. forcing people to go to ERs more often. Average Canadian ER wait = 4 hours.
2. Number of Canadian women to never have a mammogram = double the number of American women. Has led to the breast cancer mortality rate in Canada being 25% higher than U.S. rate.
3. Less than 20% of Canadian men have ever been screened for prostrate cancer. 50% of American men have. Has led to Canadian prostate cancer mortality rate being 18% higher than the U.S.'s.
4. Canadian adults who've had a colonoscopy = 10%. American adults = 30%. Canadian death rate from colorectal cancer is 13% higher than U.S.
5. Americans are more likely to get treatment for kidney failure (i.e. dialysis or transplant) than those in countries with socialized medicine - 5 times more likely if under 85 years old and 9 times more likely if over 85. People who do not get such treatment will DIE.
6. Average Canadian wait time after referral from primary care doctor until get to see specialist = 21 weeks (over 5 months).
7. Average Canadian wait time for CT scan = 4 weeks.
8. Average Canadian wait time for MRI = nearly 11 weeks (nearly 3 months).
9. Average Canadian wait time for ultrasound = nearly 4 weeks. 
10. At 21% of Canadian hospitals, a woman must wait over 3 weeks for a biopsy to confirm a possible breast cancer diagnosis. Only 1% of American hospitals have a wait time that long.
11. At half of Canadian hospitals, a 65 year old must wait over 6 months for a hip replacement. No American hospitals have wait times that long.

Additionally, in Canada, the powerful and rich have more access to specialists and services, more choices, and shorter waiting times. In fact, the poor, non-elderly white population is 22% more likely than similarly situated Americans to be in poor health.

The Forbes.com article also tells of problems within Britain's socialized medicine program. However, I chose to focus on Canada here primarily because it is our next door neighbor.


Some Americans support socialized medicine. Generally, the ones who do are healthy. However, one day each of them could fall victim to illness, accident, or injury they never expected. If that day comes, that's also the time they will fall victim to the pitfalls of socialized medicine as it's generally the sick and weak who have their care rationed in order to save money, because socialized medicine plans are expensive to administer. The cost is also the main reason socialized medicine plans usually fail.

So, knowing what you now know, do you really want socialized medicine and / or "Medicare for All" in the U.S.? 

Kansas Law Would Prevent Discrimination Against Living Donors

The Kansas legislature is currently considering a bill that would ban any type of insurance industry discrimination against living donors. Simply put, it would prevent insurance companies from charging living donors higher premiums on life, health, disability, or long-term care policies.

The legislation would also prevent insurance companies from denying living donors coverage or canceling their policy just for being a living donor. Studies have shown that approximately 1/4 of living donors endure such discrimination, and, in my opinion, it's just as wrong as discrimination based upon race, national origin, etc. 

When someone decides to give of themselves in order to save the life of another, they should be encouraged for doing so instead of receiving a form of punishment by way of financial hardship from the insurance industry. I doubt that Kansas is the only state where this law is needed. 

Therefore, I'm calling on Congress and President Trump to put an end to such discrimination once and for all by passing a federal law banning discrimination against the heroes in this country who have chosen to give the gift of life through living donation. Washington is in the news all the time with Trump and Congress arguing and bickering over things that aren't a matter of life and death while this discrimination and the needless dying of Americans on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants continues.

In fact, Sue Herndon, who in 2009 donated a kidney to a friend, stated it best when she testified that, "Everything we do to help encourage living donation saves lives." She is 100% correct. 

Read More: cjonline.com article titled "Kidney Donor Asks Kansas Legislators to Block Insurance Discrimination"

Wrong for the Job

I thought long and hard about whether or not to write this post. I've been hesitant to do so, because, like most of us, I'm sick of the political garbage. However, as an advocate for organ and tissue donation, my great state is in danger of electing a U.S. Senator who is totally the wrong person for the job, particularly for Tennesseans who are transplant recipients or donor family members.

Courtesy : Wikipedia

The mere thought of Phil Bredesen as U.S Senator from Tennessee makes me ill. I don't care for him at all. I endured 8 years of him as Nashville, TN mayor plus 8 years of him as Tennessee Governor. In fact, his time as mayor is one of the reasons we moved out of Davidson County in 2005, because I got tired of my property taxes going up. I could list many more reasons as to why I don't like Bredesen, but there is one that trumps them all, and it has nothing to do with politics.

While he was governor, the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office (GHSO), ran a series of anti-drunk driving PSAs. Sounds great, right? No one wants intoxicated drivers on the roads. Honestly, the PSAs were good, until one titled "Harvest" aired.

It starts off talking about an emergency surgery. Then, Bredesen points to an open operating room and explains that a "harvest" (organs being recovered for transplant) is taking place in there due to a young girl being killed by a drunk driver. First of all, he should have used the proper terminology. We use the term "recovery" now. However, that mistake was the least of the problems with the PSA.

When I saw the PSA for the first time, I was initially in shock that a governor would be so insensitive. Next, I got angry. Why? Because to me the underlying theme of the ad is not that drunk driving is bad and people shouldn't do it - it's that drunk driving causes people to become organ donors and that organ donation is the penalty for drunk driving. He connected a life-saving positive with a senseless, tragic, no-regard-for-human life negative. Organ donation and drunk driving should NEVER be connected to each other in such a way and doing so was cold and heartless.

Smart Raccoon

United HealthCare, God, and a Life-Saving Liver Transplant

In The Sheepdog's opinion, it appears United HealthCare (UHC) thinks it's no longer in the health insurance business. Instead, it's received a promotion into the business of being God. However, don't take my word for it, just ask 38-year-old mother of one, Erika Zak. UHC has put her through as much hell as cancer did.

Location of human liver - credit Wikipedia

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer, Erika endured more than 70 rounds of chemo and various other treatments which resulted in serious side effects, including damage to her liver and subsequent liver failure.

Over 100 doctors from the country's top medical centers concur that Erika's only hope for survival at this point is a life-saving liver transplant. Yet, UHC denied coverage saying, "unproven health services is not a covered benefit". Really? Despite the fact that transplants have saved thousands of lives in the U.S. for decades, UHC refers to transplant as "unproven". Science, medical technology, and thousands of transplant recipients across the country, including The Sheepdog, prove otherwise.

The Sheepdog has seen a lot in his time, but the way UHC treated this woman and played GOD with her life, stringing her along for months, may be the most cold hearted thing I've heard of an insurance company doing. I suspect others have experienced similar agony, though.

The Last Growl

I started this blog over 8 years ago. Frequent readers may have noticed the number of posts has decreased during the last few years. I’ve been pondering the blog’s future for awhile, and after 719 posts, including this one, and over 240,000 page views, I’ve decided it’s time to close up shop, sign off one last time, and retire from the blogosphere.

It’s not because this heart transplant recipient’s health is failing. On the contrary - I’m approaching the 11^th anniversary of my transplant and am still doing great. God continues to bless me tremendously.

The decision boils down to one thing – The Sheepdog is weary, and he’s weary for a number of reasons.

First, Google’s Blogger platform has become unreliable. More and more frequently, something doesn’t work correctly, some font has changed, a sidebar tool has been discontinued, a plug-in has failed, or some other aggravating issue has arisen whenever I log in to write. For example. when I wrote this post, the Zemanta plug-in I've used for years had stopped working .... again. I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised, because Blogger is free. Therefore, Google has no incentive to keep it functioning at a high level. It’s the ol’ “you get what you pay for”.

Second, I’m not feeling the motivation to write the blog anymore, which is fueled somewhat by the Blogger issues mentioned above. I could switch to another platform, such as Wordpress, but I’m just not willing to build the site again, nor pay for the service. Sometimes over the last few years, I actually had to force myself to write just to keep the blog active. I’ve had enough of that, too. I’ve read a few articles and studies which have shown that blog readership is declining. Some of that is due to the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. People just aren’t as interested in reading blogs anymore. Based upon my pageviews declining and no comments on posts, it appears these studies are correct.

Delaware Outlaws Discrimination In Organ Transplantation

Recently, Delaware Governor John Carney signed into law a bill banning discrimination in organ transplantation based upon a person's disability. Thanks to Gov. Carney and the Delaware legislature, the state is now the 6th in the U.S. to outlaw such practices.

English: A collection of pictograms. Three of them used by the United States National Park Service. A package containing those three and all NPS symbols is available at the Open Icon Library (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know from experience that there are a number of criteria by which a patient is evaluated in order to determine if a person is a suitable organ transplant candidate. This bill specifically prohibits a person's disability from being the reason they are denied transplant services and / or considered for transplant.

Rep. Debra Heffernan, the legislation's sponsor, said, "With this bill in place, families will have peace of mind and know that their loved one with a disability has the right to be treated fairly when they are undergoing the extremely taxing process of pursuing a life-saving transplant."

Governor Carney added, "A true measure of the commitment of government to the people is how well it addresses the needs of those who are living with disabilities. By signing this legislation into law, we are taking action to ensure individuals with disabilities have access to organ transplant procedures."

I agree with both of them wholeheartedly, and I implore Congress and President Trump to keep this non-discrimination theme in mind as they continue to work on the repeal and replace of ObamaCare.  The pre-existing conditions protection MUST be kept in place in whatever piece of legislation they ultimately agree on. Any discrimination to healthcare access is immoral and must be banned, because it ultimately leads to lives being needlessly lost.

I have 1 question in regards to Delaware's new legislation. Why do ONLY 6 states have such a law in place? Shame on the other 44 of you. Every state should have such a law on the books. I call upon the governors and legislators in the 44 states who have no such law to get to work and get it done.

Read More: DelawarePublic.org article - "Gov. Carney Signs Bill Banning Organ Transplant Discrimination" 

ALERT : Bureacrats in Washington Putting Transplant Recipients in Danger

Earlier today, I ran across an alert about a proposed change in Medicare's prescription drug coverage that has the potential to affect thousands of Americans and put their very lives at risk. I want to thank my fellow heart transplant recipient and blogging colleague My2ndHeartbeat for bringing it to my attention.

Heartbeat's article titled "Anti-Rejection Medication Issue" shares a member alert from Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO). It details a proposal by CMS-Medicare that if approved would remove immunosuppressants, anti-seizure medications, cancer drugs, and others from the list of "Six Protected Classes" of medications.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (Medicaid administrator) logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are a transplant recipient, you MUST have immunosuppressants to live. Otherwise, your body will reject your new organ and you WILL DIE. These medications are also very expensive. Therefore, if you are a transplant recipient on Medicare, and these medications are not required to be covered under Part D anymore, then your plan will likely NOT cover them. If they are not covered, then it is also likely that you will not be able to afford them.  Furthermore, if Medicare doesn't require them to be covered, then it is possible that private insurers might stop covering them, too. So, the potential harmful effects of this change is NOT limited to Medicare beneficiaries.

Therefore, we MUST all take action, because the proposal will affect more than just transplant recipients. For example, if you are a cancer patient, you could be affected, too. If you or a loved one on Medicare take anti-depressants, you could also be affected. So, please click here to read the entire alert from TRIO, and follow the prompts within in to contact the bureaucrats in charge of making the decision on this dangerous, life-threatening proposal. I contacted them earlier today.

Please also help me and my friend, Heartbeat, spread the word. Post our posts to your Facebook page and to your blog, if you have one. If this proposal becomes reality, it WILL result in the deaths of transplant recipients and others.

The proposal is wolf-like at best, so it appears that after a long layoff, The Sheepdog picked a good time to get back to work. These wolves, and all others, must be stopped. Lives are at stake.  

How Would The Sheepdog Deal with ISIS?

I’m not gonna sugarcoat it or pull punches – ISIS is straight up a scourge in the Middle East. It needs to be eliminated. They are barbaric and have no respect for human life, even the lives of their own people. They are like rabid dogs, and there is only one way to deal with such an animal – you put it down.

Source : Wikimedia.org - NearEast.png

Obama, Congress, and the rest of the civilized world are currently debating what the best course of action is. Is it bombing? Is it troops on the ground? Or, is it a combination of both? Considering that our military has been fighting non-stop in Afghanistan and Iraq for nearly 14 years, I think sending ground troops in should be off the table. 

Like many Americans, Mrs. Sheepdog and I went to see American Sniper a few weeks ago. During my 4 decades of existence, I’ve watched many “war films”. However, American Sniper was very different than all the others in one area - it portrayed how deployment affects a soldier’s family. The way Chris Kyle’s wife begged and pleaded with him not to go back for another tour really grabbed me. It was heart-wrenching. 

I could understand why she felt the way she did, but at the same time, I also understood why he kept going back. His buddies were still there, and he felt like he would be letting them down if he wasn't there watching their back. I think most of us could agree that neither of them were wrong for feeling the way they did. Each of them just had a different perspective. 

Navy Special Warfare Trident Insignia worn by qualified U.S. Navy SEALs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I also suspect similar conversations and feelings are occurring all across this nation right now in the lives of other military families. It is one of the reasons I am 100% against putting troops on the ground to fight ISIS. My other reasons include:  

• Our warriors and their families are tired after 14 long years of non-stop fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. They've had enough. They've given more than their share already. They need a break.
• As long as I've been old enough to understand what the military does, I’ve watched the numbnuts in DC send our forces into engagement after engagement and each time they hamstring our military with pansy rules of engagement and play politics with the resources they need. 

In my opinion, petty partisan politics may be responsible for more American soldiers being killed and wounded in combat than any enemy in the history of this country. If we, as a country, are gonna send our men and women into a fight, then we need to give them whatever equipment their commanders think they need to do the job completely, quickly, and safely. We also need to take the handcuffs off them in regards to the rules of engagement to allow our people to do what needs to be done to complete the mission and get everyone home alive and in one piece. If the country's so-called "leaders", Congress and the President, aren't gonna do these things, then keep our soldiers at home. 

Matthew G. Axelson, Daniel R. Healy, James Suh, Marcus Luttrell, Shane E. Patton, and Michael P. Murphy prior to the battle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One example can be seen in the movie Lone Survivor, which I reviewed here last year. It's the true story of Marcus Luttrell and a team of Navy SEALs. At one point in the film, the SEAL team is taking heavy fire on a hillside in Afghanistan. They request air support, but are told none is available due to it all being committed elsewhere. In my review, I said that the lack of air support was DC's fault, because "... they always find millions to spend on their special pork projects ..." and other things but not on the necessities, such as the military. I'm sticking by that, too. 

So, how would I deal with the barbarians called ISIS? It's very simple. I would obliterate them from the air. I would fire up the bomb, cruise missile plants, etc. and run 'em 24/7. Then, I’d bomb ISIS into the dust of the sandhills they call home. Heck, nukes would even be an option as it would only take one well-placed strike to eliminate that pack of crazed dogs for good saving many of the innocent lives these wolves prey on. 

I know that some will disagree with my “no ground troops” position, but I think many others will see things my way. I'm just tired of turning on the news, or picking up a newspaper, and reading where more American soldiers have died or been seriously wounded in that hell hole called the Middle East. It’s been going on for far too long, and it’s time for it to stop, or else I fear it will just be more of the same ol’ same ol’ for years to come. 

If U.S. ground troops are sent in, the only difference will be in addition to seeing captured journalists and Christians beheaded, we'll be watching it happen to captured American soldiers. We need to just go ahead and bomb the place to hell now.

A little bada-bing-bada-boom and fuhggedabout ISIS sounds perfect.

Related articles

• Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell Tells Chris Kyle's Killer It's Not Going to Go Well in Prison: (joeforamerica.com)

All Lives Matter

Photo of a police officer, Boston, USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Incidents involving law enforcement officers and suspects have been prominent news stories during 2014. Recent incidents have brought protestors out into the streets blocking traffic and impeding the flow of commerce. In the Nashville area, protestors have even held "die ins" at local malls making it difficult for Christmas shoppers to navigate from store to store. The chants of, and signs proclaiming, "Black Lives Matter" are popping up everywhere.

On Monday, I put forth a challenge to my Facebook friends. I challenged them to pause and think about what life in the U.S. would be like if we took the attitude that "All Lives Matter". Before I go any further, I'm sure someone is gonna take this article as me trying to downplay or dismiss this idea of "Black Lives Matter". I am not. It's just that I don't think that goes far enough.

For instance, after putting the challenge out on Facebook, I took it myself. Here's some of what I came up with :

• The 17-year-old high school junior who just found out she's pregnant. She's been an A student and had dreams of law school and a great career. Now, she's worried those dreams are slipping away, because she will have to focus on raising a child. She's been with her boyfriend since she was a freshman. They made one mistake by "foolin' around" and now her parents are mad at her and her boyfriend wants her to "just get rid of it". Her life matters. Her baby's life matters.
• A 58-year-old factory worker has been out of work for a year after being laid off. He had been with the company for 30 years and was looking forward to retiring at the age of 60. He and his wife were counting the days until they could relax, travel, and spoil their grandkids fulltime. Now, no one wants to hire a 58-year-old and his savings is about gone. His life matters.
• Iraq war veteran returns home after catching some shrapnel from an IED. He's suffering from severe PTSD after watching several of his buddies die to that same IED. His wife didn't wait on him and has left. He's all alone and an emotional wreck. His life matters.
• The police officer who just chased a suspect down a dark alley. The suspect jumps out of the shadows surprising him, knocks him to the ground, and wrestles the officer's gun away. The suspect now aims the gun at the cop and the cop tells him, "I have a wife and two small children. Don't shoot me. Just go." What will the suspect do? The cop's life matters. His wife and kids lives matter.
• The 18 Americans who will suffer and slowly die today because the life-saving organ they need does not become available in time. Their lives matter.
• The 16-year-old teenage girl who runs away from home because her home environment is so bad and turns to prostitution to make ends meet. Her life matters.
• The politician who you strongly disagree with on every issue and simply seeing their name, campaign sign, or hearing their voice makes you ill. Their life matters.
• The homeless man you pass on the street everyday walking to and from work who always bugs you for "your spare change". His life matters.
• The 8-year-old girl who's out playing in her front yard and gets struck down by a stray bullet from a gang-related drive-by shooting. Her life matters.
• The single mom who finally got the nerve to take her two kids and leave her abusive, alcoholic husband. They were high school sweethearts. He's the only man she's ever loved, but he can't keep a job because of his drinking. She's tired and doesn't want the kids seeing his mistreatment of her anymore. She has moved in with her parents and now must find a job to support her kids. She hasn't had a job in 10 years as she's been a stay-at-home mom. She's scared. Her life matters. Her kids lives matter.

These are just a few. I'm sure my readers can come up with more such scenarios. My point here is very simple - we need to get away from the idea that this life or that life is anymore important than another. God loves us all equally, and we are all precious to Him.

Let's try something - let's replace the hate with more love and respect for each other. This goes for me, too. If we can do that, can you imagine how different and how much better life would be in the U.S.?

The truth is that "All Lives Matter".

The Coyote Story **

CALIFORNIA:

The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail.  A coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor's dog, then bites the Governor.

The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is natural.

Coyote closeup (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He calls Animal Control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it. He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects his dead dog and bills the State $200 testing it for diseases.

The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged. The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is now free of dangerous animals.

The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a "coyote awareness program" for residents of the area. The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.

The Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack. The State spends $150,000 to hire and train a new agent with additional special training regarding the nature of coyotes. PETA protests the coyote's relocation and files a $5 million suit against the State.

TEXAS:

The Governor of Texas is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out and attacks his dog. The Governor shoots the coyote with his state-issued pistol and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat the dead coyote.

And that, my friends, says a lot about why California is broke and Texas is not.

** - submitted

Related articles

• How Coyote Imitated Snake (therioshamanism.com)
• One Major City's Unique Answer To Rat Infestation (blogpestcontrol.com)
• Coyote cull after attack on person (globalnews.ca)
• How To Coyote Hunt (mademan.com)

Review and Reaction to "Lone Survivor"

Like many Americans, I saw Lone Survivor during its opening weekend. When my wife and I met some friends at the theater, we were amazed at the size of the crowd. Earlier showings during the day were sold out, and based upon the number of people in the theater for the show we attended, it was either sold out or very close to it. While I'm not much of a fan of crowds, I thought it was great that so many wanted to see the film. In my opinion, it was another way to support our military.

Navy SEAL Trident (Photo credit: kPluto)

As I write this review and share my thoughts and reaction to the film, I am going to do my best not to give too much away. I do not want to ruin it for those who have not had a chance to see it yet. I encourage all adults to see it, because I think it will have an impact on you leading to an even greater appreciation of our veterans and what they do for us. However, if you're not a fan of crowds, like me, it wouldn't hurt to wait a week or so to let the crowds die down. Also, everyone should know that Lone Survivor is rated "R" for a reason - the language and battle scenes are pretty intense.

I am a typical guy - I like movies with action, shooting, and blowing stuff up. I also enjoy military films, documentaries, etc. I've always had a great deal of respect for our soldiers and the sacrifices they make in order to serve our country and protect us. I began to really understand what they do when I was in college, but it seems each time I watch a film like this, I understand a little more.

I've been through a lot in my life. I'd like to think I'm pretty tough, but the movie affected me in powerful ways I did not expect. At one point, I thought I might have to leave, because the film was so intense and vivid. If the intent of the producers / directors / actors was to make the film so realistic that you feel like you're in it, then they accomplished their goal.

I never served in the military because of my various health issues, so I can't speak from experience, but I think this movie has got to be the most realistic portrayal of combat I've ever seen. You literally feel what these brave SEALS experienced making it like nothing I've ever seen. (If you've experienced combat and can speak to the film's realism, please leave a comment on this post as to how realistic the film is. I would love to hear from you.)

Lone Survivor impacted me in a couple of ways. First, as I mentioned, it increased my understanding of what the U.S. military does, of how hard they fight, and the sacrifices our veterans make. I also found myself continuously thinking about how those SEALS had fought and bled for me - for me and my loved ones to keep us safe from the thugs in other countries who want to kill Americans. Thinking about that brought me to tears and humbled me during the film and as I left the theater.

I also got to thinking about why veterans do what they do. It's not because they get paid well or have great benefits. In fact, I'm of the opinion that our country must do more for them. They fight, sacrifice time with their families, bleed, and die for one reason - they love their country. I like to think I'm patriotic, but I realized during Lone Survivor that my patriotism amounts to a single drop of water in the ocean when compared to the patriotism of these SEALS.

The second way Lone Survivor affected me is that I got angry at one point during the film. The SEALS are under heavy fire and call for air support. "Command" responds that no air support is available, because all the Apache gunships are already committed to troops elsewhere. In other words, there's not enough equipment to go around. These guys are fighting their tails off to survive, and their request for help is denied because "we're out." Really?

Now, please don't take what I just said as me blaming "command" for the lack of air support, because I'm not. You could tell they desperately wanted to help, but they just didn't have any equipment to send them. Their hands were tied. I'm sure the ones who tied them reside in D.C., too. I'm also sure it had to do with budget constraints, since we're broke as a country. Time and time again we've heard politicians in D.C. say, "the country can't afford it," but then they always find millions to spend on their special pet pork projects or to send to some third world country's dictator in hopes of bribing him into liking us. It's all bull malarkey. Our priorities are screwed up as a country, plain and simple.

You know what? We should all be ashamed. We, yes we, the citizens who vote, watch, and allow the president and Congress to waste hundreds of billions of dollars on pork projects and other crap every year should be ashamed. The fact that our military doesn't always have the equipment to get in, do the job safely, get out, and get our guys and gals home in one piece is our, the voters and taxpayers, fault. Why? Because we keep re-electing and sending the same yahoos back to D.C. every election year who make the decisions that sometimes leave these brave men and women hanging out to dry. It's on us and us alone.

John Kerry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Y'all know I'm right, too. I could give multiple examples of it, but I'll stick to just two :

1. Right after John Kerry, a Democrat, replaced Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, he announced that the U.S. would be sending millions of dollars in additional foreign aid to Egypt. During the scene I spoke of above, I thought about that waste of money and my blood pressure went up. When Egypt wants more aid, the response is, "Sure. We'll send it over ASAP," but when Navy SEALS need air support, the response is, "We would love to, but sorry, we're out." It's enough to make even a man like Billy Graham cuss.
2. The Republicans aren't immune to this BS, either. During the last "budget battle" in D.C., legislation was proposed, which was sponsored by Paul Ryan, a Republican, and eventually passed into law which contained a reduction in veterans benefits. The reduction even applied to veterans who were disabled due to injuries they received while in combat serving US. You may also remember the so-called "conservative" Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. With Republicans like him, we don't need the Democrats to screw our military and the country, the Republicans are doing a great job all by themselves.

Lone Survivor is a must see. I think it will have an impact on you. It may even leave you with similar feelings as mine. However, as I mentioned, it is graphic and realistic, and now that I've had a few days to digest it and think about what I saw, I know it has changed me.

Lone Survivor has forever changed me when it comes to election day. Previously, I had two criteria I used in evaluating a candidate - their views on guns and abortion. I now have a third one - I'll call it "veteran friendliness," and it includes evaluating a candidate as to whether they are 100% committed to :

• ensuring our military has all the equipment necessary in order to get the job done quickly and safely, and
• ensuring veterans and their families have great benefits and are helped transition back into civilian life when they return home.

Any candidate who does not meet both criteria will not get my vote. Likewise, any incumbent, Republican or Democrat, who has one, just one, vote supporting a decrease in military spending or veterans benefits will be voted out by me. I don't care if they've voted "veteran friendly" thousands of times before. In my opinion, they're either all in, or they're out. I hope many of you will join me in holding politicians accountable this way. My one vote will not have an affect, but thousands of us doing what I just proposed in the voting booth will. It will catch the politicians' attention faster than a female White House intern catches Bill Clinton's.

I think it's important that we look out for our veterans this way, because they have looked out for us. Our military fights the wolves overseas for us with bullets and bombs in order to keep us safe at home. We should fight the wolves here at home for them, in D.C. and the state houses nationwide, with our votes, phone calls, and e-mails in order to make sure them and their families are taken care of while they're overseas and after they return home. Our veterans will likely never ask us to do any of this, but they shouldn't have to. We must do it because it's right. Any wolf politician who doesn't agree needs to be voted out and sent home - period.

As I wrap this up, I want to say thank you to the producers, directors, writers, and others involved in making Lone Survivor. I think you have served your country and the SEALS the film is based on very well by telling their story very vividly. Americans need to know what our military men and women actually do and the conditions they do it under. I think the realism in this film is amazing, and I suspect many Americans, besides me, will be affected in a positive way by it.

I must also say thank you to all those who served on the mission the film is based upon, both the ones who gave their lives and the "Lone Survivor." You have not been forgotten. The country will be forever in your debt.

Related articles

• Lone Survivor (louisproyect.org)
• Lone Survivor: We Owe These Heroes a Debt (realclearpolitics.com)
• How Mark Wahlberg's 'Lone Survivor' Red-White-and-Blew Away the Box Office (Video) (thewrap.com)
• "The Lone Survivor" A-List Interviews: Mark Wahlberg & Marcus Luttrell (wgnradio.com)
• Movie Review - 'Lone Survivor' (worthplaying.com)
• Watch the CNN interview with the "Lone Survivor" Navy SEAL that has everyone talking (rare.us)
• 'Lone Survivor' star reveals most important review of all (nydailynews.com)
• LA film critic trashes Marcus Luttrell and fellow Seals in movie Lone Survivor. Glenn Beck offers to fly her first class to his Dallas studio to read her critical review to Marcus in person.... (powderedwigsociety.com)
• Film review: Fierce 'Lone Survivor' captures realities of war (stripes.com)
• Why Lone Survivor may be troubling the left. (thechristianfightclubreport.com)

Super Bowl Champs, Tax Dollars, and ObamaCare

As if a Steelers fan needed another reason to hate the Baltimore Ravens, this Steelers fan and staunch conservative just found one. I'll call it reason number 47-2008 in "honor" of the Ravens latest Super Bowl victory (47) and Obama's initial win (2008) of the White House.

Baltimore Ravens logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I learned a few days ago that the Baltimore "Black Birds," as I like to call them, have received $130,000 in tax payer funds from their home state of Maryland to promote ObamaCare. The "Black Birds" will apparently use the funds to promote ObamaCare on their website and through other media.

Personally, I think its inappropriate at best and a disgrace at worst. It's ridiculous for a professional sports team to get paid government money to push propaganda. NFL teams and their owners make millions every year from TV contracts, ticket sales, advertising and promotional deals, concessions, parking, and team paraphernalia. Many NFL teams have had multi-million dollar stadiums built for them at taxpayer expense. The state of Maryland paying the Baltimore "Black Birds" to promote ObamaCare is a ridiculous waste of money. I hope the tax payers of Maryland hold their governor and state legislature accountable at election time.

I've objected before to politics infiltrating movies, music, and football (Bob Costas, I'm talking to you), and I'm objecting again. The leftist infiltration is ruining entertainment. I sure hope it doesn't ruin football, too. When I turn on a football game, I want a football game - not politics, whether Left or Right, and especially not ObamaCare propaganda.

When I first saw this story in my daily e-mail from Glenn Beck's TheBlaze.com the other day, it aggravated me, made me dislike the "Black Birds" even more, and caused me to enjoy this past Sunday's 19-16 Steelers victory over the Baltimore "Black Birds" just a little bit more.

Go Steelers!! The Ravens suck!!

Source - TheBlaze.com article titled "New Documents Reveal This NFL Team Was Paid $130K to Promote Obamacare" 

Related articles

• Taxpayer Money Used to Bribe Baltimore Ravens to Promote ObamaCare (moonbattery.com)
• NFL Team Paid for Propaganda: Baltimore Ravens Shill ObamaCare for Taxpayer Dollars (ijreview.com)
• Baltimore Ravens Get $130,000 of Taxpayer Funding to Promote ObamaCare (grumpyelder.com)
• Super Bowl Champ Baltimore Ravens Getting Paid $130,000 to Promote Obamacare (+video) (joemiller.us)

Bob Costas Strikes Again

Back in December 2012, NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas blessed us with his own personal anti-gun babble during the halftime break in the Dallas Cowboys / Philadelphia Eagles Sunday Night NFL football game. His babbling was in reference to the tragedy involving Kansas City Chiefs' Linebacker Jovan Belcher. He blessed us with more of his "wisdom" during this past Sunday Night's game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.

Now, Costas has decided to jump on the bandwagon regarding the manufactured controversy about the Washington Redskins nickname. If you didn't see Costas' sermon on political correctness in football, it can be watched by clicking here **.

Redskins primary logo 1972-1981, 1983-present (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Washington Redskins have been the Redskins for a long, long time. There's nothing wrong with it. In my opinion, this whole made-up controversy about so-called offensive team nicknames is ... rather offensive. It's much ado about nothing.

I was a Redskins fan for many years. The Steelers were my AFC team and the 'Skins were my NFC team. I said the heck with the Redskins several years ago, not because of their so-called offensive nickname, but because of their owner, Dan Snyder. Snyder has ruined what was once a great franchise with poor personnel and management decisions.

Personally, I wish these dadgum sportscasters, actors, singers, and other celebrities would stay the heck out of societal and political issues. Them doing so ruins stuff. When I watch a football game, I want football. I don't want politics or anything else interfering with it - period. Keep football pure. If they want to talk about politics, there's plenty for them to hold Obama and Congress accountable for at other times. They could go on for 24 hours a day about that stuff, but they don't want to even though that's their job. They'd rather babble about football team names.

Here's what I'd like to ask Mr. Costas - if he's sooooooooo offended by the Redskins' nickname, is he gonna stop calling them by it when broadcasting their games? Better yet - is he gonna refuse the paycheck he received for covering Sunday night's game and turn it back into NBC? What about all those paychecks he's received over the years covering Redskins games and the games of other teams with so-called "offensive" nicknames?

I think we all know the answer to those questions is a resounding "no." In my opinion, until he does those things and puts his money where his mouth is, he's just another hypocrite.

Can we puh-lease just play football? Is that too much to ask?

Source - TheBlaze.com article titled "Veteran Sportscaster Calls Washington Redskins Name An 'Iinsult, A Slur' On National TV - Detractors Rip 'Lecture' "

** - the original video I embedded was apparently removed by NBC Universal. However, I was able to find it and re-embed it for my readers to see. The new source for the video is Bretbart.com's article titled "Bob Costas :Redskins Name 'An Insult, A Slur' ".

Related articles

• Bob Costas: Redskins Name 'an Insult, a Slur' (breitbart.com)
• Bob Costas Speaks out on Redskins Team Name During Sunday Night Football (bleacherreport.com)
• Bob Costas takes another stand during Cowboys games, says Redskins nickname is 'insult' and 'slur' (cowboysblog.dallasnews.com)
• Bob Costas versus Glenn Beck in Washington Redskins nickname flap (kfiam640.com)
• Bob Costas' Halftime Essay on Redskins Name (nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com)

Rock-tober - Week 2

It would be difficult to refer to Rock-tober as Rock-tober without featuring today's artist, John Mellencamp, at some point. Mellencamp has not appeared on The Sheepdog's Music Mondays before, and since today is a double shot Music Monday, I'll feature two of his tunes.

Mellencamp is an artist that has been very politically active during his career. Based upon his political activities and associations, I know he and I would agree on very little politically as he leans way to the left, and I lean way to the right. However, the dude has made some great music through the years that I still enjoy listening to. As momma used to say, sometimes "you have to take the bad with the good."

Both videos featured today are of tunes on his 1985 album titled Scarecrow. The first video is of "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." It is embedded below or can be watched by clicking here.



Video #2 today is of Mellencamp's "Small Town." It is embedded below or can be watched by clicking here. I hope everyone enjoys.

Related articles

• 2nd Mellencamp son surrenders on battery charges (bigstory.ap.org)
• John Mellencamp Up for Songwriters Hall of Fame (webpronews.com)
• Mellencamp, King collaborate in musical (wishtv.com)
• Video: Sneak Peek Of King/Mellencamp Musical Premiere (indianapublicmedia.org)

Movie Review - Elysium

Several weeks ago, a buddy and I went to see the movie Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. There really wasn't much playing at the time that looked any good. I had some reservations about Elysium, because of the far left-leaning politics of Damon, but, our wives were out of town, we needed to catch up, and the sci-fi theme looked interesting. Man, were we in for a surprise.

English: Matt Damon at the 66th Venice International Film Festival Nederlands: The Informant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The movie is future-based and is portrayed as taking place on the earth and in a fancy space station known as Elysium. The earth has pretty much been destroyed by years of overpopulation and war. The entire planet is now like a third-world country. Elysium, on the other hand, is a beautiful, luxurious world built by the rich for the rich. Basically, the earth is where the poor live and Elysium is where the rich live. Segregation by social class at its finest.

When the movie started, my radar went up immediately as mostly Spanish is being spoken. As the story-line develops, it continues, and there does not appear to be any middle class on earth or on Elysium, either. You are either a filthy rich legal citizen of Elysium or a dirt poor resident of earth. You may already have a sense of where this is going, but it gets worse. The film ultimately turns out be a multi-million dollar Hollywood propaganda piece promoting amnesty for illegal aliens and universal healthcare. Stay with me, and I'll explain.

The "legal citizens" of Elysium all have chips implanted under their skin that prove their citizenship and give them access to various services, including healthcare. Healthcare on Elysium is interesting, to say the least. Each legal resident has a medi-bay in their home. The medi-bays look much like a tanning bed. If you have a medical ailment, whether it be a cold, cancer, heart disease, etc., all you have to do is lay down in the medi-bay for a few minutes and it "cures" you. However, if you don't have the little implanted chip, the medi-bay doesn't work.

Smugglers on earth make money providing shuttle rides to the "illegals" on earth who want to try to sneak into Elysium. Most of the time, people are trying to leave earth for Elysium in order to get in one of the medi-bays to get cured of whatever. Basically, if you are a legal citizen of Elysium, you get great healthcare, a "cadillac" health plan if you will. However, if you are poor, stuck on the earth, and an "illegal," you have very limited healthcare, if you have any at all.

One scene in the movie shows three of the shuttles leaving earth headed to Elysium. Jodie Foster's character, the Secretary of Defense, orders them to be shot down. Two of them are, but one crash lands on Elysium. We then see "Homeland Security" robots round up the "illegals" on the crashed shuttle and immediately deport them back to earth. Sound familiar? Those evil rich people. They just want to keep the poor, illegals down. Yea .... I know - I'm overdoing it on the sarcasm again. Hang with me, though, there's more.

English: Matt Damon's Hollywood Star (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Spider, one of the smugglers, devises a plot where Max, Matt Damon's character, goes to Elysium to download computer data, so that Spider can use it to hack Elysium's computer system. Now, what's Spider's plan? The plan is to change Elysium's database and make everyone on earth legal Elysium residents. Wow - just like that ... amnesty for everyone! No more illegals. Woohooo! Now all the sick or injured poor, illegals on earth can go to Elysium and get healed. Isn't it great?

So, as I said, Elysium is nothing more than a political statement by Hollywood supporting amnesty for illegal aliens and universal health care for all. It even contains the emotional, tugging at your heartstrings moment where the daughter, Matilda, of Max's friend, Frey, is smuggled from earth to Elysium for medical care because she has leukemia. There's a rush against the clock to get the database hacked and Matilda to Elysium and into a medi-bay before the leukemia kills her. The message is,"who would be so heartless as to deny medical care to a sick, dying little girl." It's the same emotional argument the left always uses - "it's for the children."

Needless to say, my blood pressure was up a little by the time the movie was over. It reminded me of :

• the pro-Palestinian political statement that U2 made during one of their concerts I attended a few years ago, and 
• Cars 2, which made a point of bashing the big, bad, rich oil companies for getting rich at the expense of the environment. That movie also promoted alternative automobile fuels, such as ethanol. The fact is that ethanol damages engines and requires more of our water supply to produce than gasoline. I even remember one scene in Cars 2 where a large, older model car was made fun of by the other cars for using more gas than them.

I think most Americans would agree with me when I say that when I pay my good money to be entertained, whether it be for a movie or a concert, I do not want politics to be shoved down my throat. It doesn't matter whether the politics lean right or left. It's not what I'm there for. I can watch that crap at home for free. When I go to a movie, it's because I want to get away from all the crap of regular every day life for just a little while, have some fun, and enjoy myself. It's an escape. When the producer brings politics into it, it completely ruins the experience.

I know someone's gonna leave a comment on this post along the lines of "you just hate immigrants." No, I don't. If you are an American citizen, and not a Native American, then you descended from immigrants, me included. I have no problem with immigrants or immigration. That is, legal immigrants and legal immigration. If you want to come to the U.S., come on. However, follow our laws and regulations. Do it the right way. Don't try to slip in the back door and expect to be welcomed with open arms. Not only is it unlawful and wrong, but it's basically trespassing. I don't know of anywhere trespassers are warmly welcomed. Do you?

I think Elysium is off the big screen now. However, if it isn't where you live, consider yourself warned. Don't spend your $11 or $12 on Hollywood leftist propaganda. If that's what you're into, just stay home and turn on CNN or MSNBC. It will be much cheaper.

As for Hollywood, would you people please leave the politics out of movies? I like going to movies, but if this crap continues, I can always stay at home or go to a ballgame.

Related articles

• These Are The ELYSIUM Droids You're Looking For (comicbookmovie.com)
• Going to the Movies in Bangalore: "Elysium," Snowden, Manning and Assange (mikerivageseul.wordpress.com)
• Elysium Review (niallmalcolmmovies.wordpress.com)
• Elysium Movie Review: Born To Be Special (madaboutmoviez.com)
• Review: Elysium (Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Dir: Niel Blomkamp) (reelgoodblog.wordpress.com)
• Elysium (trapdoorsthatopen.wordpress.com)
• Elysium - The Art Of The Movie (awesome-robo.com)
• Elysium (rhombusfanzine.wordpress.com)
• Elysium - No Paradise (thebigredbiotechblog.typepad.com)
• Elysium (thebigpicturefilmblog.wordpress.com)