Abstinence

In the letters to the editor in the Cleveland Plain Dealer A writer is advocating eliminating sex ed all together. Her thinking is that morality plays a part in sex ed and parents should be allowed to advance their moral position.

I think this shows the need to allow individual districts to set policies that fit the community. Many if not all major metropolitan areas have poor academic achievement scores. I don't think the blame falls with the schools or teachers. Invariably these districts have higher than normal single parent families. Being a single parent is a hard job and somethings are are not going to get full attention. Unfortunately it seems often to be education that gets left behind.

This is why some districts have more conflict over Abstinence only programs. Over burdened single parents a lot of the time have little time for educating their children whether spelling or sex ed. No fingers being pointed here I'm sure I make mistakes as a parent we all do. I think the more localized the decision making on education policy the better off our children will be.

Generally I like the idea of teaching abstinence first and progressing to a clinical explanation of what's going on in a young persons body.

Common sense

I recently read Glenn Beck's Common Sense. Beck speaks of a need to return to the principles of the founders of our nation.

At the end he talks about the 9.12 project, 9 principles and 12 values.

The values are honesty,reverence,hope,thrift,humility,charity,sincerity,moderation, hard work,courage,personal responsibility,and gratitude.

A few of the principles are 1. America is good, 6. I have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results 9.The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

The rest of the principles can be found at the912project.com

I enjoyed the book which points out where government has been failing at the principles and values. As a bonus it included Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

Who has the best health care

Here are some statistics to help you decide who has the best health care in the world.

As recently published by Investor Business Daily, a survey by the U.N. International Health Organization has reported:

Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: U.S. 65 percent, Eng-land 46 percent, Canada 42 percent.

Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months: U.S. 93 percent, England 15 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: U.S. 90 percent, England 15 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: U.S. 77 percent, England 40 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people: U.S. 71, England 14, Canada 18.

Percentage of seniors (65 and older) with low income who say they are in “excellent health”: U.S. 12 percent, England 2 percent, Canada 6 percent.

The other question about U.S. health care that always arises is cost. Our health care is definitely expensive but how much quality are you willing to give up to reduce costs.

I learned a long time ago that you get what you pay for.

Valenines day

From the AP a rather interesting way to say I love you. A farmer from Albert Lea Minnesota formed a half mile wide heart for his wife using manure. His wife said you might as well be creative with what you have.

J Giels had it right love stinks.

When to quit

People have been talking about how the Dems should give up on Obama care in it's present form since Brown's win in Massachusetts. People also talk frequently about athletes who past there prime stumble on collecting undeserved paychecks. We now have had a vivid example of when to quit during the Super bowl.

The Who showed us you should quit when you can no longer do the job.

Ponzi scheme

Reading the letters to the editor this morning. The one letter is railing at a letter from earlier in the week calling social security a ponzi scheme. He argues that he has paid in and is entitled to his benefits. He also argues that S.S. has worked well and is solvent besides being basically the only pension plan out there any more. He does acknowledge the need for adjustments to benefits and taxes as we go forward.

The letter writer is right on at least one statement SS is not a ponzi scheme. Social security is a pyramid scheme and we're working towards inversion. When ss started there were multiple workers for each retired person. This is important to remember because we are not paying our own way. Our social security tax (fica) is not meant to provide us with any benefit it is there to provide benefit for those already retired. In the 1940's there were 42 workers for every retiree we are nor at 3 workers for every retiree. This is a a pyramid that could easily flip if unemployment stays at it's current high level.

This is one point that Bush was definitely right we need to find a way to allow people to invest their money for their own retirement. Even if it radically changes benefits and promises made to current recipient of SS. I believe this has to be the starting point to any deficit reduction plan. Without adjustments that will no doubt be painful Social Security will bankrupt our country.

Living

A question was posed in Sunday school last week. How important is money to having a good quality of life? I argued that money would effect the quality of life greatly. One of the women argued that money is of no consequence. That if she could have lived her life in better personal relationship with her daughters she wouldn't have cared how much or little money she had.

Now I'm thinking I was wrong the quality of life is not effected. However the quality of living is effected immeasurably. What I mean by this is that your life is your life money or not. Money only allows you to do different things within your life. Life is the people you relate to at home or work, isolation is the true detriment to a good quality of life.