Saturday Morning Musings 1/07/17

        Ok, I'm just about over the morning paper's "Saturday Stumper" and it's snotty clues. Today's gems included: "silver mining data" (answer - "Nate") and "line used on stage" (answer- "rein")  Really? the English language is colorful and varied sufficiently to create difficult crosswords without all the cutesy-pooh bullshit. There. All better now.

        One measure of the desperation of some churches to keep relevant or at least, draw a crowd, can perhaps best be determined by examining their postings (adverts, really) in the Saturday paper. One advertises the vocalist, a local pop singer, as the principal draw. Another proudly proclaims, "Prophecy Convention." My favorite is still the "after service Spaghetti Dinner."  why not just go to Olive Garden and spare yourself the lecture?  

      Meanwhile, Billy Graham, in his column (his name, he doesn't write it, he's too busy counting his money)  begs "Let Jesus Forgive Your Sins."  As I have been led to believe by most shamans , if Jesus, as they perceive him wants to do something, he doesn't need your permission.    

        As we continue our sad and nausea inducing spiral down to the day of Trump's inauguration, I can't help but wonder just how long those poor schlubs who were snookered by the bluster and bravado will linger in denial before they finally realize the new emperor is naked. What is even more troubling is the apparent sense of empowerment the US House seems to feel as they propose such drivel as curtailing the independent House ethics  investigative body or firing government employees at will for, oh, I don't know....not being supportive of Republican initiatives?

        One thing that may well backfire, however is the beginnings of resistance to dismantling  the Affordable Care Act, as working class persons are beginning to realize that perhaps having medical insurance is a good thing and the guys they voted for don't really give a shit. Exemplary is the plight of coal miners, a vast majority of whom voted Trump, who are now close to being forced to deal with reality rather than bluster. 

        One  Kentucky miner,  explained it succinctly:  “I voted for Trump,” said Neil Yonts, a miner for 35 years. But, he added, “ It may be a mistake” after being diagnosed with black lung disease and learning about the ACA ("Obamacare") protections, which may soon disappear. “When they eliminate the Obamacare they may just eliminate all the black lung program,” he said. “It may all be gone. Don’t matter how many years you got.” 
         Prior to the ACA, preexisting conditions such as "Pneumoconiosis" (see why they just call it Black Lung?) were uninsurable at any cost. If the ACA goes away, an entire segment of American workers could and almost assuredly, will, revert to penury and unattainable medical care. It should be noted that Black Lung  is a well identified and frequently fatal  condition of which  miners (aka victims) and  mine operators (aka friends of Trump, who in most  cases live nowhere near the mines they own) have known for well over 65 years.  23,000 persons died from it last year, and disturbingly, surface (strip) miners are now considered just as much at risk as sub surface miners.

       In a related event which I can only describe as weird, bordering on downright odd, Senator (even saying it leaves a bad taste)  Ted Cruz along with Florida Congressman Ron de Santis has actually co-sponsored a bill proposing term limits for Congress. De Santis ran on a platform which included term limits, so that's no surprise, but in Cruz' case it might be more of an excuse for him not to run again and be embarrassed .

        In what is generally a dismal prognosis for the next legislative session (the 115th Congress) we should  hold fast to one potential lifeline, and that is that the US Senate has 21 female members (still too few, based on population) of which 16 are Democrats and 5 are Republicans. All it takes if for two Republican Senators to say, "enough," to control any legislation from Ryan and his cluster f**k of goons in the House. Let's hope the mommy in each of them truly cares for her children.