U.S. Pain Management Program

I’ve witnessed firsthand the results of one of our nation’s most ill-conceived “medical policies” — the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) opioid prescribing guidelines as implemented in the State of Michigan.

I’ll put it this way, if you must have a joint surgery operation, especially a total knee replacement, I recommend putting it off until our government people stop treating post-surgery patients like they’re addicts and prescribing doctors like they are pushers. Wait until they adopt a sane, controlled prescription drugs policy that returns post-surgery patient’s pain management to their doctors.

Until that time comes, the only pain management that is currently legal in the U.S. is that offered though unregulated firearms. That is, when your pain reaches an unbearable level, blow your brains out. That’s legal. And, it really will control your pain — forever.

Today, your Doc is required to reduce your pain medication regardless of the extent of your pain because the Center for Disease Control’s opioid prescribing guidelines require patients to be reduced across the board, regardless of their condition.

Here’s the story

“Earlier this year my doctor explained that he was required to reduce my pain medications. I was shocked. He explained that new opioid prescribing guidelines were requiring patients to be reduced across the board, regardless of their condition,” pain patient Liz Ott wrote in a recent guest column.

AMA: ‘Inappropriate Use’ of CDC Guideline Should Stop, Pat Anson, painnewsnetwork.org,14 Nov 2018.

“Two and a half years after the release of the CDC’s opioid prescribing guideline, the American Medical Association has finally taken a stand against the ‘misapplication’ and ‘inappropriate use’ of the guideline by insurers, pharmacists, federal regulators and state governments.”

“Although the guideline is voluntary and only intended for primary care physicians treating non-cancer pain, many pain patients have been forcibly tapered to lower doses, cutoff entirely or even abandoned by their doctors – all under the guise of preventing addiction and overdoses. The CDC has stood by and done nothing to correct the false portrayal of its guideline by insurance companies and pharmacies such as CVS.”

“The genie may be out of the bottle, but the AMA is now trying put it back in.”

Please go here for more…

Who Is Telling The Truth About Prescription Opioid Deaths? DEA? CDC? Neither?, Dr. Josh Bloom acsh.org, 5 Nov 2018.

Valley Of Pain · Bonnie Raitt - 2015

Ah… About that Funny-Looking Texas Tower

Texas Tower - Photo Source:
KXXV TV 25 (ABC) Central Texas News, Waco, TX

Is it a technological breakthrough or, just an odd tower thingy?

I’m betting my marbles on a breakthrough because of all the retired military brass management, investors and board members, plus the university connections with Viziv Technologies.

Besides, I’m tired of paying for all that inefficient, 1800s power company infrastructure and watching the lights go out every time the weather gods decide to mess with us.

Take a gander at this video…

Tesla Technology Has Been Revived

Please go here for the story from KXXV TV (ABC) Central Texas News, Waco, TX:

40 Million Messages

More than 9 million military died. More than 10 million civilians died. Another 20 million civilians became "casualties" because of WWI. Millions more became refugees, displaced persons.

We are lucky people. Although our nation has waged perpetual war around the world for the past 17 years, only .4% of our population is serving in the active military. Perhaps that is why our eyes are closed to the horrendous devastation brought about by our perpetual war economy. Our homes are not being bombed, our children are not dying and only people wanting to enter the U.S. are currently residing in refugee camps. (Please see below.)

There’s a message here — at least 40 million messages in fact — sent to us from our ancestors. They did not profit from war. War was not a good thing for them. Who profits from war?

No more guns & shootings - Message by Tadros Brothers / Frères Tadros

Please go here for more words about our world without war.

Source: https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/military

It's Our World,Too!

This past election underscored several of the challenges before us. Sooner or later we must devise a fix for three of them: healthcare; voting rights; and gun violence. Expansion of Medicare into a universal healthcare program offers a clear path toward workable solutions to help minimize each. We, the people, the 99.9%, are hurting. It's time to change the world for the good. Because, it's our world, too. Don't you agree?

Tomorrow - Annie - 1982 

Election Reform

Next day election thoughts…

1. Everyone knows the U.S. system is broken and something must be done to make it actually represent the will of the people. Here are three must reforms: (a) Eliminate “winner-take-all” elections and replace them with “fair representation voting methods” such as “Ranked Choice Voting“ (RCV) (b) National Popular Vote: “Every vote equal in the election of the United States president” and (c) Universal Voter Registration. Go to FairVote.org for why and how election reform must be implemented.
2. We must get the big bucks out of our elections. We can start by reversing Citizen's United vs. Federal Election Commission.
3. Every candidate who lost by a small margin should challenge election results based upon the Republican Party’s purge/disenfranchisement of voters as well as uncounted mailed ballots and provisional ballots. An independent, each-state-appointed, publicly transparent and accountable commission must review and tally each election to determine outcomes — especially in these elections: Abrams/Kemp Georgia (governor); O’Rourke/Cruz (U.S. Senator) Texas; Gillum/DeSantis Florida (governor) and Nelson/Scott U.S. Senator.

St Trinians - Uh Oh We're In Trouble (Official Video) - 2008

The Other Republican Nightmare

Yes, I did vote today.

As the voting machine gobbled my paper ballot, I said a prayer to the Election Gods that my vote would be honestly counted, that millions of others would be as well, and that all our votes would be tallied and reported as we cast them.

Then I went home and washed my hands.

That's when it happened. The thought occurred to me that there must be more of a reason for the Republican Party’s decades-long fear of a viable, universal healthcare program. Why do they fear a universal, single-payer program? 

Then it hit me. Is there a connection with other Republican Party nightmares – such as universal voter registration? 

Historically, the Republican Party has worked tirelessly to exterminate Medicare, Social Security and voting rights for everyone save select white males. 

I'll bet a few marbles that they must hide under their covers, with all the lights on, when they think about universal voter registration. Yep! That's it!

Here's the Real Reason Why Republicans Fear 'Medicare for All', Thom Hartmann, Truthdig.com, 5 Nov 2018.

"Now we know why the GOP is truly terrified of “Medicare for all”: It will wipe out the Republican Party’s control of the House, Senate, White House, and most state governments. Because it could make it very easy for every citizen over 18 to vote."

"Here’s how it works."

"In Canada, every citizen has a Canadian government-issued “Health Insurance Card” (you can see Quebec’s card at the link). It’s largely only available to citizens, as all citizens are eligible for the Canadian Medicare system; everybody else has to work out other insurance options (yes, there are insurance companies in Canada). And in most provinces, the card has your photo and works as an ID card as well as a driver’s license or passport."

"And the Canadian government also explicitly says right here on Quebec’s elections website that your Medicare card is also your first-choice voter ID card. An American version could work identically, perhaps with a star or hologram or other mark to identify citizens as opposed to Medicare-eligible permanent residents, etc."

-more-

"That's It!"  Preservation Hall Jazz Band - 2013

Better Wash Your Hands

Finally.

Tomorrow is election day. Boy, what a relief!

No more disgusting political ads. No more candidate-know-nothin’ blathering... thinkin’ we don’t know they're lying.

Relief is at hand.

Wait.

What’s in that hand?

Let’s cipher on this for a second:

• Millions spent on gerrymandering districts
• Karl Rove acolytes fixing election returns
• Republican Secretaries of State disenfranchising millions of voters
• Zillions spent on outright false and misleading campaign ads

What will be the election result?

Can’t be good, right?

Dirty process equals dirty hands.

Oh well, once you vote tomorrow… you’d better wash your hands!

Wash your hands