War Of The Worlds : Goliath

Holy Freakin’ COW.

All I gotta say is, count me in line to buy this when it comes out in February some month next year:

More about “War Of The Worlds : Goliath” here. Watch the trailer. It’s stunning.

John Mackey, I Could Hug You

(I won’t go as far as kiss you, though. My lips are reserved for my wife and maybe a deserving relative.)

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods – a store I adore when I can afford it – had a recent op-ed in the WSJ. Aside from his awesome eight suggestions, the man GETS IT:

Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?

Health care is a service that we all need, but just like food and shelter it is best provided through voluntary and mutually beneficial market exchanges. A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That’s because there isn’t any. This “right” has never existed in America.

Even in countries like Canada and the U.K., there is no intrinsic right to health care. Rather, citizens in these countries are told by government bureaucrats what health-care treatments they are eligible to receive and when they can receive them. All countries with socialized medicine ration health care by forcing their citizens to wait in lines to receive scarce treatments.

Although Canada has a population smaller than California, 830,000 Canadians are currently waiting to be admitted to a hospital or to get treatment, according to a report last month in Investor’s Business Daily. In England, the waiting list is 1.8 million.

[bolded for emphasis]

Thank goodness someone had the celery to state the obvious. Now if only our politicos would pay attention…

And as an aside, in case people wondered where I actually stood on this issue – I leave you with Mackey’s final paragraph, which I totally agree with 100%:

Health-care reform is very important. Whatever reforms are enacted it is essential that they be financially responsible, and that we have the freedom to choose doctors and the health-care services that best suit our own unique set of lifestyle choices. We are all responsible for our own lives and our own health. We should take that responsibility very seriously and use our freedom to make wise lifestyle choices that will protect our health. Doing so will enrich our lives and will help create a vibrant and sustainable American society.

Chew on that, Mr. Obama. And pass the veggie dip.

Why I Missed GenCon 2009…

Ok, so in this case the title doesn’t say it all. Actually, it’s just a lead-in to my thoughts that I’ve been gathering over the weekend.

I did miss GenCon 2009 this year. First convention in about 10 years I missed and man, it was tough. As the weekend went on (and I watched the boards and Twitter) my reasons for missing it shifted from one end of the spectrum to another.

It was strange.

(Un)Common Commuting

I live in metropolitan DC. Five days a week, I ride WMATA’s Metro system to and from work, like most federal wage slaves in the region. (I’m not one, but since I work on K Street, it’s a fine line…) So many times, I am inevitably asked by an out-of-town guest what my commute is like.

Now, before the whole June 22 Metrorail “incident,” it wasn’t a bad thing to ride the train in and out. Afterwards? Well, for those of you who follow my articles on WeLoveDC, you know it’s not been a picnic. Still, considering I don’t ride the Red Line, it’s not all vinegar and brussell sprouts, so I can deal.

A couple weeks ago, I posted this article on WLDC. The response was, shall we say, supportive. (I love my twitter peeps. You guys are hysterical.) Normally I don’t cross-post, but I am for this one. Because I’ll be totally honest – it’s hysterical. (And yes, I am tooting my own horn. My blog. My rules. Nyaaaah!)

So, without further digression, I give you the average day in the life of a Washington commuter (who happens to be a blogger and works downtown).*

7:06 a.m. Pulling into the parking garage at Franconia-Springfield a little early; traffic for once was cooperative so I am optimistic it’s a good sign for today. Until I nearly collide head-on with a driver coming up the ramp in the opposite direction who happens to be driving in the center of the lane, rather than sticking to one side or the other. Awkwardness ensues as I back into my selected space…and he parks next to me.

In situations like this, I put on my “Metro mask” and just avoid eye contact.