Common Sense Flees America

The American Medical Association is urging the American Psychiatric Association to include in its mental illness manual "video game addiction" and the APA is considering it. The AMA wants to raise awareness of the issue and enable the addicted to get insurance coverage for treatment. This article was published in the Sunday paper last week. It went on to say that this addiction can be similar to a heroin addiction. A follow-up is scheduled this week on a nightly news programs.

The article cited a mother in Texas that complained that her teenage son's video game addiction caused him to fail two classes in school and become a recluse. Her picture was plastered in the headline and I actually felt sorry for her. I wondered was she embarrassed by the quote? I wondered how many times she went to the local video store and rented computer games for her son? If I gave my child heroin everyday and let them use it in the living room, would it dawn on me that I might be part of the problem. Most importantly I wondered if she realized many Americans would ask why she didn't unplug the computer and throw it in the trash heap a long time ago.

This is just another sign that America's thinking patterns are flawed and our common sense has deteriorated to the point of non-existence. Rather than accept parental responsibility it is easier to avoid it and have someone else pay for the outcome. Is it any wonder that health insurance in America is the most expensive in the world and that the average working class citizen can't afford it? Now we have what is supposed to be one of most well respected professional organizations in America, the AMA, devising a plan for insurance companies to foot another bill.

The amount of money spent researching the data for the AMA's report, reporting the story and making it the headline issue on a nightly news program could have been used more wisely to actually pay the reasonable medical expenses of someone who can't afford our luxury health care.

This ludicrous story comes on the tail of the recent lawsuit filed by a judge because a "mom and pop" dry cleaning service lost his trousers. We have an unaffordable health care system plagued by abuses of the very people that should be its watch dogs; a legal system back-logged with frivolous lawsuits, including those filed by elected officials who should be discouraging those practices.

Where is the sense in all this? Actually there isn't any, common sense spread her wings and took flight for distant lands leaving our mighty eagle to soar over a nation she no longer recognises.

What's Up with the Blog?

The blog has languished! I've had a few people ask me, "What's going on?" Let me tell you what's going on. Stacey, as usual, has committed herself to more things than one person could possibly accomplish in one month.

In the last month we've been on a trip to NYC (no pics on the blog, yet!) I finished a baby quilt and started another one (insane) for a wedding present, trashed that idea after getting it half done and sent money, the couple would probably rather have that anyway (oh, by the way someone is going to get a nice Christmas present and bribes are acceptable). Joined a quilt block swap group (blocks due by June 30), finished a scrap book that has been haunting me since February (due yesterday), and thought I didn't have enough to do, so I signed up for a writing course!

Sarah and Lance have been here for two week-ends and in the midst of weeding the garden, Sarah said, "You really do too much!" Actually I thought that was a compliment coming from a girl who is never home and has her social event calendar booked till next year.

So yes, I agree I'm trying to do too much, (but it is so fun)! Last night as I was sticking the last quilt block in an envelope, I decided Sarah was right. I'm not saying "yes" to anything else and I'm not volunteering for anything. What I really want to do is write and I've wanted to do that for years! So, my commitment is to writing, which is good for you who are following the blog! I'm real excited about my writing class and sent the first assignment in Saturday! (10 days before it was due, can you believe that!)

So, here's to a New Years resolution a few months late! Writing, Writing, Writing!

Opps! I already broke it. On Friday I'm taking a mare to be bred, so next spring we will have a new little baby in the barn! :-)

To Kill a Mockingbird

When Harper Lee coined the words "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird," I'm not sure she was talking about the little booger that has taken up residence in the tree by our driveway.

He is a plagiarizer to the finest degree and his repertoire not only includes songbirds, but frogs, crickets, hawks and I'm sure I've heard him mimic Sami's cheeping (Sami's cage is in the bedroom right across from the tree.)

He's the reason I'm up at 3am on a Sunday morning. Sadie decided she needed to go out and I turned on the garage light. The soloist thought the sun was rising, so I had to stay awhile and listen. Actually he is quite comical and I hope he decides to hang around.