Turkey Out, Greece In

Here we go again with another leader of an Islamic country shooting of his mouth against Israel for the sole purpose of garnering support amongst the masses in their countries. Instead of telling their citizens the truth, they tell lies to their people and attribute all that is wrong in their societies on Israel. Turkey's leader has unilaterally transformed his nation from a peace partner with the West and Israel to just another loser society that will continue to be left behind as the rest of the world advances. All in an attempt to amass personal power and inflate his ego. Antisemitism is always an incredibly forceful rallying cry even as his nations falls farther and farther behind the rest of the world. The citizens will mind-numbingly tolerate any destruction of their own countries as long as they are fed a constant stream of antisemitism.

Erdogan wants to inflate his chest and act like a big bully while picking on Israel as so many other neighboring states are doing. He thinks he's got nothing to lose by tormenting and threatening Israel but I think Israel's big brother needs to step in and put this power hungry Ottoman in his place. The US needs to send warships to the area and demonstrate it's support of Israel and its intolerance of Turkey's provocations.

The Turkish leadership is threatening Israel's exploration and exploitation of energy finds in the Eastern Mediterranean. Here's the deal. For a 10% cut of the mined gas, the US will provide protection for the extraction of the fuel in that area. This way the US gets reimbursed for its expense and maintains a military presence in that region. The US citizens will be thrilled that they will be getting an economic return on their military investment and exerting a presence in the region.

I remind these leaders to look at their bibles, specifically Genesis 12:3. Those who bless Israel will be blessed and those who curse Israel will be cursed. Turkey is definitely being led down the wrong road but ironically Greece may be the beneficiary. It appears that Greece is in dire straits of its own as insolvency is being considered but it is establishing closer military ties with Israel. As they help and support Israel I believe they will be helped with their economic problems.
In a strange quirk of history even as Greece looked to destroy Israel and the Jews two thousand years ago it may be that they will now assist each other in their current existential challenges.

My Dietary Transformation

My wife has been after me for some time to read a book that she read about six months ago called The China Study. So I finally read it while on the Bermuda cruise through Hurricane Irene. I must say it is very compelling and has transformed the way I eat. Essentially, it makes the case for a plant based diet as opposed to an animal based diet. It looks at demographic trends of heart disease and certain cancers in various countries and within countries and correlates it with dietary habits. It is nearly a direct correlation between increased animal protein intake and the rates of heart disease and certain cancers. Conversely, it directly correlates a plant based diet with a decreased incidence of heart disease and certain cancers.

Of course reading this on the cruise wasn't the best place to be exposed to this enlightening information as there was so much food to eat and especially delicious looking desserts. But the truth is there were so many choices on the cruise to eat a plant based (vegan) diet. For the past four or five years I was petty good being on an Atkins type diet, limiting my carbohydrates. I was able to keep my weight in check but as it turns out I was eating so much animal protein and dairy. Eggs, cheese, milk, and butter for breakfast. Tuna for lunch and chicken or beef for dinner. This is exactly the opposite of the diet I should have been consuming per The China Study.

I decided I would try and change my diet. For the last two or three weeks I have been consuming mostly a vegan diet. Whole wheat toast with almond butter, black coffee, and a fruit for breakfast. Large salad and fruit for lunch. Nuts to snack on midday with tea in the late afternoon For dinner vegan chili with a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, kashe, etc.), a large salad and some veggies. I can say that I do not feel much different but I have lost weight and I do not miss meat or dairy. I do miss milk chocolate and I have cheated on some oreos as there are some things I just cannot give up. I don't know if I will keep it up but for sure I will continue to limit my intake of animal based foods.

While reading the book the question I wanted answered was do vegans live longer than non-vegans. That should be a fairly easy study to do. So when I arrived home I googled vegan longevity study and the results are inconclusive. One may argue they may live a more disease free life and not a longer life but a disease free life should translate into longevity. Even if it has a disease minimizing effect and not a longevity effect I think it is worth the effort. I think a little meat and/or dairy is fine in moderation but no doubt Americans need to cut back on their animal based food choices and spend more time in the produce section.

My teenage children have also adjusted their eating habits and are eating more of a veganish diet. I give my wife a lot of credit for opening my eyes to this way of eating and I should have listened to her a while ago and read this book earlier. I guess it's never too late. I suspect I will read a different book in a few years that will completely refute all the conclusions of The China Study and convince me to change my diet again. Anyway, I highly recommend reading the book. It's worth a look.

A Few Steps to Jumpstart the Economy

I am in the process of trying to refinance my mortgage at these historically low rates and it seems to me there are a few fairly easy steps that can be taken to make the process easier. This would be a tremendous boost to the economy and the housing market as more money would be freed up for people to spend as their interest rates and mortgage payments are lowered. The main problem is that even though rates are very low it is very difficult to qualify for a mortgage or a refinance. The banks have overcompensated for their previous laxity by creating an environment where getting approved for a loan is near impossible. Even a person with excellent credit who has been paying the mortgage bill on time for years has difficulty getting approved. How ridiculous is that? The refinanced mortgage will result in a lower payment and the individual has already demonstrated the ability to pay on time for years at a higher level. Isn't it less risky he/she will default at a lower mortgage payment. This is where government can step in and do something useful for the homeowner and the economy. There should be a national program to be able to refinance your home loan at current interest rates with very few qualifications and no cash out.

My next gripe is title insurance. The entire concept is ridiculous. In order to refinance I am required to have a title search on my property that only I have owned for the last 13 years. The title search is basically a few clicks on the Internet to look to see if there are any liens on the property. To make it worse if the "person" doing the title search is in error I have to pay title insurance to cover for his error. This is parallel to me charging a person my fee for a doctors visit and then charging an additional fee to pay for my malpractice insurance. Additionally title insurance fees are set by regulators when it should be market based and allowed to float like other insurance products. This entire industry of title search/insurance is a hindrance to refinancing property and needs to be adjusted. The problem is they are typically owned by lawyers. Need I say more.

Another innovation could be that a person could take out a mortgage at theses low rates with the condition that he could later sell the property with the mortgage as a package. In other words, the buyer would assume the mortgage of the seller. Locking in a low rate would significantly increase the value of the property to a potential buyer. This simple innovation would trigger rapid investment in the overhanging supply of houses as investors would predict a gain not only in the underlying property but also the increased value of a low interest rate mortgage which they could pass on to the buyer. Of course the buyer would have to qualify with the bank prior to the transition.

These three steps would dramatically spur the real estate market. They would also free up much needed cash flow in people's pockets to be able to spend more and invigorate the economy. It would also trigger job creation within the mortgage and construction industries. The only losers are the lawyers and therefore a perfect plan.

Voting Present on Libya

So let the truth be told. So far things have worked out pretty well for BO in Libya. The removal of Kadaffi seems to be at hand and this was done at a reasonable cost with regards to the financial investment and without the cost of US servicemen's lives. Most importantly, it was done by the citizens of the country who sacrificed their own lives for a future that they will orchestrate and not by a foreign entity. The people have sacrificed their own blood and appear to be winning and have too much skin in the game to let things slip away. A superior formula compared to Iraq where the US changes the regime and is stuck planning the Iraqi people's future. So kudos to BO.

But not so fast. Lets not forget that Iraq was looking real good until the destruction stopped and the construction was to begin. The real test in Libya is what happens now. I suspect it will be as much of a quagmire as Iraq and Afghanistan are presently. Whether it be Islamic fundamentalists, Kadaffi loyalists, this tribe or that tribe, violence will be a mainstay of all of these dictatorless territories. In that area of the world, in that culture, disputes are resolve by violence NOT by discussions. When will we finally learn this and stop transposing our values on other cultures. Additionally, who knows if and when Kadaffi will be caught. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a few tricks up his sleeve for just this occasion. As a result, as quick as Bo was willing to accept credit for the initial triumphs in Libya he will be just as quick to blame someone else for the inevitable future quagmire that will be Libya.

On this Libyan episode BO as usual voted present. He wanted to be in on the success but he also wanted an out if and when things turned badly. This again demonstrates his personality perfectly. He will not commit to anything without the possibility of blaming others if his plan fails. So he opts not to have plans or lead in any specific direction. He calculates his language in such a way that he can later deny having said certain things or claim he was misinterpreted or taken out of context. He plans in advance his escape plan.

I think this exemplifies why we have too many lawyer politicians. I think they learn in law school the power and calculation of language, how to pick words and formulate their semantics so that they can reverse their positions in the future. Compare the speech of lawyer politicians like BO, Clintonx2, Bachmann to nonlawyer politicians like Ran and Ron Paul ,Howard Dean, Tom Coburn (btw, all MDs). The approach to a problem is completely different and I believe stems from their training in their respective professions. The MDs assess a situation pick the best option/plan and institute that plan of action with conviction. The lawyer, on the other hand, is trained to defend whatever postion he is being paid to defend. He is not trained to pick a position and defend that side with conviction. In fact, he is trained to be able to defend both sides. The doctor puts himself in a postion where he can be wrong but uses his best judgement to present his strongest position (ie. leadership). Whereas the lawyer schemes to create a position or a lack of postition where he can never be wrong or blamed which results in lack of leadership. Perfect case in point, voting present. It is amazing how the different formative training of a physician versus a lawyer translate into distinct leadership qualities and ability, or the lack thereof.

Escape From Reality

I've been a little lazy during these dog days of summer getting the blog out and I am on vacation next week so I wanted to get a few thoughts out before I left. I think the true winner of the Iowa straw polls was BO. If you have stock in Michelle Bachmann I would sell now because this is the peak of her popularity. It is all downhill from here. By the way, which of her advisers tells her to scream a platitude very slowly in a monotone voice to finish off every paragraph of her speeches. She gets a huge applause when she shrills "BO will be a one term president". But seriously lady, you show a lot of enthusiasm but there appears to be a significant intelligence gap between you and the other candidates. Speak to us like we are intelligent and not like we're a bunch of morons. BO is the winner because Bachmann is unelectable.

I seriously fear the entrance of a third party candidate into the race which will certainly favor BO and ensure his re-election. The GOP is going to nominate a conservative right winger who will go up against the far left BO. Someone will come up with the bright idea to split these two extreme positions and go after the huge middle. Maybe it will be Bloomberg or Giulianni or Jeb Bush. But in any case BO has a solid third of the electorate who will vote for him regardless of anything he does. Of the remaining two thirds, this will be split amongst the three contenders almost ensuring BO's re-election. The third party candidate will not care that he/she is ensuring BO's victory only to have his/her ego stroked. If they truly cared about the future of the country they would put their efforts into electing the candidate nominated by the GOP.

Moving to another part of the world, Syria is a powder keg waiting to blow. Bashar Assad is all-in to use a poker terminology. He has gone down the road of no return and he will either survive as a dictator which is unlikely or die. My fear here is as he goes down which is eventual he will take as much as he can with him. This means Israel too and it wouldn't surprise me if he instigates Israel in a last attempt to divert attention away from him and rally the Arabs against Israel. He will use all his fire power in his control and all the fire power given to him by Iran. He will direct it at the protesters in his own country but also at Israel. It is very dangerous when you have a madman with nothing to lose and his finger on the button of scuds with chemical weapons aimed at Israel. It is like cornering a caged animal.

On these uplifting notes I am going to escape reality for a much needed vacation with my family. I am so excited to spend a week together until we all go our separate ways next week. Even as it appears that we are heading into frightful and terrible times all around the globe it is these times with the family that makes life so precious, enjoyable and worth living.

On the Backs of Doctors

Once again we see the deficit will be reduced on the backs of the providers of health care in this country. In the recently passed legislation there will be a super-committee of 6 congressman to agree to 1.2 trillion dollars of cuts by November 23, just three months away. If an agreement is not produced by then there will be automatic cuts to various programs, mostly to defense and medicare. As I have blogged about in other posts, medicare is a failed system of providing health care. All medicare bills that come in get paid promptly without determining the need for the service or investigation for fraud and abuse. It is easier for the feds to borrow or print or tax money than to go after fraud. The government is unable and incapable to monitor for waste and it cannot use the allotted resources effectively and this leads to an enormous amount of funds that go down the toilet. Contrarily, private health care systems are much better at detecting fraud and abuse and are careful with each dollar spent and every test or surgery performed is reviewed prior to being pre-certified. This is in complete distinction to the government who pays now and asks later or usually never.

I have heard of a urologist that used to take a few biopsies when performing prostate examinations. The urologist got smart and decided to open a pathology lab in his office, hire a pathologist to read his biopsies, pay him a salary, and bill medicare directly through his office for pathology services. In essence, he would be taking a cut (no pun intended) for each biopsy performed. Once the pathology lab was up and going the urologist increased his number of biopsies from three or four to over ten. This is so abusive, not to mention how unethical it is for this doctor to puncture and damage a person just for his own financial benefit. But where is the government? Can't they see that the number of biopsies has increased three-fold when the billing was changed to this urologist? A private insurance company would pick this up in a second and question the bill. The government DOES NOT AND CANNOT effectively monitor where it sending its funds. This is just one example of fraud that is rampant in the medicare system.

So what the government will do is to cut fees to all providers across the board. Instead of using the allotted healthcare dollars more effectively they will just lower everyone's fees including the best caregivers as well as the fraudsters and wasters. This is government at its worst and where private companies demonstrate how infinitely more economical they are. I am so pissed off that since I play by the rules I get penalized whereas the unethical fraudsters get off clean and will make up the decreased fees by just taking a few more pieces of their patients prostate.

You will say I should turn these fraudsters in but WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT? We must turn this function over to private industry to save medicare. It's the only way.

Visiting Day

After a few years off I went to visiting day at my son's sleepaway camp. It was great to see him but I kept thinking about one of my ultimate nightmare events. A terrorist or a group of them come to a remote camp with weapons and starting to wipe out defenseless children. This scenario played out in Norway last week and demonstrates how lacking in security these camps are.

These camps are located in remote regions where hundreds of kids concentrate in a small area. The police forces in these rural towns are probably ill-equipped to handle any attack. There is unlikely any alert system in place to notify the outside world what is happening in these isolated locations so the terrorist would have plenty of time to do his thing before anyone knew. I doubt these camps are armed with any weapons to defend themselves. There is no fence to prevent entry into the camp and there is not even a guard at the front entrance preventing anyone from entering. This is a total recipe and invitation for trouble and is a perfect example of where we need to be proactive and not wait until disaster happens and be reactive.

Solutions include obtaining a security analysis from an expert to determine the best strategy to prevent and combat an attack. There must be a gate for entry not directly in the front of the camp but rather at the entrance to the final dirt road that leads to the camp. The camp must be equipped with alarms and systems to notify the authorities. The local police must be trained in counter-terrorism and be on patrol.

Finally, and most important the kids over a certain age must be trained in security and know what to do in the case of an attack. They must learn how to stand patrol and take shifts through the day and night to protect the camp. They should learn how to use and respect firearms. My son's camp has a paintball course with rifles and learn to use these guns with target practice and competing teams. They learn the critical safety instructions in using these "weapons" and plan strategies to overcome their opponent. I had the opportunity to talk with the head of the paintball activity who is an Israeli who just spent the last three years in an elite fighting force of the Israeli army. What a wonderful opportunity for our children to be instructed by these premier soldiers. Our kids get to have a taste of what it is like to defend themselves and a nation as well as to have exposure to someone who can satisfy their curiosity about the IDF.

If we think we can sit here in the US while our brothers in Israel do all the dirty work to defend the Jewish people and nation we are sadly mistaken and will lead to our peril. Enough with the heavy concentration in sports. We should know it is only a matter of time until the Jews are blamed and rounded up. What will a good jump shot do for us then? We need to be proactive and our children need to grow up in an environment where they feel the threats against them and the absolute need to learn self-defense.