In article , "JAMES HAMPTON"
writes:

Folks have become so dependent upon modern conveniences. Many times I've
handed money to some kid at a cash register and he/she punches in the exact
purchase price and *not* the amount of money I forked over. Now the machine
says zero change. I've seen them resort to calculators and one had to get a
manager (no calculator and she couldn't subtract $12.35 from $20.00).

I've seen that sort of thing - and also bright young people of the same age who
could make change and do much more complex calculations in their heads. All
depends on what the educational priorities are.

Take these same folks (most likely the ones that will ultimately earn big
money - engineers don't), put 'em on a 50 foot boat out for a cruise - and
the GPS shuts down. Now what do they do?

Become a statistic. Heck, a lot of folks I know can't even figure out which way
North is on a clear night.

Reach for a direct satellite cell phone. Ooops - maybe they turned them off
too?

Satellite phones are known to be used by terror groups. Yet they are allowed to
use those assets against us.

Come to think of it, if they shut the communications satellites off, that
will severely limit communications overseas and make any terrorist cells
less able to act. No Internet from overseas and telephone calls will
probably be in the neighborhood of $15.00 per minute.

And unlike a satellite call, "wired" calls can be traced to their source.

Sounds good to you,
right? Or are you pro terrorist?

Indeed.

Better get a letter off to the White House now! We can *really* be safe if
we shut down the communications satellites! No overseas Internet for
terrorists to communicate over.

Ooops ... I forgot. Russia has made many more launches than we have. Some
10 times in a couple of years. Europe, Japan .... say, believe it or not,
we don't have the exclusive anymore. In fact, we might be in danger of
becoming a bit player. Maybe that is why Bush wants to push for Mars. Make
his place in history.

In some ways it's the '60s all over again. Focusing on the wrong problems and
fighting the wrong enemy. Most of all, a short-term point of view.

I see some real good research on diabetes. Why am I not surprised that it
is coming out of Great Britain, rather than the U.S.

Priorities.

I note that one medication I had was $120.00 for a 30 day supply. They
raised my co-pay to $48.00 (40%). They told me to get a generic. I did.
Now I only pay $8.00. It works just great! I was really surprised to find
that the cost of the generic was $98.00!!! The insurance company pays far
more now for me to use "generic" ($90.00) than the "brand" ($72.00) name.
LOL. Bush has sure covered the drug companies so well that they are raising
the generic prices up close to the brand name prices.

How long a drive is it from Rochester to Canada, Jim? How much do you think
those same medications, made in the same factories, cost in Toronto or
Montreal?

How's your health insurance? Nice and cheap? Low deductibles? Why am I
not surprised?

Mine's pretty good but but it's not cheap. And every year the deductibles go
up.

Our biggest danger is likely not external; I suspect that we may simply
self-destruct like the U.S.S.R. did.

I think that in some ways that process has been going on a long time. For
example - remember when a high school education and some specialized training
and skills would get the average person a good job? And when most of those jobs
paid enough in salary and benefits to support a middle class family?

I don't think we'll see an implosion - rather, just a gradual slide. A little
bit here, a little bit there, until more people wake up.

73 de Jim, N2EY

73 de Jim, N2EY