Well, we got the wind, the heavy rain, and the heavy wet snow.  Luckily not too much of the last and it will be gone soon--probably before the day is out.

We got a call from my oldest brother last night inviting us over for Easter dinner next weekend.  We suddenly realized that it was indeed Palm Sunday and Easter was only a week away.  Surprised us because we didn't see any of the heavy advertising we have become used to over the last few decades.  Not much in the way of spring outfits or candy or other ads out there this year.  That might be a good thing.

Anyone who saw Rain's blog a couple of days ago about a fellow blogger's struggle with the various bureaucracies (governmental and insurance) to get her mother off a Part D program she never signed up for and then saw the first 60 Minutes segment last night has to be dead if they weren't outraged.  They structured the piece as one that examined the effects of the economic meltdown on health care at the only public hospital in Nevada.  They should have subtitled it 'yet another reason why we should have a single payer government sponsored health care system.'  Several things struck me forcefully about the story.  First, was the gender disparity.  I can remember only one man whose continuing health care is in jeopardy because of the cuts the Nevada legislature made in the funding to that hospital.  The other patients shown were all women.  Second, the list of the services cut appear, again, to disproportionately hit women hardest--especially the high risk pregnancy unit but also the gynecological oncology unit.  It brought back memories of the stories I read some twenty years back when I lived in Colorado about the closing of local hospitals, ambulance services, and clinics on the western slope.  Those most affected were accident victims and pregnant women who had to somehow travel 300-400 miles (or more) to get care.  At that time the culprit was the increase in malpractice insurance premiums and everyone what incensed over that issue.  And third, and what makes me most angry, is the impression that we have a class of people who are essentially disposable, throw-aways, of no count.  In this world you had better have insurance, have an insurance company that won't drop you if you get sick, make enough to pay for the insurance or pay for the treatment or your life simply doesn't have any value.  Hell of a world isn't it.

Here is another WTF moment from Boston.com which I found by following the link Chris in Paris provided.  I guess this is what Bush really meant when he talked about an 'ownership society.'  It is only yours when you have the right to decide what risks to take with it.  And he touted this as a reasonable alternative to Social Security?  Only if you have a totally off the wall definition of reasonable.

Enough of this.  Time to get sewing.