HealthCare Reform II

I don't want to pay for fat stupid people who don't exercise, overeat, & smoke...furthermore why should I or you?!? What ever happened to personal responsibility & common sense? We know what causes obesity & we know many ways to fight it....DIET & EXERCISE.

We know the results of long term smoking...& how to fight it...STOP SMOKING.

If you, I, & everyone else would watch their diet, exercise, not smoke etc... we would greatly reduce the needs to constantly go to doctors & take prescription drugs.

Furthermore...even though this could be a separate blog...we take way too many unnecessary prescription drugs. People overdose their kids with a variety of pills & then there are those who are doped up on anti-depressants.

If we want to solve healthcare instead of relying on the gov't to come up with a plan...how about we start living healthier lifestyles & take some responsibility. Just a thought. For the record I practice what I preach...

What I did on my Summer vacation....

I cannot believe this summer is just about over...hoping for an Indian Summer....the highlights in no particular order...

• Vacation in Dubrovnik, Croatia (see earlier blog for details & pics)
• Vacation on South Padre Island
• Between rooftop pool, beach & vacations...possibly best tan ever...
• Finally started doing laps in my pool (looking to break 50 this weekend)
  
• Swimming with my Niece & Nephew
• Body-Surfing at Long Beach
• Lost about 15lbs of baby fat from the swimming & gym...
• Lots of cooking...
• Enjoyed all the best happy hour deals Soho had to offer...
• Became Norm-like at Nolita House, Bread, & Cafe Habana
• Finally making it to CITI Field...great stadium...would be nice if it had a team...
• Seeing Venus & Nadal at the US Open
• Discovered photographers Michael Dweck (Mermaids), Deborah Anderson (ROOM 23) & Jean Phillip Piter (PURE magazine St. Barths)
  
• The chorizo sandwich at Egg in Willamsburg
• The ice cream at Jacques Torres
• Coconut M&M's!!!
  
• Making mint chocolate chip cookie mint ice-cream sandwich's...mmmmnnnnn
• Making alcoholic & virgin drinks with muddled cucumber & mint
• Shopping for greens & hot peppers w/William Defoe ...True story
• The Highline...
• Falling in love with the ladies of FBN & CNBC on the 10 & 11am shows
  
• Dinner at the Standard...you would never know there was a recession!
• Going to the beach at the end of April! Hopefully can say end of September...
• Fallout 3 & finishing it
• Captain America Reborn!...or am I...?
• Shakira's She Wolf video...
• Marvel getting purchased by Mickey Mouse...
  
• Great movie summer for blockbusters & independents...favorites Star Trek, Hurt Locker, & Inglorious Basterds
• Read loads of great books...see reviews
• Massages at Great Jones Spa & Water Lounge

Farmers Markets/Happy Hours/ Entree's under $30...

Did it really need to take the recession to get Farmers Markets to spring up all over? For restaurants & bars to have happy hours...real happy hours where you get 2-1 rounds & 1/2 price food or FREE nibbles...for Entrees to go for $20 something bucks?

While it great to be able to get products from all over, Farmers Markets I hope are here to stay. You get fresh produce grown/made locally which saves you money, puts the money right in the farmers pocket & reduces greatly transport costs. It's a win-win that I hope is here to stay.

I got sick of paying $15+ bucks for a drink in a bar full of trendoids a long time ago. Happy hour should be a time where people go somewhere for a drink & a deal...not to get stuffed & screwed without a smile or thank you. So PLEASE keep REAL happy hours alive & well even after the recession is over.

Charging $40 for an entree w/o any sides or anything else is DISGUSTING & RIDICULOUS. I don't care what the quality, ingredients, or portion size is. I've eaten way to many great tasting entrees for $20+ & under in restaurants throughout NYC that it can be done. Reduce the portion size if need be & stop charging to attract celebrities & Hedge Fund Managers...unless of course you can sustain a business with ONLY their business (good luck since your clientele has been greatly reduced...)

FaceMash...

Recently read Accidental Billionaire the story of FaceBook*. While I'm not on it & have no intention to ever join it was a very good, very fast & interesting read. It is told from the point of view of others involved with the story & the CEO refused to be interviewed or add any input. It paints a less then pretty picture of the guy. However it does give some back story on him & outright shows that the guy is a genius.

Why it was originally started, how, & how incredibly fast it grew vs it's competitors is pretty interesting. I am a big fan of the author & kudo's to him from a marketing perspective from taking what should have been a 2 part article in Playboy or Wired & turned it into a book...

*Fashmash was the original name...

AMEX - Dont' Go to the US Open Without it...

Especially if you think there is a remote chance that you or whoever you are going with may LOSE their ticket... Originally I was going to get tix off Stub-hub or a like site. Nothing against them, they seem to work well & it's a pretty good way to get tix. However, if at the event before you got in if you or your friend/lover/family/client lose their ticket...what if anything can you do (if there is please let us all know) ? Well, my friend Mike did lose his ticket shortly after we picked up the tickets at will call. Luckily I ended up buying them from Ticketmaster off the US Open website with my AMEX. After a little running around we were sent back to the will-call window where they voided out my ticket & his & gave us new ones. Disaster avoided...got to see two great matches.

P.S. Apologies to the foreign couple in section 331 that I politely asked to please get out of my seats. I really thought you were in the wrong seats & that we were in section 330 at the time...

Oh Where or Where did my Cindy Sheehan go...or where or where can she be...

What happened to the anti-war movement?!? Where are all the activists now? I haven't seen any rallies, camp outs in front of the White House, outside vacation spots of the President etc..? What happened to the "bring our troops home" crowd? Where are they... Why isn't Cindy Sheehan making sure more Cindy Sheehan's are not being created in Afghanistan???

The current President was voted in as the anti war President. Yet we are still in Iraq. Yes we pulled out of the cities & yes attacks went up. In all fairness it's time the Iraq's stepped up on their own. He's planning on sending plenty of those troops to do what in Afghanistan? We are still there as well. He's using drones to kill "freedom fighters" like his predessor did. What's the plan? Keep beating the Taliban...then they regroup...try to create a country out of a landmass that has never had a functioning state just a city or two? I'm all for Special Forces to hunt these monsters & KILL them all day long (can't read Miranda Rites to a non US Citzen not in a state of "life")...but do we really needs loads of infantry & Marines on the ground???

Iraq if things continue to improve will turn into what Germany & Japan did after WWII. Afghanistan will most likely continue to be Afghanistan. Just ask the Brits & Russkies. So, where are you Cindy...if you think Democrats run a better war...think again & see which party got us into which wars & how many soldiers we lost. I can only imagine how the press these days would have covered the D-Day invasion through the prism of their ultra left wing anti American eyes... So Cindy...just where are you...there are now 40+ more of you now as of the end of August...