Readers- I'm still dragging too much from the loss of our dog, Maggie, to be able to write a real commentary today. I'm struggling to find much sense in a world where good dogs die and bad men become president. So for today, I'll just let the pictures do the talking for me. -Stilt
HEARTWARMING BONUS!!!
This is where Maggie sat in my office while I worked on cartoons and commentary, enjoying the gentle breeze from my air purifier. And this is the method which she always used (with 100% success) to let me know that we could both benefit by stepping away from politics and taking some time off for ear scratching.
35 comments:
Stilt, you'll never forget Maggie! however, in time, the hurt will fade to the point where you will consider getting another companion. too bad she didn't have the chance to help you pick out her partner.
Look at that sweet face,,, priceless
I love that Maggie girl--love you, too, Stilton!
she is waiting at the rainbow bridge for you.
Sorry to hear this. My little girl Jenny is over 20. I don't know what I will do when she goes. My heart is with you.
Dragging you away from politics for a while is the reason God invented dogs; they make us better people.
So sorry for you loss, Stilt.
Good cartoons Stilton. It's so sad we have such a 'pile' guiding our government. I would call him Gomer Pile [koff] but I wouldn't want to insult Jim Neighbors.
Maggie is so cute. No wonder you couldn't resist her! I want to scratch her ears too. I look forward to playing with her and my bunch that are also in Heaven one day. Our thoughts are with y'all.
As to the Liar-in-Chief: it’s like the tree that falls in the forest with no one around: he is certainly lying, but it isn’t being reported honestly, and when it is mentioned at all, the LSM is still supplying cover for the won, so the low-information-voter (LIV) is not even aware that it happened … just like that falling tree when no one is around.
I, too, home office and our dog spends her days sitting with me in “her” office. Codie keeps me informed about the arrival of the Mail, UPS, and FedEX; and she alerts me weekly when our trash is stolen. When she wants something, she gets my attention by coming over to my chair and putting both front paws on the arm of the chair (or my arm if it happens to be resting there) while her hind quarters are seated on the floor and she gives me that look. We have shared a little extra scritching and cuddle time in the last couple days in consideration and remembrance of your loss while being grateful for the time we have together, however short it may prove to be, while it lasts.
"Skritch" I love it, Charles Schulz used to use that expression in his Peanuts cartoons a lot. A great way to continue a great tradition. Sorry for your loss, and keep up the good work. Your efforts give us all hope in a hopeless world.
Stilton,
I'm one of those who never know what to say when a friend expeiences a loss, so I'll just say I'm very sorry for the sadness that you are forced to endure right now, and I pray it soon becomes only fond memories.
As far as the POS compulsive liar who is occupying OUR property in DC, I am glad to see he is finally feeling some heat for the ass banging of the American people who misguidedly put him there. His approval rating is rapidly descending, and I pray it goes through the basement floor. I also hope that the good folks in Congress keep their blinders on and strike while the iron is hot. O'Screw-You and his little pack of socialists are spinning like tops to get the focus off this and on to some yet to be named manufactured crisis, so let's be ready and let's keep the heat on our Congress critters. I actually sort of hope Boehner et al will immediately get a budget deal passed, even if it's a bad one, just so the press stays pursuing the O'lies from the O'left.
My heart is weeping for you. I know the pain of losing a loved pet.
When lamont ended his comments with "period", he was NOT trying to say that there is no room for debate regarding what he said... he was just directing those comments to pre-menopausal women! It's as simple as THAT!
(This is part of my Curriculum Vitae I'm sending to the Spite House to take over Jay Carnival's spokes-liar job. How'm I doing?)
OMG! My ol dog is the same size as yours, and got that same look on her face and also 'skritches' for attention! She was a 'rescue' dog that actually jumped into our car at a WalMart parking lot probably 9 years ago when my wife was getting into the car! She was just a pup then, could actually totally lay across me belly and fit on it, broken tail and all...but that was then! We called her "Baby" and the name is totally fitting still!
So sorry about your loss, and I have been thinking about that day when I, too, will more than likely have to make the call.
Take care, brother.
All Heatl care plans are grandfathered in under the ACA.
Nothing in the ACA forces your insurance company to drop your plan, provided that they're continuing to offer the same plan that you originally signed up for. If they choose to make signficant alterations which disqualify the plan from grandfathering, then that is on them, not on the ACA
The Following is a list of changes made by an insurance company that would cause a plan to no longer be in Grandfather status.
- May not significantly cut or reduce benefits (e.g. removing coverage for cystic fibrosis),
- May not raise co-insurance charges (any change at all),
- May not significantly increase co-payment charges ($5 or more above medical inflation),
- May not significantly raise deductibles (15% or more above medical inflation),
- May not significantly decrease the employer contribution (5% or more),
- May not tighten the annual limit of what the insurer will pay, and
- May not change insurance providers.
But what counts as a grandfathered plan?
(e) Definition- In this title, the term 'grandfathered health plan' means any group health plan or health insurance coverage to which this section applies.
(1) IN GENERAL- Nothing in this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be construed to require that an individual terminate coverage under a group health plan or health insurance coverage in which such individual was enrolled on the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) CONTINUATION OF COVERAGE- With respect to a group health plan or health insurance coverage in which an individual was enrolled on the date of enactment of this Act, this subtitle and subtitle A (and the amendments made by such subtitles) shall not apply to such plan or coverage, regardless of whether the individual renews such coverage after such date of enactment.
The President explained this back in June of 2009.
"When I say if you have your plan and you like it,...or you have a doctor and you like your doctor, that you don't have to change plans, what I'm saying is the government is not going to make you change plans under health reform,"
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/06/what-does-the-presidents-promise-youll-be-able-to-keep-your-health-care-plan-period-really-mean/
Farewell, dearest Maggie!
@Old News- Your assessment was correct back in 2009, but then the government changed the rules - and lied about it.
Per NBC News:
Initially, the administration stipulated that policies in effect as of March 23, 2010, could be "grandfathered" or kept even if they don't meet the requirements of the new law. Later, the Department of Health and Human Services wrote regulations that narrowed that provision to dictate that if any part of those policies, such as co-pay or benefits, had substantially changed since then, they would not longer be grandfathered in.
NBC alleges the administration knew that up to 67% of customers on the individual market could have their policies canceled, but instead, President Obama said as recently as in 2012, "If (you) already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance."
The majority of healthcare plans which were supposed to be grandfathered have been un-grandfathered, deliberately, by changes in Obamacare requirements. And many MORE people will get hurt when the currently delayed employer mandates kick in.
@Stilton: I just got notified that my employer that I retired from (AT&T) will begin to move it's retiree's on Medicare off the company health plan onto Medicare Health Exchanges (not ACA exchanges)starting mid 2014. No information yet on the details, like if they are going to pay the cost directly to the retiree or absorb the cost. In actuality, it does make sense, but, I don't know how many retiree's there are - I know 280K took the early retirement package, so it's got to be in the millions. Makes me wonder what will happen to those still working since the management/retiree/employee health benefits are guided by the contract, and I believe the CWA contract expires this summer. The reason they let the retiree's know is that many of us have contracts with the company (due to the early out package) that specifies that the company continue providing health care benefits - otherwise they would be facing a horrendous number of lawsuits.
Stilt, my heart is with you in your loss of your beautiful dog. Dogs lighten our lives with their love, commitment, and unconditional loyalty. As soon as you feel up to it, save another one from going to waste and do yourself a favor at the same time.
Best, Dick Paetzke
A question for @OldNews and any others like-minded: since when is health insurance or even my health the government's business?
I can see the government adjudicating an insurance contract when necessary, but when did my health come under the government's purview?
Why can't the socialists just let me be and go control the lives of those who are too lazy to control their own?
I'm with JustaJeepGuy! Thank you for saying what I've been yelling at the TV for years now (everyone else here is probably yelling the same thing). When in the world did these ELECTED loser officials get the brainy idea that they can interfere in every aspect of our lives!? Well, I have to say to them "LEAVE ME THE HECK ALONE!! And I won't kill ya." Obamacare does not need to be redone. It needs to be gone. Slither back to hell where it was brewed. Or we'll make them gone. [hint, hint]
Extremely clever cartoons*
ObamaCare is working exactly as it was designed to: To destroy health care as most of you knew it.
All that is happening now is spin. The media has now begun to help, but the reality of it all is that they're now just lying about the lies, like saying that when Obama uttered the famous "You can keep your plan" countless times, he really wasn't speaking about your plan.
And more Obama voters are learning more about the ugly side of socialism; They honestly thought that someone else was going to pay for this!
And the reality is getting uglier by the day. The "young" people that were supposed to be signing up in droves to save the Obama Presidency aren't interested in actually spending their own money to subsidize the elderly and not-so-healthy. More people have signed up for Medicaid than have for actual insurance. Every day, people who've been covered by their employers get the bad news, and more who used to get coverage on their own get worse news. It's quite likely that by the beginning of the year, there will be twice as many uninsured as there was before ObamaCare.
And that was always the plan.
@John the Econ: " It's quite likely that by the beginning of the year, there will be twice as many uninsured as there was before ObamaCare.
And that was always the plan."
That's if we are lucky - looks like about every hour the news is reporting that another 100K have lost their coverage.
I say let the GOP continue on not saying a thing - the Dems are beginning to eat their own. When the budget battle comes up next year - just sit back and let Dirty Harry stew and keep reminding him "Sequestration is the law of the land.
Clip From the CMA Awards:
ObamaCare By Morning
@Grumpy Curmudgeon, my question is if by next year, will anyone even remember that the whole reason that we had to pass ObamaCare was because there were 15 or 20 million some-odd people out there who were uninsured? By the end of the year, it now appears likely that well over 1/4th of all Americans will have lost their coverage! And most of "the lucky" who will get to keep or acquire coverage will be paying two or more times as much for it.
Yes, the GOP would be smart to just quietly step back and let the Democrats own this.
Woah...if you're anything like me, your dogs are like your children. So sorry for your loss, SJ.
I note you named her after Baroness Thatcher - a most auspicious choice for a faithful protector and guardian!
@ JustaJeepGuy
It has all the traits needed to draw reformers like moths to a flame. Escalating costs, clear problems with people suffering, a sector with relatively few parts so government inefficiency isn't as important and, of course, a European alternative.
Of course, Obamacare doesn't exactly hit those requirements; the law appears to be a lot more aimed at political gain than solving the problem is was created to do. As a lot of people have noted it does so poorly, like it was designed to fail- God only knows what the fix to this fix will be.
@Anonymous, Democrats, Obama included, long ago have stated what "the fix" will be: "Single Payer".
The only question will be exactly how they plan to do that. (And I have no doubt that they already have a "plan". The simplest solution is to just expand Medicare or Medicaid to include everybody.
The only question will be just how to pay for it. Higher income taxes would be the first thought, although even redistributionist liberals understand that there are limits to how much you can tax. They'll never raise taxes on "the poor". The middle class will jettison them if their taxes go up noticeably. And they also know that there just aren't enough "rich" people to pay for the whole country's "free" health care.
So my prediction is that the next big proposal to pay for it will be the VAT. (Value Added Tax) The VAT taxes goods and services every time they are exchanged. (not to be confused with the "FairTax", which only taxes goods and services at the time they are sold to the final consumer) The VAT is destructive and evil, because unlike the FairTax, it is not transparent; the intent of the VAT is to hid the real level of taxation from the citizens, whereas the FairTax is intended to make taxation completely transparent.
I hate to say this, but the war over ObamaCare was lost. It was lost well over 4 years ago. The damage is done and irreversible.
My prediction is that the next great Tea Party battle is going to be against the VAT. It's one we cannot afford to lose.
@Readers- Sorry that I'm keeping a semi-low profile. I've still got a pretty severe case of the missing dog blues. I'm also disappointed that the president visited Dallas yesterday, but spent no time in a convertible.
Because it's a beautiful city and I'd just like him to see it! Yeah, yeah. That's the ticket!
Anyway, the sumbitch was wining and dining with one-percenters, raising money (at something like $32k per person) for God only knows what. Cocaine and young boys to annoint him with scented oils.
I AM reading all the comments though, and think that John the Econ is right about the VAT tax heading our way. Oh, it will be introduced as some teeny-tiny little amount. You know, just the camel's nose under the tent. But then - wham. Because there IS no way to even pretend to pay for all of this socialist nonsense without taxing actual assets (not income), and a VAT tax is the sneakiest way to do it ("No one will be forced to pay the tax, because no one will be forced to buy anything. If you LIKE your money, keep it! Period! Case closed!")
Sadly, I think we (the good guys) will lose this fight, too - because it will be offered up as a way to make the Evil Rich (and the Evil Solvent, and Evil Barely-Solvent) pay for healthcare since the Obstructionist Republicans somehow kept enough people from enrolling in Obamacare to make the numbers add up.
Stilton,
So glad you can keep your sense of humor with the loss of your loving puppy. Tell ya what... I will procure a '62 Conni Convertible and send it ANYWHERE in the world to be used by lamont if there is a sni... marksm... INDIVIDUAL who would like to do a "meet-and-greet" with ANY calib... SIZE reception committee!
@Bruce Bleu- I've heard of Freudian slips, but I think your comment was an entire Freudian Victoria's Secret lingerie store. (Not that that's a bad thing...)
What gets me is that many Democrats still cling to the depression-era narrative that they're the sole party of the "ordinary" man. The reality of that notion was pretty much shot to hell 20 years ago during the Clinton era when Bill openly spend most of his tenure jetting town-to-town hosting 5-figure-a-seat fundraisers.
I used to enjoy asking liberals who endlessly preached about the corrupting influence of "big money" and fat cats exactly who it was who would both be willing and able to attend a 5-figure-a-seat dinner to hobnob with the prez.
Hypocrites!
Today at work, one of the 'guys' said(during comments about Oliar Care), that we should give Obama Care time, it will get better. My reply was "It absolutely will be better: Obama will be impeached as a result of it". Now, we know that the Hate House was warned to stop Opuppet from saying we could keep our insurance and Doctors, but chose to ignore it; deliberately lying to, and misleading the Americans; an impeachable offense. We don't need to send letters to our Representatives, we need to send them BALLS; BIG ones!
Wishing you comfort on Maggie's loss. As Mom told me forever, we have to be reunited with our dogs in heaven because..........God spelled backwards is DOG! You can't argue with that kind of logic now, can you?
Stilton: I hope this adds many, many to your site.
http://mjhawkeye.blogspot.com/2013/11/promoting-cartoon-strip-hope-n-change.html
Post a Comment