Aw, Adam Hill Doesn't Like Los Osos Either, Does He?

So the Shredder sticks pins in what he calls the Los Osos Sewer Nuts.  Now New Times reports that on Oct 11th, Linde Owen came to the microphone to object to "what she said was a lax county investigation into a relationship between Public Works Director Paavo Ogren and former Los Osos Community Services District director Maria Kelly" and County Supervisor Adam Hill shut her down, claimed he wouldn't allow "slanderous" statements at public comment time.  So Hill cut off Owen's microphone and whistled up the sherrif's deputy who escorted Owens from the lecturn.

The following week Linde and others came back to the microphone to condemn Hill for cutting off Owen's 3 minutes and violating various public comment statutes and etc.  Then Erick Greening, The Most Amazing Civic Minded Person In The Room, Always, stood up and, according to the New Times article, said:

"I'm a grateful user of the First Amendment.  Whenever I hear speakers that I agree with I'm grateful for the First Amendment.  When I hear speakers I disagree with I'm grateful for the First Amendment.  When I hear people presenting illuminating information I"m grateful for the First Amendment.  When I hear people presenting what I think is misinformation I'm grateful for the First Amendment.  And when I get up there and correct what I think is misinformation I'm grateful for the First Amendment.  And I hope everyone in this room always treasures the First Amedment on that basis and we all have a chance to use it."

THAT's why I call Eric The Most Amazing Civic Minded Person In The Room, Always.

Apparently, our Mr. Hill didn't make a peep and, I'm sure, didn't hear a word Eric had to say. Poor Mr. Hill.  He hasn't quite figured out that it's impossible to get the public out of public comment.  I fear he's in over his head, has risen to his level of incompetence and just hasn't mastered the art all Supervisors need to master:  The art of the Snile -- you know it well, the just-slightly insincere smile crossed with a barely perceptible sneer, a deliciously subtle fake (but deniable) smirk that communicates the following perfectly: Thank you for sharing now shut the f--k up and go away thank you.

Instead, Hill panics and turns bully-boy and that never works out well. Not with Bearish folks from Los Osos. 

Somebody Get These Guys A Calculator?  An Abacus?  Some Fingers and Toes?  

Are you still here?  The world was supposed to end yesterday.  Yep, the Oakland-based Family Radio International, the folks who brought you the Rapture last May that didn't rapt, said their 90-year-old leader, Harold Camping, was at it again.  Sez the good reverend, "Thus we can be sure that the whold world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect) are under the judgment of God, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on Oct 21."

Well, bless Harold's little heart.  Here it is the 22nd and I'm staring at the computer screen and the dogs are snoozing on their beds and the sun is about to come upjust like it has for the past, oh, I don't know, gazillion years and will continue to do so for another gazillion.  Well, DANG! 

OH, Don't Worry, Take A Pill.  That's What We Do Here In  Toxic Nation

This from a Nation Roundup in the Trib:  "About 1 in 25 adolescents in the United States is taking an anti-depressant, according to a new government study billed as the first to offer such statistics on that age group. "  The ages studies were from 12 to 17 and was based on surveys and depression screenings of about 12,000 U.S. adolescents and adults, 2005 through 2008. 

The study also found that about 1 in 10 adults are taking antidepressants as well.

Wait, it gets better: From the L.A. Times:  A new report from the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, a leading health policy foundation, found that "The U.S. health care system is lagging further and further behind other industrialized countries on major measures of quality, efficiency and access to care." 

Even better, is this conclusion: "Despite the problems with access and quality, the U.S. continues to spend far more than other industrialized nations on health care, with per capital spending now topping $8,000 a year, more than twice what most other industrialized countries spend."

In short, we pay more for crappier health care and have poorer health outcomes than other countries.  Someone seeing that might conclude that Americans are stupid.  In our case, it would be more accurate to say we're overweight and sick and stupid-- fools just asking to be fleeced. 

No wonder we and our children are depressed. That's what living in a sick, fleeced, toxic culture can do to you if you're dumb enough to keep clinging to the status quo. So, eat up those Big Macs and keep shoving tranqs down your kids gullets. And whatever you do, be sure to vote for politiciams who will dismantle Obamacare and Medicare/Medicade, public health programs, and will remove all government regulatons on the health care industry as a whole.  After all, the free marketplace will solve all our health care problems.  True, a reformed and improved, innovative  Medicare for All type national health care program might be able to actually deliver better health outcomes for less money to everyone in our very, very sick nation, but that would be "socialized medicine" and in Toxic America, we can't have that. 

WTF???

So, I wake up and The Mighty Finn McCool's whining.  He wants to go out to pee.  The faintest hint of light is in the eastern sky. The stars are still overhead.  Some clouds have moved in and it looks like it'll be overcast, at least part of the day. The earth still smells sweet after the rain and I can hear the soft roar of the far away surf in the morning silence.

The world, in all it's miraculous glory. . . is still here.  WTF???  According to dear Reverend Camping (who, Mother Jones Magazine reports, has amassed $75 million from his faithful followers (WHAT?? $75 million???  Clearly, I'm in the wrong business.), the world was supposed to end today.  Absolutely, positively.  Bible and The Rev Camping's numerology said so. 

Yet here it still is, world without end, amen,  in all its wonderous stubborn persistent glory.  

So, you might as well have a nice day.