OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST

How many times do we need to learn a lesson?  The cause in Afghanistan is not winnable.  So listen to the John Fogerty song once again and see if you can learn anything.

 

And, if you can’t, then I really feel sorry for you.

A DRUGGED OUT NATION

While Mark Souder whines and vents about the “War on Drugs” and focuses on restricting marijuana, perhaps he should take a look around at the unbelievable number and kinds of prescription drugs that have us – as a nation – drugged to the hilt.

I receive the AARP magazine – a group I originally swore I would never join.  Really – the Association for the Advancement of RETIRED People?  I have to wonder how many members are actually retired.  I know I have no plans to retire – retirement is something that leads to decline.  Anyways, I received my latest issue of “AARP Bulletin”, and one of the articles was titled “The 50 Most Prescribed Drugs.”

So, much as I hate numbered lists, here goes.  I am listing the drugs, followed by the number of yearly prescriptions written, and finally, the ungodly amount of money generated by the sale of the drug.

1. Hydrocodone (pain) – 121.3 million prescriptions – $1.78 billion
2. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 69.8 million prescriptions – $686 million
3. Simvastatin (high cholesterol) -  60.2 million prescriptions – $1.45 billion
4. Levothyroxine (hypothyroidism) – 58.6 million prescriptions – $546 million
5. Amoxicillan (bacterial infection) – 52.1 million prescriptions – $439 million
6. Azithromycin (bacterial infection) – 49.3 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
7. Lipitor (high cholesterol) – 49.0 million prescriptions – $5.88 billion
8. Hydrochlorothiazide (edema/hypertension) – 47.1 million prescriptions – $288 million
9. Alprazolam (anxiety/depression) – 43.6 million prescriptions – $468 million
10. Atenolol (hypertension) – 40.9 million prescriptions – $274 million
11. Metformin (type 2 diabetes) – 40.1 milliion prescriptions – $536 million
12. Metoprolol Succinate (hypertension) – 38.9 million prescriptions – $1.11 billion
13. Furosemide oral (edema/hypertension) – 37. million prescriptions – $209 million
14. Metoprolol tartrate (hypertension) – 29.7 million prescriptions – $206 million
15. Setraline (depression) – 29.5 million prescriptions – $648 million
16. Omeprazole (ulcers/reflux) – 29.2 million prescriptions – $1.15 billion
17. Zolpidem tartrate (insomnia) – 28.3 million prescriptions – $742 million
18. Nexium (ulcers/reflux) – 26.9 million prescriptions – $4.79 billion
19. Lexapro (depression) – 26.3 million prescriptions – $2.41 billion
20. Oxycodone (pain) – 26.2 million prescriptions – $683 million
21. Singulair (asthma) – 25.8 million prescriptions – $2.90 billion
22. Ibuprofen (pain/inflamation) – 25.5 million prescriptions – $177 million
23. Plavix (blood clotting) – 25.1 million prescriptions – $3.80 billion
24. Prednisone oral (allergies/inflamation) – 24.8 million prescriptions – $211 million
25. Fluoxetine (deression) – 23.3 million prescriptions – $349 million
26. Synthroid (hypothyroidism) – 23.1 million prescriptions – $515 million
27. Warfarin (blood clotting) – 22.8 million prescriptions – $317 million
28. Cephalexin (bacterial infection) – 22.1 million prescriptions – $256 million
29. Lorazepam (anxiety) – 22.0 million prescriptions – $340 million
30. Clonazepam (epilepsy/anxiety) – 21.8 milion prescriptions – $287 million
31. Citalopram HBR (depression) – 21.6 million prescriptions – $260 million
32. Tramadol (pain) – 21.3 million prescriptions – $302 million
33. Gabapentin (epilepsy/pain) – 20.7 million prescriptions – $809 million
34. Ciprofloxacin HCL (bacterial infection) – 20.5 million prescriptions – $194 million
35. Propoxyphene-N (pain) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $225 million
36. Lisinopril (hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $687 million
37. Triamterene (edema/hypertension) – 20.4 million prescriptions – $153 million
38. Amoxicillin (bacterial infection) – 20.1 million prescriptions – $807 million
39. Cyclobenzaprine (muscle injury/spasm) – 20.0 million prescriptions – $209 million
40. Prevacid (ulcers/reflux) – 18.6 million prescriptions – $3.30 billion
41. Advair (asthma) – 17.8 million prescriptions -$3.57 billion
42. Effexor XR (depression) – 16.9 million prescriptions – $2.66 billion
43. Trazodone HCL (depression) – 16.7 million prescriptions – $140 million
44. Fexofenadine (allergy) – 16.5 million prescriptions – $772 million
45. Fluticasone nasal (allergy) – 16.2 million prescriptions – $543 million
46. Diovan (hypertension) – 15.7 million prescriptions – $1.28 billion
47. Paroxetine (depression/anxiety) – 15.6 million prescriptions – $359 million
48. Lovastatin (high cholesterol) – 15.3 million prescriptions – $378 million
49. Crestor (high cholesterol) – 15.1 million prescriptions – $1.68 billion
50. Trimethoprim (bacterial infection) – 14.6 million prescriptions – $131 million

Brand names (bolded and underlined) make up only 22% of the list, yet they make up 62% of the total of $53.2 billion cost.  The total number of prescriptions is 1,140.3 billion – that’s 1 billion 140 million + prescriptions.  The population of the United States is approximately 305 million.  That means that every man, woman, and child could be taking at least three prescriptions.

The number of people with at least one prescription increased from 67 percent in 2000 to 74 percent in 2006, and the number of prescriptions per person rose to 14.3 from 10.8 in 2000 – a 32 perent jump.  Unbelieveable.   Is it any wonder that big pharma continues to lobby and push its products to physicians and the consuming public through TV commercials – advertising for every conceiveable ailment?

The audience sees the commercials and runs to doctors to request the drug.  Doctors oblige their patients.  And, don’t forget those free samples that the pharma reps provide to the doctors.  But TV commercials aren’t the only culprit in this drug-dependent nation – our lifestyles have turned us into a reactive nation instead of a proactive nation.

The dichotomy in this scenerio is that while companies and health professionals urge exercise, healthy eating, and routine physical exams to enhance our lifestyles, citizens are becoming increasingly dependent on prescription drugs – a 32% increase in the number of prescriptions per person.

We have a drug crisis in this country all right, but it isn’t Mark Souder’s version.  The list above shows just what this country has turned into – a drugged-out nation.

LETTERMAN NEEDS TO EXIT – STAGE RIGHT

This past week, in a blatant show of protecting his butt, David Letterman made a mockery of his show, his marriage, his fans, and the women with whom he works.  Letterman’s performance was pure CYA.  As he alternately apologized and joked about his now-infamous indiscretions with his subordinates on the show, his audience reacted with confusion – some laughter, some silence, but a heavy dose of “okay, you’ve apologized, so forget about it.”   Is it any wonder that sexual harassment is still rampant in this country and so hard to combat?

Letterman’s actions should be considered sexual harassment, and, instead of feigning concern for his subordinate female employees, he should have been slithering off the set for good.  He acknowledged his actions were “creepy.”  Creepy?  creepy?  The man is a cave man throwback to the days when males in superior positions rode roughshod over their female employees.  Rather than face retribution or loss of jobs, women caved in and were subjected to various means of humiliation in the workplace.

Letterman managed to turn what in many cases are illegal actions into fodder for his evening joke lines.  And, the sad thing?  CBS is cautiously standing behind him and the audiences seem ready to put it all in the past.   On-the-street interviews with average citizens found most of them with the blase attitude of “he did it, he apologized, move on.”

Although the females involved have gallantly stepped up to the plate and stated there was no sexual harassment and everything was just hunky-dory consensual, what seems to be missed in this whole, sorry episode is the concept that when a superior propositions a lower-ranking employee, there is always a measure of coercion.

The coercion may be slight, but it nevertheless exists.  After all, how do  you say no to a boss who controls your destiny without  a fear of consequences?

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment can be one of two kinds.  The first is what is called “quid pro quo” or a “this for that” situation.  The superior says if the woman will do something for him, he will do something nice and good for the woman.  The key is that in order to establish a case, the woman must show that she was actually harmed in some way if she does say no.  If she says no but cannot show some type of negative retribution, then the legal cause disappears.  This form of sexual harassment is based on pure power – the power of the superior to coerce the underling.

The second kind of sexual harassment is called “hostile work environment.”  This situation usually occurs when women compose a very small percentage of a work force, for example, women in a typically male-dominated environment.  The male counterparts make the environment sexually uncomfortable, often with sexual innuendo, off-color jokes, nude pinups, etc.  You get the idea.

Letterman’s actions should be pursued as sexual harassment, and he should not be able to walk away from this joking all the way to the bank.  Let’s face it, wrong as the blackmailer is, Letterman would not have come forward had the plot not existed.  And, while the public outcry over politicians who carry on affairs reaches a fever pitch, Letterman’s dalliances created a surge – 22% to be exact – in his show’s ratings.

The picture below says it all.  Letterman even joked about Martin Short’s sitting on Steve Martin’s lap by stating that sitting too long could lead to a blackmail scheme.

Wow, and we wonder what has happened in this country.

David Letterman

ARMY CORPS TO BEGIN “TAMIAMI TRAIL” REVERSE ENGINEERING FEAT

Normally, I have little use for the Army Corps of Engineers.  After all, they are the ones who have worked hand-in-hand with the City to build the ugly concrete walls in Fort Wayne that were erected to stop flooding in a number of areas.  Unfortunately, stopping flooding in some areas just increases the flow and direction somewhere else.  And that somewhere else has become my corner of Nelson, Thieme, and West Berry.  And I blame the Corp and the City for their ill-planned barriers.

So, when I see a Corps project that looks to be doing some good, I will certainly give credit.  The Tamiami Trail project slated for southern Florida will open up a segment of highway so that water can return freely to the Everglades.  To accomplish this feat, the Corps recently signed an $81 million contract that will raise a one-mile segment of Highway 41 – named the Tamiami Trail – in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  The raising of the highway will remove a “plug” of the road which has stopped water on the north side of Highway 41 from returning in a natural flow to the south side of the road and back into the Everglades.

The Tamiami Trail running through Southern Florida - the Poor Man's Alligator Alley

The Trail and the road became an unintentional barrier preventing water from flowing into the Everglades

The Trail – also known as the “Poor Man’s Alligator Alley” – requires no toll and drops down south of Interstate 75, the stretch that requires a toll.  Both cut across the southern part of Florida and through the Everglades. On the north side of the Trail, the public is paying billions of dollars to store and clean water before it gets to the Everglades. On the south side of the Trail is Everglades National Park, which needs the water.

The project – authorized over 20 years ago – would create a roughly 5-foot clearance so that water could flow under U.S. 41 to where it is needed in the Everglades.  In addition to raising the 1 mile, the Corps will raise the elevation of another 9.7 miles, to create enough gradient that water from the “River of Grass” can flow under the bridge.

Everglades ecoregion - includes the Everglades, Lake Okeechobee, the Big Cypress Swamp, the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, the estuarine mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands, and Florida Bay. (Photo credit Wikipedia)

My own adventure into the The Everglades occurred in May 2001, and it was not planned.  My one son was set to be married in Nassau, Bahamas, so I drove down to Fort Lauderdale where I hopped onto a small plane and flew out to Nassau.  My route took me along the western edge of Florida so I could see my oldest son who was living in Valrico at the time.  My plan was to head south and drive across Alligator Alley – Interstate 75 – and then on to Fort Lauderdale.

I am usually pretty prepared when I am on the road.  I planned on stopping along 75 – silly me – and fill up with gas since my tank was pretty low.  What I didn’t realize was that once you hop onto 75, the gas stations disappear.  One lonely gas station exists between the Naples and Weston tollbooths – something I didn’t learn until it was too late.

As I was tooling along 75, I kept watching my gas needle as it slowly sank lower on the dial.  I anxiously watched the horizon for signs of a gas station – those small signs that say “gas, exit ….”  None appeared, and the miles kept slipping by.  I started to panic somewhat as I knew I did not have enough gas to get me to the other side of Florida.  My mind began to fill with pictures of being stranded on a highway aptly named Alligator Alley for a reason – alligators.

Then I saw the exit for Highway 29 which promised it would take me south to Everglades City.  I could only hope at that point that Everglades City was big enough to have at least one gas station.   I drove along 29 – somewhat dazed at my lack of preparedness and absolutely scared to death I would run out of gas on a forelorn road where alligators would creep up and snap at me.   I didn’t notice any fences or barriers along the two-lane road – oh my God – what if I blew a tire, what if I accidentally got too close to the side of the road, what if – what if.

My lord, there was a lot of water on each side.  I was truly losing it.  I really began to feel sick – I didn’t see any mileage signs to tell me how far Everglades City was, and I kept glancing at that expanse of water and grass stretching for miles on each side of the road.  Finally, I saw signs of what was a small town.  I could see a gas station sign and several other small businesses popped into view.  I had made it to Everglades City.  I filled up with gas, and I can’t tell you how relieved I was to head back up to 75 again to complete my journey.

Everglades City

The Everglades is a marvelous and beautiful place, and, had I not been so preoccupied with my fears of being gasless and encountering alligators, I know I would have appreciated it much more.

The Corps’ project is critical to saving what remains of the Everglades.  So, much as I often complain about the Corps, this Tamiami Trail feat is a much-needed solution to saving the Everglades.  And, I hope that one of these days I will be able to see in person the success of that project.

SOUDER SCROUNGES FOR DONATIONS

Throwing out his old, worn standard – the Liberals are coming, the Liberals are coming – Souder has already saddled up his trusty steed of conservatism and started to send out letters soliciting donations.   Whining that he is a “good” conservative, he is now portraying himself as a poor, beleaguered Indiana conservative fleeing from the “nasty, old Liberals” who are after his seat.

Souder has the ability to talk much and say little.  I have found in the few conversations I have had with him that it is hard to get a word in edgewise, and that tactic becomes useful when you have little to say in an unrehearsed situation.

But, Lord, give him a rehearsed forum, and he can ramble for hours without taking a position a la his performance in 2008 at a meeting he held to try to explain what was happening with the VA inpatient issue in Fort Wayne.  By the time the meeting was over, few understood what he had just said and even fewer understood his position.

But, Souder’s hypocrisy has never been more visible than his recent assault against President Obama, calling the President a “liar.”  Apparently Souder has forgotten the following pledge that he took in 1994 as he signed the now-infamous Contract with America (bet he had his fingers crossed behind his back):

CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body, we propose not just to change its policies, but to restore the bounds of trust between the people and their elected representatives. That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

Within the first hundred days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given a full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote, and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny:
1. The Fiscal Responsibility Act: Balanced budget amendment & line item veto
2. The Taking Back Our Streets Act: More prisons, more enforcement, more death penalty
3. The Personal Responsibility Act: Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending
4. The Families Reinforcement Act: Use tax code to foster families
5. The American Dream Restoration Act: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
6. The National Security Restoration Act: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
7. The Senior Citizens Fairness Act: Reduce taxes on Social Security earnings
8. The Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act: Incentives to small businesses
9. The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act: Limit punitive damages
10. The Citizen Legislature Act: Term limits on Congress

Further, we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation above, to ensure that the federal budget will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills. Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.

Hmm – didn’t Souder say he would only run for six terms?  Gosh, I guess he lied.