Due to recent acquisitions and adjustments, the following items are for sale:
Solid/veneer oak entertainment center - 55 x 45 x 18. Asking $200.00 Or Best Offer.
17" Hyundai LCD monitor. Excellent condition. Asking $100.00 OBO
17" Optiquest CRT monitor. Good condition. Asking $50.00 OBO
Windows PC, 2gb ram, 80gb hdd, 40gb hdd, AMD K6 processor. Asking $100.00 OBO
28" Sanyo CRT television set. Great picture. Asking $100.00 OBO
Serta Perfect Sleeper mattress, twin size. Excellent condition. Asking $100.00 OBO
You can email me at steev45@gmail.com if you are interested in any of this stuff.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
A New Bible Study
I am posting this both here and on issuu.com.
While I have not written much on the subject of "religion" that will change in the next few months.
The longer/larger studies will be posted only on issuu.com, the shorter ones will be posted on both sites.
.......................................................
INTRODUCTION
Several days ago I heard a preacher on the radio quote 2 Corinthians 10:4 during his sermon. He quoted it, mentioned the small portion that related to his main point and went on. I, however, was flooded with thoughts about how much we can derive from this verse. I have heard this verse quoted and expounded upon many times. I am sure I have never heard anyone dissect these verses in the following way.
Wording quoted here is from the New King James version of the Bible.
THE UNDERSTANDING
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
1 The word "for" indicates that the following statements are the logical result of statements that immediately precede this verse. (see v.3)
2 "Weapons" indicates that we are engaged in a battle or struggle which we cannot win without assistance. This fight requires tools or implements to assist us in overcoming that which opposes us. And we have more than one weapon.
3 "Our warfare" indicates that this is not a single event. It is not a battle, it is a war. It is a process. It will take effort over a period of time. "Warfare" implies an ongoing struggle. It implies that this is not a simple task, it is an extended conflict involving many people. "Warfare" is translated from "strateias", (Greek), a campaign, expedition, or military service. It implies the gathering of many fighters for a common purpose; the movement of armies from one place to another; the engagement of many fighters against many other fighters; the goal of victory over or defeat of the enemy; and the threat of death or loss if they fail.
4 "Not carnal" indicates that this is not a conflict with an enemy that can be defeated with earthly weapons. The word "carnal" is translated from the word "karkeekos", (Greek), of the flesh, bodily, temporal, animal, unregenerate.
5 If our weapons are not "carnal" they are not physical weapons.
6 Our weapons do not have the same limitations that physical weapons have.
7 If our weapons are not carnal or earthly or physical, then our enemy must not be carnal, earthly or physical.
8 If our enemy is not of the physical earth, then it must be spiritual.
9 "But mighty" clarifies the strength and value of the weapons we have. They are "mighty", translated from the word, "doonatos", (Greek), able, powerful, capable or possible. This confirms the superiority of our weapons over physical weapons.
10 "In God" ("through God" - KJV) further explains the type and source of our weapons. A weapon in God implies a spiritual weapon, for a spiritual battle, against a spiritual enemy.
11 "For pulling down", further explains the purpose and use of our weapons. "Pulling down" implies that something is built up against us. Our weapons will help us undo what has been built up.
12 "Strongholds" describes the nature of the enemy we face. It is established. It has taken territory. It has constructed a stronghold - "ochuromaton," (Greek), a fortress, a strong place of safety, a castle. Our enemy has a place of protection from its enemies. It is prepared to defend itself. It expects to be attacked.
This next verse further clarifies the nature of our warfare and the use of the weapons we have been given by God.
1 The war also involves "casting down", "kathairountes", (Greek), taking down, pulling down, destroying, debunking, discrediting, refuting, showing as false, the spiritual or intellectual strongholds we face.
2 The strongholds are thoughts and ideas, "Arguments" ("imaginations" - KJV), "logismous", (Greek), speculations, reasonings, ways of thinking, ideas. But these are not just any thoughts or ideas.
3 These ideas are "every high thing", "upsoma", (Greek), high thing, lofty, lifted up, highly thought of, revered, respected, exalted by other people.
4 But these "high things" are of a particular sort. They are ideas and concepts that exalt "epairomenon", (Greek), raised up, "against the knowledge of God". These are thoughts that oppose the evidence, logic, concepts, and principles that God has given us to live our lives as he wants us to.
5 One way we battle and overcome these thoughts and ideas is bring them into "captivity", to control, limit, subject, or restrain them, such that they conform to and submit to the "obedience" of the anointed one on God - Christ.
6 One way we do this is to ignore and not respond to thoughts and ideas that would cause us to think or act against the will of God we already know and understand.
7 Basically, this is how we are to deal with temptation. If we see temptations as a kind of warfare, we will take them more seriously and apply ourselves more earnestly to resist them.
Next, we get a glimpse of the duration of this warfare.
1 We are "ready", on guard, prepared, equipped and inclined, to oppose, contradict, refute, and reject, any thought or idea that is unlike that which we have learned from God or his word.
2 We "punish", "ekdikesai", (Greek), to vindicate, avenge, punish, opposing thoughts and ideas by rejecting them, opposing them, and offering and supporting alternative thoughts that support and defend the knowledge of God we have been given.
3 We will continue to withstand and "punish" these opposing thoughts and ideas until we die, when our obedience to God will be "fulfilled", completed, filled up.
4 Ultimately, those spirits and people who oppose God will be sent to hell where they will be punished forever.
CONCLUSION
Wow. That is a lot to get out of three little verses, 54 words.
The end.
While I have not written much on the subject of "religion" that will change in the next few months.
The longer/larger studies will be posted only on issuu.com, the shorter ones will be posted on both sites.
.......................................................
INTRODUCTION
Several days ago I heard a preacher on the radio quote 2 Corinthians 10:4 during his sermon. He quoted it, mentioned the small portion that related to his main point and went on. I, however, was flooded with thoughts about how much we can derive from this verse. I have heard this verse quoted and expounded upon many times. I am sure I have never heard anyone dissect these verses in the following way.
Wording quoted here is from the New King James version of the Bible.
THE UNDERSTANDING
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
1 The word "for" indicates that the following statements are the logical result of statements that immediately precede this verse. (see v.3)
2 "Weapons" indicates that we are engaged in a battle or struggle which we cannot win without assistance. This fight requires tools or implements to assist us in overcoming that which opposes us. And we have more than one weapon.
3 "Our warfare" indicates that this is not a single event. It is not a battle, it is a war. It is a process. It will take effort over a period of time. "Warfare" implies an ongoing struggle. It implies that this is not a simple task, it is an extended conflict involving many people. "Warfare" is translated from "strateias", (Greek), a campaign, expedition, or military service. It implies the gathering of many fighters for a common purpose; the movement of armies from one place to another; the engagement of many fighters against many other fighters; the goal of victory over or defeat of the enemy; and the threat of death or loss if they fail.
4 "Not carnal" indicates that this is not a conflict with an enemy that can be defeated with earthly weapons. The word "carnal" is translated from the word "karkeekos", (Greek), of the flesh, bodily, temporal, animal, unregenerate.
5 If our weapons are not "carnal" they are not physical weapons.
6 Our weapons do not have the same limitations that physical weapons have.
7 If our weapons are not carnal or earthly or physical, then our enemy must not be carnal, earthly or physical.
8 If our enemy is not of the physical earth, then it must be spiritual.
9 "But mighty" clarifies the strength and value of the weapons we have. They are "mighty", translated from the word, "doonatos", (Greek), able, powerful, capable or possible. This confirms the superiority of our weapons over physical weapons.
10 "In God" ("through God" - KJV) further explains the type and source of our weapons. A weapon in God implies a spiritual weapon, for a spiritual battle, against a spiritual enemy.
11 "For pulling down", further explains the purpose and use of our weapons. "Pulling down" implies that something is built up against us. Our weapons will help us undo what has been built up.
12 "Strongholds" describes the nature of the enemy we face. It is established. It has taken territory. It has constructed a stronghold - "ochuromaton," (Greek), a fortress, a strong place of safety, a castle. Our enemy has a place of protection from its enemies. It is prepared to defend itself. It expects to be attacked.
This next verse further clarifies the nature of our warfare and the use of the weapons we have been given by God.
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
1 The war also involves "casting down", "kathairountes", (Greek), taking down, pulling down, destroying, debunking, discrediting, refuting, showing as false, the spiritual or intellectual strongholds we face.
2 The strongholds are thoughts and ideas, "Arguments" ("imaginations" - KJV), "logismous", (Greek), speculations, reasonings, ways of thinking, ideas. But these are not just any thoughts or ideas.
3 These ideas are "every high thing", "upsoma", (Greek), high thing, lofty, lifted up, highly thought of, revered, respected, exalted by other people.
4 But these "high things" are of a particular sort. They are ideas and concepts that exalt "epairomenon", (Greek), raised up, "against the knowledge of God". These are thoughts that oppose the evidence, logic, concepts, and principles that God has given us to live our lives as he wants us to.
5 One way we battle and overcome these thoughts and ideas is bring them into "captivity", to control, limit, subject, or restrain them, such that they conform to and submit to the "obedience" of the anointed one on God - Christ.
6 One way we do this is to ignore and not respond to thoughts and ideas that would cause us to think or act against the will of God we already know and understand.
7 Basically, this is how we are to deal with temptation. If we see temptations as a kind of warfare, we will take them more seriously and apply ourselves more earnestly to resist them.
Next, we get a glimpse of the duration of this warfare.
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
1 We are "ready", on guard, prepared, equipped and inclined, to oppose, contradict, refute, and reject, any thought or idea that is unlike that which we have learned from God or his word.
2 We "punish", "ekdikesai", (Greek), to vindicate, avenge, punish, opposing thoughts and ideas by rejecting them, opposing them, and offering and supporting alternative thoughts that support and defend the knowledge of God we have been given.
3 We will continue to withstand and "punish" these opposing thoughts and ideas until we die, when our obedience to God will be "fulfilled", completed, filled up.
4 Ultimately, those spirits and people who oppose God will be sent to hell where they will be punished forever.
CONCLUSION
Wow. That is a lot to get out of three little verses, 54 words.
The end.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
A Brief Tid Bit
I have begun to post some of my Bible studies on Issuu.com.
This is the quickest and easiest way to allow others to read these studies.
Chris and Sonia in Newark, Ohio, brought this site to my attention.
My thanks to them. (hope to see you again next year!)
To access my studies, go to issuu.com
In the search field enter "OldScribe45"
It should respond with "No results found for "OldScribe45""
Don't panic.
From the blue menu bar, under the search field, select "People"
This will bring up my file.
Select "OldScribe45" or "More info".
That should present my written files. (there are just two now)
If you select one of the files, it will open in a format like a book.
In the upper left corner, next to the "fullscreen" option box is a smaller box with some white squares in it.
Selecting this icon will give you two more options for reading these files on your screen.
I have set up these files so that you can download them if you want.
Check them out.
I welcome your comments and suggestions.
In God we trust.
.
This is the quickest and easiest way to allow others to read these studies.
Chris and Sonia in Newark, Ohio, brought this site to my attention.
My thanks to them. (hope to see you again next year!)
To access my studies, go to issuu.com
In the search field enter "OldScribe45"
It should respond with "No results found for "OldScribe45""
Don't panic.
From the blue menu bar, under the search field, select "People"
This will bring up my file.
Select "OldScribe45" or "More info".
That should present my written files. (there are just two now)
If you select one of the files, it will open in a format like a book.
In the upper left corner, next to the "fullscreen" option box is a smaller box with some white squares in it.
Selecting this icon will give you two more options for reading these files on your screen.
I have set up these files so that you can download them if you want.
Check them out.
I welcome your comments and suggestions.
In God we trust.
.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
An open letter to the CEO of Sears.
W. Bruce Johnson,
Interim Chief Executive Officer and President
Sears Holdings Corporation
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Dear Mr. Johnson,
I have an old Craftsman circular saw that is nearly 40 years old and still going strong, but it will only accept 7-inch blades.
The carbide-tipped blade I currently use has finally become dull and needs to be replaced.
7-inch blades are difficult to find these days, since in the intervening four decades, 7 1/4 has become the standard blade size for these type of tools.
This size blade will not fit in my old saw.
So, in order to use a new blade, I needed to buy a new saw.
Plus, I wanted a new saw.
I made a special trip to your store here in Huntsville, Alabama, to buy a new Craftsman circular saw.
When I arrived in the tool department, there were about ten customers and/or children milling around looking at the displayed inventory.
There were no sales people around.
There was no one at the cash registers/checkout area.
I walked around the tool department looking for someone to assist me.
I found no one.
After about 5 minutes, a young lady came out of the back to get something from her purse under the (still empty) checkout counter.
I assumed she was on her lunch break.
On her way back to where she had come from, she asked me if I needed any help.
I told her I did.
She looked around for a sales person, found him and told him that I needed some help.
He was apparently by himself and was assisting another customer.
The young lady disappeared into the bowels of the store and I waited five more minutes.
More people came into the tool department.
There were about 20 people milling around the department now.
While I waited to be helped, I examined the circular saws on display again and found to my distress that Craftsman circular saws are now made in China.
I wanted to buy a Craftsman saw because I thought they were made in the USA, and because I wanted to support the Sears company policy of holding jobs for its employees who are called to active duty in the military reserves.
Now I had only one philosophical reason to buy a Sears product.
Disappointed, I waited for the lone salesperson.
I began to rethink why I had come all the way to this store to buy a Chinese saw.
I could get a Chinese saw at the Peoples Republic of Walmart for less money.
But I still wanted to support a company that supported our troops.
Five more minutes passed.
The lone salesperson was now helping another customer.
Two more were waiting near him.
I waited a couple more minutes and decided to go a half mile up the street to Walmart and buy my saw.
Total time in your store - about 20-25 minutes.
This was not the first time I have been ignored in this department of this store.
A few years ago, I came to the tool department to buy something (I forget what, now) on a Saturday morning.
I was one of only three customers in the department, I think.
There were at least three young men dressed in white shirt and tie, standing around talking to each other.
Since they did not have Bibles in their hands, I assumed they were Sears employees, not visiting Mormon missionaries.
One of them acknowledged me as I walked past, but he, nor any of the others, broke off their conversations to ask if I need help.
A young man at the checkout counter finally asked if I could use assistance.
I came very close to calling the department manager that morning.
It took me about three minutes to walk from my car to the tool department in Walmart.
I looked at the brands and the prices, and picked up the box of the saw I wanted from the shelf.
It took about five minutes to pay for my purchase (there were two people in line ahead of me).
Total time in the store (which was very busy), about 15 minutes.
I am now the proud owner of a new Skil 7 1/4 circular saw, similar to one you sell in your store.
Made in China.
Do I need to tell you that I am extremely disappointed in your change in tool suppliers, and the customer service in your store here.
Best regards,
Steve Nordstrom
Huntsville, Alabama
Interim Chief Executive Officer and President
Sears Holdings Corporation
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Dear Mr. Johnson,
I have an old Craftsman circular saw that is nearly 40 years old and still going strong, but it will only accept 7-inch blades.
The carbide-tipped blade I currently use has finally become dull and needs to be replaced.
7-inch blades are difficult to find these days, since in the intervening four decades, 7 1/4 has become the standard blade size for these type of tools.
This size blade will not fit in my old saw.
So, in order to use a new blade, I needed to buy a new saw.
Plus, I wanted a new saw.
I made a special trip to your store here in Huntsville, Alabama, to buy a new Craftsman circular saw.
When I arrived in the tool department, there were about ten customers and/or children milling around looking at the displayed inventory.
There were no sales people around.
There was no one at the cash registers/checkout area.
I walked around the tool department looking for someone to assist me.
I found no one.
After about 5 minutes, a young lady came out of the back to get something from her purse under the (still empty) checkout counter.
I assumed she was on her lunch break.
On her way back to where she had come from, she asked me if I needed any help.
I told her I did.
She looked around for a sales person, found him and told him that I needed some help.
He was apparently by himself and was assisting another customer.
The young lady disappeared into the bowels of the store and I waited five more minutes.
More people came into the tool department.
There were about 20 people milling around the department now.
While I waited to be helped, I examined the circular saws on display again and found to my distress that Craftsman circular saws are now made in China.
I wanted to buy a Craftsman saw because I thought they were made in the USA, and because I wanted to support the Sears company policy of holding jobs for its employees who are called to active duty in the military reserves.
Now I had only one philosophical reason to buy a Sears product.
Disappointed, I waited for the lone salesperson.
I began to rethink why I had come all the way to this store to buy a Chinese saw.
I could get a Chinese saw at the Peoples Republic of Walmart for less money.
But I still wanted to support a company that supported our troops.
Five more minutes passed.
The lone salesperson was now helping another customer.
Two more were waiting near him.
I waited a couple more minutes and decided to go a half mile up the street to Walmart and buy my saw.
Total time in your store - about 20-25 minutes.
This was not the first time I have been ignored in this department of this store.
A few years ago, I came to the tool department to buy something (I forget what, now) on a Saturday morning.
I was one of only three customers in the department, I think.
There were at least three young men dressed in white shirt and tie, standing around talking to each other.
Since they did not have Bibles in their hands, I assumed they were Sears employees, not visiting Mormon missionaries.
One of them acknowledged me as I walked past, but he, nor any of the others, broke off their conversations to ask if I need help.
A young man at the checkout counter finally asked if I could use assistance.
I came very close to calling the department manager that morning.
It took me about three minutes to walk from my car to the tool department in Walmart.
I looked at the brands and the prices, and picked up the box of the saw I wanted from the shelf.
It took about five minutes to pay for my purchase (there were two people in line ahead of me).
Total time in the store (which was very busy), about 15 minutes.
I am now the proud owner of a new Skil 7 1/4 circular saw, similar to one you sell in your store.
Made in China.
Do I need to tell you that I am extremely disappointed in your change in tool suppliers, and the customer service in your store here.
Best regards,
Steve Nordstrom
Huntsville, Alabama
Sunday, November 15, 2009
One More Thing...
... I forgot to mention in my latest date of up.
I bought a new mattress for the Royal Bed.
There was nothing really "wrong" with my old mattress.
It was nice and firm (too firm, maybe), but had no sagage or other problems.
But my sister had raved about her new (back then) "memory foam" mattress and it made me curious.
One thing I was sure of - I was NOT going to pay $1,200.00 for a mattress, like some "X-Pedic" Norwegian companies want me to.
Nuw uh.
But I did some shopping on line.
I came across a website for Overnight Mattress.
They were selling foam, twin-sized mattresses made in the USA, for $399.00, with a 15 year warranty.
After mulling over this temptation for several weeks I went for it.
So the Royal Bed is now made of foam. (on the same nice, sturdy wood frame)
And I have changed the Royal sheets to flannel for the coming winter.
And I have a nice, firm, 10 year old coil mattress for sale.
Cheep.
Oh, and how does the new foam bed sleep?
Wonderful.
Every time I sit on it, I want to lay down and go to sleep.
In God we trust.
.
I bought a new mattress for the Royal Bed.
There was nothing really "wrong" with my old mattress.
It was nice and firm (too firm, maybe), but had no sagage or other problems.
But my sister had raved about her new (back then) "memory foam" mattress and it made me curious.
One thing I was sure of - I was NOT going to pay $1,200.00 for a mattress, like some "X-Pedic" Norwegian companies want me to.
Nuw uh.
But I did some shopping on line.
I came across a website for Overnight Mattress.
They were selling foam, twin-sized mattresses made in the USA, for $399.00, with a 15 year warranty.
After mulling over this temptation for several weeks I went for it.
So the Royal Bed is now made of foam. (on the same nice, sturdy wood frame)
And I have changed the Royal sheets to flannel for the coming winter.
And I have a nice, firm, 10 year old coil mattress for sale.
Cheep.
Oh, and how does the new foam bed sleep?
Wonderful.
Every time I sit on it, I want to lay down and go to sleep.
In God we trust.
.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
No I am Not Dead
Sorry to disappoint you. ;)
But I have been suffering from a bit of writers block (or bloggers block).
I have been doing plenty of writing, just not here.
So, what have I been doing?
Well, I have finished the wiring job in my house (just those two plugs).
I have been weight lifting four days each week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday).
I have been doing some Bible studies.
Taking the remaining tax courses for my job with H&R Block.
I finally finished my analysis of D.S. Warner's book Bible Proofs of a Second Work of Grace.
I started it in 2006.
It has turned out to be 175 pages long.
So I guess I write books.
That study gave me an idea for another Bible study on the relationship of holiness, walking in the light, and chastening.
That one turned out to be 17 pages.
Then I got another idea for a study on the attributes of the redeemed.
I wondered what the Bible actually says about who the saved are and what they are like (or not like).
I thought that might have 30 or 40 scriptures.
Wrong.
So far I have listed over 1300 attributes (some of them are duplicates).
Just the list of attributes and the Bible verse that states it has reached over 27 pages.
I am amazed.
Some verses list five or six items and I list each of them separately for better indexing.
And some verses list things that the saved do not do.
I list each of those separately also.
I would like to share/publish these studies but am not sure how/where to do it.
One place to put them is here, but I am not sure that is the best way.
I'm still working on that.
I have become more active on Facebook in the last week or two.
I can see why it is popular, but I cannot spend very much time there, I have more urgent things to do (like bible studies...).
I also installed the latest version (11.2) of openSUSE linux on my computer.
It is working fine.
The install took a couple of hours because it downloaded most of the applications from a website.
That amounted to about 2.5 gigabytes of code.
Everything is working except my media player and I am working on that with the support people.
I have a minor problem with my spreadsheet application in Open Office that I am working with the support folks on, also.
Monday I start more tax training.
That will cut into my free time.
More later.
In God we trust.
.
But I have been suffering from a bit of writers block (or bloggers block).
I have been doing plenty of writing, just not here.
So, what have I been doing?
Well, I have finished the wiring job in my house (just those two plugs).
I have been weight lifting four days each week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday).
I have been doing some Bible studies.
Taking the remaining tax courses for my job with H&R Block.
I finally finished my analysis of D.S. Warner's book Bible Proofs of a Second Work of Grace.
I started it in 2006.
It has turned out to be 175 pages long.
So I guess I write books.
That study gave me an idea for another Bible study on the relationship of holiness, walking in the light, and chastening.
That one turned out to be 17 pages.
Then I got another idea for a study on the attributes of the redeemed.
I wondered what the Bible actually says about who the saved are and what they are like (or not like).
I thought that might have 30 or 40 scriptures.
Wrong.
So far I have listed over 1300 attributes (some of them are duplicates).
Just the list of attributes and the Bible verse that states it has reached over 27 pages.
I am amazed.
Some verses list five or six items and I list each of them separately for better indexing.
And some verses list things that the saved do not do.
I list each of those separately also.
I would like to share/publish these studies but am not sure how/where to do it.
One place to put them is here, but I am not sure that is the best way.
I'm still working on that.
I have become more active on Facebook in the last week or two.
I can see why it is popular, but I cannot spend very much time there, I have more urgent things to do (like bible studies...).
I also installed the latest version (11.2) of openSUSE linux on my computer.
It is working fine.
The install took a couple of hours because it downloaded most of the applications from a website.
That amounted to about 2.5 gigabytes of code.
Everything is working except my media player and I am working on that with the support people.
I have a minor problem with my spreadsheet application in Open Office that I am working with the support folks on, also.
Monday I start more tax training.
That will cut into my free time.
More later.
In God we trust.
.
Monday, October 26, 2009
THIS LEAD TO THAT...
Last week the battery in my Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) died.
It was four years old, and over a year out of warranty so I complained little.
In checking on the company website for a replacement battery, I was encouraged to buy a whole new UPS as the newer ones use less power, have better batteries, etc..
And.... they will buy back my old UPS as a trade-in.
I did some checking and decided to buy a new one.
But I knew that there was a wiring problem with the house receptacle that my old UPS was plugged in to.
The ground was not connected to the earth ground of the house.
So before I could plug in my new UPS, I had to fix the wall receptacle.
I knew that the only solution was to rewire this receptacle.
From the main service box.
It was a project that I had been putting off for four years, but I knew had to be done some day and this was the ideal excuse to do it.
So.... I went to the giant house-stuff store and bought 100 ft of house wire.
The scheduled day for the project was Friday.
So, after my weight workout, I set about re-wiring my bedroom receptacle.
My service box in in my utility room, so I stated from there, feeding as much wire as I could up into the slit into my attic.
Then it was up into the attic (with my work light) to find the new wire, get my aging body over to it (with a combination of duck walking and crawling on the edges of the ceiling joist/trusses).
Once I got hold of the wire, I had to pull it through the attic to my bedroom wall.
This involved crawling/duck walking down the center of the attic and reaching around the truss supports as I pulled the wire along.
This was a good core workout.
Too good.
Finally, I found the bedroom wall plate and the hole where the wires were run down into the wall to the receptacle.
I pushed the new wire into the hole (fortunately it was large enough to accept another wire).
Then I climbed down from the attic and cut a 2 inch by 2 inch hole in the wall next to the receptacle.
This was to help me find the new wire.
With a small mirror and my flashlight I look for new wire in the wall cavity.
No see.
So I cut over another two inches.
Still no wire.
I cut the sheet rock two more inches and look again.
No wire.
This time I expanded my slit over two more inches and up by two more inches.
And when I poked in my mirror and flashlight, Voila!, I see my new wire a few inches above my slit.
My wall hole is now big enough for me to stick my arm into the wall, grab the wire and pull it down to the wall box.
Into the box it went.
I pulled enough through to give me enough to work with, stripped off about 9 inches of the outer sheath, and stripped about an inch off the ends of the black and white wires.
I bent them into a hook shape, slid them under the screws and cranked them tight.
(I had turned off the breaker to this receptacle earlier.)
Then it was back into the attic to pull the slack out of the wall.
This amounted to about a foot or two, at most.
Then back down out of the attic and into the utility room to pull a little slack.
Then I had to rout the new wire through the holes cut into the rafters in my utility room over to the service box.
That was a good shoulder workout.
Too good.
Once I got it to the service box I did a rough measurement of what I would need to attach the wires inside the box and cut the wire.
I routed the new wire into the box and stripped off about 12 inches of the outer sheath.
Oh, and I turned off the main power breaker.
Now there were only two little places where I could get shocked.
I stripped the wire, put the ends in the appropriate holes, and tightened the screws.
Done.
With that wire.
I flipped on the breaker.
I listen.
No arc welding noises.
No sparks.
Nothing.
This is good.
I go into the bedroom again and with my DMM (Digital Muli-Meter) and my handy-dandy, all-in-one socket tester, I check the receptacles in the box.
Hmmm.
Voltage reads good, hot to neutral (122vac), neutral to ground (0 vac), ground to hot (122 vac).
But now, instead of it reading "hot/ground reversed", it reads "open neutral".
How can this be?
All I did was add a ground wire.
Oh, well.
Since my stereo/entertainment center is wired similarly, I decided to re-do the receptacle for it in a similar manner.
And today was the day.
Since I had not killed myself in the previous exercise, I was encouraged to proceed.
I found the breaker to the living room receptacle, flipped it off and went through the same process,(poke new wire up into attic from utility room, climb into attic, pull more wire into attic, poke wire down through wall hole, climb down from attic, cut hole in wall, look for wire, etc)
After a couple of wall hole expansions I found the new wire and re-wired the receptacle.
I repeated the wire pulling service box measuring, cutting, bending, stripping, bending, inserting, screwing, etc.
Done.
Flip breaker on.
No noises.
No sparks.
Good.
I test.
Same deal.
Good voltages, but "open neutral".
AND when I plug my stereo into the receptacle and turn it on, strong 60 Hz hum in my speakers.
Not good.
It took me almost exactly four hours to wire two receptacles.
Time to call in someone who knows what they are doing.
I made the call, but they have not yet come to look at the situation.
(I tested many -not all - other receptacles in my little house and NONE of them read correct.
So I have a problem. Since many of them are "not right" in a similar way, I suspect something is not right in my service box. Wee shall see....)
Stay tuned.
In God we trust.
.
It was four years old, and over a year out of warranty so I complained little.
In checking on the company website for a replacement battery, I was encouraged to buy a whole new UPS as the newer ones use less power, have better batteries, etc..
And.... they will buy back my old UPS as a trade-in.
I did some checking and decided to buy a new one.
But I knew that there was a wiring problem with the house receptacle that my old UPS was plugged in to.
The ground was not connected to the earth ground of the house.
So before I could plug in my new UPS, I had to fix the wall receptacle.
I knew that the only solution was to rewire this receptacle.
From the main service box.
It was a project that I had been putting off for four years, but I knew had to be done some day and this was the ideal excuse to do it.
So.... I went to the giant house-stuff store and bought 100 ft of house wire.
The scheduled day for the project was Friday.
So, after my weight workout, I set about re-wiring my bedroom receptacle.
My service box in in my utility room, so I stated from there, feeding as much wire as I could up into the slit into my attic.
Then it was up into the attic (with my work light) to find the new wire, get my aging body over to it (with a combination of duck walking and crawling on the edges of the ceiling joist/trusses).
Once I got hold of the wire, I had to pull it through the attic to my bedroom wall.
This involved crawling/duck walking down the center of the attic and reaching around the truss supports as I pulled the wire along.
This was a good core workout.
Too good.
Finally, I found the bedroom wall plate and the hole where the wires were run down into the wall to the receptacle.
I pushed the new wire into the hole (fortunately it was large enough to accept another wire).
Then I climbed down from the attic and cut a 2 inch by 2 inch hole in the wall next to the receptacle.
This was to help me find the new wire.
With a small mirror and my flashlight I look for new wire in the wall cavity.
No see.
So I cut over another two inches.
Still no wire.
I cut the sheet rock two more inches and look again.
No wire.
This time I expanded my slit over two more inches and up by two more inches.
And when I poked in my mirror and flashlight, Voila!, I see my new wire a few inches above my slit.
My wall hole is now big enough for me to stick my arm into the wall, grab the wire and pull it down to the wall box.
Into the box it went.
I pulled enough through to give me enough to work with, stripped off about 9 inches of the outer sheath, and stripped about an inch off the ends of the black and white wires.
I bent them into a hook shape, slid them under the screws and cranked them tight.
(I had turned off the breaker to this receptacle earlier.)
Then it was back into the attic to pull the slack out of the wall.
This amounted to about a foot or two, at most.
Then back down out of the attic and into the utility room to pull a little slack.
Then I had to rout the new wire through the holes cut into the rafters in my utility room over to the service box.
That was a good shoulder workout.
Too good.
Once I got it to the service box I did a rough measurement of what I would need to attach the wires inside the box and cut the wire.
I routed the new wire into the box and stripped off about 12 inches of the outer sheath.
Oh, and I turned off the main power breaker.
Now there were only two little places where I could get shocked.
I stripped the wire, put the ends in the appropriate holes, and tightened the screws.
Done.
With that wire.
I flipped on the breaker.
I listen.
No arc welding noises.
No sparks.
Nothing.
This is good.
I go into the bedroom again and with my DMM (Digital Muli-Meter) and my handy-dandy, all-in-one socket tester, I check the receptacles in the box.
Hmmm.
Voltage reads good, hot to neutral (122vac), neutral to ground (0 vac), ground to hot (122 vac).
But now, instead of it reading "hot/ground reversed", it reads "open neutral".
How can this be?
All I did was add a ground wire.
Oh, well.
Since my stereo/entertainment center is wired similarly, I decided to re-do the receptacle for it in a similar manner.
And today was the day.
Since I had not killed myself in the previous exercise, I was encouraged to proceed.
I found the breaker to the living room receptacle, flipped it off and went through the same process,(poke new wire up into attic from utility room, climb into attic, pull more wire into attic, poke wire down through wall hole, climb down from attic, cut hole in wall, look for wire, etc)
After a couple of wall hole expansions I found the new wire and re-wired the receptacle.
I repeated the wire pulling service box measuring, cutting, bending, stripping, bending, inserting, screwing, etc.
Done.
Flip breaker on.
No noises.
No sparks.
Good.
I test.
Same deal.
Good voltages, but "open neutral".
AND when I plug my stereo into the receptacle and turn it on, strong 60 Hz hum in my speakers.
Not good.
It took me almost exactly four hours to wire two receptacles.
Time to call in someone who knows what they are doing.
I made the call, but they have not yet come to look at the situation.
(I tested many -not all - other receptacles in my little house and NONE of them read correct.
So I have a problem. Since many of them are "not right" in a similar way, I suspect something is not right in my service box. Wee shall see....)
Stay tuned.
In God we trust.
.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Hello
Everything is fine.
I have been busy working out four days a week.
I have been working to finish an analysis of a book by D.S. Warner, "Bible Proof of the Second Work of Grace".
I got inspired to build a few small accessories for my desk, workshop and gym.
My desk got a new elevated book stand so that I could put my big Strong's concordance next to my computer keyboard.
My gym got a couple of guides (for lack of a better term) to go on my barbell so that it cannot slide to one side during a certain exercise.
This problem is the result of some imprecise workmanship on another part in my gym.
Engineering change requests/orders are in process to correct this problem.
My workshop got a new and improved box in which to store my wood scraps.
This project came about while trying to build my desk stand.
I got frustrated trying to find pieces of wood of a certain size by digging through the big bin that I had all my wood scraps in.
All my little leftover pieces were all piled together in one big box.
So, methinks, why not build a storage container that allows my scraps to be divided by size?
Good idea, my other self says.
So, off I go to my quadrille lined paper to deeziin my new box.
After some measuring, cutting and glueing, I now have a new, sub-divided box for my wood scraps.
And I can see at a glance what I have of each size of wood.
Woo hoo.
More soon.
In God we trust.
.
I have been busy working out four days a week.
I have been working to finish an analysis of a book by D.S. Warner, "Bible Proof of the Second Work of Grace".
I got inspired to build a few small accessories for my desk, workshop and gym.
My desk got a new elevated book stand so that I could put my big Strong's concordance next to my computer keyboard.
My gym got a couple of guides (for lack of a better term) to go on my barbell so that it cannot slide to one side during a certain exercise.
This problem is the result of some imprecise workmanship on another part in my gym.
Engineering change requests/orders are in process to correct this problem.
My workshop got a new and improved box in which to store my wood scraps.
This project came about while trying to build my desk stand.
I got frustrated trying to find pieces of wood of a certain size by digging through the big bin that I had all my wood scraps in.
All my little leftover pieces were all piled together in one big box.
So, methinks, why not build a storage container that allows my scraps to be divided by size?
Good idea, my other self says.
So, off I go to my quadrille lined paper to deeziin my new box.
After some measuring, cutting and glueing, I now have a new, sub-divided box for my wood scraps.
And I can see at a glance what I have of each size of wood.
Woo hoo.
More soon.
In God we trust.
.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Doing the Math and the Moves
Today is Thursday.
Since I have decided to return to a four-workouts-per-week schedule, today is a workout day.
And since I am continuing with the plan that I paid $40.00 for a few months ago, the Monday and Thursday workouts work that same areas of the body, to wit: arms and legs.
The exercise I dread/hate the most is lunges.
They wear me out.
Today was lunge day.
I was not looking forward to this session, or at least, the lunge part of it.
But I have successfully completed my lunge tasks for the week.
The math works out like this....
20 pound dumbbell in each hand = 40 pounds.
Partial body weight (66%) raised and lowered each rep = 110 pounds.
That equals 150 pounds total weight each repetition (for each leg).
One set equals 20 reps for each leg = 40 reps per set.
Total sets performed = 3.
3 set of 20 reps = 60 reps per leg.
That equals 120 reps combined for both legs. (20 x 3 x 2)
120 reps x 150 pounds = 18,000 pounds lifted.
That, my friends, is a lot of weight.
The largest total load of any of my exercises.
Even more than squats lately. (175 + 110 x 21 x 3 = 17,955)
When I finished my last set, my heart rate was about 150 bpm.
But I have a very strong heart, it seems.
Within a minute my heart rate was down to about 120 bpm.
It is amusing to watch myself try to walk after these sessions.
I can barely stand up unassisted, let alone walk.
After each set I stumble/shuffle to my computer in the room next to my gym room and log in my results.
And rest for a couple of minutes.
Panting like an old man trying to lift weights, oh, wait....
Speaking of math...
Look at the new healthcare tax bill making its way through the U.S. Senate this week.
It contains a new tax on every medical machine or appliance sold in the U.S..
It contains a new tax on health insurance policies that contain extra benefits.
It requires every taxpayer to buy and pay for a health insurance policy, whether you want one or not.
If you do not, you will be fined.
Since the new health care tax will be administered by the Internal Revenue Service, failure to pay your new healthcare tax/premiums will amount to tax evasion.
You can be sent to prison for tax evasion.
Your health care is free in prison.
But since almost half of the doctors in the U.S. will retire/quit if this new plan is passed (see previous post), it will take longer for people to see a doctor.
More people will die waiting for urgent care.
Since more people, who pay taxes/premiums, are dying, less money will be coming in to finance all this wonderful healthcare that there are not enough doctors to provide, so the cost of the healthcare that the survivors must pay for will go up more.
Until the last guy living will have a healthcare bill of 5,000,000,000,000 dollars. (that's trillion)
When he sees is bill, he will pass out and die from shock.
End of the problem.
I predict there will be a mass migration of medical personnel to the Mexican border in the next 5 years.
I predict there will be 20,000+ doctors all along the U.S./Mexican border where you can get any procedure performed at a discount price. (cash/charge; no insurance accepted)
In God we trust.
.
Since I have decided to return to a four-workouts-per-week schedule, today is a workout day.
And since I am continuing with the plan that I paid $40.00 for a few months ago, the Monday and Thursday workouts work that same areas of the body, to wit: arms and legs.
The exercise I dread/hate the most is lunges.
They wear me out.
Today was lunge day.
I was not looking forward to this session, or at least, the lunge part of it.
But I have successfully completed my lunge tasks for the week.
The math works out like this....
20 pound dumbbell in each hand = 40 pounds.
Partial body weight (66%) raised and lowered each rep = 110 pounds.
That equals 150 pounds total weight each repetition (for each leg).
One set equals 20 reps for each leg = 40 reps per set.
Total sets performed = 3.
3 set of 20 reps = 60 reps per leg.
That equals 120 reps combined for both legs. (20 x 3 x 2)
120 reps x 150 pounds = 18,000 pounds lifted.
That, my friends, is a lot of weight.
The largest total load of any of my exercises.
Even more than squats lately. (175 + 110 x 21 x 3 = 17,955)
When I finished my last set, my heart rate was about 150 bpm.
But I have a very strong heart, it seems.
Within a minute my heart rate was down to about 120 bpm.
It is amusing to watch myself try to walk after these sessions.
I can barely stand up unassisted, let alone walk.
After each set I stumble/shuffle to my computer in the room next to my gym room and log in my results.
And rest for a couple of minutes.
Panting like an old man trying to lift weights, oh, wait....
Speaking of math...
Look at the new healthcare tax bill making its way through the U.S. Senate this week.
It contains a new tax on every medical machine or appliance sold in the U.S..
It contains a new tax on health insurance policies that contain extra benefits.
It requires every taxpayer to buy and pay for a health insurance policy, whether you want one or not.
If you do not, you will be fined.
Since the new health care tax will be administered by the Internal Revenue Service, failure to pay your new healthcare tax/premiums will amount to tax evasion.
You can be sent to prison for tax evasion.
Your health care is free in prison.
But since almost half of the doctors in the U.S. will retire/quit if this new plan is passed (see previous post), it will take longer for people to see a doctor.
More people will die waiting for urgent care.
Since more people, who pay taxes/premiums, are dying, less money will be coming in to finance all this wonderful healthcare that there are not enough doctors to provide, so the cost of the healthcare that the survivors must pay for will go up more.
Until the last guy living will have a healthcare bill of 5,000,000,000,000 dollars. (that's trillion)
When he sees is bill, he will pass out and die from shock.
End of the problem.
I predict there will be a mass migration of medical personnel to the Mexican border in the next 5 years.
I predict there will be 20,000+ doctors all along the U.S./Mexican border where you can get any procedure performed at a discount price. (cash/charge; no insurance accepted)
In God we trust.
.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
A Fun Time Was Had By Most
I attended the Saturday session of the 43rd Annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens, Alabama this past weekend (since most Saturdays are on weekends...)
It was good to hear the pleasant sound of acoustic instruments in the open air again.
I have been attending this event off and on for many years.
Even when my former pastor banned such attendance by completely misunderstanding what goes on here.
Since I had seen the kind of "competition" that took place, I continued to come.
I knew the intentions of the minister were good but misplaced.
I did attempt to correct him in a brief private meeting with him, but he would not relent.
So I ignored his pronouncement.
This year, as in several years in the past, a theme or trend emerged during the course of the festivities.
One year it was the year of the kids.
Several bands and individual young people showed up with exceptional talent and took awards for their playing skills. (including a blind 14-year-old fiddler who blew the walls out with his skills)
Two young men who now play in Ricky Skaggs' band "Kentucky Thunder" were among those young players - Andy Leftwich (fiddle) and Cody Kilby (guitar).
This year it was the year of the girls.
Four of the five finalists in the Junior Fiddler division were young females.
And they were exceptional musicians.
I would have hated to be a judge and have to decide who among them was the best.
And a girl won that category.
There were at least two young females in the flatpick guitar competition, as well.
The same was true of the Bluegrass Band competition.
Yep, an ALL GIRL band tore the house down.
The group is/was the Ward Family from Columbia, Tennessee (they have a website...)
Pay attention kuz you may be hearing more from these ladies.
Although there seemed to be fewer teenagers this year than in years past (it fluctuates for reasons I have yet to understand), there were plenty of contestants from that age group.
A one-handed dobro player and band.
It was good to hear the pleasant sound of acoustic instruments in the open air again.
I have been attending this event off and on for many years.
Even when my former pastor banned such attendance by completely misunderstanding what goes on here.
Since I had seen the kind of "competition" that took place, I continued to come.
I knew the intentions of the minister were good but misplaced.
I did attempt to correct him in a brief private meeting with him, but he would not relent.
So I ignored his pronouncement.
This year, as in several years in the past, a theme or trend emerged during the course of the festivities.
One year it was the year of the kids.
Several bands and individual young people showed up with exceptional talent and took awards for their playing skills. (including a blind 14-year-old fiddler who blew the walls out with his skills)
Two young men who now play in Ricky Skaggs' band "Kentucky Thunder" were among those young players - Andy Leftwich (fiddle) and Cody Kilby (guitar).
This year it was the year of the girls.
Four of the five finalists in the Junior Fiddler division were young females.
And they were exceptional musicians.
I would have hated to be a judge and have to decide who among them was the best.
And a girl won that category.
There were at least two young females in the flatpick guitar competition, as well.
The same was true of the Bluegrass Band competition.
Yep, an ALL GIRL band tore the house down.
The group is/was the Ward Family from Columbia, Tennessee (they have a website...)
Pay attention kuz you may be hearing more from these ladies.
Although there seemed to be fewer teenagers this year than in years past (it fluctuates for reasons I have yet to understand), there were plenty of contestants from that age group.
A one-handed dobro player and band.
Friday, October 02, 2009
AN IMPORTANT STORY YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
45% Of Doctors Would Consider Quitting If Congress Passes Health Care Overhaul
By TERRY JONES, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 09/15/2009 07:09 PM ET
Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.
The poll contradicts the claims of not only the White House, but also doctors' own lobby — the powerful American Medical Association — both of which suggest the medical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.
It also calls into question whether an overhaul is even doable; 72% of the doctors polled disagree with the administration's claim that the government can cover 47 million more people with better-quality care at lower cost.
The IBD/TIPP Poll was conducted by mail the past two weeks, with 1,376 practicing physicians chosen randomly throughout the country taking part. Responses are still coming in, and doctors' positions on related topics — including the impact of an overhaul on senior care, medical school applications and drug development — will be covered later in this series.
Major findings included:
• Two-thirds, or 65%, of doctors say they oppose the proposed government expansion plan. This contradicts the administration's claims that doctors are part of an "unprecedented coalition" supporting a medical overhaul.
It also differs with findings of a poll released Monday by National Public Radio that suggests a "majority of physicians want public and private insurance options," and clashes with media reports such as Tuesday's front-page story in the Los Angeles Times with the headline "Doctors Go For Obama's Reform."
Nowhere in the Times story does it say doctors as a whole back the overhaul. It says only that the AMA — the "association representing the nation's physicians" and what "many still regard as the country's premier lobbying force" — is "lobbying and advertising to win public support for President Obama's sweeping plan."
The AMA, in fact, represents approximately 18% of physicians and has been hit with a number of defections by members opposed to the AMA's support of Democrats' proposed health care overhaul.
• Four of nine doctors, or 45%, said they "would consider leaving their practice or taking an early retirement" if Congress passes the plan the Democratic majority and White House have in mind.
More than 800,000 doctors were practicing in 2006, the government says. Projecting the poll's finding onto that population, 360,000 doctors would consider quitting.
• More than seven in 10 doctors, or 71% — the most lopsided response in the poll — answered "no" when asked if they believed "the government can cover 47 million more people and that it will cost less money and the quality of care will be better."
This response is consistent with critics who complain that the administration and congressional Democrats have yet to explain how, even with the current number of physicians and nurses, they can cover more people and lower the cost at the same time.
The only way, the critics contend, is by rationing care — giving it to some and denying it to others. That cuts against another claim by plan supporters — that care would be better.
IBD/TIPP's finding that many doctors could leave the business suggests that such rationing could be more severe than even critics believe. Rationing is one of the drawbacks associated with government plans in countries such as Canada and the U.K. Stories about growing waiting lists for badly needed care, horror stories of care gone wrong, babies born on sidewalks, and even people dying as a result of care delayed or denied are rife.
In this country, the number of doctors is already lagging population growth.
From 2003 to 2006, the number of active physicians in the U.S. grew by just 0.8% a year, adding a total of 25,700 doctors.
Recent population growth has been 1% a year. Patients, in short, are already being added faster than physicians, creating a medical bottleneck.
The great concern is that, with increased mandates, lower pay and less freedom to practice, doctors could abandon medicine in droves, as the IBD/TIPP Poll suggests. Under the proposed medical overhaul, an additional 47 million people would have to be cared for — an 18% increase in patient loads, without an equivalent increase in doctors. The actual effect could be somewhat less because a significant share of the uninsured already get care.
Even so, the government vows to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from health care spending to pay for reform, which would encourage a flight from the profession.
The U.S. today has just 2.4 physicians per 1,000 population — below the median of 3.1 for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the official club of wealthy nations.
Adding millions of patients to physicians' caseloads would threaten to overwhelm the system. Medical gatekeepers would have to deny care to large numbers of people. That means care would have to be rationed.
"It's like giving everyone free bus passes, but there are only two buses," Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told the Associated Press.
Hope for a surge in new doctors may be misplaced. A recent study from the Association of American Medical Colleges found steadily declining enrollment in medical schools since 1980.
The study found that, just with current patient demand, the U.S. will have 159,000 fewer doctors than it needs by 2025. Unless corrected, that would make some sort of medical rationing or long waiting lists almost mandatory.
Experiments at the state level show that an overhaul isn't likely to change much.
On Monday came word from the Massachusetts Medical Society — a group representing physicians in a state that has implemented an overhaul similar to that under consideration in Washington — that doctor shortages remain a growing problem.
Its 2009 Physician Workforce Study found that:
• The primary care specialties of family medicine and internal medicine are in short supply for a fourth straight year.
• The percentage of primary care practices closed to new patients is the highest ever recorded.
• Seven of 18 specialties — dermatology, neurology, urology, vascular surgery and (for the first time) obstetrics-gynecology, in addition to family and internal medicine — are in short supply.
• Recruitment and retention of physicians remains difficult, especially at community hospitals and with primary care.
A key reason for the doctor shortages, according to the study, is a "lingering poor practice environment in the state."
In 2006, Massachusetts passed its medical overhaul — minus a public option — similar to what's being proposed on a national scale now. It hasn't worked as expected. Costs are higher, with insurance premiums rising 22% faster than in the U.S. as a whole.
"Health spending in Massachusetts is higher than the United States on average and is growing at a faster rate," according to a recent report from the Urban Institute.
Other states with government-run or mandated health insurance systems, including Maine, Tennessee and Hawaii, have been forced to cut back services and coverage.
This experience has been repeated in other countries where a form of nationalized care is common. In particular, many nationalized health systems seem to have trouble finding enough doctors to meet demand.
In Britain, a lack of practicing physicians means the country has had to import thousands of foreign doctors to care for patients in the National Health Service.
"A third of (British) primary care trusts are flying in (general practitioners) from as far away as Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland" because of a doctor shortage, a recent story in the British Daily Mail noted.
British doctors, demoralized by long hours and burdensome rules, simply refuse to see patients at nights and weekends.
Likewise, Canadian physicians who have to deal with the stringent rules and income limits imposed by that country's national health plan have emigrated in droves to other countries, including the U.S.
By TERRY JONES, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 09/15/2009 07:09 PM ET
Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.
The poll contradicts the claims of not only the White House, but also doctors' own lobby — the powerful American Medical Association — both of which suggest the medical profession is behind the proposed overhaul.
It also calls into question whether an overhaul is even doable; 72% of the doctors polled disagree with the administration's claim that the government can cover 47 million more people with better-quality care at lower cost.
The IBD/TIPP Poll was conducted by mail the past two weeks, with 1,376 practicing physicians chosen randomly throughout the country taking part. Responses are still coming in, and doctors' positions on related topics — including the impact of an overhaul on senior care, medical school applications and drug development — will be covered later in this series.
Major findings included:
• Two-thirds, or 65%, of doctors say they oppose the proposed government expansion plan. This contradicts the administration's claims that doctors are part of an "unprecedented coalition" supporting a medical overhaul.
It also differs with findings of a poll released Monday by National Public Radio that suggests a "majority of physicians want public and private insurance options," and clashes with media reports such as Tuesday's front-page story in the Los Angeles Times with the headline "Doctors Go For Obama's Reform."
Nowhere in the Times story does it say doctors as a whole back the overhaul. It says only that the AMA — the "association representing the nation's physicians" and what "many still regard as the country's premier lobbying force" — is "lobbying and advertising to win public support for President Obama's sweeping plan."
The AMA, in fact, represents approximately 18% of physicians and has been hit with a number of defections by members opposed to the AMA's support of Democrats' proposed health care overhaul.
• Four of nine doctors, or 45%, said they "would consider leaving their practice or taking an early retirement" if Congress passes the plan the Democratic majority and White House have in mind.
More than 800,000 doctors were practicing in 2006, the government says. Projecting the poll's finding onto that population, 360,000 doctors would consider quitting.
• More than seven in 10 doctors, or 71% — the most lopsided response in the poll — answered "no" when asked if they believed "the government can cover 47 million more people and that it will cost less money and the quality of care will be better."
This response is consistent with critics who complain that the administration and congressional Democrats have yet to explain how, even with the current number of physicians and nurses, they can cover more people and lower the cost at the same time.
The only way, the critics contend, is by rationing care — giving it to some and denying it to others. That cuts against another claim by plan supporters — that care would be better.
IBD/TIPP's finding that many doctors could leave the business suggests that such rationing could be more severe than even critics believe. Rationing is one of the drawbacks associated with government plans in countries such as Canada and the U.K. Stories about growing waiting lists for badly needed care, horror stories of care gone wrong, babies born on sidewalks, and even people dying as a result of care delayed or denied are rife.
In this country, the number of doctors is already lagging population growth.
From 2003 to 2006, the number of active physicians in the U.S. grew by just 0.8% a year, adding a total of 25,700 doctors.
Recent population growth has been 1% a year. Patients, in short, are already being added faster than physicians, creating a medical bottleneck.
The great concern is that, with increased mandates, lower pay and less freedom to practice, doctors could abandon medicine in droves, as the IBD/TIPP Poll suggests. Under the proposed medical overhaul, an additional 47 million people would have to be cared for — an 18% increase in patient loads, without an equivalent increase in doctors. The actual effect could be somewhat less because a significant share of the uninsured already get care.
Even so, the government vows to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from health care spending to pay for reform, which would encourage a flight from the profession.
The U.S. today has just 2.4 physicians per 1,000 population — below the median of 3.1 for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the official club of wealthy nations.
Adding millions of patients to physicians' caseloads would threaten to overwhelm the system. Medical gatekeepers would have to deny care to large numbers of people. That means care would have to be rationed.
"It's like giving everyone free bus passes, but there are only two buses," Dr. Ted Epperly, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told the Associated Press.
Hope for a surge in new doctors may be misplaced. A recent study from the Association of American Medical Colleges found steadily declining enrollment in medical schools since 1980.
The study found that, just with current patient demand, the U.S. will have 159,000 fewer doctors than it needs by 2025. Unless corrected, that would make some sort of medical rationing or long waiting lists almost mandatory.
Experiments at the state level show that an overhaul isn't likely to change much.
On Monday came word from the Massachusetts Medical Society — a group representing physicians in a state that has implemented an overhaul similar to that under consideration in Washington — that doctor shortages remain a growing problem.
Its 2009 Physician Workforce Study found that:
• The primary care specialties of family medicine and internal medicine are in short supply for a fourth straight year.
• The percentage of primary care practices closed to new patients is the highest ever recorded.
• Seven of 18 specialties — dermatology, neurology, urology, vascular surgery and (for the first time) obstetrics-gynecology, in addition to family and internal medicine — are in short supply.
• Recruitment and retention of physicians remains difficult, especially at community hospitals and with primary care.
A key reason for the doctor shortages, according to the study, is a "lingering poor practice environment in the state."
In 2006, Massachusetts passed its medical overhaul — minus a public option — similar to what's being proposed on a national scale now. It hasn't worked as expected. Costs are higher, with insurance premiums rising 22% faster than in the U.S. as a whole.
"Health spending in Massachusetts is higher than the United States on average and is growing at a faster rate," according to a recent report from the Urban Institute.
Other states with government-run or mandated health insurance systems, including Maine, Tennessee and Hawaii, have been forced to cut back services and coverage.
This experience has been repeated in other countries where a form of nationalized care is common. In particular, many nationalized health systems seem to have trouble finding enough doctors to meet demand.
In Britain, a lack of practicing physicians means the country has had to import thousands of foreign doctors to care for patients in the National Health Service.
"A third of (British) primary care trusts are flying in (general practitioners) from as far away as Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland" because of a doctor shortage, a recent story in the British Daily Mail noted.
British doctors, demoralized by long hours and burdensome rules, simply refuse to see patients at nights and weekends.
Likewise, Canadian physicians who have to deal with the stringent rules and income limits imposed by that country's national health plan have emigrated in droves to other countries, including the U.S.
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