In the midst of spending most of my time completing my new novel, and reading as much as possible about the present political shenanigans in the U.S.A. ––– in order to remain sane, I also finished a 520 page science-fiction tome, “Hunters of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It is a Tor Book, Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue. New York, NY10010, 2006. For those of us, decades ago, who read the original Dune novels, this book is a pale family member. The tale of the struggle between the Bene Gesserit, Honored Matres, and the “Outside Enemy” lacks the “punch” of the original great Dune novels. The story moves slowly up to a climax,  but leaves us nowhere ––– perhaps readying us for a follow-up novel. The writing is plodding and misses the elegance of Frank Herbert’s style. Nevertheless, it serves to give us some clues about the origin of the “scattering” and the events after. And the novel serves to bring back to our memories many exciting details of the original Dune novels including some of our favorite characters –––– Duncan Idaho, Bashar Miles Teg, the hideous Baron Harkonnen, and the noble Paul Atreides. At the end of the novel there is a fascinating “ Brief Timeline of the Dune Universe,” which really should have been placed at the beginning in order to better follow the narrative. I can only recommend this book to those who wish to have a new infusion of “Dune” and the adventures of mankind after the “scattering.”

“The essential principles of our Government… form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty and safety.” Thomas Jefferson–1st Inaugural Address, 1801.

In a study published online in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on August 3, 2010, “The use of revascularization procedures is increasing rapidly among those over 80 admitted for an acute myocardial infarction.” The report indicated that “For such patients living in Quebec, rates increased for both percutaneous coronary intervention (from 2.2% to 24.9%) and coronary artery bypass grafting (from 0.8% to 3.1%) from the mid-1990s through 2006.” In addition, “Despite a similar rise in the prevalence of comorbidities in this population, one-year mortality declined from 46.5% to 40.9% (P<0.001), possibly related to the greater use of revascularization procedures and recommended medications.”

Will the statistics show similar favorable results in the U.S.A. when ObamaCare kicks in completely in 2014 along with a $575 billion cutback in Medicare funding? I doubt it. Those golden years are looking more like pine box years.

Some administration officials who, like their chief, have no problem distorting the truth now say that the ObamaCare law has dramatically improved Medicare’s finances.  “Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund is now expected to remain solvent until 2029, 12 years longer than was projected last year,”  Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has proclaimed.

He conceded that is easier said than done.  “As we know the future is uncertain, these are very long range projections.  And those reforms require that we achieve very substantial improvements in efficiency and productivity.”

The Medicare trustees expressed some skepticism about those savings, indicating that there is “Great uncertainty” about the assumptions on Medicare cuts. For example, the health care law assumes some $200 billion in savings from productivity gains.The trustees called that “far from certain.”

Those and other assumptions have drawn fire from several directions, including John Goodman, President, CEO and the Kellye Wright Fellow of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He said,  “The problem is it’s all a fantasy.  It’s based on assumptions that are so unrealistic that Medicare’s own actuaries put out a separate report today, and I’ve never seen that happen before.”

In fact, the Medicare actuary issued a separate 18-page report questioning many of the assumptions used to justify $575 billion in cuts to Medicare:

1. It said these cuts to providers “. . . could jeopardize Medicare beneficiaries access to mainstream medical care.”

2. That In the next two decades these cuts could also force 25% of hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and home health care agencies into insolvency.

3. And many of these facilities “would have to withdraw from providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.”

The actuaries consulted several prominent health economists, and all indicated the payment reductions were unsustainable.

John Goodman “Half the funding for health reform is paid for by cutting spending on the elderly”, and the way they’re going to cut spending is by squeezing the doctors and squeezing the hospitals.”

Of course, The Medicare Trust Fund is empty, it’s a fiction. It’s a fiction filled with millions of IOU’s written by the federal government that has stolen all the Medicare receipts yearly for decades in order to operate the government and ameliorate the federal debt, which every year’s federal budget intensifies. So, if Medicare is to remain “solvent,” it means some other part of the government will be “insolvent.” What patent nonsense this administration spins!!

Good luck all you “Baby Boomers” as you gallop into those “Golden Years.”

The Obama budget represents the biggest disaster in our entire fiscal history (Michael J. Boskin, “Debt Roulette,” Hoover Digest, July 2, 2010).

In addition to the proposed increase from today’s levels in taxing capital gains, dividends, payrolls, incomes, and the initiation of an energy taxes, the enormous deficits and endless accumulation of debt by the Obama Administration will eventually force growth-inhibiting income tax hikes, a national value-added tax similar to those in Europe, and/or severe inflation.

1. In the first three years of Obama’s term, federal spending will rise about 4.4% of gross domestic product (GDP), far more than during President Johnson’s Great Society and Vietnam War buildup and President Reagan’s defense buildup combined.

2. Spending will hit the highest level in American history (25.1 percent of GDP) except for the peak of World War II.

3. The deficit of $1.4 trillion (9.6 percent of GDP) is more than three times the previous record in 2008.

4. Obama will add more to the deficit in his first two years than President George W. Bush  added in eight years in office.

5. In his first 15 months, Obama will raise the debt burden — the ratio of the national debt to GDP — by more than President Reagan did in eight years.

6. This debt and current and future taxes are rising just as the baby boomers are retiring and the costs of entitlements are growing, which will require major reform.

7. The Obama programs increase the number of people getting more money back from the government than they pay in taxes to almost 50%.

The Obama regime and his minions in Congress are pushing the United States into bankruptcy. Who will bail us out? China? Saudi Arabia? Europe? Or nobody? Will November stem the tide, or are we slated to be the next Greece?