Red and blue lights splashed across the pavement as the crowd gathered. Whispers floated above the crowd as neighbors stared with wide eyes in anticipation. The boy had been missing for days and it looked like the happy ending to this tragedy had died with the missing boy.
A woman was escorted by the grizzled police sergeant. Despite the years on the job and countless similar scenes, the pain in his face was visible as he led the woman towards the police cruisers.
A hush settled over the crowd as a scream ripped through the air. As the scream trailed off the silence was palpable, then a buzz picked up in the crowd. Such a sad thing, parents shouldn’t have to bury their children, some said. Who would do such a thing? Others wondered.
The mother was pulled away from the scene and led to a cruiser. The sergeant looking over the scene shambled back towards the boy who was lying next to the stoop of the brownstone. The boy looked to be sleeping curled up on his side with his head resting on his jacket. There wasn’t a mark on his body and the paramedics were baffled as to what caused the death. No signs of trauma or abuse. No blood, no bullet holes, nothing that indicated a crime had occurred. Not that it mattered. The boy was dead and there was no changing that. The sergeant clenched a fist and cursed
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
A Short Story
I've been writing a few short stories lately. I'd like to share them, but you must give constructive criticism because I really don't know how to write and would like to learn how to be better. This story is very short. I've left it open to interpretation as to who the characters are and what is happening. It was inspired by a test used to find the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
Dust drifted through the shaft of light coming from the small window overhead. The room was small and smelled of old wood and moth balls. Around the room were belongings that could easily be mistaken for junk. A rusting wrench, a small toy boat, some clothes and other items that are so easily collected throughout life and yet difficult to part with even after the owner has died and turned to dust.
On a stool in the center of the room an elderly man sat watching a small child walk around the room examining all the items. With the seriousness of a toddler the boy stooped to look closely at the wrench and then becoming bored tottered over to the robes. Picking up the robes the child giggled and a small grin creased the lined face of the old man. The child then spied the small toy boat and quickly tossed the robes down and hurried to snatch up the wooden boat. The sail was old canvas that was more brown then the original white and the paint on the hull had chipped and cracked. The child grabbed hold of the boat by the mast and gave it a big shake, hoping for noise or lights that he was used to seeing with his toys at home. Disappointed the child waddled over to the old man and handed him the boat with a look of hope in his eyes.
The old man took the boat from the child 's outreached hands and with tears in the corners of his eyes croaked, "Sorry little one."
A dark, tall figure that had been observing the exchange stepped forward.
"Frederick," the old man said. "Please take the child."
"Of course, sir." Frederick answered with a voice as cold as winter night. With the stiff-backed tread of a man accustomed to military marching, Frederick walked up to the little boy and with gentleness that belied his demeanor, took the boy's hand.
"Come, child. It's time to leave this place."
Turning quickly he led the small child through the door, leaving the old man weeping gently in the silent, dusty room.
Dust drifted through the shaft of light coming from the small window overhead. The room was small and smelled of old wood and moth balls. Around the room were belongings that could easily be mistaken for junk. A rusting wrench, a small toy boat, some clothes and other items that are so easily collected throughout life and yet difficult to part with even after the owner has died and turned to dust.
On a stool in the center of the room an elderly man sat watching a small child walk around the room examining all the items. With the seriousness of a toddler the boy stooped to look closely at the wrench and then becoming bored tottered over to the robes. Picking up the robes the child giggled and a small grin creased the lined face of the old man. The child then spied the small toy boat and quickly tossed the robes down and hurried to snatch up the wooden boat. The sail was old canvas that was more brown then the original white and the paint on the hull had chipped and cracked. The child grabbed hold of the boat by the mast and gave it a big shake, hoping for noise or lights that he was used to seeing with his toys at home. Disappointed the child waddled over to the old man and handed him the boat with a look of hope in his eyes.
The old man took the boat from the child 's outreached hands and with tears in the corners of his eyes croaked, "Sorry little one."
A dark, tall figure that had been observing the exchange stepped forward.
"Frederick," the old man said. "Please take the child."
"Of course, sir." Frederick answered with a voice as cold as winter night. With the stiff-backed tread of a man accustomed to military marching, Frederick walked up to the little boy and with gentleness that belied his demeanor, took the boy's hand.
"Come, child. It's time to leave this place."
Turning quickly he led the small child through the door, leaving the old man weeping gently in the silent, dusty room.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Health care reform's suckiness
I'm pretty sure I invented that word.
Suckiness; noun, meaning to suck so badly that it deserves a title or label.
Health care reform is a good thing. I'm not against it in general. I just can't believe how far off base Washington has become. We're creating this huge entitlement program in the middle of a recession people! Companies stand to lose millions of dollars if they keep their current workforce. What do you think they'll do? I hope you brushed up on your Spanish or Mandarin because you will need to learn how to say Si, Senor if you want to still be working.
My prediction. Stock market will drop like a rock tomorrow. Good luck in November Dems!
Biggest reasons I'm not happy with this crap sandwich of a bill.
1) Cost. I know you don't want to hear this but when the national debt is over $12trillion dollars and rising, not to mention the recession, this is important. $940 billion for the first 10 years. What they don't tell you is that the plan isn't even enacted until 2013. So 3 years of tax collection without any services is the only thing from making this cost much much more. So despite the gimmick. It's going to be expensive at a bad time.
2)$450 billion cut from Medicare to go into subsidies for people making under $88k per year to buy insurance. Most of those cuts are coming from provider reimbursement cuts. So if you see a lot of Medicare patients, you'll be making a LOT less money. I can't understand why someone making $80k can't buy their own insurance anyhow. Also, expect a lot of doctors to stop taking Medicare patients, which is legal. You can refuse service, which is already starting to happen.
3)Cost comparative and effectiveness board. It's a bureaucracy panel that determines which treatments are most effective for the best price. This is to save money overall. So like Seth said, instead of getting radiation and drugs, you lose your jaw. You're still alive and it's cheaper. This will also depend on lobbyists and who can convince this board what is best for patients. How do you think chiropractors will fair when AMA lobbyists start getting involved? This is going to hurt.
4) Individual mandate. Everyone has to buy insurance whether they want it or not starting 2016. If you don't you face a fine of $695 or 2.5% of your income, whichever is greater. Also included in this particular plan is a chunk of money set aside to expand the IRS. They will be the ones enforcing the fine.
Companies will also have to pay fines for not paying for health insurance. Up to $2000 per employee. What was once a perk or benefit is now a mandate. Do you think companies won't ship those jobs to China or Mexico to cut cost?
5) Insurance companies cannot refuse or charge more for people with pre-existing conditions. This sounds good in theory, but it means that premiums for everyone will rise. So that guy that sits around playing Nintendo all day smoking and eating Twinkies will only have to pay the same amount as his neighbor who eats right, exercises and only goes to the doctor for checkups. How is that a good thing? Shouldn't people be held somewhat accountable for their decisions? And shouldn't people who make good decisions be able to benefit from that?
I'm all for health reform. But this particular bill was not only off target, but I think it will be pretty harmful to this country in general for a long time coming.
Suckiness; noun, meaning to suck so badly that it deserves a title or label.
Health care reform is a good thing. I'm not against it in general. I just can't believe how far off base Washington has become. We're creating this huge entitlement program in the middle of a recession people! Companies stand to lose millions of dollars if they keep their current workforce. What do you think they'll do? I hope you brushed up on your Spanish or Mandarin because you will need to learn how to say Si, Senor if you want to still be working.
My prediction. Stock market will drop like a rock tomorrow. Good luck in November Dems!
Biggest reasons I'm not happy with this crap sandwich of a bill.
1) Cost. I know you don't want to hear this but when the national debt is over $12trillion dollars and rising, not to mention the recession, this is important. $940 billion for the first 10 years. What they don't tell you is that the plan isn't even enacted until 2013. So 3 years of tax collection without any services is the only thing from making this cost much much more. So despite the gimmick. It's going to be expensive at a bad time.
2)$450 billion cut from Medicare to go into subsidies for people making under $88k per year to buy insurance. Most of those cuts are coming from provider reimbursement cuts. So if you see a lot of Medicare patients, you'll be making a LOT less money. I can't understand why someone making $80k can't buy their own insurance anyhow. Also, expect a lot of doctors to stop taking Medicare patients, which is legal. You can refuse service, which is already starting to happen.
3)Cost comparative and effectiveness board. It's a bureaucracy panel that determines which treatments are most effective for the best price. This is to save money overall. So like Seth said, instead of getting radiation and drugs, you lose your jaw. You're still alive and it's cheaper. This will also depend on lobbyists and who can convince this board what is best for patients. How do you think chiropractors will fair when AMA lobbyists start getting involved? This is going to hurt.
4) Individual mandate. Everyone has to buy insurance whether they want it or not starting 2016. If you don't you face a fine of $695 or 2.5% of your income, whichever is greater. Also included in this particular plan is a chunk of money set aside to expand the IRS. They will be the ones enforcing the fine.
Companies will also have to pay fines for not paying for health insurance. Up to $2000 per employee. What was once a perk or benefit is now a mandate. Do you think companies won't ship those jobs to China or Mexico to cut cost?
5) Insurance companies cannot refuse or charge more for people with pre-existing conditions. This sounds good in theory, but it means that premiums for everyone will rise. So that guy that sits around playing Nintendo all day smoking and eating Twinkies will only have to pay the same amount as his neighbor who eats right, exercises and only goes to the doctor for checkups. How is that a good thing? Shouldn't people be held somewhat accountable for their decisions? And shouldn't people who make good decisions be able to benefit from that?
I'm all for health reform. But this particular bill was not only off target, but I think it will be pretty harmful to this country in general for a long time coming.
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