Washington DC - Supreme Court Considers Legality of Obamacare

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Coltons Point - People's Court Considers Insanity of Obamacare

The US Supreme Court is listening to an unprecedented 6 hours of debate over the  Constitutionality of Obama's health care program.  It is another face off of biblical proportions between David and Goliath with the all powerful US Attorney General representing President Obama and a group of State Attorney Generals representing state's rights and the people.

The classic confrontation between a strong central government versus a division of authority between states and the federal government.

Federalism versus decentralize government.

More loss of individual freedom versus the government's right to control you.

Boy did we ever need this Supreme Court action in the middle of a presidential election, as if we didn't have enough problems with the staggering economy, the confused foreign policy and the breakdown of morality in government, in most institutions, and in life.

So I say the Supreme Court should declare the whole thing unconstitutional on the grounds:

The name alone is just plain deceptive or stupid.  This is the legal name of Obamacare, the health care reform program, "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872)".

Does that say anything about improving medical services, lowering medical costs, eliminating fraud, corruption, conflicts of interests, bribes or kickbacks rampant in the health care industry?

Before we adopt some smorgasbord of medical regulations that will increase the already too high cost of medical care and health insurance don't we need answers to a few questions?

1. Should the government be doing this?

2. Why do we stay sick if we can get well?

3. Will it bring down the spiraling cost of medical care and prescription drugs?

4. Will it help strengthen the body and make it self-sustaining?

5. Will it make the best use of medical knowledge learned throughout time?

6. Does it give incentives to make people well rather than keep them sick?

7. Does it eliminate the conflicts, fraud, corruption and abuse in the industry?

None of this is really addressed in the Obamacare or any other health care program of the government, proposed by the government or even being considered by the government.

Therefore the judgment of the People's Court should be Rejection of the program on the grounds of Insanity, and rejection of the arguments both for and against Obamacare as neither is relevant to the desperate wellness, health care and anti-corruption needs of the people of America.

The Supreme Court would do well to adopt a similar ruling.

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America can't seem to get enough of Kentucky

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As if the NCAA Battle of the Bluegrass between UK and Louisville is not enough - Kentucky natives carry Hunger Games on film and Missing on TV to astounding successes.

I, for one, can't get enough of Kentucky as you may have noted in my earlier prediction that Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence of Louisville, Kentucky would make history and bring female action leads to the forefront in Hollywood.

But it is even better than that.  Both young leads from Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence from Louisville and Josh Hutcherson who was born in Union, Kentucky have put the state firmly on the map as the film stunned Hollywood with a blockbuster $155 million opening weekend.  Not bad for a film that cost $80 million and the first of four films in a series.

Estimates are the film could generate over $400 million in domestic sales alone and the sequels could keep making a small fortune for the next seven years.

Yet there was another Kentucky actress also making headlines as UK's number one fan, Ashley Judd, premiered her new ABC series last week and finished in the top ten shows in spite of going head to head with American Idol.  Over 10.6 million watched Ashley bring Missing to life.

Here is what the media had to say about the Kentucky stars and shows.

The Washington Post

By Cara Kelly, Monday, March 26

The much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s book, “The Hunger Games,” surpassed expectations on its opening weekend, pulling in $155 million. The total earned the film several impressive distinctions, including third-biggest opening weekend of all time, the Associated Press reports.

"The huge haul marks the third-best debut ever in terms of revenue, behind the $169.2 million opening for last year’s “Harry Potter” finale and the $158.4 million opening of 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”

“Harry Potter” and “Batman” were well-established franchises. “The Hunger Games” set a revenue record for a non-sequel, taking in more than twice what the first “Twilight” movie did with its $69.6 million opening weekend.

“This is the birth of a franchise. To launch in this fashion is mindboggling,” said David Spitz, head of distribution at Lionsgate, which now also owns the “Twilight” franchise after its purchase of Summit Entertainment.”

The impressive revenue also earned the film several other honors, says Jen Chaney of Celebritology.

With just a single weekend under its belt, “The Hunger Games” is already very close to becoming the biggest hit of 2012.

"The Lorax,” which has been in wide release for three weeks, remains the year’s top grosser with $177.3 million in its pro-environment pockets. Expect it to hand over that title to “The Hunger Games” sometime during the next week.

“The Hunger Games” has already earned roughly 2.5 times as much money at the North American box office as "John Carter" has during the past two weeks.

And it did so with a budget well below half of what it cost to make “John Carter.” If only Disney had spent less money and handed Taylor Kitsch a bow and arrow, things could have turned out differently.

The earnings are great news for Lions Gate Entertainment, the production company behind ‘Hunger Games.’ The company bought Summit Entertainment in January, effectively bringing the other teenage smash “Twilight” under the same roof as Collins’s hit, the Associated Press reports.

These two movies could generate about $450 million in profit combined, estimates Cowen & Co. analyst Doug Creutz. The adventures of bow-wielding heroine Katniss Everdeen alone could translate to 6 to 7 years of higher earnings, Creutz says, adding that Lions Gate may post its first profit in five years when its fiscal year ends on March 31.

More than two-thirds of Lions Gate’s revenue comes from the movie business, so its first blockbuster means a lot. It had been getting by with staples like Tyler Perry comedies and the “Saw” horror series.

The rest of Lions Gate’s revenue comes from television productions such as “Mad Men,” which kicked off its fifth season Sunday. Although the company doesn’t reap ad revenue from the hit TV show, success with audiences keeps it in demand as a production company. It also boosts sales of DVDs and licensing revenue from reruns.

The opening figures are also good news for films featuring female action heroes. The success may inspire Hollywood to make more films with female leads, according to Christopher Palmeri.

“The Hunger Games,” which set a record as the biggest opening ever for a non-sequel, illustrates how Hollywood under- appreciates audiences’ acceptance of female action heroes, according to Phil Contrino, editor of researcher Boxoffice.com.

“People were hungry for something like this,” Contrino said in an interview. “Now everyone will be looking for the next ‘Hunger Games’ instead of every male-driven, Will Smith action film,” he said, referring to the star of “Independence Day” and “Men in Black.”

“The Hunger Games” may go on to capture $400 million domestically, according to Contrino.

The movie, which stars 21-year-old Jennifer Lawrence as an arrow-slinging killing machine, sold $59 million of tickets outside the U.S. and Canada, and was first in almost all of its 67 markets, Vancouver-based Lions Gate said yesterday in a statement.

This is what the media had to say about Missing, Ashley Judd's new TV series.

Debut of Judd's 'Missing' on ABC lands in top 10

By David Bauder

AP Television Writer / March 20, 2012

NEW YORK—If your television show revolves around a search for someone missing, it helps to have Ashley Judd looking.

That's ABC's lesson from Nielsen's television ratings. Last Thursday's premiere of the network drama "Missing," starring Judd as a former CIA agent trying to find a teenage son who disappeared in Rome, landed among the 10 most popular series last week with 10.6 million viewers. The strong sampling came despite "Missing" competing directly with Fox's "American Idol."

Go Kentucky...

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The Battle of Bluegrass Thoroughbreds

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Pitino Louisville versus Calipari Kentucky

March Madness and the Midwest Hayseeds - Where are the power conferences now?

East coast sports writers are left stunned after the NCAA round of eight left only Midwestern teams in the final four for national champions.  What happened to the eastern power conferences that dominated the selection process, conferences like the Big East and ACC?

Ashley Judd with UK Wildcat

Kentucky remains the prohibitive favorite and is the only number 1 team left in the tournament.  For the first time in about 50 years two teams from the same state will meet in the final four, Kentucky and Louisville, while the other two contenders are Ohio State next door to Kentucky and Kansas farther west.

We picked Kentucky as the winner and so far no one has come close to them.  Louisville, under the magic of former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino, has pulled off a series of major upsets to get to the final four.  Kentucky played Louisville earlier this year and UK won at home by just 7 points.   No one has come that close to UK in the tourney though they have played all away games.

Louisville Cardinal

Some sports analysts say the championship match will take second place to the semi-final battle between Kentucky basketball giants.  UK is the most successful team in NCAA basketball history while Pitino has made Louisville into the biggest basketball money generator for the school in the nation.

As John Clay of McClatchy Newspapers wrote:

ATLANTA — Not even Bourbon Street will know what hit it.

Welcome to what promises to be the wildest, craziest, most hyped, most exciting, most nerve-wracking and sleepless six days leading up to the biggest, most-anticipated sporting event in the history of our little commonwealth.

For a state that lives for basketball, this is a dream and a nightmare all at the same time.

This is Kentucky vs. Louisville in the Final Four for the first time.

This is the top-dog Cats, the NCAA Tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, winners of the South Regional by beating Baylor 82-70 on Sunday, versus the underdog Cards, No. 4 seed and surprise 72-68 West Regional winner over Florida on Saturday, squaring off in the Big Easy for a berth in the national championship game.

This is something that comes along once in, well, never.

It’s UK versus U of L, the state’s two biggest rivals on the sport’s biggest stage.

It’s John Caliapri and Rick Pitino, former coaching friends, now, well, current coaching competitors.

It’s one passionately insane fan base against another passionately insane fan base, that happens to reside within the same borders.

“It’s basketball,” said Calipari on Sunday as if this were a mere sporting event.

No, it’s Kentucky and Louisville basketball.

Oh, UK and U of L have played in the NCAA Tournament before, in the 1959 Mideast Regional semifinals (Louisville won), in the 1983 Mideast Regional finals (Louisville won) and in the 1984 Mideast second round (Kentucky won).

They’ve never met in the Final Four, however, though they came close twice.

In 1986, Louisville beat Auburn to win the West Regional, but Kentucky lost to LSU in the finals of the Mideast Regional.

In 1975, the two actually came within a whisker of playing for the national championship when Kentucky beat Syracuse in the national semifinal in San Diego, then Louisville lost a heartbreaker to UCLA in the second game that day.

Now, finally, everything has fallen into place.

However, don't overlook the other teams, Ohio State and Kansas, who rank among the basketball elite though they will not get the media attention of the Kentucky duo.  I lean toward Kansas reaching the finals against Kentucky with Kentucky winning but any of the four teams is capable of knocking off the others.

It should be a rousing finish to a rather lackluster NCAA season and if you have ties to Kentucky, the semi-final could just be a classic.  This is truly the Battle of Bluegrass Thoroughbreds.

By the way, UK is also still in the running in the NCAA Women's national tournament.  We just can't get enough of the Wildcats.

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Obamaville March 26 - The Preacher Man and President

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Santorum borrows "Obamaville" for campaign video while raging against Romney

Today Preacher Man Rick Santorum released a new video about Obama called, "Obamaville" perhaps borrowing the name used by the Coltons Point Times regular political column for over two years.

Over the weekend the Preacher Man, who is starting to rage like John the Baptist on Prozac, took another step toward political oblivion when he said Romney was the worst possible Republican to run against Obama.  Now what kind of party loyalty does that indicate?  Once upon a time the party candidates pledged to support whoever won the nomination.

It seems in the modern world of politics, at least as far as the Preacher Man (Santorum) and the Professor (Gingrich) are concerned, the new model of candidate decorum is if I lose I'm taking you down with me.  Of course these loose cannons are being encouraged by Obama's gang from Chicago but neither see themselves as being used by Obama as they are above truth and reproach.

Obama Caught Promising Russia if they get him elected he will have more flexibility to cut deals

Then there is our President Obama who is over in South Korea and was caught on tape talking to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and telling him to remind newly elected Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is an election year and if they help him get reelected he will have much more flexibility after the election to work out a deal involving Syria, Iran and North Korea.

Of course foreign involvement in the American presidential election is illegal but such barriers never seem to bother the Obama gang.  Here at the CPT will pointed out weeks ago that Putin was the key to negotiating peace in Syria, Iran and North Korea and now was the time to encourage the Russian leader.  At least the Obama people seem to be reading the CPT but his effort to get help behind the scenes from the Russians toward getting reelected seems to go way beyond legitimate foreign policy to manipulating the American political system.

Fancy that, a politician manipulating the political system.  Obama has proven quite adept at that so one should not be surprised.  I also doubt Putin would be the least bit fooled into helping Obama get reelected.

Obama campaigns for Keystone Pipeline - maybe?

In yet another public relations attempt to deceive the public Obama was out campaigning last week and said he would speed up approval of the lower part of the Keystone Pipeline, the same pipeline he rejected a few weeks ago.  Of course Obama has no chance of getting reelected if he continues to  oppose the pipeline as gas prices have now reached $3.90 a gallon and it is not even close to the summer driving season.

When Obama took office gas was $1.84 a gallon meaning it has more than doubled during his watch.  On the more important diesel cost, which fuels all the over the road trucks and most of the buses in America, the cost was $2.27 when Obama was elected and now is $4.21, an increase of $1.85.

Of course the White House mouthpieces say no one can do anything about gas prices overnight so we can't blame Obama yet Obama blamed President Bush for the price increases when Bush was president and Obama a candidate.  Guess that is fair play to the Chicago gang.

More important, no one expected Obama to do anything overnight.  What we did expect is that with total control of the House and Senate when he first got elected, why didn't he do something during the three years he has already been president when Congress could not have stopped him?

Now he can't do anything until after the election because he made too many promises to the environmental activists who helped get him elected four years ago.  Watch for him to sell out the green movement if he gets reelected as political expediency has always been a more forceful policy tool than public good for this administration.

The energy independence movement and Keystone Pipeline are  positions advocated by the CPT since before Obama was elected the first time.  We viewed them as crucial in order to start the long process of actually doing something positive to reduce our foreign dependence on oil and our slavery to the energy futures market.

President Obama must decide whether he will cross the bridge toward responsible energy management or continue double crossing the bridge as he now seems to advocate.  We will see if he adopts the CPT positions of energy independence and lower gas prices or decides, once reelected, that he is free to finish killing off the oil industry and make the big green fat cats the new power brokers and privileged class.

That is the true result of his redistribution of wealth philosophy.  Take from the old rich to make his buddies the new rich.

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Kentucky Derby Countdown - 43 days 8 hours 17 minutes

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Early spring brings early interest in 138th Run for the Roses

As the days, hours and minutes count down to the fastest 2 minutes in sports a picture is starting to develop of the strongest contenders to get into the Derby.

We give you the top four below but 250 horses are hoping to qualify for the Derby.  At the same time we are reprinting an article from the official Kentucky Derby website explaining about the entry process for horses in the Derby.

A number of people have expressed an interest in how the system works.  I hope this helps.

2012 Graded Stakes Earnings List

Updated Through Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Kentucky Derby 138 Graded Stakes Earnings will likely determine the participants in the 138^th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I) on Saturday, May 5.

The Kentucky Derby field has been limited to 20 starters since 1975, and graded stakes earnings accumulated in prestigious races on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” have helped determined the field for the 1 ¼-mile classic since 1986.

The Kentucky Derby 138 Graded Stakes Earnings List includes all 3-year-olds – colts, geldings and fillies – who were made eligible to this year’s Triple Crown at $600 per horse when the early nomination period closed Jan. 21. A late period for nominations at $6,000 each will close Saturday, March 24.

Twenty horses have entered the Derby every year since 2004, and 11 of the last 13 years. The 20^th and final spot in the starting gate – a.k.a. “the bubble” horse – has varied year to year. The final horse to make the field last year, Derby Kitten, had $120,000 in graded stakes earnings. Two years ago, it took a record $218,750 for eventual fourth-place finisher Make Music for Me to make the Kentucky Derby lineup.

Over the last five years, the final horse to make the field has earned an average of $132,650 in graded stakes races. In the case of a tie for the final entry position or the determination of all remaining starters, preference is given to horses that accumulated the highest earnings in non-restricted stakes races. If a tie still remains, the final spots in the starting gate will be determined by lot or a “shake.” For the first time since 1984, there will be an “also eligible” list with as many as four horses eligible to draw into the field until scratch time on Friday, May 4 at 9 a.m. ET.

In addition to Triple Crown nomination fee, owners must pay $25,000 to enter the Derby by 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 2, and an additional $25,000 to start. If there are less than 20 Triple Crown nominees entered, a horse may be supplemented for $200,000.

The Kentucky Derby post position draw – a tradition “pill pull” in which horses’ entry blanks are pulled simultaneously with a numbered pill to determine what stall a horse will break from the starting gate – will be held at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, May 2, at 5 p.m. ET (Live on NBC Sports Network).

The Derby winner will receive gold trophy plus an estimated $1.24 million payday. A total of $400,000 will be awarded to the runner-up, $200,000 to third, $100,000 to fourth and $60,000 to fifth.

Current Top Derby Contenders - Winnings to date

1.         Hansen                          $1,400,000

2.         Union Rags                  $1,070,000

3.         Creative Cause               $686,000

  4.         Sabercat                           $601,429
 

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/

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The People Speak Out - Searching for America's Soul

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Hillbilly Joe - Another Voice in the Wilderness

Every quadrennial the Colton's Point Times likes to leave our safe haven and find out what the real people out there think.  It always seems more timely when the interview takes place during a presidential election year.

This election we are doing a follow up interview with the most entertaining guest ever to appear in the CPT, Hillbilly Joe.  Hillbilly lives down here in the Yankee Confederate Demilitarized zone in Southern Maryland.

This place was torn during the Civil War being a member of the Union and more Southern than any Southern state of the Confederacy.  In fact Maryland, the Union state, was the most dangerous place on earth for President Abraham Lincoln.

That was about 147 years ago that it ended, or 375,585 days, 5 hours and thirty-seven seconds since the South surrendered and the world came to a premature end according to Hillbilly Joe.

It seems a lot has happened to Hillbilly Joe since our last interview.  First he had a music video with the bad boys John Galt and the Junk Yard Dogs.  Then the people "lost their wits" in Hillbilly's terms and elected that "Barak Obama" as president pretender.

That alone was enough to cause contemplated fleeing to another country but none could be found offering adequate immunity to Hillbilly's family and in particular their beloved "huntin' dawgs", Darrell, Darrell and Darrell of course.

Finally Hillbilly Joe put his foot down and a cloud of dust exploded from the seismic shock, and told his family he was not leaving Southern Maryland cause he wanted to keep his John Deere Dealer and nothing on this earth, preacher included, was as important as a competent John Deere Dealer.

Besides, that dealer gave him a bona fide John Deere hat.  You don't mess with John Deere loyalty in Hillbilly country.

I once asked Hillbilly what political party he joined and he said neither since they both supported the socialist government in Washington, which is only about 60 miles away.  To Hillbilly there is a simple choice between American or Socialist.

So what makes up an American to Hillbilly?

"Real Americans don't allow code enforcement by them bureaucraps," he shot back.  "Ain't nobody gonna tells us what we like, what we eat, or what we think.  And sure as hell no one gonna tell us how to build our homes or what to do with our toilet water.

So what do you think of the job Barack Obama did these last three years I asked?

"Whose he?" Hillbilly said though I think he might be pulling my leg.

"You know, our president," I replied.

"Oh that Obama.  Daddy says he's an alien, like those Avatars from Hollywood.  You know the ones?  Anyway, I think it's time he got a new job."

"So who would you vote for?" I asked.

"Not one of them thieves!" he bellowed, "I ain't even registered to vote and I can't because I might become one of them socialists."

"Either way we got another four years under a minority president and that sucks."

I reminded Hillbilly that Romney was White but Hillbilly said he was also Mormon and that made him minority.

"So what is the biggest problem facing America?" I asked.

"Damn diesel is too expensive for the John Deere.  It's killing us little people.  I tell you if that diesel gets over $5.00 a gallon the Deere people will stop mowing, stop weed cutting, and stop hauling junk to the dump!  We could see the renewal of the Civil War at $6.00 a gallon."

When I asked how the recession affected his life he lit up.

"Can't afford good steaks for the barbeque, got to cook burgers and chicken.  Walmart's been overrun by cheap China stuff.  And they sold Bud to foreigners.  Even the Bud frogs and Clydesdales are foreign owned.   Can you imagine that?

Can't even afford our big trucks anymore.  Now we faced critical decisions.  Do we drive the hog or eat fries and Big Macs?"

"Come to think of it, for the first time in my life as a bona fide bachelor, I had to start thinkun' about how much food my date ate so as I could afford her."

According to Hillbilly downsizing for a Hillbilly or Redneck is impossible.  Most of what they got filling the garage, basement, attic and front yard are priceless treasurers.

Take for example, the Bathtub Mary.  Now that is a shrine like no other.  Old Joe says it is Hillbilly landscaping.  Once the tub stops holding water you turn it into a shrine.  A form of ancient recycling. 

But most junk comes in the form of parts from something that broke, all the left over nails, screws and wood from projects that didn't get finished, and anything he came across that he did not recognize.  You see, if he didn't know what it was then he better hang on to it until he found out.

Hillbilly also went through a real relationship for a time, even attempting the concept of cohabitating for a while.  He thinks he might have been under some powerful kind of voodoo spell then because what else could make him move from the comforts of Hillbilly Heaven to the alien landscape of town.

Now Hillbilly lives in his parent's garage with his car and television which is quite a step up from our last interview before the 2008 election.  Back then he lived in a house trailer in his parents back yard until the giant Pine tree started dropping branches from about 100 feet onto the roof of the trailer.

With his corner condo in the garage he only needs to leave home to go to the bathroom or shower across the yard in his parents house.  As a culture Hillbilly's really have little regard for expensive working bathrooms when Mother Nature has always taken care of things.

Hillbilly left the comforts of home to try his hand at living with someone but a Hillbilly without family is like a Big Mac without meat.  In time he returned to his shed full of parts, skunks under the house, Bathtub Mary and mom's home cooking.

He did blame Obama for some of his recent suffering.  Since Obama started raising the price of diesel and gasoline he was forced to make an economic choice, to get rid of his Ford pick up or John Deere tractor to save money.

No way the Deere was going, I mean it was a true revenue generator bringing in tax free bucks mowing lawns.  So he traded in the Ford truck for a Chevrolet Sonic, a 40 mile per gallon car.

Hillbilly felt bad buying a car from Government Motors Company, GMC, when Ford was the only one to not take a bailout.  But his purchase of a Chev really hurt Hillbilly Joe's pop who was Ford lifer. Hillbilly might as well have become an Obama socialist.

As for the class warfare issue raised by the president, Hillbilly said it was stupid with a capital "D", everyone knows there are two classes, Hillbillies and Inferiors.

On the issue of food quality Hillbilly said people been gettin' sicker ever since the white coats started messing with the food chain and pumpin' drugs into our livestock.

War in Afghanistan?  Why are we fighting there when illegals are running all over our borders back here?  Bring the troops home.

According to Hillbilly Joe it seems we have provided so much protection to the doctors through insurance and government regulations with so many restrictions that they don't do any genuine healing for fear of setting a bad example.

Yet Hillbilly considers himself a true patriot unlike those socialists in DC.  Why isn't it obvious from the Confederate flag flying from the pole in the bzckyard, with the Don't Tread on Me flag below it, while living in the garage condo just a stone's throw from the nearest bathroom.

Okay, we heard enough for this election.  Can't wait for the next quadrennial.

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