If I become life-threateningly obese, can I count on my fellow Americans to pay for my surgery?

Paul Mason, 48, needs a [$33,000] life-saving [operation] after a compulsive eating disorder left him "super-obese".
He eats 20,000 calories of food a day - EIGHT TIMES the official adult male average of 2,500.
Paul scoffs three family-sized takeaways a night and wolfs down Sunday roasts like snacks.
He has spent much of the past eight years in bed at his home in Ipswich, Suffolk.
His care costs taxpayers an estimated [$165,000] a year.
And now he needs drastic stomach surgery to stop him eating and keep him alive - at a cost of [$33,000] to the NHS.
But first health chiefs have to tackle the problem of transporting Paul to a specialist hospital 152 miles from his home.
They even considered using an RAF Chinook HELICOPTER to airlift him to the unit in Chichester, West Sussex.
They have ruled out that option and Paul will now travel in a five-ton ambulance specially built for obese people at a cost of [$148,000]. An NHS Suffolk spokesman said: "This man is very ill and this is life-saving surgery.
"The nature of his illness is psychological and the NHS has a duty to help him.
"He is in a very fragile state and needs help. We are exploring all options for transporting him from his home to hospital but we have now ruled out an airlift.
"The most important aspect of transporting him is preserving his dignity and looking after his safety.
"We have not had anything like this before."
Susie Squire, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "While it is important to get this man the medical attention he needs, cost-effective methods must be used."
Paul has battled a compulsive eating disorder most of his adult life. His widowed mother Janet looked after him but she died six weeks ago at 76. He now has two carers treating him.
In 2002 a forklift truck had to be used to transport Paul from his bed and into hospital.
At that time he weighed 56st and paramedics called the fire service after finding it impossible to lift him.
Six firemen were also unable to get him on to a stretcher.
Eventually they took out a window and brickwork and knocked down a neighbour's garden wall to get him out.
Paul managed to shed 20 stone in 2006.
At the time he admitted: "You've got to change your mindset when you've got a food addiction. You can't have treats."
But he soon put the weight back on. And in 2007 he complained to his local council that he could not fit his special 3ft-wide wheelchair through the gates of an Ipswich park.

The country is certainly in a sad state when the government considers using the air force to transport a man to surgery, which will be paid for by the citizens of said country, simply because some random man didn't have enough will power to stop eating. Perhaps he should have considered the fact that I'm sure 99% of the rest of Ipswich's citizens can fit through the gates of the park before he decided to complain.

Importing Politicians

According to Daniel Hannan's blog, he's "still doing four or five American radio shows a week. The interviewers . . . keep asking [him] to move to the US which, given their general view of immigration, [he] take[s] as a great compliment. Even the internet's foremost libertarian, Judge Napolitano, seems to want [him] to run for American public office."
Personally, I feel that Americans have no qualms with immigrants -- at least those who enter the country legally. Therefore, regarding a general view of immigration, I believe it more or less depends on whether one refers to legal or illegal immigration.
If Daniel Hannan were ever to defect to the United States and run for public office, I would definitely vote for him. I feel that we are in desperate need of someone who is blunt and not afraid to offend anyone. However, I also believe that the United Kingdom, being approximately ten years ahead of the US in terms of its fall, is in need of Daniel Hannan and people like him (not that Gordon Brown seems to listen to them, anyway). So, instead of importing someone to knock some heads together and keep this country from degenerating, let's just find someone who believes in God and country. There were plenty in Glenn Beck's studio Friday afternoon.

I just checked the conversion rate for USD and GDP. After returning to England two years ago from Italy, I converted $200USD to approximately £87GBP. Today, $200USD is equal to approximately £134GBP.

Embarrassing America

Apparently, I should have been able to imagine the Queen power walking with an iPod -- she already owned a video iPod before Obama gave her another.
Also, Obama failed to shake the Queen's hand properly, but his wife did no better. Not only did she fail to curtsy to the Queen, but "by the end of the evening, the two women were standing side by side . . . as they moved closer and continued their chat, the Queen put her hand on the back of Mrs. Obama, who did the same for a few moments" (FNC). Nevermind the fact that it's a major breach of protocol to touch the Queen.
I'm just curious -- is this is a display of power on the Obamas' part, or are they simply ignorant?

A Gift Fit for a Queen

According to FNC, the Obamas met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip today and bestowed upon one another highly tasteful and professional gifts. No, Obama didn't present the queen with some boxed DVDs. He was even more tech-savvy this time.

During their private meeting, President Obama and the first lady gave the queen a personalized iPod with video footage of her 2007 visit to Washington and Virginia. She was also given a rare songbook signed by composer Richard Rodgers.

In return the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, gave the Obamas a signed portrait of themselves.

I'm trying to imagine the queen going for a power walk with her iPod on full blast. It's not working. Also, I'm wondering where the Obamas are going to hang the portrait.

Riots in London

G20 Protestors Jam London, Storm Royal Bank of Scotland Branch
Thousands of G20 protesters jammed downtown London on Wednesday, storming and smashing the windows at a Royal Bank of Scotland building. Others tried to storm the Bank of England, pelting police with eggs and fruit and rocking the barricades designed to control them.


One police officer was injured after being hit with a large pole during the demonstration and other officers were forced to retreat behind metal barriers as scuffles with the crowd intensified. . . .

"Every job I apply for there's already 150 people who have also applied," said protester Nathan Dean, 35, who lost his information technology job three weeks ago. "I have had to sign on to the dole (welfare) for the first time in my life. You end up having to pay your mortgage on your credit card and you fall into debt twice over."

Demonstrators hoisted effigies of the "four horsemen of the apocalypse," representing war, climate chaos, financial crimes and homelessness.

"The greed that is driving people is tearing us apart," said Steve Lamont, 45, flanked by his family and protesters who were banging on bells, playing drums and blowing whistles.

At least eight people were reportedly arrested for having police uniforms. One police officer lost his helmet and demonstrators tossed it around like a trophy and chanted slogans. . . .

Fearing they would be targeted by protesters, some bankers swapped their pinstripe suits for casual wear and others stayed home. Bolder financial workers leaned out their office windows Wednesday, taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them.

British Politics

Do British politicians always address one another in this manner? If so, why don't American politicians address one another in this manner? A lot more people would be interested in politics, I'm sure.

Yesterday, I believe, Glenn Beck interviewed Daniel Hannan, who is a Conservative MEP for South East England, as well as a writer and journalist.