I disagree that Rep. King is the king of Tea Party nutcases.

The Nutcase King for life is undoubtedly Louis Gohmert.
Steve King is only the Nutcase chancellor.

Yes, I understand they're saluting a group named

"Ghost", whose lead wears a cardinal's robes.
I'm more a big-picture person myself and think business owners would do well to think long-term .
I've a son that lives in Chicago, and like a good burger.
I'll check to see if this antic appeals to his appetite.

I agree with delaying taking Social Security as soon as possible

if the income is not needed.
Suze Orman concurs. (i am a faithful listener of her advice.)
If you can delay it until 70, even better.
Actually I understood, that the age for full social Security was about 67 now, though I guess you can still take it early and get a reduced amount.

Thank you for clarifying, Fortinbras.

Two lucky people.
May you continue your revelry even when memory and other functions fail.

+1

Extremely offensive, and very poor PR.

What a happy dream!

I used to believe that it's possible to direct your dreams by thinking before sleep and even during the day, of the subject of which we wish to dream.
I don't do that anymore - I just want to sleep now as quickly as possible, but I still think it's possible.

"I don't want to be sent off to a nursing home..."

None of us would choose to go off to a nursing home, but I believe the dread of it is overrated.
Further, I believe we do a disservice to the many who will at some time be entering a nursing home for what they realize at the time will be the rest of their lives. The disservice is in furthering the stereotype of how awful life in a nursing home is.

Almost daily for six years I visited a loved one in a nursing home; I also spent a week living in the nursing care unit while recovering from surgery. Your meals are prepared and brought to you, your bed is changed, and you have a button to request assistance as needed. Entertainment is often provided, and one can usually find a compatible person for conversations, etc. There have even been romances blossom.
There are many things distasteful about a nursing home, most of which come down to loss of independence - meals at a specified time, being told when to bathe, get dressed, go to bed, get up, etc.

I've also spoken with people who dislike being surrounded by "old people", which also includes the mental and physical disabilities of those aged. I personally don't dislike old people, though some are annoying, but there are some annoying people anyplace.

I won't continue hijacking the OP any further, but just felt I had to answer Fr. Kueng's statement re nursing homes.

Well put. nt

There was a report last evening that the woman suffered

from post-partum depression.
If accurate, that could account her unreasonable actions.

I cannot judge whether she had to be shot to death under the circumstances, but my heart goes out to her child left to grow without her mother, and to her family, left to "clean up" the mess.

David, I'm sorry you experienced that at the end

of your father's life. I'm sure the period after the first stroke was very hard on your father as well, as he lost his physical independence at a relatively young age.

If we have been fairly healthy and not involved in the medical field, we unfortunately learn more than we ever want to know when someone close to us experiences these severe illnesses.
And, as you know, although some could have been prevented with better life habits, others are completely spontaneous and just the result of our human body's inherent frailty.

It's likely your father's experience brought home to you the need for medical insurance, no matter one's age or relative health.