I hate visiting Portland. Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't mind being there, in fact I love it. It's the act itself, a temporary period of time that eventually leads to a rather unsatisfying ending, that is leaving.
Leaving is never easy, there is a little treasure that takes it personally every time we leave and each time we have to leave it gets just a little more difficult.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
A Healthy Beginning?
The nations health insurers have decided it might be time for them to play with them that keeps them at the dance. Yesterday, Karen Ignagni, the president of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)stated at a Senate hearing that the industry would stop basing a persons premium on their health and would extend coverage to all Americans, regardless of any pre-existing conditions.
While I applaud the industry for taking this dramatic first step, there is of course a caveat; in fact a critical condition. Everyone must get insurance. Oh, and they also want to make sure that any new system does not include a government insurance plan like Medicare.
The exlusion of a government plan is necessary because such a plan might attract those with private insurance because the government can bargin for lower rates.
Lower rates, that's part of what everyone wants but it sounds like AHIP wants to monopolize the health insurance market and then charge what ever they want. Like AIG they would be too big to fail and the insured would forever pay the penality.
So Ms. Ignagni it sounds like a good start but I think we need to maintain some skepticism. We can't afford to let the insurance industry determine what is good for our health and pocket book.
Oh, wait a minute, that's the current system and it works just fine doesn't it?
While I applaud the industry for taking this dramatic first step, there is of course a caveat; in fact a critical condition. Everyone must get insurance. Oh, and they also want to make sure that any new system does not include a government insurance plan like Medicare.
The exlusion of a government plan is necessary because such a plan might attract those with private insurance because the government can bargin for lower rates.
Lower rates, that's part of what everyone wants but it sounds like AHIP wants to monopolize the health insurance market and then charge what ever they want. Like AIG they would be too big to fail and the insured would forever pay the penality.
So Ms. Ignagni it sounds like a good start but I think we need to maintain some skepticism. We can't afford to let the insurance industry determine what is good for our health and pocket book.
Oh, wait a minute, that's the current system and it works just fine doesn't it?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Second Opinion
I saw an article today about soldiers that are not medically fit for combat duty. It seems that commanding officers, having gone through exactly zero years of medical school are apparently more qualified to determine fitness than the Doctors that have examined their patients and are bringing charges against anyone refusing to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan based on their Doctors advice.
It's bad enough that the Army has continued with its stop-loss policy by extending the enlistment period of soldiers that have completed their commitment but now they are sending individuals that may not be up to completing their assigned tasks for valid medical reasons.....over 40,000 of them since 2003.
I just have to wonder, how many of the 4,186 deaths or 30, 182 wounded were a direct or indirect result of sending medically unfit personnel into a war zone.
Just another notch in the belt of the Bush/Cheney legacy.
It's bad enough that the Army has continued with its stop-loss policy by extending the enlistment period of soldiers that have completed their commitment but now they are sending individuals that may not be up to completing their assigned tasks for valid medical reasons.....over 40,000 of them since 2003.
I just have to wonder, how many of the 4,186 deaths or 30, 182 wounded were a direct or indirect result of sending medically unfit personnel into a war zone.
Just another notch in the belt of the Bush/Cheney legacy.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Geek it up
Not long ago if you told someone you were a tweetie, they would have looked at you funny and would probably have started slowly backing away before breaking out in a full fledged gallop. But how times have changed.
Now it is perfectly acceptable to be known as a tweetie and in some circles if you are not one you will be the person that feels as if you don't belong. I have been that non-tweet individual and vowed to remain tweet free, that is until last Friday when my vow was broken.
I was kind of tricked/led/yanked into the twitter world. It seems every time NK and I journey to the land of Kaos we become geekier. Princess Kaos got an IPOD for her birthday on Friday and when NK saw the video on DW's pod she decided it was time to upgrade from here little mickey mouse music player; and we both bought an IPOD touch (if we were going to get them, we wanted to buy them while in Oregon to take advantage of not having to pay sales tax, saved us about $35.00). But that's not what led to my experiment with Twitter.
I was watching/listening to StrangeLove Live. Everyone was chatting during the show and I was making snide comments on the side.....then I joined in the merriment and the next thing I knew I had a twitter account and fellow twits were sending me welcomes and such.
I don't know if I'll continue or not after we leave, I guess it depends on how much time I spend on my computer, we'll see.
Now it is perfectly acceptable to be known as a tweetie and in some circles if you are not one you will be the person that feels as if you don't belong. I have been that non-tweet individual and vowed to remain tweet free, that is until last Friday when my vow was broken.
I was kind of tricked/led/yanked into the twitter world. It seems every time NK and I journey to the land of Kaos we become geekier. Princess Kaos got an IPOD for her birthday on Friday and when NK saw the video on DW's pod she decided it was time to upgrade from here little mickey mouse music player; and we both bought an IPOD touch (if we were going to get them, we wanted to buy them while in Oregon to take advantage of not having to pay sales tax, saved us about $35.00). But that's not what led to my experiment with Twitter.
I was watching/listening to StrangeLove Live. Everyone was chatting during the show and I was making snide comments on the side.....then I joined in the merriment and the next thing I knew I had a twitter account and fellow twits were sending me welcomes and such.
I don't know if I'll continue or not after we leave, I guess it depends on how much time I spend on my computer, we'll see.
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