Pondering Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is the first day of the holiday season.  A day to eat way too much, to spend a lot of time watching football on television and get a head start on Christmas shopping.  But thinking about the name of the holiday we are supposed to be celebrating, I truly have much to be thankful for. 

I'm thankful to be alive.  We don't always remember that that is not a given....

I am thankful for my wife, who more than anything else, is my best friend. She has taught me so much in dealing with life's challenges and difficulties that have come her way, but is always the one to be the first to help others. 

I am thankful for my friends.  Not just acquaintances, but those that I know I can count on to listen to me when things don't go the way we wish. 

I am thankful for my dogs.  Truly wonderful companions that can teach you so much. If you want to know the meaning of unconditional love, get a dog. Then try and be the person they think you are. 

I am thankful I have a job - two of them actually.  Way too many people in this country have been out of work for way too long. While my "career" has taken turns and twists, the important thing is I have a job where I can support my wife and I without depending on others. 

I am thankful for a roof over my head and food on the table. 

I am thankful I live in a country that lets me voice my opinions and call out against an arrogant, out-of-touch, inept and over reaching government. 

I am thankful that a majority of my countrymen seemed to feel the same way in our last election.  I have hope....

I am very thankful for the men and women that serve in our military and protect our way of life.  I am also thankful for those that serve in police and fire departments who also protect us and seem to go unnoticed and without thanks. Thank you. 

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Since its just the two us celebrating the holiday this year, like last year, we took a pass on the whole effort of fixing a mammoth dinner that would cost a lot of money and result in way too much food and leftovers that would last forever.  Instead, like last year, we're going to go out for a dinner and let others do the work.  Thank you. 

The downside to that, as we found out last year, is you probably don't end up with any leftovers and sometime around 9 o'clock you are craving a bit more dressing or another sliver of pie, there ain't anything. This year though, we are going to a nice restaurant that is serving up a Thanksgiving buffet and the wife is taking her over-sized purse..... 

Last year we both got a severe case of the munchies before bed time and got dressed and drove all over town looking for something.  There was absolutely nothing open - go figure.  Until we came across..... the What A Burger drive through.  So we satisfied our late night cravings with a What A Burger and fries. 

But I was thankful for it... 

Posted via email from greg-c - on the go....

This is insane - mandating medical payouts.

Could this be the end of the health insurance business as we know it?  Is this setting things up for the single payer government run program that Obama really wants? Or is it going to be the reason why your premiums are going to be going up?  Or all of the above?

 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Reform/23559

 

Or an article in the Washington Post here.

 

Starting in 2011, insurers covering large groups must spend at least 85 cents of each dollar in revenue on medical care.  For small groups or individual policies, (which would have higher administrative costsas well as a greater risk of adverse selection and moral hazard) the carrier must spend at least 80 cents of each dollar on medical care. 

 

For shame..... some of these companies only spend 60 cents of each dollar in revenue on medical care - the rest is used to pay for salaries, bonuses and marketing. (other administrative expenses, like rent, probably fit in there as well).

 

So if they have to cut their expenses by half to meet this government mandate, how many of these companies are going to stay in this business and how many are just going to say "Fuck It" and go do something else with the financial management expertise.

 

Or its going to mean that health insurance premiums are going to go up - like double - in order to be able to maintain the ability to pay baseline administrative expenses while meeting the 80% loss ratio requirement.  If you are currently paying a premium of $100 and 40% of that is going to expenses, that means the insurance company is paying $40 out in salaries and those evil bonuses.  In order to continue doing that under Nimrod's plan, they would have to charge a premium of at least $200 so they could have that $40 to pay employee salaries.  Or they could cut payroll and maybe outsource the claims handling to India.  Wanna talk to some guy in Mumbai about your Blue Cross claim?  Oh you already do?  Maybe they'll cut expenses there and you'll get the one that doesn't speak any English.

 

Liberals have never understood that price fixing schemes don't work.  It either results in shortages or eventually higher prices. Even Republicans had to learn the hard way with this - remember Nixon's price freezes? It don't work.  But maybe Obama and company are counting on this to shove a government run single payer system down our throats. Just remember, with a single payer system, you don't have any alternatives.  If you don't like the way they are handling your healthcare, too bad - ain't no where else to go.

 

Meanwhile President FuckNut wants to give all of the government employees a raise, paid for by the taxpayer or by the Chinese bond holders.

 

This country is going to be so fucked. Wake up Amerika.

Posted via email from greg-c - on the go....

Thanks Google, for remembering Veterans Day

Today, Google remembered Veterans Day with the Google Doodle.  

Thanks Google, for remembering those who serve. 

Posted via email from greg-c - on the go....

Its startin' to look a lot like Christmas....

I know... the real Christmas is over a month and a half away.  And one thing that really chaps me is when the stores start putting up their Christmas decorations on Halloween. Yesterday, Wal-mart had a real juxtaposition of Jack-O-Lanterns and Christmas Tree displays. With a few turkeys thrown in.

 

But you gotta admit... tonite seems a lot like Christmas Eve with the suspense of the big "surprise present" we're going to get tomorrow.

 

And if we end up with a big lump of coal, there's gonna be one pissed off little boy here...

 

VOTE!

Posted via email from greg-c - on the go....