pointless to follow the news of the war(s)

clipped from stuartbuck.blogspot.com C.S. Lewis on Wartime News and Newspapers in General to strive to master what will be contradicted the next day, to fear and hope intensely on shaky evidence, is surely an ill use of the mind. Most of what he remembers he will therefore have to unlearn;

My insurance company wants to sue my 3-yr-old

In an effort to not have to pay the ER bill I incurred, Captial BlueCross is suggesting I go after my preschooler for the money.

Let me explain. One nice, quiet, peaceful summer evening, as I was putting my then 2-year-old son to bed, he retaliated by sending me to the emergency room.

OK, not exactly, it wasn't intentional (so he says), but he threw his head back, straight into my mouth, splitting my lip open vertically across my unstraightened teeth.

After the blood stopped gushing, I gathered the courage to examine the inside of my lower lip, discovering it split almost completely through to the other side. Opened up just like, well, a pair of lips.

When I got to the ER, I explained to the admitting/intake clerk what happened - that my son's head struck my face, splitting my lip open. She shook her head, took notes, gave me a bracelet and told me to have a seat.

As an aside, it occurred to me as I waited that anyone who opposes state-run medical facilities for fear of having to wait to see a doctor has never actually been to an "emergency" room. No, I was not in mortal peril - it was evening, and a weekend, so there would be no GP to consult. Still, I waited most of the evening to see someone.

I eventually did see the triage nurse. He took a look inside my mouth and concluded I would require stitches. When he asked how I came to have this injury, I reiterated the above story. He was amused, but not unsympathetic.

I was then admitted inside, and proceeded to wait further to see another medical professional. An attending nurse prepped the room, pulling out all manner of instruments for suturing deep lacerations. And then I waited some more.

Eventually a doctor's assistant (I believe - in any case someone capable of attending to my injury and making a qualified examination thereof) came in and said that my lip had mostly healed already (!!). I could have stitches if I wanted, but that itself would be painful, and that area of the mouth heals very quickly (I didn't think I had waited that long). So off I went back home, with my discharge papers, new bracelet and an ER co-pay bill in my hand.

To the point of this story, I did tell the attending doctor('s assistant) the same story about how my lip came to be that way.

Months go by, and I get the Explanation of Benefits from CBC. They're denying payment, because they've come to believe that the injury was the result of an auto accident (?). They suggest filing a claim against my auto policy.

The part of my brain that believes conspiracy theories wondered if they were trying to weasel out of paying - "clearly the nature of your injuries suggests they were sustained in an automobile accident" - but having a wife who works in the health care field, I understand how someone could write down the wrong code on a form, and my injury could be misclassified. I call to clear up the confusion.

The clerk I spoke with was more than pleasant. He, like everyone, was amused at my retelling of how my son came to bust me in the mouth. He said he would make the proper notations, and that would be it.

Always be wary when someone in that position says something like that.

I've just now gotten a letter - a form to fill out, actually - an "Other Party Liability Report." My "contract contains a Subrogation provision that includes the right of recovery for benefits provided when a third party has first payment responsibility." In other words, tell us who's responsible, so we can go after them for the money.

They want to know if it was (again) the result of an auto accident, or was work-related. Under "Section 2 - Complete this section if another person or party was responsible for the injury/illness," it asks, "has or will the person file a claim against the responsible person or the insurance company?" Then it asks for their insurance information - uncuriously, it's the same as mine. It then asks if I've retained an attorney.

No, I wasn't planning on suing someone with the same last name who lives at the same address, who's on my insurance policy. Yes, I know forms like these often get kicked out automatically by "the system" and that they're usually applicable, but considering everyone involved should know by now how it happened, I shouldn't have to explain it again.

The Bad Sleep Well

the title of an old Japanese movie, in case you were wondering how anyone at Bank of America could sleep at night. Thousands of loans where both the lender and the borrower could have been helped by modification end up in foreclosure anyway. Ever wonder why?

clipped from open.salon.com “According to my records there were no attempts by Bank of America to reach me,” I assert.  He tells me according to his records I’m incorrect so I ask for specific dates and times of these alleged attempts to reach me.  “We don’t keep a log of those,” he responds I could go around in circles all day with this guy bending his absence of critical thoughts into origami baseball bats and beating him senseless with them but I see no point. Foreclosure: Staring Down the Barrel of a Loan Mod Ray Gun

Define "pre-existing"

John 1 (Americans 0):

(via crosswalk.com)

ı In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

I can have been in multiple auto accidents - causing all of them through my own faults - have had my driving privilege revoked (temporarily), and still be able to purchase (government mandated) auto insurance (albeit at a higher cost).

I can purchase a home in southern California and many agencies would still sell me flood, mudslide and fire insurance, though it would be more costly than for someone in, say, Montana.

The point is, I could get it.

How does, "sorry, you had that before you got here," only apply when you're paying for medical care?

If I'm a woman and I've had a C-section or been the victim of domestic abuse, or if I was born with a congenital health issue and turn 18 and am no longer covered under my parents' plan, under all the circumstances I can find myself unable to acquire health insurance. They just won't sell it to me.

Or, having an insurance policy, if I change jobs and get a new employer-sponsored health plan or my current employer changes providers, or again am the above woman, I can, legally, be denied payment for necessary treatments.

Sometimes we need to pay for conditions we already have. And if we're paying for "just in case," we expect the case to be paid for, should the time arise.

Without payment there is no treatment. Without treatment, there is severe illness and death. And we allow this to go on.

The idea that something could have existed in some form before it became manifest is a debate for theologians, philosophers and quantum physicists. Not politicians and lobbyists. And if more insurers employed more theologians and philosophers, there wouldn't be much of a debate at all.

Word.

Glenn Beck, Super Genius

Why do we continue to watch beck? For the same reason we continue to watch Wile E. Coyote. Both are perceived as evil (the coyote is, after all, just trying to eat), both keep coming up with more and more outlandish means to accomplish their ends, both are not taken seriously by their main adversaries (the only time the road runner even acknowledges the coyote is when he has to step out of the way), and both of them are doomed to failure.

And so we can't turn away. They keep trying, they keep failing, and we keep watching that failure, every party wondering who among them will be the least persistent and eventually give up.

Unlike the coyote (who somehow can afford - and find for purchase - rocket skates, but not a cheeseburger), Beck wants you to watch - that's his purpose. The more outrageous he gets, the more people go, "oh no he di'int," and tune in.

And unlike the emaciated coyote, Beck knows where his next meal is coming from.

(via Salon.com: Progressives are like slave owners; and LA Times: Slavery was a liberal cause.)

Lost Generation

You simply must see this video. I came across it through friends on Facebook.

While listening to the message, it's easy to be blown away by the way in which it's presented. Technical and editorial feats aside, go back and listen to the message.



Reminiscent of "Wear Sunscreen," ("Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997, not Kurt Vonnegut) I suspect it'll be the subject of more than one graduation ceremony.

Vote already, dammit! This is why "reform" will never happen.

Kidney stones are passed easier than health care reform. This is why I can't stand the Democrats. They're trying to compromise, and the Republicans want only capitulation. They want [i]nothing[/] done that doesn't heap more profit on private insurers.

clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com Mike Enzi, Gang Of Six Republican, Admits He's Simply Blocking Health Care Reform Mike Enzi, one of three Republicans ostensibly negotiating health care reform as part of the Senate's "Gang of Six," told a Wyoming town hall crowd that he had no plans to compromise with Democrats and was merely trying to extract concessions. He assured conservatives that his presence was delaying health care reform. "If I hadn't been involved in this process as long as I have and to the depth as I have, you would already have national health care," he said. Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, said that he would support passing health care with a simple majority if it became clear the GOP wasn't serious.

Cutting Out Coupons

I came to a realization today as I was making my turkey sandwich for lunch. When I was adding the salami (what, you don't put salami on your turkey sandwiches?) I looked at the price tag and started to do some math--see, I bought the store brand over the name brand because it was $1.50/lb. cheaper. (woo-hoo!) Net savings: 40¢.

That's when I started thinking about all the other things that are supposed to save me money but aren't actually worth it.

My wife and I decided a couple weeks ago that it's OK to use credit cards to buy gas again. Yes, there's a higher price (and why that's tolerated, if not illegal, is beyond me--try that in any other retail establishment) but the difference to fill the 10-gallon tank on my Corolla is 60¢ extra on a near $30 purchase.

One of the reasons I like using cards is I get to download the activity into Quicken and keep track of my spending. Having to [remember to] collect all the receipts and enter all the info manually or, worse, having to write down or remember every purchase is something I'm just not going to do. (I'm lazy that way.) To me, it's a nominal fee for the convenience.

Plus, there's a bunch of rewards cards that offer up to 2% cash back on purchases--like gas--which offset some if not all of the cost.

Now, there are research studies which say that people tend to spend more when they use plastic over pulling tangible cash out of their pockets. But I'm not heading out to the mall for back to school clothes, I need gas. Spending this way just requires a little discipline (which I don't have).

This lack of discipline is why I'm only taking cash the next time the wife and I go to Costco. We can't seem to get out of there for under $100. Go in for some food and cleaning supplies, and come out with an XBox, 2 coats, 4 pairs of pants and a new coffee machine. Oh, sure, they were cheap, but until we saw the ridiculously low prices, we weren't in the market for them. You also have to be able to recognize a bargain when you see one. The toilet paper was half the price of the supermarket, but now I need a place to store 72 rolls in a two-bedroom condo. If you're not buying for the football team picnic or stocking your underground bunker, you probably don't need the two 20-lb. vats of peanut butter or mayonnaise.

You need to do a cost-benefit analysis. Figure out the cost per square foot of your home, then figure out if that space is best suited for saving a few bucks on condiments. Also, how much do you make an hour that you'll take the time to clip and organize 25¢ coupons and have it worth your while?

I think it was Gary Marcus in his book Kluge, when talking about failures in reasoning, who points out that most of us would drive across town to save $25 on a $50 toaster, but wouldn't bother to save $25 on a $2500 flat screen TV. We reason (or, rather, fail to) it's about percentages, that 10% isn't enough of a savings for the effort, when really we should be deciding if $25 is enough to drive across town - either it is, or it isn't.

My wife just found a new job; I just lost one. (I didn't really lose it--I still know where it is, I just don't go there anymore.) Finding ways to save money is important to us. We stopped buying organic milk and eggs, which were twice and up to three times more expensive, respectively. But combing through circulars for an hour or two to save 40¢ on substandard cold cuts?

If they win, YOU LOSE

Dear friend:

If the insurance companies win, you lose.

If reform passes without the choice of a public health insurance option, if insurers can keep denying care for pre-existing conditions, and if you can't afford health insurance, the insurance companies will keep making money while you will keep losing out. It's really that simple.

We must fight back.

Today, thousands of people across the country are taking the fight directly to the insurance companies. We'll be presenting the insurance companies with a list of demands: Stop denying our care and stop using our premiums to lobby against health reform.

Click below to fax your insurance company these demands. A copy will be sent to the Senate Finance Committee who are starting debate on the Baucus Bill today:

    http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/speakout/sick

For years the insurance companies have expanded their total stranglehold over health care. They make record profits. The make life-and-death decisions. And they're spending millions of dollars on campaign contributions and lobbyists to defeat reform - over $770,000 per day!

That's your money they're spending to defeat health care reform and the choice of a public health insurance option.

You're a customer and a person with a voice, so you can fight back. Click below to fax your demands to the insurance industry and join thousands who are doing the same thing today:

    http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/speakout/sick

Your message will get to your insurer, your Members of Congress, and Members of the Senate Finance Committee, who are starting to work on the Baucus Bill - a bill that gives the insurance industry everything it wants.

Thank you for fighting back against the insurance industry - the real enemy in this debate.

Let's clog up their fax machines! Click here:
    http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/speakout/sick

With your help, we'll be the ones who will win.

Thanks!

No Compromise

my 3-yr-old understands negotiation better

clipped from pol.moveon.org Pass Obama's health care plan Last night, President Obama challenged Congress to "meet history's test" and finally fix our broken health care system. He pledged to seek common ground between Democrats and Republicans, and assured them all: "My door is always open." Republicans responded by heckling, booing, and hissing. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) screamed out "You lie!" as the President defended his health care plan against false right-wing attacks. We can't afford to let right-wing extremists like Joe Wilson hold health care reform hostage. As Obama put it, "the time for games has passed. Now is the season for action." Let's send a message to Congress, demanding swift action to pass real health care reform. A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your senators and representative.

Why does Hitler get such a bad rap?

But then why do people try to equate Obama to Hitler, if he was such a nice guy, Pat?

clipped from www.mediabistro.com First They Came For The Nazi Apologists... If only the powers that be at msnbc.com understood that Adolph Hitler actually was a man of peace, they wouldn't have acted so rashly in removing their site's link to a Pat Buchanan column essentially blaming England for World War II. no worthy news organization should employ a commentator who engages in such vile fiction. if you want to read Buchanan's column ("Did Hitler Want War?"), written to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Germany's invasion of Poland, it's here (screen shot below). Be ready, though: It truly is a litany of lunacy.

You can't fix stupid

for me, “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school" says it all

oh, and I really want one of those shirts - brilliant marketing, if you asked me

clipped from thinkprogress.org Missouri school district bans t-shirts for acknowledging evolution. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school.” Law professor Jonathan Turley notes, “Evolution is not a religious issue. Extremists want to make evolution into a religious question, but it is not.” “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”

All holidays! All the time!

I'm going caroling at the pool, dressing up and going trick-or-treating for Labor Day and baking pumpkin pie in April. From the people who bring you Back to School sales in June - this is worse.

clipped from online.wsj.com 'Twas 147 Shopping Days Before Christmas ... Rocked by Slump, Retailers Get Jump on Santa; 'Let's Get Past Halloween,' a Shopper Laments It's the time of year when Dad's mowing the lawn, Mom's packing up a picnic, and the kids are splashing in the pool. Yep, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Toys "R" Us Inc. decided to market its summertime Christmas discounts with an image of Santa lounging on the beach in sunglasses. Sears.com and Kmart.com used a vintage, snowy street scene accompanied by offers of free shipping. One person who is a little nonplused by the explosion in July Christmas sales is Mr. Barnes, the Texas songwriter with a band called Brave Combo who wrote "Christmas in July." "I wrote it to say that when people are focused on making money, nothing is sacred," he says. "Of course, it was mainly intended to be amusing."

Bugs in new iPhone OS 3

Landscape keyboard! Cut & paste! More new APIs than you can shake a developer at! Everybody's all hot and bothered over the iPhone OS 3.0 release - but what about the numerous bugs?.

clipped from www.woot.com 12 Bugs We've Found In iPhone OS 3.0 Multimedia messaging does not support sculpture, macrame, or interpretive dance. Voice memo recordings totally don't sound like me. I don't sound like that, do I? Seriously? Turned on adult content filter but everybody in my videos still has their clothes on. Adding a task to calendar did not result in task getting done. Clicked this blue "compass" icon but kept getting some stupid web browser. Still no apps to cure the nagging feeling that I should've bought a Palm Pre. The touchscreen is now on the back of the phone instead of the front. Gone to the bathroom four times already today, and Remote Wipe hasn't worked once. Spotlight search crashed with memory overload error trying to index my Harry Potter cosplay photo collection. Tried out tethering, but I think I broke my finger smacking that phone around the pole. Apple still hasn't fixed the no-hardware-keyboard bug. "Cut" function does not apply to monthly AT&T bill.

Thought for the day: God is a woman

I know I'm going to get myself into trouble by saying this out loud, but here goes:

Walking through the subway today, as I do almost every day, I was subjected to, as I am almost every day, the perhaps clichéd sidewalk preachers and signpost-wearers, warning of eminent doom, and that I must repent and follow God if I was to be saved eternal torment.

This one in particular, fairly new to this particular tube connecting the bus terminal with Times Square, wearing his "Fear God" hoodie and carrying his small, hand-lettered sign (but don't they all?), was again going on about the coming appocalypse (apparently the almighty has a timetable for withdrawal...). He says that Jesus is going to send all of us to eternal torment for not loving him. This got me thinking.

First, I never went to sunday school, but I'm pretty sure it's not Jesus who's going to be handing out the damnation red cards in the final days. (Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) Everything I've read or heard about Jesus suggests he was a pretty forgiving and accomodating guy. If he can forgive the people publicly flogging him, I think he'd be willing to overlook the occasional lustful thought about my neighbor's wife.

It seems to me that the spirit of those sermons wasn't, "follow me explicitiy or I'll see to it you're tormented for eternity," so much as most of us are heading for a bad place, so grab your personal ethical floatation device so you don't end up there. Not, "follow me or I'll damn you," but "I'll help you if you do." A subtle difference, yes, but an important one.

Then I started to wonder who it was (deific or otherwise) that would choose to see you tortured for all eternity for not loving them completely? My mind went back to some relationships I've had.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.