Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Reflections...
When you get older you tend to reflect a lot on your life. How things went, where you could have changed something, where things all went wrong. You do that a lot when your best years are behind you.
I was just thinking today how they used to preach at me to work hard save for your retirement and you'll be set and I did that. I worked hard, tried to start my own business a few times, took out IRAs and 401ks tried to live responsibly.
I did all that and now that I'm left, at age 63, with nothing but social security and VA health care I'm pretty damn glad I have a government I can count on that at least wont let me die. The rest of them have abandoned me. So much for doing what they tell you to do.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
American Entitlements
In all the campaign rhetoric we are being bombarded with the one thing the right screams over and over again is Entitlements "we need to limit entitlements" why do Americans feel entitled to anything? I would ask why not?
In any other country than America citizens are entitled to health care. From Canada to Japan citizens all over the world are "entitled" to good health through their countries health care system. Yes they have a higher tax code than we do but when you consider they get health care whenever they need it you have to consider the tax is worth it.
Some countries subsidize their education system. They know that their future lies in educating their youth so children go to school from K-College on the government and what do they reap? Well they are far ahead of us in just about every area because they have, unlike us, the educated citizens to fill the jobs they need to keep their economies going. We make sure that anyone graduating, who isn't born into wealth, is in debt for years after they graduate.
Now I can hear the rightwingers screaming nanny state, nanny state, but I assure you that no one wants a nanny state nor do we want an intrusive government. We just know that when it comes to a fair shake we have a better chance with a efficient effective government than we do with the sharks on Wall Street.
Do we like higher taxes? No. No one does but then we know the bills must be paid. If the bills aren't paid you run a deficit and the left has historically been able to keep the deficit under control more so than those on the right. We do expect more from our government when our taxes are going up but we know a bargain when we see it and some of the entitlements we already have are well worth the price.
In closing I would ask why is it being an American citizen only entitles you to a life of hard work and in the end nothing to show for it, that is unless your in the 1% of citizens who can afford whatever they want. We are suppose to be the greatest country on earth but yet those countries we look down on entitle their citizens to much more than we do and those on the right want to take back what little we do have.
In any other country than America citizens are entitled to health care. From Canada to Japan citizens all over the world are "entitled" to good health through their countries health care system. Yes they have a higher tax code than we do but when you consider they get health care whenever they need it you have to consider the tax is worth it.
Some countries subsidize their education system. They know that their future lies in educating their youth so children go to school from K-College on the government and what do they reap? Well they are far ahead of us in just about every area because they have, unlike us, the educated citizens to fill the jobs they need to keep their economies going. We make sure that anyone graduating, who isn't born into wealth, is in debt for years after they graduate.
Now I can hear the rightwingers screaming nanny state, nanny state, but I assure you that no one wants a nanny state nor do we want an intrusive government. We just know that when it comes to a fair shake we have a better chance with a efficient effective government than we do with the sharks on Wall Street.
Do we like higher taxes? No. No one does but then we know the bills must be paid. If the bills aren't paid you run a deficit and the left has historically been able to keep the deficit under control more so than those on the right. We do expect more from our government when our taxes are going up but we know a bargain when we see it and some of the entitlements we already have are well worth the price.
In closing I would ask why is it being an American citizen only entitles you to a life of hard work and in the end nothing to show for it, that is unless your in the 1% of citizens who can afford whatever they want. We are suppose to be the greatest country on earth but yet those countries we look down on entitle their citizens to much more than we do and those on the right want to take back what little we do have.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Rufus
He actually showed up at my sisters door first but she couldn't keep him. He was such a personable cat you couldn't help but love him. Everywhere you'd go there he'd be.
He's a cat of few words, he'll give you one meow and you'd best figure it out from there. He and I have a routine when he's outside he comes to the door wanting me to come out as well. When I'm sitting in the garage he comes up and sits in his chair next to mine.
He's a cat that thinks he's a dog. I will walk out into the yard while he watches me but if I stop and sit on the ground he'll come running to attack me. He and I are buds!
Here's Rufus, enjoy...
He's a cat of few words, he'll give you one meow and you'd best figure it out from there. He and I have a routine when he's outside he comes to the door wanting me to come out as well. When I'm sitting in the garage he comes up and sits in his chair next to mine.
He's a cat that thinks he's a dog. I will walk out into the yard while he watches me but if I stop and sit on the ground he'll come running to attack me. He and I are buds!
Here's Rufus, enjoy...
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas one and all! Yea there I said it Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Good Yule Tidings, Happy Kwanzaa and Hannakah...to one and all and a Happy New Year...
Enjoy...
Enjoy...
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Kroger. Are they really looking out for you?
Now granted my view of Kroger Company grocers and really most of your big mega conglomerate super stores is tainted due to my being a vendor and calling on most of them in my life time. These markets have an entirely different attitudes when it comes to the people who deliver wholesale merchandise to them than they do customer relations but I feel that once you hear my story I'm sure you'll agree something doesn't sound right.
To give you some background, my wife is having oral surgery is a few weeks and due to some infection in her gums our dentist prescribed penicillin for her, as he has done in the past. Now in the past we have gone to Walgreen pharmacy and paid $10.00 for a prescription however because Walgreen and my wife's insurance provider couldn't come to some kind of terms, we can no longer get them filled at Walgreen. So we went to the local Kroger store.
After turning the prescription over to Kroger my wife came home and at the appointed time she went back to the store to pick up her penicillin at which time they told her that her doctor had switched her prescription and it would now cost her $30.00. There was no mention of why it was changed so my wife, believing the doctor knows best, brought them home. After taking them for a day or two she noticed they were upsetting her stomach so we called her doctor to see if she could get them changed back. It was then that we were told that the pharmacy had called to request the change claiming my wife had told them she was allergic to penicillin.My wife told them no such thing.
Now there are so many things that disturb me about this first and foremost was why would they call her doctor and not us to confirm if she was in fact allergic? This was the first time she ever turned a prescription like this, in to them. Walgreen had it before and she took those pills with no problem. Why would she turn in a prescription for something she was allergic to and why would she tell them she was allergic to them? It doesn't add up.
They didn't mention anything about an allergy when my wife questioned the change. As far as she knew it was something the doctor decided, instead it was the pharmacy. Then there's the price thing. This whole thing cost us $20.00 more than what we had budgeted now I'm wondering how many other times this has happened and knowing how business works, I can't help but wonder how many others they've done this too after all it's about profit now not doing whats right for the consumer.
As I've said I've dealt with these people on a business level I know how they think. When you take the human element out of it, when you make it about money then you have things like this and you can't help but wonder. Is it about our health or is it about their profit?
Now, last but not least we have my wife, who was taking medication for a problem. They switched her to something that upset her system. My wife has been suffering from pancreatitis for years. That in itself upsets her system on a regular basis. She doesn't need someone doing it on purpose. This is medication it's not like they put the wrong seat covers on your new car this is something for your health and if this was just a mistake? Well that opens up a whole other bank of concerns.
This is an on going saga and updates will follow. Stay Tuned.
To give you some background, my wife is having oral surgery is a few weeks and due to some infection in her gums our dentist prescribed penicillin for her, as he has done in the past. Now in the past we have gone to Walgreen pharmacy and paid $10.00 for a prescription however because Walgreen and my wife's insurance provider couldn't come to some kind of terms, we can no longer get them filled at Walgreen. So we went to the local Kroger store.
After turning the prescription over to Kroger my wife came home and at the appointed time she went back to the store to pick up her penicillin at which time they told her that her doctor had switched her prescription and it would now cost her $30.00. There was no mention of why it was changed so my wife, believing the doctor knows best, brought them home. After taking them for a day or two she noticed they were upsetting her stomach so we called her doctor to see if she could get them changed back. It was then that we were told that the pharmacy had called to request the change claiming my wife had told them she was allergic to penicillin.My wife told them no such thing.
Now there are so many things that disturb me about this first and foremost was why would they call her doctor and not us to confirm if she was in fact allergic? This was the first time she ever turned a prescription like this, in to them. Walgreen had it before and she took those pills with no problem. Why would she turn in a prescription for something she was allergic to and why would she tell them she was allergic to them? It doesn't add up.
They didn't mention anything about an allergy when my wife questioned the change. As far as she knew it was something the doctor decided, instead it was the pharmacy. Then there's the price thing. This whole thing cost us $20.00 more than what we had budgeted now I'm wondering how many other times this has happened and knowing how business works, I can't help but wonder how many others they've done this too after all it's about profit now not doing whats right for the consumer.
As I've said I've dealt with these people on a business level I know how they think. When you take the human element out of it, when you make it about money then you have things like this and you can't help but wonder. Is it about our health or is it about their profit?
Now, last but not least we have my wife, who was taking medication for a problem. They switched her to something that upset her system. My wife has been suffering from pancreatitis for years. That in itself upsets her system on a regular basis. She doesn't need someone doing it on purpose. This is medication it's not like they put the wrong seat covers on your new car this is something for your health and if this was just a mistake? Well that opens up a whole other bank of concerns.
This is an on going saga and updates will follow. Stay Tuned.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Attention WalMart shoppers
My wife recently purchased this cute little Christmas tea-candle holder from our local WalMart. In a weak moment she had gone down to cash a check and decided to buy something. Here is a picture of the bottom with the upc code and description. Note the WalMart made in China proudly displayed on the bottom. Sam Walton would be rolling in his grave about now.
Note the charred edges around the top and how the beads have melted down.
This is a warning to anyone who has purchased these candle holders do not light them and leave the room. In fact I wouldn't light them at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)