Jenks's Journal

09/07/2009 23:20 #49721

SF trip

[first a mini-rant: I just have to say that so far Snow Leopard has been nothing but headache. Ugh. It has killed my internet, and I do not have the time/patience to deal with it now, so this is about the 4th time I have tried to post this post.]

So, I spent most of last week in San Francisco for a conference. It was good- though a lot of it was over my head. I did see a few friends from college that I haven't seen in years- so that was awesome.

And the invited guest speaker was Kathy Reichs- who writes mystery novels (I guess that's what you'd call them)- she's a forensic anthropologist, and the show Bones is based on her books. Well anyway, her talk was really entertaining and interesting- though it had nothing at all to do with hand surgery. I really find forensics, AND anthropology, fascinating.

But honestly, the best part of the trip was having a smiling face waiting for me at the airport when I got home.
Aww.... I'm such a sappy giddy little schoolgirl. But... things are good. :)

I also realized- I have ZERO desire to ever live in California.

It's also kind of a bummer that the trip ate up my whole long weekend... spent all day yesterday flying, and had to spend today getting organized for a full day of catch up at work tomorrow. Though, I guess I should be glad I had the day off at all.

And speaking of work... while in SF I went to reception put on by this chain of surgery centers... People refer to them as 'the dark side'. Which is maybe silly. They are a very successful, well marketed, BUSINESS. I talked to a guy that's worked there for a year... he works 3.5 days/week, doesn't take call, and makes SICK money. He is happy as a clam... doing work he likes with few paperwork/insurance hassles (etc), makes plenty of money, and has tons of time with his family.
I mean, what's not to like???
Yet, people in the field look down on them. Like it's 'selling out' to go work for them. I think in medicine it's very taboo to admit you want to make money. To look at it like a business.
Who knows... they have offices in texas and vegas now- and I don't want to live in either of those places. But I have to at least admit that I can see how people would be tempted.
Oh- there was a ten thousand dollar doorprize at the reception. TEN GRAND. Just for showing up. I didn't win, but knew the guy that did. Craziness.

Oh, and totally unrelated- my niece's first birthday is next month...
So I was talking to my mom about what to get for her. And Mom said she's decided she's going to give her a piece of artwork every year. She decided this after she saw a painting in a local gallery... I haven't seen it, but she described it as a simple brushstroke painting of an elephant. Almost abstract, but you can tell it's an elephant. She said it's perfect for a child's room... then she said there's a biography of the artist... it said [some chinese name, age 4]. I thought 'oh how cute, it's done by a four year old."

Well, yes- but-
a four year old ELEPHANT.
These paintings are DONE BY ELEPHANTS!!!!
Here is a sample (not the one mom got)-
How freaking cool.
elephant art

and since i'm posting pix, here are a few other from my trip-

a sweatshirt for sale in the airport here- Yes, that is an extra pocket to hold your beer.

This surprised me- in the airport IN DC- cardboard cutouts of the Obamas. Ok, that didn't surprise me. But the tshirts they were selling did- Ones that said 'Nope' (but looked like the 'hope' ones) and some that said "don't blame me I voted for McCain". I was not expecting to see that in DC, let alone in the airport.

This was the reception, during the drawing. Crappy pic, but, you can maybe make out the models on the right side. There were random models there for you to have your picture taken with. Just for the hell of it, I guess.

The Bay Bridge (which is/was closed) from the Ferry Building.

The print *I* ended up getting for my niece. Not done by an elephant, but still cute (I think) for a baby's room, with the bonus that I brought it home from somewhere just for her.

for the larsons- bought some new shades- polarized wayfarers.

First class is getting insane. And business class is even MORE redic, with these big diagonal BEDS for seats. (or do I have it backwards? I forget which is 'higher'- first or business. This was the 'lower' of the two.)

And finally, this book makes me want to vomit-
"the vixen manual: how to find, seduce, and keep the man you want."

metalpeter - 09/09/09 18:10
Not sure how much of the city you saw but glad you at least got to see some of it.

In terms of the book looking Hot like that is a help but you don't need a book on how to keep a man it is pretty simple really, not that I'm women with a man or had a man but this is what I figure this is all it takes.
-Good Cook, yes the way to a mans heart is his stomach
-Don't be a bitch or a nag
-Unless the talk is about the game going on shut up when sports are on
-Being Open Minding Sexually (this implies a good love, and sex life), I'm not saying suggesting a 3 some with your cousin, but when someone says I wonder what this would be like, don't go, "oh that is gross". Saying that is not my thing at all is much different then acting snotty and snobby and judgmental.

I would think that should pretty much cover it, everything else is like if you have things in common and have feeling for eachother.

tinypliny - 09/09/09 15:33
Entertaining... as always. :)

ladycroft - 09/08/09 07:24
They have to upgrade their planes to keep up with all these other airlines. Seriously, I travel Qatar Airways so much that I forget how shitty other planes are until I try to squeeze my ass in their tiny seats for a 9 hour flight! I'm spoiled...but let me tell you, on a 15 hour flight having that bed (Business class is lower than First - our firsts on some flights now have private 'pods') is a GOD SEND!

buffalodove - 09/07/09 23:28
Interesting that right next to the "NOPE" t-shirt is a "Peace" t-shirt. Quite the contradiction!

08/27/2009 17:25 #49641

this is probably wrong but I don't care

jason - 08/28/09 08:26
It is true that Ted was a deeply flawed man, and that he showed the part of his character during that event that wasn't very flattering.

I've been doing some more reading since his death and I learned he actually spoke at Falwell's Liberty Baptist College back some time ago. He was someone that even if he disagreed politically with you he could still show you respect and get along quite well. That part of his character is entirely ignored by people, but I admire him for it.

I also think, despite me saying "what the hell does someone like him know about what the poor needs", that he was not a faker when it comes to helping the poor and the sick. When he says that having UHC represents the kind of just society he believes in, I have no reason to doubt him.

Also I've learned more of his personal warmth towards his employees and colleagues. Handwritten letters. Gifts. Nobody does that anymore.

So I think he had some traits that are worthy of taking a second look. He had his very bad, he had his very good.

jenks - 08/27/09 21:15
It was 1969, so no, you probably weren't watching the news then. ;)
Here's more info-
:::link:::

It's argued that that's a large part of the reason he never ran for president.
There are a lot of questions I guess surrounding it all, but presumably he was drunk, crashed, she died, and he fled the scene. It wasn't reported to the cops til the next day, but was somehow all swept under the rug because he's a Kennedy.

metalpeter - 08/27/09 21:03
Thanks for explaining that, some how I never heard of that. Well I can admit it is easy to miss a big news story like that, I'm not sure when it happened so Maybe I didn't follow the news then.

mrmike - 08/27/09 20:21
That's pretty funny. Peter, it is a Chappaquidick reference, where Teddy drove off a bridge with an aid and the aid didn't make it out

metalpeter - 08/27/09 19:17
Help Me out here. Is that because he is a Drunk and being a Drunk is little drowning? Or is that because two Kennedy's where Murdered? Or is it because one crashed into a Tree? What Am I Missing?

08/17/2009 17:07 #49558

good health care plan?

Ok, I think everything in this article sounds awesome.

But I'd love to hear other opinions... DCoffee? Larsons?

Sounds a lot better than an Obamacare card to me...

dcoffee - 08/31/09 16:36
The ideas here barely scratch the surface, and would not fix our healthcare problems.

I Agree:
What we eat and do with our lives greatly effects our health. But I don't see what the government can do to make tofu and cabbage more appealing than KFC, except maybe taxing unhealthy foods and subsidizing healthy ones to change cost incentives, but I don't think people would go for that. I can't even get into America's insane food culture, but I think it's mostly up to parents to teach good eating habits to their children.

Tort Reform - This is a big issue, I don't think it will save much money, but it cripples private practices. Doctors have to buy some kind of lawsuit insurance, and the cost is going up just as bad as healthcare in general.

Buying Insurance over state lines - the only reason we can't is because Insurance companies don't want competition. Try to change it and you'll see the insurance companies fighting it.

Equalize tax laws so insurance is tax deductible - Hell yea, this is one of the things that bugs me. I spend money out of pocket all year on health bills, weather it's insurance or actual doctors bills to see the dentist or whatever. Add it up, maybe it's $2,500 for the year, take it to the accountant "thanks, but it doesn't matter because it's not more than your standard deductible of $8,000." This standard deductable thing is bullshit, what is it supposed to accomplish? does it just make me think that my accountant is a magician for giving me a big writeoff? All it does is ignore essential expenses that come out of some people's income like mine. These expenses should either be added on top, or get rid of the $8,000 standard deductible and just change the tax brackets.

Tax form donation - like people said, this isn't going to generate much revenue.

Disagree:
The high deductable + HSA thing - They just did this at my mom's work, everyone's pissed because all of their copays literally doubled, for surgeries, overnights and emergencies you pay between $150-$1,500, and for a specialist you pay $75. Regular doctor $50. All this says to me is that they want to keep you out of the hospital, $50 for a regular checkup, what ever happened to preventing illness so we're keeping people healthy instead of waiting till someone has a heart attack and trying to save their life?
Does anyone actually like going to the hospital? Personally, I don't really enjoy waiting rooms, or sitting in my undies on a paper sheet waiting for a doctor to surprise me. I don't think there are that many individuals overusing the system. How about hospitals who bill for things they never preform, I'll bet there is a lot more money to be saved there.

Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover - ?!?! this is a stupid and dangerous idea, but I'll bet the insurance companies are glad someone suggested it. My insurance company doesn't cover ambulance rides, or if I get hurt in another state. I'm supposed to sift through legal/medical language to find insurance that covers everything I will ever need? This is just legalizing denials.

Go ahead, tell America that that's your solution, you're going to double people's copays, then repeal government mandates so Insurance Companies are allowed to opt out of covering more illnesses and treatments. That's the plan to bring the cost of healthcare down. You think that will fly? hell no. That's probably why the republicans haven't even offered a proposal, cause it would sound something like that.

I still think Medicare for all is the way to go.
link
There's a little extra in that bill, like no copays, includes hearing, vision, dental coverage, but that's how it goes, you compromise throughout the process. You don't start with some complex middleground BS like the president and congress are doing now.

jason - 08/18/09 16:15
Sadly, it doesn't breach the topic of medical malpractice and the effect on health care costs. I don't think that's what the paper was meant to do any way. I'd be willing to check out a liberal perspective. Other than Daschle, et al, who supported this kind of reform earlier in the year.

heidi - 08/18/09 15:48
To completely hijack the topic - this article on "tort reform" really is necessary reading if you want to develop an informed opinion on the subject:
:::link::: (PDF)

jason - 08/18/09 09:58
Mackey is in trouble for this with his customers. For some reason people who shop at Whole Foods expect the company to adhere to every political and social whim of the far left. I guess it's your prerogative as a customer. I guess I really don't care, they can get their food where they want.

I definitely agree that we should be able to buy health insurance from any state. The way I see things, we have a couple of regional choices and that's it. There isn't as much competition for our dollar as there could be. I don't understand why laws are put into place to restrict this.

Agree about equalizing the tax laws.

Government mandates - I don't have a problem philosophically with the government setting rules for the market place. I'm going to read more about the mandates. Mackey doesn't get too much into it. I don't have much to say about this.

I agree with everyone who says that we shouldn't be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. As a healthy person I already end up essentially helping to cover the risk of paying for someone who is sick. The healthy pay for the sick and it won't change. I'm okay with this.

Tort reform - this is something that has long been needed. It's so bizarre to me that someone wouldn't want this part of the mix to be cleaned up like the rest. Really, really bizarre. We have to be the most sue-happy nation ever.

Enact Medicare reform - okay. Tell me how. I already know they pay fractions on the dollar for services. I know it's abused. Tell me how it's going to be fixed.

Charity - this isn't going to cover a ton of people, but I don't have a problem with making it easier for people to make a donation. Nothing wrong with it at all. I don't foresee a flood of people taking advantage of this, after all part of the problem people have with the government solution is.....they have to pay for the slackers. Why would they pay now? It's a feel good proposition and that's all.

Regarding the rest, obviously I can't comment on everything. When Mackey talks about the root of the issue, the fact that we are a nation of unhealthy overweight folks, and we need a cultural change, I say HELL YEAH but changing food culture is hard enough in a family home, let alone a country. He's right that people should be responsible for their own health, but a lot of people just want their bills to be paid for and aren't interested. I do believe we need to change the food culture in the United States.

High deductible plan with HSA - I have one of these. You still have to pay for the health care you use, which some people are going to have a problem with. Premiums are lower. Catastrophic stuff is covered. I know that maximum I will spend X dollars on health care if something bad happens to me. I'm not abusing the system or nickel and diming the insurance company for copays for every little sniffle.

It forces you to be smarter about how you use health care, and think about preventative maintenance. $10 copays or $0 copays just invite people to take the easy route. Mackey's company gives 1800 bucks which is very, very generous. Presumably his employees may use that towards the deductible. My company gives nothing close to that amount, but I do get a pittance every 6 months.

If you're healthy at Whole Foods it's great, it's like an 1800 bonus every year that is YOURS and will accumulate interest, and it rolls over. If you aren't healthy...you get to still have your deductible subsidized. The employee also may contribute something out of their pocket towards the HSA. I do I think 500 a year.

The problem I DO have is this - why was my 20 minute doctor visit 65 bucks, and even worse, why was my GENERIC prescription 45?? WHY? It was worth 110 for me to get rid of my bronchitis, because I could afford it, but it seems brutally excessive and too expensive, especially for the less fortunate among us. I still have a problem with how expensive things are, and just paying fractions on the dollar to the providers doesn't solve the problem, it shifts ownership of it.

Of course, neither Mackey's ideas nor Obamacare answer one fundamental issue some people have, and that's making sure everyone is covered. We have finite resources and infinite wants. It kills me that some people think there is this infinite pool of dollars available. It's an ugly truth we have to swallow, that not everyone is going to get everything they want or need.

ajay - 08/18/09 03:48
That's an interesting article.

One of the missing items is "pre-existing conditions". Insurance companies should not be allowed to exclude people based on their pre-existing conditions. Health insurance is not like auto insurance.

He says, "Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover". I'm sorry, but I don't think this is a good idea. There are a zillion medical conditions, each of them known by a dozen different names in multiple languages. There is no way that a layman can understand a lethal mix of legal and medical terms.

I would suggest an FDIC-like federal insurance agency that comes in in extreme cases, and insures expenses over, say, 100K. All insurance companies pool money into this pot, just like banks put money into FDIC.

I'm all for limits on patient lawsuits. This is a uniquely American phenomenon.

Lastly: donations to cover the millions of uninsured people? Ain't gonna happen.

I firmly believe that any civilized society must have safety nets like decent, affordable healthcare for all; just like we have education, transportation, and other infrastructure. Not to mention Defence, which soaks up a large chunk of the budget anyways.

heidi - 08/18/09 00:05
I like the high-deductible plan in conjunction with an employer-funded HSA, although the employer-funded HSA would probably not be very popular with many employers. A $2,500 deductible is out of reach of too many people (10% of a $25K income... way too much). This also doesn't address those who are self-employed or not employed (covering those who are unemployed - seeking work, unemployed - not seeking, disabled, etc.)

Totally agree on equal tax treatment of individual and employer-sponsored plans - it should all be pre-tax dollars.

I'm pretty sure I agree on plans being able to cross state lines - it's not particularly rational to have 51 versions of the same thing, but we do the same state-controlled but federally funded thing in so many other fields, it's also probably easy to make an argument in the other direction that is rational and fact-based.

I do have big issues with "Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover." Health and illness aren't predictable - what if your plan doesn't cover exactly what happens to you in a car accident? Or you develop a mental illness but your plan doesn't cover it? Stuff needs to be covered and insurance companies cannot be allowed to wiggle out of coverage. I read a case in contract law last semester about a break-in at a warehouse that the insurance company didn't want to cover because there weren't sufficient signs of forceable entry, even though that how the perpetrators had gotten into the building. The insurance company lost, but it shouldn't have been an issue at all - does this policy cover burglaries? Yes. Okay, all burglaries are covered, duh. I'm pretty passionate about this because I have one of those medical issues that insurance companies love to shaft on coverage. I would hate hate hate to see people get shafted by greedy nasty insurance companies crafting policies that no one understands and no one can get coverage for actual problems. Does anyone actually read the policy manuals they get from their employer or health insurance company? How much is the copay on that appendectomy? Oh, it's not covered! Only spleenectomies are covered. The idea that insurance companies can offer some kind of a la carte plan is also silly - if they make a cheaper version that doesn't cover ob/gyn care, it discriminates against women - but that's legal (Gudeldig v. Aiello :::link:::). So fucked up.

"Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year." My tort law class touched on medical malpractice tort law for about 10 minutes, so I don't feel like I have enough data to be emphatic about this, but I'm pretty sure this is an exaggeration propagated by the folks related to other "tort reform" - which is incredibly bogus and pro-biz ideological when you look at the data of who sues, how much they get and why.

I'm all for clarity and truth in fees and billing but the current system is pretty broken. The retail fee schedule is way higher than the fees that are paid by insurance companies or medicare. A rather intense, personal look at that issue in Alaska: Mired in the Health Care Morass :::link:::

"Enact Medicare reform." I don't have the time at the moment to analyze/deconstruct that, hopefully someone else will.

"Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation ..." Laughably naive. We cannot run a health care system on charity.

Didn't we deal with the "rationing" canard last week?

08/16/2009 08:37 #49548

Rebirth!!

So last night we went and saw Rebirth- a big brass band from New Orleans. I haven't seen them since I was there- and WOW it made me homesick.
But I have to say- I'm sure the band kept thinking "wow, we are not in new orleans". These guys are a fixture down there. Everyone knows and loves them. Then they come here and get a bunch of white people, all sitting down- haha. They kept saying "come on people, MOVE!"
Heh. Eventually people got into it and were dancing. But so fun.

I don't know how people can listen to this music and NOT 1: instantly feel happy and 2: shake that ass!

Gotta love those horns!!

::DOWNLOAD SOUND::

jenks - 08/16/09 10:48
haha, yeah- last night they segued into TLC's Waterfalls. It was pretty funny.

lilho - 08/16/09 10:07
sounds like fun!

zobar - 08/16/09 09:50
Sweet! I saw Rebirth in NYC a few years ago, and they were awesome. They did a hysterical version of Let's Get It On.

I saw them at B.B. King's Blues Bar, and it struck me that I'd never seen so many blonde Eurowaif cocktail waitresses at a blues club.

- Z

09/03/2009 20:14 #49694

about freaking time

An Update on iPhone MMS for our Mobility Customers
We know many of our iPhone customers are eager for an update on our rollout schedule for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). We've been working for the past several months to prepare our systems and network to ensure the best possible experience with MMS when it launches - and that launch date is: September 25 for iPhone 3G and 3GS customers. MMS will be enabled through a software update on that day.

We know that iPhone users will embrace MMS. The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone's multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from Day One. We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end.

We're riding the leading edge of smartphone growth that's resulted in an explosion of traffic over the AT&T network. Wireless use on our network has grown an average of 350 percent year-over-year for the past two years, and is projected to continue at a rapid pace in 2009 and beyond. The volume of smartphone data traffic the AT&T network is handling is unmatched in the wireless industry. We want you to know that we're working relentlessly to innovate and invest in our network to anticipate this growth in usage and to stay ahead of the anticipated growth in data demand, new devices and applications for years to come.

We thank you for your business and look forward to keeping you updated on our initiatives.

paul - 09/04/09 12:06
The whole thing is so fishy. Every other phone on AT&T has MMS.