I work with this woman who insists on boycotting things for the most absurd reasons.
She stopped giving money to public television because they have a Spanish language channel (which I cannot even find). Her logic: she grew up in a heavily Ukrainian neighborhood (though she herself is not Ukraine), and why didn't PBS have a Ukrainian channel?
I didn't have the patience to explain how demographics, supply and demand, and advertising dollars (or in this case donation dollars) work.
Also she hates the AKC (American Kennel Club). For -- this is a direct quote -- "they enforce breed standards". Uh, yes. That is the whole, entire sole purpose of the AKC. She said that there are "many different kinds of Jack Russells' and that the AKC "renamed the Jack Russell the Parson Russell". I said, "oh I thought those were two different breeds? She said, no, they just made it up so they could enforce their rules.
She is a lunatic. She also was surprised when a bear ripped the cover off her bird feeder. The cover was made of that green plastic-coated rabbit wire. That shit will hardly keep my DOG out, much less a bear.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Only half? Well, at least it is the good half.
I am joking, of course.
visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States
But 26 seems like not enough states.
I guess at some point I will HAVE to go to the South. East Texas is really the closest I have been to the real South, and that was a little weird. Of course I would love to see New Orleans, and Florida beaches could be fun.
I don't really have much desire to see the Carolinas, except that I have heard that it is beautiful and they have good BBQ.
Where I really, really want to go is MAINE. I think it would be awesome. Plus, LOBSTER!
I didn't add any states that I have had layovers in, or just driven through a corner. But if I stopped for planned roadside attractions and spent more time than just a gas station stop, I added it. So Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all have to wait for a "real" visit.
visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States
But 26 seems like not enough states.
I guess at some point I will HAVE to go to the South. East Texas is really the closest I have been to the real South, and that was a little weird. Of course I would love to see New Orleans, and Florida beaches could be fun.
I don't really have much desire to see the Carolinas, except that I have heard that it is beautiful and they have good BBQ.
Where I really, really want to go is MAINE. I think it would be awesome. Plus, LOBSTER!
I didn't add any states that I have had layovers in, or just driven through a corner. But if I stopped for planned roadside attractions and spent more time than just a gas station stop, I added it. So Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania all have to wait for a "real" visit.
Monday, June 28, 2010
It was 17yrs ago today...
June 28th, 1993 was a Monday. I had a 7am appointment to go to the hospital, so they could figure out why my baby didn't want to be born. But since we didn't really know when his whore of a mother actually got pregnant, we weren't *sure* if he was 2 weeks late like we thought.
I endured the most painful ultrasound of all time. If you don't think an ultrasound can be painful, please strap two bowling balls to your abdomen then lie head down on an incline board so that the balls press heavily on your diaphragm. Stay there for 20 minutes with a nurse bitching at you. Yay!
Once they determined the parasite was of an appropriate age to be released into the wild, they admitted me. Some cunting nurse called me "uneducated" because I didn't take any stupid fucking Lamaze classes. I wanted to kill her. Luckily her shift ended right after she helped me into my room.
I walked around the hospital for a few hours, and then around 2pm they manually broke my water. I don't really remember much after that, because it was on like Donkey Kong between me and the baby. At around 5:30 he was finally ejected into the world. That's right bitches, just over 3 hours of labor. I am a champ at this birthin' thing! Or I was that one time I did it.
So now I am sitting here thinking about my giant 6ft tall, 190 lb baby who is sleeping in his dirty cave of a room, farting and snoring. Not much different from the day we took him home.
I endured the most painful ultrasound of all time. If you don't think an ultrasound can be painful, please strap two bowling balls to your abdomen then lie head down on an incline board so that the balls press heavily on your diaphragm. Stay there for 20 minutes with a nurse bitching at you. Yay!
Once they determined the parasite was of an appropriate age to be released into the wild, they admitted me. Some cunting nurse called me "uneducated" because I didn't take any stupid fucking Lamaze classes. I wanted to kill her. Luckily her shift ended right after she helped me into my room.
I walked around the hospital for a few hours, and then around 2pm they manually broke my water. I don't really remember much after that, because it was on like Donkey Kong between me and the baby. At around 5:30 he was finally ejected into the world. That's right bitches, just over 3 hours of labor. I am a champ at this birthin' thing! Or I was that one time I did it.
So now I am sitting here thinking about my giant 6ft tall, 190 lb baby who is sleeping in his dirty cave of a room, farting and snoring. Not much different from the day we took him home.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Another informative bit about the new healthcare bill.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/what-health-bill-means-for-you/
Interactive tool to see how the bill could affect you.
Interactive tool to see how the bill could affect you.
Here is the summary.
Coverage:
* Would expand coverage to 32 million Americans who are currently uninsured.
Health Insurance Exchanges:
* The uninsured and self-employed would be able to purchase insurance through state-based exchanges with subsidies available to individuals and families with income between the 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level.
* Separate exchanges would be created for small businesses to purchase coverage — effective 2014.
* Funding available to states to establish exchanges within one year of enactment and until January 1, 2015.
Subsidies:
* Individuals and families who make between 100 percent – 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and want to purchase their own health insurance on an exchange are eligible for subsidies. They cannot be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and cannot be covered by an employer. Eligible buyers receive premium credits and there is a cap for how much they have to contribute to their premiums on a sliding scale.
Federal Poverty Level for family of four is $22,050
Paying for the Plan:
* Medicare Payroll tax on investment income — Starting in 2012, the Medicare Payroll Tax will be expanded to include unearned income. That will be a 3.8 percent tax on investment income for families making more than $250,000 per year ($200,000 for individuals).
* Excise Tax — Beginning in 2018, insurance companies will pay a 40 percent excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” high-end insurance plans worth over $27,500 for families ($10,200 for individuals). Dental and vision plans are exempt and will not be counted in the total cost of a family’s plan.
* Tanning Tax — 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services.
Medicare:
* Closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” by 2020. Seniors who hit the donut hole by 2010 will receive a $250 rebate.
* Beginning in 2011, seniors in the gap will receive a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs. The bill also includes $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade.
Medicaid:
* Expands Medicaid to include 133 percent of federal poverty level which is $29,327 for a family of four.
* Requires states to expand Medicaid to include childless adults starting in 2014.
* Federal Government pays 100 percent of costs for covering newly eligible individuals through 2016.
* Illegal immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.
Insurance Reforms:
* Six months after enactment, insurance companies could no longer denying children coverage based on a preexisting condition.
* Starting in 2014, insurance companies cannot deny coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions.
* Insurance companies must allow children to stay on their parent’s insurance plans through age 26.
Abortion:
* The bill segregates private insurance premium funds from taxpayer funds. Individuals would have to pay for abortion coverage by making two separate payments, private funds would have to be kept in a separate account from federal and taxpayer funds.
* No health care plan would be required to offer abortion coverage. States could pass legislation choosing to opt out of offering abortion coverage through the exchange.
**Separately, anti-abortion Democrats worked out language with the White House on an executive order that would state that no federal funds can be used to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest or health of the mother. (Read more here)
Individual Mandate:
* In 2014, everyone must purchase health insurance or face a $695 annual fine. There are some exceptions for low-income people.
Note: If you are eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, or make less than the limit for filing income tax you are also not fined.
Employer Mandate:
* Technically, there is no employer mandate. Employers with more than 50 employees must provide health insurance or pay a fine of $2000 per worker each year if any worker receives federal subsidies to purchase health insurance. Fines applied to entire number of employees minus some allowances.
Immigration:
* Illegal immigrants will not be allowed to buy health insurance in the exchanges — even if they pay completely with their own money
Coverage:
* Would expand coverage to 32 million Americans who are currently uninsured.
Health Insurance Exchanges:
* The uninsured and self-employed would be able to purchase insurance through state-based exchanges with subsidies available to individuals and families with income between the 133 percent and 400 percent of poverty level.
* Separate exchanges would be created for small businesses to purchase coverage — effective 2014.
* Funding available to states to establish exchanges within one year of enactment and until January 1, 2015.
Subsidies:
* Individuals and families who make between 100 percent – 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and want to purchase their own health insurance on an exchange are eligible for subsidies. They cannot be eligible for Medicare, Medicaid and cannot be covered by an employer. Eligible buyers receive premium credits and there is a cap for how much they have to contribute to their premiums on a sliding scale.
Federal Poverty Level for family of four is $22,050
Paying for the Plan:
* Medicare Payroll tax on investment income — Starting in 2012, the Medicare Payroll Tax will be expanded to include unearned income. That will be a 3.8 percent tax on investment income for families making more than $250,000 per year ($200,000 for individuals).
* Excise Tax — Beginning in 2018, insurance companies will pay a 40 percent excise tax on so-called “Cadillac” high-end insurance plans worth over $27,500 for families ($10,200 for individuals). Dental and vision plans are exempt and will not be counted in the total cost of a family’s plan.
* Tanning Tax — 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services.
Medicare:
* Closes the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” by 2020. Seniors who hit the donut hole by 2010 will receive a $250 rebate.
* Beginning in 2011, seniors in the gap will receive a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs. The bill also includes $500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade.
Medicaid:
* Expands Medicaid to include 133 percent of federal poverty level which is $29,327 for a family of four.
* Requires states to expand Medicaid to include childless adults starting in 2014.
* Federal Government pays 100 percent of costs for covering newly eligible individuals through 2016.
* Illegal immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid.
Insurance Reforms:
* Six months after enactment, insurance companies could no longer denying children coverage based on a preexisting condition.
* Starting in 2014, insurance companies cannot deny coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions.
* Insurance companies must allow children to stay on their parent’s insurance plans through age 26.
Abortion:
* The bill segregates private insurance premium funds from taxpayer funds. Individuals would have to pay for abortion coverage by making two separate payments, private funds would have to be kept in a separate account from federal and taxpayer funds.
* No health care plan would be required to offer abortion coverage. States could pass legislation choosing to opt out of offering abortion coverage through the exchange.
**Separately, anti-abortion Democrats worked out language with the White House on an executive order that would state that no federal funds can be used to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest or health of the mother. (Read more here)
Individual Mandate:
* In 2014, everyone must purchase health insurance or face a $695 annual fine. There are some exceptions for low-income people.
Note: If you are eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, or make less than the limit for filing income tax you are also not fined.
Employer Mandate:
* Technically, there is no employer mandate. Employers with more than 50 employees must provide health insurance or pay a fine of $2000 per worker each year if any worker receives federal subsidies to purchase health insurance. Fines applied to entire number of employees minus some allowances.
Immigration:
* Illegal immigrants will not be allowed to buy health insurance in the exchanges — even if they pay completely with their own money
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