California Weather

It must be really boring being a weatherman here in California. The challenge is trying to be creative in describing endless days of warmth and sunshine without repeating yourself. The above picture was taken from today's Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Kaiser Health Care: Massive Cluster F***

A 45 year-old relative of mine has been diagnosed with skin cancer. It's sad and it sucks. God help you in this day and age if you have health issues -- especially here in Sonoma County, California where the good doctors are fleeing. Health care is a colossal mess.

Kaiser Permanente has used their predatory pricing business methods to eliminate other HMO-type insurance carriers so now they have a monopoly on the local health care industry. See, Kaiser is like the WalMart of health care. Kaiser comes into an area, low-balls the competition to drive them out of business, monopolizes the area, and then jacks up their premium rates because they are now the only game in town and can get away with it. Shrewd. BTW: Kaiser translates to Ceasar in German.

My 45 year-old relative was scheduled for surgery this past Thursday. She was to be at the Oakland Kaiser facility at 7:15 am. Because her husband had to work (another sad situation) and he could not drive her and be present during the 3-hour surgery, he arranged for another relative to pick her up at 6:00 AM to get her at the Kaiser Oakland facility by 7:15 AM.

It is now 9:10 AM and I'm sitting at my desk in my office. My cell phone rings. When I answer it, there is the frantic voice of my 45-year old relative's husband on the other end asking if I knew if my 45 year-old relative had actually made it to the Oakland Kaiser facility. Kaiser had called HIM in an angry panic at his place of employment in San Francisco wanting to know why she did not show up for surgery as scheduled and asking where she was!!!!

What?!!! Come again?!?! Not a phone call I was expecting.

Of course, neither my 45-year old relative or the driver-relative answered their cell phones. Panic sets in. Did they get in an accident on the way to the hospital? Were they car jacked? Did they get lost in 'da hood?' Just where exactly were they, and why was Kaiser calling in such an angry panic looking for them?

OK..... I thought of a game plan and told the husband I would make a couple phone calls to track them down one way or another. If need be, I'd retrace every step and solicit the police to find them.

Come to find out that my 45-year-old relative showed up on time as scheduled for her surgery. The admissions department massively screwed up. Nice. And we're trusting this same caliber of people to do surgery on my 45 year-old relative and cure her cancer? These people can't find their head because it's buried up their ass. Incompetent, stupid morons all.

If I ever get sick, take me to the vet.

Bring Back the '80s

Yeah, I had a damn good time as a teenager in the 80's. I'd do anything to relive it. The technology boom was just beginning. We had good music. I hosted some kick-ass parties. Beer keggers were at high school graduation parties -- and guess what -- NOBODY freaked out about it. We had fun hair, fun clothing, and punk rock. We stayed out until 3:00 AM. We *gasp* WALKED to school without a school sponsored sniper at every corner poised to peg off any potential "stranger" who may approach us. What more could you ask for? Everything was full of promise.

Fast-forward 25 years. One fateful day the "political correctness" do-gooders, PTA police arrived trying to question every decision as a parent and to pass judgement on each child who "colored outside the lines."

Kids are no longer allowed to gather in the neighborhood to play "kick the can" or whatever neighborhood games we used to play together. There needs to be a "responsible adult" present at ALL times micromanaging everything.

Attention hyper control-freak parents: LET IT GO!!!! Most of everything useful in life I've learned has happened on the playground or else where when there wasn't an adult around to "rescue" or "monitor" me. I had to rely on my own intellect and instinct to figure it out. Did I make some bad decisions? Of course I did. How else was I going to learn?

BRING BACK THE 80's!!!!!!!

Damn e-Mail Scammers

Do NOT, and I repeat, do NOT fall prey to this e-mail scam:

MY DEAR AMERICAN FRIEND:

I AM NEEDING TO ASK YOU TO SUPPORT AN URGENT SECRET BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH A TRANSFER OF FUNDS OF GREAT MAGNITUDE.

I AM MINISTRY OF THE TREASURY OF THE REPUBLIC OF AMERICA. MY COUNTRY HAS HAD CRISIS THAT HAS CAUSED NEED FOR LARGE TRANSFER OF FUNDS OF 700 BILLION OF YOUR DOLLARS (US). IF YOU WOULD ASSIST ME IN THIS TRANSFER IT WOULD BE MOST PROFITABLE TO YOU.

I AM WORKING WITH HIGHLY REPUTABLE MR. PHIL GRAM, LOBBYIST FOR UBS, WHO WILL BE MY REPLACEMENT AS MINISTRY OF THE TREASURY IN JANUARY IF MY POLITICAL PARTY WINS UPCOMING ELECTION, WHICH WE CERTAINLY WILL BECAUSE WE ARE IN CONTROLING OF THE HIGHEST SUPREME COURT. YOU MAY REMEMBER HIM AS A SENATOR AS LEADER OF THE AMERICAN BANKING DEREGULATION MOVEMENT IN THE 1990S.

THIS TRANSACTIN IS 100% SAFE. YOU MUST TRUST ME COMPLETELY AND NOT ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSACTION. YOU HAVE MY WORD NO ONE WILL DO ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE MONEY.

THIS IS A MATTER OF GREAT URGENCY. WE NEED YOUR BLANK CHECK. WE NEED THE FUNDS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE CANNOT DIRECTLY TRANSFER THESE FUNDS IN THE NAMES OF OUR CLOSE FRIENDS BECAUSE WE ARE CONSTANTLY UNDER SURVEILLANCE. MY FAMILY LAWYER ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR A RELIABLE AND TRUSTWORTH PERSONAGE WHO WILL ACT AS A NEXT OF KIN SO THE FUNDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED. YOU ARE THAT PERSONAGE.

PLEASE REPLY WITH ALL OF YOUR BANK ACCOUNT, IRA AND COLLEGE FUND ACCOUNT NUMBERS AND THOSE OF YOUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND THOSE YET UNBORN TO WALLSTREETBAILOUT@TREASURY.GOV SO THAT WE MAY TRANSFER YOUR COMMISSION FOR THIS TRANSACTION. AFTER I RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION I WILL RESPOND WITH DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SAFEGUARDS WE PROMISE WILL BE USED TO PROTECT THE FUNDS AND PRODUCE A LONG-TERM RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR YOU AND THOSE YOU LOVE.

YOURS FAITHFULLY
MINISTER OF TREASURY H. PAULSON