While out running my Saturday errands I drove by the pond that lies at the end of one of the runways or our local airport. Upon its surface I saw a thin skim of ice covering about a third of the pond. I haven't seen ice on that pond quite as early as this before.
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Another slightly unusual occurrence yesterday: Charlotte, one of our less social felines in residence who usually relegates her self to overseeing her domain – the kitchen – stepped out of her comfort zone and explored the living room, dining room, and office, finally making her perch in one of the south facing windows to take advantage of the sun's warmth.She's been with us almost 3 years and I've never seen her make a foray so far from her usual haunts. Not that it's likely this is her first time, but it is the first time I've seen her do so.
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Will yet another cable customer be 'cutting the cord' after the cable company raised its rates yet again?My dear brother contacted me about alternatives to cable for television programming after he got his latest cable bill. It was a case of sticker shock when he opened it and found out how much the cable company wanted for video portion of his bill, so he decided to look into less expensive alternatives. Hence, his call to me.
I gave him a number of options that would let him do away with his video subscription yet still get much of the programming he and his family liked, including installing an outdoor antenna to allow reception of over-the-air broadcasts so he can still watch local TV. (Where he lives he can get the New Hampshire and most of the Boston channels over-the-air.)
I have to reiterate this one thing in regards to cable rates: In most cases the video portion of your cable bill goes up not because of the cable company's 'greed', but of the content providers boosting the costs of carrying their programming. As they raise their rates the cable companies have to raise theirs as well because the profit margin for video for most cable companies is less than 2% and falling. They have very little cushion left to absorb rates increases as they have in the past. These days the cable companies make most of their money from Internet and phone. It would certainly explain why video subscriptions have been falling as Internet and phone subscriptions have been increasing.
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Here it is, President Obama has been in elective office in one form or another for something 10 years or more, and he's just now finding out that life is complex?Heck, I knew that back when I was in my early teens. (Not that it assuaged the usual teen angst that almost all of us go through in that stage of our life, but still.)
The entire of Obama press conference today played out like some Hayekian cautionary tale where a befuddled central planner complains about the complexity of real life. As the president put it: “What we’re also discovering is that insurance is complicated to buy.”As if that's news to most of us out here in the real world.
To quote from one of my favorite Bruce Willis movies, “Welcome to the party, pal!”
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It's bad enough when individuals lose the health insurance plans because of the thrice-bedamned ObamaCare, but when an entire town loses it's health insurance, that's something to bitch about.All the town employees of Bel Aire, Kansas received letters from BCBS informing them their policies were being canceled because they didn't meet the requirements of the badly misnamed Affordable Care Act. The replacement polices greatly increase their premiums in exchange for less coverage and much higher deductibles.
Yet the White House keeps insisting that everyone will like ObamaCare once it's fully implemented. We know that ain't gonna happen.
(H/T Maggie's Farm)
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And the ObamaCare hits keep on coming.Now students at Bowie State University have found out they're losing their health insurance as well because of ObamaCare.
What makes this even more ironic? Bowie State is a traditionally black university. To say the students aren't pleased would likely be an understatement.
(H/T Instapundit)
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Wesley Smith compares ObamaCare to another historical disaster, in this case the sinking of the Swedish warship Vasa in 1628.The Vasa was so poorly designed and top-heavy that it foundered mere minutes and less than a mile after setting sail on it's maiden voyage.
It sounds like a perfect metaphor for ObamaCare.
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Eric the Viking shows us a graph that lets us know what everyone is doing.*************
Here's a story about what happens when someone decides that rather than using their health insurance benefits for routine stuff pays cash instead.I tried something new at a doctor's office today. I'm trying out a new GP in a nearby community, someone with great patient ratings. I went to see him today, not because I needed anything, but to put myself in his office system so that if I do need something, there's some chance of my getting an appointment before I die of whatever it is.As the saying goes, Read The Whole Thing.
The really new thing is that I told the office staff to treat me as self-pay. I told them I have insurance, but I'm not going to burden you with the knowledge of who it is, so you won't have to worry about whether you're complying with your contract. Just tell me what the prices of things are going to pay, and I'll pay you cash. If I get remotely close to my deductible, I'll gather up my bills and send them in and see whether my insurance company will acknowledge them, but you don't ever have to fool with that part of it.
Like magic, for the first time I can remember, I got a prompt and unequivocal answer to my question "How much is this visit costing?" It was a very reasonable fee, which I paid on the spot by check. The doctor recommended a standard blood panel, which would cost about $400 if I went through Blue Cross, but will cost only $84 if I self-pay.
(H/T AVI)
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Now the EPA wants to more heavily regulate woodstoves than they do now?It's time to either RIF most of the EPA staff or to eliminate this rogue agency altogether.
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Jay Solo has coined a new word: Polifodder.Definition: Political cannon fodder.
I like it.