There was an article in (ugh) Yahoo News today about the problems with the iPhone roll outs. The comments were very “I told you so” but they still were rife with ignorance.
I had to make a posting to hopefully shine a light on consumer ignorance:
This is the age of the idiot consumer. I like how the posters refer to Apple or Samsung. Folks, it is APPLE or ANDROID… Samsung is a hardware brand, not an operating system. This is the same issue I have with people thinking the only way to get on-line is Comcast or Verizon. There are so many ways to get online that are as good or better than both of these.
The rants on here are mostly justified, but they show genuine ignorance. This techno ignorance appears all the time. People calling Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows. I’ve heard people calling the Google Chome browser, “Windows”. I hear people calling ANY internet access “WiFi”, even when they are connected with an network cable.
We are all such victims of advertising. This consumer ignorance leads to monopolies, less choices, overpowered corporate entities and higher prices (as companies realize the only way to sell a crappy product is to dump all of the R&D money into glossy advertisements). If we truly honor capitalism, as consumers, we must be informed of ALL the options, not just the one’s with big advertising budgets. Everybody WAKE UP and turn off the TV. Stop letting the idiots on the Today show, and crap like that, inform you about technology. They don’t know jack!!!
It is no secret that I am loathsome of popular culture, but when it leads to complete and total ignorance, I raise the “look at your stupid selves” flag. I think the term “sheeple” applies here on every level.
I did something today that I think will burn me. I came out to Emily’s Government teacher. Or almost. At this point, I probably should not give a shit anymore…but its hard for me not to.
I am involved with this lawsuit:
I chose to remain silent to protect my family and also because I am the only plaintiff that has a child in the public school system here… But part of my reasoning for joining the suit was the encroachment of one type of religious belief onto our school system when these Commissioners starting under funding or cutting environmental and science programs out of the public school budget, all while setting up $500,000 slush funds for people who CHOSE to send their children to parochial or home school them. Two of the Commissioners can take part in milking this fund because they elected not to send their children to public school.
I blogged about it with my “County Destroyer” post a while back, but I took the post down so defense’s council could not throw it back in my face cause they tried to do that with another plaintiff in the case. Yeah. Freedom of Speech only applies to those that agree with you…
Long and short end of it: We won. SC ruled. Federal Judge dismissed order. We refiled suit citing differences between cases and why elected officials are not invited unpaid clergy. Judgment still pending…
I received this link from one of the plaintiffs and it made me livid.
This student goes to the same high school as my daughter. No one at Liberty knows her mother is a plaintiff in the lawsuit-not even the Government teacher, who commented about our case in class this semester. Notice Mrs. Frazier’s passive/aggressive insult to the public school system. Why? Because teachers are not teaching this:
This made my blood boil, and I made the mistake of sending an email to my daughter’s Government teacher at Liberty today, with the link to Mrs Frazier’s blog about the letter to her from the student, along with the links I have posted above. I told him I was proud that my child had taken his course, and the fellow student who wrote the letter was in the public school system and was not afraid to stand up to tyranny or practice his civil duty. I also did tell him that more people needed to know the truth about where these ideas are coming from and hopefully there will be a change in the next election. But if it swings in the favor of these people, and similar ones who want to take what little rational representation we have away, then I’ve already supplied him with the link to the re-education learning course.
I did not go into as to why we as the 3rd highest taxed county in the State of Maryland, with a median income of $80,000 per year, are having budget issues with our public school system… Nor did I even mention religion.
I suppose I can skirt the issue by saying it is “Lauren” who is the malcontent atheist, and not Denise is just Emily’s mom. LOL. Truth is, I am tore up that I may hurt my daughter in some way. How can I trust that this teacher is not having to suppress his white pride Constitutional views as well?
Emily has this week left of school and then she never has to step in the Government trailer for class again. Why did I not just think of that before I hit send. Fuck. Oh well. Let it not be said that I never tried to stand up for something.
I just have to learn to not let these things upset me as much…perhaps a crayon shoved up the nose would work? I have to remember, that this county is in fact Thunderdome.
“America remains a scientifically ignorant nation for two reasons: the resurgence of fundamentalist religion during the past 40 years, and secondly, the low level of science education in American elementary and secondary schools, as well as many tertiary colleges”
A “good morning” email from Kathleen Sebelius, the head of Health and Human Services this morning (April 2, 2014). It almost seems like an April fool’s joke:
Dear Colleagues:
Over these last four years, you have been working hard to implement the Affordable Care Act, so that millions of Americans and their families can have new rights, protections, and opportunities to obtain quality, affordable health coverage.
Today, as we mark the end of the first open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace, I want to thank you for the progress we’ve made, together.
More than 7 million Americans enrolled by last night’s deadline, and once state numbers and all of the still working through the federal website are counted, this figure will be higher. Of course, this is on top of the millions of Americans who gained coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, the more than 3 million young adults who have health insurance because the law allows them to stay on their parents’ plan until their 26th birthday, and the millions of Americans who no longer face discrimination because of their gender or health status.
Yesterday alone, more than 4.8 million people visited HealthCare.gov and more than 2 million people called the CMS call centers. Hundreds of thousands attended enrollment events throughout the country over the final weekend. And, an amazing team of workers answered phones, kept the site running with unprecedented traffic, organized events and helped people sign up for insurance.
I know that this law has been at the center of much debate and discourse in Washington, but what this enrollment demonstrates is that the Affordable Care Act is working and much needed. That’s because behind each of these numbers are hardworking Americans who finally have the peace of mind that comes with quality health insurance; families who are saved from financial ruin; young people who’ve been given the freedom to pursue their dreams without fear; and the millions of families who never thought they would ever have this opportunity in their lifetime. That’s what this law is all about.
None of these historic achievements would have been possible without your tireless efforts, your unshakable commitment to public service, and your compassion for the people our Department aims to serve.
Our work is far from over. But I hope you will take a moment to pause and celebrate – be proud of the difference you are making in the lives of your fellow Americans. Very few people get to do work that matters this much. I am extremely honored to work with such a devoted and talented group of individuals and to share this special day with all of you.
Congratulations and Cheers, Kathleen Sebelius
And now my response, which is THE REALITY of the ACA:
And we’d like to thank everyone for taking part in selling the majority of our nation’s workers to the corrupt, poorly managed, behemoth known as Blue Cross. I’m sure, in time, you will all bow at the altar of the people who are already entirely too rich, and now have your very lives in their hands. Thank you all for supporting the drive to not only pervert capitalism, but put in place possibly the most corruptible form of a caste system ever known in the history of the world.
1. Went to healthcare.gov. Referred to Maryland exchange.
2. Went to maryland exchange at http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov.
3. Filed an application and put in 0 for my income and was forced to a medicaid page. I thought, “woops, I will be making money at some point this year (although my first paycheck is just shy of 45 days away… paychecks after are pending on if they want to keep me employed on this contract).
4. Deleted this application and started over.
5. Put in my appropriate income that I was expecting this year (provided I would still be employed on this contract).
6. Website crashed.
7. Called the customer service for the maryland exchange.
8. Phone number busy 5 times in one hour.
9. Finally got through to a person. Went through submitting the application on the phone.
10. Got down to the plan selection point where I was sent to www.healthsherpa.com (God knows what this site is or where it is from).
11. Put in my estimated income, age, and told them I was a smoker.
12. The cheapest plan listed was $143 a month with a $6000 deductible with no vision, dental, or prescription drug coverage. All the plans up to $300 a month were managed by Blue Cross in Maryland (I’ve worked for Blue Cross in PA and hated them. Do not want to insure through them at all).
13. In order to get a deductible less than $5000 I had to pay the upside of 300 a month with no vision, dental, or prescription coverage.
After some calculating, I found it was cheaper to pay the 1% of my annual income fine and go uninsured. With a deductible of 5-6000, you might as well be uninsured. I couldn’t afford the deductible much less a full uninsured hospital bill. Both the $6000 and the uninsured hospital bill would bankrupt me.
So I ask: WHAT IS THE POINT OF HEALTH INSURANCE IF YOU CANT AFFORD IT? I cant afford to be insured. I cant afford to be uninsured.
SOLUTION: FUCK AMERICA! FUCK OBAMACARE! PAY THE FINE! IT’S CHEAPER!
Once again… America fucks me!
Read this article. Apparently I’m not the only one. Basically, if uninsured health care is not affordable, and health insurance is not affordable, then obamacare and health insurance providers are unacceptable.
Jefferson is horrible. All of it. Methodist and otherwise. They are never in a hurry to do anything other than bill you. The 1800-jeffnow call center people dont even want to hear you on the phone. They are rude and interrupt you and do not let you speak. They transferred me to the ER at Jefferson Methodist Hospital (where I was seen initially). The lady in the ER (who sounded distracted and not paying attention to anything) transferred me to an isolated voicemail queue that provided no out, other than to hang up and call back. (If anyone else is in this position, the call back number is: 215-955-6840).
When you are connected (in this case to jefferson methodist) there are so many people goofing off in the background that the person on the phone needs to ask for your SAME information 5 times because they are goofing off so much, they aren’t paying attention to the people on the phone.
After they finally pay attention enough to get your information correct then they will tell you “oh you are at METHODIST… THATS why I couldn’t see your information.” My response was, “Isn’t this Jefferson hospital? How many flavors of Jefferson are there? Just because you cant read each other’s data is not my problem!”
They took a throat culture from me tuesday and now its thursday. My symptoms are much worse and judging how long it took for them to find my information, they had no intention of even following through with the lab results much less contacting me. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took the swabs of my throat and threw the swabs away.
THIS IS WHY PRIVATIZED MEDICINE IN AMERICA IS CRAP. All of these hospitals are more concerned about marketing and making money then they are about treating people. The whole time you are in physical agony, they are transferring you to an isolated voice mail queue or they have you on hold listening to their marketing drivel about how they are such a great provider of health care.
If you want health care, leave this god forsaken country of money grabbing opportunistic hustlers. This is what has become of America. This country and its’ health care system are a bunch of criminal selfish opportunistic hustlers.
I think we should take bets on how long it will take before we start killing for money again. I know chemical weapons yadda yadda yadda…
BUT SERIOUSLY…
Cut the bullshit. Where’s the money? There’s always god damned money! Where’s the money on this one? There has GOT TO BE more to it than concern for human life. Human life is something that does not motivate the corporate wheels of Amurka. It’s GOT TO BE SOME MONEY SOMEWHERE!
Like Dubya would say, what is the base line “strategery” here?
LIVING A LIE, FOLKS…
LIVING A LIE!!!
Here’s some music and lyric to support this:
XTC-War Dance lyrics
There’s an epidemic
Stirring passions in young hearts
Even the old campaigners
Have got it really bad
Well we ain’t seen nothing like it
Since coronation day
But when the street parties sound
I’m going underground
To keep the rabid hounds at bay
Oh my my — this war dance
A patriotic romance
No we ain’t seen nothing like it
Since coronation day
But when the tickatape flies
And blood is on the rise
You know it’s got you in its sway
You got yourself a war dance
There’s a cheap sensation
Keeping Fleet Street wide awake
Everyone wants a slice of
The jingoistic cake
And they’re resurrecting Churchill
And bringing national service back
Fueling power and glory fever
Makes for a sicker Union Jack
Yes I’m talking about this war dance
A patriotic romance
And I know all you poets
Have seen it all before
About the stirring of those young hearts
Back in the first world war
Oh my my this war dance…
and yes… I say we’ll be at war by September 11. If not, something bad will happen that will make the MEDIA MANUFACTURED “public opinion” RACE us into war.
Here are some of today’s numbers (for those of you scoring at home):
5 Interview calls today. Only 2 spoke discernible English.
Of those 2, one (1) seemed very good. I have some work to do, but once again here’s another Whoppertunity.
3 Calls today asking for “Sean” or “Shawn” “Gabreel”. These were phone scams known as the “free government grant” phone scams. I never got calls like this when I was working. It is amazing how this world preys on the desperate. Just makes me really mad at humanity. Here’s a youtube AUDIO of a guy who has them stomped.
Listen from the 5 minute mark forward. These are foul mouthed sick predator people. This guy is wise, and these phone scammers are horrifically manipulative. It’s nice to hear them get what they deserve. Keep in mind I had 3 of these god damned calls today. I would love to keep these people on the phone and mess with them, but I have a minutes allowance on my verizon wireless contract, of which I’ve been in good standing for 12 years (bastards!).
1 Computer diagnosed. Billy D’s car shop across the street wasn’t getting video on their PC (related to our transformer explosion last month). I lugged his tower PC upstairs, broke it open and fiddled with it. Isolated that one of his memory cards was bad. TA DAAAAAAAAAA!
11 more days left in this apartment. (I want to be vacated by June 15 … hopefully).
11 is Gladys’ approximate age on her approximate birthday. Since daddy is getting an unemployment check tomorrow, Gladys’ birthday will be June 5, 2013. I know I’ve always said (and agreed with her vet) that she was born in June. No one is really sure. She’s a street kitty at heart.
Gladys is the big 11
It’s going to be interesting to see how she takes to the new digs… (Insert ponderous thought here).
2 is the amount of annoying ice cream trucks that have gone by my house in the past 1 hour. Sign of the economy? I think so…
THANK GOD IT’S SUMMER BUT… there aint no “hissing of summer lawns” going on here. (Right Denise? I put this cheezee Joni Mitchell song up for you)
