The Ranting Beaver

It's funny, you don't know how bad the healthcare industry is until you have to deal with it. I recently had to be in the hospital and while I was appreciative of the care I got, it blows my mind how inefficient the whole process is. For example, every time there was a new nurse on duty, I got the same 10 questions and had to re-explain what was wrong with me. I mean, don't they write this stuff down? Don't they have all the information on a computer? I am all for not assuming with patients, but shouldn't you reserve that for the important stuff -- like what medication was I given an hour ago and not how many days was I ill before I came into the hospital? On top of that, some of the equipment being used had to be almost as old as I am. I don't live in some backwater town, they should at least have more recent equipment. I know they charge you $300 for a box of tissues - where does that money go really?

I know we have issues with insurances (thank god I actually have insurance!) but realistically, I wonder how much time and money is actually wasted that gets billed to the insurance companies. Part of the problem certainly is the antiquated system that the hospitals have become. I think we need to review how this can be more efficient just as much as we are reviewing how insurance companies handle patients.

I know a lot of people are not crazy about the government option, but perhaps now that they will be involved a few of these items will be questioned. Maybe not, but one can always hope.

A couple of weeks ago, I was out and about and stopped at a Target on the south end of Denver. While I was in the store a tops of 10 minutes, a cop came by and wrote a 'warning' note to let me (and the whole world too) know that my car could be a target for a break in. Apparently he was going from car to car in the parking lot and leaving a note for everyone that could be considered a potential target.



Not only is this a waste of time and resources in my mind, they are thoughtfully doing all of the survey work for those that would actually break in to a car. I am not kidding -- there is a spot on the mass printed form where the cop could list what would attract someone to my car. Real smart. Oh yeah, let's make this easier for crooks.

By the way, the reason listed why my car could be a potential target? I had cash in plain sight or so was the claim.



Want to know how much? About $1.26 in change, mostly in pennies. Really? If you need $1.26 in change that bad, then breaking into my car is the least of your worries. Especially when the car next to me has an iPod and a cell phone in plain view. Know how I know? I read the lovely note left for the owner on their car too.

Apparently they consider this a service that "sets them apart from other police departments", and say so on their site. I'd rather they actually focus on solving crimes instead of helping crooks by giving them useful information. Glad I don't live on that end of town ...

Gasoline. We all want it and apparently, the breaking point is about $4.00 a gallon (give or take). The social experiment is over and now gas has settled back down to under two dollars a gallon. Seems a bit odd to me, but hey, we're all just happy to have the price more reasonable again, right?

I'm not a complainer. We'll OK, maybe I am, but not in this case. I actually like spending half as much for gas as I did a few months ago.

The thing that has been bothering me is that the price has never dropped so much and definitely not so quickly. Sept 4th - a gallon was $3.79 for me. November 3rd - a gallon was $2.21. That is a 41.6% drop in two months. Three weeks later the price was well under the $2 mark, at $1.64. That is another 25% drop in three weeks (and well over half-price since September). Craziness. This means one of three things - (1) things are REALLY that bad and the value of many things is virtually nil, (2) the oil companies have made all their profit for the year and wanted to give us all a break, or (3) gasoline was so overly inflated (you know our current leader is an oil man, right?) but the economy can no longer support it.

I'm not pointing any fingers, but it does seem kinda fishy that all this is happening amidst the banking and auto industry fiascoes. I'm hoping I'm not the only one to notice this. While we are distracted with the woes of those other industries, the price of gas has quietly slipped back down to normal. I am certain that the powers that be are hoping we are 'just happy to have cheaper gas' so we can spend our money elsewhere, including buying vehicles again. Meanwhile, the gas companies are quietly counting their millions and now are no longer square in the bullseye of the people's disdain. And the results of the social experiment are in, either people will not pay more than $4 a gallon or the economy cannot support it, so that IS the breaking limit. That is how badly we were being screwed.

Extending the ban on internet access tax another 7 years would be good. Was hoping for permanent, but no go. Read more here!