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My thoughts on some really weird stuff going on these days

Women

Can't live without them

          I am writing this piece because I believe that women play such an important role in society and family life, that without women, we would not exist.  Not just because they are the gender that actually has the child, but they do so much more than we could ever do.  My best example is my wife, Marisa.  She would deny everything I say here, well maybe most of it because she is that kind of woman.  She is the hardest working person I have ever known.  She sets a goal and makes it come true.  Several years ago she told me she wanted to get into the police department and work in the field of investigations, CSI so to speak.  She was already working on the equipment they use to do many of their tests, and thus she knew what some of it entails.  The only thing standing in her way was the requirement to be a sworn police officer in order to get into that field, so her first goal was to become a police officer.  Well most of you know that she made that goal happen.  It was kind of like after we got married, she wanted to better her education, so she enrolled in a few classes at the local community college in Folsom.  Before long she had an AA degree in general education, taking care of most of the required general ed courses for any BA or BS degree.  Here in Texas to become a law enforcement officer, you must have some college, many require an AA minimum, or have several years in the military.  The point is that she is able to put her mind to something and get it done.  All the time raising a child and me, and working full time.  She wanted it so bad that she made it happen, so if she ever comes to me and says, we are going to do something in 2 years, I fasten my seatbelt and hold on.  She is not the only example I could come up with, but she is one of the best because before she met me she was living on her own for 3 or 4 years, working and supporting herself, and we met when she was just 18.  I believe that a woman President would be the best thing for this country.  Women have a different way of looking at situations, like being a police officer.  I would be like most male police officers, ready to beat the shit out of someone if they made me chase them, or if they talked to me wrong, or whatever.  But female officers have a way of talking to someone with more respect in their voice.  They don't be-little the person, after all they are innocent until proved guilty, even if the officer saw it first hand, they still get their day in court and it's not the officer's responsibility to prosecute them for the crime.  A female officer is able to keep that in mind and even some of the worst criminal types show the same respect back to the women officers.  If your treated with respect, even if you just killed someone, you feel more like talking about it than killing again, don't you?

          I have been in pain before but I don't think it was ever like giving birth.  And nothing ever happened monthly at a certain time to make me feel like crap.  Well now that I am in my 50's I do feel a lot of pain from time to time, especially when the cold weather comes around.  But I still think women go through way more than men do in life.  Unless we have hemorrhoids, we don't have to worry about bleeding from down there every month either.  And then there is the fact they have to put up with us every day.  I don't see myself as an asshole, I agree sometimes I can be one, but I don't do it as a hobby.  But I can see that I can be hard to put up with from time to time.  Women can take care of their husband, the kids, do the laundry, cook, clean, shop for food, none of which seem very fun to do.  I of course help out around the house, I do the laundry some of the time, clean, cook and shop for food however I am not supposed to shop for food because I go to the store and the $35 worth of groceries she bought last week for some reason costs $65 this week.  I don't know if I could do real well as Mr. Mom, doing all of the household chores all of the time.  I try to help out but what I do is still not enough.  I'm thinking if I did it all, all of the time that would be enough.  She would like to never have to clean or cook again.  The problem is that no one can cook or clean like she can.  I clean the living room and spend a good 2 and a half hours in there, dusting, sweeping and mopping, and she can come behind me and find dirt.  If a few dishes are in the sink, she can be tired and her feet are in pain and she is in the kitchen washing those dishes, not rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher, but actually washing them.

I think of myself as being somewhat smarter than the average idiot, but there are times that my wife has made me look dumb, I mean real dumb.  She has this ability to see things that normal people can't see.  She can read your face and know what you are thinking, I think she makes a good officer because of that ability.  But she uses it on me and our son Brandon.  We can't hide anything from her.  If I want to buy her a gift, I have to do it the day before I want to give it to her or she will question the purchase.  She is one step ahead of both of us, and we can't pass her up.

          Most women are giving people too.  It's true I do know some women that are selfish and self centered, but I know more guys that are that way then women.  My wife would give her last meal to her son and then to me before she would take any.  A good way to explain it is to tell you about her sister.  Marisa's sister is pretty selfish, always saying things like people don't ever do anything for her, she can't keep a job because she pisses off the boss with her attitude.  Marisa helps her out all of the time.  We sent her some money when she was about to lose her car, and paid it off for her.  It had other problems so we bought her a new battery, in all spent over $3,000 on her.  Her sister, after saying how she was grateful, yelled at her because Marisa wasn't going to send any more money.  She then left the car sit until it was towed and she lost it.  Our money gone, but does my wife give up on her sister?  No, she complains and claims she will never help her again, then before I know it, she is sending her a Wal Mart card or something.  Even though her sister pisses her off with her selfishness, she cares about her and wants so much to help her change.  I just wish her sister had half of the determination my wife has.

          We love the holiday season, I don't do as much on the outside of the house as I do for Halloween, but I do hang the lights and get out the reindeer family.  We decorate more on the inside, it gives us more of the holiday spirit.  We wish all of our family and friends a wonderful New Year and hope it is better than the one before!  And we don't need a thanks for that!

          I don't typically trust politicians, I think they are mostly corrupt in one way or another, spending millions to run for an office that doesn't pay millions.  There must be a motive, not that they want to serve the American people.  They must want to serve special interests, lots of money in that.  It's all about money, and most politicians are rich already.  However rich people always need more money, don't they?  Politicians are also most of the time something else, Lawyers.  I wish I had a sign on a busy street...

Who is really racially prejudice these days?

          The time has come for the black population to forget expecting an apology from me or any other white American.  We were not around when slavery happened, and neither were they.  I think slavery was a terrible thing, and it actually still happens today, however black Americans should be thankful if their ancestors are associated with slavery in this country.  They are American because of it.  Also, because of mixed race sex back in the 1800's and mixed race marriages of the 20th and 21st centuries, there are more mixed race people in this country than ever before.  Should they pick a side, or should they be on both sides.  Obama must be on both sides, if he expects to be the president of this great country.  I don't think there are as many whites that are racially prejudice these days, like there was back in the 50's and 60's.  You don't hear much about the KKK or white supremacy, other than the prisons are full of them.  You hear things like young blacks don't have a chance, that there is a large percentage that become drugies, or gang members, they don't finish school, etc.  I even hear that it is the white government that causes a lot of it.  I think it is due to one thing and one thing only, the environment they grew up in.  If someone grows up around gang members, whether Black or White, Hispanic or Asian, if they grow up around a gang, chances are high that they will become members.  If someone grows up with drugie parents, they too might become hooked on drugs.  If the parents don't care if their child graduates or fails out of school, the child has a pretty good chance to drop out.

          I wrote this before the racially explicit speech by Senator Obama's Chicago pastor, saying that the white government is the reason for 9-11 and black kids on drugs.  Then comes the catholic priest, a white priest at that, looking like a black wannabe.  I am led to believe there is more racial tension in our black churches than originally thought.  Just the name "Black Church" says it.  Some additional proof that you are how you are brought up, a white girl hanging around black guys and girls is more likely to talk like she is black than to talk like she is white.  It's a phenomenon based on that you are how and where you are raised.  People around you rub off, and you become like them, or they become like you.  Usually the more dominant personality rubs off on others.  It is just as bad on the black side when a young black man decides he is not going to talk the black slang, he is going to pronounce his words correctly, he is a white wannabe.  OMG!

          The only way Obama could ever hope to even run for president was to remove him self from that church.  I feel he didn't do it fast enough, and I feel, (this is me) that he (Obama) is just as prejudice as the others in that church.  You can't sit and listen to something for over 20 years and not have some of it rub off.  Some times when he gets around other blacks, like the time an older black man gave him a cane, he spoke with that black slang talk, saying he would hit congress with a stick, or something like that.  He was saying that if we don't get affordable health care in this country.  Not sure what him message was, or if he was trying to be common folk.  He sounded pretty black to me, and he is a well educated part black and part white man who is a United States Senator, running for President.  Shouldn't he focus on sounding and presenting himself as a professional?  We don't need a president to be able to bowl, or dance.  We need a president who can run a huge company, one that takes in trillions of dollars, and it matters what you spend one dollar on.  We have more waste in the government than any other company in the World.  We need a president who cares about that waste.

          It's not as much prejudice these days as it is - Stereotyping - meaning if you see a Black American on the street, do you think he is in a gang, or on drugs?  If you see an Hispanic, do you think he is illegal?  Stereotyping, often mistaken for racial prejudice.

Medical Insurance - Worth it?

          This week I experienced some Sicko issues with my medical provider and insurance company that I would like to share;  Almost this entire year I have had back pain.  I went to my regular doctor and he really didn't know what to do so he referred me to a specialist.  The first thing to specialist did was send me for an MRI, you may have experienced one of those, 15 minutes in a cramped doughnut, and BAM! $2,500 and some really impressive photos.  The next visit to the specialist, she tells me I have a well used back, "come on I'm over 50!".  She told me that it could be arthritis of the joints in the back and suggested we try a steroid injection, I told her I did not like the sound of that, so she gave me the oral steroid option.  I took the oral steroid for a week, and experienced some relief, however very little.  The next visit, she suggested we try the injections.  I do not like things like this but the pain was constant and I needed to do something.  After the injection procedure and another $2,500 and no relief at all, she suggested physical therapy, 4 weeks of that and I felt I was capable of doing the exercises myself, so I went on my way, before I left though, I asked her about going to a chiropractor, she said for me to try it, that chiropractic or acupuncture may help.  I told her I didn't believe in acupuncture, she laughed and said there's something to it, that is increases the blood flow around the area.  Maybe but no one is going to stick me like a voo doo doll.  At my next regular doctor's visit, he asked me about my back.  I told him nothing has helped much and I have just given up and will tolerate the pain as much as possible.  I told him I was looking into a chiropractor, and he mentioned to me that they have a new person in their office who is just that.  I said good, I figured that it would be better than going to a new specialist, at least I didn't have to fill out the new patient forms.  I explained to the insurance person there that physical therapy and chiropractor services were covered 100% with no office co-pay.  The first visit my insurance was billed for an office visit for $117.  Also on the first bill was a charge for $65 for Medical Services and $165 for surgery.  Well I was totally pissed, none of these charges were for physical therapy or chiropractic, and what surgery?  I didn't have any surgery, remember this was a chiropractor, not a surgeon. 

          Now starts the fun stuff.  I called my secondary insurance to explain what the charges are because I didn't want to pay any out of pocket.  They told me that the codes are between my provider, (the chiropractor) and the carrier (my primary insurance).  I told them who has my best interest in mind?  No one on that list.  She (the lady from my secondary insurance) tried to call my provider to ask about the bogus charges, and she was given a number to the billing office who then proceeded to give her the run around.  She sent me the phone number asking me to try, so I called.  Remember I have no knowledge of medical anything, and I am going to discuss this with someone who should.  The person I talked to, Michelle, said the surgery was actually noted under "Strapping of the back" which means 20 cents of sports tape down my back in 2 locations.  $165 to put 2 pieces of tape on my back!  Michelle also said she is not the one who does the coding and she referred me back to the doctors office.  The doctors office said that Kelly does the coding and gave me her number.  When I spoke to Kelly, she said she has nothing to do with the codes, that doctor smith puts that information on the sheet as he is working on me.  I reminded her that David Smith is not a doctor.  I then took all of the documents to David Smith, he looked at the bill and said something is very wrong, told me he would change my appointment and in the meantime they would straighten this all out.

          Kelly called me two days later and told me that the codes were correct according to my primary insurance.  That my primary insurance dictates the codes to use and the prices.  She also said "we just bill at $165 for strapping of the back, the insurance company only pays a negotiated rate".  That negotiated rate is $92, for putting 2 pieces of tape on my back.

          What is happening to our medical system in this country?  When did it get so out of control that we are paying so much to get so little?  I understand that doctors feel that they cannot make much money because of the amount the insurance is willing to pay for their services.  They have to double or triple their charges to make a decent living?  I do not know of any doctor who is poor!  Who is actually making the money here?  Who has the huge office buildings in every major city?  Who spends billions on employees, buildings, and other materials which have nothing to do with medical care?

          I agree with Michael Moore that we need reform now.  With all of our politicians having the hand of insurance companies in their pockets, giving them money to run for office, we are the ones who are paying the price.  Take all of the money given to politicians by insurance companies and put it in a bank account, it could pay for the SCHIP that Bush keeps vetoing.  Check out Michael's Web Site.  Send him your stories.