No end of dumbasses in sight.

I thought when unemployment got a certain level, people would get better at their jobs. It turns out I was oh so wrong.

This morning Mr S. and I went to an event which required you to go through metal detectors to enter the event. Which is no big deal. It's pretty much expected with any gathering of thousands of people.

This of course made the line wait pretty long. Additionally, going through metal detectors makes my anxiety tick up a little. I'm usually carrying my camera bag with a couple lenses. I'm not comfortable handing off that kind of money to anyone. Especially not your average security worker.

Most of the time though, they just make you open your bag and all is well. This is what I expected at this event. They'd just want to look in the bag.

So, the girl in front of me walks up and hands her purse to the security guard on the outside of the metal detector. Then walks through the machine. He then hands her back the purse without having her open the bag or even checking inside.

Self I say - that is really odd! Maybe they don't want to deal with privacy issues with women's bags. Still I think, "crap, now this security guard is going to be in full possession of my camera gear". I prepare myself up to tell the guard to be careful with my bag.

I walk up. Hand him my bag, walk through the metal detector. He hands me my bag back. It never goes through the detector, and he never searches it. My eyes become like saucers. If there is any bag that should be searched, mine should fit the criteria. It could never be mistaken for a woman's purse. It also doesn't look like camera bag. It weights probably five or six pounds. It's all hard and bumpy. Sort of like smuggling a six pack of beer or soda in something the size of a womans purse. Only heavier. Since I usually carry it around for hours, the smaller bag I have to carry the better. I shove a lot of stuff into a very small area.

Granted, I don't fit the profile of someone they would expect is going to cause trouble. But, we go there all the time for car shows and they don't have the metal detectors there. So, why go through all the trouble of trucking in the machines, if you aren't even going to search bags? It was just the oddest thing. They were even wanding some people. Yet, if you wanted to get in a gun - I guess you could just hand it to a chick with a purse.

The funny thing is - that when I handed him the bag, I could see it register on his face that that bag seemed oddly heavy for a woman's purse. He still didn't ask to search it.

Typoon summer.

It's pretty unusual to see this stuff in the summer. Hell,these days it's pretty unusual to see it in the winter. I think the state is in 50% severe drought. So it was a real surprise. Though we didn't even get enough to wet the ground at all, all day long you'd feel a drop or two. It was really nice.

You hear that sound?

It's the sound of another bubble popping. NO - seriously.

This post is a little dry, but it gives you a great look into how the clean energy push is going to blow up in the worlds face. These are the same people who are forcing car companies to make green cars and cramming through legislation to force us to use green energy. When the sector right at this moment is dying. It's in serious, serious trouble.

Let me ask you. If you thought you'd make a bunch of money selling a product - wouldn't you jump for joy if you got an 18% discount on buying the machine that made the product? Me too!

Apparently, companies who put up wind farms don't think so. Bloomberg reports that Wind Turbine orders fell 50% the first half of this year. On top of that - turbine prices have fallen 18%. It makes you wonder, how are those companies going to stay in business?

The easy answer is - they aren't. I'm not sure at this point there is any way to salvage this sector.

See, I always thought the "small guys" would be put out of business, and all the work would be funneled to "the big guys". Not so fast eco warrior!

There are a few really large players in the wind turbine field. One of them is Suzelon. It's the 5th largest turbine maker by sales. It seems their turbines weren't built so well, and they had a mishap where a blade fell off of one of their turbines. Which tanked the stock. Here. They had to replace or reinforce almost every blade they shipped. That cuts into profit.

This caused Suzelon to want to take over component companies so that crap didn't happen again. But, this made investors worried Suzlon might not have enough money and would need to sell assets to get it. Even green energy companies aren't able to get loans. And, why would investors be worried really? They only had to slash 50% of it's US workforce due to slack demand.

Apparently they couldn't raise the money, because all of a sudden a company called Vestas is trying to take over a stake in Hansen Transmission which is 61% owned by Suzelon. Except that Vestas doesn't seem to have any money either.

Vestas is the #1 manufacturer or turbines. They just announced they were closing a plant in Britain and the workers are pissed. But who cares really. They must have been giant assholes because the company wanted to move to the US to escape them. They must have crazy labor costs, because the US labor isn't cheap. They bitched and moaned that last year Vestas made record profit. Which they might have.

As usually is the case with these people, they don't understand that last year isn't this year. By the time a company starts letting you know they are in trouble, they've been in trouble a while. And BTW - turbine orders have dropped 50% this year. Do the math geniuses! Or read the news about Vestas market oversupply here.

But, hey - if the prices for these things have been falling, why aren't governments snapping them up at reduced prices? Why? If they were serious about "green energy" this should be a win for everyone. Right?

Apparently not, because prices for the turbines are expected to fall another 20% Which is not good.

Say it with me folks. Not good!

The #1 and #5 manufacturer have laid off 9% and 50+% of workers respectively. What is another 20% price drop in turbines going to do to them? Hmmmm? I haven't looked at the companies in between #1 and #5, but I'd bet money they are not doing any better.

I bet T. Boone Pickens is wishing he would have unloaded those turbines he has sitting around. It looks to me like he was trying to bail before things got really bad.

I always wanted the price of this stuff to come down so I could afford it. So everyone could afford it if they wanted to use it. Yet with a 50% order decrease and an estimated 48% price decrease - it looks like all the governments of the world are not going to be able to hide the fact that this technology was bullshit all along.

As a side note - I find it really dishonest that this Pew article came out a few days ago.


"The report finds that the emerging clean energy economy is creating well-paying jobs in every state for people of all skill levels and educational backgrounds. Included in Pew’s definition are jobs as diverse as engineers, plumbers, administrative assistants, construction workers, machine setters, marketing consultants, teachers and many others, with annual incomes ranging from $21,000 to $111,000."

They didn't use any data from this year, where it's obvious to anyone who looks that green jobs are being shed at an alarming rate. Not being created.

As we stood on the ledge - he said, jump you bastards.

July 8 (Bloomberg) -- " Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling today will set out measures to tighten regulation of the British banking industry, requiring institutions to plan for their own demise, a person familiar with the plan said.

The proposals from the Treasury will require banks to keep on file instructions on how to unwind their own businesses to assist regulators in a rescue. Darling will give details of the plans in a statement to Parliament at 12:30 p.m. in London.

The rules are aimed at preventing a repeat of turmoil in financial markets that forced Britain to rescue Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc and Lloyds Banking Group Plc last year. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government is coordinating the overhaul with President Barack Obama’s administration in the U.S.

The Treasury is adopting all the recommendations made in March by Financial Services Authority Chairman Adair Turner, who called for a “revolution” in the way the industry is governed. He suggested banks hold more capital and hedge funds be more open with regulators. He wants mortgage loans not to exceed the value of the property they are secured against. "


While all well and good sounding - this is why you can't get a loan. As fewer people get loans, the more the government will require banks to hold more capital.

Now, I despise the banks with every cell in my being, but you only have to look past the immediate gratification contained in the sentiment, and you will realize this pattern will not end well. A plan that would make even the likes of Hugo Chavez proud.

Which to be quite honest - I can't even believe I'm saying. Yet, I can't figure out who is trying to injure us more. The banks or the administration(s).

I can't blame it all on the current administration after all. Way back here in March 2008, I couldn't figure out why banks were dragging their feet so much in the short sale segment of real estate. I still don't understand why honestly. If they would have started moving those houses then, maybe they could have manufactured a softer landing. Back when people still had money.

So, the banks have been trying to injure us for much longer than the current administration has.

Mr S. once said to me "we'll be lucky if we get out of this being as bad as the Carter era". I rolled my eyes and said "people will never let that happen". I'm guessing I will have never been so wrong.

Hope you weren't counting on those "green jobs".

If you have read this blog for any length of time - you know green energy is way up on my list to bitch about. Mostly it revolves around how solar is a con. None of this green energy is cost effective. I don't care how good it makes you feel, it is a net negative on the economy rather than a net positive.

So today when I read that T. Boone Pickens was abandoning his wind farm, first I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Then I thought "there isn't anyone the administration won't try to make poor". Sure T. Boone has a ton of money. But, he already bought these turbines from GE. And really - if you have enough money you can get anything done. Right? How would you like to be sitting on 687 giant wind turbines? Maybe he can sell them out of the back of his giant Hummer on the cheap.

Anyway. Something was nagging at me that it had to be more than just not being cost effective. You can still make a ton of money from things that are not cost effective. Rich billion ares always win. Working class folk always loose.

So I started poking around. The general reason Pickens gave for stopping the farm was the transmission lines were way more expensive than he thought. But... wait! Wasn't the Obama administration going to pay for that? I thought he was. He made a big deal about it and everything! So, it must be true.

Self I said "how much can those lines cost"? Surely Google will be able to tell me.

Apparently, a shitload. 1.5 million per mile. JesusFChrist! It would take 10 million just to get the electricity shipped to my grocery store 10 miles away. It says so right here in this USA Today article from 2008.

"Stringing new wires is easier said than done. Wind developers won't go ahead with projects until transmission lines are in place, and utilities are loath to build the lines until they're sure the developers won't back out. Also, the first wind developer in an area is often asked to shoulder much of the $1.5 million-per-mile cost of a high-voltage line. "

Another paragraph from that article:

"Until now, wind developers have piggybacked on existing wires, says analyst Stow Walker of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. But after wind energy soared 45% last year, spare transmission capacity is depleted. Wind power generates more than 1% of U.S. electricity."

Surely they knew we would find out about this sooner rather than later. Right? I mean - all people have is time on their hands. It would have made a lot more sense to keep us rich and distracted.

BTW the picture is mine from the wind farm very close to me. I wonder what it would cost to string that site with transmission lines. That was only one string of turbines.

At least people are getting what they asked for.

I pretty much hate talking to people right now. Even simple interactions turn to what is happening with the economy and how normal hardworking people are being prevented at every turn from moving on with their lives. It really is breathtaking how the banking industry is really trying to crush the economy.

Take today for example. I was talking with my insurance agent. I've been with them probably close to 10 years. I like them because they never turn over people. The same girl that works there today - worked there 10 years ago.

She was telling me how she'd been trying to close on a house in Washington. For almost a year. Despite obvious long proof of employment. She attested her credit score was over 800, and that she paid her credit cards every month. Now that it's been so long, houses in the neighborhood are being foreclosed on threatening the deal even further.

You see - a while back, I talked about the appraiser pool the government had set up. From all accounts it seems to be fucking things up for everyone.

But, this isn't the best part. The bank has been sitting on her deposit. 60 grand, for close to a year. Just as an aside - I'm glad I posted about the pool, because my insurance agent said her appraiser was costing her 450 bucks. More than the 250 I'd written about in May, but still under the 650 they used to cost. Give it time. It's only been 2 months, and the price has gone up close to a 100%. In another few months I bet it doubles again. After they've pushed all the experienced people out of the sector I'm sure.

I never got around to asking her why she hadn't pulled out of the deal. If I were a betting woman (and I am) I'd guess she is probably approved for this house, and if she pulls out, she might not be able to get approved under all the new bullshit rules. Or maybe she is locked into a favorable rate. Or maybe she'd loose part of her deposit? I don't know because we had moved onto talking about her kids.

One is in the medical field and now cannot complete her internship because all the jobs are used up. She is working some place up north now. The other - is a teacher who also can not find work, and is doing hours here and there at the Tot and drop. I guess it's a place where you can dump your kids when you have an appointment. It isn't a full daycare place, just a drop in. She's mighty glad she got a degree for that. Anyone would be. Right?

In a weird way - her family exemplifies the economy. The banking sector won't move, causing jobs to not be created. The banks win anyway. They get our taxpaying dollars and shift the blame to all those people who didn't pay their mortgages. But wait! What about those people who still have jobs and long term employment? No loan for you! We should give loans to first time home buyers instead. You know - the ones who have no proven track record.

It's no wonder the word socialism comes up so often these days. Yet the sad thing is - the people who want the government to rescue them don't realize - the government never does. I suppose people have been well off for far too long to understand this concept. It takes being really poor for a while I guess. Even then, I"m guessing they don't make the connection.

Trees are assholes.

We live about 20 blocks and a large field from the site where my city shoots off fireworks. Normally we hang out on the deck and get a marginal view. We could get closer, but you can't drive there. It would probably take an hour to get the 20 blocks home. We actually walked to the site yesterday, but couldn't figure out how to get a good place to view.

Anyway, because we get such a slim view, Mr S. always says in a tone "yaaaa know. We could get up on the roof". I've always turned him down because well, because of the neighbors and all. This year I said screw it and climbed on the roof with him.



This is where I thought the fireworks would be. My fireplace is just poking into the shot on the left.



This is where the fireworks actually came up. I would have gotten you a better shot, but once I got up on the roof I was freaked out. I'm not great with heights, but I've been standing on this roof in the day time. Yet in the dark 20 feet up I was glued to the spot in which I arrived. On my stomach. Yeah - I was a bit of a woosie.

It wouldn't have mattered that much anyway - a huge tree was blocking that spot anyway.

Happy Independence Day. But, not from trees - because they are assholes.

Saturday technology dump.

First let me start out by saying - I've been noticing a really interesting thing lately. Little tiny children sporting iphones and netbooks. I'm going to call them technology toddlers. (patent pending!) And I've been seeing it a lot.

Mind you, these are not children who are playing with their parents phones. They are children who are actually using the technology. Presumably playing games.

It used to be when you handed a three year old a phone, you'd wind up with some strange calls to Bermuda because all they would do was push the buttons and stick it in their mouths. I seem to have this vague memory of the early days of Apple using the imagery of a toddler using a computer. If I think of the search criteria I'll try to find the video. In an odd way, it has quite the "full circle" feeling". Steve Jobs predicted very young children would be using computers, and now they are actually using iphones. Which are basically tiny computers.

I'd been seeing the phone thing pretty often, and it didn't really click in my head until a few weeks ago I was waiting for a table in a restaurant. I like to people watch. A little girl was there and sporting a netbook. I remember turning to Mr S. and saying "Oh my gawd Mr S.". Look at how the netbook is exactly the right size for a tiny child". All I could do was stare at her. Which in retrospect might have seemed creepy. But, you have to understand - it was the future I was looking at. Not the child. The realization of the quest. It actually took my breath away.

I think it was then it hit me the netbook was going to be more than a passing trend. Sure, cost basis is the attractive thing in the depressed economy. This also makes it attractive to placate tiny children with. If they screw it up, you aren't out that much money. It's brilliant honestly.

So today when I saw a woman was pushing a stroller with a child, my immediate reaction was "Mr S.! Is that kid using an iphone"? Never mind they cost a couple of hundred bucks. These kids are actually engaging with whatever apps were on the phone. I just find it really interesting.

I also did a bit of technology browsing today. I say browsing because most of the things I really want will not be released for a couple of more months. However, I also did a bit of market research. Mr S.'s business is in a technology that has extremely intense competition. For this reason I often feel very vulnerable with the economy acting the way it is.

And, lately there isn't anything more interesting than standing in the isle in which these things are sold and watching consumers. At first it was to see if they were buying stuff from the place he works. But then, it became much more fascinating to just watch them try to decide. Body behaviour is interesting I tell you.

From what I saw today - generally malls are still in trouble. However, people are still spending on multimedia. Verizon was oddly packed. Fry's seemed to be doing decent business.

I made my way to San Jose Camera in San Jose for a shutter release cable, and it looked like every other time I'd been in there.

So - cameras, phones, cheap computers and peripherals still seem to be moving.

Today's naive questions.

I am pretty much of the mindset - if you are struggling to survive, you don't give a shit about the environment.

So, I guess I am somewhat surprised the Obama administration is so entrenched in getting people into "the new based renewable energy sector" as he calls it. Being the naive yet somewhat logical individual I am - I have to ask the question. "He knows that he cannot ultimately pay for this". Right?

I mean - this isn't even a long term horizon sort of concept. These companies are failing at an alarming rate. On top of that! The government isn't even handing out loan guarantees to these companies yet.

Just look at this interesting quote from this site:

"The mismatch of photovoltaic capacity expansions and slumping market demand is underscored by the expected 32% increase in global PV production capacity in 2009 despite a forecasted 22% decline in solar system installations this year, according to the new report."

The solar companies that haven't already failed because they couldn't get loans to fund themselves were only being propped up in large part to government and city investment. No individuals are buying solar. They are all freaked out they won't have jobs. So, that only leaves government intervention.

Even the very largest solar companies like First Solar are projecting serious problems. You only have to browse through a google search under "solar bankruptcy" to see that these companies are going bust left and right.

With the news coming in that tax collections are down for every sector. Federal, income, sales, property, cities will not be able to fund their pet solar projects. Which obviously will crush the remaining companies. Leaving the administration exposed.

Yes, I know that by the time everyone realizes this, we will all be poor and unable to do anything about it. Yet, I'm still curious as to how he thinks he will be able to pass this off.

How long does he think he'll get away with this before people completely freak out? I have to admit, I don't want to believe the administration wants to make the US like Venezuela, but I'm having to come to grips with the idea that this is exactly what he wants.

Don't we have enough going on without Aliens too?

All signs point to yes.

This is a bit more personal information than I typically give out - but, I don't know these people and the whole thing is the most ridiculous turn of events on the planet. It reads like a seedy novel.

Hopefully you read yesterdays post where I wondered if my mom was a home wrecker. My Aunt assured me she wasn't. Though I still had my misgivings.

In my last interaction with "alleged blood relation" - I asked her how her family felt that she actually managed to track me down. Because remember, my birth comes before the last child was born in her family. I still have a sneaky suspicion my mom broke up their family. I also asked if she'd had a relationship with her dad before he died.

This is roughly the reply she gave me. She said she didn't really have a relationship with him. They were living in another state when her mom said they were moving back to the state where her dad lived and that they were going to go visit him. When they got to that state, they went to the state penitentiary where he was at. She didn't know why he was there.

I let this news settle in a bit and tell Mr S. "now the only thing I can think about is trying to find out why he was in the pen". I'd learned from court documents that the alleged blood relation is learning disabled. I told you, you can find a lot of crazy stuff about people on the net. Though she has never come outright and said so, it's somewhat obvious in her writing. Otherwise I might have just said "well, ask your mom why he was in the pen". And her mom doesn't seem to want to talk about it anyway.

Mr S. and I placed our bets on why he might have gone to the pen. And I paid for a background check. He's dead anyway.

Listed under criminal background were the words - NV Child Sex.

Remember yesterday I told you that my mom was a teenage mother? Yeah, well now I think my mom sent him to the pen! I'm not positive, but there is nothing else listed under criminal offenses. There is that whole saying 15 will get you 20. The offense is even listed in the county in which I was told I'd have to file to get copies of child support judgements. So this has to be him. Though he never admitted I was his, he did agree to child support.

Now, the odd thing is - the story in my family is that my mom set out to get pregnant. There was never any doubt that even though underage, the whole thing was completely consensual. Some may argue that anything done under the age of 18 can not be consensual, and that is how the law sees it.

It's also odd that when I talked to my Aunt she did mention the law getting involved. But said "I don't remember if he went to jail or not". Okay fine. It's been a while, but not that long! You'd think that's the kind of thing people would remember. She's not even retirement age - her memory can't be that bad.

And now! The new alleged blood relation seems to have been left in the dark as to the circumstances of my birth. She's older than I am. How do I even deal with that?

Today's uncomfortable questions.

Did my mom wreck your moms marriage?

Yeah, you heard me right.

After some starts and stops - the sister thing continues. Mainly due to persistence on her part. Not annoying persistence mind you. Yet, the whole thing might have fallen apart without it. I still don't understand her need to dredge up the past, but neither of us are willing to walk away. Apparently.

Mr S. claimed I wasn't being nice, and asked me to consider not having such a wall up. I scoffed and asserted that I wasn't even completely sure we are even related. But, in the end I took his advice and calmed my decidedly defensive tone down. I have to admit, I might have calmed down earlier if she'd confirmed if the small bits of information I'd given her fit with what she knew from her family.

As it turns out - I may never get the information I want. Including complete confirmation of blood relation. Yet the information she has given me so far- reasonably matches some of what I know. Her mom holds all the keys to the safe, and she doesn't want to talk. Which of course piques my interest.

I have to admit, after becoming an adult - this stuff just wasn't important to me. Now that I've got this puzzle game going on, I needed to call my Aunt and find out what she remembered. My Aunt assures me, my mom didn't break their family up. Though I do find it odd that one of the siblings is younger than me. Two older. It makes it hard for me to believe that maybe my mom didn't have something to do with it.

I guess also depending on your view, there is a problem with my mom being a teenage mother. I've mentioned it before on the blog about just how young my mom was. Maybe her mom doesn't want her to know. I don't know. We are all adults now, I can't imagine why her mom won't talk to her about it.

At any rate - I don't know what will come of this. It is just weird. The whole thing.

Pictures I should have posted.

I know you're jealous!

It's the Judgement, Stupid

So this week we got a new member of the Politician-caught-having-an-affair club, South Carolina Governer Mark Sanford. And as happens each time this happens, I hear the same issues being rehashed, e.g.

• It's about the morality
• No, it's about the ethics
• No, it's about being a good role model
• No, it's about character

I'm not going to argue that none of the above matters. But that's not aspect that most bothers me. What bothers me about Gov Sanford (and Rep John Ensign, and NY Gov Spitzer, and President Clinton, etc...) is that this shows incredibly poor judgement and impulse control.

Put aside the above issues for a moment, and look at as a pro vs con decision making. Let's say Person X lives in a publicity fish-bowl, and person X wants to do some clandestine action Y.

Pro: If person X is not caught, it will make person X feel good.

Con: if person X is caught, it will:

• humiliate person X
• humiliate person X's family
• damage person X's career
• damage person X's cause, and all the allies, coworkers, and supporters of that cause.
• empower person X's opponents and rivals

Anyone who is faced with the above decision, and chooses to go ahead and do it anyway, should not be in any kind of executive or leadership position.

"Good Judgement" is the main qualification I'm looking for anyone in an Executive position, whether it's Mayor, Governor, President, Ceo, (or were I religious, Pastor) etc. That's pretty much the job description -- make good decisions for the people you represent. Anyone who decides that "I don't care how many people it might hurt, I'm doing it anyway" shouldn't be in the position to make such decisions.

I think the chattering classes miss the point when they frame the issue as being about morality ("It's about the sin!" "No it's not, sex is private!". Repeat ad nauseum) Even if you 100% believe that the sex lives are private, it's still a mind-bogglingly stupid decision.

Still here.

Long time readers of the blog know that every once in a while I get into a funky mood and take a couple of days off. Sometimes I tell you before, sometimes after. Usually it only happens a couple of times a year, but this year it's ticked up a bit.

Mainly because normally I would go out and buy things I don't need, or rip something up that doesn't really need fixing. Yes, I buy my way out of a funk. Sue me. You used to love the jobs I made by buying crap I didn't need. And apparently, everyone else has a say in what I do and do not need now.

This year, this mindset presents a bit of a problem. First because, from day to day I'm not sure what the administration is going to make me pay for next. Health care, banks and car bailouts, pollution tax, welfare, sales taxes, income tax, capital gains tax, water increase (just because we are saving so much water) amazon tax, energy tax, gas tax.

So, you can see why most people are not spending any money. Every single day they propose a new tax. I wouldn't be surprised if most people needed the jaws of life to get people loosen up the wallets. They aren't just shaking you down in an alley. They are pushing you to the ground, and stealing even the clothes you wear.

Oh, and my State is only going to run out of money next week. I wonder what other taxes they will make up, to pay for that.

Second, there is no second. Look back at the first reason. But, Mr S. always makes a big deal about people who list a first issue without a corresponding set of issues. So I'm placating him.

Anyway... I think I'm almost through it. The funk that is. Just bear with me.

Let's Talk Healthcare!

While I'm in the mood to fix all the world's problems, let's have a go at the US Health Care system.

Practially noone likes our current system, but that doesn't mean that any change will be an improvement. It can definitely be made worse (and probably will be). If we really want to improve our health care system, it's first necessary to understand why it is the way it is now.

Business and The Free Market

In a free market, businesses have to constantly adjust to try to please the customers. It's not that they love us customers, it's that they have no choice. If they don't, we'll take our business elsewhere. Customers vote with their dollars. If a restaurant serves you bad food, or the waitress gives you poor service, you probably won't go back. Businesses that don't adapt lose customers, and go out of business. This forces them to constantly make trade-offs to keep the customer's happy, i.e. they have to try to minimize cost, while at the same time maximizing customer satisfaction. Customers withholding their dollars and shopping elsewhere is the feedback that makes the system work.

Customer dollars are the only feedback system that consistently works. e.g. if a company regularly makes it's customers mad, and those customers complain, but keep shopping there, spending the same amount of money, the business isn't likely to change. (Think Comcast)

But if business makes it's customers mad, the customers don't complain, they just go elsewhere, the business will realize it right away, and take action.

But if this is the case, why aren't market-forces working on the Health Care industry to make things better?

The Patient is Not the Customer

The 'customer' that businesses have to please is not the person who receives the service, it's the person who signs the check. From your Doctor's Office point-of-view, you are not the customer, your insurance company is. Market forces work on health care providers to adapt to satisfy the Insurance companies, b/c that's who pays them. And adapt they do.

This by itself wouldn't be so bad, except that from your Health Care Insurance Companies point-of-view, you're still not the customer, your Employer is. Since your Employer is the entity that pays the lion's share of the Insurance company bill, that is the customer that they have to please.

In our attempt to get someone else to pay our medical bills for us, we've eliminated our vote in the process.

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance is the problem. Single-Payer Health Insurance will be much worse.

But if you think it's bad now, wait until there is no choice at all.

Your Employer does not really want to be your Insurance Provider.

Ask yourself -- why does your Employer buy your health insurance for you in the first place?

e.g. say I'm your employer, and let's say I pay you $1000/month in salary, and I spend an extra $500 a month on your health insurance. Why can't I just give you the full $1500 directly instead, and let you get your own insurance (or not)? After all, it costs me $1500 either way. If all other things were equal, it would be simpler and cheaper for me to give you the money directly, b/c I wouldn't have to also negotiate with the Insurance Company every year, I wouldn't have to pay someone in Human Resources to manage all the forms, and help people fill out their paperwork. From your Employer's point of view, being your insurance supplier is a big hassle.

So why does almost every employer do it that way?

The reason is the tax code. The way the tax code is currently written, it's cheaper for your employer to buy your insurance for you, than it is for your employer to give you the same amount of money to buy it yourself.

So How Do We Fix It?

Change the tax code. Remove the current tax incentive for employers to buy your insurance, and replace it with an equivalent incentive for employers and invididuals to buy their own insurance.

Could it really work?

Absolutely. Look at car insurance. Individuals buy their own, employers don't buy it for you. Auto-insurers compete hard for your business. No matter how crappy your driving record, there is some auto-insurance company who will cover you. It may cost you more, but they'll cover you.

Some of the things I found interesting and or weird today.

Pirates! Arrrrrh. Obviously interesting. And, if you don't think so - I'll have to wonder about our relationship. Yeah... I said it.

People are pretty serious about dressing up as stuff. Especially pirates.



Inflation. Holy shit. Do you see the prices? I mean, fair food is ridiculous - but, when you start charging 5 bucks for peanut butter and jelly I know the world has gone crazy. Although, PBandJ did sound really good compared to some of the other stuff, and if it hadn't cost 5 bucks I might have had one.



Apparently we've become a civilized country. Today was the first time I'd seen hand washing stations with the Porto potties. Of course I'd rather die with some sort of septic bladder infection than use one. I immediately scout out the landscape to see how soon we'd have to leave just in case they don't have real restrooms. Yet, I found it really interesting. They even had hand sanitation thingies. I call them thingies because I didn't get close enough, and I felt a little awkward taking pictures of this area.



Um. This chick was wearing a bustier that obviously was meant for a girl with much larger boobs. What is up with that?



This girl? Well, she is carrying a cat around. Which would usually only be minimally amusing. Until you look at the cats feet!



Now, that is interesting.



I don't know what kind of pirate this is.



Looks like a drink umbrella.



Child molester van with tiny wheels.

If I were China...

I know what you've all been thinking... "Hey Mr Snarkoplepsy, if you were China, what you do about the US bond situation?". Funny you should ask...

If you're at all paying attention to the US financial situation, you know that the countries who buy our debt (i.e. lend us money) are very worried that the Fed may inflate the currency (print money), which is great if your the debtor, but sucks if you're the lender.

Of course, the US govt says "Who, us? Why we would never do that! How could you even think such a thing?." All the while implementing financial policies that have *always* led to massive inflation.

If I were China, I would very publicly offer to refinance the existing US debt at a much lower rate, but in Yuan (the Chinese currency), rather than US dollars. If the US govt really believes that the dollar isn't going to inflate, then this is a spectacular deal, which would save us billions or trillions of dollars in interest payments.

If the US won't take such a deal, it's a tacit admission to China and all other countries that the US does indeed intend to inflate it's currency.

You're not so special.

Last year when I ran across one of these, I never thought I'd see another one in my life. They are suppose to be really rare.

Circumhorizontal arc I believe is what I am seeing. You can see other pictures of them here. Although, damn! I need to invest in better filters. Some of those pictures are really doctored. More than heavily tweaking the fstops like I had to do. After all, your eye can see much greater detail than your camera can.

Anyway, I couldn't believe my eyes when I walked outside and looked up and saw it again. So, maybe this happens every year. Roughly at the same time of the year, and time. I came in to switch lens's once, and looked at the clock. It was 3:04. The time stamp on last years post is within minutes of that time.

Last year, the arc was definitely more vivid. I didn't even have my camera in the right mode to capture it well it happens so quickly. For me to see it randomly two years in a row I'm guessing it is more common than people think.