Random Thought Thread

Murphjd25 said:
I wish I was still like that. I’m diabetic so I’m reliant on seeing the doctors. For the rest of my life. Pretty sure it was all the beer and my genetics lol

I’d love to never set foot in a doctors office ever again like the good old days.
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I know it is frustrating dealing with medical stuff, but staying ahead of issues is a big deal. You wouldn’t wait to service your truck until it broke down….. just saying. I went into family practice thinking I could prevent some of the issues I saw in ICU. Many problems are easily handled once you know the problem.
Stay safe.

Edited to say ‘big deal’ not bug! Lol. I need to read prior to posting!
 
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That was the most disappointing football game I’ve ever watched. I was rooting for the Bills all night (because F Russell Wilson) but the Bills absolutely deserved that Loss. Holy crap how can you screw up that bad when the games on the line, not once but TWICE!!
 
Murphjd25 said:
That was the most disappointing football game I’ve ever watched. I was rooting for the Bills all night (because F Russell Wilson) but the Bills absolutely deserved that Loss. Holy crap how can you screw up that bad when the games on the line, not once but TWICE!!
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Sorry, because at this point I'd stopped rooting for the Broncos after they lost so many games in a row. I didn't even know they might be turning things around until your post...
 
Lorien said:
the whole idea of having a middle man, (for profit insurance companies) gatekeep your health care seems dumb as hell to me.
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dd2.jpg

When my wife went into labor, I didn't worry because the hospital was in our insurance network. Our OBGYN was also in our network. However, I later learned the anesthetist, lactation consultant, and several nurses were not and I didn't think it prudent to call around to find in-network professionals in the moment. We were hit with a hefty bill afterwards, but luckily our insurer made a clerical error that ended up wiping away our bill. Could have been worse, but it was an eye-opening experience, especially learning that a cheeseburger from the hospital cafeteria was billed to us around $35.00. I'm pretty close to libertarian, believing in free markets and what-not, but I sniffed a scam. We got lucky that time, idk if it'll happen again.
 
StoneAndSteel said:
I am officially giving up: the bulk of my knife collection was stolen in my move from Europe. I, of course, went directly to the box where I hid them as soon as I saw it unloaded. When it wasn't there, I hoped I had misremembered where I had hidden them. But now we have opened all the boxes, and there's no sign of them. My wife doesn't appreciate the loss, so I am whining to you fine people who will at least understand the pain. Gratefully, I shipped the two most important ones (my pre-production DEK1 and Yarbrough) in a travel safe and put them in a double-tagged GPS-tracked and heavily insured box... Even if the movers pay for them, several others are irreplaceable. So here's to the loss.View attachment 2386806
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Sorry to hear about this

What does "pre-production DEK1" mean? Is it like a prototype?
 
Murphjd25 said:
That was the most disappointing football game I’ve ever watched. I was rooting for the Bills all night (because F Russell Wilson) but the Bills absolutely deserved that Loss. Holy crap how can you screw up that bad when the games on the line, not once but TWICE!!
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A guy from the hood worked his career in the Bills office, so, if you weren’t a Bills fan, you were a commie.
I‘ve stayed sane over the years by honing tailgating skills.
Eg. next morning…”Who did you say won?”
 
oldmanwilly said:
View attachment 2390503

When my wife went into labor, I didn't worry because the hospital was in our insurance network. Our OBGYN was also in our network. However, I later learned the anesthetist, lactation consultant, and several nurses were not and I didn't think it prudent to call around to find in-network professionals in the moment. We were hit with a hefty bill afterwards, but luckily our insurer made a clerical error that ended up wiping away our bill. Could have been worse, but it was an eye-opening experience, especially learning that a cheeseburger from the hospital cafeteria was billed to us around $35.00. I'm pretty close to libertarian, believing in free markets and what-not, but I sniffed a scam. We got lucky that time, idk if it'll happen again.
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most people don't like the idea of taxation, (especially libertarians!*) which seems to be why so many people in the US are not down with government-provided health insurance- taxation is the only way to pay for it. But the thing is, insurance works best when you have a big pool of money- that big pool gives bargaining power, say as for negotiating drug pricing with big pharma as is the case with the US military, and allows for investment in things like public hospitals and whatnot. If more people got over their reluctance to use their tax dollars to pay for a universal, government funded health insurance system, costs would go down. Like up here- we didn't pay a cent out of pocket for 3 nights of hospital stay and specialists 19 years ago for the difficult birth of our child. Didn't even have to think about it.

as a family, we've had to endure some very serious medical issues over the past few years. Canada's health care system covered it all, and to this day our prescription costs are mostly covered since my income is so low. If we were out of pocket for those expenses, or had to pay a premium for insurance...well, it would be bad. I wouldn't be designing and making knives, that's for sure, since I'd probably have to work a couple jobs. Just knowing that one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy in the US is caused by medical bills makes me thankful to live in a country where that's really not much of a concern.

on the flip side, the for-profit system in the US does tend to fuel innovation and technology, and if you have the money, you can take advantage of some truly cutting edge medical care. Unfortunately, a lot of those benefits are almost completely lost on those who aren't covered by insurance.

politically, I'm fairly neutral. I try to keep an open mind, but I tend to think that- generally speaking- society works best when a wide array of people's basic needs are met, freeing them up to live productive lives. The emphasis being more skewed toward collaboration than competition. We need both those impulses in order to maintain and move forward, but to me, the balance seems a little off.

Screed complete! If you disagree with my assessment, just keep in mind I'm Canadian and don't have a dog in your fight in the US, so take it with a grain of salt.



*my dad ran as a libertarian candidate in Vermont many years ago, so I get it. Not throwing any stones here.
 
Lorien said:
If more people got over their reluctance to use their tax dollars to pay for a universal, government funded health insurance system, costs would go down.
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That only would work without corruption, Lorien.

You are always invited to visit me in California for a couple of days, to see how tax dollars are spent. Just watch the potholes when you drive on our freeways. And hopefully we won't have a power outage when you visit :)
 
of the many developed countries that already have universal health care, there are an equal number that struggle with corruption.

nothing is perfect, corruption has been at the root of most human problems since time immemorial. I totally understand where you're coming from though.
I think it's a mistake for any of us to think that we can't make things better, and instead give ourselves over to apathy. Are things good enough? Never!
 
Lorien Lorien nah, you can throw a few stones. I said "pretty close to libertarian" because I know there must be some form of taxation for any government to exist and provide services/protections to its citizens.

I agree with you that it's a tricky situation: the free market drives innovation which should benefit all, but the free market leaves many cracks for people to fall through. The big joke about the US system is that it really isn't a free market for the average citizen. Citizens must either (1) accept whatever health plan is offered by their employer, (2) if no plan is available through an employer then they must choose a plan through their state's "marketplace," (3) apply for coverage under Medicare or VA system, both of which are fraught with issues, or (4) opt out of any coverage and pay out of pocket for all, plus pay a federal penalty (but super important to remember it's not a tax). Then, any care or meds that fall out of your network (which happens frequently, particularly with specialists and mental health) are usually borne 100% out of pocket. The truly destitute don't participate in any of the above and can generally be booted from a hospital after being brought to stable condition.

I can't even begin to comprehend the fiscal gymnastics the insurance companies go through that drive prices so high.

It's a dysfunctional system that gives a thin illusion of choice, when in reality most citizens really only get to choose the best of a few bad options for coverage then pay extra out of pocket anyway. Idk what the best solution is, but the system we have isn't it.
 
The government can't manage anything. The last thing I want is them involved with Healthcare and insurance.

All of my friends that are vets will tell you the same. I'm not saying it's apples to apples, I understand some of the differences. Not going to get into that.

I'm not in favor of becoming more reliant on the government more than "we" already are. I'd like to scale it back quite a bit.....

Anyway....random thought....has anyone eaten coyote before?
 
oldmanwilly said:
View attachment 2390503

When my wife went into labor, I didn't worry because the hospital was in our insurance network. Our OBGYN was also in our network. However, I later learned the anesthetist, lactation consultant, and several nurses were not and I didn't think it prudent to call around to find in-network professionals in the moment. We were hit with a hefty bill afterwards, but luckily our insurer made a clerical error that ended up wiping away our bill. Could have been worse, but it was an eye-opening experience, especially learning that a cheeseburger from the hospital cafeteria was billed to us around $35.00. I'm pretty close to libertarian, believing in free markets and what-not, but I sniffed a scam. We got lucky that time, idk if it'll happen again.
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It is so frustrating. I was recently admitted to the hospital for something at the behest of my family and doctor. Turns out is was nothing. I am well insured. Appx. $10K after insurance (all told), and they can bill you for up to 7 years after the service is provided. Bills from ER, lab tech, supervising doctor, etc., just kept coming it. Some bills get readjusted, others don't. There is essentially zero transparency.
 
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