I’m employed. I have insurance. I think the U.S. system of “insurance”, “flexible spending accounts” and elastic medical/pharmaceutical costs are completely screwed up and in need of serious fixing.
It almost takes a degree in finance to understand the various “options” presented to most of us during the round of benefits form signings we go through when (if) we are hired at a new job with benefits. I’m bewildered. And somehow, deep down, I know that the insurance companies, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals are all still making loads of money off the average citizen who is just trying to get by and make sure they don’t lose the house if their kid breaks a leg.
I know, it’s cynical. But prove I’m wrong.
I’d never even think to use the phrases “affordable” and “1,831 sq. feet” in the same neighborhood as the numeral “$349,500.” Of course, I’m in rural Virginia, not Bakersfield, California. I’m currently trying to sell1,250 sq. feet for about $115,000 in South Carolina, and I consider that “affordable.”
All kidding aside, if anyone reading this is in the market for a house in Bakersfield, Howard may have a deal for you.
Seth Godin, an exceptional marketing mind, writes about the recent changes in airport security that should have air company executives shuddering:
When you need an additional 90 minutes, can’t bring your laptop (or even a book on some routes) and can’t have a bottle of water, the calculus for most trips is fundamentally changed. Years ago, Tom Peters argued hard and long for the value of showing up, of being there in person, of establishing a face to face relationship with the person on the other side.
The prevalance of online video, constant skype connections and the multiple threads of data we get online, combined with the enormous overhead that flying now brings might just change the story for a long time to come.
I know that I was not too thrilled about the long wait at airports *before* this recent incident. Now, knowing that I won’t be able to use a laptop or iPod for the duration of a trip (not to mention worrying about what’s going to happen to that sensitive electronic equipment once it’s stowed under the cabin) makes me even less a potential customer for the airlines.
Many of my trips have been made in rental cars just because I don’t want the hassle of an airport. I suspect car rental companies are going to see booming business in the coming months, even with the high gas prices.
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Chatting online with Kiyoshi Martinez, Daily Illini alum, and noted this post tonight. Just to show how old I am, I remember owning the tape of the Violent Femmes album that "Gone Daddy Gone" appeared on originally!
Check out the YouTube video. YouTube is a great resource for old band videos.
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