I'd like to offer a word (or two) of advice...
We've all been here. You need to talk to someone about something. You're not sure what to do or how to respond. So we call an acquaintance, an expert in the field or a trusted friend to get advice. Before you pick up the phone, please think about one thing.
If you've already made up your mind about what it is you're going to do, do you really need to make the call? Unless you're willing to listen to what they have to say about why the action isn't a good idea; there's absolutely no point in making the call.
Yesterday I got just such a call. The person had already decided that what they were going to do was the right course of action, even though they wanted to do the exact opposite. After fifteen minutes of trying to explain why what they wanted to do was a better choice than what they were planning to do, and listening to their twisted pretzels of illogic about why they shouldn't do that, I got frustrated. So I posed the question, "if you'd already made up your mind, why did you bother to ask me what I think?" "Because I'm not sure if I'm right." "Then listen to what I have to say, and then I'm going to hang up and let you decide." I then reiterated what they should do and why they should do it, and then just as I was about to hang up, I heard this person say "wait. You're right. That's what I'll do."
Great. Wonderful. So why did we have to spend 15 minutes explaining four times why your initial choice was a bad idea? I guess what I'm venting about is having to repeat myself time and again. I pride myself on being an above average communicator (it was my first choice of major in college before I headed off to major in Business and Human Resources). Clearly the problem here wasn't with my message or how I communicated it, but the receiver simply not listening. Which is so frustrating. Okay, I'm done venting about this now.
* * *
I am staying out of the "rape joke" controversy as much as possible. But I will say this. Humor almost always requires someone being the 'butt' of the joke. A woman (or man) who has been raped isn't going to be funny as the butt of any joke. There are funny rape jokes. You can search them out yourself. You'll find the common thread among them is that the butt of the joke is the rapist, not the victim.
* * *
The Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") requires that insurers who don't spend at least 80% of premiums on medical care for individuals and small-business customers must give premium rebates. Blue Shield of CA and Anthem Blue Cross owe over $36 million in such rebates.
And I'm sure they will pay them. My question is, will the small-business customers who were charging their employees all or part of the cost of the health insurance, pass the rebates on to the employees? Here's an example:
Small-business has 42 employees, each of whom pays $100 per month of their $400 per month health insurance premiums. 42 * $400 * 12 = $201,600. 80% of that amount is $161,280. Let's say that the insurer paid only $131,040 out in medical care (65%). So 15% of the premiums paid or ($161,280 - $131,040 = $30,240) will be rebated. 25% of that money should be returned to the employees. But whether or not it will be is the big question.
* * *
The convoluted logic by which an opinion writer comes to the conclusion that WalMart is being subsidized by the government because WalMart employees qualify for government programs is absurd. If those people were to work anywhere else and receive the same salaries and benefits, they'd be eligible for all of the same programs. If they weren't working anywhere, they'd be eligible. Government is providing these programs to everyone, not just to WalMart in an effort to cut their operating expenses. If the marketplace permits employers to pay that level of salary and benefits, and government doesn't mandate higher levels of such things, government isn't subsidizing individual businesses by name. They're subsidizing all businesses. So stop blaming WalMart.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1099, the Siege of Jerusalem begins as part of the First Crusade.
On this date in 1654, Louis XIV is crowned King of France (Fronce in "History of the World, Part I")
On this date in 1862, the U.S. and the UK agree to suppress the slave trade.
On this date in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison becomes the first president to attend a baseball game.
On this date in the same year, Homer Plessy is arrested for refusing to leave the whites only car of a train. This would lead to the landmark decision, Plessy v Ferguson.
On this date in 1893, Mohandas Ghandi commits his first act of civil disobedience.
On this date in 1899, Carrie Nation vandalizes her first saloon.
On this date in 1909, at the age of 16 Mary Pickford makes her big screen debut.
On this date in 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court issues its decision in Griswold v Connecticut, legalizing the use of contraception by married couples.
On this date in 1977, 500 million watch the "High Day" of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.
On this date in 1981, Israel destroys Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor.
On this date in 1982, Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public for tours. The bathroom where Elvis died was kept off limits.
Famous Folk Born on this Date:
Paul Gaugain
James J. Braddock
Gwendolyn Brooks
Dean Martin (did I tell you he crashed his car once in the drive-thru where I was working?)
Ken Osmond
Gilles Marotte
Jenny Jones
Gary Graham
Howard Finkel
Liam Neeson
Colleen Camp
William Forsythe
Prince (aka the artist formerly known as, aka the symbol, aka Prince Rogers Nelson)
Dave Navarro
Allen Iverson (an ongoing, unravelling, tragedy in the making)
Anna Kournikova
Michael Cera
In honor of AFI giving Mel Brooks a lifetime achievement award last night, today's movie quote is from one of his films, "History of the World: Part I":
If you've already made up your mind about what it is you're going to do, do you really need to make the call? Unless you're willing to listen to what they have to say about why the action isn't a good idea; there's absolutely no point in making the call.
Yesterday I got just such a call. The person had already decided that what they were going to do was the right course of action, even though they wanted to do the exact opposite. After fifteen minutes of trying to explain why what they wanted to do was a better choice than what they were planning to do, and listening to their twisted pretzels of illogic about why they shouldn't do that, I got frustrated. So I posed the question, "if you'd already made up your mind, why did you bother to ask me what I think?" "Because I'm not sure if I'm right." "Then listen to what I have to say, and then I'm going to hang up and let you decide." I then reiterated what they should do and why they should do it, and then just as I was about to hang up, I heard this person say "wait. You're right. That's what I'll do."
Great. Wonderful. So why did we have to spend 15 minutes explaining four times why your initial choice was a bad idea? I guess what I'm venting about is having to repeat myself time and again. I pride myself on being an above average communicator (it was my first choice of major in college before I headed off to major in Business and Human Resources). Clearly the problem here wasn't with my message or how I communicated it, but the receiver simply not listening. Which is so frustrating. Okay, I'm done venting about this now.
* * *
I am staying out of the "rape joke" controversy as much as possible. But I will say this. Humor almost always requires someone being the 'butt' of the joke. A woman (or man) who has been raped isn't going to be funny as the butt of any joke. There are funny rape jokes. You can search them out yourself. You'll find the common thread among them is that the butt of the joke is the rapist, not the victim.
* * *
The Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") requires that insurers who don't spend at least 80% of premiums on medical care for individuals and small-business customers must give premium rebates. Blue Shield of CA and Anthem Blue Cross owe over $36 million in such rebates.
And I'm sure they will pay them. My question is, will the small-business customers who were charging their employees all or part of the cost of the health insurance, pass the rebates on to the employees? Here's an example:
Small-business has 42 employees, each of whom pays $100 per month of their $400 per month health insurance premiums. 42 * $400 * 12 = $201,600. 80% of that amount is $161,280. Let's say that the insurer paid only $131,040 out in medical care (65%). So 15% of the premiums paid or ($161,280 - $131,040 = $30,240) will be rebated. 25% of that money should be returned to the employees. But whether or not it will be is the big question.
* * *
The convoluted logic by which an opinion writer comes to the conclusion that WalMart is being subsidized by the government because WalMart employees qualify for government programs is absurd. If those people were to work anywhere else and receive the same salaries and benefits, they'd be eligible for all of the same programs. If they weren't working anywhere, they'd be eligible. Government is providing these programs to everyone, not just to WalMart in an effort to cut their operating expenses. If the marketplace permits employers to pay that level of salary and benefits, and government doesn't mandate higher levels of such things, government isn't subsidizing individual businesses by name. They're subsidizing all businesses. So stop blaming WalMart.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1099, the Siege of Jerusalem begins as part of the First Crusade.
On this date in 1654, Louis XIV is crowned King of France (Fronce in "History of the World, Part I")
On this date in 1862, the U.S. and the UK agree to suppress the slave trade.
On this date in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison becomes the first president to attend a baseball game.
On this date in the same year, Homer Plessy is arrested for refusing to leave the whites only car of a train. This would lead to the landmark decision, Plessy v Ferguson.
On this date in 1893, Mohandas Ghandi commits his first act of civil disobedience.
On this date in 1899, Carrie Nation vandalizes her first saloon.
On this date in 1909, at the age of 16 Mary Pickford makes her big screen debut.
On this date in 1965, the U.S. Supreme Court issues its decision in Griswold v Connecticut, legalizing the use of contraception by married couples.
On this date in 1977, 500 million watch the "High Day" of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee.
On this date in 1981, Israel destroys Iraq's Osiraq nuclear reactor.
On this date in 1982, Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public for tours. The bathroom where Elvis died was kept off limits.
Famous Folk Born on this Date:
Paul Gaugain
James J. Braddock
Gwendolyn Brooks
Dean Martin (did I tell you he crashed his car once in the drive-thru where I was working?)
Ken Osmond
Gilles Marotte
Jenny Jones
Gary Graham
Howard Finkel
Liam Neeson
Colleen Camp
William Forsythe
Prince (aka the artist formerly known as, aka the symbol, aka Prince Rogers Nelson)
Dave Navarro
Allen Iverson (an ongoing, unravelling, tragedy in the making)
Anna Kournikova
Michael Cera
In honor of AFI giving Mel Brooks a lifetime achievement award last night, today's movie quote is from one of his films, "History of the World: Part I":
Count de Monet: Don't get saucy with me, Bearnaise!
#2
Dole Office Clerk: Occupation?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher.
Dole Office Clerk: What?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension.
Dole Office Clerk: Oh, a *bullshit* artist!
Comicus: *Grumble*...
Dole Office Clerk: Did you bullshit last week?
Comicus: No.
Dole Office Clerk: Did you *try* to bullshit last week?
Comicus: Yes!
#3
Madame DeFarge: We are so poor, we do not even have a language! Just this stupid accent!
Fellow Revolutionist: She's right, she's right! We all talk like Maurice Chevalier!
[impersonates the Chevalier laugh]
Fellow Revolutionist: Au-haw-haw.
Crowd: Au-haw-haw.
#2
Dole Office Clerk: Occupation?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher.
Dole Office Clerk: What?
Comicus: Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension.
Dole Office Clerk: Oh, a *bullshit* artist!
Comicus: *Grumble*...
Dole Office Clerk: Did you bullshit last week?
Comicus: No.
Dole Office Clerk: Did you *try* to bullshit last week?
Comicus: Yes!
#3
Madame DeFarge: We are so poor, we do not even have a language! Just this stupid accent!
Fellow Revolutionist: She's right, she's right! We all talk like Maurice Chevalier!
[impersonates the Chevalier laugh]
Fellow Revolutionist: Au-haw-haw.
Crowd: Au-haw-haw.
posted by me at 8:23 AM
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