April Fools'? I think not

I am bummed. This year our present employer has decided to do away with our HMO. *sigh* This means we now get to have crappy health insurance; as in the kind where you pay a (ridiculous) deductible THEN pay more later on! What a ripoff!

Fortunately it doesn't take effect til June 1 so I have time to get whatever done... Which is why I scheduled my annual OBGYN checkup (with a different doc of course; my previous doc has actually made me leery of docs now!) for this coming week- this way if I need any follow-up checks (god-forbid) they will be covered in full. Wish me luck!

I guess that brings me to another silver lining of being laid off: I will only get two months' severance pay (hey it's better than nothing!). Severance including, of course, may paycheck, and any insurance I elect (health, vision, etc). So that means beyond June 30, I will only have coverage til the end of August. Why is that a good thing? This company wants you to do an online health assessment PLUS a physical exam, by September 1. Granted, the physical is on their dime, but here's the catch: if your health doesn't meet up to the doc's (and insurance company's) opinion- say, you're "overweight" or have "high" BP (with BP link, scroll to the top of the page and click, "High Blood Pressure is a sympton not a disease..." link), they will want you to start a "wellness" program.

Why am I leery of this? Because doctors like to jump to drugs in my experience, as my aforementioned doctor was very reluctant to go the non-drug route. Shown by her attitude in accusing me of "ignoring the problem" and insulting me in many other fashions *AFTER* I had suggested natural treatments. Basically, she wouldn't agree to it until after she had finished insulting me for not taking her potions, which have been proven to potentially cause more problems than to help. And sure enough, my "problem" had basically resolved itself. Ah, the difference a day makes. If I really had this "problem," it would have once again reared its ugly head that day too. But it didn't. I guess that makes her right... you can't ignore the problem... that doesn't exist!

Now for a little something about this aforementioned doctor visit which I have not mentioned much: In the lobby before our visit, in walks a well-dressed, young-looking man. He carried a bag with him that appeared to be full of samples. Keep in mind that this bag has a name of a widely-used drug on it. The man went inside the office. Came back out a few minutes later. To be fair he still had the full-looking bag with him, but it still raised my eyebrows and made me scratch my head later that day, especially after the doctor disclosed that the BP med she was pushing on me was a beta-blocker. The name that was on the drug bag? It is a widely-used beta-blocker that is dangerous during pregnancy. I really hope that this guy just went to the wrong office, as I am aware that is a possibility. However, shouldn't the front-desk receptionist have caught that by asking which doc he was there for? I also do not know for sure which med the doc was going to give me, if this was actually the one or not. But, still...

YAY BUSH!!

No, I haven't gone gay. *crickets chirping* Ok, that was a lousy one. Never mind.

I'm sure you've heard by now, President Bush pushed through an auto "bailout" (as the media like to call it) to save GM and Chrysler (for now).

Thank you Dubya! By doing this, you just saved literally millions of jobs (for the time being). You realize, unlike the nose-pickers in congress right now (some thankfully about to leave), that this kind of a loss (losing the auto industry) would wreak major havoc on our economy.  You realize that any sort of "plan" from these guys for long-term viability is a long-term project, not one that can be whipped up together in, oh, two weeks. Thank you for your intelligence, I hope Obama lets you pass it on to him. Not that he's not intelligent, he's just too far left! 'Nuf said there. Thank you again!

This wasn't intended to be a letter to President Bush, but a rave, but as I typed it I felt like molding it more into a letter to him. I am trying to set aside my cynicism toward Pres.-Elect Obama, but the more I see about his plans, the harder that is to do. More on that later.

Work, Work, Work... Not for long?

The economic uncertainty certainly has nearly everybody- if not everybody- on edge.  Today alone, CNN reports that over 20,000 jobs have been cut... today alone!

This is scary stuff. It honestly has made me contemplate... what would I do if I was on the chopping block next? While I won't disclose where exactly I work, I will say that I work for *drumroll* an auto finance company. And it's one of the big three. So does my husband (that's how we met).  Needless to say there is some anxiety as to what will happen if congress once again *ahem* puts their heads in the wrong place.

Not to say that what those CEOs pulled two weeks ago was acceptable; flying in on their corporate jets like our jobs were at stake. I myself was angered by that gesture, so I totally understand the no-way-in-hell stance some congressmen and women have regarding this "bailout." (I put that in quotes because it is actually a loan. That's right, a loan.)

However I certainly hope that they understand the dire consequences of letting these companies go! I'm sure that most people know that literally millions of jobs are at stake. Yet congress wants to make sure the CEOs take responsibility for their actions. (So fire them!) But by letting the Big Three go bankrupt, they're only punishing the little guy: who works for and may even own the dealer, the suppliers, little businesses such as restaurants surrounding the assembly plants, their finance companies (!); the list goes on and on of who will be affected. Almost everybody.

Knowing that information, it floors me that 60% (roughly?) of Americans think the "bailout" shouldn't happen. Are they blind to the current unemployment conditions? The economy in its current state? Please, take a look for yourself at the jobs which will be immediately affected by congress' decision next week. I say this not only as an American whose job is potentially affected by this crisis, but as a concerned citizen.

It took me 5 months to find the jot I have right now- I'm not sure I want to have to look for another one- just yet!

Guess only time will tell what happens...