All right, Blazers.
I've had it.
Next time draft the 'best player available'.
Period.
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I don't know, Sandra Bullock seems like the same actress I first saw in DEMOLITION MAN.
That is....a lightweight.
Man, I really enjoyed Jeff Bridges winning, man. Really, man.
And we were saved from a giant ego speech by Cameron who is an Ego with Feet. All he's done is make the two biggest grossing films of all time....
Will they rerelease the Hurt Locker to the theaters?
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I ordered 30 copies of the TWILIGHT graphic novel.
Seemed like a good idea at the time, and now it's just seems crazy. It's easy to get carried away when you're trying to predict.
I'm getting some Mad Hatter Depp standups, which is going to be eye-catching, at least.
Also, a couple of copies of ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER.
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There's a hilarious review of SPARTACUS on Salon, which says -- in a much funnier way -- some of the same things I've said; especially about boobies (she says boobs, I say boobies. Same thing.)
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I think every man in Bend should grow a beard.
That would be pretty cool. Visitors to Bend would be treated to a Beardland. A Beardtopia! A Beardfest!! Beardapolluzza!!!
The Beardiness would be spectacular. We'd be the hairiest town in North America. We'd be Yetisvelle. Sasquachs Unite!
What say you?
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Watching T.R. Reid, a journalist and author I was not aware of, for 3 hours on C-Span. (Yes, I lead an exciting life...) He very calmly and commonsensically diagnosed the health care system, and yet, two and a half hours into the program you still had nitwits calling in with questions he'd answered ten times already.
And, I'm not being political to point out that all the nitwit questions came from the right. No one is so deaf as those who refuse to hear.
Also, it was refreshing to see him at his desk and for him to say, "Turns out.....writing is hard."
Yep.
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Respect for the National Enquirer.
Sure...but has the mainstream media moved toward them or have they moved toward mainstream media?
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Blogs are out of date?
Unhip?
Good. I'm back where I started.
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About Me
- Duncan McGeary
- I'm Duncan McGeary, owner and/or operator for the last 39 years of Pegasus Books in Downtown Bend, Oregon. These days I'm writing books as well as selling them. I'm the comic book guy. But even more so, I'm a book book guy. Books of all kinds. Big books and little books, children's and adult, fiction and non-fiction, hardback and paperback and trade paperback and graphic novels. Books with more words than pictures and books with more pictures than words. They are all part of the book world to me, and I love being surrounded by them every day.
10 comments:
continued
5. Limit any government subsidy to the population that is in the lowest quintile (bottom 20% of incomes). Any solution that requires the government to subsidize more then half of the population to really just cost transfer to the government. Imposing this forces the government to focus on true cost/quality issues, not just cost reshuffling.
6. Go to a MAC pricing approach for covering drugs. By MAC pricing you look at an indication and the treatments that are available and set a reimbursement price. Basically if a generic exists and is adequate the the MAC price will be set at the generic level. One may select more expensive treatments, but they pay the difference. This will reduce the pricing power of the drug companies for me to branded products.
7. Train more doctors and medical professionals. Do a similar program that was done in the 60's. The government picks up the tab for medical school and in return the physican owes X years of service as a GP (rural areas, inner cities, etc.)
8. Return to the pre-HMO standard of major medical 80/20 with some proven preventive procedures (cancer screenings, Major physical every year or two depending upon age group, prenatel care) covered outside of the 80/20. This will help break the disconnect that has occured since the move to HMO's between costs and use of services.
Do these and you will see costs come down and service improve.
The problem is that the current health care bill does not do anything that really solves the problem. In many ways it makes things worse. To really improve health care you need to:
1. Bring clarity to health care costs. Today the system, including the government run programs are smoke and mirrors. Big discounts given to one group while prices are pushed up for others. The press on one side of a ballon and the other side bulges. There is a simple way to do it. Eliminate discounts, require a provider to charge everyone the same price for services. They can set their price, but then they have to charge everyone the same price. That will make clear the real prices that are being charged. If they want to qualify to get patients from the government or from an insurance company then set the prices accordingly. That will require a cross the board negotation on real value of services. Not just the current we negotiate or legislate a discount because we can, forcing others to pay more to make up ofr it. Require providers to publish their prices by ICD-9 code and require 30 day notification prior to changes.
2. Make quality of services available to consumers. Today the current system of malpractice means that there is really no visibility into a physicians track record. Cases are often settled out of court or are sealed and as a result a Doctor could have been sued many times and his patients would not know. Make all medical malpractice settlements and cases public as far as the Doctors information (patient information blocked to meet privacy requirements). you could go one step farther and set up an agency that reviews medical problems and awards damages. Easy to file, looks compared to stadard medical practice and makes awards, if warrented, replacing the current malpractice court system. Court would also have ability to discipline the provider, up to and including loss of license. But awards are actual damages, not punative and not high legal costs.
That would take care of pricing transparency and quality transparency.
3. Remove the conflict of interest with Doctors having a financial interest in outpatient organizations to which they make referrals. Make any financial interests be disclosed to both the patient and the paying party at time of referral. Other potential stronger cases.
4. Require an open period during which pre-existing conditions cannot be used to exclude or be used in determing rates. However, to prevent the situation where people drop insurance have that window for a period of no more than 12 months from the implementation of the law. If someone decides that they do not wish to sign up during the 12 month period then insurance companies may enforce exclusion or higher rates on pre-existing conditions.
"And, I'm not being political to point out that all the nitwit questions came from the right."
"Not all conservatives are stupid, but all stupid people are conservative." -- John Stuart Mill
Yeah I'd totally grow a beard if my job allowed it. However, when growing my beard, I get to a point where it curls back in and it stabs me in the face, or something! All I know is that it gets itchy. It doesn't want to do the long and wispy thing... it wants to double in.
I am all about the beard. I'm neatly trim bearded now but we need to get some people in on a real beard event. Maybe we could get Grizzly Adams as our spokesperson. :)
As for the "beard growing back in" comment...you got to comb that beast man! I had some of the scariest chops in the world but they didn't itch and were a thing of beauty because of my grooming habits. A beard takes work.
You know, I've been struggling to grow a beard for years. As a result, there would probably be no place for me in your Beard World Order.
"As for the "beard growing back in" comment...you got to comb that beast man!"
Shampooing it once in a while doesn't hurt either.
My beard starts to double in once it gets to the centermeter long stage... it's just curly.
"And we were saved from a giant ego speech by Cameron who is an Ego with Feet."
Ditto that.
There's no better evidence of his egotism than his decision to write the screenplay for "Avatar" himself. I haven't seen such cliched, one-dimensional characters and heard such wooden dialogue in my whole movie-going experience. I had to stifle a groan more than once. Not saying the movie wasn't entertaining, but it could have been much more so if Cameron had hired a good screenwriter.
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