wanderings of a curious mind

Spent the weekend in MI.  Could not get home due to the storm in DC.  Got to spend time with my Grandmother and Aunt and Uncle.  Could have been a lot worse.  At least I did not have to sleep on the floor in the Chicago airport.

I do want to go home though.



What would I charge that isn't an 'electronics device'? 

Electronics, devices that work by controlling the flow of electrons

There was a news article stating that an insurance company was proposing to cut reimbursements by up to 50% if they were not notified within 24 hours of a hospital admission.  I was thinking of what impact that would have if it was put into place.  The persons in charge of setting pricing would have to make some estimates across all admissions and procedures to determine how much revenue would be lost.  Then, that amount would have to be spread across the procedures that will be paid for by the insurance company.  Because reimbursements are negotiated it would be a challenge to get the cost increases passed, but once they were, how often would they be revised.  And, if the finance staff is successful at their job of estimating and negotiating with insurance companies, what benefit does this change create?  It does create more work, stimulating the economy through job creation perhaps. 

I've been quiet.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps my life has been boring.  Perhaps I have had my eyes closed.  Perhaps I have grown accustomed to the inane world we live in and can no longer see another way.

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That's a butte.  They happen when a hard caprock errodes slower than the layers underneath, protecting the soft underlayer and leaving us with odd little hills.   Larger versions of this are called Mesas.  Smaller, hoodoos.

We spent time over the Christmas break out in New Mexico and Colorado.  Good times had by all. 

Four cops, two cars, one very ticketed Chrysler 300.  Way to go guys.

So, the expensive, intrusive, and, at least in my opinion, 'aren't the terrorists winning by causing us to have to do this useless security theater', screening business failed to prevent someone from bringing exploding underpants onto a flight.  So, off we go again on a whirlwind of new regulations.  I am all in favor of the authorities just cutting ahead to the end game.  We will all have to travel naked and tranquilized, chained up and crated.

I will take trains, boats and perhaps even buses whenever possible.  At least until someone tries something on those forms of transportation.  Then, I'm moving to the hills and shall live out my life as a hermit.

I got excited when I saw the revised flight status had us leaving EARLY.  The airport was going to close the runway for cleaning so we had to go quick.  Unfortunately. the commuter airline's operations people decided they could not fly.

So, rebooked through Detroit.  Tight connection.  All of the baggage was left in Detroit.  People were mad about that.

The usual.

I was listening to a story on NPR this morning about the President meeting with business people to discuss job creation today.  There was criticism aimed at the meeting claiming the meeting was too heavily weighted towards businesses that desired governmental intervention in job creation.

Well, duh.

If you are a business person with work to do, and you don't think the government needs to help you, are you going to go out of your way to go to a meeting like that?  Doubt it.  But, if you want more governmental handouts, what would you do.

What I found odd was it was 4 PM and I couldn't find my client...they'd gone home for the day.  Last man standing at 5PM was me.

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Contemplating between more ETF's and going with individual stocks for investments.  Yes, an individual stock can do better, but I know enough to know that stocks I pick crater.  So, baskets of stocks are probably still a better bet.  And I'm still really drawn to those stocks kicking off dividends.

I have swimmers ear today...from the shower.  Feeling pretty talented today.

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Looking for investments, I used to look for smaller, high tech, fast growth companies.  Over the past couple of years I have been more attracted to dividend producers.  I like seeing those cash infusions on the statements...helps soften the pain of the declining price.  I reinvest the dividends and keep telling myself I'm just dollar cost averaging down.  

UGG's are fashion's gift from the Devil.

Finally got out fishing last Sunday.  This was the biggest of the day - a 13 lb'er.  Nice day on the water.  Also managed to get the truck and trailer stuck in a field, but that's another story.

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 The average pencil can draw a line 35 miles long.  I wonder how many pencils realize their potential.

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It's before dawn on a train.  Of course you need to wear super dark shades.

She didn't seem overly hung over...but she might be an experienced drunk and able to hide it well.

Went to Petsmart for fish.  Found crack instead.  

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Weather erased the opportunity to go fishing again this past weekend.  Getting a bit tired of it.