Thursday, May 25, 2017

HELP; WE ARE BEING HELD PRISIONER

HA! DID THAT TITLE GRAB YOUR ATTENTION?  Just a little play on words. Kinda.  I have a medical situation that has been in existence for a number of years.  I will not go into details as that is not the purpose of this post.  However,  due to a deteriorating situation, the Dr's. have decided I need a medicine. The medicine is available, the Dr's. have prescribed it.  The problem is, the insurance.  It is up to them to decide if I can have the medicine or not.  So, now, after a waiting game of over a year, I am now in the loop but still waiting.
Recently my wife hurt her knee.  Again I won't go into all the things that took place, but after a Dr. ordered an x ray and other Dr's , yes that is plural Dr's. saw her, it was determined that she needed to have an MRI.  Was it scheduled right then?  Of course not. She had to wait for insurance approval.
I have a pregnant granddaughter.  Her insurance requires that she have the baby in a hospital that has poor reviews and many people saying that it is not a good place to be. When she ask to go to a different hospital, she was told no, her insurance required her to go to this one.
I blame most of this on the ACA. While it was touted as the be all for insurance, it has created a myriad of problems. Yes, it did solve several problems. What will the Trump administration come up with?  I don't know. Unfortunately Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi and John McCain and others will fight any change to the ACA.  If they would look at the things that work and keep them and change the things that don't, then maybe we the people would be more inclined to believe them when they say they will do something. Until then we are held prisoner by the insurance companies and the tics that collect pay from them.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

Friday, May 12, 2017

I'VE TRIED

I'VE TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE TICS. I REALLY DID WANT TO GET ON TO OTHER THINGS.
And if the news would just report that something happened and then go on to other things that happened, I would be fine, whether I agree or not.  But this thing with Comey is just going on and on and on till I want to puke.  Not that it happened, but that the talking heads won't let it go.  So, I will weigh in on my opinion, for what ever it may be worth.
The investigation into the election/Russian thing has been going on since last summer.  The investigation into Hillary's e mails has been going on since at least that long.  So far as I know from the talking heads, there has been no connection found between Trump and the Russians. Say what you want about Hillary, her e mails were a scandal.  Should she be prosecuted?  Probably, but that is water under the bridge. If she will just go away, we can get on to other things. If she insists on being front and center, then investigate her thoroughly.  
As for Trump and Comey, it was just a few short weeks back that the Democrats wanted him fired. They felt he wasn't doing enough to find collusion between Trump and Putin. Now that Trump has fired him, all of a sudden they are up in arms and coming up with all kinds of things about the reason for the firing.  Even McCain and other Republicans that wanted him fired and now up in arms against Trump because he fired Comey. Their main problem is that they are losing favor and clout in the Trump administration.
So, should Comey have been fired.  I have no clue. An opinion, perhaps, but no real clue. People like Comey serve at the whim of the President and are traditionally replaced when a new administration comes in any way. Did Trump collude with the Russians? I don't think so. Did Putin try to interfere with the election? Probably so.  Did he have any influence on the outcome? I don't think so, although he may have leaked some information that influenced some people. I feel that most people that voted for Trump was just tired of the Clintons and the Washington "Elite" and wanted something new. And they got it.  Time will tell if that was right, but the talking heads need to report the news and not just regurgitate the same of thing day after day after day.  They may be influencing someone, but they are just disgusting me.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

Friday, May 5, 2017

SAY AYE

THIS WILL PROBABLY BE A SHORT POST.  SO, SAY AYE IF YOU AGREE.
If you wear it, eat or drink it, drive it, live in it, use it for fun or work or entertainment, it was in all probability transported by a truck. With a truck driver.
There will be people who will say, but a lot of our consumer goods come in from over seas on sips and air planes and are shipped across the country on a train.  And I will say, I agree, that is true.
But, the ships don't dock at the markets and the airplanes don't land at the market and the train station is not at the market, and these goods are transported from those places on a truck.
Are you aware that truck drives are highly regulated? They can only drive 11 hours per day, plus some time for fuel and periodic breaks.  They have to have a physical every year to renew their health card. They have to keep a log book of their drive time and down time. This is done by then in a log book of electronically by e log.  If they are on e log, which many drivers are, if they drive more than 70 hours in a week, they have to take a mandatory 35 hour down time before they can drive again.  If they keep a paper log book they have to do the same, but it is not tracked electronically.
DOT can pull them over and check their trucks for safety items at random.  And their commercial drivers licenses cost many more dollars than what the rest of us have.  They have a schedule to keep and yet they are vilified by the public if they use an engine brake to slow down.  I saw one driver's post that said  My engine brake doesn't make as much noise as the sound of a truck crashing into your house cause I couldn't use the brake.
They are tested on a regular basis and if they are found with alcohol or drugs, they lose their license. Not just a fine, but they lose their way to make a living.  
Statistics show that 80% of accidents between trucks and cars are caused by the driver of the car.  Yet, TV lawyers will make it seem like the truck driver is always at fault. So, so you travel the highways and byways of the co0untry, pay attention to your driving and let the truckers carry on, delivering the goods that you use every day.  AYE
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK