Personal Update January 3, 2024

 Posted by at 6:46 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 032024
 

Well, yesterday I got a lot done. I got my checking account on record for direct deposit with my new HRA custodian, and put in a recurring claim for my Part D premium which is paid automatically on my main credit card.  Then I verified that my new HRA credit card is on file with my new pharmacy so that can get automatically paid as I refill   I brought in packages, two with variius forms of ginger (lozenges, tea, and crystallized), which I’ll be using some at least, alththough i am keeping food down for now – and one with some personal hygiene items.  The exterminator came for the third time, was able to give me something of an update (progress in some areas, inside and out, and in others, not so much) and set the nest appointment for the 15th.  I cleaned and re-bandaged an injury to my left foot which I needed a hand-held mirror to even partially see – don’t ask how it happened because I have no clue.  It is getting better too, but taking its sweet time about it.

I’m not yet ready to commit to a blog every day, but II do want to share this from Robert Reich (Substack of course) :because, though it doesn’t mince words, is nevertheless constructive:

Welcome to (gulp) 2024

What can the rest of us do between now and the election to help save American democracy?

Ten suggestions:

1. Become even more politically active. For some of us, this will mean taking more time out of our normal lives — up to and including getting out the vote in critical swing states. For others, it will mean phone banking, making political contributions, writing letters to editors, and calling friends and relations in key states.

Aside from that – remember Godwn’s Law?  I forget the eaxct wording, but it was something like “In a political argument, the first one to bring up Hitler loses.”  Well, Godwin himself – the Godwin who wrote the law – is now saying we must compare Trump** to Hitler – that failure to do so would be irresponsibe.  Yup.  Thank Crooks and Liars for that bit of truth..

And I’m afraid this cartoon is all too true –

 

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Personal Update January 1, 2024

 Posted by at 6:45 am  Politics
Jan 012024
 

I shouls mention that this is the third day I have been able to keep food down.  I don’t want to turn this into an aches and pains log – but then I shouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place.    And it is getting better.

Meantime, I just wish I could do what this cat is doing

Happy New year, everyone.

 

 

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Personal Update December 31, 2023

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Politics
Dec 312023
 

Well, yesterday’s opera was a re-run – of a performance from 1952. It was selected because two – actually three, but the third is lesser known today – of the stars were born in 1923, so would, had they lived, been 100 this year. (Another of the stars, also lesser known today, died this year a month before her 99th birthday. ( No, the Met never throws anything out – and that’s a good thing IMO. Not that I don’t emulate it too slavishly myself.) Le Nozze de Figaro (usually translated “The Marriage of Figaro,” but “Figaro’s Wedding” would be more accurate) is exceptionally complex – certainly at least the first time one sees it one would benefit from a scorecard to keep track of who is seducing (or trying to seduce) whom. To me the highlight, at least for humor, is when this elderly lady is demanding Figaro marry her instead of Susanna because the terms of her lending him money included that he would marry her if he couldn’t pay. He gets out of it only because a birthmark proves she is his mother. That’s funny enough, but his fiancée, who has just raised the money, comes in just as he is hugging his mother, thinks the worst, and slaps him. The dialogue changes to “And this is my mother, she says so herself, she says so herself. And this is my father, he says so himself, he says so himself,” with just the right number of repeats to make it funnier and funnier. But there is plenty more to stimulate snickers and actual laughs. It’s all fun and games – unless you remember how much  life and death power aristocrats actually had over their households – and even that kind of adds to the fun as the servants get the last laugh. Pierre Beaumarchais wrote three “Figaro” plays, and all three have been made into operas by different composers – I believe all more than once. But the two which have lived and the one which I hope will were all by different composers – first by Mozart with the second play, secondly by Rossini with the first play, and finally, the third by John Corigliano with the third play and his own touches (it’s weird – but it aputres the spirits of the  Figaros and the Almavivas perfectly.

But enough of Count Almaviva. Let’s move to out own American Count, The Count. He has a timely message.

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Personal Update December 29, 2023

 Posted by at 11:09 am  Politics
Dec 292023
 

Well, I’m a bit better – I have some remedies on order and in the meantime hve cobbled together as best I could a recipe given to me by a former medical missionary who used to used it against dysentery in Africa.  It’s not (nor is it intended to be) a miracle cure, but it’s helping.  At that I may be lucky.  Heather Cox Richardson’s latest column is about Wounded Knee today.  Here’s one quote:

A dozen years ago, I wrote a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, and what I learned still keeps me up at night. But it is not December 29 that haunts me.

What haunts me is the night of December 28.

It is haunting.  Those who most deserved to be haunted by it likely were impervious.  Their descendants, and all Americans in Power, who are not impervious should be learning something from it (as some are and some aren’t.)  Because

One of the curses of history is that we cannot go back and change the course leading to disasters, no matter how much we might wish to. The past has its own terrible inevitability.

But it is never too late to change the future.

Yesterday Maine did this in hope f changing the future (Lawrence interviewed the Maine Secretarty of State Las night on it)

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Personal Update December 23, 2023

 Posted by at 6:15 am  Politics
Dec 232023
 

Well, I did manage to get everything taken care of on the 21st, although it took till the 22nd before I was certain of it.  And of course learned something in the process.  I knew there were such things as FSAs, qhich are funded with contributions from the person who owns the account (and/or their eligible dependents) and must be used or lost each year.  I knew there were such things as HSAs, which carry over from year to year, and I always thought that was what I had.  Not so.  An HSA, like an FSA, is funded by the person who owns it, and by their eligible dependents.  What I have is an HRA, which is funded by a third party, such as a prior employer.  The only circumstances under which I can put money into it are if I have accidently spent some of it on something that isn’t covered (or something that is covered, but I have lost the documentation for.)  Why does it matter?  Because HSA holders are required to fill out and sign documents giving yhe old provider permission to transfer their account to the new one.  Since all the money in my account comes from USAA, USAA can take care of the authorization for me.  What a relief.

Here are a couple of humorous videos.  There’s no new information in either, they’re just for fun.

This was on the Late Show, so you may have seen it. I don’t care. Watch it again. (Sorry the CC isn’t better but the pictures help interpret it).

This one is from Parody Project.    Good CC and high production values.  And cannot come true too soon for me.

And here is a meme which is timely without being seasonal.

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Personal Update December 21, 2023

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Politics
Dec 212023
 

Well, I have the prescription transfers solved, and the current one that is needed paid for, and I should receive it by the 26th, so that’s a maximum of three days without it, and all I need to do is avoid overexertion for those days.  The new HSA custodian is a different kettle of fish entirely.  I have it figured out now at least.  I’m not thrillled with what I need to do, but financially it’s a no-brainere.   I’ll have it done by the end of the day.

This is a good news article. I realize – in fact I’m probably one of the bigger grinches on this subject – that nominating and running is not the same as winning. But without running, there can be no winning. (Oh, yeah, it’s substack.)

Jeff Merkley is the Senate sponsor of this bill, and that’s a pretty good indication it’s a very good one. I do however want to note that raising Congressional salaries might be necessary. Sure, I could live like an Empress (here in Colorado – maybe only like a princess in California or New York) on the lowest starting salaries. But I don’t have to pay a staff, nor two residences and the travel between them which is necessary to do the job well – keeping in touch with constituents. Realistic research needs to be done on the actual financial costs of serving in Congress. Maybe some things need not to come out of salary, but be reimbursable expenses – and maybe some already are – and that’s something I should already know, and I don’t.  i expect it’s available – but it’s certainly not common knowledge.

Not that anyone who only learned about Judge Lutting through the Jan 6 Committee findings has much respect for Judge Lutting – but –

This is far from the most profound cartoon today – but it certainly is accurate (and funny).

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Personal Update December 19, 2023

 Posted by at 10:25 am  Politics
Dec 192023
 

I’m having issues getting my HSA moved to a new provider, and with it I’m having issues keeping my part D on track.  I think the Part D is resolved now, but the HSA is going to require a phone call and they say the best times to call are Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. (The Part D required a phone call too, but I was able to make an online appointment with them to call me, which they did.)

I realize this article, with all the comments, is basically an echo chamber of random people who belong to Democratic Underground. But it’s an echo chamber I agree with on almost every point.

This article, on the other hand, is the product of informed analysis and should you happen to be talking to anyone who is rational could be very helpful.

Here is Beau with some reporting from Pro Publica. He says it will get picked up widely, and this is already starting.

God, how I miss real journalism! Yes, ProPublica does it, and they do it well, and I’m grateful to them for it. But I still miss being able to count on it – being able to read a newspaper for facts – or turn on the TV and see Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow and be confident the reporting had been researched and confirmed – and in the rare instance something did slip through, there would be retractions and apologies. Remember those days?

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Personal Update December 18, 2023

 Posted by at 5:56 am  Politics
Dec 182023
 

It’s a quiet weekend . but I wanted to share this ad – I may have mentioned it, but it wasn’t easy to find in a form I could embed it fully and without interruptionn – and without enriching Elon Musk (not that YouTube is much better, if at all, but at least they don’t interrupt embeds – yet)

This is from Mothers for Democracy, and it must have been hard to make, because it’s hard (at least for me) to watch.  But it’s necessary to be this blunt.  And it’s about time someone was.

Here’s a thought for the season (and I’m betting that everyone gets it) …

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