"Button Tricks" is my latest submission to NPR's three minute fiction series. Unlike last round, which used a picture as inspirational point of focus, this round requires the use of four words within the story.
Those words are Button, plant, trick and fly. The other requirement was that it be held in length to no more than six hundred words.
Here is my submission.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Salt crusted mangrove leaves sparkled and danced with reflections of the ripples below. It wasn’t a large mound as middens go, at twenty-seven feet above the river that opened below. But, in the expansive flatness spread before him this promontory allowed an amazing panorama of faraway horizons wherever a break in the thick underbrush allowed.
The old Indian had been very reluctant, only after months of visits to the old, stilted shack listening, learning, debating and warnings had he agreed. Hidden in the heart of a cypress bay, he’d discovered the hideaway and its occupant quite by accident, while kayaking a tributary of the St. John’s looking for that connection afforded by the small, brief solitude of a natural world that seemed more dream and distant everyday.
Crimson, orange, gold and scarlet flashed on the river. The sun sank below a line of black, gray, and green that crackled in the distance with heat baked from the day. It’s anvil shape reaching almost to the scimitar of moon brightening in the growing dusk above. Cool air spilled from this boiling wall, stirring leaves and creating strange patterns on the face of the lagoon.
A low echoing rumble competed with the sounds of surf breaking to the east. A strong smell of cedar and salt filled his senses, his skin began to tingle, as the four gnarled guardians of the mound began to sway, their limbs creaking and lush green crowns dancing wildly in the cold downdraft.
It was time. Facing East he lifted his hands and recited the prayer he’d memorized then put the first button in his mouth and began to chew. Earthy, metallic assaulted his pallet. Thoughts of spoiled blood flitted at the edges of awareness as small leaves and shell dust began to dance at his feet.
Swallowing the first button he turned south. As instructed, he knelt on both knees to plant the seeds and sacrifice for his return. Firming the earth he stood, arms raised and chanted the prayer to the south wind, then ate the second button. Facing north, he raised his arms and began the slow chant that was the prayer to the north wind. Finishing as he’d been taught, he slowly chewed the third button.
Turning west, arms raised to the last of the setting sun he began the low, sing song chant of his last prayer. Words lost in the rising gale, he slowly sat cross legged, taste of the fourth and last button still on his tongue. His mind raced, but his body was still. Doubts swept over him and he choked back the fears rising from below.
He uncorked the bottle of rain water he’d collected as instructed and pulled long on its contents, as though water could dilute his doubts and wash the fear from his throat.
What if it was all a cruel trick?
Lying back, struggling for control of his racing thoughts and emotions he focused on his breathing. Slow and deep, inhale, hold it, slowly purge, hold it, repeat. Feeling much better by the third cycle, he opened his eyes and forgot his fears.
Lightness came over him as he felt the first fat cold drops falling through him. Turning west he looked down to see his body, but felt no fear or pain only thrill and exhilaration at the sight of sparkling coast and the lights of Orlando on a curved and starry horizon broken by glowing storm clouds. The old Indian was right. He could fly.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The No way to success, Senate GOP strategy
My Comments on the GOP's Senate Strategy as reported by NPR.
Having so spuriously twisted every proposal in such a way as to fan the flames of fear about every possibility of any change in the health care industry, GOP Senator McConnell's reliance upon current poll data to support the GOP position presumes that the continuous distortions and out right lies,(Think death panels here folks.), that created the public's current impressions (what's driving today's poll data.)of what is actually in the bill will continue through election day.
Basically McConnell and the entire GOP machine are counting on being able to keep the flames of fear going with their continued campaign of misinformation. They create false impressions, then point to them in the polls as the evidence to support their opposition.
The GOP is betting on their ability to kill any legislation, counting on the public never getting to see any of the actual or potential benefits the democrat's plan might provide.
They are so vested in the status quo, so comfortable with their deceptions and their beliefs that they will be able to outspend any and all challengers in the upcoming elections and that they will basically be able to buy the majority again in the next election.
No doubt the GOP are counting on all those corporate donors that can now, due to the recent Supreme Court ruling that they cried all those crocodile tears over earlier, freely and directly flow into their campaign coffers. After all who are they really serving by their position excepting all those special health care, insurance, pharmaceutical and banking interests?
No guarantees more of the same gravy train for this elected and their monetary masters and more of the same rising costs, and dwindling coverages and ever larger percentage of our income devoted to just trying to stay healthy.
If, the Democratic leadership cannot move this legislation, then the GOP wins. They will paint all Democrats as those losers who tried to shove an unwanted health care plan down voters throats and will give them the trouncing they deserve. A trouncing they will have coming if they don't prove themselves capable of getting anything done, even with large majorities in both houses and a Democrat in the White House.
Having so spuriously twisted every proposal in such a way as to fan the flames of fear about every possibility of any change in the health care industry, GOP Senator McConnell's reliance upon current poll data to support the GOP position presumes that the continuous distortions and out right lies,(Think death panels here folks.), that created the public's current impressions (what's driving today's poll data.)of what is actually in the bill will continue through election day.
Basically McConnell and the entire GOP machine are counting on being able to keep the flames of fear going with their continued campaign of misinformation. They create false impressions, then point to them in the polls as the evidence to support their opposition.
The GOP is betting on their ability to kill any legislation, counting on the public never getting to see any of the actual or potential benefits the democrat's plan might provide.
They are so vested in the status quo, so comfortable with their deceptions and their beliefs that they will be able to outspend any and all challengers in the upcoming elections and that they will basically be able to buy the majority again in the next election.
No doubt the GOP are counting on all those corporate donors that can now, due to the recent Supreme Court ruling that they cried all those crocodile tears over earlier, freely and directly flow into their campaign coffers. After all who are they really serving by their position excepting all those special health care, insurance, pharmaceutical and banking interests?
No guarantees more of the same gravy train for this elected and their monetary masters and more of the same rising costs, and dwindling coverages and ever larger percentage of our income devoted to just trying to stay healthy.
If, the Democratic leadership cannot move this legislation, then the GOP wins. They will paint all Democrats as those losers who tried to shove an unwanted health care plan down voters throats and will give them the trouncing they deserve. A trouncing they will have coming if they don't prove themselves capable of getting anything done, even with large majorities in both houses and a Democrat in the White House.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Big Pharma vs. Comparative Effectiveness
An NPR story this morning dealing with how doctors make prescription decisions for their patients highlighted a serious void in our health care system. What drugs doctors prescribe, for which problems is huge business!
Management of all manner of chronic ailments and debilities uses prescription drugs. Yet no comparative effectiveness studies are available for most of the most commonly prescribed ailments, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and most other chronic conditions.
This lack of easily accessible information on the comparative effectiveness of one drug vs. another is a real void that the pharmaceutical industry is more than happy nobody has filled.
My practice is right next door to a pair of gerontologists and a half a dozen nurse practitioners. There is hardly a day goes by but what there is a steady stream of drug company representatives bringing in breakfast, lunch, or snacks so they might have the opportunity to "detail" the staff on the latest patent, prescriptive medication.
How can prescribers not be swayed by such a constant stream of free samples, goodies and "best practice tips" for how to prescribe their product for whatever is ailing their patients.
Without broad based comparative effectiveness studies, doctors and patients are left in the dark about alternatives to what the patent medicine salesmen are peddling. Neither has easy access to accurate information about some of the most important decisions being made, those about their health care.
If, we are ever to have a health care system that even begins to reign in costs, it simply has to include such studies. By having them we certainly won't know what works best for everyone, but we will have a much better idea of what works best for most of us.
And that is a far cry from the abundant ignorance faced each day by doctors and patients alike under the present system where only safety and effectiveness are studied, documented and published, not a drugs relative effectiveness, compared with other drugs of it's class, or even, with dietary changes, vitamin supplements, or simple exercise.
That we do not already have a broad base of such information, easily accessible to the general public is a pox on the FDA and medical community in general and serves no one but the huge pharmaceutical companies.
Management of all manner of chronic ailments and debilities uses prescription drugs. Yet no comparative effectiveness studies are available for most of the most commonly prescribed ailments, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease and most other chronic conditions.
This lack of easily accessible information on the comparative effectiveness of one drug vs. another is a real void that the pharmaceutical industry is more than happy nobody has filled.
My practice is right next door to a pair of gerontologists and a half a dozen nurse practitioners. There is hardly a day goes by but what there is a steady stream of drug company representatives bringing in breakfast, lunch, or snacks so they might have the opportunity to "detail" the staff on the latest patent, prescriptive medication.
How can prescribers not be swayed by such a constant stream of free samples, goodies and "best practice tips" for how to prescribe their product for whatever is ailing their patients.
Without broad based comparative effectiveness studies, doctors and patients are left in the dark about alternatives to what the patent medicine salesmen are peddling. Neither has easy access to accurate information about some of the most important decisions being made, those about their health care.
If, we are ever to have a health care system that even begins to reign in costs, it simply has to include such studies. By having them we certainly won't know what works best for everyone, but we will have a much better idea of what works best for most of us.
And that is a far cry from the abundant ignorance faced each day by doctors and patients alike under the present system where only safety and effectiveness are studied, documented and published, not a drugs relative effectiveness, compared with other drugs of it's class, or even, with dietary changes, vitamin supplements, or simple exercise.
That we do not already have a broad base of such information, easily accessible to the general public is a pox on the FDA and medical community in general and serves no one but the huge pharmaceutical companies.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Listings
"The Listings" Would have been my entry into NPR's three minute fiction contest and is inspired by the photo they supplied. However, I failed to notice that their deadline for submissions was midnight the 28th. I submitted a little after six in the evening on the 1st. Clearly my error. But, I've posted it anyway and won't let the dog eat my homework for the next one. Hope you enjoy. Dan......
He left the listings on the table in the coffee shop where he’d found them. Leaving the relative quiet of his afternoon refuge he headed north to the sounds of the city exhaling the last of it’s daily tower dwellers.
He shoved his right hand deep into his hip pocket as much to offer some cover from the raw wind blowing off the lake as, to return the meager silver of his change to rest with the few crumpled bills in the bottom of his pocket.
He’d mused over long this afternoon over today’s listings and now he was worried he might miss the cut. With the sky darkening and sleet in the forecast and freezing after two, he didn’t linger on the implications, just quickened his limp.
He had followed those same listings in a much more intense way until the crash, making sure each day that the details were right; address, hook, price and call back numbers. Now, they provided mere intellectual distraction to his daily routine, a faint touchstone to another world.
In that other world, in that other time, the listings were much thicker, some days up to a hundred and fifty pages or more. Back then it wasn’t unusual for him and his agency to be responsible for twenty-five or thirty pages themselves. Now, there weren’t enough pages to properly wrap an old mackerel. He grunted when he thought about how much he’d paid “The Times” for those listings each day.
Mind wondering over those old listings, he made his way down the block, cap pulled low against the first sting of the promised forecast. He wondered if whoever left the listings each day was still in the market, or like him, only following out of a stunned sense of what was and might have been.
Like most, he hadn’t seen it coming. God knows it wasn’t because the signs weren’t there. Prices had gotten absurd. Everybody was flipping anything they could hawk as fast and often as the paper would allow.
Nobody cared about underwriting. The wizards had it all figured out; default rates the points you name it. They securitized the bundles and peddled as much as they could print to little old ladies and pension funds everywhere.
The models and algorithms all agreed. Hell, Greenspan himself had even gone before Congress and reassured everyone about how much better the financial institutions systemically managed their risks.
Back then the money flowed. Qualifying for a mortgage was as difficult as breathing. Nobody did the math. Nobody asked the obvious questions. Nobody wanted to know as long as the money flowed.
Nobody cared about any of that until those first variable rates began to adjust and the teasers were over. But, by the time they figured out that Bubba, Billy and Mary Jane made less each month than their new mortgage payments, it was too late.
Back then the real estate he obsessed over, swapped flipped and flipped again with the paper the wizards supplied, consisted of whole city blocks, condo complexes and new strip malls. Tonight his thoughts focused on a much smaller tract.
Rounding the corner to the welcoming smell of hot soup and freshly baked bread coming from the back of the church, he relaxed his gate. He was going to make it. Door open, familiar volunteer, clipboard in hand, he was in. Tonight he’d bunk, warm, and dry, and while a far cry from his loft by the lake, tonight it was the only real estate that mattered.
By: R. D. Taylor,
He left the listings on the table in the coffee shop where he’d found them. Leaving the relative quiet of his afternoon refuge he headed north to the sounds of the city exhaling the last of it’s daily tower dwellers.
He shoved his right hand deep into his hip pocket as much to offer some cover from the raw wind blowing off the lake as, to return the meager silver of his change to rest with the few crumpled bills in the bottom of his pocket.
He’d mused over long this afternoon over today’s listings and now he was worried he might miss the cut. With the sky darkening and sleet in the forecast and freezing after two, he didn’t linger on the implications, just quickened his limp.
He had followed those same listings in a much more intense way until the crash, making sure each day that the details were right; address, hook, price and call back numbers. Now, they provided mere intellectual distraction to his daily routine, a faint touchstone to another world.
In that other world, in that other time, the listings were much thicker, some days up to a hundred and fifty pages or more. Back then it wasn’t unusual for him and his agency to be responsible for twenty-five or thirty pages themselves. Now, there weren’t enough pages to properly wrap an old mackerel. He grunted when he thought about how much he’d paid “The Times” for those listings each day.
Mind wondering over those old listings, he made his way down the block, cap pulled low against the first sting of the promised forecast. He wondered if whoever left the listings each day was still in the market, or like him, only following out of a stunned sense of what was and might have been.
Like most, he hadn’t seen it coming. God knows it wasn’t because the signs weren’t there. Prices had gotten absurd. Everybody was flipping anything they could hawk as fast and often as the paper would allow.
Nobody cared about underwriting. The wizards had it all figured out; default rates the points you name it. They securitized the bundles and peddled as much as they could print to little old ladies and pension funds everywhere.
The models and algorithms all agreed. Hell, Greenspan himself had even gone before Congress and reassured everyone about how much better the financial institutions systemically managed their risks.
Back then the money flowed. Qualifying for a mortgage was as difficult as breathing. Nobody did the math. Nobody asked the obvious questions. Nobody wanted to know as long as the money flowed.
Nobody cared about any of that until those first variable rates began to adjust and the teasers were over. But, by the time they figured out that Bubba, Billy and Mary Jane made less each month than their new mortgage payments, it was too late.
Back then the real estate he obsessed over, swapped flipped and flipped again with the paper the wizards supplied, consisted of whole city blocks, condo complexes and new strip malls. Tonight his thoughts focused on a much smaller tract.
Rounding the corner to the welcoming smell of hot soup and freshly baked bread coming from the back of the church, he relaxed his gate. He was going to make it. Door open, familiar volunteer, clipboard in hand, he was in. Tonight he’d bunk, warm, and dry, and while a far cry from his loft by the lake, tonight it was the only real estate that mattered.
By: R. D. Taylor,
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The "Fee for Services" system. Corporate Medicine's Nirvana
In one of it's segments on the health care debate currently going on in Washington now, NPR featured a piece that got to the very root of our sky rocketing costs, the "Fee for Services" system.
An unintended consequence of Medicare, this system is built around the concept that physician/providers get paid for what they do for the patient. While that concept sounds good on the face of it, our current mess is caused in large part because of it.
By only paying providers for the provision of specifically coded procedures, tests, assays and such, this system shifts the entire incentives and rewards of every such provider from one of providing the best possible patient care, to one of coding and billing for as many tests, assays, procedures and consultations with outside specialists as possible, for every single patient, every visit.
It has given us the corporate medical and insurance behemoths we enjoy today.
A thoughtful, contemplative physician, who takes their time to thoroughly exam their patient, their medical history, listen to their complaints, plan and coordinate actual care, is corporate medicine's worst nightmare.
Not coding for procedures, ordering test, scans and consultations simply dose NOT pay the bills.
Don't you get it? The healthier we stay, the less money they make.
So how in heaven's name can we expect that all those really smart medical group and hospital administrators are to pay their bills, without working this system to it's maximum potential. Their job is the coding, billing and collecting for every conceivably justifiable test, assay, consult, procedure and scan that the system will allow for each and every patient seen. They are there to maximize their organization's revenues and they will be replaced if it is even suspected that they aren't doing just that.
To not understand this fundamental flaw in the incentive structure of our health care system is to simply not understand one of the roots that has created such a mess now.
To not fix this perverse system is to pander to those very moneyed special interests who have the most to loose. We've simply got to stop putting the incentives where they are and put them on healthier outcomes.
Currently, there simply is no reward to actually provide quality care. All of the current incentives lies in the exact opposite.
Fewer visits, procedures and healthier patients simply aren't in the best interest of corporate medicine, more and more of the same is.
Failure to change this perverse system of rewards will doom any health care reforms to failure.
You simply cannot keep the incentives the way they are and expect things to change for the better. Continuing to believe so is simply delusional.
R. D. Taylor At Large.
To link to the story this is written about, and to read my post on NPR's site, simply click the link.
An unintended consequence of Medicare, this system is built around the concept that physician/providers get paid for what they do for the patient. While that concept sounds good on the face of it, our current mess is caused in large part because of it.
By only paying providers for the provision of specifically coded procedures, tests, assays and such, this system shifts the entire incentives and rewards of every such provider from one of providing the best possible patient care, to one of coding and billing for as many tests, assays, procedures and consultations with outside specialists as possible, for every single patient, every visit.
It has given us the corporate medical and insurance behemoths we enjoy today.
A thoughtful, contemplative physician, who takes their time to thoroughly exam their patient, their medical history, listen to their complaints, plan and coordinate actual care, is corporate medicine's worst nightmare.
Not coding for procedures, ordering test, scans and consultations simply dose NOT pay the bills.
Don't you get it? The healthier we stay, the less money they make.
So how in heaven's name can we expect that all those really smart medical group and hospital administrators are to pay their bills, without working this system to it's maximum potential. Their job is the coding, billing and collecting for every conceivably justifiable test, assay, consult, procedure and scan that the system will allow for each and every patient seen. They are there to maximize their organization's revenues and they will be replaced if it is even suspected that they aren't doing just that.
To not understand this fundamental flaw in the incentive structure of our health care system is to simply not understand one of the roots that has created such a mess now.
To not fix this perverse system is to pander to those very moneyed special interests who have the most to loose. We've simply got to stop putting the incentives where they are and put them on healthier outcomes.
Currently, there simply is no reward to actually provide quality care. All of the current incentives lies in the exact opposite.
Fewer visits, procedures and healthier patients simply aren't in the best interest of corporate medicine, more and more of the same is.
Failure to change this perverse system of rewards will doom any health care reforms to failure.
You simply cannot keep the incentives the way they are and expect things to change for the better. Continuing to believe so is simply delusional.
R. D. Taylor At Large.
To link to the story this is written about, and to read my post on NPR's site, simply click the link.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What to do with Dick's Duck in less than thirty minutes?
Having trouble deciding what to do with that left over duck that Dick Cheney dropped off before checking in to see about those heart pains?
Or, need to feed four to six quick with just a half eaten duck, a few capers a lemon and some linguine?
You know, the legs and thighs are gone, but there is still way too much meat left on that carcass for the stock pot so, what's the frugal, time pressed, omnivore to do?
Well here is Chef Boy'r'u Kidding's very own recipe for peppered duck over linguine.
Total prep and cooking time, depending on your deboning and chopping skills, 25 to 45 minutes.
Total tools: You'll need are a Wok, pasta pot, colander, turning spatula for the Wok and pasta claw for the pasta.
Ingredients:
A cup or more deboned roast duck, chopped.
Any leftover duck fat you can scrape off anything.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bulb fresh garlic, peeled and finely chopped. Not minced, but nicely done and if you are too timid for an entire bulb of garlic in a recipe, leave now as you'll clearly have no pallet for the Chef's recipes.
1/4 cup coarsely ground, or cracked pepper corns. I told you this wasn't for the faint of heart.
Zest from one large lemon. Not giant, but nicely formed and well zested if you please.
2 rounded tablespoons of capers and 2 tablespoons of the pickling juice they come in.
Ground or grated Parmesan to taste.
1 pound box of your favorite linguine.
Preparation:
Fill your pasta pot 2/3 to 3/4 full of water, salt to taste and bring to a rolling boil, before adding your linguine.
In your Wok, put your olive oil, and chopped garlic and pepper, put the heat on high and just when the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it starts to brown, add all of your chopped duck, stirring constantly with your spatula. Add the lemon zest, capers and caper juice and stir until the linguine is done. Remove from heat.
Drain your linguine when cooked to your taste, then return to the pasta pot and add the contents of your Wok, toss and serve in pasta bowls. Garnish with the grated Parmesan to taste, serve with a salad, wine and bread of your choice.
Clean up is pot, wok, colander, claw and spatula.
Serves 4-6 depending on appetites.
Get well quick Dick. I'm looking forward to some nice canvas backs soon, but er, ah I won't be able to join you in the blind this year. I'll be, doin some soul food that weekend for Barack and Michel, you know how it is.
Bon Appetite
Chef Boy'r'u Kidding.....
Or, need to feed four to six quick with just a half eaten duck, a few capers a lemon and some linguine?
You know, the legs and thighs are gone, but there is still way too much meat left on that carcass for the stock pot so, what's the frugal, time pressed, omnivore to do?
Well here is Chef Boy'r'u Kidding's very own recipe for peppered duck over linguine.
Total prep and cooking time, depending on your deboning and chopping skills, 25 to 45 minutes.
Total tools: You'll need are a Wok, pasta pot, colander, turning spatula for the Wok and pasta claw for the pasta.
Ingredients:
A cup or more deboned roast duck, chopped.
Any leftover duck fat you can scrape off anything.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bulb fresh garlic, peeled and finely chopped. Not minced, but nicely done and if you are too timid for an entire bulb of garlic in a recipe, leave now as you'll clearly have no pallet for the Chef's recipes.
1/4 cup coarsely ground, or cracked pepper corns. I told you this wasn't for the faint of heart.
Zest from one large lemon. Not giant, but nicely formed and well zested if you please.
2 rounded tablespoons of capers and 2 tablespoons of the pickling juice they come in.
Ground or grated Parmesan to taste.
1 pound box of your favorite linguine.
Preparation:
Fill your pasta pot 2/3 to 3/4 full of water, salt to taste and bring to a rolling boil, before adding your linguine.
In your Wok, put your olive oil, and chopped garlic and pepper, put the heat on high and just when the garlic begins to sizzle, but before it starts to brown, add all of your chopped duck, stirring constantly with your spatula. Add the lemon zest, capers and caper juice and stir until the linguine is done. Remove from heat.
Drain your linguine when cooked to your taste, then return to the pasta pot and add the contents of your Wok, toss and serve in pasta bowls. Garnish with the grated Parmesan to taste, serve with a salad, wine and bread of your choice.
Clean up is pot, wok, colander, claw and spatula.
Serves 4-6 depending on appetites.
Get well quick Dick. I'm looking forward to some nice canvas backs soon, but er, ah I won't be able to join you in the blind this year. I'll be, doin some soul food that weekend for Barack and Michel, you know how it is.
Bon Appetite
Chef Boy'r'u Kidding.....
It's Showtime for Goldman's Gucci Gulch Garrison!
It's showtime for Goldman's Gucci gulch garrison as the spotlights in our national three ring circus under the domes shift from the Honorable Mr. Toyoda's so sorries to Goldman Sachs explaining to all just how wonderful it is to deal in derivatives and credit default swaps!
Apparently having moved much of Greece's debt off the books and out of sight of the entire EU over ten years ago, they've been called to the hill to explain just why selling credit default swaps on this very same Greece's financial future to anyone and pocketing whatever premiums the market bear is a good thing for our economic stability. See NPR story
Given that these credit default swaps are a form of insurance against certain events of company, or in this case the government of Greece, that pay the holder the face amount under certain conditions, such as defaulting on their debts, or even just having credit rating fall to a certain point, isn't it a sweet deal that Goldman's dealt?
Cool huh? They help to hide the true debts of Greece for years through their derivative deals, then sell the hell out of default swaps for whatever they can get, to whom ever has the money, regardless of any insurable interest.
Now, that's a whole lot like helping someone to pile oily rags to the ceiling in the hidden places under the stairs and out of site of the inspectors, then selling fire insurance policies to anyone with the premium for whatever stated amount they wanted to buy, on when it all goes up in smoke.
Three questions come immediately to mind:
First, what kind of reserves have been set aside to pay the claims on these default swaps?
Second, who's going to pay the claims?
Three, who stands to gain by Greece's troubles?
You gotta know those congressional halls are ringing with the sound of those tap dancing Gucci s!
Step right up and watch those amazing lobbying dollars hard work at work ladies and gentleman. Watch while we see the just how much of our Government Goldman's money can buy?
Yes sir, step right up, Hurry! Hurry! The show's about to begin.
Popcorn, peanuts anyone?
R. D. Taylor, At Large....
Apparently having moved much of Greece's debt off the books and out of sight of the entire EU over ten years ago, they've been called to the hill to explain just why selling credit default swaps on this very same Greece's financial future to anyone and pocketing whatever premiums the market bear is a good thing for our economic stability. See NPR story
Given that these credit default swaps are a form of insurance against certain events of company, or in this case the government of Greece, that pay the holder the face amount under certain conditions, such as defaulting on their debts, or even just having credit rating fall to a certain point, isn't it a sweet deal that Goldman's dealt?
Cool huh? They help to hide the true debts of Greece for years through their derivative deals, then sell the hell out of default swaps for whatever they can get, to whom ever has the money, regardless of any insurable interest.
Now, that's a whole lot like helping someone to pile oily rags to the ceiling in the hidden places under the stairs and out of site of the inspectors, then selling fire insurance policies to anyone with the premium for whatever stated amount they wanted to buy, on when it all goes up in smoke.
Three questions come immediately to mind:
First, what kind of reserves have been set aside to pay the claims on these default swaps?
Second, who's going to pay the claims?
Three, who stands to gain by Greece's troubles?
You gotta know those congressional halls are ringing with the sound of those tap dancing Gucci s!
Step right up and watch those amazing lobbying dollars hard work at work ladies and gentleman. Watch while we see the just how much of our Government Goldman's money can buy?
Yes sir, step right up, Hurry! Hurry! The show's about to begin.
Popcorn, peanuts anyone?
R. D. Taylor, At Large....
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Should the Veteran's Administration be dispensing Hearing Aids?
With the V.A.s current budget request topping $125 Billion for 2011 and expected rise, our tax allocations to this one branch of the federal government now tops the total for the entire budgets for the states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, combined.
Even as the costs of caring for our current generation of veterans continues to sky rocket, as more and more of our young men and women return home with the horrendous wounds of our nation's current conflicts, the Veteran's Administration and it's network of hospitals and clinics dispensed almost half a million hearing aids last year.
Many of these were fit to older veterans who are functionally deaf, or at the least, severely impaired, without their instruments. Yet, every veteran I've met, who's ever been so fit acknowledges waits of from two weeks, to three months for an appointment to receive any kind of service.
This begs the question, should this branch of our government be allowed to dispense almost half a million hearing aids a year to veterans all over the country, without providing for the adequate follow-up care and regular maintenance such equipment requires and these veterans deserve?
According to the recent Marke Trak surveys, as published in "Hearing Review", the Veteran's Administration was responsible for dispensing 14.9 % of all hearing aids dispensed in this country in 2008, and 14.5% of all fittings in 2009. up from just 1.8% of total instruments fit in 1989. Talk about expansion of Government!
That is over 800,000 instruments in the last two years alone, who's every wearer, regardless of what equipment was fit, can expect a wait of two weeks, to three months for any kind of service from the V.A. (Excepting their provision of a prepaid mailer to their service facility in Colorado for repair and return of the instrument.)
That these veterans need and deserve our care is beyond question.
What is in question, is the desirability of having the Veteran's Administration tasked with this mission, when they are very clearly over tasked with other priorities and have a demonstrated, ongoing inability to provide these veterans with the timely, quality follow-up service and care that such dispensing requires and these veterans deserve?
Or, would our nation's veterans, our economy and the nation as a whole be better served, if all qualified veterans were simply issued a benefits card that would allow them to shop for these services from any licensed professional, within whatever open and free markets we have left?
Even as the costs of caring for our current generation of veterans continues to sky rocket, as more and more of our young men and women return home with the horrendous wounds of our nation's current conflicts, the Veteran's Administration and it's network of hospitals and clinics dispensed almost half a million hearing aids last year.
Many of these were fit to older veterans who are functionally deaf, or at the least, severely impaired, without their instruments. Yet, every veteran I've met, who's ever been so fit acknowledges waits of from two weeks, to three months for an appointment to receive any kind of service.
This begs the question, should this branch of our government be allowed to dispense almost half a million hearing aids a year to veterans all over the country, without providing for the adequate follow-up care and regular maintenance such equipment requires and these veterans deserve?
According to the recent Marke Trak surveys, as published in "Hearing Review", the Veteran's Administration was responsible for dispensing 14.9 % of all hearing aids dispensed in this country in 2008, and 14.5% of all fittings in 2009. up from just 1.8% of total instruments fit in 1989. Talk about expansion of Government!
That is over 800,000 instruments in the last two years alone, who's every wearer, regardless of what equipment was fit, can expect a wait of two weeks, to three months for any kind of service from the V.A. (Excepting their provision of a prepaid mailer to their service facility in Colorado for repair and return of the instrument.)
That these veterans need and deserve our care is beyond question.
What is in question, is the desirability of having the Veteran's Administration tasked with this mission, when they are very clearly over tasked with other priorities and have a demonstrated, ongoing inability to provide these veterans with the timely, quality follow-up service and care that such dispensing requires and these veterans deserve?
Or, would our nation's veterans, our economy and the nation as a whole be better served, if all qualified veterans were simply issued a benefits card that would allow them to shop for these services from any licensed professional, within whatever open and free markets we have left?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
What's in an Obligation
Many years ago I took an obligation. Just like countless other men, over a span of centuries, most of whom are now totally forgotten I obligated myself to a fraternal organization.
I joined with a sense of seeking a connection with my roots and an understanding of my ancestors, as my grandfather, his father and grandfather had belonged I wanted to understand why. Yet, while not discouraging me from joining, my own father, whom I greatly admired was not a member, nor would he even discuss his reasons for not belonging. And, while some members have achieved great historical significance, the vast majority passes to the obscurity of history with little recognition.
I was further influenced to join by the fact that while there were great and famous men amongst it’s roster, there were also lot’s of local examples of its membership and all of whom I’d come in contact with were honest, honorable men, many of whom enjoyed positions of leadership within my small hometown.
Part of this obligation I took deals with coming to the aid of its worthy members, their widows and orphans, in times of need. Something we don’t tend to think about a lot now days, with the huge state safety nets having been spread so widely in an effort to make sure that our society’s less fortunate and truly needy are cared for. Yet, holes still exist providing opportunity to serve.
Now, if ever I could think of a “worthy” widow, it would be sister Alberta. She and her late husband Tom were among the first friends I met when I moved to this community over twenty years ago. Alberta epitomizes the hard work ethic our nation was built on. At eight-five, she only stopped working after a fall left her with a broken back and the inability to stand for any length of time. Yet, even now a couple of years later still she finds time to volunteer her services at the local hospital one day a week.
But, despite a lifetime of hard work and the best of planning Alberta finds herself now living on very limited income. She had become a patient of mine years before and the hearing aids she was trying to get by with when she came to see me recently were far beyond their useful life, and even if I was able to restore them to their original specifications, those were no longer appropriate for her needs. Now, she found herself struggling to pay even for what would be an ineffectual repair of her old gear, leaving her severely impaired, with all that implies.
One of the benefits of dealing with great companies is that they will, given the opportunity, generally rise to the occasion and help when you have someone who is going to fall through the cracks otherwise. GN ReSound is just such a company. When my inside representative heard Alberta’s story, not only did ReSound provide me with the equipment I needed to fill Alberta’s needs, they did so with a pair of their Flagship product line, allowing me to fit this “Worthy widow” with amongst the very best of what our industry has to offer.
When in earlier this week for her first check up, she had her old friend Pat, who was over visiting from England, with her and the differences were remarkable. Excepting some difficulty using her phone, she reported hearing great everywhere else. This was a huge improvement over what she had been struggling to get by with.
Knowing that she and Tom used to be seen regularly at our local Shrine on Fridays for happy hour and that she no longer drove at night, I asked if she and Pat would like to be our guests for a toddy, or two for the upcoming Friday? The light in her eyes answered before she could.
We picked Pat and her up at their apartment at the appointed hour last night and proceeded to have the best time I’ve had there in years. We all laughed so hard at times that our sides hurt. Not only was Alberta able to hear in a very complex sound environment, in short order, she’d caught the eye of Wes, an old widower friend and soon they had moved from our position at the bar, to a table across the room. There, amongst the live music and hubbub of a noisy happy hour, they caught up on old times.
When it was time to call it an evening and we saw them back to the front door of their complex, I knew from the continuing thanks and gratitude in Alberta’s eyes, that I had never been so well blessed and served as I had been by simply living up to that obligation I’d taken so many years before.
I joined with a sense of seeking a connection with my roots and an understanding of my ancestors, as my grandfather, his father and grandfather had belonged I wanted to understand why. Yet, while not discouraging me from joining, my own father, whom I greatly admired was not a member, nor would he even discuss his reasons for not belonging. And, while some members have achieved great historical significance, the vast majority passes to the obscurity of history with little recognition.
I was further influenced to join by the fact that while there were great and famous men amongst it’s roster, there were also lot’s of local examples of its membership and all of whom I’d come in contact with were honest, honorable men, many of whom enjoyed positions of leadership within my small hometown.
Part of this obligation I took deals with coming to the aid of its worthy members, their widows and orphans, in times of need. Something we don’t tend to think about a lot now days, with the huge state safety nets having been spread so widely in an effort to make sure that our society’s less fortunate and truly needy are cared for. Yet, holes still exist providing opportunity to serve.
Now, if ever I could think of a “worthy” widow, it would be sister Alberta. She and her late husband Tom were among the first friends I met when I moved to this community over twenty years ago. Alberta epitomizes the hard work ethic our nation was built on. At eight-five, she only stopped working after a fall left her with a broken back and the inability to stand for any length of time. Yet, even now a couple of years later still she finds time to volunteer her services at the local hospital one day a week.
But, despite a lifetime of hard work and the best of planning Alberta finds herself now living on very limited income. She had become a patient of mine years before and the hearing aids she was trying to get by with when she came to see me recently were far beyond their useful life, and even if I was able to restore them to their original specifications, those were no longer appropriate for her needs. Now, she found herself struggling to pay even for what would be an ineffectual repair of her old gear, leaving her severely impaired, with all that implies.
One of the benefits of dealing with great companies is that they will, given the opportunity, generally rise to the occasion and help when you have someone who is going to fall through the cracks otherwise. GN ReSound is just such a company. When my inside representative heard Alberta’s story, not only did ReSound provide me with the equipment I needed to fill Alberta’s needs, they did so with a pair of their Flagship product line, allowing me to fit this “Worthy widow” with amongst the very best of what our industry has to offer.
When in earlier this week for her first check up, she had her old friend Pat, who was over visiting from England, with her and the differences were remarkable. Excepting some difficulty using her phone, she reported hearing great everywhere else. This was a huge improvement over what she had been struggling to get by with.
Knowing that she and Tom used to be seen regularly at our local Shrine on Fridays for happy hour and that she no longer drove at night, I asked if she and Pat would like to be our guests for a toddy, or two for the upcoming Friday? The light in her eyes answered before she could.
We picked Pat and her up at their apartment at the appointed hour last night and proceeded to have the best time I’ve had there in years. We all laughed so hard at times that our sides hurt. Not only was Alberta able to hear in a very complex sound environment, in short order, she’d caught the eye of Wes, an old widower friend and soon they had moved from our position at the bar, to a table across the room. There, amongst the live music and hubbub of a noisy happy hour, they caught up on old times.
When it was time to call it an evening and we saw them back to the front door of their complex, I knew from the continuing thanks and gratitude in Alberta’s eyes, that I had never been so well blessed and served as I had been by simply living up to that obligation I’d taken so many years before.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
How to get the Best Government Money Can Buy
Wall Street's apparent interpretation of the Supreme Court's recent ruling regarding free speech and political contributions, seems to signal the opening of bids for the now, open purchase of our government.
Rather than the great gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth we are being treated to by our elected now, about how terrible this is for our country, let's look for that silver lining.
How about we unite behind a real time, tracking and web based reporting system, accessible from any web browser, for anyone who wants to know, for all contributions made to any political candidate, political party, or non-profit in the country?
Any person, real or corporate could then give without limit to whatever candidate, party, or non-profit in full recognition of our first amendment rights, while allowing anyone who cared to know, or report, to "follow the money".
Can you imagine the power of the light that such a nationwide system would have to shine on just who is owned by whom, and who's behind what legislation?
With real time reporting and tallying of who's buying who and for how much, we'd at least be able to better assess the value, power and worth of our individual votes and voices.
_________________________________________
As posted on NPR's news blog as comment to our President's apparent retreat from his populist vow to "Get our Money Back" from Wall Street.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/02/obama_flips_on_wall_st_pay_as.html
Rather than the great gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth we are being treated to by our elected now, about how terrible this is for our country, let's look for that silver lining.
How about we unite behind a real time, tracking and web based reporting system, accessible from any web browser, for anyone who wants to know, for all contributions made to any political candidate, political party, or non-profit in the country?
Any person, real or corporate could then give without limit to whatever candidate, party, or non-profit in full recognition of our first amendment rights, while allowing anyone who cared to know, or report, to "follow the money".
Can you imagine the power of the light that such a nationwide system would have to shine on just who is owned by whom, and who's behind what legislation?
With real time reporting and tallying of who's buying who and for how much, we'd at least be able to better assess the value, power and worth of our individual votes and voices.
_________________________________________
As posted on NPR's news blog as comment to our President's apparent retreat from his populist vow to "Get our Money Back" from Wall Street.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/02/obama_flips_on_wall_st_pay_as.html
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Marriott Management Ignores Police reccommendations during Crime Wave.
While attending an Audina sponsored continuing education seminar at the Lake Mary Marriott this Friday and Saturday, my vehicle was broken into. Well, normally I might just chalk it up to bad luck, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, this burglary was incredibly brazen, committed sometime between 1:30 and 5:30 Friday afternoon, less than a hundred feet from their convention center entrance in their parking lot.
Upon discovery of my loss, I immediately went to their front desk, reported it and asked about the availability of the security tapes for their parking lot. And, though there was a camera directly over their main desk, I was informed that they did not monitor their parking lots, or the exterior at all.
Upon arrival of the Lake Mary P. D., who took the report, I was advised that this was an unaddressed, ongoing issue and that the police were there for the same thing multiple times each week. Discreet interviews with their several of their own staff revealed a local frustration and acknowledgment of a real problem that corporate was failing to address.
Below is the text of the email I left on their corporate server:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Marriott:
My vehicle was burglarized, less than 100 feet from your convention center entrance, Friday in broad daylight, while I was attending a seminar at your Lake Mary Resort.
The responding officer and several members of your own staff indicated that mine was only the latest in an ongoing crime wave involving your parking lot.
Both the local police, their report records and your own staff confirm an unaddressed security issue that is and has been ongoing.
I have two questions for Marriott:
First, what level of victimization of your guests do you deem acceptable before effective security measures are taken?
Second, how long should I have to wait for someone from your corporation to call to make arrangements to pay for replacement of my lost personal property and repair of my vehicle?
Very Truly Yours
R. D. Taylor
Upon discovery of my loss, I immediately went to their front desk, reported it and asked about the availability of the security tapes for their parking lot. And, though there was a camera directly over their main desk, I was informed that they did not monitor their parking lots, or the exterior at all.
Upon arrival of the Lake Mary P. D., who took the report, I was advised that this was an unaddressed, ongoing issue and that the police were there for the same thing multiple times each week. Discreet interviews with their several of their own staff revealed a local frustration and acknowledgment of a real problem that corporate was failing to address.
Below is the text of the email I left on their corporate server:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Marriott:
My vehicle was burglarized, less than 100 feet from your convention center entrance, Friday in broad daylight, while I was attending a seminar at your Lake Mary Resort.
The responding officer and several members of your own staff indicated that mine was only the latest in an ongoing crime wave involving your parking lot.
Both the local police, their report records and your own staff confirm an unaddressed security issue that is and has been ongoing.
I have two questions for Marriott:
First, what level of victimization of your guests do you deem acceptable before effective security measures are taken?
Second, how long should I have to wait for someone from your corporation to call to make arrangements to pay for replacement of my lost personal property and repair of my vehicle?
Very Truly Yours
R. D. Taylor
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Built Ford Tough! Yea right. Compared to What?
I've been a Ford pick up truck fan for a long time. And, there was a time when I would have agreed with their marketing slogan, "Built Ford Tough". But, not any more.
Fact is, the last two I've owned have belied that claim entirely.
I bought my current one, a 2004 F-150, from Palm Bay Ford reluctantly, in the summer of 2008, after their service department blew up my 2001, after replacing a faulty control module. Without checking, they had turned the engine over on a flooded cylinder, breaking a piston rod, that they knew of and they weren't sure about the crank shaft, or exactly what else.
I had bought the 2001, from the same dealer in 03, had serviced it regularly and best of all it was paid for. Then I was faced with a blown engine, caused by the dealership's service department. Their offer was their idea of a great deal on the 2004, which was even the same desert tan color of my 2001. After a thorough inspection of both the truck and service records and after weighing my somewhat limited options, I very reluctantly signed on to five years of payments again.
With three and a half years, or $11, 000 to go, I've babied this truck, never driven it off road, serviced it regularly and at 53,000 miles I just invested another grand in new Michelins all around, after mounting, balancing and alignment.
Now, the selling points that were highlighted by the dealer when selling me the 2004 was the low mileage and fact that it had been "rustproofed". And, there is in fact a brown goo that oozes out of my door handles and creeps down the doors, if not cleaned regularly with a solvent soaked rag. Their service department pointed to such creep as evidence of it's effectiveness, as it would "creep into" all the crevices and fill all those hidden creases and crannies and do it's job, prevent rust.
My pride of ownership, as I admired my truck new tires and all, took a huge hit yesterday though. While closing the rear driver's side door, after the click of the latch came the clunk of something hitting the running board. I looked down, expecting to find something had rolled out of the back just as I had closed the door. Instead, I was looking at a two inch by two inch chunk of my back door, paint intact, rusted out all around, sitting there on the running board.
So tell me Ford, just how much less is this "rustproofed" "Built Ford Tough" 2004 F-150 with 53,000 miles and your "Bumper to Bumper" warranty worth now?
Just how upside down am I?
Why should I ever, even consider another Ford purchase when my "Built Ford Tough" fully "Rustproofed" six year old truck is leaving chunks of itself along the way?
How about it?
Very Truly Yours,
R. D. Taylor
Below is the response from Ford, and my return correspondence.
Dear Marites:
Thank you for your prompt response.
I did not expect Ford to replace my vehicle. But, I do expect that with reasonable care, my vehicle should last beyond the last payment to Ford without rusting out and falling apart around me.
Am I to infer from your email below that by returning my vehicle to the dealership, it will be repaired in such a way as to retain the value I should be able to expect from an otherwise not compromised model of the same year and mileage? And, that these repairs will be made at no charge to me?
And, I hope you might understand my reluctance to return to the same highly trained and qualified dealership, which'd blown the engine on the last truck I took in for repair.
Oh while we're on the subject of Ford's quality, I was treated to yet another example of Ford toughness while attending a continuing education seminar in Lake Mary this weekend. It seems there is a well known, (at least in law enforcement and hotel security communities.) defect in my Ford, allowing for total disabling of the alarm and near instant entry, simply by jamming my driver's door lock in.
According to the responding officer and Marriott security officer, this has become such a well known exploit, that we (proud Ford truck owners) are now singled out for burglary due to the ease and quickness that a thief can be in and out of our vehicles. (Case #20100362083 as filed with the Lake Mary P.D. 2/2/2010)
Please advise why, as an owner, Ford had not brought this to my attention and offered a repair that would prevent this total subversion of the vehicle's security system near instantly?
And, given that this is an obvious inherent vice in this vehicles' security design, will Ford repair my, now un-lockable, but "Built Ford Tough" truck at no charge, or is this further evidence that I may have made the wrong purchase decision?
Very Truly Yours,
R. D. Taylor
-----Original Message-----
From: crcfmc@ford.com [mailto:crcfmc@ford.com]
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 11:51 AM
To: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Dear R. D. Taylor,
Ford will not replace your vehicle due to age and mileage. If you have paint and rust concerns that are not resolved, we suggest you contact your local Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Dealership to repair the vehicle. They have factory trained and certified technicians, comprehensive service information and specialized equipment to resolve your concerns.
If additional assistance is required, we recommend you discuss the concerns with the Service Manager. They will further assist in facilitating your service needs.
We understand that this may cause inconvenience on your part; however, this step is essential for us to ensure that your concerns are addressed appropriately.
Sometimes e-mail communication does not allow us to gain additional information that may be helpful in responding to your inquiry. Should you feel that we have not adequately addressed your questions, please feel free to contact us via telephone at (800)392-3673 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time, Monday through Friday. Hearing-impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact 1-800-232-5952. Please provide your 10 digit reference number - 0416660360.
Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company
For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.
Ford Confidentiality:
--------------------
For security reasons, please do not submit any sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, driver license number, SSN, DOB, etc. Thank you.
[THREAD ID:1-51YF2L]
-----Original Message-----
From: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Sent: 2/5/2010 03:54:08 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Ford Motor Company
Dear Ford:
I am the registered owner. I live at 2067 Acacia Street N.E., Palm Bay, Florida. Odometer, 53,000, as stated earlier, I included the vehicles'
vin:# below (1FTRX12W14NA09261) which will give you the exact information regarding style, etc.
The relief I seek is a truck that doesn't leave chunks of itself while going down the road. A truck with value past the time the last payment is made, not one that rusts out and falls apart around me, before it's paid off. Not only is my door rusting out, there is a blister forming on the left front of the hood and I can only guess where else.
The vehicle was into Palm Bay Ford for routine oil change service less than three months ago and the rust on the hood was pointed out then, and basically ignored. The problem with chunks falling out of the rear driver's side door had not been detected at that point.
My daytime phone: # 321-722-2894 or, 321-432-1814
Very truly yours,
R. D. Taylor
-----Original Message-----
From: crcfmc@ford.com [mailto:crcfmc@ford.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:54 PM
To: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Dear R. D. Taylor,
Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the rust concern on your 2004 Ford F-150.
We are sorry to hear you feel this way. We hope you would re-think your decision about purchasing Ford products and services. In addition, we would like to have your vehicle concern properly documented. Please provide the following information in order for us to proceed.
Registered owner of the vehicle information
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Cellular Phone Number:
Daytime Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Vehicle Year:
Vehicle Make:
Vehicle Model:
Odometer Reading:
Servicing Dealership:
Has the vehicle been diagnosed by a Ford/Lincoln-Mercury Dealership for the current issue?:
Brief description of the type of assistance you are seeking:
If you would prefer to provide this information over the phone, you may call us toll free at 1-800-392-3673 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time, Monday through Friday. Hearing impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact us by calling 1-800-232-5952.
Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company
For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.
Ford Confidentiality:
--------------------
For security reasons, please do not submit any sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, driver license number, SSN, DOB, etc. Thank you.
[THREAD ID:1-51YF2L]
-----Original Message-----
From: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Sent: 2/4/2010 05:51:45 AM
To: crcfmc@ford.com
Subject: General/Corporate
Ford Motor CompanyMain Topic: GeneralCorporateEmail Questions: Why should I ever consider a Ford purchase again, when my "Rust-proofed" 2004 is leaving rusted out chunks of my back door on the running board every other time I close it?
http://rdtayloratlarge.blogspot.com/2010/02/built-ford-tough-yea-right-compa
red-to.html
Oh, and as the blog says, I bought this one from the same dealer who's service department blew up the engine on my 2001 while "repairing" it.
Vin# 1FTRX12W14NA09261
Fact is, the last two I've owned have belied that claim entirely.
I bought my current one, a 2004 F-150, from Palm Bay Ford reluctantly, in the summer of 2008, after their service department blew up my 2001, after replacing a faulty control module. Without checking, they had turned the engine over on a flooded cylinder, breaking a piston rod, that they knew of and they weren't sure about the crank shaft, or exactly what else.
I had bought the 2001, from the same dealer in 03, had serviced it regularly and best of all it was paid for. Then I was faced with a blown engine, caused by the dealership's service department. Their offer was their idea of a great deal on the 2004, which was even the same desert tan color of my 2001. After a thorough inspection of both the truck and service records and after weighing my somewhat limited options, I very reluctantly signed on to five years of payments again.
With three and a half years, or $11, 000 to go, I've babied this truck, never driven it off road, serviced it regularly and at 53,000 miles I just invested another grand in new Michelins all around, after mounting, balancing and alignment.
Now, the selling points that were highlighted by the dealer when selling me the 2004 was the low mileage and fact that it had been "rustproofed". And, there is in fact a brown goo that oozes out of my door handles and creeps down the doors, if not cleaned regularly with a solvent soaked rag. Their service department pointed to such creep as evidence of it's effectiveness, as it would "creep into" all the crevices and fill all those hidden creases and crannies and do it's job, prevent rust.
My pride of ownership, as I admired my truck new tires and all, took a huge hit yesterday though. While closing the rear driver's side door, after the click of the latch came the clunk of something hitting the running board. I looked down, expecting to find something had rolled out of the back just as I had closed the door. Instead, I was looking at a two inch by two inch chunk of my back door, paint intact, rusted out all around, sitting there on the running board.
So tell me Ford, just how much less is this "rustproofed" "Built Ford Tough" 2004 F-150 with 53,000 miles and your "Bumper to Bumper" warranty worth now?
Just how upside down am I?
Why should I ever, even consider another Ford purchase when my "Built Ford Tough" fully "Rustproofed" six year old truck is leaving chunks of itself along the way?
How about it?
Very Truly Yours,
R. D. Taylor
Below is the response from Ford, and my return correspondence.
Dear Marites:
Thank you for your prompt response.
I did not expect Ford to replace my vehicle. But, I do expect that with reasonable care, my vehicle should last beyond the last payment to Ford without rusting out and falling apart around me.
Am I to infer from your email below that by returning my vehicle to the dealership, it will be repaired in such a way as to retain the value I should be able to expect from an otherwise not compromised model of the same year and mileage? And, that these repairs will be made at no charge to me?
And, I hope you might understand my reluctance to return to the same highly trained and qualified dealership, which'd blown the engine on the last truck I took in for repair.
Oh while we're on the subject of Ford's quality, I was treated to yet another example of Ford toughness while attending a continuing education seminar in Lake Mary this weekend. It seems there is a well known, (at least in law enforcement and hotel security communities.) defect in my Ford, allowing for total disabling of the alarm and near instant entry, simply by jamming my driver's door lock in.
According to the responding officer and Marriott security officer, this has become such a well known exploit, that we (proud Ford truck owners) are now singled out for burglary due to the ease and quickness that a thief can be in and out of our vehicles. (Case #20100362083 as filed with the Lake Mary P.D. 2/2/2010)
Please advise why, as an owner, Ford had not brought this to my attention and offered a repair that would prevent this total subversion of the vehicle's security system near instantly?
And, given that this is an obvious inherent vice in this vehicles' security design, will Ford repair my, now un-lockable, but "Built Ford Tough" truck at no charge, or is this further evidence that I may have made the wrong purchase decision?
Very Truly Yours,
R. D. Taylor
-----Original Message-----
From: crcfmc@ford.com [mailto:crcfmc@ford.com]
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 11:51 AM
To: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Dear R. D. Taylor,
Ford will not replace your vehicle due to age and mileage. If you have paint and rust concerns that are not resolved, we suggest you contact your local Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Dealership to repair the vehicle. They have factory trained and certified technicians, comprehensive service information and specialized equipment to resolve your concerns.
If additional assistance is required, we recommend you discuss the concerns with the Service Manager. They will further assist in facilitating your service needs.
We understand that this may cause inconvenience on your part; however, this step is essential for us to ensure that your concerns are addressed appropriately.
Sometimes e-mail communication does not allow us to gain additional information that may be helpful in responding to your inquiry. Should you feel that we have not adequately addressed your questions, please feel free to contact us via telephone at (800)392-3673 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time, Monday through Friday. Hearing-impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact 1-800-232-5952. Please provide your 10 digit reference number - 0416660360.
Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company
For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.
Ford Confidentiality:
--------------------
For security reasons, please do not submit any sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, driver license number, SSN, DOB, etc. Thank you.
[THREAD ID:1-51YF2L]
-----Original Message-----
From: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Sent: 2/5/2010 03:54:08 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Ford Motor Company
Dear Ford:
I am the registered owner. I live at 2067 Acacia Street N.E., Palm Bay, Florida. Odometer, 53,000, as stated earlier, I included the vehicles'
vin:# below (1FTRX12W14NA09261) which will give you the exact information regarding style, etc.
The relief I seek is a truck that doesn't leave chunks of itself while going down the road. A truck with value past the time the last payment is made, not one that rusts out and falls apart around me, before it's paid off. Not only is my door rusting out, there is a blister forming on the left front of the hood and I can only guess where else.
The vehicle was into Palm Bay Ford for routine oil change service less than three months ago and the rust on the hood was pointed out then, and basically ignored. The problem with chunks falling out of the rear driver's side door had not been detected at that point.
My daytime phone: # 321-722-2894 or, 321-432-1814
Very truly yours,
R. D. Taylor
-----Original Message-----
From: crcfmc@ford.com [mailto:crcfmc@ford.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:54 PM
To: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Subject: Ford Motor Company
Dear R. D. Taylor,
Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the rust concern on your 2004 Ford F-150.
We are sorry to hear you feel this way. We hope you would re-think your decision about purchasing Ford products and services. In addition, we would like to have your vehicle concern properly documented. Please provide the following information in order for us to proceed.
Registered owner of the vehicle information
Address:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Cellular Phone Number:
Daytime Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Vehicle Year:
Vehicle Make:
Vehicle Model:
Odometer Reading:
Servicing Dealership:
Has the vehicle been diagnosed by a Ford/Lincoln-Mercury Dealership for the current issue?:
Brief description of the type of assistance you are seeking:
If you would prefer to provide this information over the phone, you may call us toll free at 1-800-392-3673 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, local time, Monday through Friday. Hearing impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact us by calling 1-800-232-5952.
Sincerely,
Marites
Customer Relationship Center
Ford Motor Company
For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.
Ford Confidentiality:
--------------------
For security reasons, please do not submit any sensitive personally identifiable information, such as credit card numbers, driver license number, SSN, DOB, etc. Thank you.
[THREAD ID:1-51YF2L]
-----Original Message-----
From: r.d.taylor4539@earthlink.net
Sent: 2/4/2010 05:51:45 AM
To: crcfmc@ford.com
Subject: General/Corporate
Ford Motor CompanyMain Topic: GeneralCorporateEmail Questions: Why should I ever consider a Ford purchase again, when my "Rust-proofed" 2004 is leaving rusted out chunks of my back door on the running board every other time I close it?
http://rdtayloratlarge.blogspot.com/2010/02/built-ford-tough-yea-right-compa
red-to.html
Oh, and as the blog says, I bought this one from the same dealer who's service department blew up the engine on my 2001 while "repairing" it.
Vin# 1FTRX12W14NA09261
Friday, January 29, 2010
Why I am an Audioprosthologist
Occasionally a patient comes along that really challenges me as a practitioner and requires me to reach beyond the everyday tools and prosthesis our industry provides and enter into the arts and craft realm of our profession, where normal assumptions and protocols no longer serve and require me to stretch in order to best serve my patient.
Such is the case of, we'll call her Mrs. L for privacy sake. I was first introduced to Mrs. L. by answering a call on the Saturday morning after Thanksgiving last year. She explained that she had moved back into the area after having been living in the center of the state for some years and that she normally dealt with the audiologist associated with a local Otolaryngologist she went to for control of chronic infections in both ears. She furthered that she could only hear with one ear, due to the continued infections since her youth and that she needed a powerful hearing aid on the ear she could hear with and this was no longer working properly, but mostly just squealing loudly.
She told me that when she tried to get service from her doctor's audiologist, she had been told they had no openings for over two weeks and asked me if I could help. As I was forwarding my office calls to my cell phone and in my backyard garden, I advised that while not normally open, I could be able to meet her at my office in about a half an hour if she needed and that I'd be back in the office on Monday morning at 9:30 otherwise. She allowed that Monday would be soon enough and I went back to turning my back bed, thinking no more about it until she walked into my store on Monday.
A spry, petite and silver haired octogenarian she appeared in my office with a large power behind the ear instrument on her right ear, coupled to a full shell, un-vented soft mold, in an actively draining and sore ear. And, as she described earlier on the phone, her aid was mostly just emitting a loud squealing noise, that those of us familiar with such, recognize instantly as feedback.
After making her and her husband comfortable in my lab, I asked her to take the aid out and allow me to inspect it. I couldn't help but notice her wince in discomfort as she pulled the aid off and the mold from her ear. A quick inspection revealed that the tubing had become shrunken and hard, with the squealing coming from a crack where the tubing entered the mold. Changing the tubing instantly solved the squealing problem, but not the discomfort being caused by her mold.
A few questions revealed that she had been fit by another audiologist in central Florida, before she had moved back here and that she had worn hearing aids for many years. She also forwarded that the mold she was wearing had always been uncomfortable, hard to insert and remove, but that she didn't know what else to do as she was functionally deaf without the aid. So she believed she would just have to endure it, if she was to be able to understand her new husband. (That's right an octogenarian newly wed.)
I asked her if I might be able to help, if she would be interested. After obtaining her consent and following infection control protocols I had her again remove her aid and did a thorough otoscopic exam, which revealed drainage and evidence of ongoing infection. She provided that she was under her local ENT's care for the infection and that he had advised her to leave the aid out to allow for air flow to help dry up the infection, but when she did, she simply couldn't hear.
After receiving her permission, I went to work on her mold. Though the material is soft, the nature of it pulls or rubs soft skin during insertion and removal and when done dry and without lubrication can, in and of itself, abrade a blister. This mold had been made with the idea of completely occluding Mrs. L's ear, in the belief that such was needed in order to reach her sensation levels without feedback. And, while achieving that goal, the unintended consequences were that an ideal culture environment had been created behind the mold and in the space between it and her ear drum. Her outer ear structure was so soft, that his mold painfully distended it while inserted and rubbed painfully upon insertion and removal, as well as causing uncomfortable baro-trauma due to the toilet plunger effect.
Hard to work with, the soft mold material yields not so much to cutting using the diamond bits and polishing wheels we use on hard materials, but rather by being burned off using a coarse stone. Drilling requires starting with tiny burs and working up to the size desired using successive bit changes, lest the material split and you ruin rather than effectively modify a mold. Modification is a slow, rather messy process that produces the occasional puff of white smoke some often pungent aromas and amazing amounts of statically clinging particles that get flung off from the process that are difficult clean from the equipment, mold, hands and work area due to their innate clinginess.
Within about thirty minutes I'd achieved a fit that included removal of the entire top half of the mold, including the helix area, addition of a four millimeter vent, shortening of the canal length and removal of material from the apex of the first bend in her ear. After dotting with a drop of Miracel, Mrs. L. was able to easily insert, remove and wear her mold. We found that her aid operated just fine at her use level without the least bit of feedback squeal.
I was rewarded not only monetarily for my repair and modification, but by a huge smile and tears welling up in her eyes, as she told me how much better it felt than anytime since she'd had it.
After seeing that we weren't having any trouble reaching her use levels with the modified and vented mold, I asked if she might be interested in something more comfortable, if it would work for her, and showed her a GN ReSound Dot. She was intrigued by the possibility, upon seeing the huge size difference between her old aid and the Dot and asked how we might go about her trying one. I advised her to return to her ENT to obtain a copy of her records along with his clearance to proceed. She indicated that she would and we set a date for her trial fitting.
I ordered a GN ReSound Dot2 360 with a power receiver for Mrs. L. and awaited her return not really knowing whether it would work for her or not. Truth is, she was more excicted about the possibilities than I was and I began to think about the possibility that I had created unreasonable expectations in my patient, but decided not to worry about it until we saw how the trial fitting worked out.
When she returned Mrs.L presented me with her most recent audiogram, it indicated a pure tone average for her better ear of sixty-three, air conduction and fifty-three for bone conduction. Her left ear indicated a pure tone average of one hundred and seven, for air conduction and fifty-three for bone conduction. She also expressed amazement at how much more comfortable her old mold was and that she could now wear it for hours without the usual headaches that normally accompanied extend wear.
I entered her audiometric data into the programing interface, connected a power receiver and then chose and installed a split dome tip and placed it upon her waiting ear. Following calibration for feedback control we began the process of fine tuning. Immediately Mrs. L. commented upon how comfortable it was and how natural her own voice sounded.
Following the fine tuning and after going over the instrument's operation, maintanence and such I programmed and disconnected it and went about righting up a trial fitting agreement . This agreement would allow Mrs. L to take the instrument home, go about her routines and put it into the environments that she needed it to work in before I asked her to pay for it. If, the instrument didn't work for her, she simply had to bring it back, without incuring any obligation, or she could pay for it anytime within thrity days if she wanted to keep it.
I scheduled a routine follow-up for two weeks and instructed her to call me immediately with any problems, issues or questions, should she have them, and otherwise I'd see her in two weeks.
After she had left, I began to look more closely at her left ear. While the air conduction scores were in the profound loss range, the bone conduction sensitivity was the same as the right ear, in the moderate range. I started to envision how we might possibly fit her left side, thereby giving Mrs. L the sensation of stereo listening once again, with it's potential for better localization and understanding in those more complex sound environments where she was having her most difficulty and decided to pursue the idea further.
I had been exposed to a couple of nitch manufacturers who were promoting a bone conduction in-the-ear hearing aid and I had seen presentations where other manufactures had solidly embedded a power receiver into a custom earmold and achieved some success, so I called ReSound and asked if they had any such product. Sadly, they did not, but the idea intrigued the manager of their mold laboratory, Mr. Steve Ketchmark and we discussed the potential at some length.
Upon returning for her check up, Mrs. L reported that she was doing very well, so well she paid me. But, felt she would achieve even better results with a custom mold for her fitting. I advised that prudence and good practice dictated that due to her ongoing infections and the fact that she was still under her ENT's care for the last flair up, that we obtain his clearance before we took any impressions for a custom mold. I also discussed with her the things I'd been pondering regarding the potential of fitting her left ear.
I explained that this would not be a normal fitting, and that it woud require me to work with the manufacture to actually craft something that they didn't have. But, if she would like to explore the possibility I would be willing to proceed upon the same trial basis used for the other ear and that if, she didn't find the benefit, she wouldn't have to pay for it.
Given our previous successes she instantly agreed and reported that she had been back to her ENT post our fitting and shown him her new Dot and bragged up the differences in care. I couldn't help but smile and get the warm fuzzies. We agreed that prudence would rule and she would wait for the impression for her custom molds to be taken until after her doctor cleared her and she advised she would be in touch as soon as she saw him next.
I received my next call from her shortly after the first of the year and she advised that her doctor had indeed now issued her clearance to allow for me to make her some custom molds, so on the seventh, I forwarded a pair of impressions to Steve at ReSound, the right to be made into a regularly vented power micro-mold the left, a hard Lucite type material, I hoped to turn into an adequate bone conduction oscillator.
I began the process by stripping all of the retention and sound dampening material from the can of the receiver. In a normal fitting, this material would be serving a shock absorption role, actually preventing the vibrations created by the receiver from being transmitted to the mold they are seated into. However, in this case I wanted the exact opposite effect. I wanted as much of the internal vibration of the receiver as possible to be transmitted into the mold, as it would be those vibrations that I was counting on to achieving any results we might enjoy through this fitting.
Next, I filled the sound port in the custom mold ReSound had made with UV paste, cured it then polished any burs smooth. The next step involved filling the remaining cavity in the mold with UV paste, then suspending the cleaned can of the receiver into the paste and curing it in such a way as to avoid getting any voids or bubbles into the mix. Lastly, I pulled paste over the outer end of the receiver until the wires were completely embedded and cured.
Last week, Mrs. L experienced a flair up in her left ear that left it sore and tender, putting off our trial till Wednesday of this week. When she came in, we found that there was still a sore spot on the bottom of her canal, just outside the first bend, but she wanted to proceed anyway, and had come from seeing the doctor earlier and received his blessing to proceed. Given this we proceeded by polishing and removing material until she could easily insert and wear the mold and instrument without discomfort.
Now, to find out if it was worth all the effort. I hooked both her instruments to the program interface and turned on the aid. Nothing. She couldn't tell any difference at all. I turned and reset all the outputs to maximum on the screen. Still nothing. Disappointed, we were beginning to think that our noble efforts were going to be for naught, when I noticed that the numbers on my display just didn't look right. I should have been able to get over twenty dB more of gain than what I was seeing. So I started to look closer.
It was then that I noticed that the instrument was still set up for a regular power receiver and was therefore limiting the output to what it was capable of achieving, not the power one that I had installed. I returned to my set-up screen and reconfigured the aid for the receiver I actually had on it, then returned to the calibration and fine tuning screen and muted the right aid.
In a normal tone of voice I asked, "Is that any better Mrs. L?". Her answer surprised me. First she said no, she didn't think that was any better either. I explained that I had turned off her right ear, the one she normally heard with and was talking to her through her left ear and given her loss, if she was hearing me at all, it was from the left ear.
To further demonstrate, I removed the right aid from her ear completely and again asked her how she heard me? This time, she asked if I was speaking in a normal tone of voice? To which I replied yes and asked her husband who was seated approximately six feet behind her to say something. He asked if, she could hear him, to which she answered that yes she could.
It was then that I noticed the tears welling up in her eyes, as she realized that she really was hearing out of an ear she had been told for years was dead and useless. That she was in fact carrying on a normal conversation using this "dead" ear.
Now, this fitting is still in the "trial" stage. I wrote an agreement that will allow Mrs. L a generous discount from our list price, but will still allow for me to be well paid, should she decide she is receiving benefit from this new fitting. I haven't been paid in dollars yet and in the end, she may not see the value that we are asking for what we've done. Still, whether she keeps this fitting, or returns it, she reminded me of why I am an audioprosthologist and through her tears of joy at being able to hear again, has already paid me in ways others will never know.
R. D. Taylor, Audioprosthologist,
And, today, feeling pretty good about it.
Visit my Web site.
Within about thirty minutes I'd achieved a fit that included removal of the entire top half of the mold, including the helix area, addition of a four millimeter vent, shortening of the canal length and removal of material from the apex of the first bend in her ear. After dotting with a drop of Miracel, Mrs. L. was able to easily insert, remove and wear her mold. We found that her aid operated just fine at her use level without the least bit of feedback squeal.
I was rewarded not only monetarily for my repair and modification, but by a huge smile and tears welling up in her eyes, as she told me how much better it felt than anytime since she'd had it.
After seeing that we weren't having any trouble reaching her use levels with the modified and vented mold, I asked if she might be interested in something more comfortable, if it would work for her, and showed her a GN ReSound Dot. She was intrigued by the possibility, upon seeing the huge size difference between her old aid and the Dot and asked how we might go about her trying one. I advised her to return to her ENT to obtain a copy of her records along with his clearance to proceed. She indicated that she would and we set a date for her trial fitting.
I ordered a GN ReSound Dot2 360 with a power receiver for Mrs. L. and awaited her return not really knowing whether it would work for her or not. Truth is, she was more excicted about the possibilities than I was and I began to think about the possibility that I had created unreasonable expectations in my patient, but decided not to worry about it until we saw how the trial fitting worked out.
When she returned Mrs.L presented me with her most recent audiogram, it indicated a pure tone average for her better ear of sixty-three, air conduction and fifty-three for bone conduction. Her left ear indicated a pure tone average of one hundred and seven, for air conduction and fifty-three for bone conduction. She also expressed amazement at how much more comfortable her old mold was and that she could now wear it for hours without the usual headaches that normally accompanied extend wear.
I entered her audiometric data into the programing interface, connected a power receiver and then chose and installed a split dome tip and placed it upon her waiting ear. Following calibration for feedback control we began the process of fine tuning. Immediately Mrs. L. commented upon how comfortable it was and how natural her own voice sounded.
Following the fine tuning and after going over the instrument's operation, maintanence and such I programmed and disconnected it and went about righting up a trial fitting agreement . This agreement would allow Mrs. L to take the instrument home, go about her routines and put it into the environments that she needed it to work in before I asked her to pay for it. If, the instrument didn't work for her, she simply had to bring it back, without incuring any obligation, or she could pay for it anytime within thrity days if she wanted to keep it.
I scheduled a routine follow-up for two weeks and instructed her to call me immediately with any problems, issues or questions, should she have them, and otherwise I'd see her in two weeks.
After she had left, I began to look more closely at her left ear. While the air conduction scores were in the profound loss range, the bone conduction sensitivity was the same as the right ear, in the moderate range. I started to envision how we might possibly fit her left side, thereby giving Mrs. L the sensation of stereo listening once again, with it's potential for better localization and understanding in those more complex sound environments where she was having her most difficulty and decided to pursue the idea further.
I had been exposed to a couple of nitch manufacturers who were promoting a bone conduction in-the-ear hearing aid and I had seen presentations where other manufactures had solidly embedded a power receiver into a custom earmold and achieved some success, so I called ReSound and asked if they had any such product. Sadly, they did not, but the idea intrigued the manager of their mold laboratory, Mr. Steve Ketchmark and we discussed the potential at some length.
Upon returning for her check up, Mrs. L reported that she was doing very well, so well she paid me. But, felt she would achieve even better results with a custom mold for her fitting. I advised that prudence and good practice dictated that due to her ongoing infections and the fact that she was still under her ENT's care for the last flair up, that we obtain his clearance before we took any impressions for a custom mold. I also discussed with her the things I'd been pondering regarding the potential of fitting her left ear.
I explained that this would not be a normal fitting, and that it woud require me to work with the manufacture to actually craft something that they didn't have. But, if she would like to explore the possibility I would be willing to proceed upon the same trial basis used for the other ear and that if, she didn't find the benefit, she wouldn't have to pay for it.
Given our previous successes she instantly agreed and reported that she had been back to her ENT post our fitting and shown him her new Dot and bragged up the differences in care. I couldn't help but smile and get the warm fuzzies. We agreed that prudence would rule and she would wait for the impression for her custom molds to be taken until after her doctor cleared her and she advised she would be in touch as soon as she saw him next.
I received my next call from her shortly after the first of the year and she advised that her doctor had indeed now issued her clearance to allow for me to make her some custom molds, so on the seventh, I forwarded a pair of impressions to Steve at ReSound, the right to be made into a regularly vented power micro-mold the left, a hard Lucite type material, I hoped to turn into an adequate bone conduction oscillator.
I began the process by stripping all of the retention and sound dampening material from the can of the receiver. In a normal fitting, this material would be serving a shock absorption role, actually preventing the vibrations created by the receiver from being transmitted to the mold they are seated into. However, in this case I wanted the exact opposite effect. I wanted as much of the internal vibration of the receiver as possible to be transmitted into the mold, as it would be those vibrations that I was counting on to achieving any results we might enjoy through this fitting.
Next, I filled the sound port in the custom mold ReSound had made with UV paste, cured it then polished any burs smooth. The next step involved filling the remaining cavity in the mold with UV paste, then suspending the cleaned can of the receiver into the paste and curing it in such a way as to avoid getting any voids or bubbles into the mix. Lastly, I pulled paste over the outer end of the receiver until the wires were completely embedded and cured.
Last week, Mrs. L experienced a flair up in her left ear that left it sore and tender, putting off our trial till Wednesday of this week. When she came in, we found that there was still a sore spot on the bottom of her canal, just outside the first bend, but she wanted to proceed anyway, and had come from seeing the doctor earlier and received his blessing to proceed. Given this we proceeded by polishing and removing material until she could easily insert and wear the mold and instrument without discomfort.
Now, to find out if it was worth all the effort. I hooked both her instruments to the program interface and turned on the aid. Nothing. She couldn't tell any difference at all. I turned and reset all the outputs to maximum on the screen. Still nothing. Disappointed, we were beginning to think that our noble efforts were going to be for naught, when I noticed that the numbers on my display just didn't look right. I should have been able to get over twenty dB more of gain than what I was seeing. So I started to look closer.
It was then that I noticed that the instrument was still set up for a regular power receiver and was therefore limiting the output to what it was capable of achieving, not the power one that I had installed. I returned to my set-up screen and reconfigured the aid for the receiver I actually had on it, then returned to the calibration and fine tuning screen and muted the right aid.
In a normal tone of voice I asked, "Is that any better Mrs. L?". Her answer surprised me. First she said no, she didn't think that was any better either. I explained that I had turned off her right ear, the one she normally heard with and was talking to her through her left ear and given her loss, if she was hearing me at all, it was from the left ear.
To further demonstrate, I removed the right aid from her ear completely and again asked her how she heard me? This time, she asked if I was speaking in a normal tone of voice? To which I replied yes and asked her husband who was seated approximately six feet behind her to say something. He asked if, she could hear him, to which she answered that yes she could.
It was then that I noticed the tears welling up in her eyes, as she realized that she really was hearing out of an ear she had been told for years was dead and useless. That she was in fact carrying on a normal conversation using this "dead" ear.
Now, this fitting is still in the "trial" stage. I wrote an agreement that will allow Mrs. L a generous discount from our list price, but will still allow for me to be well paid, should she decide she is receiving benefit from this new fitting. I haven't been paid in dollars yet and in the end, she may not see the value that we are asking for what we've done. Still, whether she keeps this fitting, or returns it, she reminded me of why I am an audioprosthologist and through her tears of joy at being able to hear again, has already paid me in ways others will never know.
R. D. Taylor, Audioprosthologist,
And, today, feeling pretty good about it.
Visit my Web site.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Value Added
As a hearing health care professional with over twenty-five years experience in the dispensing field I am constantly reminded that I AM the value added to each of my fittings. If, I do my job well someone will hear better and have a more harmonious life, with fewer tensions and misunderstandings.
Much of my job involves listening, letting my patients explain in their own words what they are experiencing, what they expect from their anticipated dealings with me and what their budgetary constraints are. Some aspects of my practice involve taking detailed measurements of what my patient's currently hearing levels are for use in programing their anticipated hearing instruments. Other aspects involve examination of their ears and the actual physical fitting of each instrument to their individual ear. Still other duties involve listening to their experiences in their own acoustic world and then adjusting for comfort, clarity and transparency. Part of what I do deals with patient education; about their hearing, loss, the equipment we've chosen for them and how they are to use and maintain it. And, lastly I must be there to service their maintenance needs and keep their aids in their ears and out of the shop as much as possible.
At each step, if I'm performing on my patient's behalf, I add value to that fitting and it is this added value that makes up the difference between what I purchase the hearing instruments I fit for and the price I charge to fit them. This value added covers my costs of doing business and hopefully enough profit to live a comfortable life style. It is this same added value that keeps my practice growing with referrals and repeat customers.
Now, I understand that any corporation's officer and board are there to increase their shareholders' yield and stock values and that healthy companies and good management do this through the value they add to the goods and services that they sell to their customers.
So, that is why I ask an open question of the upper management of my industry, particularly the boards and CEO's. who have decided that they as managers add more value to stockholders through different means.
How do you think the folks actually dispensing your product and representing your company to the public feel when you make the management decision that you as the leaders of your company believe you bring more value to your stockholders by selling the company, than by selling the company's products?
I'd like to hear from any of you out there with a response.
Visit My Site
R. D. Taylor, at large.
Much of my job involves listening, letting my patients explain in their own words what they are experiencing, what they expect from their anticipated dealings with me and what their budgetary constraints are. Some aspects of my practice involve taking detailed measurements of what my patient's currently hearing levels are for use in programing their anticipated hearing instruments. Other aspects involve examination of their ears and the actual physical fitting of each instrument to their individual ear. Still other duties involve listening to their experiences in their own acoustic world and then adjusting for comfort, clarity and transparency. Part of what I do deals with patient education; about their hearing, loss, the equipment we've chosen for them and how they are to use and maintain it. And, lastly I must be there to service their maintenance needs and keep their aids in their ears and out of the shop as much as possible.
At each step, if I'm performing on my patient's behalf, I add value to that fitting and it is this added value that makes up the difference between what I purchase the hearing instruments I fit for and the price I charge to fit them. This value added covers my costs of doing business and hopefully enough profit to live a comfortable life style. It is this same added value that keeps my practice growing with referrals and repeat customers.
Now, I understand that any corporation's officer and board are there to increase their shareholders' yield and stock values and that healthy companies and good management do this through the value they add to the goods and services that they sell to their customers.
So, that is why I ask an open question of the upper management of my industry, particularly the boards and CEO's. who have decided that they as managers add more value to stockholders through different means.
How do you think the folks actually dispensing your product and representing your company to the public feel when you make the management decision that you as the leaders of your company believe you bring more value to your stockholders by selling the company, than by selling the company's products?
I'd like to hear from any of you out there with a response.
Visit My Site
R. D. Taylor, at large.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Open letter to Michel Steele, Chairman National Republican Party
Michael Steele, Chairman
National Republican Party
310 First Street, S.E.
Washington, DC 20003
R. D. Taylor
Palm Bay, Florida 32905
24 January, 2010
Dear Michael:
National Republican Party
310 First Street, S.E.
Washington, DC 20003
R. D. Taylor
Palm Bay, Florida 32905
24 January, 2010
Dear Michael:
I’ve been getting quite a bit of mail from you and the party of late addressing me by my first name and acting like you know me, and wanting me to participate in this great battle you describe. I understand from your entreaties just how much you would like for me to open my wallet and provide those funds for your use for more of the same.
The problem is, that you and our party are so terribly out of touch, have strayed so far into the hands of the religious right and have totally sold out the small businessman or woman to Wall Street, big Pharma, the Insurance industry and big Oil, that you’ve lost your way.
Your letters and simplistic surveys and censuses don’t seek to find out what we are really going through, or inquire about how we might better things, they are written and presented in such a way as to simply reaffirm the party views and ideas you’ve already decided. They have become insulting to our intelligence in their forgone construction and form.
There doesn’t seem to be much our party can do except to make sure those nasty Democrats aren’t able to do anything. How totally en genius! Just blame everything on Obama and the Democrats. Yet they came to power because our party simply doesn’t get it anymore.
On health care, our party has played nothing but spoiler. Refusing to support anything excepting more of the same lining of the pockets of the insurance establishment, pharmacological companies, hospitals and medical establishment.
You would have us all believe that if we established a single payer system, that the world would end, that we would loose all control over our health care, with Washington bureaucrats making all of our health care decisions for us.
Yet, you totally refuse to acknowledge that under the current system we already have bureaucrats making our health care decisions for us. It’s just that now those bureaucrats work for for-profit insurance companies HMOs and Hospitals.
The party refuses to point out, or even reccognise that all those lobbying dollars you and our other politicians from both sides of the aisle so eagerly accept from this entire industry, come from the skim off dollars paid for health care, diverted to profits, the insurance company’s profit and via their lobbying contributions to political parties and candidates, your profit.
You won’t even acknowledge the fact that their profits are a direct result of them withholding as much of the premiums paid as possible while paying as few benefits as possible.
Our law continues to allow this whole industry a total exemption from anti-trust regulation, allowing them to collude openly over benefits, premiums and payment structures throughout the entire industry. Yet, the same regulations they are exempt from, would make me a Federal Felon if I even mentioned pricing structures over a dinner with colleagues.
So instead of meaningful debate on real issues, our party promotes the “Death Panels” myths and the notion that all of a sudden we won’t have any control over our own health care. Just how much control do you think we have now Michael? How about those of us at middle, or like me, preretirement age, all of us with some sort of preexisting condition trying to get health insurance?
But, let’s not dwell too long on health care, let’s move on to the economy and it’s current state. Michael continuing to blame the Democrats for this mess is just plain a lie. The final nail in Glass-Spiegle’s coffin was placed there by a Republican congress, ushered through by none other than your old friend Phil Grahm from Texas.
Is your memory getting any better now Michael?
It was Phil’s bill that removed the final barrier to Banks, Insurance companies and Brokerage houses mingling and merging funds for their own profit and amusement. Oh and Mr. Greenspan was more than happy to allow that those regulations were no longer needed due to the vastly improved “risk management” that the markets allowed. (Yea, they were all set off against credit default swaps sold by a company without the reserves to pay even 1% should any turn bad, AIG.)
Isn’t Mr. Giethner a Bush appointee? Hey didn’t his old banking and brokerage buddies make out nicely in that AIG payout on their paper? You just can’t get better than 100% on the dollar for otherwise worthless paper, from a bankrupt company now can you? Oh, you did know that those were taxpayer dollars being paid out didn’t you Michael?
Yes, even the “Bailout” happened on Mr. Bush’s watch now didn’t it? Oh, and it was Republican appointees heading up all those watchful regulatory agencies now wasn’t it Michael? Come on, now a little honesty just might help you regain some of the respect you and our party have so richly lost.
And, while we are on the subject of Mr. Bush’s administration, wasn’t he the one who so greatly expanded the federal agencies of “Homeland and Transportation Security” giving us a whole new layer of Federal expansion into our everyday lives? And, plunged us into war on two fronts by using fear and distortions of intelligence and out right lies to get our support all for the total illusion of security.
I say illusion Michael, because even with all our loss of civil rights, armed guards, airport screening and extra security, another terrorist got on a plane with malicious intent and who thwarted him? Fellow passengers Michael. The very passengers who are all treated as though they were terrorist just to get on the plane. Not the massive intelligence apparatus, nor the self important screeners, nor any of our government’s efforts prevented his boarding. Yet, plain old citizens were the ones who jumped in to thwart his evil deed, not all the billions spent, nor phones tapped, nor suspects tortured thwarted this terrorist, but rather normal citizens, acting freely, in their own best self interest.
Yet it was this “Faith Based” president and his administration who, after 9/11 never acted in faith again but, always out of fear. It was this unalloyed fear that was played so beautifully to get us into Iraq and Afghanistan. It is fear rather than faith that would have us swap our personal freedoms and constitutional protections for the total illusion of making us safer. And Michael, a Republican President and Vice President who spread such fears and who’s administration threw out the rule of law and just made up their own rules to suit the mood. Let us not forget that it was this administration that gave us David Chew, who characterizes semi-drowning someone as “enhanced interrogation”
Yes Michael we are the party of torture, Guantanamo and indefinite detention without charge, or trial. And all those mercenaries that Mr. Bush and Cheny hired to fill in where our men and women in uniform couldn’t in their global adventures, have given our country a very well deserved black eye, while arrogantly operating outside any law, but their own, killing anyone in their paths and lowering our esteem as a nation in the eyes of the whole world.
I’m sure that it will be a very easy step to “privatize” security for the next national emergency, hurricane, flood or such and just call in the men and women of Xi, or whatever they have morphed into and let them handle it. Far easier to just call them and write the check than call out the national guard. Oh wait, we can’t call out our Guard, they’ve already been called up and are in Afghanistan, or Iraq filling in those holes in our game plan that regular Army can’t, because so much money has been funneled to “private security”.
How would you feel about such “private security” forces handling traffic control around your home in times of disaster Michael? What with their demonstrated immunity and ability to use whatever force they deem appropriate and the only demonstrated check being that they will have to change their corporate name to get the next government contract?
Now, let’s move on to the party’s social agenda, which best I can tell from your mailers is like this: Every kid has prayers in school everyday before class, no one can get an abortion, marry who they want, research what they think might be important, or burn a flag.
Seems more a religious agenda than a proper political one. Any move toward more church involvement with the party places the party’s agenda in someone’s doctor’s office, bedroom or school. Your total pandering to the Christian right with their absolute knowledge of what is right and wrong, for everyone, continues to allow for governmental creep and overreach into our daily lives.
Now, let’s discuss our parties last Presidential ticket. John McCain is a fine Senator, a true war hero and would have made an acceptable choice. In fact he was my choice all the way up and until about a week after he’d made his choice of running mate. Then you lost me. When I saw the footage of Mrs. Palin’s interview where she was asked the incredibly soft ball question, “What periodicals do you read?” and instead of answering anything, she simply got a blank look and started rambling, I knew we as a nation could not afford to have this woman a heartbeat away from being our commander and chief.
And, sadly, that McCain had made this choice, seriously called into question what head he was thinking with, thus making him unacceptable for the role as well.
And, while we are on the topic of Mrs. Palin, did you happen to catch the video of Glen Beck's interview with her?
On the other hand, had the V.P. selection gone to our former Secretary of State, Dr. Rice, that decision would have demonstrated in a stroke that both were up to the task, taken the race advantage from Obama, and earned my vote.
It’s not that I don’t admire any woman who can gut her own moose kill, it’s just that I don’t see that in and of itself as, qualifying one for the second highest position in the nation.
As to what our party should stand for; whatever happened to actual limited government, defending an individuals rights under the constitution? All of our rights Michael, not just the ones that make the religious right feel good, like the freedom of worship, even if it isn’t what you, or they believe? Protection from unreasonable searches and equal protection under the law (find a TSA or Homeland Security officer anywhere who can even imagine an “unreasonable” search.)?
What about defending an individual’s right to their own idea of the pursuit of happiness?
What is it about defending an individuals right to the “pursuit of happiness” makes the party uncomfortable Michael?
Is it the point about letting individuals decide for themselves, instead of the party, clergy and then by extention government deciding for them?
You would scare us all silly about those evil Democrats and what they are trying to do to us, yet the biggest expansion and grab in decades came on Republican watch. The dismantling of the regulations that were meant to safeguard against the very debacle that occurred on Wall street were put forward and passed by Republicans. The regulators, top to bottom who were asleep at the switch with everything from Credit defaults to the Bernard Maidoff Ponzi scheme were all either Republican appointees, or were overseen by Republican appointees.
Yet Michael, you continue to beg me to support this party with my contributions, without acknowledging just how far this party has strayed and how much damage elected Republicans caused in the last couple of decades. Now, with last weeks Supreme Court decision and all that cheering coming from almost all of our elected Republican law makers about free speech, all the while dancing dollar signs jigs, in anticipation of those new corporate contributions about to start flowing Michel, I've already got the best party and politicians that money can buy.
So, frankly the answer isn't just no, until the party reaffirms and realigns itself with less government, small business, more personal responsibilities, greater personal liberties, and an absolute protection of the entire bill of rights and the rule of law, the answer is hell no!
Very Truly Yours,
R. D. Taylor
Getting started
This is a project I've been mulling over for some time. Though I've written various things for years, some published and some not, till recently there wasn't any place to easily aggregate the various thoughts, ideas and such into a central place. Well this blog will provide that format and for those who wish to join my journey I say welcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
