Life's annoyances

[Juan Vancouver]

I DON'T HATE CANADA.

 

Not for a moment I assumed that.

 

There are Canadian-sourced statistics that show significant use of US healthcare facilities by Canadians. A closer look reveals that nearly all such data originates from the Fraser Institute, a conservative-libertarian think tank in Canada that would likely have a vested interest in making the Canadian single-payer system look bad. But still, where did these numbers come from? Did they just make them up?

 

The Fraser "institute" sadly is nothing but the equivalent of Fox News in Canada. Mainly funded by big oil and US corporations, they have been found to release a host of absolutely biased, wrong and deliberately misleading "studies".

 

Yes, they are US propaganda puppets trying to turn our system into a privatized, corporate copy of yours.

 

Again, propaganda, not information. But I guess it would be very hard for you to know that.

[+ SundayZip]

There's no question that very high quality health care is available in the US. People come from all over the world for specialized care at places like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital and others. The trick is, you need to be able to afford it. So if you've got money to burn, yes...come to the US for healthcare. If you don't, you should hope to live in a country that provides a basic level of affordable care to all.

[+ nycman]

In any disagreement in which strong opinions are held....there will always be the belief that the "other" side is drinking the kool-aid that is laced with propaganda.

 

Same here.

[Juan Vancouver]

In any disagreement in which strong opinions are held....there will always be the belief that the "other" side is drinking the kool-aid that is laced with propaganda.

 

Same here.

 

The only difference is that this is the conversation in which you are categorically stating I drink pink Koolaid based on hearsay.

 

I drink the Koolaid every day. It's my Koolaid. I bloody well know what flavour my Koolaid is.

 

Your belief about the koolaid I drink, which you don't drink, which you haven't seen but about which you have heard people talk, is just that... a belief.

 

Trying to compare first hand objective experience with a propaganda created belief is EXACTLY like trying to debunk science because the good book says otherwise.

 

In other words:

 

Man 1: "Beaches in Paris are beautiful! That part of the Mediterranean is just exquisite!"

 

Man 2: "Errr... I live in Paris and there is no sea beach... we are in the middle of the land, there is only a river, and the Mediterranean is far, far away!"

 

Man 1: "Well, haven't you believed everything they told you! There are Mediterranean beaches in Paris, we will have to agree to disagree."

 

Man 2: "...........Oy gevolt!"

 

Let's agree, then.

[+ poolboy48220]

A few customer-service incidents of mine that come to mind:

 

A mall food court, I bought something that cost, say, $12.87. I paid with a $20, she rang it up, then I found 12 cents in my pocket and gave it to her so I could get less change back. Threw her into confusion; she called a manager over, they both tried to figure it out, and the manager whispered "Just tell him you can't do it." I told them it was $7.25 in change and they gave it to me.

 

A grocery store that had just opened, I went to an open checkout lane, and the guy at the register ignored me. I asked "I'm sorry, is this lane open yet?"; he didn't even respond, or look up, but just pointed up to the light over the lane - which was lit up. I looked up at it, then back at him - he finally looked up, saw the light was on, and rang me up without saying a word. I just smiled at him the whole time.

[Nvr2Thick]

A mall food court, I bought something that cost, say, $12.87. I paid with a $20, she rang it up, then I found 12 cents in my pocket and gave it to her so I could get less change back. Threw her into confusion; she called a manager over, they both tried to figure it out, and the manager whispered "Just tell him you can't do it." I told them it was $7.25 in change and they gave it to me.

 

http://assets.amuniversal.com/358596409e06012f2fe500163e41dd5b

[+ poolboy48220]

I am growing more and more to the notion that I frequent places based on their customer service, rather than their price. The pet supplies store I go to is a prime example. Always friendly, helpful, and they clearly love the pets people bring. I've never even bothered to price-compare with other stores.

[Kenny]

Not for a moment I assumed that.

 

 

 

The Fraser "institute" sadly is nothing but the equivalent of Fox News in Canada. Mainly funded by big oil and US corporations, they have been found to release a host of absolutely biased, wrong and deliberately misleading "studies".

 

Yes, they are US propaganda puppets trying to turn our system into a privatized, corporate copy of yours.

 

Again, propaganda, not information. But I guess it would be very hard for you to know that.

Yup, Fraser Institute is just about as bad is it gets. From climate change denial on down...

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Fraser_Institute

[+ WilliamM]

Not for a moment I assumed that.

 

 

 

The Fraser "institute" sadly is nothing but the equivalent of Fox News in Canada. Mainly funded by big oil and US corporations, they have been found to release a host of absolutely biased, wrong and deliberately misleading "studies".

 

Yes, they are US propaganda puppets trying to turn our system into a privatized, corporate copy of yours.

 

Again, propaganda, not information. But I guess it would be very hard for you to know that.

 

I stopped reading your comments a long time ago. You are always so sure that your point of view is correct

[Nvr2Thick]

I am growing more and more to the notion that I frequent places based on their customer service, rather than their price. The pet supplies store I go to is a prime example. Always friendly, helpful, and they clearly love the pets people bring. I've never even bothered to price-compare with other stores.

 

Isn't it great to find a place where the management or owners really understand the concept of customer service, and obviously put the necessary effort into hiring and coaching people? This doesn't happen by accident. The first time I noticed this I was buying glasses a a boutique shop, and I found it strange that everyone was well-informed, positive, enthusiastic, and polite. They were all great listeners too. Since then I've noticed that one of my doctor's offices is run that way, as well as a deli, an Honda dealership, a motorcycle accessories store, a smoothie shop, and even a Taco Bell franchise.

[gezellig4u]

There's no question that very high quality health care is available in the US. People come from all over the world for specialized care at places like the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital and others. The trick is, you need to be able to afford it. So if you've got money to burn, yes...come to the US for healthcare. If you don't, you should hope to live in a country that provides a basic level of affordable care to all.

Correct, but neither the US or Canada are all that stellar according to the World Health Organization (US ranked #37; Canada ranked #30): http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian-health-care-information/world-health-organizations-ranking-of-the-worlds-health-systems/

[+ deej]

Isn't it great to find a place where the management or owners really understand the concept of customer service, and obviously put the necessary effort into hiring and coaching people? This doesn't happen by accident. The first time I noticed this I was buying glasses a a boutique shop, and I found it strange that everyone was well-informed, positive, enthusiastic, and polite. They were all great listeners too. Since then I've noticed that one of my doctor's offices is run that way, as well as a deli, an Honda dealership, a motorcycle accessories store, a smoothie shop, and even a Taco Bell franchise.

The thing that irks me about that is that when you encounter a place like that it generally comes as a surprise. (Why you return is far less a surprise!)

[Juan Vancouver]

I stopped reading your comments a long time ago. You are always so sure that your point of view is correct

 

Only when I am correct.

 

Correct, but neither the US or Canada are all that stellar according to the World Health Organization (US ranked #37; Canada ranked #30): http://thepatientfactor.com/canadian-health-care-information/world-health-organizations-ranking-of-the-worlds-health-systems/

 

If you are a poor minority ne immigrant trying to access medical services in the US you will find yourself wishing with every fibre of your being you were instead receiving the -not so stellar but readily available and professional- medical services in Canada. This could be the difference between life and death.

 

This conversation is not about who has better waiting rooms or about nurse-patient ratio. We are talking about an entire country coming together to solve a collective problem in an adult way, making sure that EVERYONE has access to those solutions.

[AdamSmith]

Only when I am correct.

[whipped guy]

To get back to the postal theme...

 

My postal story... Years ago our lazy SOB of a mailman who delivered to the office stopped delivering our mail on a Wednesday. When he walked by the office without delivering any mail one Wednesday I followed him and confronted him asking why I was not getting my mail delivered, and demanded that he do so. He responded with the phrase, "Those are threatening words." I looked at him a bit puzzled and again demanded that he deliver the mail every day of the week. His response was that dental offices are all closed on Wednesday! I said that this office was not closed on Wednesday and reiterated my demand.

 

I then left the office because I had an appointment. In my absence the postal police came to arrest me because I threatened a federal employee while he was on duty and then assaulted him. Mr. Postman left his route and drove to the nearest hospital ER feigning injury and heart palpitations.

 

The postal officer came back the next day looking for me. I told him to visit every business in the area and ask if they were getting their mail in a timely fashion. He did so and it was learned that Mr. postman was not delivering the mail to a number of businesses and as such he was violation federal law.

 

This is the short version. He could not prove that I assaulted him and indeed I had a whiteness to prove that I did not do so. In any event, there is a wordy dossier about me some where in the deep recesses of the postal archives in Washington, DC. Incidentally, one of my patients was this guy's supervisor and he admitted that he was afraid of him...

 

To make a long story even shorter, Mr. Postman was going to night school to become a lawyer. Enough said!!!! He eventually did so and is now making a of career defending every lazy postal employee in the area.

 

To be fair most of the other carriers were quite pleasant to deal with over the years, even the guy who was a sex pervert and walked into the treatment room while I was working on a patient, bent over, said, "How are you doing honey!" and then kissed her on the lips... I'll save that one for a different thread and a different day....

 

(I really should have written that book...)

[rvwnsd]

Next time you think your life of sending packages overseas or redeeming frequent flier miles is unbearable, think about the people affected by the following:

 

http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/the-saudis-got-wikileaked.117195/

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Poor Austrians....

http://images-cdn.9gag.com/photo/3369246_700b.jpg

 

You can even get the T-shirt.

https://ohffs.spreadshirt.com/australia-worst-country-in-europe-blue-t-shirt-A4546841

 

 

OMG. New Zealand is not part of Australia and Erinsborough only exist on a TV Soap

[actor61]

Post Office branches around here tend to operate the same way. There are a lot of mistakes and inaccuracies - mail gets delivered to the wrong address, certified mail just disappears and the employees say they don't know what happened to it, etc.

 

One thing I have noticed is that our mail carrier, as she walks her route, talks on her cell phone a lot, which would help to explain some of the problems with receiving mail.

 

I also think our branch is understaffed. There are rarely more than two windows open.

 

The root of the problem is that the Post Office is underfunded.

 

It also seems like the Post Office has a terrible morale problem. I don't get the impression, when I go in a Post Office, that any of the employees are very happy to be there.

The dreaded cell phone!!! Our carrier is constantly on her phone. We have a large lobby in my building and I've run into her a couple of times standing in the center of the lobby chatting away while her mail cart sits outside on the sidewalk. Once she indicated that she had a package for me that needed a signature and didn't once put down her phone while we conducted the transaction. She tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear, continued chatting, passed me the form to sign, then passed me the package and when I said, "thanks", she put up a finger to indicate that she was on the phone and I should be quiet. As I walked out, I heard her say, "Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl, some folks just ain't respectful."

[Rudynate]

The dreaded cell phone!!! Our carrier is constantly on her phone. We have a large lobby in my building and I've run into her a couple of times standing in the center of the lobby chatting away while her mail cart sits outside on the sidewalk. Once she indicated that she had a package for me that needed a signature and didn't once put down her phone while we conducted the transaction. She tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear, continued chatting, passed me the form to sign, then passed me the package and when I said, "thanks", she put up a finger to indicate that she was on the phone and I should be quiet. As I walked out, I heard her say, "Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl, some folks just ain't respectful."

 

And headphones!! I went into a Timberland store in an outlet mall this past weekend and one of the employees was wearing headphones and listening to music. He pulled one phone away from his ear long enough to ask me if I needed any help.

[+ WilliamM]

OMG. New Zealand is not part of Australia and Erinsborough only exist on a TV Soap

 

Good point. The two countries are not as close in miles/km as I thought...flew from Christchurch, NZ to Sydney in the 1990s; it was a longer plane trip than I expected.

[Nvr2Thick]

It always puzzles me when I read this. Aside from the US, Government run healthcare is a universal thing in all first world countries. We are all incredibly proud of it and we are still all alive... which means it works.

 

What are they feeding you in the news down there?

 

http://www.companyofmen.org/threads/more-medical-greed.117186/

 

This is just one example of what the US faces regardless of who initiates and how we go about implementing universal health care. Any universal health care system attempts to undo decades of entrenched capitalism, which is supported by law and facilitated by government leaders. Insurance, hospital, and pharmacy industries have established their models for maximizing profit. They have the financial and political clout to fight against any system that would threaten their way of life.

[+ Gar1eth]

I guess I have a similar perspective. Being first generation, and always hearing of, and being around those from the "old country" during my childhood, I assume everyone has some of knowledge of geography. As many of us are, I'm privileged to have had more than one culture shape who I am.

 

I'm 2nd generation American on my mother's side thru both my grandparents and 3rd generation through my dad's mother's side. But on his father's side I'm both 4th generation through my grandfather's paternal line and at least 5th generation (Texan) through his maternal line. And I have to say that even being part 5th or more generation, I am lousy at geography-US or world. I never remember having a 50 states test growing up. And if we did, I def never remember learning state capitols although maybe we did, and I wiped it from

my mind as too traumatic.

 

I recently took Bill O'Reilly's sample citizenship test (http://www.billoreilly.com/quiz?categoryID=4&destinationpage=/mobile/quiz.jsp). Out of 25 questions the only one I missed had to do with geography I almost picked the right answer and second-guessed myself too much.

 

Gman

[scatphilly]

What is going on wight the flirt 4 free site? It is frequently not working. I miss the eye candy.

[+ Gar1eth]

What is going on wight the flirt 4 free site? It is frequently not working. I miss the eye candy.

Is that your biggest current 'Life Annoyance'?

 

Gman

[mike carey]

I think this thread could be retitled 'First World Problems'!