When Charles Dickens visited this country many years ago he described it as "The most litigious country in the world". Charlie would have loved it in 2009!
Now, not only do we have attorney commercials seemingly non-stop in Florida, with each firm pleading their case for signing up, but we also have actors encouraging folks to call someone who guarantees to "FIND" you a doctor or an attorney.
While I think it's a brillant premise, I'm puzzled. Did attorneys stop advertising on the back of your phone book?
I'm retired from the insurance claims end of things for about 10 years now, so I admit to some bias - and that's not necessarily bad.
Unfortunately, I continue to be amazed at the gullibility of some people who are willing to listen to the law firms rhetoric only and not think for themselves.
It's not that they can't. I met many good folks with whom I discussed a settlement who were every bit as bright and usually more communicative than a few attorneys with whom I had contact. Ah, but you see, the injured people were usually discussing just one case - their own.
I enjoyed those one on one discussions and I was fair. These were the folks who were "doing the hurting", not the attorney. They were people who deserved my empathy and understanding. Fortunately, I worked for a company that understood this - insisted we pay what we owe - and were consistently ranked as one of the top companies for customer satisfaction.
Yeah, I know - that can't be. Right? We all know insurance companies are evil. Why? Because some attorney ads tell us that they are. When was the last time you saw an insurance company ad that put down attorneys? So, who is it that you want to believe?
Why, when you are the person who was hurt, would you consider sometimes giving away over 1/2 of the money from an insurance settlement? In a recent USA article addressing the cost of litigation the writer spoke of injured claimants who had to pay out 54% of the settlement to their attorneys for fees and administrative costs.
The amount didn't surprise me as much as the fact that a media source would allow that information "to see the light of day". Frankly, in my experience, that's rare to see and I never could figure out why. The news providers always seemed so anxious to tell you about the amount of the settlement. (Ah yeah, there's that bias thing again.)
This is a great country and people should be able to make up their own minds - if given the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, a lot of good information is out there that people never get to see or hear.
Knowing how much time you have to get an attorney, if necessary, is a good first step in using the brain that God gave you. In Pennsylvania you had two years. To me, that seems more than sufficient for the average Joe or Joan to figure out whether or not they believe the insurance company is acting in their best interest.
What's the hurry?
By the way, I get a little uptight when someone in a TV ad is talking to the camera as they are driving. To these old eyes, they don't appear to be looking out to be sure they know where they are going.
But, YOU can be!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
What Makes You Smile? - # 2.
This is an effort to concentrate on the positives in my life - while continuing to sneak in my - "I can't believe this" in further blogs.
Here's more of what makes me smile.
1. The look on a child's face when someone pulls their number out of a hat or Becky's paper bag and they find out they won. When they run up to the front of the room to secure their prize you could turn off the lights. Their smile would light up the room.
2. Any Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on line video that contains sportwriter Gene Collier's dry wit.
3. The picture of 6' 4" son Bruce lying on our lanaii with our 2.4 lb Chihuahua, Bella sitting on his chest.
4 The sight of an elderly man with a cane increasing his "stroll speed" step- by- step after getting out of a car so he can reach the Gecko's restaurant entrance before his wife - and hold the door for her.
5. My wife Phyl's excitement when she discovers a new recipe and immediately does a mental count as to which ingredients she needs to buy to make it happen in our home, NOW.
6. Looking at pictures of the earliest snowfall at Penn State since 1901.
7. A simple joke like the one in this most recent Reader's Digest. A Junior High student complains to his teacher that another student has called him that "e-word". The teacher has never heard of the E-word and seeks clarification. Under his breath the student replies, "idiot".
8. Receiving a newsletter from former hometown legislator Ron Marsico back in P.A., relating how Pennsylvania politico's finally balanced the budget - after a period of over 100 days. It's true that "sometimes the more things change - the more they remain the same". But, we're here - they're not; and folks, "that's a smiley face!"
9. Exchanging Facebook Observations with Grandaughter Cassie, our new "Farm Owner".
10.Phyl, Bella, and me, riding in a golf cart we just purchased that once was owned and "ridden hard" by a recently deceased friend "Hank". That's a look up in the sky and "Thank You God" moment.
Here's more of what makes me smile.
1. The look on a child's face when someone pulls their number out of a hat or Becky's paper bag and they find out they won. When they run up to the front of the room to secure their prize you could turn off the lights. Their smile would light up the room.
2. Any Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on line video that contains sportwriter Gene Collier's dry wit.
3. The picture of 6' 4" son Bruce lying on our lanaii with our 2.4 lb Chihuahua, Bella sitting on his chest.
4 The sight of an elderly man with a cane increasing his "stroll speed" step- by- step after getting out of a car so he can reach the Gecko's restaurant entrance before his wife - and hold the door for her.
5. My wife Phyl's excitement when she discovers a new recipe and immediately does a mental count as to which ingredients she needs to buy to make it happen in our home, NOW.
6. Looking at pictures of the earliest snowfall at Penn State since 1901.
7. A simple joke like the one in this most recent Reader's Digest. A Junior High student complains to his teacher that another student has called him that "e-word". The teacher has never heard of the E-word and seeks clarification. Under his breath the student replies, "idiot".
8. Receiving a newsletter from former hometown legislator Ron Marsico back in P.A., relating how Pennsylvania politico's finally balanced the budget - after a period of over 100 days. It's true that "sometimes the more things change - the more they remain the same". But, we're here - they're not; and folks, "that's a smiley face!"
9. Exchanging Facebook Observations with Grandaughter Cassie, our new "Farm Owner".
10.Phyl, Bella, and me, riding in a golf cart we just purchased that once was owned and "ridden hard" by a recently deceased friend "Hank". That's a look up in the sky and "Thank You God" moment.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Pittsburgh-That Dirty City.
When it was first called "the dirty city", it deserved the criticism. That's a long time ago.
Since then, many favorable magazine and newspaper articles about the City of Pittsburgh have been written. Monday Night football games have captured the grandeur of the city on "light up nights". The views from the stadiums and blimps are also well publicized.
Even people who reluctantly got off their duff and visited the city for a wedding etc., come back with high praise about my old home town . Those priviledged enough to fly in, rent a car, and then drive out of the Fort Pitt Tunnels and into the "burgh", are simply dazzled by the sight laid out in front of them. And, they haven't seen Point Park, cable cars, or Andy Warhol's museum.
The truth is that "the burgh" wasn't always so pretty.
Picture yourself as a kid in the 40's or early 50's, travelling by bus or streetcar into "dun-tun" Pittsburgh. Your clean white shirt or blouse turned dark gray from the time it took you to get off the bus or streetcar stop until you walked to McCann's restaurants front door.
Forget the sunglasses. You couldn't see the sun through the smoke filled sky.
The Chamber of Commerce did all they could for shoppers. They provided an abundance of department stores: Gimbels, Hornes, Rosenbaums, Frank & Seder's, & Boggs & Buhls.
If you didn't want to miss getting together with a friend, the usual safe meeting place was under "Kaufmanns Clock", outside the great 13 floor department store, and a city landmark for years.
As a kid, I'm not sure I realized Pittsburgh was a dirty city. I had so little with which to compare it. I summer vacationed in Wilmerding - the home of the Westinghouse Airbrake.
You didn't wear white shirts there either.
In the early 50's bankers and politicians got together, started Renaissance I, and the city's transformation was soon in high gear . Pittsburgh really "cleaned up it's act" when the dirt culprits, the steel mills, started to shut down and were replaced by research facilities.
Regretfully, we sometimes forget that those same mills we knocked, their owners, and above all, the workers, also made us Pittsburghers what we are today. Throughout, the one true constant in my love of Pittsburgh is the residents. They truly made it a 'special place' to live and many of them came from generations of those hardworking millworkers.
When my wife, "Phyl", first accompanied me to Pittsburgh on "Barry's Personal Tour" I said to her, "I'm going to guarantee you that when we go into the first restaurant you select, a patron will strike up a conversation with you within three minutes." And, they did me proud.
Do you remember when you were a kid and your Mom taught you how important it was to make a good impression? Sadly, that first memory of Pittsburgh still remains in some folks minds.
We are two Pennsylvanians, now living in Florida, who heard a couple of senior women talking about Pittsburgh the other night. One, the "travel expert," who sounded as if she was from New Jersey, referred to it as "that dirty city". We shook our collective heads and vowed to make a return trip to Newark someday to see if they, like Pitttsburgh, got their act together.
For those of you who think purchasing the rearseat of a 53 Chevrolet will preserve what you remember as "the good times", I suggest a trip to Pittsburgh instead. See downtown, don't miss the Strip District, and make it a point to get out and about. The neighborhood towns are fantastic and the people are still great. You can wear your white shirts and blouses without fear.
Pittsburgh is a beautiful, friendly place to visit and an even better place to live.
A lot has happened in 50 plus years and we're not just talking about those Chevy memories.
Since then, many favorable magazine and newspaper articles about the City of Pittsburgh have been written. Monday Night football games have captured the grandeur of the city on "light up nights". The views from the stadiums and blimps are also well publicized.
Even people who reluctantly got off their duff and visited the city for a wedding etc., come back with high praise about my old home town . Those priviledged enough to fly in, rent a car, and then drive out of the Fort Pitt Tunnels and into the "burgh", are simply dazzled by the sight laid out in front of them. And, they haven't seen Point Park, cable cars, or Andy Warhol's museum.
The truth is that "the burgh" wasn't always so pretty.
Picture yourself as a kid in the 40's or early 50's, travelling by bus or streetcar into "dun-tun" Pittsburgh. Your clean white shirt or blouse turned dark gray from the time it took you to get off the bus or streetcar stop until you walked to McCann's restaurants front door.
Forget the sunglasses. You couldn't see the sun through the smoke filled sky.
The Chamber of Commerce did all they could for shoppers. They provided an abundance of department stores: Gimbels, Hornes, Rosenbaums, Frank & Seder's, & Boggs & Buhls.
If you didn't want to miss getting together with a friend, the usual safe meeting place was under "Kaufmanns Clock", outside the great 13 floor department store, and a city landmark for years.
As a kid, I'm not sure I realized Pittsburgh was a dirty city. I had so little with which to compare it. I summer vacationed in Wilmerding - the home of the Westinghouse Airbrake.
You didn't wear white shirts there either.
In the early 50's bankers and politicians got together, started Renaissance I, and the city's transformation was soon in high gear . Pittsburgh really "cleaned up it's act" when the dirt culprits, the steel mills, started to shut down and were replaced by research facilities.
Regretfully, we sometimes forget that those same mills we knocked, their owners, and above all, the workers, also made us Pittsburghers what we are today. Throughout, the one true constant in my love of Pittsburgh is the residents. They truly made it a 'special place' to live and many of them came from generations of those hardworking millworkers.
When my wife, "Phyl", first accompanied me to Pittsburgh on "Barry's Personal Tour" I said to her, "I'm going to guarantee you that when we go into the first restaurant you select, a patron will strike up a conversation with you within three minutes." And, they did me proud.
Do you remember when you were a kid and your Mom taught you how important it was to make a good impression? Sadly, that first memory of Pittsburgh still remains in some folks minds.
We are two Pennsylvanians, now living in Florida, who heard a couple of senior women talking about Pittsburgh the other night. One, the "travel expert," who sounded as if she was from New Jersey, referred to it as "that dirty city". We shook our collective heads and vowed to make a return trip to Newark someday to see if they, like Pitttsburgh, got their act together.
For those of you who think purchasing the rearseat of a 53 Chevrolet will preserve what you remember as "the good times", I suggest a trip to Pittsburgh instead. See downtown, don't miss the Strip District, and make it a point to get out and about. The neighborhood towns are fantastic and the people are still great. You can wear your white shirts and blouses without fear.
Pittsburgh is a beautiful, friendly place to visit and an even better place to live.
A lot has happened in 50 plus years and we're not just talking about those Chevy memories.
Friday, October 9, 2009
So, what do I know?
I took some time to read a full page USA Today interview with Andrew Fauci, the federal government's top infectious disease expert. The interview responses were well stated and informative, including the reasons that seniors are not on the priority list for swine flu innoculations. It took a while to digest .
I now find it was a waste of time seeing as how last month that incredibly informed medical expert Bill Maher tweeted to thousands the following: "If u get a swine flu shot ur an idiot."
Apparently Maher, an incredibly bright and funny man, has determined this is yet another example of government overkill similar to the response to the 1976 swine flu outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey. We vaccinated 45 million people and 500 of them got the rare neurological illness, Guillain-Barre. Dozens died.
Look for Billy's scholary treatise in next month's New England Journal of Medicine.
Recently I read that in a August, 2009 University of Michigan poll, only 40% of parents planned to get the shot for their children. It is said that some parents are even planning "flu parties" to expose their children to the H1N1, a virus from which worldwide 4,000 deaths have been reported.
You may have missed this if you were deeply entrenched in the latest Stephanie Meyer book about vampires.
Call me crazy. I was wrong about both Vietnam and Harry Truman's eventual legacy - but, I'm still more inclined to listen to the "so-called" expert than a very entertaining political comedian.
Now, if Barbra Streisand had said it: that's a whole different matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, people are upset that the first pictures coming back from space following this mornings intentional 7,000 MPH crash into the surface of the moon seeking water are reportedly a little fuzzy. Ever try to watch a football game on TV when it's raining?
One can only assume this is Arnold's final attempt to obtain water for his parched California constituents. Unfortunately, an extremely gifted space-wise friend of mine with an industry sized telescope just called to inform that at the time of the crash, - -- (wait) - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Moon Was Over Miami".
Sing along with me, gang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Des Moines, Iowa Public Schools stated recently that 4,500 of their students owe $133,000.00 for unpaid meals at the start of the year, much of it from previous years.
Des Moines schools bar high school students from getting a meal without paying and limit middleschoolers to 2 or 3 days. It is reported that some schools give a student who can't pay for the regular meal an alternative meal of a cheese sandwich and milk. Des Moines does not do this as they do not want the children to "stand out", says the school system spokesperson.
Doesn't the stomach rumbling already do that?
Folks, it's only a matter of minutes before some fitness jerk on steroids, leading the fight against obesity, tweets that the only correct remedy is to weigh and measure the height of every child.
This is a "panacea" whose time has come. Obviously, if the kids fail the height/weight ratio test they will be denied what may well be their only meal that day.
But. look at the bright side: their psyche will not be affected nor their diet ill served by consuming an overdose of dairy.
Hey, you need money Des Moines? Why not head down to the local bailout bank in your community and see if they can come up with a few sheckels to remedy your problem? If that doesn't work, call NASA. They are bound to have a billion or two to spare, but, that amount could be "watered down" by now. (groan!)
---------------------------
While it's never been verified, Senator Everett Dirkson allegedly stated, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money." Now, the good senator could say, "Trillion."
And, we still can't figure out how to get it to where it will do the most good.
I now find it was a waste of time seeing as how last month that incredibly informed medical expert Bill Maher tweeted to thousands the following: "If u get a swine flu shot ur an idiot."
Apparently Maher, an incredibly bright and funny man, has determined this is yet another example of government overkill similar to the response to the 1976 swine flu outbreak at Fort Dix, New Jersey. We vaccinated 45 million people and 500 of them got the rare neurological illness, Guillain-Barre. Dozens died.
Look for Billy's scholary treatise in next month's New England Journal of Medicine.
Recently I read that in a August, 2009 University of Michigan poll, only 40% of parents planned to get the shot for their children. It is said that some parents are even planning "flu parties" to expose their children to the H1N1, a virus from which worldwide 4,000 deaths have been reported.
You may have missed this if you were deeply entrenched in the latest Stephanie Meyer book about vampires.
Call me crazy. I was wrong about both Vietnam and Harry Truman's eventual legacy - but, I'm still more inclined to listen to the "so-called" expert than a very entertaining political comedian.
Now, if Barbra Streisand had said it: that's a whole different matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, people are upset that the first pictures coming back from space following this mornings intentional 7,000 MPH crash into the surface of the moon seeking water are reportedly a little fuzzy. Ever try to watch a football game on TV when it's raining?
One can only assume this is Arnold's final attempt to obtain water for his parched California constituents. Unfortunately, an extremely gifted space-wise friend of mine with an industry sized telescope just called to inform that at the time of the crash, - -- (wait) - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Moon Was Over Miami".
Sing along with me, gang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Des Moines, Iowa Public Schools stated recently that 4,500 of their students owe $133,000.00 for unpaid meals at the start of the year, much of it from previous years.
Des Moines schools bar high school students from getting a meal without paying and limit middleschoolers to 2 or 3 days. It is reported that some schools give a student who can't pay for the regular meal an alternative meal of a cheese sandwich and milk. Des Moines does not do this as they do not want the children to "stand out", says the school system spokesperson.
Doesn't the stomach rumbling already do that?
Folks, it's only a matter of minutes before some fitness jerk on steroids, leading the fight against obesity, tweets that the only correct remedy is to weigh and measure the height of every child.
This is a "panacea" whose time has come. Obviously, if the kids fail the height/weight ratio test they will be denied what may well be their only meal that day.
But. look at the bright side: their psyche will not be affected nor their diet ill served by consuming an overdose of dairy.
Hey, you need money Des Moines? Why not head down to the local bailout bank in your community and see if they can come up with a few sheckels to remedy your problem? If that doesn't work, call NASA. They are bound to have a billion or two to spare, but, that amount could be "watered down" by now. (groan!)
---------------------------
While it's never been verified, Senator Everett Dirkson allegedly stated, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money." Now, the good senator could say, "Trillion."
And, we still can't figure out how to get it to where it will do the most good.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
What Makes You Smile?
For me, it's a lot of things I think I never took the time to look at but do now because I'm
retired and have a lot of time to do so. I worry that as I get older I have allowed so many
little things to upset me instead of taking the time to take a good look at the underlying reason.
So, this blog is to give me - and possibly you - a chance to explore some funny things that
accompany our new maturity. I say, "Hey, bring on dem lemons and you'll see some great
lemonade."
#1. I loved the recent blog by friend Harry and his use of his car fob to stymie any of us on the same wave length. It's funny that we don't take the time to ask, "Hey, what's wrong with this picture - when the trunk lid keeps opening after I've closed it?"
#2. I love the humor associated with the overwhelming passion a member of our family has in defending her "grand old party". Her passion is amazing if somewhat illogical at times, but that still brings a smile to my lips and occasionally a desire to respond. Now, the latter is truly humorous. Like, whatever I say is going to make a whit of difference.
#3. I still love to see a small child who has "almost" mastered the art of walking - and has now taken on the art of running.
#4. I love to watch my peers, the senior grocery store customers, who having lost some of their tactile proficiency will drop a piece of fruit or a vegetable onto the grocery floor. The humor part comes when, before they pick it up, they look both ways, replace it in the pile, and put a fresh piece in their cart.
#5. I love to sit out on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants and people watch. I particularly enjoy the couples who are obviously on their first date. They bring a lot of smiles to my wife Phyl and myself. A dead giveaway they are dating? They actually talk to each other.
#6. I love to watch our Chihuahua, Bella, staking out her territory in our neighborhood. C'mon gang. Eleven pees in one block is truly ridiculous - but, funny.
#7. I love to watch the first returning snowbirds who appear to be disoriented after the long trip .They foolishly take it out on the restaurant servers until they get it together and rejoin the rest of us seniors. In the meantime the servers just keep smiling. Then they go back into the kitchen and beat the tar out of a raw chicken or a piece of veal.
#8. I love the freedom I never allowed myself to just wear whatever. I truly believe argyle shorts and plaid dress socks are going to make a comeback. What's fun is buying and wearing a pink shirt and what a great time for it: Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
#9. I love the way I can find humor in something my wife says or does but fail to see that same humor when it's me "doing the talking" or "doing the doing".
#10. I love the security that owning a 2.4 pound Chihuahua gives us due to her willingness to keep us safe from a potential attack by butterflies.
retired and have a lot of time to do so. I worry that as I get older I have allowed so many
little things to upset me instead of taking the time to take a good look at the underlying reason.
So, this blog is to give me - and possibly you - a chance to explore some funny things that
accompany our new maturity. I say, "Hey, bring on dem lemons and you'll see some great
lemonade."
#1. I loved the recent blog by friend Harry and his use of his car fob to stymie any of us on the same wave length. It's funny that we don't take the time to ask, "Hey, what's wrong with this picture - when the trunk lid keeps opening after I've closed it?"
#2. I love the humor associated with the overwhelming passion a member of our family has in defending her "grand old party". Her passion is amazing if somewhat illogical at times, but that still brings a smile to my lips and occasionally a desire to respond. Now, the latter is truly humorous. Like, whatever I say is going to make a whit of difference.
#3. I still love to see a small child who has "almost" mastered the art of walking - and has now taken on the art of running.
#4. I love to watch my peers, the senior grocery store customers, who having lost some of their tactile proficiency will drop a piece of fruit or a vegetable onto the grocery floor. The humor part comes when, before they pick it up, they look both ways, replace it in the pile, and put a fresh piece in their cart.
#5. I love to sit out on the patio of one of our favorite restaurants and people watch. I particularly enjoy the couples who are obviously on their first date. They bring a lot of smiles to my wife Phyl and myself. A dead giveaway they are dating? They actually talk to each other.
#6. I love to watch our Chihuahua, Bella, staking out her territory in our neighborhood. C'mon gang. Eleven pees in one block is truly ridiculous - but, funny.
#7. I love to watch the first returning snowbirds who appear to be disoriented after the long trip .They foolishly take it out on the restaurant servers until they get it together and rejoin the rest of us seniors. In the meantime the servers just keep smiling. Then they go back into the kitchen and beat the tar out of a raw chicken or a piece of veal.
#8. I love the freedom I never allowed myself to just wear whatever. I truly believe argyle shorts and plaid dress socks are going to make a comeback. What's fun is buying and wearing a pink shirt and what a great time for it: Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
#9. I love the way I can find humor in something my wife says or does but fail to see that same humor when it's me "doing the talking" or "doing the doing".
#10. I love the security that owning a 2.4 pound Chihuahua gives us due to her willingness to keep us safe from a potential attack by butterflies.
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