This week I had a personal proof that something is very seriously broken in healthcare in US.
Me and my wife are quite healthy - I personally go to see my doctor once a year, for checkup, so does my wife. During such a checkup she was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency several month ago.
We currently both are consultants working on 1099. We decided to get a catastrophic health insurance coverage until better option appears and to ensure that we do not have a gap in coverage. My wife called Blue Cross to get such a policy - we already had the same policy from them for several month when we had a similar situation in past.
She (being hopelessly honest person) filled application forms and on question 'have you being diagnosed with anything' put that Vitamin D deficiency. This Wednesday we got a message from the agent that our policy had being denied. Reason - vitamin D deficiency.
No, I'm not kidding.
Moreover, the agent from Blue Cross said that there is NO insurance available for her – even if we are willing to pay more and get 'normal' policy, Blue Cross is not going to sell us any.
The worst part of all this is to deal with the question 'have you ever being denied health insurance' in application forms of any type health insurance we are going to apply in future. I have examples when people in our situation answered 'yes' on question above and being denied because some other company denied them health insurance in past. I also know people who answered 'no' and being denied for lying in application - checking patient's records are quite easy with computers and SSN.
2 Comments | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I’ve heard this question several times while being overseas – tell us what do you think is most unique feature in America. After some thinking I’d say that it is efficiency and customer service.
The overall combination of how many things in everyday life you can do in America with just a phone call is amazing. The realization is striking when you compare how business is done in some other places (I've seen enough). Here is my very personal example:
On Sunday, Sep 13th (shit has tendency to happen that day) around 9PM I spilled half cup of coffee on (actually in) my notebook. Lenovo’s notebooks are still OK, but unfortunately they are not the legendary IBM’s Thinkpads. So, my T61 did not like how I treated it, said ‘yook’ and shutdown itself. All my emergency CPR procedures did not bring any positive results.
So I called Customer Support at 10PM on Sunday night. Just after two rings and several steps through IVR my call was picked by a customer support rep, who listened to the problem description (heeeeelp, my notebook does not power up!) without asking a single question what actually caused the problem (I shared my coffee with my best friend, my ever loyal notebook). He also gave me case number and said that they will ship an empty box to my address with instructions how to ship the notebook back to them.
The box arrived on Tuesday, Sep 15th at 9AM – even before I left for office. I took the box and notebook with me, put one inside the other and dropped at UPS location around 4PM.
This morning, Thursday, Sep 17th UPS rang my doorbell at 8:30AM and delivered repaired notebook back to me. In the attached receipt with the list of services performed it was shown that Lenovo’s support received my notebook on Sep 16th, replaced motherboard, keyboard and palmrest, tested the repaired notebook and shipped it back on the same day. I got it the next day, i.e. today and writing this message now.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, look at the following: I’m in California, close to San Francisco, Lenovo’s (IBM’s) customer service phone center is in Atlanta, Georgia, and Lenovo’s repair center is in Memphis, Tennessee. As you can see this triangle is larger than whole freaking Europe or China. But things here work and in other places do not.
Another example, in much bigger scale: a week ago Bay Bridge – the busiest bridge in US (crossed by 300 thousand cars daily) was closed for several days because they’ve being replacing 70 year old section with another, earthquake proof. During the inspection (which was done in parallel to the repairs), a big crack was discovered in one steel link. The crack was big enough to justify closing of the whole bridge until it is fixed.
So what do you do in other parts of the world in the case lake this? They damn close the whole bridge until the crack is fixed first and after that continue the scheduled work, which likely to manifest in closure for a month, if not more (not counting repair crews' strike and vacation times).
Not here. The bridge was opened a day ahead of schedule with both crack fixed and old section replaced. Replacement parts and crew were airlifted from Arkansas. Welcome to America!
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
UPDATE: On World's Worst Cubicle contest voting is open. So, I'm counting that my fans will vote for #22 or #23 so I can get my well deserved place in history.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I'm probably one of the luckiest (or condemned, read below) person that ever existed: not the first time I'm noticing that what I wish for after some time really comes true.
The problem is the following: the realization of that wish comes not the exactly the way I envisioned. Nor does it come in a way to be proud of. There has been more than enough evidence in the past to suggest that everything happening to me is not just coincidence. Or, metaphorically speaking, with my own existence I'm proving someone's theory...
For instance: When I was in high school I got a camera as my birthday present. I was extremely proud of it and really wanted to take some great photos. Sure enough the opportunity soon came - I was on a day trip in the countryside with my class when suddenly our bus plunged from the highway about 20 ft when going 60mhp. Your truly flew across several rows, landed next to the driver's seat, quickly got out (unhurt, w/o any scratches, camera intact) and started taking photos of the wrecked bus and screaming passengers. These photos were really great, BTW.
Then, when I first came to the States I really wanted to see a lot of people, drive around neighbourhoods and understand how they live here. So within five months I was working as a pizza delivery boy. Trust me - after nine months on this job I've seen enough. My experience with the fast food industry is also one of the reasons why I never order pizza delivery at home. Let me stop elaborating here or you'll never order it again, either.
Then I really wanted to get a job in IT industry in Silicon Valley. I ended up working in an Indian bodyshop for 5 years. These years arguably were the worst 5 years of my life - I was paid 25% less than the minimum required Prevailing Wage for my position, plus being constantly told lies by the owner that my Green Card was in process. I did get my Green Card eventually - 9 years since starting the process...
Than I really wanted to get a good job and make good money so I can invest in something. Soon enough I was working on two jobs, 7 days a week, sleeping 4 hours a day. I did make some savings and invested them in real estate in Las Vegas. I do not think I should tell what was the outcome of this excellent strategy of mine.
Well... finally I joked that I really want to be world famous. I should be more careful... In 2007 when my wife Connie and I were in my home town (Tbilisi), we stopped by my brother's friend's 'office' - he was running a digital photo print shop there. So Connie took couple of photos. Long story short - these photos now have great chance to win 'world's worst cubicle' contest. Make sure that you click on 'view slideshow' and see all of them. On #22 is my brother on right. On #23... well... yes, it is your truly.
About the above mentioned curse... the worst from three old Chinese curses is 'may you find what you are looking for'...
I've already made a mental rule for myself to stop making wishes... But I'm not sure that it will help.
Wish me good luck...I am afraid to wish it for myself!
1 Comment | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I had clear manifestation that something is really wrong with economy when I've released that I was the only person at Saks Fifth Avenue outlet store (see previous entry below).
Granted, it was 6PM on Tuesday afternoon but I really doubt that even if I visit them 1PM on Saturday I'd be bumping happy shoppers one every my step...
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
There are number of similarities between above mentioned two places: 1. Both of them can be described as ‘social Siberia’. 2. Despite #1, both of them are very close to major metro area – Castle Rock is approx 20 miles from Denver, Gilroy is 30 miles from San Jose 3. Both of these places smell – Castle Rock smells like cows, Gilroy offers garlic smell in addition to cows. 4. Both places are almost undetectable from the freeway and at the same time are much larger from inside than are observed from outside. 5. And finally – both places have huge outlet malls with stores of all upscale (and not so upscale) and easily recognizable brands – Saks Fifth, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Gap, Banana republic, etc… Go figure… P.S. However, there is one difference between these two malls - in Castle Rock there is a Christian Outlet Store where you can buy not only Bibles of all forms, languages and dimensions, but many other things with the purpose to demonstrate to the society your religious beliefs - from bumper sticker 'Jesus Loves You' (yahh, everyone else thinks that you are an asshole) to smiling plastic Jesus (to hang it on your truck's mirror next to furry, 2" dice), ALL at deep discounts!
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I’ve said in past (in this journal too) that SF bay area is not America and America starts app. 50 miles from each coast towards the continent. Here is another proof of this statement: can you imagine a review in Bay Area about Thai restaurant with following quote?
‘Affordable, exotic eats close to home’ Exotic, my ass… Well, that statement is from Colorado and is said about a great little place – Chef Noodle House which is located Aurora, CO. This place I discovered via Yelp and it was not the only case when Yelp helped me to something good (restaurants, places, etc) when I’m not familiar with the neighborhood. So, if my schedule permits I try always to stop-by at Chef Noodle House on my way to Denver’s airport to grab something to eat. I have no idea how many hours I’ll be stuck in the terminal or (worst case) in Greyhound’s bus with wings (read – sitting in Economy class of any plane on any airline) and having something to eat is quite reassuring.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
According to the recent article ‘February could be worst month yet for jobless claims’. Yet I’ve received 5 emails and two phone calls over the last two days from various recruiters about vacant Solution Architect positions. I would not say that all of these positions are outstanding, but at least they sound solid on paper...
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Hi Folks,
You may have heard that I'm leaving The Company. My last day is Tuesday, February 24th.
I wouldn't normally write, "for green pastures" but, this time it's true. I'm moving to Baraboo, WI to become a vegetable/mushroom/barley/hops farmer, using horses instead of tractors.
No, today is not April 1st.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
I use to make a remark from time to time - if an ordinary person would know in which condition is some (if not majority) of this country's IT infrastructure of vital service providers (telecommunications, emergency) they'd never touch a phone. I'm not talking about what is happening in datacenters of some big-name corporations and numerous other smaller companies... Well, no surprise that in the main office of this country apparently situation is not better by any means: One member of the White House new-media team came to work on Tuesday, right after the swearing-in ceremony, only to discover that it was impossible to know which programs could be updated, or even which computers could be used for which purposes. The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with six-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing. The team was left struggling to put closed captions on online videos. One White House official, who arrived breathless yesterday after being held up at the exterior gate, found he had no computer or telephone number. Recently called back from overseas duty, he ended up using his foreign cellphone. Another White House official whose transition cellphone was disconnected left a message temporarily referring callers to his wife's phone. Several people tried to route their e-mails through personal accounts.
1 Comment | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
There was an old anecdote (in Russian) – a drunk husband complains that the TV shows only one program and his wife replies that the TV is actually broken and he has being watching fireplace all evening.
It’s said that there are three things that you can watch with endless fascination: how fire burns, how water flows and how other people work. Well in America you can also enjoy watching a fire burning without having a fireplace at all. Because only here was someone was smart enough to invent a TV channel which shows nothing except a log burning in a fireplace. BTW, contrary to wiki, this TV channel is permanent, not just for Christmas time only. Obviously you can buy a DVD and tape with the same 'program' too.
If you have no TV at home ithere is no problem, you can enjoy watching fire online using your computer. Obviously when a log is burnt, someone comes and replaces it.
I won’t be surprised if I find out that there are other TV channels broadcasting the other two pillars of endless fascination….
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Granted, I do admit that I’m not a typical consumer who fits into that standard American definition of the term – I do not carry any credit card debt, do not have kids, do not work 9-5, I do not go to office to work, do not talk about sports with my colleagues, I do not watch any sport events (except FIFA world cup once every 4 years) and so many other things which I ‘do not’, associating me with general population. Despite that still there are plenty of other people in these above mentioned categories.
But there is one category which breaks almost any attempt to associate me with other general (when I say ‘general’ I mean that winning the Nobel Prize is definitely not a property of an ordinary person) population groups and pretty much unique by itself – I do not have a TV, any TV, at home.
Not having a TV at home brings quite some interesting results and observations. First of all – according to US Census it will get you into 0.1% of US population under the same characteristics – households who do not have any TV set at home. Interestingly enough – almost all of those households (me included) do it by choice, rather than not being able to afford it. Also what those households have in common (and again, this excludes me) is that most of them are religious ultraconservatives. I never thought that one day I can be somehow associated with this fringe group…
Secondly, you can enjoy people’s reactions when you announce this fact in a social event/gathering and/or asking people questions like ‘what is American Idol’? The "Moose in Headlights" look is guaranteed almost every time.
As I said, I do not have TV at home by choice. I do believe that 99% delivered via cable/broadcast is analogue of junk mail and one actually even has to pay to watch it. Amazing, isn’t it? Plus you have to watch commercials in between of that junk food for brain.
Furthermore, with no TV at home there is no need to "keeping up with the Joneses", no more hearing about stuff you don't really need to buy, no more constant barrage of information resulting in brain and senses overload. Were we really designed to have constant info input with no down time? I think not.
Why do I need to have TV at home? I get the information I need from Internet. Also, thanks to MvGroup I can download and watch only those programs I’m interested in – documentaries. I still have no idea why cable/satellite companies do not allow you to select and subscribe to only those channels you are interested in.
However, from time to time there are some quality shows on TV networks. One of these types of exception is House M.D. with my favorite Hugh Laurie. If you’ve seen Jeeves and Wooster I do not think that you can forget Bertie. Hugh is great in both these roles and remarkably has no British accent in House.
So, I've downloaded first two seasons (thanks to torrents) and am going to enjoy it next few weeks.
My suggestion? Try turning off your TV for a week, and turning on your imagination, creativity and your BRAIN instead! You might be surprised at the results!
3 Comments | Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
It seems that I've being living in US long enough. Well, really long enough (I'm on other side of Mike's Clause rule – which states that people living in US less than 2 years or more than 10 years should not claim to have unbiased observations about life in US) so when I hear on my favorite radio (AM 810) Bad Holiday Songs Contest, I can understand why they are so bad. Well, even titles of those songs are bad enough:
Santa, Duck Those Missiles
Christmas in Jail
Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk on Christmas
I'm not talking about lyrics...
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Subj. We are living to way too interesting times and it would be unreasonable not to comment it from time to time.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
There are many topics on which we, Georgian citizens, disagree with each other, but there is very important characteristic which unites us all – being born and raised in Georgia. We speak the Georgian language and we treat this state as our motherland. We are proud that in today’s world one can count only handful of nations who have a history and culture as long and as rich as ours. We are proud that we speak the same language used to write "Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik" and "The Knight in the Tiger's Skin". We pray in thousand year old churches and monasteries and we walk and live on the same land where every inch is soaked with the blood of our ancestors who defended it. We, the citizens of today’s Georgia, should say ‘thank you’ to our ancestors who gave up their lives in huge numbers. Their sacrifice saved our land, our language and our faith for over twenty five centuries. We should say ‘thank you’ to our parents and teachers who sung to us lullabies in our own language, teaching us the grammar of the same language in addition to the history and literature of our country. But we, Georgian citizens, need to understand that citizenship has duties. It is clear now that two centuries without our statehood have left serious marks on our mentality. And when 17 years ago Georgia once again appeared on world’s political map its citizens did not fully realize that from now on they are living in an independent country. Our independence was restored in 1991 as suddenly as in 1918 and mostly due to events which happened outside of Georgia. However we, the citizens of the country, did not release what obligations we have for our society, state and future. The result of this is that right now foreign occupants on our land are threatening the very existence of our beloved nation. But this real threat should not break us but unite us! A united Georgia must handle not only this current crises but future crises too. To make this happen everyone of us should answer to the following questions: What makes and justifies our existence as a nation and a state? What obligations do we have for our conscience, state and future? Over the last 100 years Georgia has experienced so many disasters, enough for centuries. Most of us are eyewitnesses of the events of last 20 years. We are very emotional people and because of this a lot of us show signs of despair and fatalism. But today, when aggressors are on our land, history is turning a page for the Georgian state. The page on which we must once and for forever leave our doubts about our sovereignty and future in the past. On this new page there is one idea, understood and realized by every citizen of Republic of Georgia: Georgia Starts With Me! Irakli Natsvlishvili Aug 21st, 2008
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
საქართველოს მოქალაქეებს ბევრი რამ გვთიშავს, მაგრამ ამასთანავე არის ის რაც ყველას გვაერთიანებს - ჩვენ დავიბადეთ, გავიზარდეთ საქართველოში, ვლაპარაკობთ ქართულად და მიგვაჩნია მიგვაჩია ეს მიწა ჩვენ სამშობლოდ. ჩვენ საამაყოდ მიგვაჩია ის ფაქტი რომ ცალი ხელის თითებზეა დასათვლელი დღევანდელ მსოფლიოში ჩვენნაირი გრძელი და მდიდარი ისტორიის მატარებელი სახელმწიფოები. რომ ვლაპარკობთ იგივე ენაზე, რომელზედაც შუშანიკის წამება და ვეფხისტყაოსანი დაიწერა, ვლოცულობთ ათასი წლის წინათ აშენებულ ეკლესია-მონასტრებში და ჯერ კიდევ ვცხოვრობთ და დავდივართ იგივე მიწაზე რომლის თითოეული გოჯი ჩვენი წინაპრების სისხლით არის გაჟღენთილი. დღევადელ საქართველოს მოქალაქეებმა უნდა ვუთხრათ მადლობა ჩვენ წინაპრებს რომლებმაც თავი შეაკლეს ურიცხვ მტრებს, მაგრამ შეგვინარჩუნეს ეს მიწა-წყალი, ენა და სარწმუნოება ოცდახუთი საუკუნის განმალობაში. ჩვენ უნდა ვუთხრათ მადლობა ჩვენს მშობლებს და მასწავლებლებს ვინც იავნანას გვიმღეროდა და 'სადაც ვშობილვარ, გავზრდილვარ და მისროლია ისარი' გვასწავლა.
მაგრამ მადლობის თქმასთან ერთად უნდა შევიგრძნოთ, რომ მოქალაქეობას პასუხისმგებლობაც მოსდევს და ეს პასუხისმგებლობის გრძნობა ჩვენ ჯერ კიდევ გერ გაგვიაზრებია. ჩანს, რომ ორსაუკუნიანმა უსახელწიფოებრიობამ სერიოზული კვალი დაამჩნია დღევანდელი საქართველოს მოსახლეობის აზროვნებას. ამიტომაც, როდესაც 17 წლის წინ მსოფლიოს პოლიტიკურ რუკაზე ისევ გამოჩნდა საქართველო, მისი მოქალაქეები არ იყვნენ მზად გაეცნობიერებიბათ, რომ ისინი დამოუკიდებელ სახელმწიფოში ცხოვრებენ.
სახემწიფოებრიობა ჩვენ 1991 წელს აღვიდგინეთ ისევე მოულოდნელად, როგორც 1918 წელს და ამის მიზეზი მეტწილად საქართველოს გარეთ მომხდარი მოვლენები იყო. მაგრამ ჩვენ, როგორც ქვეყნის მოქალაქეებმა ვერ გავაცნობიერეთ, რა პასუხისმგებლობა გვაქვს ერთმანეთის, სახელმწიფოს და მომავლის წინაშე. ამის რეალური შედეგი არის, რომ დღეს ჩვენი სამშობლოს მიწაზე უცხო ქვეყნის ოკუპანტები სახელმწიფოს არსებობას ემუქრებიან.
მაგრამ ამ რეალურმა საფრთხემ კი არ უნდა გაგვტეხოს, არამედ უნდა გაგვაერთიანოს და გაერთიანებულმა საქართველომ უნდა გადაიტანოს ეს და მომავალი გასაჭირებიც. ამისთვის დღეს თითოეულმა ჩვენთაგანმა უნდა ვუპასუხოთ კითხვებს:
რა ვართ და რა ამართლებს ჩვენს არსებობას, როგორც ერს და სახემწიფოს და რა პასუხისმგებლობა გვაქვს თითოეულ ჩვენგანს საკუთარი სინდისის, სახელმწიფოს და მომავლის წინაშე?
ბოლო 100 წლის განამლობაში საქართველომ იმდენი უბედურება გადატანა რომელიც საუკუნეებს ეყოფოდა და ბოლო 20 წელიწადის ამბები უმეტესობამ საკუთარ თავზე გადავიტანეთ. ჩვენი ემოციურობის გამო ბევრ ჩვენგანში ფატალიზმი და სასოწარკვეთილება არის და ესეც რეალობაა.
მაგრამ დღეს, როდესაც აგრესორები არიან ჩვენ ქვეყანაში, საქართველოს ისტორიის კიდევ ერთი ფურცელი იშლება - ფურცელი რომელზეც ეჭები ჩვენი სახელმწიფოობრიობის და მომავლის გამო ერთხელ და დამუდამოდ უნდა ჩავაბაროთ ისტორიას.
ამ ახალ ფურცელზე, არის ერთადერთი ფრაზა გაცნობიერებული ყოველი მოქალაქის მიერ:
საქართველო იწყება ჩემგან!
ირაკლი ნაცვლიშვილი 21 აგვისტო, 2008 წელი
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Dear friends:
I'm sorry, but I won't be sarcastic and write humorous messages this time.
My home country, REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA currently battles invasion forces of Russian Federation.
I might disappear for some time. My country is under aggression from the neighbor which is 200 times larger and has 30 times bigger population and armed forces.
Wish us good luck. We REALLY need it.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Everyone has list of things in life they hate. I’m not an exception, but I try to minimize number of events which leads to membership in my list, because longer is the list, more miserable your life is. Right now it is 6:15AM local time and the reason why I’m writing this blog is the one of events from my list. Particularly – broken sleep for the rest of the night because some kind of buzzing alarm which went off twice during last night. Once it was around 3:15AM in the morning and secondly – about an hour ago. I’ve tried to sleep since I woke up second times but without any success. I’m staying just for one night (thank mighty gods of universe!) at Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Englewood. Generally I do not have an issue with hotels from Intercontinental Hotel Group. They are clean, have free wireless access and staff is very friendly and responsive. The same I can tell about this hotel too. However in no other places I’ve being woken up during the night TWICE by screaming BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ coming from the corridor. That damn alarm was going off for at least 15 seconds (yes, I can measure time while I’m asleep, don’t argue with me, I know myself better) and I’m positively sure that I’m not the only person being awoken by this unwanted alarm clock. Every person in my floor should be hearing it. But I partially should blame myself for my problems. If I’ve being smart enough and red reviews about this particular hotel on Tripadvisor and on Travelpost, I’d think three times before staying here. When the hotel appears on 21st place in the ‘recommended’ list of all 30 hotels Englewood it is called ‘a clue’. Never again!
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
Vmware has server virtualization product called exsi. I do not have a problem with the acronym, but seems Microsoft spell checker has. It tries to replace 'esxi' with 'sexy'. So you can image how sentences
I'm ready to help you with esxi leads
I can help you with esxi consulting
esxi consultants are on their way
would sound if it slips from your attention. It almost slipped from mine.
Post A Comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend | Link
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}