Poor Things

 Hello February.  Winter is over 1/3 over!  We're supposed to have on and off sun today, and the temps are predicted to climb into the low 50s (F).  This isn't bad for being almost half way through the season.  That doesn't mean that we're not going to have any surprises.  Nature is notorious for it's undefinable changeability, cruel one minute and kind the next.  

The rower arrived, was assembled, and has taken it's place in the center of my workout room.  I did go for a small row yesterday, 7 minutes.  They recommend you start off slowly, with not too much tensions, since I am, as they put it, doing a new exercise for the first time.  They also recommend that you row almost every day in order to build up your endurance.  That shouldn't be a problem.

Putting the rower together and moving furniture was just about all I did yesterday.  I didn't get the HDMI cable attached from my laptop to the TV, that will happen this morning.  I may remove a wall shelf, or I may keep it in place. We shall see.

Last night I went to see Poor Things.  It's nominated for 11 Academy Awards.  It's very good.  Emma Stone's performance is amazing as an adult woman with the brain of a child, a child who matures under the guidance of Willem Defoe, until she sets out to discover the world on her own.  Poor Things is a fantasy for adults.  The prude at heart do need to be forewarned, there is a lot of nudity and sex, though not erotic or gratuitous, quite often being quite comic.  

And, of course, we're all waiting to hear what the judgement is going to be in Trump's fraud trial in NYC.  Some say as much as $350 million.  That would be nice.  There is one thing you can be sure of, no matter how much his fine / penalty is, he's going to shriek in ALL CAPS on Truth Social.  

Just another reminder about polls and how you should not take them seriously, or approval ratings for that matter.  Reuters published a poll showing Biden with a 38% approval rating, however Quinnipiac poll gives him a 6% lead over Trump (Biden 50% / Trump 44%).  Another poll shows women 22 and older are heavily skewed towards Biden.  That last one might have some veracity, since many women are still upset by the Supreme Court's decision to toss out Roe v Wade.  Also, some context needs to be valued when looking at the number of people who answered their phones to participate in a poll, as well as who's getting called.  Specific target groups who answer can easily tilt the results one way or the other. 

Lie to Impress

 Today... let there be sunshine!  And it was so... at least for the time being.  We might end up with overcast skies later in the day, but right now the sun is shining.  Temps are suppose to climb into the upper 60s (F), which is nice.  No rain is in the forecast, that's nice.  We've had so much lately.  To think, one of my retail associates told me that "we need rain."  I suspect she must get her weather information from Fox.

Quite a bit was accomplished yesterday in the kitchen renovation.  Shelves were taking down, the shelf / pot hanger was installed at the window.  And the dishwasher was delivered.  Originally, I had hoped that my contractor's boyfriend was going to install it, but his life is complicated and she told me he might need to bring his young son with to do the job.  So, I've started watching YouTube videos on installing dishwashers.  To my surprise, it's not that complicated at all.  

In 45 minutes, the electrician is supposed to arrive.  Once he's completed his work, the only left to do will be the cabinet / dishwasher install, the flooring, and painting.  Yes, that's right there is a lot of painting: the new wall, the cabinets (ice sculpture white), and the new baseboard.  I'm certain there will also be touch-ups on the previously painted walls.

And wasn't yesterday filled with delightfully bad Trump news?  The fraud case!  For over a decade he's been lying about his wealth because he's always wanted to be far more richer than he actually was.  For those of you have nurtured any doubts, his motto, his creed, his philosophy has always been this:  Lie to Impress.  I found it fascinating to see the ridiculously mundane excuses his legal team was using to try and delay his trial.  Thanks that yesterday, all that remains is sentencing, and hopefully Donnie and his spawn will get raked through the coils.  While his base is going to shriek and moan, this may speed up the exit of non-Republican supporters.

I found this amusing too:  over in the UK, social conservatives are upset with the government because Boris lied to them about Brexit.  The benefits he promised are not flowing in their direction.  Their middle-class lives have not changed for the better.  Keep in mind, Boris stacked his deck with one of Trump's favorite playing cards, the joker.  Boris, too, believed he could lie to impress.

The vicious circle of insurance fraud

I thought I'd do a quick jot before I go to work regarding Insurance Fraud.  There are 2 types: the first is perpetrated by individuals scamming Insurance companies and the 2nd is perpetrated by the companies themselves.  And, surprisingly enough, I have an example of both... in regards to the same individual.
Let me call this person Barb, and let's say she happens to be one of my associates.  Anyway, this past summer Barb came storming up to the paint desk in a tizzy.  Her husband's employer had just told him that since she works full time and can get her own insurance, well, that's what she needs to do.  They're not going to insure her anymore.  And, of course, they put the blame on Obamacare.  Of course, that's pure fraud.  His insurance company is just cheaping it out.  If Barb gets sick, her husband's insurance company doesn't want to take the hit; let that expense fall to her insurance.
And, of course, Barb does have health issues, which is why I'm referencing her.  When I transferred from the Carlisle Store to the Mechanicsburg Store she was out on Leave of Absence.  She had managed to break her foot and was supposed to be out for 2 months (?) which turned into 5 months, with multiple doctor visits.  Interestingly enough, during the time she was off the job, I'd seen Barb at my neighborhood Giant supermarket several times.  Each time I saw her, she said "I'm supposed to be wearing this boot but I hate it so I don't wear it."  She only actually came back to work when her disability insurance ran out.

This past August, Barb too 3 weeks LOA because she needed to have surgery.  She has / had trigger thumb???

And then two weeks ago she fell in her kitchen baking cookies and broke her ankle, and now she's going to be off for (she says) 6-8 weeks, but my guess it will be closer to 4 months.  When Barb has an injury she takes full advantage of her insurance, sometimes not being the most honest in order to take time off from work, and so she commits fraud.

It's a vicious circle.  People like Barb run up insurance bills that are unnecessary in order to stay home, and Insurance companies blame Obamacare in order to get these free loaders  off their expense report.  Wouldn't it be nice if insurance companies became more honest and transparent and people like Barb were actually penalized?