Posts Tagged ‘personal responsiblity’
May 13, 2013
The flexible spending accounts (FSA) are one of the more under utilized benefits by many of my co-workers. The net is that you can legally allocated up to $2500 (as a single person) designated from pre-tax dollars to pay for prescription medications, physical therapy, medical co-pays, etc. Usually (keyword) it works like a charm; you go to the pharmacy to pay with the debit card and it’s done.
Until one day, you receive in the mail letter stating that they company managing the FSA system (in my case PayFlex) sends you a letter stating they need “an itemized receipt for the treatment received”. It’s a Dante worthy ring of hell adventure just this side of having to be the unfortunate soul to cuts Donald Trump’s hair. Really.
Being a proper Gen Xer, I first tried to solve this issue on-line. Being a total type A, save documentation you probably don’t need person, I pulled out the “Welcome to PayFlex” guide. Any reasonable, logical, sane person would have waited until Monday to handle this over the phone. After spending a few hours playing with the web site, I gave up and called.
I swear on Jackson’s life that the reason why costs care are what they are is because of the sheer ineptitude of the industry to become seamless. It would save them money (increase profits), probably decrease secondary illnesses related to things like increased stress from dealing WITH insurance companies. The reality is that none of these the issues I’m have their roots in the currently being enacted Health Care Reform Act/Obamacare. My hope is that the new act will only LESSEN the frustrations. I don’t have hope because the system is so entrenched.
So back to the attempt to use my FSA account. . . .
I mailed back the detailed receipt as requested.
They denied the claim.
I called. Why was this denied? You didn’t use our form. Uh, great but it doesn’t say to send a claim. I read her the letter (really) and it didn’t mention a claim form. A few transfers letter, they’ve agreed to re-review bill without the form since, you know, they don’t require it.
Back and forth, they ask if they can fax me something (no, I don’t have a fax number). They are stunned. I’m stunned. I ask them to send me the form in the mail (true story: my printer broke and since I can use the printer at work? Why bother: most of my life is paperless) since I don’t have a printer.
Back on hold; they aren’t sure if they can mail me the form since it’s on-line.
More conversation, she keeps suggesting to me to use the online feature(s). I wholly agree but I point out to her that since I am using my iPad, there is an encryption mismatch. I agree to use my notebook to register for the services. Turns out, my employee ID number wasn’t long enough: I needed 2 leading zeros. Turns out the zip code that I’m supposed to use is not mine but my employers (not in the information). Log in.
Very first line? “New mobile applications for iPhones, iPads, Andriod and Blackberry.”
Somebody just send me Bully Boy Vodka.
Tags:FSA, HSA, Insurance Reform, PayFlex, people, people watching, personal responsiblity, politics, spending accounts, things that aren't common sense but should be
Posted in Health Care, People, Politics, Shoulder | Leave a Comment »
May 9, 2013
I’ve seen variations of the following article discussing the idiocy of Abercrombie & Fitch in various versions all of over social media. This is the latest one to hit my Facebook feed.
Here is the deal: this isn’t like the CEO of Macy*s saying such a stupid remark. A&F has a long, long, long history of questionable business ideas. Deciding to boycott A&F now ranks up there with the idea of “Hey, I wonder if we can land a person on the moon?”. Abercrombie & Fitch has long been worthy of a boycott, banishment and a simple refusal by sane people to not purchase their clothing. Here are some of the highlights:
1) Employees are refered to as ‘models’. Yup, you read that right, models. I’m not going to go on an anti-model rant but in the context in of the 21st century model is just this side of “allowing for objectification” and “we won’t hire ugly people.”
2) In 2005, the company was subject to a federal consent decree due to a hiring and promotion practices. A consent decree essentially means that the federal government has found their violations of federal laws has been so egregious that a third-party is required to monitor such activity. I work in a heavily regulated federal industry, it’s extremely hard to wind up with a consent decree when matters of health, medicine and transportation are involved. It’s damn near impossible when clothes are concerned.
3) A&F has a history of discriminatory practices against Muslims and people with disabilities.
4) Countless ads that objectify and/or sexualize children, ads that are xenophobic, employment practices that are far out of line cultural norms.
Look, this is a company that has united feminist groups, Bob Jones University, liberal religious traditions and several unions. Yes, they did donate $10 million dollars an emergency department at a children’s hospital. But the larger question is this: this is a company that at every turn manages to purposefully offend every non-white, thin, attractive member of the population. Ten million dollars probably doesn’t even begin to cover the damages they have done.
The bigger question is this: Why the hell have people been shopping them for so long?
Tags:A&F, Abercrombie & Fitch, ADA, autism, boycott, consent decree, diversity, Feminism, lgbt, musings, people, personal responsiblity, Reflections, social justice, things that aren't common sense but should be, xenophobia
Posted in People, Politics, Popular Culture | Leave a Comment »
December 31, 2012
Some will take 5 minutes, some a few months. . . . just a list of random things I thought I’d try to do in 2013.
1) Polar Bear Plunge
2) Read 50 Shades of Gray
3) Read Team of Rivals
4) Read In the Garden of Beasts
5) Read Fall of Giants
6) Read The Great Influenza
7) Read Book #6 (Title: TBD)
8) Read Book #7 (Title: TBD)
9) Read Book #8 (Title: TBD)
10) Read Book #9 (Title: TBD)
11) Read Book #10 (Title: TBD)
12) Read Book #11 (Title TBD)
13) Read Book #12 (Title TBD)
14) Participate in the SNAP challenge (one week, $25 all 7 days)
15) Run a 5K
16) Write a letter instead of shooting a long email
17) Walk the Freedom Trail
18) Go to a Red Sox/Yankees game
19) Participate in the USPS 3K challenge
20) Unplug from social media for a week.
21) Walk, run, jog 500 miles (I mean, I’ve got a YEAR)
22) Go to Walden Pond. (Such a bad local tourist)
23) Get over my fear of needles and go to the dentist
24) Take a yoga class
25) Volunteer 50 hours
26) Go to Northern California
27) Go to New Orleans
28) Go to Puerto Rico
29) Learn to cook tamales
30) Make an intentional collage
31) Go vegetarian for a week
32) Menu plan for a week . . . and follow it!
33) Bike 1000 miles (see the I’ve got a year note)
34) Walk away from an argument
35) Work a 44 hour week
36) Make sure all that dang adult paperwork is taken care of
37) Pay off the remaining credit card debt
38) Go to the MFA once a month
39) Go to NYC just to go to MOOD!
40) Walk the Freedom Trail
41) Prehab my shoulder in an attempt to avoid surgery
42) Organize guest room
43) Organize kitchen
44) Find new homes for orphaned socks.
45) Start to learn Spanish.
46) Finish my holiday shopping by October.
47) Hollins Hanukah II
48) Journal more
49) Sending my 2012 Christmas cards by oh, St. Patrick’s Day.
50) Go fall camping
51) Take a fun class at one of the zillion extension centers
52) Try to be more zen.
Tags:2013, food, fun, health, Kitchen, musings, New Year's Resolution, organization, personal responsiblity, Random, reading, Reflections, resolutions, social justice, social media
Posted in Popular Culture, Reflections | 3 Comments »
September 13, 2012
I am not going to pretend to be unbiased regarding this situation. I have stated my disgust in more private forms of social media for about a year. Much of the facts are shrouded in the silence that comes with a cover-up, a disgrace and most of all an attempt to preserve a reputation of what was national and is now mostly regional mid-tier academic institution.
What I know is that last fall; Dr. Mark S. Burrows was dismissed from Andover-Newton Theological School. In a letter dated on 10/21/2011 from school president, Rev. Nick Carter, it was stated that Dr. Burrows was dismissed for “due to unprofessional, unethical and immoral behavior involving failure to maintain professional boundaries with students.” As an alumna, I did not receive the letter sent to the Andover Newton Community and “close friends”; I received several copies via e-mail from alumni/alumnae.
At the close of the letter, Rev. Carter asks that “you appreciate the sensitivity of this and limit what you say to others.”
Here is the response I should have sent last year:
Go to hell. Rev. Carter is asking for silence to save the reputation of the professor involved and the institution that employed him for many years. Rev. Carter, instead of using this as an opportunity to say that the reasons for Dr. Burrows’ termination were wholly unacceptable in a public manner (asking community for silence is something that has been vilified by criticizers of Penn State, the Roman Catholic Church and other organizations that have dealt with “immoral behavior” issues.) At the time, or shortly before, Dr. Burrows was Rev. Dr. Burrows. He is no longer an ordained minister according to his personal web site. He has accepted another teaching position in Germany to begin in 2013 (his wife is German). Does this institution know of the reasons behind Dr. Burrows’ dismissal? Or has the wider community of Andover-Newton (this author included) conspired in duplicitous behavior to save an institution?
ANTS is just as much as an institution as Penn State Football. Is there a difference between “immoral behavior” between adults and children: perhaps. The underlying tenant is the same: a person in power (real or perceived) demanded something causing harm to another. The difference is in the legal aspect: ANTS did not break a law, some at PSU did.
Rev. Carter and ANTS did not use this as an opportunity to have open and real discussions on the abuse of power, the damage to the reputation this can cause. Instead, they swept the matter under the rug. Any institution that has faced a situation (a family, an organization, a football program or a university) often gives the first response of “I had no idea”. This is not an act solely out of ignorance: but lack of awareness, lack of a safe environment for discussions without fear of retribution and the inherent power dynamic that tends to present itself in all structures.
Instead of saying “what can we learn, how can we educate ourselves as supposed moral/ethical/religious leaders”, the president of the nation’s oldest theological school, Rev. Nick Carter, requested silence.
The time for silence surrounding the abuse of power is long gone. If an organization wants to be a leader, wants to mold leaders, wants to demonstrate how to answer the hard questions, then speaking up is the action: not a plea for silence.
I know I will offend people with this: I don’t care. Read that again: I don’t care. I am embarrassed by my actions of a year ago: I should have spoken up then. I am embarrassed to hold a degree from this institution that publically touts itself as liberal and forward thinking, but in one of its darkest hours returned to the traditional response of get the offender out the door and ask for silence to preserve the institution.
Tags:abuse of power, Andover Newton Theological School, anger, ANTS, dismissal, Dr. Mark Burrows, immoral, leadership, Mark Burrows, musings, Nick Carter, people, personal responsiblity, Random, Reflections, religion, Rev. Nick Carter, scandal, seminary, social media, theology, things that aren't common sense but should be, tolerance
Posted in Lent, People, Reflections | Leave a Comment »
July 23, 2012
I grew up in Big Ten country (long before PSU became a member!): there were coaches that even the most die-hard Buckeye fans had to offer up (begrudging) respect. Joe Paterno was one of them. He ran a clean program. He stood for what college athletics is about: winning with class. Yes, he should have retired about 15 years ago but he was JoePa as iconic to Happy Valley as John Wooden was to UCLA. This past year we just didn’t learn there wasn’t Santa: we learned that Santa stole from our best friend to give to our most despised enemy. I know, in part, that is why it hurts. We didn’t want to believe that one of the greater than life legends of college athletics knowingly covered up the sexual abuse of children. We wanted to believe one of his last interviews with Sally Jenkins that he didn’t know what was going on. The emails, the notes when they became public weren’t so much stunning revelations as much as confirmations of what we didn’t want to believe.
As the NCAA fast tracked the investigation process, rumors swirled about the death penalty. A part of me wanted PSU to receive a total death penalty (with scholarships honored) for all sports, Paterno set the culture at PSU. PSU has a history of discrimination in athletics (case and point, Renee Portland). A larger part of me realized that the death penalty for PSU football beyond punishing the players who were not on campus at the time of the coverup, punished the wider community. The local economy depends on football season: State College is a town of roughly 42,000 people: the football stadium houses 106,000 people. The tax revenue alone probably funds a majority of the local government budget. The restaurants, bars, stores, the minimum wage workers all suffer the most with a death penalty.
Is 60 million dollars enough: I’m not sure. The football revenue in 2010 was 52 million dollars. Football, in part, funds non-revenue sports (and scholarships). Is it a good move that the money will be placed into a trust not to be used by the university but administered to assist and raise awareness of the childhood sexual abuse. The NCAA is allowing all current players (including freshman) to transfer without penalty. The huge scholarship limits over the next four years will force PSU into massive rebuilding. The additional sanctions by the Big 10 in not allowing revenue sharing from bowl games will be an additional reminder.
The NCAA penalty “lack of institutional control” has been seen as laughable. Before, it would mean an extra year of probation or maybe an additional scholarship. The NCAA spoke loud and clear today: even though an NCAA violation did not occur (really), the NCAA acted in a manner which will serve as a reminder for years to come. While those in Happy Valley will mourn what was: maybe they will (eventually) see that just like Santa, Paterno’s legend was mythical. He was a flawed man who made a horrible mistakes. As the leader of the organization, even in his death, his corporation must be punished. They will suit up in Happy Valley this fall. They will play for the love of the sport. And at the end of the day, maybe, just maybe more individuals will have the courage to come forward and speak up about corporate corruption, harm to children and issues which need to be voiced.
If any good is to come out of this tragedy, may it be that if you and three of your friends go out for drinks, one of you was probably abused as a child. It’s time we start to have that conversation and build resources to help survivors heal. There will always be pedophiles. When the shame of being a victim is one begins to lessen through education, awareness and action that we can learn from because of Penn State, only then can we say we learned a lesson from Sandusky and Paterno.
Tags:Big 10, football, musings, ncaa, paterno, Penn State, personal responsiblity, PSU, Reflections, sandusky, sexual abuse, social justice, things that aren't common sense but should be, violence
Posted in People, Politics, Reflections, Sports | Leave a Comment »
May 4, 2012
Most of the time, state ballot intaitives amuse me: should we repeal a liquor tax? What about letting people smoke pot in public? I tend to think of it is the great political revenge of letting voices be heard on some entertaining issues.
Not so next week in North Carolina. Next week voters in North Carolina are seeking to define relationships. Currently, the Tar Heel State is does not recognize gay marriage. Now, they are seeking to ban it. The legislature this year managed to place on the ballot the following:
“Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.”
If this amendment passes, North Carolina’s Constitution would read as follows:
“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts.”
Marriage, not civil unions, not domestic partnerships, is the only legal union. To some people, there might not be a distinction between only allowing heterosexually married couples to receive the government benefits of marriage. There is: this proposed amendment has the potential to impact domestic abuse charges, custody and support rights in non-married heterosexual couples.
There has long been the stereotype of the ‘narrow minded Southerner’. This amendment promotes that stereotype. In a telling quote, Majority Leader Rep. Paul Stam (R-NC 37) stated “They’re going to bring with them their same-sex marriages. They’re going to want to get divorced and have custody issues decided”, he said. “We’re not equipped to handle that.” Rep. Stam, let me personally assure you, the gay community is not interested in rushing to North Carolina to get divorced.
Maybe one day I’ll understand how individuals can think my decision on who to marry has any impact on his/her relationships (aside from the obvious affair). Passage of this amendment would be a giant step backwards. Not just for the LGBT community but for every citizen of North Carolina, and by extension everybody who knows and loves somebody in the Tar Heel State.
I find it bemusing that the political party which staunchly opposes perceived intrusions into our personal lives supports such a reaching decision. This is bigotry. This is fear mongering. This is hatred of the other.
My only hope and prayer is that the people of North Carolina see this for what it is worth and refute the amendment. We all deserve better.
Tags:Amendment One, anger, Civil Rights, diversity, equal marriage, family, Feminism, lgbt, Marriage, musings, North Carolina, people, personal responsiblity, Reflections, republicans, social justice, south, things that aren't common sense but should be, tolerance, vote
Posted in LGBT, Politics, Reflections, Religion | Leave a Comment »
February 8, 2012
I’m angry. And by angry, I mean ready to hop-up-and-down-throw-a-temper-tantrum-mad. Like this:
Wicked mad.
I filed my taxes I was smacked again by the inequity of the system. The NY Times had an article confirming that 47% of American households do not pay Federal income taxes. Given the fact I’m in the lower 53% for income in tax year 2011, I more than fumed. I am not going to get into property taxes (paid), gas tax (paid), state income tax (paid, higher rate too). I’m hoping mad over the federal tax code. In the past two weeks, I have heard four people state they received more back from the Federal government than they paid into the system. Say what? Yup. Paid for not having enough income. I’m so doing something wrong.
The Federal tax code simply has to be one of the most privileged pieces of stuff created by the Federal government. Married? Tax break. Home owner? Tax break (I enjoy this one: however, it is beyond elitist). Have kids? At least one tax break. Investment income? Tax break. And on and on.
I would get over all of this if when I opened my state return and it didn’t say “are you legally considered married by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but unable to claim so on your Federal return?”. Flat out: are you gay? Yes. Why yes, I am. Thanks for reminding me of all the tax breaks I lose because the Federal government considers me less of a citizen than the person who sits next to me on a subway. Let me try to figure out with my partner who can claim the kid(s), who can claim the house just so we can bring down our tax burden to that of our heterosexually married peers. While I’m on this lament also send me such a partner to share these issues.
While those in Washington talk about the small businesses that are the little engine that could of the American economy, where are the tax breaks for small business owners? The real tax breaks that prevent double taxation on the same dollar? The ones that actually give credit for building a successful business?
Sigh. The tax code drives me nuts.
Can I blame the people who receive more than they pay in back? Meh. It’s the code. I do believe that everybody should pay Federal income tax. I also am intrigued by the idea of a flat tax without deductions and single filing only. I haven’t done enough nerd number crunching to see how it would actually work.
My mood was bad enough and then it was Rick’s night. Dear Republicans in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and (sadly) Colorado: have you guys lost your collective minds? Or better yet to any woman who voted for Santorum, have you lost your ever lasting mind? More than Newt, more than Mitt and far and away more than Ron Paul, Rick Santorum has all but declared an open war on women and our rights to make decisions on our own health. And this man has won more states than anybody else in the GOP primary. Rick Santorum lost re-election to the US Senate by more than double digits. Do you know how hard that is? And he is now the person who has the most victories.
I despise the primary system (don’t get me started on how I feel the caucuses are completely slanted against shift workers). I have an issue with the amount of money wasted, the mindless bickering and the general anger. For me to vote for the GOP, it takes a lot: like not having sex with an intern. I’ve never voted in a primary. This year, I will do both. I will vote in the GOP primary. Why? The simple thought of President Gingrich or President Santorum keeps me up at night.
In most states, you can still switch your party affiliation if you have a closed primary in your state. I urge you to look at the Republican slate and ask the simple question: if one of them was to become POTUS would you pick. And vote for that person. You don’t have to vote for them in the general election: but it’s time the moderates take back control.
Tags:anger, GOP, GOP primary, irs, lgbt, Marriage, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, personal responsiblity, Primary, primary elections, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, social justice, tax breaks, tax code, tax deductions, tax inequity, things that aren't common sense but should be, tolerance, vote
Posted in LGBT, Politics, Popular Culture | 2 Comments »
February 7, 2012
This should really be titled Part II(b). I decided to google the individual for whom I made the database.
Big mistake.
I sorta had a tea party.
No silly. Not the Alice type. The Sarah Palin type.
Whoops. The only good part? The database was never updated. If you subscribe to the service, you too can think that Anthony Weiner is a member of the US House of Representatives from NY.
Tags:activism, database, Feminism, Humor, musings, personal responsiblity, politics, Random, Sarah Palin, social justice, tea party
Posted in People, Politics, Popular Culture | Leave a Comment »
January 22, 2012
I watched the South Carolina primary returns last night. Most of the speeches recycled stump speech with the “call your friends in Florida”. Rick Santorum gave his babblific speech where he recycled his line about writing a book in response to Hilary Clinton’s It Takes A Village called It Takes A Family. Ok, how about both? Does it take a family to raise a secure child: yes. Do the historic family structures exist in most cases? No. Using my family for an example: I live in Boston. My parents and brother live in Tennessee, my sister and her family live in Oklahoma. Is it ideal? Yes and no. We all like the area of the country we live in: aside from some weather issues! No because to get to see each other it’s a 1-2 airport shuffle.
Santorum is living in this world where people can stay in the area they are raised, close to their families. Look, I work in biotech. My brother-in-law works as an engineer in telecom, my sister-in-law is a university professor. None of these jobs can easily be moved to be close together. Does that mean that we are not close? Nope. It means that when a family member need help, we often rely on the village.
What Santorum seems to miss is that we are all in this together. If a friend (or a friend of a friend) needs a meal delivered, clothing donated. I do what I can. Why? I want somebody to do the same if something was to happen to one of my loved ones. Santorum seems to forget that we don’t live in an era where there are 3-4 generations of the same family in the same village. As we have become a more mobile society, with smaller families, in many ways we have become more interconnected with others. If I need a ride from the mechanic, calling my family would be useless: calling a friend, easy.
The underlying aspect of Santorum’s statements are disturbing. There is a decline in the ‘traditional’ family: how much of this is tied to the high levels of incarceration of minority populations? The lack of adequate education available in rural and inner city areas? Santorum doesn’t get it: when we work together to improve the quality of life for everybody, our social structures improve and we increase opportunity for everybody. I don’t want Rick Santorum defining my support system. I’ll take my whacky village of friends and family.
Tags:family, FL Primary, friends, friendships, GOP, GOP primary, it takes a family, it takes a village, personal responsiblity, Reflections, Rick Santorum, Santorum, social media, things that aren't common sense but should be
Posted in People, Politics | Leave a Comment »
January 14, 2012
At times I feel like I’m living in a weird movie that if taken without copious amounts of coffee would lead to the utter collapse of Western Civilization (ok, maybe not that extreme!). Any week that combines a full moon Monday with a Friday the 13th will now be spent under covers. Or in suit of armor. Then I caught up on the news of the week. Apparently one Girl Scout is boycotting (and asking others to do the same) the annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Look, I get that she is a kid: I don’t like a kid being politicized (either one!). Adults need to step in here. Girl Scouts from the time of, oh Juliette Low, have always been somewhat left-of-center. And have always welcomed member and often with scholarship dollars to make sure all kids have the opportunity. Radical, no, wait, inclusive. This shouldn’t be a headline: it should be a teaching moment. We don’t all have to agree on a topic, on an issue but we all need to learn civility and that really, everybody is welcome. It’s not about religion: it’s about being kind and decent to each other. The world is hard enough without encouraging our children to boycott each other. Go buy a box of thin mints.
Oh, and why you are at it, buy a cupcake. And go through a security line and report back. In the update to Cupcake gate, a friend of mine appears on Fox and Friends (snark noted) because she dared to bring through a food item. Look, before I get blasted by 394950 people about “it’s a new world” and “you are a fool”. Back up to the start of the story: Rebecca brought through two cupcakes. Both cleared Logan TSA (which flying out of Logan 10 or so times a year, I can say, there are post 9/11 screenings which are not found in other airports, two of the planes left from here). Returning from Vega$, the one remaining was a “security threat”. Ok, maybe the glass is questionable: wait, you can buy a Starbucks mug in airports. Ok, maybe the ganache was more than 3oz (wait, the jar can fit into a Ziploc bag). Ok, maybe the TSA policies are not clear enough? Bingo. Don’t blame the agent: the guidelines are unclear (and if you don’t believe me, ask Rebecca, it was her cupcake and she has never slammed the agent). Look, I cleared TSA in KC with the WRONG boarding pass (you know, that license and boarding pass check). I was told by TSA that “happens all the time, but don’t worry, we still screen you” (um). So, clearing TSA with the wrong boarding pass is OK, but damn, those cupcakes.
It’s a mad world people. Thank God the Packers are still playing. Cheese, Cookies and Cupcakes. Perfect halftime snack.
Tags:airports, boycott, cupcakes, customer service, diversity, food, lgbt, people, personal responsiblity, Random, social justice, thin mints, things that aren't common sense but should be, transgender, tsa
Posted in Condo, LGBT, Politics, Popular Culture | Leave a Comment »
