Maxim Hot 100

Tags

opinion, ridiculous

I know, this isn’t a topic I normally would post about, but after hearing the top 10 list of Maxim magazine’s 100 hottest female celebrities, I couldn’t help but post.  I mean, who came up with this list exactly?  The fact that both Selena Gomez (#2) and Taylor Swift (#13) beat out someone like Sofia Vergara (#49) is ridiculous.  I’m also a little disturbed by the fact that the oldest woman of the top 10 list (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is only 34.  The youngest btw is 20.

1. Miley Cyrus
2. Selena Gomez
3. Rihanna
4. Mila Kunis
5. Jennifer Lawrence
6. Jennifer Love Hewitt
7. Ashley Tisdale
8. Kate Upton
9. Vanessa Hudgens
10. Elisha Cuthbert

Thoughts?

Angry? Yes. Surprised? Not at all

Tags

health policy and management, opinion, ridiculous

Five different people emailed me regarding the New York Times article about the vast differences in hospital billing to Medicare.

The revelation that hospitals charge vastly different prices shouldn’t surprise you.  For one thing, I’ve commented on this before – here, here, and again here.  (seriously, what have you people been reading?)  Part of the problem is the historical underpinnings of the ways hospitals used to be paid, much of this is due to the fee for service payment system that continues to dominate American healthcare.  But the fact is, we’ve allowed the system to operate this way by championing free markets and allowing hospitals to run like businesses.

Quite frankly, hospital charges are not based on a solid foundation of cost nor are they based on quality of care provided.  There is little to no evidence to support that costs or quality are the basis for what hospitals charge.  Furthermore, when hospitals negotiate with insurers for reimbursements, those negotiations are considered trade secrets;  an insurer cannot tell hospital B what it is reimbursing to hospital A for the same service.  Similarly, hospital X is under no obligation to tell insurer Z what insurer Y is reimbursing.  As the article states, it truly is a cat and mouse game between hospitals and insurers.  And the game is only expected to get worse as hospitals merge and combine into large systems in order to form “accountable care organizations” or ACOs under the Affordable Care Act.

You might think that price transparency might be a solution to this dilemma.  Make hospitals report their prices and that should fix the problem, right?  Patients would naturally switch to lower cost providers, and high cost providers would be forced to lower their prices, regressing toward a new lower average price.  Makes sense…that’s how competition works so this should work, right?  Wrong.  In 2007, New Hampshire did just that after health officials noticed huge variations in the hospitals prices within the state.  Not only did the tactic not work, it had the opposite effect.  Patients had little incentive to shop based on price as those with insurance rarely saw the bills.  Many of the hospitals in the state are in isolated geographic areas and therefore experience little to no competition from other hospitals.  Even more concerning, the lowest reimbursed hospitals raised their prices to match their well reimbursed competitors.  The hospitals regressed toward a new mean price, but that new average price was now higher, not lower.

Some in the health policy community use this evidence to advocate for a single payer system with universal insurance as the only solution to this problem.  Others suggest we adopt payment setting similar to the Maryland all-payer system (you’ll notice that none of the data comes from Maryland).  I’ll admit I’m not a huge single payer fan for too many reasons to details here, but Medicare is about the closest thing we have to a single payer in this country.  As the largest single nationwide insurer, Medicare is in the unique position to provide a stabilizing force to the wide variations (you could argue that the Veterans Administration does this as well, but the VA both finances and delivers care, while Medicare merely finances it.)  But with a myriad number of private insurers out there, the “single payer” Medicare effect gets diluted.

The thing is, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) looks at the hospital bill, laughs, and then says “here’s what we’re going to pay you”.  The payment is formula based – a base price is set based off of what CMS thinks the average cost of the provided service is and then multiplies that by certain factors such as geographic location, severity of illness, teaching status, etc.  To be fair, there are a lot of factors, but ultimately CMS arrives at a reimbursement which is much less than what the hospitals charge.  So in reality, even though two hospitals across the street from each other taking care of two patients for the exact same condition with the exact same illness severity might charge CMS widely different prices, CMS will reimburse them almost the same amount.

The most important section of the NYTimes article is in fact this one:

Medicare does not actually pay the amount a hospital charges but instead uses a system of standardized payments to reimburse hospitals for treating specific conditions. Private insurers do not pay the full charge either, but negotiate payments with hospitals for specific treatments. Since many patients are covered by Medicare or have private insurance, they are not directly affected by what hospitals charge.

Experts say it is likely that the people who can afford it least — those with little or no insurance — are getting hit with extremely high hospitals bills that may bear little connection to the cost of treatment.

Steven Brill made this exact point in the TIME magazine commentary “Bitter Pill – Why Medical Bills are Killing Us”.  The fact of the matter is, very few people pay those ridiculously high prices, because almost everyone negotiates a lower rate.  But if you are one of those people paying out of pocket, uninsured or with little insurance (what we call underinsured), you should be angry.  Because the price of your care (and therefore the cost to you) may have been dramatically different if you had simply crossed the street.  And don’t for a minute think that the higher price means better quality.  In fact, crossing the street might mean that the quality of that care may have been better too.

Happy Nurses Week!

Tags

ridiculous, someecards

From one doc to all of the nurses out there, a collection of someecards for Nurses Week!

12 First Date Deal Breakers

Tags

opinion, ridiculous

This story appeared yesterday on The Huffington Post, and I couldn’t help but share.  Christine Gallagher details the twelve things you should never discuss or reveal on a first date.

I happen to agree with most of these, but I’m curious what people think about #3.  Is it really NOT okay to talk about your dog or cat at all during the date?  Yes, clearly there is a danger zone in going overboard, but mentioning you have a dog or cat?  Really?

Btw, as a pescatarian, #5 could be incredibly important – especially if that first date is at a restaurant.  I don’t mind if my date eats steak or pork or some other meat for dinner – but there are a lot of vegetarians/vegans out there who do.  Might be good to know that in advance.  Just saying…

12 Things to Never Mention on a First Date

1. The ex. It’s best not to vomit up what went wrong in your last relationship. If you do, your date will be sure to pick up any information about how you might behave in a relationship with him or her. So zip it. Never share the details, particularly the gory ones, until you know each other a whole lot better.

2. Your finances. There’s a lot of talk right now about people being financially strapped — there’s even a new sitcom about a divorced woman living with her parents. But it’s not sexy, okay? Again, let’s hope that you are so stunning in other ways that your date doesn’t give a damn and is more than happy to sneak in through your childhood bedroom window if things get that far. But don’t count on it. It’s best to tread softly when you reveal financial woes.

3. Beloved pets. Nothing is more unappealing than listening to a new date express undying love for their pet. Keep the iPhone photos to yourself. Don’t share pictures of Fido at the doggie Easter egg hunt. If you have more than two cats, never share that information until you’re on more solid ground. And don’t say you can’t ever have a sleepover because your cat or dog can’t be left alone. As for deceased pets you had in childhood, let them rest in peace.

4. Physical ailments. This is especially important for hypochondriacs. Trust me — only your doctor is interested in a history of your ailments and injuries. And if you have any suspicious rashes, particularly on hidden parts of your body, don’t tell your date, okay?

5. Special diets. If you subscribe to a restricted eating lifestyle, don’t discuss it at length. You may come across as boring, dogmatic or worse. Vegans should go easy, particularly if their date is happily cutting into a big juicy steak. Eccentric eating preferences should also be handled carefully. I once had a date with someone who revealed they only ate white food. I still can’t articulate why, but this was an immediate total turnoff.

6. Your brilliant children. All of us are crazy about our kids.  We think they’re incredibly talented and adore their quirky behavior, but a total stranger has absolutely no need to know the details. Of course, do reveal you have kids. Mention their ages. Then move on.

7. Sexual practices. A first date is never the time to discuss what you like or don’t like in bed. If you have a bag of sex toys in your closet, don’t share. Don’t, under any circumstance, talk about past lovers and their talents and preferences.

8. You don’t like sex. You may get lucky and be dating someone who feels exactly the way you do. But it’s not likely, okay? So save this tidbit for later.

9. Unusual habits. This is a very broad category.  It could be something benign but potentially off putting — like your kids still sleep in a family bed with you, or you have a side business providing custom pet funerals. If you have a hard time gauging if your habits might be “unusual”, ask a candid friend for feedback.

10. Your porn addiction. Okay, so you’ve been single for a while and spending evenings in fantasy porn land. But now you’re out in the real world with a real person. You don’t have to share.

11. Arrest records. Any arrest, even if you were deemed innocent, should not be revealed upfront. It will raise big-time red flags and scare away a lot of people. Same goes for IRS problems, foreclosures, disciplinary hearings etc.

12. How miserable and lonely you are. Chances are your date is equally miserable and lonely, but it’s still a big turnoff and should be kept for your therapist. For your date, put on your best face and keep it in the light zone. And who knows? Maybe a sliver of magic will pass between you.

yet another #fail from the NRA

Tags

opinion, ridiculous

For the record, using the Boston Marathon bombing as a political weapon to argue for or against gun control is completely inappropriate.  When Arkansas Representative Nate Bell asked how many Bostonians were cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 the night before the lockdown, social media responded quickly… and Nate Bell found himself apologizing for the “timing” of his unfortunate comments.

Apparently Wayne LaPierre, the Executive Vice President of the NRA, didn’t get the same memo, when he asked today “How many Bostonians wish they had a gun two weeks ago?”

The Boston Marathon bombings are not about gun control or gun ownership or gun freedom.  What Bostonians wished for two weeks ago was a swift resolution to a horrifying and terrible event.  What Bostonians wished for was peace and safety.

If you want to turn the Newtown tragedy into a gun discussion, that’s fine – although I would argue it’s inappopriate to not include a discussion about mental health in there.  But the Marathon bombings were not and are not about guns.  They are about terrorism and cowardice.  Turning them into a pro or anti-gun weapon is just as cowardly.

Boston Strong Yankee Candle

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opinion, ridiculous

I’m probably going to catch some flak for this but… am I the only person who thinks this is going a bit too far with the Boston Strong theme?

I understand that Yankee Candle is a local company and that proceeds go to the One Fund Boston.

But what exactly is this Boston Strong candle supposed to smell like?  Beer?  A bathroom at Fenway Park? The Green Line?  Dunkin Donuts?  The exhaust from the Duck Boats?  I mean… seriously…

[steps off soapbox]

overread

Tags

gay, overread, ridiculous

“My admiration runs deeper than a drag queen’s love of hooker heels.”

Lessons from an internet rant

Tags

overread, ridiculous

Four lessons to be learned here:

1. If you share something with anyone on the Web, it’s liable to be shared with everyone on the Web.
2. Anything you post will eventually become public.
3. Anything you post can and will be used against you.
4. If you post something epically stupid, it will go viral

Thank you to CNN and Gawker for bringing this to my attention.

This is an actual email from one of the executive board members of the University of Maryland’s chapter of Delta Gamma.  Way to keep it classy.

If you just opened this like I told you to, tie yourself down to whatever chair you’re sitting in, because this email is going to be a rough f*cking ride.

For those of you that have your heads stuck under rocks, which apparently is the majority of this chapter, we have been F*CKING UP in terms of night time events and general social interactions with Sigma Nu. I’ve been getting texts on texts about people LITERALLY being so f*cking AWKWARD and so f*cking BORING. If you’re reading this right now and saying to yourself “But oh em gee Julia, I’ve been having so much fun with my sisters this week!”, then punch yourself in the face right now so that I don’t have to f*cking find you on campus to do it myself.

I do not give a flying f*ck, and Sigma Nu does not give a flying f*ck, about how much you f*cking love to talk to your sisters. You have 361 days out of the f*cking year to talk to sisters, and this week is NOT, I f*cking repeat NOT ONE OF THEM. This week is about fostering relationships in the greek community, and that’s not f*cking possible if you’re going to stand around and talk to each other and not our matchup. Newsflash you stupid cocks: FRATS DON’T LIKE BORING SORORITIES. Oh wait, DOUBLE F*CKING NEWSFLASH: SIGMA NU IS NOT GOING TO WANT TO HANG OUT WITH US IF WE F*CKING SUCK, which by the way in case you’re an idiot and need it spelled out for you, WE F*CKING SUCK SO FAR. This also applies to you little shits that have talked openly about post gaming at a different frat IN FRONT OF SIGMA NU BROTHERS. Are you people f*cking retarded? That’s not a rhetorical question, I LITERALLY want you to email me back telling me if you’re mentally slow so I can make sure you don’t go to anymore night time events. If Sigma Nu openly said “Yeah we’re gonna invite Zeta over”, would you be happy? WOULD YOU? No you wouldn’t, so WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU DO IT TO THEM?? IN FRONT OF THEM?!! First of all, you SHOULDN’T be post gaming at other frats, I don’t give a F*CK if your boyfriend is in it, if your brother is in it, or if your entire family is in that frat. YOU DON’T GO. YOU. DON’T. GO. And you ESPECIALLY do f*cking NOT convince other girls to leave with you.

“But Julia!”, you say in a whiny little bitch voice to your computer screen as you read this email, “I’ve been cheering on our teams at all the sports, doesn’t that count for something?” NO YOU STUPID F*CKING ASS HATS, IT F*CKING DOESN’T. DO YOU WANNA KNOW F*CKING WHY?!! IT DOESN’T COUNT BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN F*CKING UP AT SOBER F*CKING EVENTS TOO. I’ve not only gotten texts about people being f*cking WEIRD at sports (for example, being stupid shits and saying stuff like “durr what’s kickball?” is not f*cking funny), but I’ve gotten texts about people actually cheering for the opposing team. The opposing. F*cking. Team. ARE YOU F*CKING STUPID?!! I don’t give a SH*T about sportsmanship, YOU CHEER FOR OUR GODDAMN TEAM AND NOT THE OTHER ONE, HAVE YOU NEVER BEEN TO A SPORTS GAME? ARE YOU F*CKING BLIND? Or are you just so f*cking dense about what it means to make people like you that you think being a good little supporter of the greek community is going to make our matchup happy? Well it’s time someone told you, NO ONE F*CKING LIKES THAT, ESPECIALLY OUR F*CKING MATCHUP. I will f*cking c*nt punt the next person I hear about doing something like that, and I don’t give a f*ck if you SOR me, I WILL F*CKING ASSAULT YOU.

“Ohhh Julia, I’m now crying because your email has made me oh so so sad”. Well good. If this email applies to you in any way, meaning if you are a little asswipe that stands in the corners at night or if you’re a weird sh*t that does weird sh*t during the day, this following message is for you:

DO NOT GO TO TONIGHT’S EVENT.

I’m not f*cking kidding. Don’t go. Seriously, if you have done ANYTHING I’ve mentioned in this email and have some rare disease where you’re unable to NOT do these things, then you are HORRIBLE, I repeat, HORRIBLE PR FOR THIS CHAPTER. I would rather have 40 girls that are fun, talk to boys, and not f*cking awkward than 80 that are f*cking faggots. If you are one of the people that have told me “Oh nooo boo hoo I can’t talk to boys I’m too sober”, then I pity you because I don’t know how you got this far in life, and with that in mind don’t f*cking show up unless you’re going to stop being a goddamn cock block for our chapter. Seriously. I swear to f*cking God if I see anyone being a goddamn boner at tonight’s event, I will tell you to leave even if you’re sober. I’m not even kidding. Try me.

And for those of you who are offended at this email, I would apologize but I really don’t give a f*ck. Go f*ck yourself.

I’m no geography expert but…

Tags

ridiculous, travel

… some of these people definitely need a lesson in how to read a map.  Idiots.

“Czechoslovakia” hasn’t existed as a nation since 1993, when it was dissolved into Slovakia and Czech Republic.

http://publicshaming.tumblr.com/post/48547675807/the-definitive-people-who-thought-chechnya-was-the

#epicfail

Tags

opinion, ridiculous

While I’ve been fairly absorbed in the events unfolding in Boston for the last three days, there was one major headline on the Huffington Post that was hard to miss.  Yesterday, the US Senate voted on amendments to a gun control bill.  One such amendment was the bipartisan Manchin-Toomey amendment to expand background checks for guns sold over the internet and at guns shows.  The amendment did not gain the 60 votes necessary to pass, falling short at 54 in favor to 46 against.

Immediately after the vote count, at least two members of the Senate gallery shouted “Shame on you!”.  Family members of those killed in the Sandy Hook and Virgina Tech shootings were in attendance.

I’m not sure you can call an amendment “bipartisan” when only 4 members of the minority party vote for the bill.  But the fact that the amendment was supported by 90% of Americans according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll and yet failed to pass in the Senate says something striking about our political system.

In case you’re wondering who voted for and against the measure…

*Note: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) supported the legislation, but he voted against it for procedural reasons, in order to preserve the right to bring the measure back up.

Who is your fav housewife?

Tags

adorable, reality TV, ridiculous, twitter

Saw this picture on twitter and just had to share.  For those of you who are fans of the Real Housewives, you’ll enjoy this housewife cartoon.  Who knew there were so many!?

So, who is your favorite housewife?  Is it @Bethenny from #RHONY or maybe you’re a fan of @LisaVanderpump from #RHOBH?

late night MBTA service?

Tags

opinion, ridiculous

Not too long ago, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Rider Oversite Committee issued a survey asking commuters if they would be in favor of extended hours on public transportation services in the city of Boston.  For readers from New York or Chicago, I know it may be hard for you to imagine a subway or bus system not running 24 hours a day… but such is the reality of life here in Boston (and I suspect many other cities in the country).

MBTA thought that roughly 500 people would answer the survey.  They were blown away when nearly 26,000 people responded with a resounding “YES”.  Over half of respondents said they would be willing to pay at least double the regular fare to take a “night owl” bus of subway ride.

I, for one, am all in favor of extended hours on public transportation for multiple reasons.  For one, it cuts down on accidents, injuries, and deaths associated with drunk driving, as residents are more likely to take public transportation into the city knowing that it runs later.  Public transportation is especially important to young professionals, who coincidentally are most likely to use the late night service.  Extended hours would also cut down on automobile traffic, as individuals who work late or overnight shifts might be more willing to take the “T” instead of driving to work.  Finally, I truly believe that to succeed as a vibrant, modern city in the United States (and one that wishes to reduce automobile traffic in your city center) you need to offer residents a means other than a cab for accessing the nightlife and cultural attractions that keep a city humming.

To be clear, I’m all for extended hours.  And I also commend the MBTA for “feeling the pulse” of the people.  Residents continually clamor about the desire for extended hours; without actual evidence like this survey, these stories only amount to anecdotal evidence.

But issuing such a survey at the current time seems almost irresponsible.  The MBTA is notoriously cash-strapped and indebted – although to be fair, much of that debt was forced on the agency due to the Big Dig.  However, at a time when the MBTA is pleading with state legislators for new funding streams to close budget deficits and is floating the idea of either cutting service or raising fares, even considering the idea of extending public transit hours seems ludicrous.  Residents of Boston and the surrounding areas that rely on the MBTA to commute in and out of the city every day constantly complain about the poor and unreliable service of the many buses, subways, and trains.  How many times did the commuter rail shut down this winter?  And how many days has it been since the Green Line or Red Line last suffered a breakdown?  Do we really think that extended service will be any better?  Perhaps we should focus on fixing what we have before we consider extending ourselves farther…

No folks, the MBTA shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea of extended hours until the agency can offer frequent, efficient, reliable, and sustainable service to the areas it currently serves – and without a negative operating margin.  Without those fixes in place, public transportation service during extended hours will be subject to the same delays, inconsistencies and breakdowns, and will be yet another source of discontent with the MBTA for Bostonians.

tweet of the day

Tags

ridiculous, twitter

I’ve previously mentioned via either Facebook or Twitter my utter disdain for folding the fitted sheet.  I hate it.  I even know how to fold the damn thing, but I still hate doing it.  So naturally, this tweet from Dreaded Rear Admiral (@willrad) caught my eye today.

FOLDING FITTED SHEETS:

1. pair up adjacent corner seams
2. wad the entire thing up in a big ball
3. who cares this is impossible
4. bourbon

dressing up your Easter egg

Tags

holidays, ridiculous

Just because they’re funny…

overread

Tags

overread, ridiculous

So I’ve moved on to a new book, this one titled Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson.  I have definitely caught myself laughing out loud (literally) several times while reading this book.  Some of the foot notes and the editor’s notes are absolutely hilarious.

This little section caught my eye this morning, and I felt the need to share it.

Bonnie, his mom, invited me to sit on the couch.  And so I did.  But when my back grazed one of the little couch pillows, Victor’s eyes widened at me in horror as if I’d just stabbed the family dog through the ear.  He cleared his throat at me, and I sat up quickly as he surreptitiously re-straightened the pillow and whispered, ‘Those pillows are only for decoration.’

And that’s when I learned my first rule about rich people.  They never use their cushions.

Which is sort of f*cked up, because that’s kind of what cushions are for.

Shame on Ford

Tags

ridiculous

So this one definitely goes down as another page in the Book of WTF!?!?

I previously reported on the incredibly racist cover of Bloomberg Businessweek.  This advertising campaign by Ford makes you wonder what in the sam hell the marketing department was thinking.  It also makes you wonder how the people in charge let this happen.

The advertising campaign is for the Ford Figo and obviously depicts cartoons of women being tied up in the trunk of the Ford Figo.  The one above pictures Silvio Berlusconi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, with three large breasted women tied up.  Others feature a picture of Paris Hilton driving the car with cartoons of the Kardashians in the back.

This campaign is bad enough on its own and completely distasteful for the message it sends about women.  To make matters worse, the Ford Figo is only sold in India,  meaning the ad would only air in India – a country that has recently seen several high profile gang rapes in recent months as well as a dramatic surge in violence against women in recent years.

In their defense, Ford has issued an apology acknowledging the mistake (unlike Bloomberg Businessweek) and plans to retract the ads.

Everybody’s Irish on St Patrick’s Day

Tags

gay, holidays, ridiculous, someecards

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone!  Couldn’t help but post this completely inappropriate someecard…

the truth about singing

Tags

moody, ridiculous

United States Wealth Inequality

Tags

ridiculous

I posted this video to Twitter (@justgngr) yesterday and have seen it traveling around Facebook as well.  Most of the comments I’ve seen have ranged from “wow” to “this is a huge problem”.  See for yourself.

http://mashable.com/2013/03/02/wealth-inequality/

Bitter Pill: Part 7

Tags

health policy and management, ridiculous

In Part 7, I’ll once again offer some support to author Steven Brill rather than continue to cut down his arguments in the TIME article “Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us“.  This is a minor point but an important one that it seems the American public and Congress have not yet learned.

Section 2: Medical Technology’s Perverse Economics

Brill points out that non-profit hospitals use their “charity” care to tug on the collective sympathy of the political establishment.  The American Hospital Association, one of the biggest spenders of lobbying dollars, always urges Congress not to allow cuts to hospital payments because it would “endanger the $39.3 billion in uncompensated care for the poor that hospitals provide” – care that is either through charity or because patients cannot afford to pay.  Brill notes that based on the formula hospitals use to calculate the cost of this charity care, that amounts to approximately 5% of their total revenue for 2010.

$39.3 billion is a lot of money, and no one wants to see the amount of “charity care” hospitals provide diminish given the tremendous barriers to access we have in this country.  In particular, politicians are loathe to cut payments to hospitals because it looks bad to their constituents – you know, those people they need to re-elect them.  The problem here is that $39.3 billion figure is what hospitals would charge for providing that care, not what it actually costs to provide said care.  The $39.3 billion is essentially the “chargemaster” price for the care that hospitals provided but did not receive reimbursement.  The actual cost of providing that care is significantly lower.  Since few hospitals know the actual costs of providing care, they continue to use the $39.3 billion figure for their own political gain.