After the President’s televised, bi-partisan forum on healthcare reform, it still seems as if little has changed in terms of bipartisan support of reform efforts. Republicans still hew to their position that Democrats in the majority ought to start over from scratch after 60 years of debate and the last year of contentious debate on the Hill. This is a ridiculous assertion given the decades of debate that have been dedicated to this single, very important issue. It seems that the President held the forum specifically to give the minority Republicans the opportunity to take part in serious compromise discussions, offering to include tort reform – long a Republican issue – in the package. What has become clear is that the Republican party (and to some degree democrats in the Senate as well) are under the thumbs of a powerful insurance lobby that doesn’t want anything to stand between them and the record profits they’ve been reaping by boosting premiums and cutting service. So it looks like the Dems are finally preparing to go it alone. Kudos to Obama for trying to seriously engage the minority in the planning. To their credit, the Republicans have done an excellent job spreading disinformation about the bill. However, when polled piece by piece, a plurality of Americans like and support the bill.
What are your views? Do you think the President is doing the right thing? Sound off in the comments.
(Posted by remote from family vacation in Miami. Limited internet access precludes images.) Full scale blogging to resume Wednesday March 3rd.
In Argentina, the “thumbs up” and “okay” gestures we use regularly in America are considered to be really vulgar. In Cambodia, it is bad manners to meet the eyes of someone who is older than you. In Turkey, people routinely stare – at foreigners and at each other! In China, winking is considered to be highly offensive. In India, it is expected that one will allow an arm’s length of distance from another in conversation, to provide personal space. Similarly, in Britain. In Mexico, however, people who converse stand very close to one another as do people in Russia and backing away appears rude. In Thailand, a nod doesn’t mean “yes,” but is merely a sign of respect. In Japan, one must point with the entire hand, as pointing with the index finger is rude.
One of the most sought after transferable skills (a skill that can be taken from one job to another) for those who work in the medical industry, is the ability to perceive nonverbal messages. It is through nonverbal messages that people communicate their real feelings and their intentions become evident. (more…)
With unemployment high and so many candidates competing for so few positions, the strength of your resume is even more important than ever. I found this great breakdown of “don’ts” at Investopedia.com a great site for info on basic economic concepts and financial information. While we have done resume posts in the past, this list really gets into some of the mistakes folks have been making lately in their attempts to make their resume stand out against the sea of resumes that recruiters are swimming in.
Some of the reasons people lose their jobs can appear to be taken from the routines of stand up comedians. Unfortunately, they are truly nothing to laugh at. I have isolated what appear to be things that play a great part in employer decisions to fire certain employees. Any single one on the list is a major no-no and one would think that each of them is really a no-brainer.
When it comes to getting fired, the reasons are usually pretty common, and not always within the employee’s control. People get terminated for reasons such as company reorganizations, company financial setbacks , downsizing and other unexpected company problems. There are, however, plenty of reasons that people get fired that are not related to the company’s troubles, but to shortcomings on the part of the employee.
Check out the list after the jump and see if you find some of them as amusing and incredible as I do. If you know of any other reasons people can get fired, post a comment to add to my list: (more…)
If you’re like me, you probably rely on credit cards to some degree to plug gaps in cash flow between paychecks. Most Americans are in the same boat. US banks have been taking advantage of Americans’ reliance on credit though downright usurious and predatory practices designed to juice as much money as they can from their customers through sneaky fees and unrealistic rules. Finally, Congress took some legislative steps to rein in the worst of these abuses and passed the the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009. It takes effect on February 22, 2010. As you might expect, the credit card companies have been finding new and creative ways to sidestep these restrictions on their ability to rape their customers. Read this article at DailyFinance.com to acquaint yourself with the new rules and to learn how to avoid the banksters’ new methods for fleecing you. Also, as I wrote about in an earlier post, consider moving your credit accounts away from Wall Street companies and into local, community banks and credit unions. Visit www.moveyourmoney.info for more info on how and why to do this.
The New York Times reported over the weekend on an imminent surge in new medical schools to open in the US this year. From that article:
“The proliferation of new schools is also a market response to a rare convergence of forces: a growing population; the aging of the health-conscious baby-boom generation; the impending retirement of, by some counts, as many as a third of current doctors; and the expectation that, the present political climate notwithstanding, changes in health care policy will eventually bring a tide of newly insured patients into the American health care system.
If all the schools being proposed actually opened, they would amount to an 18 percent increase in the 131 medical schools across the country.”
For some perspective on the significance of this development, follow me past the jump. (more…)
Drew Brees of the Saints Celebrates SuperBowl Win w/ Wife and Son
Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on their epic Super Bowl win yesterday. There was a lesson in perseverance to be learned through the remarkable achievement of Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees. In short, the lesson Brees’s story teaches is to never give up working toward your dreams, no matter what the obstacles. Follow me over the fold for the story. (more…)
Forbes Magazine did some interesting research on what areas of the US are best positioned for growth. They compiled a list of the top 10 locations for jobs, income growth and quality of life. With so many major cities taking a beating in this near-depression, the landscape has changed dramatically in terms of where the best prospects are for job seekers. Cities that used to be known for excellent prospects like San Francisco, San Jose, Atlanta and others are no longer at the top of the list. Many of the cities and towns on Forbes’ new list are not even places you may have heard of. If you’re about to finish studies and are looking for a great place to live and work, check this list out here.
Developing time management skills, like any other worthwhile endeavor, requires planning and then lots of practice. But the benefits of mastering your own schedule can be felt in all areas of your life; personal and professional.
The overall point of focusing on time management is to become more aware of how you use your time and break your days up between work, study, family, social activities and sleep.
Follow me past the jump for some ideas on how to begin the process and practice of better time management.
Is it Monday again? Ugh. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by school, work, life, etc. take a second out for a quick chuckle. Life cannot be so overwhelming when you consider that someone spent a considerable amount of time teaching this elephant to play basketball.
This blog provides news, information, and perspectives about the world of medical billing, coding and Allen School Online. Visit this blog frequently for useful news and information. If you have anything to share about what you read here, join us by adding your voice to this discussion.
After the President’s televised, bi-partisan forum on healthcare reform, it still seems as if little has changed in terms of bipartisan support of reform efforts. Republicans still hew to their position that Democrats in the majority ought to start over from scratch after 60 years of debate and the last year of contentious debate on the Hill. This is a ridiculous assertion given the decades of debate that have been dedicated to this single, very important issue. It seems that the President held the forum specifically to give the minority Republicans the opportunity to take part in serious compromise discussions, offering to include tort reform – long a Republican issue – in the package. What has become clear is that the Republican party (and to some degree democrats in the Senate as well) are under the thumbs of a powerful insurance lobby that doesn’t want anything to stand between them and the record profits they’ve been reaping by boosting premiums and cutting service. So it looks like the Dems are finally preparing to go it alone. Kudos to Obama for trying to seriously engage the minority in the planning. To their credit, the Republicans have done an excellent job spreading disinformation about the bill. However, when polled piece by piece, a plurality of Americans like and support the bill. 
