Back from a trip to Denver, amazing how things have changed since I make it up there only occasionally instead of weekly. I counted 13 medical marijuana clinics between Quebec and Alameda on Leetsdale.
Lots of new burger-and-fries joints as well. Got to use a gift card to TJ Maxx I've had for three years since neither P-town or the Springs have one. Waiting to use my gift card to Magiannos, same reason.
The best part? It took 90 minutes around trip from the edge of Aurora to visit a friend in Lakewood. Everything in Pueblo is 15 minutes away from wherever you are.
The rest of the trip was a venture into hospitals, hospital emergency rooms and the advancing specter of elder care. W7 blew up on my laptop and the DSL speed at the folks' place to slower than dial up (thanks, Quest!) so no surfing for me. Oh, did you see yesterday that AT&T is planning on charging extra for your internet service if you use too much of it
?http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/15/att-to-cap-users-internet-access-impose-fees-for-too-much-information/ This is an effort to shut down Netflix, of course. They've been planning this move for about two years, although at the time I was told by my listeners that that would never happen. The other providers will follow suit shortly, I'm sure.
Difficulties with a cell phone kept me on the line with four different Verizon techs for fours days. They closed the ticket twice (I know, I've been on the Baatan Death March To Close the Trouble Ticket myself) without resolving the issue. As far as I know it still isn't fixed.
In other annoying and alarming news: besides the Republicon Holy War to defund NPR and Planned Parenthood (where's my job, Boehner?) several new laws around the country are aimed at prosecuting women who have suffered a miscarriage if they had anything to do with causing that miscarriage. In Iowa, a woman entered the ER after a fall down the stairs; she mentioned to the nurse that she had considered an abortion early in the pregnancy as she had three children already and was in the middle of a divorce. She decided against it. The nurse told the Dr., who had here arrested on suspicion of throwing herself down the stairs to hid herself of the child. She spent two days in jail. Next up: women will bear the burden of proof of their innocence whenever they have a miscarriage. In three, two, one....
Boehner - you said it first. So where's my job?
So no photos today - Carbonite won't be finished with the restore I started yesterday afternoon for another nine hours. Folders are back, so far all empty. Certainly better than no files at all. I hope.
Other happy news: The Denver Post reported Sunday that Kaiser in Colorado, a non profit organization, has a $66 million surplus from your premium payments, to protect themselves from Obamacare, or something. Meanwhile Stephanie Miller reported yesterday on her radio show that Kaiser premiums (not necessarily Colorado) are rising 50% and for some 'insured', 80%.
Where's a Teabagger when you need one?
ast week, the New York Times reported that, despite making $14.2 billion in profits, General Electric, the largest corporation in the United States, paid zero U.S. taxes in 2010 and actually received tax credits of $3.2 billion dollars. The article noted that GE’s tax avoidance team is comprised of “former officials not just from the Treasury, but also from the I.R.S. and virtually all the tax-writing committees in Congress.”
