The View From Here

Back in the USA = Culture Shock?

Welcome Home?

My return to the U.S. after 6+ years in Panama has been a transition. Yeah, I had to be re-trained and re-programed in several areas. But one of the real shockers was the U.S. healthcare system. And my interest in the subject had nothing to do with ObamaCare.

My interest was more personal. One of the features that my military insurance (TriCare) has that is not a feature of most 'civilian' plans is transparency. Everytime TriCare pays a claim they notify me and post the details in my files which I can review on-line. More out of curiosity than anything else I started going in and looking at the information provided. I was shocked!

Shocked at the dollar amounts billed by the care provider. Surprised at the disparity between what was often paid versus what had been billed.  And totally stunned by one claim when the hospital billed $28,651.35 and the amount allowed and paid by the insurance copmpany was $6,740.02

I could make absolutely no sense at all of this. Then I discovered (and read) the Wall Street Journal article I have attached (below) which explains my confusion. It does not make sense of the situation however.

The Bottom Line: We Americans are not 'up in arms' over the existing healthcare system because - we don't know what the system is. Period.

Read on and enjoy.

 

The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less.

By JEFFREY A. SINGER

Every so often I have an extraordinary and surprising experience with a patient-the kind that makes us both say, "Wow, we've learned something from this." One such moment occurred recently.

A gentleman in his early 60s came in with a rather routine hernia in his lower abdomen, one that is easily repaired with a simple outpatient surgical procedure. We scheduled the surgery at a nearby hospital.

My patient is self-employed and owns a low-cost "indemnity" type of health insurance policy. It has no provider-network requirements or preferred-hospital requirements. The patient can go anywhere. The policy pays up to a fixed amount for doctor and hospital bills based upon the diagnosis. This affordable health-insurance policy made a lot of sense to this man, based on his health and financial situation.

When the man arrived at the hospital for surgery, the admitting clerk reviewed the terms of his policy and estimated the amount of his bill that would be paid by insurance. She asked him to pay his estimated portion in advance. (More hospitals are doing that now because too often patients don't pay their portions of the bills after insurance has paid.)

The insurance policy, the clerk said, would pay up to $2,500 for the surgeon-more than enough-and up to $2,500 for the hospital's charges for the operating room, nursing, recovery room, etc. The estimated hospital charge was $23,000. She asked him to pay roughly $20,000 upfront to cover the estimated balance.

My patient was stunned. I received a call from the admitting clerk informing me that he wanted to cancel the surgery, and explaining why. After speaking to the man alone and learning the nature of his insurance policy, I realized I was not bound by any "preferred provider" contractual arrangements and knew we had a solution.

I explained that just because he had health insurance didn't mean he had to use it in every situation. After all, when people have a minor fender-bender, they often settle it privately rather than file an insurance claim. Because of the nature of this man's policy, he could do the same thing for his medical procedure. However, had I been bound by a preferred-provider contract or by Medicare, I wouldn't have been able to enlighten him.

Hospitals and other providers make their "list" prices as high as possible when negotiating contracts with health plans and Medicare regulators. No one is ever expected to pay the list price. Anybody who has seen an "Explanation of Benefits" statement from a health plan will note a very high charge from the provider, and an "adjusted charge" based upon the contracted fee schedule, which usually leaves the patient with little or nothing in out-of-pocket expenses. The only people routinely faced with list prices are those few people who have insurance like my patient's-that doesn't include a pre-negotiated fee schedule with contracted providers-or those who have no insurance.

Most people are unaware that if they don't use insurance, they can negotiate upfront cash prices with hospitals and providers substantially below the "list" price. Doctors are happy to do this. We get paid promptly, without paying office staff to wade through the insurance-payment morass.

So we canceled the surgery and started the scheduling process all over again, this time classifying my patient as a "self-pay" (or uninsured) patient. I quoted him a reasonable upfront cash price, as did the anesthesiologist. We contacted a different hospital and they quoted him a reasonable upfront cash price for the outpatient surgical/nursing services.

He underwent his operation the very next day, with a total bill of just a little over $3,000, including doctor and hospital fees. He ended up saving $17,000 by not using insurance

This process taught us a few things. First, most people these days don't have health "insurance." They have prepaid health plans. They pay premiums to take advantage of a pre-negotiated fee schedule arranged for and administered by a third party. My patient, on the other hand, had insurance.

Second, even with the markdown for upfront "cash-pay" patients, none of the providers was losing money on my patient. Otherwise they wouldn't have agreed to the prices. With the third-party payer taken out of the picture, we got a better idea of the market prices for the services. It is the third-party payment system that interferes with true price competition, so "market clearing prices" can't develop.

Take the examples of Lasik eye surgery or cosmetic surgery. These services are not covered by insurance. Providers compete on the basis of quality, outcomes and price. And prices have continually dropped as quality and services have improved-unlike the rest of health care.

When my patient returned for his post-op visit we discussed the experience. It was clear to both of us that the only way to make health care more affordable is to diminish the role of third-party payers. Let consumers and providers interact through market forces to drive down prices and drive up quality, like we do when we buy groceries, clothing, cars, computers, etc. Drop the focus on prepaid health plans and return to the days of real health insurance-that covers major, unforeseen events, leaving the everyday expenses to the consumer-just like auto and homeowners' insurance.

Sadly, we are heading in the exact opposite direction. ObamaCare expands the role of the third party and practically eliminates the role-and the say-of the patient in the delivery of health care. Will they ever learn?

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Dr. Singer practices general surgery in Phoenix, Ariz., and is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute.  A version of this article appeared August 22, 2013, on page A15 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal.

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Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

Americans Moving To Panama

 

Living In Panama Is A Life-Style Change

Panama is the Number #1 location in the world for Americans living outside the U.S. There are a lot of reasons for Panama's popularity with expats, reasons that often vary with the individuals involved. People searching for a place to relocate often consider a host of factors - climate, living expenses, modern conditions, national infrastucture, transportation systems, political stability, and proximity to the U.S. (read travel time). And any one of these factors may become a priority as people 'settle in' to life in a foreign country. And more often than not, travel magazines and publications oriented towards expats considering relocation tend to paint totally pretty pictures. They concentrate on the positive points and seldom even discuss the country's 'warts', even in passing.

But normally for an American to move to Panama (or an expat from almost any country for that matter), the move is much more than just a change of location. For most it is a change in life-style as well. And yes, there are a lot of folks who move here 'permanently' only to pack up after a couple of years and move back to the States. The stated reasons for returning back to the U.S. are most often health or family factors. I am convinced after watching these movements for the last five years that the underlying reason is often a failure, or a reluctance, to adapt to the life-style changes required to live here.

Let me give you some examples of what I mean. Don Winner, who publishes the popular and informative English-language web news site (Panama - Guide), recently conducted a survey of expats living in Panama. Don's goal was to try to quantify what expats were spending on a monthly basis to live in Panama - an average. Respondents were asked to provide information about their personal situation in enough detail to be able to account for differences in family and living situations. Where they lived, in what kind of accomodations, monthly rent/house payments, utility costs, automobile costs (to include insurance and gasoline expenditures), food and entertainment expenditures and family size were items of interests. Don even suggested that people who traveled regularly back to visit the U.S. factor those costs into their monthly expense figure.

As you might expect, peoples' life styles were as varied in Panama as they are back in the U.S.  The contrast runs from retired well-to-do couples living in luxury high-rises in downtown Panama City to a single man living off of a small Social Security pension in a hostel in the rural countryside - and everything in between including entire families, beach-front home owners and mountain cabin hide-aways. And lifestyle is not the only thing that impacts monthly expenditures. A large number of folks have fairly low monthly costs because they came down here before the 'crash' in the U.S. (with cash in their pockets from the sale of the family home), and paid cash for both a home and an automobile. So their monthly expensive are, should we say, artificially low compared to their lifestyle. A lot of more recent arrivals do not share that advantage and spend more money on a monthly basis. But it seems to balance out statistically.

However, even given all the variables, the survey results were surprising - even to Winner who has been here a long time and is 'plugged in' to what is going on in Panama. Taken all the factors into consideration, the average monthly cost per person for expats living in Panama turns out to be less than $1,000 a month. Yes, you read that right! Including everything, the average is less than $1,000 - and yes, that means half the people are living on less than that.

What you have no way of knowing is that not everything across the board is cheaper in Panama. Yes some things are cheaper, but gasoline for instance is more expensive than in the U.S., as are a lot of food items. So the 'cheap living' can not be attributed solely to cheap prices. And that is where lifestyle comes in. Let me use my personal situation as an example to emphasize my point.

I moved into the Hotel Occidental on the town square in David when I first got here almost five years ago. (Click on the photos to enlarge) The hotel was ideally located, inexpensive and more than adequate. My plan was to stay there while I shopped around while I found an apartment here in the area. The monthly rate I paid worked out to about $13 a day ($400/month) and that was consideraly more than what a two-bedroom apartment rents for here in David. However, here I am years later, still in the hotel even though just a couple of months ago they raised my rate for the first time. I now pay $15 a day. So why am I still here? Re-evaluation and certain lifestyle changes, pure and simple. Let me explain.

As I shopped around David looking at different neighborhoods and a number of different living options (apartment buildings, duplexes, small houses, etc.) - and as I learned some of the practical considerations of living in David - I began to appreciate more and more the situation I had at the hotel. The first thing that sank in on me was a security consideration. No, David is not a dangerous place, but an American retiree to some degree is a 'visible target' in that certain people assume (and normally it is so) that you have in your house a computer, a modern TV, a stereo system of some type and a good camera - just for starters. And I am going to be living alone and going off twice a year for a month at a time to visit back in the U.S. Sound like you are just asking for trouble? There are a lot of places even in the U.S. where that could create problems.

On the flip side, unlike hotels in the U.S., access to hotels down here is strictly limited. Unless you are a paying guest in the hotel, you do not walk by the front desk and get on the elevator and go upstairs. You do not even bring in a 'visitor' in the evening unless they leave their ID at the front desk. So the chances of someone breaking in your room when you are gone is slim. The chance that someone is going to even try to 'cart' your valuables past the front desk on the way out the door is nil. First advantage to the Hotel Occidental!

While I was apartment shopping I was also shopping for a car. Gotta have a car, right,? Then one day a 'light dawned' on that subject as well. An expat friend who was helping me out revealed that he owned a car. Since he always spent the $1 and took cabs all over town, I was shocked to discover he had a car, I asked him why he never drove it. He explained that the majority of the Panamanians in David did not own a car - the primary reason there were so many taxis available everywhere all over town. And unlike the 'car society' in the U.S., David's infrastructure was therefore not car oriented. I realized he was correct when he noted that there were not public parking lots in downtown David. And most businesses do not have parking either. His apartment building had no parking lot, so he had to walk two blocks to the place that he paid to store his car, so he could then drive it across town to conduct business at an establishment that did not have any parking. So he would drive around and around the block until he found a parking place. For example even most of the big supermarkets here in town have very limited parking available. That is when I also started to realize that everything I needed on a regular basis - ATM machine, pharmacy, supermarket, restaurants, bars, etc. - where not only within two blocks of the hotel, I could see most of them from my balcony. And no, the hotel does not have parking either.

I have since learned some other 'problems' with driving in Panama that I have decided I do not need as long as I can go any place in town by taxi for next to nothing. Expats can only drive on their U.S. drivers licenses for 90 days and then they have the authorization renewed at the border to be good for another 90 days. This 90 day requiremnt used to 'line up' with the 90-day tourist visa, but when they changed the visa duration to 180 days, they did not change the driver's license. There is also now a form that must be carried in the car that you must fill out in case of a minor accident. The form is in Spanish and must be completed in Spanish.

Many of the expats who have been here a while also strongly recommend that you have a 'dash cam' installed in your car. For starters in the case of a traffic stop, policemen are less likely to 'play games' with the gringo if they can plainly see they are on camera. Even more important, it is pretty much a given that in case of a traffic accident, the gringo was at fault. A good dash cam has leveled that playing field and has saved a lot of expats a lot of grief and expense.

I should also note that gas is more expensive here than in the U.S. And there are some things about driving down here that take some getting use to. This picture is a good example of some of the surprises in store for the un-initiated. Click on the photo so you can play 'Find The Stop Sign'.

Keep in mind I am not trying to convince you to get rid of your car. Rather what we are discussing is life style changes involved in my move. Not changes I planned, they just evolved.  A few years ago I could never have envisioned myself  without a car. And early on, I almost bought one out of a knee-jerk reaction. I realize now that if I did have a car here, it would be a several hundred dollar a month expense that I don't need, and probably a car I would not drive that much.

The other conscious decision I made very early was to try and reduce the frustration level of my life. And that also drove me to consider even more the hotel as home. In simplest terms, all the utilities and other expenses are part of the hotel bill. No, utilities are not expensive here, but I don't have to mess with water, electricity, and TV cable bills. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but here you do not pay your utility bills by sending them a check or clicking on a button on your computer. Every month you trek over to the utility company's office and stand in line to pay your bill. And, based on what I read on all the gringo blogs, the utility companies are infamous for never seeming to get it right. What is this charge? I paid last month, why is that charge still on this month's bill? Oh, I'm in the wrong line? Does anyone here speak English? Come back tomorrow? Can you imagine going through something like that every month? No thanks!

So the bottom line is this. Relocating to Panama, or any other foreign country, is not just a change of location. It may entail lifestyle changes that you cannot anticipate and, quite candidly do not want. That is why I am still amazed to see people arrive down here 'fresh off the boat' looking for a house to buy. Wait a minute here - cart and horse time! And nothing is sadder to see than a couple 'taking a bath' on the house they just bought last year and returning to the U.S. Wiser? Maybe.

Larry Matthews

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

Random Musing and Such

 

Continuing Evidence of Advancing Dementia or of A Mis-Spent Youth?

 

Only in America

Only in America could we have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner, the head of the Treasury Department and Charles Rangel who once ran the Ways and Means Committee, BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

Only in America could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists. "

Only in America do you need a driver's license to drive a vehicle, cash a check, buy alcohol or get on an airliner, but it is discriminatory to require an ID to vote.

Only in America could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

Only in America could the rich people who pay 86% of all income taxes be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all

(click on thumbnails to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Did You Know?

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair..

The first novel ever written on a typewriter was Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987, 654,321

Although we think of Americans as nomadic, moving around the U.S., half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A'?

 A. One thousand

Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?

A. Father's Day

 

Interesting History.

In Shakespeare' s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on.

Hence the phrase...'Goodnight , sleep tight'

 

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them 'Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.' . . .Thus the phrase 'mind your P's and Q's'

Many years ago in England , pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill , they used the whistle to get some service.  'Wet your whistle' is the phrase inspired by this practice.

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot and then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.....if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor".

But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot...they "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low.

 

..and in the 1500s

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor..... Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose things in it..... Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.....So.. the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection...That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.....Hence: a ‘thresh hold’.

Many people lived primarily eating vegetables, however sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."   They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and ‘chew the fat’.

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes (from acidity), so for about 400 years or so, tomatoes were wronglfully considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ‘the upper crust’.

 

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination of lead and alcohol would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.....Hence the custom; "of holding a wake".

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell. That was the ‘graveyard shift’.  And that also meant someone could be, "saved by the bell" or end up being considered “a dead ringer".

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida!

 

A Million Dollar Smile

 

A Feel Good Story From Panama

There are very few things that get to me like the smile of a child. And the brilliant smile of a beautiful little girl who life has ‘dealt a hand’ that is rough is – as the commercial says- “priceless!” Meet young Sissi.  

Sissi was born with mal-formed legs, and Don Ray Williams, (a friend and fellow David blogger)  has written several articles in the past on his blog, ‘Chiriqui Chatter’ about the amazing work that an American ex-pat couple do here in Panama through the foundation they have established. Tom and Linda McCormack have done some amazing things in the past and their work continues uninhibited as we speak.

One of the programs that the McCormack Foundation manages involves shipping items from the states that are hard to find here in Panama and distributing them to the needy. We are talking about items like wheelchairs and adjustable hospital beds. And we are talking about get them shipped to Panama in full huge cargo-ship containers. Yes, a real logistics exercise when you include unloading, sorting, delivering, etc.

I first became aware of Sissi’s plight when Don Ray posted an article about Tom delivering a wheelchair to Sissi which allowed the bright little girl to be able to attend school with the kids of her own age for the first time in her young life. Her smile in this picture (with Tom and her sister) pretty much says it all about what she thought of that gift. You will also be glad to know that she does very well at school, even though initially school officials had attempted to isolate her from her classmates. (The school system is not that experienced in dealing with handicapped people – nor is the society as a whole for that matter.)

 

Well the latest story from Don Ray about Sissi  has to do with a computer. On his last trip here, Tom brought a Dell Laptop for Sissi to use to connect to the Internet and the world. He enlisted Don Ray’s help in getting it set up to run wireless. The computer, as Don Ray explained did not have built in WIFI capability or ethernet connectivity,  and both required special PCMCIA cards for those capabilities. Well Don Ray got the computer configured and working properly, and the other day he delivered it to Sissi. Yep, there is that smile again. Makes me weak in the knees. How about you?

Sissi is but one example of Tom’s efforts with special needs children. And are you ready for this? Tom is currently working with the Shriner organization for a future operation for Sissi to allow her to gain use of her legs. As you can see from this picture, this is quite an undertaking from a medical standpoint. But, keep your fingers crossed for Sissi. For her to some day walk into a classroom that she wasn’t even allowed to enter in the past due to her physical deformity will be an awesome feat. And I hope I am around to witness it.

Can you even imagine the smile then?

 

For Those Of You Who Want More Info:

If you want to know more about Tom and Linda McCormack’s foundation,  visit the Foundations web site

And here is a link to Don Ray’s blog ..Chiriqui Chatter 

And here is the link to Don Ray’s latest article about Sissi ---- Sissi's Smile

 

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida!

Announcing My Run For President

 

The Truth Finally Comes Out!

The people of the United States of America are being fed the same old tired myths again. I have decided to expose these myths and give you my friends and loyal readers the real skinny.

Myth #1...Global Warming:
Global Warming is NOT a problem - we need Global Warming. Who wants another Ice Age? Why do hundreds of people move to Florida? Duh … because it's warm! How many people immigrate to the Arctic on a yearly basis? Just imagine a beautiful planet with continuous summer. Think of the money you'll save by no longer having the expense of winter clothes, antifreeze, heating bills or donations to Save the Polar Bear charities

Myth #2...Hybrid Cars:
Yup – the car of my dreams. A $40,000 car that can go a full 31 miles a day. But at least it’s ugly. And the major oil producers are very aware of this push and that's why they're reluctant to do any more offshore drilling. They have to put money aside now to buy digging equipment to unearth the coal necessary to feed these electric power plants.

Myth #3...Better Education:
Sure they want you to believe that we have to better educate our children to compete in this age of technology. Let me ask you - With an entire country full of highly trained and specialized technicians, who's gonna pick up the garbage?

Myth #4...Health Care for All:
What poppy-cock! Too many healthy people leads to overpopulation which leads to food shortages. Need I say more?

 

Important Announcement: I am also taking this chance to announce that I'm throwing my hat in the ring and declaring my candidacy for President of the United States of America. If we all write in, I can be your very next exalted Commander in Chief.

 

My campaign advisors insisted that I needed a special person as my running mate. Someone who would appeal to a broader base than I. So I looked for 'that special person' for my Vice Presidential pick. Someone even better than Sarah Pallin. Well I found him and you're gonna LOVE this very special person. Meet Sydney, the next VP of the U.S. (click on thumbnail to view photo full sized)

 

 

Newsletter

I'm also making this special, limited time offer to my constituency: Sign up now for my special monthly newsletter "103 Secrets the Government Doesn't Want You to Know" for only $5,000.00 a year and receive ABSOLUTELY FREE the following bonus publications:

#1...How to Never Pay Income Taxes Again.
#2...Things to Do in Prison for Failure to Pay Your Income Taxes.
#3...How to Have Bootleg Cigarettes and Drugs Delivered to Your Cell Every Visitors’ Day While in Any Prison.

Send your Western Union Money Orders Only to: “103 Secrets”
% Senor Juan Valdez,    Warden, Chiriqui Detention    David, Chiriqui, Panama
P.S. My plea bargain requires that I include the following caution: Do Not Include Items That Will Not Clear Customs. 

BUT WAIT: Special Deal:  To stimulate newsletter sales even further I'm offering absolutely free for a limited time only with every $5,000.00 order, my latest book "How to Turn Your Microwave Oven into a Nuclear Reactor". Clear, easy to read step by step instructions and fully illustrated in color.

Order within the next 24 hours and I'll also throw in the internet addresses of ten sites where you can buy mail-order Enriched Uranium. In addition, I'll even send you a coupon entitling you to a 25% discount with your first Uranium order.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

Father Knows Best!

 

Dating Guidelines - AKA The Gospel According To Matthews!

 

For those of you with teenage daughters (either now or projected), I found these guidelines easy to understand and very effective.  I have 3 daughters and these were my rules when they were dating and they were posted in my entry hallway .....

Rules For Dating an Air Force Officer’s Daughter

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will surgically remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to all things involving sex and my daughter, I am THE barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. If my daughter is putting on her makeup, it is a process that can take longer than painting the QE2. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like washing my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter:
Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool.
Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight.
Places where there is darkness.
Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness.
Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat.
Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a car approaching a check-point in Viet Nam. When my PTSD starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to 'sharpen the knives', as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside.

And, Yes the eyes looking out through the blinds are mine!

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

Top Five Regrets Of The Dying

 

from The U.K. paper, ‘The Guardian’, Feb 5, 2012

Top five regrets of the dying

A nurse has recorded the most common regrets of the dying, and among the top ones is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'. What would your biggest regret be if this was your last day of life?

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."

Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

What's your greatest regret so far, and what will you set out to achieve or change before you die?

 

Larry adds:  I would think this article would be 'food for thought' for all of us, regardless on age. What is really important in our lives? Have we seriously considered that question? If so, do we act on those priorities in our daily lives? And, if 'not', why not?

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

An Ode To Aging

 

Be sure and visit my Travel Blog for all the ‘normal news’ in Panama. The link, ‘Visit Our Travel Blog’, is on your right.

 

Aging - Even If Not Gracefully

I like getting older. It has set me free. I find that I don't give a second thought to things I used to get ulcers over. And I no longer have the time of day for people I used to waste time trying to please. More importantly, I like the person I have become. 

I know I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not dwell on what could have been, or worry about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it), have a snifter of Gran Marnier even when there is no special occasion and tell every pretty woman I come across just how attractive she is - just because I probably should have told her the last time I saw her.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family for a head full of hair, grey or not, or an athletic physic. As I've aged, I've become kinder to others, less critical of myself and become my own best friend. I don't chide myself if I choose to read all morning, or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60s and sing along to my favorites from the 70's.  And if I wish to weep over a lost love, a sad movie, a returning memory or a long-gone friend ... I will do so, thank you.

I have seen many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with ageing. I know they would understand when I decide to eat that extra cookie, or not make my bed, or buy silly stuff that I didn't need - just because I am entitled – entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. Whose business is it?

I feel blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn grey (and then disappear), and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into grooves on my face. So many people I have known never laughed enough, and so many died before their hair could turn silver.

And someday I hope you will find that as you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think and you don't question yourself anymore.. Like me, you will have even earned the right to be wrong, and actually feel obligated to live life to the fullest.

 

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida 

 

It Is Quiet, But Not Resolved in Panama

 

 

 

 

Be sure and visit my Travel Blog for all the ‘normal news’ in Panama. The ‘Visit Our  Travel Blog’ link is on your right.

 

Protesting Ngöbe-Buglé Indians Remain On Alert

In the province of Chiriqui, dozens of Indians remain on alert in more than seven fronts of struggle along the Pan American Highway. The Indians warned they will continue their vigil and remain on high alert in support of the  Chieftain Silvia Carrera and the leaders of the Coordinator Against Mining and Hydropower. (TVN)

Don Winner (Panama Guide) explains: Yeah, their standing around, waiting for the word to block the road again. If the talks don't go as they want in the National Assembly, or if a deal that's satisfactory to everyone can't be reached, then they'll pull the trigger again.……..

 

But – It Gets Even Better (Worse?)

Changuinola, Bocas del Toro. - The Coordinator of the Movement for the Defense of the Territory of the Ecosystem of the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Feliciano Santo, announced that in the coming hours this group will undertake forceful actions including the closure of the Pan-American highway. Santo said they have taken this decision because Celio Guerra, the President of the Traditional General Congress, has not been allowed to participate in the negotiations and talks currently taking place in Panama City.

He was referring to the meetings of the special commission that is trying to reach a consensus over Article 5 of Bill 415 which establishes the mining regime for the Ngäbe-Bugle region, which has been meeting for the past four days. These protests and street closures will take place in the district of San Felix in the province of Chiriqui, and in Sixaola in the province of Bocas del Toro, said the leader. He said these protests will be carried out by different groups of indigenous Ngäbe-Bugle Indians from different organizations from non traditional authorities - meaning - those who do not recognize the authority of the Congress that was elected in a vote organized by the Electoral Tribunal in 2010. (Prensa)

Don Winner explains: Yeah, because this mining and hydro power crap wasn't complicated enough already. Back in 2010 the Electoral Tribunal tried to organize an election in the Ngäbe-Bugle region. The vast majority of those who were eligible to vote (50,000+) decided to boycott the election. The current Chieftain who is legally recognized by the government because she won that election with 27% of the vote - is not recognized by the vast majority of the rest of the population of the Ngäbe-Bugle people. So, there's a good chance that whatever agreement she signs will not be recognized by the people in the Ngäbe-Bugle region, either.

Anyway, the bottom line does not change. There are now two possibilities that the Pan-American highway will be shut down again in the coming days.

• One threat from the Chieftain's people - if she sticks her head out of the door and says the wrong thing, or if an agreement can't be reached, then her people will close the road again in protest.
• And the second threat from Celio Guerra's people, who apparently has the backing of more of the indigenous Ngäbe-Bugle people than the Chieftain who is doing the negotiating.

Does it sound like the whole thing is resolved to you? You also need to realize that this debate (battle, struggle?) has been going on for years. So stay tuned. The ‘fat lady’ has not even showed up yet, much less sung.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida

 

 

 

Is The Crises In Panama Over?

  

The Major Events Of Tuesday

Noon: The National Police denied yesterday, both via their Twitter account and in the media, the use of standard issue regulation weapons by the riot control units who were fighting with the protesting Indians who had closed the Inter American highway in San Felix, Chiriqui. However, photographs published on Monday by the newspaper La Estrella reveal otherwise.

In these images, one police officer can be seen using his standard issue police weapon, what appears to be clear evidence of the allegations being made by many Indians and residents in the area, who denounced the use of weapons.

Don Winner (Panama Guide) adds: This cop has his semi auto weapon concealed in his belt in the lower part of his back, because he isn't supposed to have it. He's not wearing a standard leg holster, which sort of indicates to me he very well might have made the decision to bring this weapon on his own. (It is also important to note that) the protesters were using shotguns and hunting rifles in San Felix yesterday.

 

3:00pm  Talks between the members of the Coordinating Committee for the Defense of Natural Resources Defense and the Rights of the Ngäbe-Bugle People and a delegation from the government resumed at 3:10 pm this afternoon. The two sides are meeting at the Instituto Profesional y Técnico Abel Tapiero Miranda in San Lorenzo, Chiriqui. The participants called for a recess at 1:40 pm for lunch, and they were requested not to give statements to the media about the talks that are taking place behind closed doors, with the mediation of the bishop of David, Jose Luis Lacunza. According to sources closes to the dialogue, there is a good atmosphere in the negotiations that began after the closure of the Inter-American Highway, which was blocked for six days, and the clearing the way by riot control officers of the National Police which resulted in one killed and 39 wounded. (Prensa)

 

4:00pm  During the march of the Indians, police officers guarded the Super 99 supermarkets in Balboa, Rio Abajo, and there was a bus full of police officers stationed in front of the Super 99 store located on Via Fernández de Córdoba in Vista Hermosa. Similarly, the Super 99 in Plaza Carolina, Juan Diaz, was also guarded by Panamanian police.

At the Super 99 supermarket in Balboa there were 41 police officers present, who formed a human wall in front of the supermarket. Yesterday the door of the Super 99 supermarket in Calidonia was battered by the indigenous protesters from the May 5 Plaza, who are against mining. (Panama America)

Larry notes: What makes this story ‘news worthy’ is that President Martinelli is the CEO of the Super 99 supermarket chain.

 

6:00pm By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The meetings between the government commission, comprised of Ministers and Deputies from the National Assembly, and the members of the Coordinating Committee for the Defense of Natural Resources Defense and the Rights of the Ngäbe-Bugle People, could possibly result in an agreement this afternoon. So far there have been three drafts of an agreement written. Earlier president Ricardo Martinelli said via his Twitter account "we totally support the executive commission that is in talks with the national coordinator, the church, and the assembly," as a way of signaling that he's willing to accept whatever they come up with in the meetings………….The most important element for the protesting Indians will be guarantees that there will be no mining in the comarca. I expect they will eventually drop the part about hydroelectric projects, or at least accept those concessions which have already been granted. And of course the government will keep the Inmet and Petaquilla mines off limits for these talks, because those projects represent billions of dollars of income for the state. The rest will be details, and then it will be over. Well, except for all of the non-stop baseless criticism that will be leveled at the government of Ricardo Martinelli by the opposition political operatives, because that's simply "what they do."

 

7:00pm  Emergency Message from the U.S. Embassy: The State Department alerts U.S. citizens of the risks of travel along the Pan-American Highway in western Panama and other parts of the country at this time.

UPDATE: The two sides are in negotiations to end the protests and the Pan American Highway was open as of February 7. The overall situation has led to numerous protest marches and demonstrations in Panama City that have caused partial road closures and significant traffic disruption. Additionally, there are reports of a large concentration of protestors and a lack of police presence in the Volcan area. Current road closures in the Changuinola area are affecting the availability of food and fuel in the islands of Bocas del Toro. The U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to avoid traveling to the Volcan area at this time.

BACKGROUND: Violent confrontations between Panamanian security forces and indigenous groups have resulted in continued disruptions and demonstrations along the Pan-American Highway near the San Felix area in Chiriqui (Ngobe Bugle region) and elsewhere in Panama. There are reports of violent confrontations between the Panamanian police and protestors in the San Juan, San Felix, Horconcitos, and Vigui areas. There are further reports of demonstrations in the areas of David, Changuinola and Panama City.

The U.S. Embassy urges American citizens to proceed cautiously with travel along the Pan-American Highway in western Panama at this time. While the Pan-American Highway is reported to be open, protesters continue in their attempts to block it with rocks, trees, and burning tires at various points between Chiriqui and San Felix. Protesters have been reportedly throwing rocks at passing vehicles. Panamanian Security Services continue to use tear gas and other riot control measures. American citizens are urged to avoid areas of demonstrations, to defer traveling to and within areas known to have current protest activity, and to exercise caution in any area of confrontation between police and protestors. Other protests on this or other issues may occur with little or no warning. The Embassy continues to caution its employees and all U.S. citizens to exercise heightened security awareness and avoid crowds and any areas where there are demonstrations or where confrontations could occur.

 

7:30pm  A reader submitted this report to Panama Guide: "It sure is funny that there has been almost no news about the province of Bocas del Toro. I am now on Isla Colon as of this afternoon, but live in Almirante. I have been in touch with friends in Changuinola and they have told me that there are numerous blockades all through the city, and all along the highway to Almirante. The back road from Changuinola to Almirante is blocked. The police have not intervened. They are holed up in the cuartel with the gates locked. Everyone is thankful that they haven t taken to smashing the local businesses like last time. Around a thousand demonstrators marched down the streets in Changuinola yesterday. In Almirante,the water lines have been sabotaged many times and we have been without water.I could hear chainsaws busy near Almirante last night and this morning. Over on the island, Isla Colon, other than the fact that there is no diesel ,cooking gas, vegetables, or incoming tourists, things seem relatively normal. The electric plant must be almost out of fuel and they have been threatening to cut power for 4 days now. We are all waiting wwith bated breath for the results of the negotiations that are happening at this moment in David."

 ----------------------

Noon Wednesday, Larry Adds: There are reports that the negotiators have reached agreement and are preparing a final document for approval.  Hopefully these negotiations will result in a resolution today. If not it should be really interesting later today because a number of organizations are gearing up for marches and demonstrations ‘if required’ on Wednesday.  I can assure you that, living right on the city’s ‘gathering place’ (the Parque), I have had about all the speeches delivered over bullhorns I can handle for a while.

Even more importantly, shortages of all types are starting to cause all sorts of problems throughout the country. The central point of my posting "Achilles Heel in Panama's Infrastructure?" on my travel blog a week ago is really being highlighted.

 

Till Next Time. Pura Vida!