Oversimplification

Obama recently said there needs to be more health insurance companies, thus creating competition, in order to reduce the cost to consumers. Of course, that makes sense, we all know that competition makes prices go down, right? Until you dig deeper. Health insurance companies are essentially middlemen, and are kindof like unions. A strong middleman will be able to negotiate a good deal from the provider, a weak middleman will get a crap deal. This gets passed on to the members/consumers. So, more competition between these middlemen, a whole bunch of weak instead of a few strong, doesn't yield that price-reducing effect. Just something I hadn't really thought about before. Things are always more complex (and yes, my description here is still oversimplifying things).

Auctioneers

On the +15 level, there must have been some auction going on in a conference room. Auctioneers sound hilarious. They're like Ned Flanders on speed. I crack up even just remembering a moment of it. I should obtain a recording of an auction, listen to it any time I need a laugh. Or use it to help cheer someone up. "dude, my girlfriend just dumped me..." "oh, yeah, know what that's like... here, listen to this, you'll feel better."

Surplus sales

Had to miss part of the afternoon for an appointment, so with the remaining part I checked out the provincial government surplus place. In the "Cash and Carry" area, there were lots of tables, chairs, desk, and filing cabinets, as expected. Nothing too special, but cheap. You can get a gigantic CRT TV for $5. But, it was the Auction section that amazed me! There was all sorts of crazy stuff there! Especially medical stuff! Like, ultrasound machines, defibrillators, respirators, blood coagulators, giant chemical analysis machines, and devices I couldn't identify or see a label. Sure, some of the things would only be sold to a professional, but most were for anyone. And even then, I kindof hope my medic is not using devices on me that he got for a few bucks at the surplus warehouse.

Cycles

When I was a child, we had a box on top of the TV. This wonderful device allowed the TV to controlled using a remove control instead of by turning the knob. As time went by, that TV retired, and the new TV had it's own built-in remote, and the days of having a box on top of the TV were over! Now, many years later, as things become digital, it turns out once more we are required to have a stupid little box sitting on top of the TV once again.

Regarding Sears

Ok, so I've decided to share my thanksgiving experience...

on monday i went to Sears at North Hill to exchange or return something i bought the previous weekend. Looked around, couldn't find something to exchange it for, so I returned it. Then, someone twisted my arm behind me and locked me up in a small room and said i was being arrested for fraud. they said i picked it up in the store and tried to return it. Eventually the actual police came, talked to me and talked to them back and forth, and looked at the video, and decided it didn't show anything so let me go. but I'm still banned from Sears for 2 years.

Even though i knew the video couldn't show that i did anything since i didn't do anything, it was still so stressful and really shook me up, even days later. Don't really feel that safe anymore.

Part of me wants to see what their rights are and what my rights are and what legal recourse there is, i mean they shouldn't be allowed to treat people that way. part of me wants to write a letter to that company or that store manager about the incident. but most of me just really wants to forget about it.

i went home to recover for a while, then went to a friends house and watched a cartoon as we had planned before. i needed a cartoon.

anyway it's over now, leave it behind.

Mid-autumn festival and thanksgiving

I think it's a little funny that I celebrated an asian event last weekend with predominantly white people, and will celebrate a white event this weekend with mostly asian people. Just emphasizes how genetics/skin colour doesn't really have much to do with culture.

Renew blogging

Stopped blogging for a chunk of summer, decided to start writing a bit again, though out of the habit. Lets see... Was in Malaysia for a month of work then traveled for a couple weeks with a hong kong friend... hadn't planned to, but the chance to travel with someone for once was too good an opportunity to pass up. My sneaky plan regarding my chosen flight home didn't work out, as someone's flight got delayed :( Unfortunately by traveling I missed seeing a couple out of town friends in calgary who I don't see for years at a time, so it was a hefty price to pay. Got back into dragonboat, though it took me a little while to ramp up, and didn't go to any festival until I found I was still around here in late september and could go to kelowna. I had several weeks off, but could have been called back to work any day so couldn't plan anything major. Finally with no field work, got pulled back into the office. I don't like it, but no choice really. That's were I am now. Yeah, missed out on about a thousand details and small events but oh well can't write it all.