US government has come up with a set of new Debt Settlement rules to protect its people from paying upfront fees to debt settlement companies without getting any service from them. Here is a brief note on the new set of rules:

• Debt relief companies do not have any rights to chare fees on their customers without clearing at least one of their customer’s debts.
• A written agreement signed by both the company and the individual is very essential.
• When you are approaching a debt settlement company they should be able to show their service in debt settlement during the last two years.
• The debt settlement company should provide four foreclosures to their customers and are listed below:
• Time taken to see the result
• Cost
• Essential details about dedicated accounts and
• Negative impacts that may rise due to the use of their service.

I’m having a real hard time with the feminists stuff thanks again to Dean. So this morning I run across this article about a gathering here in Detroit to celebrate Women’s Equality Day.Councilwoman JoAnn Watson has this to say:

The celebration is a good idea, but women still have a long way to go to achieve equality with men, said Councilwoman JoAnn Watson.”It will be a wonderful time for women to come together,” she said. “(But) we’re doing it against the backdrop of the reality that women are still not being paid equally and are not receiving contracts at the level of their counterparts.”We will be looking at some of the challenges that are facing women, and we’ll be doing a great deal of organizing.”So I’m sitting here trying to make a list of challenges I’m facing. Other than the ones I’m facing biologically because of my gender there is nothing on the list.So I look back at my three closest girlfriends from high school. The three of them were from solid middle class families. I was the only one who came from a one parent home, so I’m positive our household income was probably in the poverty level. The four of us were every parents worse nightmare. All four of us graduated from high school only because in our senior year, we realized the real world was coming up fast.All four of us went to college. None had scholarships, we worked our way through. How we turned out: a pharmacist, a masters – working as the head of a regional Red Cross, a bank president with a masters in business and I’m in nursing administration. Not bad for oppressed women. Damn good for some drugged up hippie wannabees.Everyone of us has families, had children. We didn’t use that as an excuse not to succeed, we used that as our motivation to succeed. We worked hard, damn hard and didn’t whine and ask what others were going to do for us. Yes we had alot of obstacles, don’t we all. We dealt with them.Not once have I felt I was held back because I was a woman. Yes at times I was held back, but I had to look at my own performance, not someone elses.I’ve posted before that the nursing industry was slow to jump on board with pension plans, healthcare benefits etc. for nurses. I think it was an effort to keep staggering rises in healthcare costs down rather than oppressing a female dominated field.So if someone can point out to me how my rights are being suppressed…I’d like to know. Don’t give me single mom’s on welfare crap…they can get a job if they want too. Don’t give me stories of oppressed women in third world countries…this is America.I wonder how many school books that $50 a plate luncheon would buy?

It hit me this morning that I’m leaving for Iowa on Friday. From all the catch up from loss of my own productivity at work from the week before I haven’t much thought of it.Rosemary? Kim?

Are you still interested? Anyone interested in maintaining my inane ramblings? Hell…I’m sure my site won’t even crash if something of substance were to be posted.Begging and whining will commence come Wednesday if no one volunteers. I really want to keep my #1187 ranking on TTLB yanno.

Q. What does HMO stand for?

A. This is actually a variation of the phrase “HEY MOE.” Its roots

go back to a concept pioneered by Moe of the Three Stooges, who

discovered that a patient could be made to forget about the pain in his

foot if he was poked hard enough in the eyes.

Q. I just joined an HMO. How difficult will it be to choose the doctor I

want?

A. Just slightly more difficult than choosing your parents. Your insurer

will provide you with a book listing all the doctors in the plan. These

doctors basically fall into two categories – those who are no longer

accepting new patients, and those who will see you but are no longer

participating in the plan! But don’t worry; the remaining doctor who is

still in the plan and accepting new patients has an office just a

half-day’s drive away and has a diploma from a Third World Country.

Q. Do all diagnostic procedures require pre-certification?

A. No. Only those you need.

Q. Can I get coverage for my pre-existing conditions?

A. Certainly, as long as they don’t require any treatment.

Q. What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine?

A. You’ll need to find alternative forms of payment.

Q. My pharmacy plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name

brand. I tried the Generic Medication, but it gave me a stomach ache.

What should I do?

A. Poke yourself in the eyes.

Q. What if I’m away from home and I get sick?

A. You really shouldn’t do that.

Q. I think I need to see a specialist, but my doctor insists he can handle

my problem. Can a general practitioner really perform a heart transplant

right in his office?

A. Hard to say, but considering that all you’re risking is the $15

co-payment, there’s no harm in giving him a shot at it.

Q. Will health care be different in the next century?

A. No. But if you call right now, you might get an appointment by then

I think everyone has run across someone in their life who is so arrogant it’s laughable. Of course, unless they are family you never remember their names, probably not even their faces. You remember it the same way you remember seeing a car going down the interstate the wrong way. Just that it happened and someone was a complete fool. You realize that ignorance knows no boundaries.Well here is your chance to have one of those foggy memories. A glance at ignorance unchained. Some unknown named Fumento is bragging over at Acidman’s blog how self important he is. He brags that he has five books, I wonder if he would get any sales if anyone actually knew what he was like. His contact with editors must be extremely limited. His earthworm personality definitely shines especially when he calls bloggers arrogant and of course he has a blog. Go figure.

Ever have those times when your brain is racing along faster than your body can keep up. Your body is begging to sleep but your mind has other plans?

I’m almost glad to see summer end and all the vacations end. I know we all need time off but it makes work a nightmare. I don’t think there has been a day this summer that I haven’t had to fill someone elses shoes at work besides do my own. Alot of businesses can just hire summer help…McDonalds, J. C. Penney etc. But when you are talking about professionals being absent…there is no one to fill their shoes. The ones that are left pick up the slack.The past 2 days we’ve had 5 key players out. People were trying to ask me questions through the restroom door when I had to pee. What’s up with that?I’m leaving this state Friday if I have to walk. I never thought Iowa would sound so good. I want to watch the corn grow and hear nothing louder than the damn crickets.

The insurance man came to visit at work today. We all had appointments to see him so he could tell us about the “new and improved” insurance we will have come October 1st.My varied health, life, dental and disability insurances will be now costing me over $500 a month. Shit. I think the disability insurance has gotta go.As I’m talking to this guy we are BSing some about the work place, where he’s from etc. while he’s waiting for the right screens to come up on his laptop to ask me some medical questions.. I can’t see the screen. So in the middle of the BS he asks me “Do you have a problems with aides?” I give him a stupid look, snort and say “Are you kidding me? I’m the director of nursing, the aides are killing me.”The man just stops looks up from his laptop and stares at me. While he continues to stare at me, he swings his laptop around and finally says “Umm..question number one.” I look at the laptop…

Does the petitioner have HIV?

I about died “Uhh no, I thought you meant my staff.”The guy just shook his head and proceeded to #2.I’m sure he was wondering why the questionaire didn’t ask about mental illness. Oh well.