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I stayed up today because one of J’s workers was coming to the house this afternoon and I didn’t want to miss her by being asleep. About an hour before the time she was coming, she called and cancelled. Needless to say, not much sleep on Tuesday and Wednesday will be worse as we have the pond guy coming and also some other people. No one gives exact times so there is no way to plan. Dawnell’s new boss is a jerk so there is no way she can get off work. No rest for us “vampires” working nights.
Speaking of Dawnell’s new boss, a few weeks ago, he called a meeting of all management on a Monday, most people where she works are off on Mondays so the time for the meeting should have been either overtime or comp time. When Dawnell sent her time card up she had the 4 hours listed for comp time, when it came back from her boss signed, those 4 hours were removed. When Dawnell asked about it, she was told “she needed to be a team player”. In other words, give Uncle Sam your time and don’t bitch about it. Dawnell doesn’t like to make waves so she just let it go. Me on the other hand, I would never give up and let it go.
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POLIO FREE IN SOMALIA
The World Health Organization Tuesday called it a “historic achievement,” saying there hasn’t been a case of polio in Somalia in a year. However, it says Nigeria still has not rid itself of the disease.
Polio had already been eradicated 2002 in Somalia, but they then became re-infected, unfortunately, in the middle of 200. And that risk of re-infection will always remain until you finish the disease in the endemic areas — The endemic countries, are Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In fact, it was a strain of polio virus from Nigeria that was responsible for the reemergence of polio in Somalia in 2005.
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Even though the 52-year-old mother of three attended her son’s funeral — she continues to ask how he’s doing. When her family reminds her that he’s dead — she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time.
Shank suffered severe brain damage after a traffic accident nearly eight years ago that robbed her of much of her short-term memory and left her in a wheelchair and living in a nursing home.
Eight years ago, she signed up for Wal-Mart’s health and benefits plan. Two years after the accident, Shank and her husband, Jim, were awarded about $1 million in a lawsuit against the trucking company involved in the crash. After legal fees were paid, $417,000 was placed in a trust to pay for Debbie Shank’s long-term care.
Wal-Mart had paid out about $470,000 for Shank’s medical expenses and later sued for the same amount. However, the court ruled it can only recoup what is left in the family’s trust.
The Shanks didn’t notice in the fine print of Wal-Mart’s health plan policy that the company has the right to recoup medical expenses if an employee collects damages in a lawsuit.
The family’s attorney, Maurice Graham, said he informed Wal-Mart about the settlement and believed the Shanks would be allowed to keep the money. “We assumed after three years, they [Wal-Mart] had made a decision to let Debbie Shank use this money for what it was intended to,” Graham said.
The Shanks lost their suit to Wal-Mart. Last summer, the couple appealed the ruling — but also lost it. One week later, their son was killed in Iraq.
Wal-Mart spokesman John Simley, who called Debbie Shank’s case “unbelievably sad,” replied in a statement: “Wal-Mart’s plan is bound by very specific rules. … We wish it could be more flexible in Mrs. Shank’s case since her circumstances are clearly extraordinary, but this is done out of fairness to all associates who contribute to, and benefit from, the plan.”
The family’s situation is so dire that last year Jim Shank divorced Debbie, so she could receive more money from Medicaid.
Jim Shank, 54, is recovering from prostate cancer, works two jobs and struggles to pay the bills. He’s afraid he won’t be able to send their youngest son to college and pay for his and Debbie’s care.
In 2007, the retail giant reported net sales in the third quarter of $90 billion.
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ELE-VISION
Attach a camera to an Elephants trunk and you see all sorts of things no humans ever see.
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Ralph
Ralph Nader supporters are headed to Arizona after 594 donors contributed over 52 thousand dollars. Supporters will now attempt to get enough signatures to get Nader on the Arizona ballot for the November election.
I really believe that Nader is the only person who can regain control of our country from big business, big oil and big money.
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“The administration I’ll bring is a group of men and women who are focused on what’s best for America — honest men and women, decent men and women, women who will see service to our country as a great privilege and who will not stain the house.”
George W. Bush
January 15, 2000
Spoken during the Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa.
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300 Days Left
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Number of Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring
Freedom casualties as confirmed by U.S. Central
Command: 4467
March 30th, 2008 at 04:16
Most insurance companies have that rule in their contracts. The attorney should of got a lot more money out of the trucking company,he apparently didn’t figure correctly how much it was going to cost to take care of her medical bills the rest of her life. Plus I bet he got at least 30 % of the money.
It would be nice if WAl-Mart took care of the bills after they got their money back.