RIP CHRISTMAS CARDS - a cranky re-run

RIP CHRISTMAS CARDS

This cranky re-run is from December 2013

This headline may be premature, but the Christmas card tradition that we know (and I hate) is not long for this world. The tradition, of course is the sending and receiving of cards to everyone you have ever known.  It is a woman’s tradition, men help and will read the incoming cards, but if not for women, Christmas cards would not be sent.

My mom would start the Christmas card process the day after Thanksgiving and was not finished until the week before Christmas.  She wrote a personal note to each recipient.

Mrs. Cranky is not ready to give in and quit the tradition, but she will be the last of a dying breed.   She sends out over three-hundred cards a year, many to people she has not seen in years and is not likely to see again.  Mrs. Cranky limits the personal note to those whose first name she remembers.   This process takes over eight hours (with me as an assistant) and costs at least $300 in stamps and stationary.

None of this effort makes any sense in today’s world.  The Christmas Card tradition of old is the equivalent of today's Facebook;  the yearly sending and receiving of cards to see who has friended you, and who has unfriended you.

“I don’t think Sally Schwartz from Memphis sent us a card this year…guess we’ll cross her off for next year.”

“Damn we got a card from my mom’s old neighbor Mrs. Cattsenwaller, I better add her to next year’s list.”

The new generation is having nothing to do with this tradition, or will at least end it soon.   My son laments,

“Why spend hundreds of dollars when I can create one card, with multiple pictures and send it to all my friends with the push of the send button.”

My son is correct of course, and that is why the card sending tradition is not long for this world, but I do understand Mrs. C’s point of view.  Her, (my) generation would view a cyber-greeting as cold, tacky, and tasteless.  Thus we will continue to purchase cards, stuff envelopes, address envelopes, add return addresses, lick stamps, lick envelopes, and cart off several pounds of cards to the post office all to wish "Merry Christmas" to everyone we have ever shook hands with.

My children’s generation will receive these cards and think, “Damn, why do these fools spend so much time and so much money when there is email and Facebook?”  My children’s generation will never understand how critical the card tradition has been to the women of my generation, and until the collective mindset swings over to usage of modern technology, the post office will be remain very busy in December. 

I give it five to ten more years at best.

   

STUPID HEADLINES 122114

STUPID HEADLINES 122114

It is time again for

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night,
but apparently the line is drawn at dog shit.

STUPID HEADLINE SUNDAY

This week’s stupid headlines and my stupider sophomoric and sometimes offensive comments.

One headline may be completely made up, guess the fake and win a mention and a Whoop-tee-doo. 'None of the above' may be the correct answer.

________________________________

Buildings evacuated in Dutch town after crane to be used in marriage proposal falls over – Whatever happened to getting on one knee?

Jackpot: 101-year-old wins $50,000 Arizona Lottery scratch-off prize – She can’t decide whether to take a lump sum, or take smaller increments over twenty years.

New study reveals why you shouldn't drink coffee from a white mug – I’ve thought and thought and the only comment that comes to mind is “Get the fuck out!!”

Saudi Man Divorces Wife Minutes After He Sees Her Face – "Then I saw her face, now I’m a be leave her!”

Free speech protection doesn’t extend to condomless porn, court rules – No protection for un-protection or free speech says no to “Willy Nilly.”

Man unable to use arms faces gun possession charge – Let him possess his arms, he can’t use them anyway.

US, Cuba seek to normalize relations – Republicans are upset? Screw that, I want the cigars!

FCC says Redskins name not offensive – The football team was ruled to be neither offensive…nor defensive.

Rare Richard Nixon Pez Dispenser sells for $220,000 – The buyer thought it was a Pres Dispenser.

FBI says North Korea 'responsible' for Sony hack, US weighs response – I suppose setting up an interview is out of the question.

Dog shoots man: Pet owner recovering – I know it is a controversial topic, but can we at least agree that dogs should not be allowed to own guns?

Obama takes a whiff of a Cuban cigar at White House- Was it from smoke that the lee wind she blew in?

__________________________________

Last week’s fake headline was:

Heterosexual men have healthier prostrates* – So a straight really does beat a flush. 

*Should be prostates…I’m an idiot!

And the winners are:

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip

Prostrates? ...really?

Wait a minute, let’s go to the instant replay

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip

Anyhow, I was gonna say it's about manure application, then realized you can spread BS anytime.
So I'm going with none of the above.

The original call on the field has been overruled!  We have our first ever recalled WHOOP-TEE-DOO!
I am unable to give a mention to everyone’s favorite Uncle Skip @ http://lionskip.blogspot.com/

fishducky

None of the above again. Joe!! BTW, men have PROSTATE glands, not PROSTRATES.

OOPS!  I’m sorry fishducky your streak is over!  I wouldn’t rub it in except you had to mention my anatomy failure.

Do not visit fishducky and rub it in @ http://fishducky.blogspot.com/ there is too much laughter in this world anyway.

The only winner, with a late submission just under the wire, is:

Sandee

I'm going with heterosexual men have healthier prostrates. That just doesn't make any sense to me.

She is starting a new streak, visit Sandee for daily jokes @ http://comedyplus.blogspot.com/

Drop by our winner, and come back next week for more

STUPID HEADLINE SUNDAY!! 

The History of Health Care and Health Insurance

The History of Health Care and Health Insurance

a cranky opinion for

CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY

The following opinion is from a cranky old man with little knowledge on the subject opined.  Opposing opinions will be ignored, but are welcome.  As always, please, no name calling and that means you, you big stupid head!

Healthcare and health insurance is all over the news these days.  How do we pay for healthcare?  Why isn’t healthcare better?  Why is healthcare so expensive? Why is insurance so expensive?  So many questions.

Is the healthcare issue something new?  What is the history of healthcare? 

The Cranky Old Man remembers

Health Care from the beginning of time to 1000 AD:

“That don’t look good.”

Health Care from 1001 AD to 1500 AD:

“I’ve seen that before…it don’t look good.”

Health Care from 1501 to 1600:

“That don’t look good, going to have to bleed it out…cost you
a chicken.”

Health Care from 1601 to 1800:

“That don’t look good, going to have to bleed it out…cost you two chickens.”

Health Care from 1801 to 1850:

“That does not look very good, give it lots of rest and keep it warm.  I’ll send you my bill, two chickens and a half dozen eggs.”

Health Care from 1851 to 1900:

“That does not look very good, give it lots of rest and keep it warm, or…can I borrow a saw?  I’ll send you my bill, two chickens and a dozen eggs.”

Health Care from 1901 to 1925:

“Hmmm, we could run some electricity through it.  Cost you a dollar.”

Health Care from 1926 to 1950:

“Take two aspirin and call me in the morning…$10 please.”

Health Care from 1951 to 1960:

“Let’s take an x-ray, shoot up some penicillin, take an aspirin and will see how it goes.  That’s $50; do you have insurance?”

Health Care from 1961 to 1980:

“That doesn’t look good, I’m going to send you to a specialist.  That will be $100…do you have insurance?”

Health Care from 1981 to 2014:

“Do you have insurance? Yes. OK, were going to have to run some tests, take some blood, do an MRI, and EKG, a WTF, and send you to a specialist.”

Health Care today:

“Who are you covered by? Oh, I’m sorry we’re not in that plan.”

In all fairness, our current healthcare is very good.  It is expensive because today’s doctors can cure stuff that in the past they just told you how long you had to get your papers in order. 

Insurance is a mess, and I’m sure doctors wish they could shed the red tape and go back to pure doctoring.  Obamacare may not be the answer, but it is probably pushing us in the right direction.  I expect we will never get it right, but we will get it better.

When I was growing up most insurance plans covered only major hospitalization and operations, and that was after a very large deductible.  Pregnancy, and child birth were not covered, they were considered optional choices by the patient.  Regular check-ups and preventative treatment was not covered.

If you went to see a doctor it was only when things were serious. On the plus side, doctors were not encumbered with frivolous patient’s complaints.  Unfortunately, patients let problems go beyond the chance for effective treatment, and preventative medicine was rare.

On the plus side, medical procedures were less expensive. Sadly medical procedures were often not very productive.

Insurance did not cover most doctor bills.  Fortunately many doctors were happy to take partial payment in small interest free monthly installments.

Yes, medical care today is expensive, insurance is expensive and it is all very complicated.  In the 1950’s TV was black and white on an 11 inch screen with 4 channels that were on the air from 6 AM to 1 PM. 

I don’t want to go back to 1950’s TV, and I don’t want to go backwards for my healthcare either.


The preceding was the opinion of a cranky old man, and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.