Now I love a good debate on Facebook. I know it's not for everyone but it might surprise you to know that my snarky self has some opinions on things and it can be a good venue to have some interesting dialogue. Plus it's a good place to get it out. If I am just hanging with some friends who I don't see very often, it isn't particularly fun to spend the time discussing something like gun control. Kind of brings the evening down, even if you all agree with each other.
But my oh my, there are certain things that take place in a Facebook debate that are truly annoying and just ruin the fun for the rest of us. Some of these take place in real life, some only in cyberspace - but what they have in common is that they just kill a good conversation on a topic.
-- The "you're missing the point" or "what is it about this that you people are not getting" comments. Seriously? If someone disagrees with you it is solely because they don't understand the issue in the same way that you do? Someone's parents forgot to provide a reality check at some point because unless you are Stephen Hawking, this really has no place in a conversation. The "you people" is just bad manners and poor English.
-- The reference/article poster. I'm not talking about someone who posts a link to start a discussion or in the midst of a conversation, posts a link that clarifies or responds to a question someone has posted. Those are helpful. I'm talking about the people who, rather than use their own words to express their opinion, post link after link to outside articles - or even worse post the entirety of such articles in their posts. Somtimes at the end of several of these they'll write something silly like "nuff said." Nuff said? You didn't say anything. This is equivalent to being at an in-person gathering (say a party or meeting) and interjecting yourself into various conversations by handing out photocopies of articles and walking away. I suspect the host or meeting leader would soon ask you to leave and on Facebook the rest of us having an actual conversation on the issue would like to do the same (but we can’t because then we would be rude and obnoxious). From time to time, there is some humor involved when the article poster completes their cycle of links by writing "don't believe everything you read - learn the truth." Um, by reading?
-- The person who while participating in a debate on issues in one thread starts another lamenting the stupidity of the world today and how uninformed people are and a variety of other derogatory comments on people not issues. Using the real world as a guide again, this would be the equivalent of debating an issue with one group of people and then walking over to another group of people ten feet away and telling them “Betty and John over there are really stupid and are going on and on about shit they don’t understand, unlike me who knows the truth.”
-- The person who comes to the defense of a friend in a completely overblown manner. There you’ll be having an interesting, intelligent conversation in which you and another person are at opposite sides of the issue but everything is completely civil when suddenly something like “hey I don’t know who you think you are snarky self, but Betty is a good person. I’ve known her for two months on facebook! She loves her kids!” Um, okay. She said she hated cilantro in guacamole and I said I loved it. Ok, sometimes the topics are a little more serious but the intervention is just as illogical. Sure, in person or on Facebook it’s nice to throw in a supporting post. Pop in a “I hate cilantro too.” Or if it looks like someone is getting totally bashed maybe you could throw in a little “hey Betty is passionate about hating cilantro but we all have our opinions so let’s live and let live and agree to disagree” or some other platitude. Save the loving her kids and the longevity of the relationship for the abuse trial.
-- The “liker.” This is the person who gives the thumbs up to every single post in a conversation and quite frankly they just annoy me. How can you like *everything*? Even for an innocuous topic like favorite guacamole recipes, it seems a little odd to like every single one (cilantro is an herb that evokes strong opinions) and once you get into something really polarizing like the Oxford comma you need to pick a side. Otherwise my snarky self is going to suspect you aren’t reading anything and just want people to like you. One of these days I’m going to test it by writing something like “I love to kick puppies” in the middle of a raging debate just to see what you do.
By the way, if you do any of the above and are offended by my opinion: LOL, J and you’re too sensitive. Any of those apparently make everything okay.
MY SNARKY SELF "Let me tell you what I think of that..."
Monday, May 27, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
There's Nothing Like a Train Delay to End Your Day...
So, Amtrak had a downed power line in a tunnel this afternoon. Naturally this means there were delays on the Long Island Rail Road. And by naturally, it means it really makes no sense to me because can't Amtrak just delay all their trains and take the hit? But, since I am not in the upper echelons of the management of either organization, I can't do much about that. I can only snark on the delays.
First of all, let me just say that nothing brings out the anger in people like a train delay. I understand it is frustrating and you are going to get home late, but people are simply seething. A woman next to me stood watching the track posting screen (where you either see where your train is leaving from or find out it has been cancelled when it disappears from the screen a minute before they make the announcement) cursing each time a track is posted (clearly not for her train) and loudly saying "and they wonder why people go ballistic." I'm not sure who they are, but I do decide it can't hurt to move away from her.
Meanwhile I am hoping for news on my train. There are constant announcements of up to 30 minute delays and that *some* trains may be cancelled - while in reality it appears that every other train on the schedule is being cancelled. As the ones just before and just after mine are given tracks, it becomes increasingly clear that my train will fall in the other category and sure enough it disappears from the list and is followed by its cancellation announcement. What concerns me even more is it seems to be the only cancellation which doesn't also add the line about "customers will be accommodated on the [insert another train leaving in about 5 minutes]." It turns out that is because I won't be accommodated on another train and I just need to wait for the next scheduled one to my town (which will also be leaving late).
At this point I've been standing in Penn Station for about 35 minutes but I am not yet ready to go ballistic, even though my phone has been lying to me since it is showing the highest connection rate but won't actually connect to anything. Luckily I am prepared for these situations by also having my Kindle. It occurs to me that I may not be going ballistic because this is affording me reading time. Ah, my train and track are announced. Time to join 600 people trying to squeeze through a doorway that can fit three people side by side at a time, to then go down a staircase that can accommodate two. This is not helped by the people who are walking back up the stairs because they went to the track they are usually on for their train home - despite the fact that trains are clearly leaving at least 20 minutes late and there have been consistent announcements (even more frequent than the cancellations) to not go down to your track until it is announced due to the delays and changes. Did they think their train would be the one train of the night to leave on time from its normal track? They would get the "you've got to be kidding me" award of the evening but I have someone else in store for you...wait for it, it's coming.
I join the herd on the platform where we wait in groups of about 60, spread out over 20 feet or so each of us hoping the train will come to a stop with the doors landing right in front of us. There seem to be a few people on the planet who know the secret to predicting this, but I am not one of them. I have the opposite power and am usually nowhere near the doors. This time is no exception. I shuffle along with everyone else hoping there will be a seat left by the time I get on.
There is one person next to me who seems to be particularly blatant in her pushing. The subtle push where someone walks pretty close to me in hoping I'll move out of the way is one thing - this lady seems to simply be shoving people out of the way. Plus she is rocking a pretty high set of heels and I don't want one of them to impale my foot. I end up right behind her in a line of people walking the aisle in search of a seat so I have the lone view of her next action. She pulls her phone from her pocket, puts it to her ear and (no hello or anything) says very loudly "well I can't keep doing this, I am pregnant. It is very hard to do this being pregnant." Really now? Lest you think I am being unnecessarily suspicious of the shover in heels, the chances of getting a phone signal underground and on the train are slim to none. Now that is a "you've got to be kidding me" moment. Luckily I don't have to be truly put out by this malarkey as the size of the crowd seemed worse than it really was and everyone finds a seat. My sense of personal affront is minimized since she didn't actually get anything out of the attempted scam (but not entirely gone).
As for me, well you'll be happy to know I got home a mere 2 hours and 15 minutes after I left the office (12 hours after I left the house this morning - not that I'm counting). And they wonder why people go ballistic...
First of all, let me just say that nothing brings out the anger in people like a train delay. I understand it is frustrating and you are going to get home late, but people are simply seething. A woman next to me stood watching the track posting screen (where you either see where your train is leaving from or find out it has been cancelled when it disappears from the screen a minute before they make the announcement) cursing each time a track is posted (clearly not for her train) and loudly saying "and they wonder why people go ballistic." I'm not sure who they are, but I do decide it can't hurt to move away from her.
Meanwhile I am hoping for news on my train. There are constant announcements of up to 30 minute delays and that *some* trains may be cancelled - while in reality it appears that every other train on the schedule is being cancelled. As the ones just before and just after mine are given tracks, it becomes increasingly clear that my train will fall in the other category and sure enough it disappears from the list and is followed by its cancellation announcement. What concerns me even more is it seems to be the only cancellation which doesn't also add the line about "customers will be accommodated on the [insert another train leaving in about 5 minutes]." It turns out that is because I won't be accommodated on another train and I just need to wait for the next scheduled one to my town (which will also be leaving late).
At this point I've been standing in Penn Station for about 35 minutes but I am not yet ready to go ballistic, even though my phone has been lying to me since it is showing the highest connection rate but won't actually connect to anything. Luckily I am prepared for these situations by also having my Kindle. It occurs to me that I may not be going ballistic because this is affording me reading time. Ah, my train and track are announced. Time to join 600 people trying to squeeze through a doorway that can fit three people side by side at a time, to then go down a staircase that can accommodate two. This is not helped by the people who are walking back up the stairs because they went to the track they are usually on for their train home - despite the fact that trains are clearly leaving at least 20 minutes late and there have been consistent announcements (even more frequent than the cancellations) to not go down to your track until it is announced due to the delays and changes. Did they think their train would be the one train of the night to leave on time from its normal track? They would get the "you've got to be kidding me" award of the evening but I have someone else in store for you...wait for it, it's coming.
I join the herd on the platform where we wait in groups of about 60, spread out over 20 feet or so each of us hoping the train will come to a stop with the doors landing right in front of us. There seem to be a few people on the planet who know the secret to predicting this, but I am not one of them. I have the opposite power and am usually nowhere near the doors. This time is no exception. I shuffle along with everyone else hoping there will be a seat left by the time I get on.
There is one person next to me who seems to be particularly blatant in her pushing. The subtle push where someone walks pretty close to me in hoping I'll move out of the way is one thing - this lady seems to simply be shoving people out of the way. Plus she is rocking a pretty high set of heels and I don't want one of them to impale my foot. I end up right behind her in a line of people walking the aisle in search of a seat so I have the lone view of her next action. She pulls her phone from her pocket, puts it to her ear and (no hello or anything) says very loudly "well I can't keep doing this, I am pregnant. It is very hard to do this being pregnant." Really now? Lest you think I am being unnecessarily suspicious of the shover in heels, the chances of getting a phone signal underground and on the train are slim to none. Now that is a "you've got to be kidding me" moment. Luckily I don't have to be truly put out by this malarkey as the size of the crowd seemed worse than it really was and everyone finds a seat. My sense of personal affront is minimized since she didn't actually get anything out of the attempted scam (but not entirely gone).
As for me, well you'll be happy to know I got home a mere 2 hours and 15 minutes after I left the office (12 hours after I left the house this morning - not that I'm counting). And they wonder why people go ballistic...
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Doctor, Doctor
So I had a weird bump on my shoulder and thought I should get it checked out. Now I know I need to go to a dermatologist for this, but of course my insurance requires a referral to go to a specialist. So I need to go to my doctor first so they can tell me I need to go to a dermatologist. This is an excellent example of efficiency in healthcare.
So I call to make the appointment with my doctor. Since I'm not sick (I'm just trying to find out if I have skin cancer) I can't get a sick visit and since I need an early morning or evening it's around a three week wait (for any doctor in the practice). I wonder if I have legal recourse if the thing grows in the meantime. In the interim I get the name of a dermatologist in my plan (from my boss so I know she's a good doctor plus she is in the city so I will have more flexibility in when I can go). This way I am prepared with the name of the doctor I will be visiting so they can write it on the script (and their provider number, just in case - I am very thorough).
The doctor visit goes as expected. I spend 20 minutes in the waiting room, 5 minutes in the exam room (without the doctor) and 2 minutes with the doctor, who tells me it doesn't look cancerous but I should go to a dermatologist to be sure. By the way this only takes 1 minute of the two - the other minute was asking questions about how I feel completely unrelated to the bump on my shoulder. I check out and pay the $25 co-pay and ask for the referral. Nope, sorry, doesn't work that way. I need to call and make the appointment with the dermatologist, and then call my doctor's office back with the date of the appointment and all of the doctor's information and they will process the referral. All I know is I better not call the dermatologist and have them tell me they need the referral before they can make the appointment.
So I make the dermatologist appointment. It's a good thing I have more flexibility on the time since the dermatologist appointment is even harder to secure than the regular doctor. Plus, as a new patient I have to provide all of my information over the phone so they can create a record for me. I dutifully call my doctor with my appointment time. A week later the dermatologist's office calls to change the appointment since she won't be in the office on the day I am scheduled (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming her schedule changed as opposed to her staff is dumb and made an appointment for when she won’t be there). I found about this change via a voice mail and it took me three calls back before I got someone who could actually schedule a new appointment for me. The first two times the person who answered the phone had “too many people there for her to help me” and took my name and number so I could be called back and helped. You will be surprised to find out I was never called back and had to do it myself each time. I finally get the new date and again, being a thorough person (my gift and my curse), I call my primary care doctor to tell them the new appointment date for the referral and they tell me it has already been completed and sent over to the dermatologist so they don’t need it. Since I have a working brain, I can’t help but wonder why they needed a date at all in the first place. You are really not impressing me insurance industry. Meanwhile, it has been several weeks since the potentially cancerous bump detection and I have spent more of my time setting things up and paying and providing information so that I can pay than actually seeing a doctor and I still don't know if I have cancer. It is about this time you start thinking of “if only they caught it earlier” stories.
Finally I arrive at the dermatologist where as a new patient I have to complete about five pages of information that is exactly the same as what I provided on the phone when I set up the appointment. What is up with that? Even if they need it in writing, why can't they give me a printout of what they have to edit or approve? And why do I have to write down my insurance information if they are taking a picture of my card? I never know what numbers to write - most of the names they have for numbers don't match the names of the numbers on my card ( for example, policy number appears nowhere on my card). This all seems incredibly inefficient for an industry that claims to have procedures in place for efficiency to improve my healthcare experience (while annually raising the cost of such experience).
Yet once again, the efficiency presents itself when I am faced with the purpose of all of this – seeing the dermatologist. As with the primary care physician, I spend the least amount of time with her (although a little more than with the primary care since she does give me a full body check to be sure). I spend about ten minutes with her (sadly part of which is verbally completing the paperwork I didn’t finish in the waiting room). I then leave and pay $40 for the privilege of this visit.
For any of you keeping track, it has now cost me $65 and probably a couple of hours of my time between making these appointments, travelling to them and actual time in waiting rooms and doctor's offices. Out of these couple of hours, I spent about 15 minutes of actual time with a medical professional. So as it turns out the system is incredibly efficient - for the doctors. It is simply incredibly inefficient (time and cost-wise) for those of us going to the doctors.
And for those of you kind enough to be worrying about whether I have cancer (my snarky self thanks you for caring) you will be happy to know that the suspicious bump is what is known as a seborrheic keratosis (yes, I looked it up after the fact for spelling). Completely harmless and thanks to the full body check I now know that I apparently have a few others scattered about my body and I can likely look forward to more. It would seem that they are caused by…getting old.
So I call to make the appointment with my doctor. Since I'm not sick (I'm just trying to find out if I have skin cancer) I can't get a sick visit and since I need an early morning or evening it's around a three week wait (for any doctor in the practice). I wonder if I have legal recourse if the thing grows in the meantime. In the interim I get the name of a dermatologist in my plan (from my boss so I know she's a good doctor plus she is in the city so I will have more flexibility in when I can go). This way I am prepared with the name of the doctor I will be visiting so they can write it on the script (and their provider number, just in case - I am very thorough).
The doctor visit goes as expected. I spend 20 minutes in the waiting room, 5 minutes in the exam room (without the doctor) and 2 minutes with the doctor, who tells me it doesn't look cancerous but I should go to a dermatologist to be sure. By the way this only takes 1 minute of the two - the other minute was asking questions about how I feel completely unrelated to the bump on my shoulder. I check out and pay the $25 co-pay and ask for the referral. Nope, sorry, doesn't work that way. I need to call and make the appointment with the dermatologist, and then call my doctor's office back with the date of the appointment and all of the doctor's information and they will process the referral. All I know is I better not call the dermatologist and have them tell me they need the referral before they can make the appointment.
So I make the dermatologist appointment. It's a good thing I have more flexibility on the time since the dermatologist appointment is even harder to secure than the regular doctor. Plus, as a new patient I have to provide all of my information over the phone so they can create a record for me. I dutifully call my doctor with my appointment time. A week later the dermatologist's office calls to change the appointment since she won't be in the office on the day I am scheduled (I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming her schedule changed as opposed to her staff is dumb and made an appointment for when she won’t be there). I found about this change via a voice mail and it took me three calls back before I got someone who could actually schedule a new appointment for me. The first two times the person who answered the phone had “too many people there for her to help me” and took my name and number so I could be called back and helped. You will be surprised to find out I was never called back and had to do it myself each time. I finally get the new date and again, being a thorough person (my gift and my curse), I call my primary care doctor to tell them the new appointment date for the referral and they tell me it has already been completed and sent over to the dermatologist so they don’t need it. Since I have a working brain, I can’t help but wonder why they needed a date at all in the first place. You are really not impressing me insurance industry. Meanwhile, it has been several weeks since the potentially cancerous bump detection and I have spent more of my time setting things up and paying and providing information so that I can pay than actually seeing a doctor and I still don't know if I have cancer. It is about this time you start thinking of “if only they caught it earlier” stories.
Finally I arrive at the dermatologist where as a new patient I have to complete about five pages of information that is exactly the same as what I provided on the phone when I set up the appointment. What is up with that? Even if they need it in writing, why can't they give me a printout of what they have to edit or approve? And why do I have to write down my insurance information if they are taking a picture of my card? I never know what numbers to write - most of the names they have for numbers don't match the names of the numbers on my card ( for example, policy number appears nowhere on my card). This all seems incredibly inefficient for an industry that claims to have procedures in place for efficiency to improve my healthcare experience (while annually raising the cost of such experience).
Yet once again, the efficiency presents itself when I am faced with the purpose of all of this – seeing the dermatologist. As with the primary care physician, I spend the least amount of time with her (although a little more than with the primary care since she does give me a full body check to be sure). I spend about ten minutes with her (sadly part of which is verbally completing the paperwork I didn’t finish in the waiting room). I then leave and pay $40 for the privilege of this visit.
For any of you keeping track, it has now cost me $65 and probably a couple of hours of my time between making these appointments, travelling to them and actual time in waiting rooms and doctor's offices. Out of these couple of hours, I spent about 15 minutes of actual time with a medical professional. So as it turns out the system is incredibly efficient - for the doctors. It is simply incredibly inefficient (time and cost-wise) for those of us going to the doctors.
And for those of you kind enough to be worrying about whether I have cancer (my snarky self thanks you for caring) you will be happy to know that the suspicious bump is what is known as a seborrheic keratosis (yes, I looked it up after the fact for spelling). Completely harmless and thanks to the full body check I now know that I apparently have a few others scattered about my body and I can likely look forward to more. It would seem that they are caused by…getting old.
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