Factory medicine: Being a doctor ain't like being a doctor use'ta be.

I remember Dr. Dante. He came to your house when you got sick,. He had his black bag and I'd hide under the bed because I didn't need no damn needle. Around '80, he semi-retired to become an anesthesiologist. He retired a few years later.

Then came the walk-in clinics. Not the end of the world. Just not the same. They are still there, but they are being bought out by large medical conglomerates. Our family practice was bought out by a northern N.J. "group." The head practitioner was promised as much time with patients as needed, and whatever. One year into the switch, he began getting write-ups from headquarters that he is spending too much time with patients,

Earlier this month, he announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31st.

My nephrologist. I was with him for over 20 years. He signed up with a different N.J. conglomerate. "This is the physician's Nirvana." He couldn't be happier. August '24, his entire unit was closed and he is no longer with the conglomerate. You need nephrology? Drive 14 miles further. I suspect he retired.

My step-daughter - nurse practitioner. She worked 14 years at a walk-in clinic. Her first month there, she diagnosed a child with a rare, almost fatal disease. She told the mother to take the kid immediately to the E.R. The mother returned the next day, "The ER said you saved her life."

Fortunately, the hire was with profit-share. 18 years later they were bought out by the above-mentioned northern N.J. group. Fortunately, she got over $1m with the takeover. But her job was reduced to intake. No one-on-one with patients. No opportunity to diagnose. She left.

She then worked as a practitioner-manager for a practice that was contracted with a state agency. It seems they lost the contract so she is out of a job.. But not to worry, Right now, she is in Dublin for a 2 week vacation. I suspect she may retire and the medical industry lost a great practitioner.

So much for the new factory medical care.

Welcome, to the machine.

Durango, Denver T.S.A. lines - how bad are the delays? Friend is coming in on Monday. Durango to Denver to Newark.

Denver, Durango airports. TSA delays? My friend is coming in to Newark on Monday.

Going from Durango to connect at Denver. Anyone know how the TSA lines are?

Lock your credit AND debit cards when you are not using them. There were two attempts on my accounts.

The first was yesterday and was on my B.o.A. credit card. The card is locked to the attempt went nowhere. I got emails from B.o.A. saying the purchases were turned down because the card was locked. Then the email told me to unlock the card if I wanted to make the purchase.

The second was today and was on my B.o.A. debit card. Same thing. Locked, so no purchase.


Yes, it's a pain-in-the-ass to unlock and relock the card when you want to use it......

Iranian nuclear threat - this from Lonnie Davis. So Trump decimated the uranium and whatever else the Iranians had.

The stuff is buried under tons of rubble. IF the Iranians decide to dig for the uranium, we would immediately see this by satellite. We would then just bomb the front loaders and shovels.

Me: There was no immediate threat and this war was based on bullshit.

The suspicion of insider trading - Find out which son it is so's Trump can pardon him and he

can continue with the grift.

Whoever it was, had to already have an account big enough for the brokerage's computer to allow the trade to proceed.

iPhone question --- How to extend the number of rings before a call goes to voice mail.

Phone question --- How to extend the number of rings before a call goes to voice mail.

iPhone 14, pro max. I was hoping to nurse it along until September. Anyways, frozen screen.

I tried us usual configurations between the power button and the and the sound (+ -) buttons. Nothing.

I would run the battery to (0) and try to reboot but then I would lose the hot spot connection to the watch where I still get phone and text.

It's a rural school district in N.J. Grandson is 11. Daughter gets a call from the guidance counselor that

a girl was trying to convince him that god was real. He argued that god is not real. He called her "grotesque." He was told that names are not appropriate ways to win an argument and to talk to a teacher or other adult if someone was pushing religion on him instead of arguing back.

Counselor then said that while he's not in trouble now, if it repeats, he may have an "HIB" (Harassment, intimidation bullying) report placed in his file.

Daughter then directed the counselor to the "Separation" part of the 1st Amendment and that the lad has the right not to have to hear about religion during school hours and on school grounds. Harassment, intimidation and religious bullying can work both ways.

The counselor kinda backed off the "bullying" routine after that.

In N.J., there is the "New Jersey Law Against Discrimination." "Religion and creed, including atheism, agnosticism and non-belief are protected statuses in areas of workplace and public entities."

------------------

Daughter asked for family input:

"Since religion is protected, ask the counselor how this girl's "HIB" plan is coming along since she's bullying the boy on his religion."

"Tell your son that religious people are all nut jobs and just not talk about god in school. If it happens again, report to the teacher or principal."

"Like if a kid was a Christian or Jewish kid and she was spouting some Muslim stuff, this would absolutely not stand."

"Either keep it low key with just the guidance counselor or go full steam by calling the Board office and ask the contact information for the Board attorney."