Talk Thursday: For Your Consideration

Six years ago Janet Jackson’s “Nipplegale” rocked the world and resulted in a $550,000 fine levied by the Federal Communications Commission against CBS. Today they are still arguing the fine points, and again the appealed fine is being scrutinized. We gained a new word, no not Nipplegate, we gained the phrase Wardrobe Malfunction. And that half a million plus fine, well consider this: A 30 second Superbowl commercial (remember Nipplegates’ famous wardrobe malfunction happened during the 2004 Superbowl) cost just over $2 Million. Consider this: While Nipplegate has ignited conversations around the watercooler, the dinner table, and in the tabloid aisle at the grocery store, CBS lost a mere 12 seconds of advertising revenue.

Republicans are arguing that American’s don’t want health care reform. Because I don’t know this as a fact, but considering most bankers (and I mean CEO golden parachute bankers) are Republican, I’m going out on a limb to believe that most Insurance CEOs are Republican too. Crap, you know the CEOs of Pharmaceutical companies hail the great White Elephant. So it’s comes as no surprise that Republicans are against Health Care Reform. It’s not your general practitioners that are making the big bucks, no they have a practice to fund. It’s not “most” hospitals that rake in the big profits, unless you consider Sacred Heart River Bend who features a million dollar fire place in a hospital that is so big they regularly misplace patients.

Sadly your health care is being run by HMO’s, not your doctor… and there are people out there making big money by making sure you can’t own your own health. Sadly 62 percent of bankruptcies in America are medical related. While insurance companies that layer blue sky percentage onto your health care cost are raking in billions in profits they are crying poor mouth and raising your insurance rates as much at 39 percent. Consider this Wellpoint/Blue Cross / Anthem raised rates 39 percent, while in the same breathe they claimed a 4.75 billion dollar profit this year. But hey, the system isn’t broken unless you’re the questionably-insured.

Consider this: If you live on the Oregon Coast and a devastating 8.8 earthquake hits Chile, someone from Nebraska will call your listener because a Tsunami is going to hit the Oregon Coast. While it could happen - it isn’t, it didn’t, it wasn’t going to happen. I must have answered 26 phone calls (this morning – yes I wrote this blog that long ago) Saturday morning from the headless chicken republic. I’m betting the police chief and mayor answered even more. Why am I betting that? Because I interviewed the Police Chief aka “Maury” on the air, and got a thank you phone call from the Mayor aka “Phil”, there after saying thank you.

And on top of all that stuff, consider this… someone had to invent the paper clip!

Sith,
Cele