If this happened to me, we would both be on the no fly list- him for pissing on me, me for the ass whipping I dished out.
Me
More Work Weirdness
Oddly enough, I posted the other day that I am thinking of changing to a different hospital and that same afternoon, I got two emails. The first was from my job, spelling out that all employees need to be aware that, should we decide to wear a shirt under our scrub top, it has to be white. We also have to wear white socks that cover our ankles. If we choose to wear a sweater or coat, it must be the same color as our assigned scrub color. This seems odd to me, since they can’t find shift coverage and are back to offering shift bonuses most days and are still understaffed.
We are a 50 bed ED, and we had 123 patients the other day. All of the rooms were filled, plus we had 50 patients on beds in the hallway and another 23 patients being treated in the waiting room. But our administration is worried about what color tshirt I wear under my scrubs.
The second email that I got was from a competing hospital chain. They are inviting a bunch of nurses to a free meal where cocktails will be served and we get the opportunity to meet the leadership team and learn about the advantages of coming to work for them.
Dude. Looks like I at least get a free meal out of the deal. I told my wife that I am not working that day, so I think I am going to go and at least hear the pitch.
Economy
The Scope of the Problem
According to figures from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the US government spent a total of $6.8 trillion in 2021. Of that amount, $4.8 trillion was mandatory spending, otherwise known as entitlements. In other words, money that has to be paid out by law: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unemployment Compensation, Refundable Tax Credits, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and other mandatory spending. Another $350 billion was interest on the debt that we already owe, bringing the total outlay for mandatory spending to $5.2 trillion. The government only collected $4 trillion in taxes. So without spending a dime on the rest of the things that the government must do: defense, courts, prisons, and all of the alphabet agencies, the government is already running a deficit of $1.2 trillion. Add in all of those expenditures, and the deficit rises to $2.8 trillion. Compare that to my post on this topic from a decade earlier.
What is most alarming is the deficit as a percentage of our GDP, which right now is 12.4%. Over the past 50 years, the deficit has averaged 3.5% of GDP. Think about how much spending has risen to expand the deficit to this point. The national debt is now 100% of our gross domestic product. A decade ago, it was 34% of GDP. Three years ago, it was 80% of GDP. That’s without accounting for the money we owe the Social Security trust fund. Add in that amount, and the debt to GDP ratio rises to 128%.
The US isn’t even in the worst shape. Take a look at the debt to GDP ratios of the world’s top 10 debtor nations:
- Venezuela — 350%
- Japan — 266%
- Sudan — 259%
- Greece — 206%
- Lebanon — 172%
- Italy — 156%
- Libya — 155%
- Portugal — 134%
- Singapore — 131%
- Bahrain & the United States (tie) — 128%
In contrast, here are the ten countries with the lowest debt to GDP ratios.
- Brunei — 3.2%
- Afghanistan — 7.8%
- Kuwait — 11.5%
- Democratic Republic of the Congo — 15.2%
- Eswatini — 15.5%
- Burundi — 15.9%
- Palestine — 16.4%
- Russia — 17.8%
- Botswana — 18.2%
- Estonia — 18.2%
Note that Russia is the only large, first world country in the bottom ten. The suspicious side of me wonders if that is why the Democrats are so keen on starting a war with Russia.
What we are seeing here is that the entire world is on the verge of an economic collapse caused by profligate spending and loose fiscal policy.
economics
Spinning Inflation
Egg prices were $1.79 a dozen in November of 2021. By November of 2022, a dozen eggs cost $3.59. As of today, eggs are now $6.17 a dozen. So they doubled in a year, now are on pace to double in three months. The powers that be are claiming that it is due to a Bird Flu pandemic amongst egg laying hens.
Poultry farmers are telling a different story. They are claiming that everything needed to produce eggs is more expensive. The price of feed is up, which would not be the case if there were fewer birds due to a pandemic. The price of egg cartons is up, having risen from 30 cents to 50 cents per carton.
No matter the cause, everything that requires eggs: from breakfast and pasta to cakes is going to be more expensive. Stand by. The price increases are going to continue.
Republicans
Crenshaw
Make up your own mind as to how you react to a Republican congressman saying that other Republicans are terrorists because they won’t install McCarthy as speaker.
If you don’t want to get into the Octagon and get punched in the face and don’t get into the Octagon, that’s how I feel about it. I mean, this is because there’s no good faith here. The good faith has been lost. We keep talking about good faith. And then they want to play victim. No. No. So now I’m not going to apologize for harsh language. You guys know me. That’s how I am. I speak boldly. You know, and this is this is. This is terrorism tactics.
Uncategorized
More on Sean Scammity
Hannity is part of the problem with the Republican party. He is now coming out and saying that he “knew all along” that Trump lost the 2020 election.
Government
Good For You
My opinion on the voting for Speaker of the House? Don’t keep voting for the same RINO assholes that have been selling us out for years and expect to get anything different. I’m sick and tired of voting for candidates who promise to protect gun rights and support Conservatives, only to watch them vote to go along with Democrats and increase their own power.
Of course sellouts Mark Levin and Sean Hannity are pissed that the party doesn’t come first because the important business of the people isn’t getting done. I call bullshit. What business of the people is getting ignored? Do these RINOs really think that they are going to impeach Biden? If they do, do they really think it will get past the Senate? What is it that you expect to accomplish, other than cutting more deals with the Democrats?
I don’t give a hairy rat’s ass if you never select a Speaker of the House, because until you do, the House won’t be able to do anything else. That’s fine by me, because the best that Americans can hope for at this point is gridlock.
Those 20 Republicans don’t have to pack it in, Hannity, you fucking sellout. The Republican party is now faced with a choice- you can either acknowledge the freedom loving wing of your party and give them a seat at the table, or you can show your true, power seeking RINO colors and cut a deal with Democrats. At least then we will know that you only pay lip service to conservative principles. How many of those 200 Republicans were OK with Trump being impeached? How many of them stood up and called the rigged election of 2020 for what it was? Not you, you pussy.
economics
Licensed Vs. Certified
We began a conversation the other day about licensure being a grift. There is a difference between licensure and certification.
A license is a permit, issued by the government, that allows a person to carry out a certain activity. In order for licensure to exist, the government must first make it illegal to perform the activity, then issue licenses that permit those possessing those licenses to perform the activity.
Certification is where an entity certifies that a person meets certain standards. The entity issuing the certification can be a private business or a government. The value of the certification lies with the reputation of the entity that issues it. A certification can be issued without license- for example, UL laboratories. The government even issues licenseless certification- high school diplomas.
The issuance of a license can involve certification by the same agency that issues it- an example of this is a driver’s license. The DMV both ensures that the applicant for the license meets certain criteria and issues the license.
Alternatively, a government may require that another, outside entity certify that the applicant meets licensing criteria prior to issuing the license. Examples of this include lawyers and nurses. Passing the Bar exam or the NCLEX is a precursor to receiving a license to practice those professions.
A license can be issued without certification at all. Fishing licenses, for example. No one cares if you know how to fish- FWC just wants your license fees.
The only real reason for licensure is so that the state can control who can and cannot perform certain activities. The state always uses safety and quality control as the reason for requiring licenses, but this is the government we are talking about here. This means that politics eventually carry more weight than competence or safety.
This becomes a problem when the certification required to obtain a license is different for one group than it is for another. Say an American doctor or nurse has to pass certain hurdles while foreign doctors and nurses have different, lower standards. The oft quoted problem of a barber requiring more hours of training than a paramedic in Florida. (it’s true- Florida requires 1,200 hours of training in order to take the exam to be a licensed barber, but 1,112 hours of training and clinical time to be a licensed Paramedic)
Nursing is a great example of colleges grifting the system. In order to sit for the registered nursing exam, you must have at least a 2 year degree. That means 72 credit hours, but 30 of those 72 hours (42%) are courses like US History, English Composition, and Humanities that have absolutely nothing to do with nursing.
The reason that this happens is the people who are already practicing in that field want to make sure that there is a restricted supply of their skillset, so that pay remains high, or in some cases it is because colleges want to make lots of money. This is why Physician assistant programs also lobby so hard to have the degree requirements increased. There are a few colleges that teach PA as a 2 year associates degree, a couple that make it a 4 years Bachelor’s degree, while most schools make it a Master’s degree. In each of the preceeding cases, the PA applicant is still eligible to sit for the licensing exam. Making it a more rigorous educational requirements doesn’t make for better PA’s, but it does make for fewer PA’s, meaning that PA’s make more money.
So yes, licensing is nearly always a grift. In fact, I can’t think of a single time when it isn’t.
Antigun
On the ATF 80% handgun ban
The ATF recently released a statement that polymer 80% frames for handguns are all “readily convertible” into functional firearms, and thus have to be treated like firearms.
That isn’t exactly true. 80 percent arms is reporting that their 80% handgun frames are unaffected by the letter because a Texas judge has placed an injunction on the ATF enforcing any bans on their products. If you want an 80% handgun frame, you can still get them here.
Crime
Work
I worked yesterday. The theme of the day was insane people with mental problems and intoxicant day.
One woman came in with a complaint of constipation. She said that her anal sphincter was too tight, and wanted us to loosen it for her. I told the charge nurse that we should send her to the local bar with a couple of coupons for free drinks, and I am sure one of the patrons of the bar would help her out. The charge nurse actually snorted.
Then I was given a Baker Act. She was being Baker acted for the third time for threatening to kill herself. This time, threatened to get a gun and come back to kill us all after she was discharged. Then she told me that she would look for me when she got out, so she could “fuck me up.” She also said that she would follow me home one night so she could kill my family. I had to get a female staff member to escort the patient to the bathroom. Once they were in there, the patient attacked the female. After that, I couldn’t get a single female to take over my patient. They were all afraid of either being attacked and injured, or being attacked and getting suspended. Since I already was suspended recently, I insisted that my manager call the local cops and filed a police report. My amanger wasn’t happy about that, but I don’t care. I am not going to put up with crazy bitches threatening me. The cops wouldn’t arrest her, but at least it creates a record in the event that I see her near my house. Other than taking reports, cops are largely useless. I don’t know if the threats and her appearing in my neighborhood would be reasonable fear or not, but it can’t hurt. I am pretty sure that, should I see her in my neighborhood, I will call the cops and probably hold her at gunpoint.
Name another job that requires its employees to be physically attacked and put up with threats of being murdered.
Speaking of that, one of my former druggie dirtbag patients decided to perform a home invasion, and got ventilated by the homeowner. He is now fully rehabilitated. I love happy endings.
Then I had to spend the day in recertification classes, doing my recertifications in Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, and Pediatric Life Support.