Don't Spend It All at Once
Armaments, universal debt and planned obsolescence
-- those are the three pillars of Western prosperity
--Aldous Huxley
_________________
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, and to all the people who have helped a child and to anyone who has helped midwife anyone -- yer all mums to me.
Tangentially related is the above coupon for a free meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Note the caveat: "Not valid on Mother's Day." Please keep this in mind as you consider taking your mother out, and marry that to this week's news that the economy's looking up (despite the fact that least one of every ten people you meet is out of work.)
Think about those folks who might've thought to take their mom to KFC to celebrate her day. Only they won't be able to use their coupons for awhile anyway, as so many people tried to cash in on their free meal that KFC corporate was forced to rescind the free meal program.
There were hour-plus waiting lines at several KFC's nationwide this week, and police had to set up a cordon in Greensville, S.C. Coupon holders now must go through some arcane application process to gain a second voucher, but hey -- this time with a free Pepsi, too.
We all know the routine: Make the process arduous enough, and you will force an attrition rate. It is much like the food stamp program. The application process is so prohibitive for many without cars and petrol that they just scrap the whole idea, either relying on the kindness of family and friends, food banks, or just going hungry.
Voila! The states declare a great victory as they saw ever-decreasing food stamp rolls.
Today's Wall Street Journal gave notice on their front page to the statistic that "17% of children under 5 may go hungry." I don't know about those over five, but I do not think it magically gets better for them. The New York Times' Bob Herbert sets the figure at a round 20% (Far From Over). So one in five kids you pass probably has a rumbly tummy.
Sorry I haven't more chummy mum's day news, but that's not what we're here for. We'll gladly report the happy when we see it.
Labels: kentucky fried chicken free meal, KFC, kids hungry, mother's day, mum's day, unemployment
posted by Lisa at 10:07 PM
2 Comments:
i found that same process at work with the military.
despite permanent injuries i was "offered" a place in the regular fleet when there was no hope of my ever achieving a level of fitness demanded by the teams. i decided to quit instead.
then, it only took a few moments inside the VA system before i determined to never, ever, at any point in my life, to need those motherfuckers.
now, i gots me a doctor in the family yo. so nyeah, nyeah VA.
p.s. the blue cross from my union if way the fuck better than the best care the VA can manage.
it isn't the fault of the people i have seen struggling mightily to bring comfort and succor to those in need. they do amazing things with the meager budgets they are given.
yes, it is true that some of the doctors working there are in that system because they are such fuck ups that they can't afford malpractice insurance in the real world. there are also some very dedicated and skilled docs and nurses who make the very best of a totally shit situation.
they make the process odious and repellent enough that we move on.
it's vulture capitalism at its very worst.
the last president to achieve anything close to a balanced budget was clinton, he did that largely on the back of veteran's affairs.
bush had to have the new g.i. bill rammed down his fucking throat. even those improvements weren't as sweeping an engine of change and economic wealth as the original.
MB,
My father is a WW2 vet and he's never been to the VA. This is amazing since as a coal miner and factory worker he did not have medical coverage. What does this say about the system?
The malpractice issue that you raise is a key point. As i've written in the past , i've seen medical diplomas in languages i couldn't , while in VA consultations.I would NEVER ,EVERhave a medical procedure or operation in a VA unless it were a contract surgeon. About 5 years ago i had tumors removed from my neck and the surgeon was from Shands- directly across the street from the Gainesville Fl VA. Excellent results since i'm still alive-or so they tell me.
jim
Post a Comment
<< Home