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Writers needed. Help search for and post interesting news and/or press releases.
Penny auctions have gotten a bad name lately, because so many people think they are scams. I've been watching beezid.com, and I truly thought it was legit - but realize they are making a killing on pay-per-bids.
In case you don't know about penny auctions yet - let me explain how they work.
You pay for bids - in advance by either buying bid packs or winning them by bidding on them. On beezid.com they offer 50 bid packs and 100 bid packs as "bid for free" auctions - meaning it doesn't cost you any bids from your account to bid on them. To purchase bid packs outright, you'll pay from 60¢ to $1 per bid. Then, when you bid on an auction item, it costs you one bid from your account (therefore, every time you place a bid, you're spending aobut 60¢). Every bid increases the purchase price by 1¢. When it gets down to the final 10-30 seconds, every bid also resets the timer. (Each item has a specified timer 10, 15, 20, or 30 seconds.) When no one bids before the timer resets, the last bidder wins. Most items go for about 15% of the retail price, plus shipping and handling. A great deal! Even when you consider the cost of your bids, it is possible to get some great bargains.
It's also possible to waste a lot of money on bids, and never win anything. Hence the controversy. As I stated above, until tonight I figured it was legit. I thought it was a brilliant idea - if a $100 item goes for $5.00, figuring the average cost of bids is 60¢, they've made a $200 profit. Great business!
When I read complaints about them on other websites, I thought, yeah - it's alot like gambling, and I can see getting upset if you never won anything, but I figured that was part of the fun - the excitement of it - the risk involved. I don't mind spending a few bucks for a chance at a really good deal. As long as it really is legitimate.
Tonight, however, I think it just might be a scam. I'm sure that some real people win the auctions, but I'm nearly positive there are bots or whatever - bidders that drive it up and keep the real people bidding against them. Either that, or there are some really stupid people with more money than sense bidding on there.
What changed my mind? I watched the bidding on an auction for a 200 bid pack. There were several people who bid at least 50 times. Ok - I can see bidding 50 times to get a 200 bid pack for 5 bucks - when it retails for $120. But - there were two bidders who each bid OVER 200 times - on a 200 bid pack. I don't care how you look at it, that doesn't make sense.
Those bidders had to be just there to jack up the price and get real bidders to bid against them.
So - if you participate in penny auctions. Be sure to watch for awhile. Get familiar with the usernames that bid way too often for the item. You know there is no way they are paying 60¢ per bid - or even 1¢ per bid - because it wouldn't make sense to risk more bids than what you are getting. You might get lucky and get a great deal - but watch what you are doing, and know who you are bidding against.
I'm laughing, but it's not really funny. It's scary as hell!
Health care reform is an issue that is near and dear to me, as it is to so many others. But what I see happening isn't good reform. The only people I see this so-called reform helping is the insurance companies. I'ts not gonna get better, it's gonna get worse!
I just don't see why anyone would be against a National Health Plan. Well, I guess I can see arguments against it - or against OUR government running it. Those arguments don't outweigh the actual NEED for it, however.
We NEED a national health plan. We NEED to get rid of the greedy insurance companies. We NEED to provide quality health care for EVERYONE in this country.
Single Payer plans never even got to see a vote, but they're good plans. Good for everyone, except the insurance companies (and their stockholders!).
Several different plans are floating around out there - HR 676, HR 1200, and others I can't recall. Most are similar - they offer a Single Payer, National Health Plan - or Enhanced Medicare for All.
The plan - in a nutshell:
Care would be based on need, not on ability to pay. All Americans would receive comprehensive medical benefits under single-payer. Coverage would include all medically necessary services, including rehabilitative, long-term, and home care; mental healthcare, prescription drugs, and medical supplies; and preventive and public health measures. Services not considered medically necessary would have to be paid out-of-pocket.
Government would serve as administrator, not employer. Hospital billing would be virtually eliminated. Instead, hospitals would receive an annual lump-sum payment from the government to cover operating expenses—a “global budget.” A separate budget would cover such expenses as hospital expansion, the purchase of technology, marketing, etc. Doctors would have three options for payment: fee-for-service, salaried positions in hospitals, and salaried positions within group practices or HMOs. Fees would be negotiated between a representative of the fee-for-service practitioners (such as the state medical society) and a state payment board.
95% of all Americans will pay less for their healthcare than they are currently paying.
• Eliminates all employer contributions to private insurance premiums—replacing them with a modest payroll tax of 4.5% (in addition to the 1.45% currently paid towards Medicare).
• Eliminates all individual premiums, co-pays, deductibles and nearly all other out-of-pocket costs—replacing them with a modest payroll tax of 3.3% (in addition to the 1.45% currently paid towards Medicare).
• Relieves state and local governments of the immense burden of paying insurance premiums for medical coverage for their current and retired employees—replacing them with a modest payroll tax of 4.5% (in addition to the 1.45% currently paid towards Medicare).
Everyone benefits. Patients still have a choice of doctors and facilities, they just don't have to worry about filing insurance claims, and whether or not the insurance company will pay for the treatment. Doctors benefit because in the long run, they'll probably have more patients which means more money. Hospitals benefit for the same reasons. Also, they don't have the headaches of dealing with the insurance companies. Businesses benefit because they don't have to worry with providing health plans for employees, less paperwork. The increased taxes will be less than the premiums already paid.
The only people who don't benefit are insurance companies. The employees who will be out of work, because of the insurance companies going out of business, will be the ones who are employed by the government to run the new program.
This is the best way to go. This is what we need.
December is the month of holidays! Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, or any other religious holidays, there is something you can celebrate each and every day in December. Here is a list of "Special Days" in December:
1. Eat a Red Apple Day; Rosa Parks Day; World AIDS day
2. National Fritters Day
3. International Day of the Disabled Person
4. National Cookie Day; Wear Brown Shoes Day
5. Walt Disney's Birthday
6. St. Nicholas Day
7. Cotton Candy Day; Pearl Harbor Day
8. National Brownie Day
9. Christmas Seals Day
10. Human Rights Day
11. Hanukkah Begins
12. Poinsettia Day
13. National Cocoa Day; Ice Cream Day
14. South Pole Discovery Day
15. Phonograph Patent Day
16. Boston Tea Party Anniversary; Beethoven's Birthday; National Chocolate Covered ANYTHING Day
17. National Maple Syrup Day; Underdog Day; Wright Brothers Day
18. Wear a Plunger on your Head Day
19. Oatmeal Muffin Day
20. Games Day
21. First Day of Winter; Yule; Forefathers Day
22. Thermometer Invented Anniversary
23. Roots Day; Festivus
24. Christmas Eve; Eggnog Day
25. Christmas Day
26. Boxing Day; Kwanzaa begins
27. Visit the Zoo Day
28. Chocolate Day
29. Bowling Ball Invented Day
30. Festival of Enormous Changes at the Last Minute; National Bicarbonate Of Soda Day
31. New Years Eve; Unlucky Day
While many of these days are kind of bizzare, some are worth knowing about, and maybe even incorporating into your holiday traditions. (I personally would like to celebrate COOKIE DAY and CHOCOLATE DAY! I don't think I'll celebrate Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day, however.)
I'm sure most everyone knows that Christmas Day, December 25 is the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ. Of course, no one knows on what day Christ was actually born, this is the day we celebrate (and spend all our money on gifts.)
Saint Nicholas Day, December 6 is in honor of a Christian Saint. This is actually where the Santa Claus legend comes from. Saint Nicholas was an early Catholic priest (later a bishop) who gave away everything he had and was well known for giving to the needy, especially children. The practice of hanging up stockings originated with Saint Nicholas. As the ancient legend goes, Saint Nicholas was known to throw small bags of gold coins into the open windows of poor homes. After one bag of gold fell into the stocking of a child, news got around. Children soon began hanging their stocking by their chimneys "in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there". It wasn't until the 1800's that the spirit of St. Nicholas' life evolved into the creation of Santa Claus. And, this happened in America. Santa Claus emerged (or evolved) from the stories and legends of St. Nicholas.
Boxing Day, December 26 (though some people will celebrate it on the first weekday after Christmas, if Christmas falls on a Friday or a Saturday, Boxing Day is the following Monday) is celebrated in England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other former British commonwealth countries. It is a legal holiday in these countries. This is also St. Stephan's Day, where Boxing Day gets some of its roots. On St. Stephan's Day, churches opened their collection boxes to the poor. Boxing Day was an expression of appreciation and thanks, much like Christmas tips are today. The roots of the holiday goes back to the Middle Ages . On this day, members of the merchant class would take boxes, fill them with food and fruits, and give them to servants, tradespeople and the less fortunate. In the case of servants, they would work on Christmas Day, so it was only fitting that immediately after Christmas, they would be given a day off to celebrate. Today, the giving of boxes includes filling boxes with food and clothing for the needy and performing volunteer work. Monetary gifts to charity are also common.
Kwanzaa, is an African-American celebration of cultural reaffirmation, is one of the fastest-growing holidays in the history of the world. It took root 30 years ago, when graduate student Maulana Karenga, disturbed by the 1965 riots in Los Angeles' Watts area, decided that African-Americans needed an annual event to celebrate their differences rather than the melting pot. Not a religious holiday, Kwanzaa is, rather, a seven-day celebration that begins on Dec. 26 and continues through Jan. 1.
Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar. Hanukkah is celebrated by a series of rituals that are performed every day throughout the 8-day holiday. Some are family-based and others are communal. There are special additions to the daily prayer service, and a section is added to the blessing after meals. Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath. People go to work as usual, but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although, in Israel, schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah. Many families exchange gifts each night, and fried foods are eaten.
Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic peoples as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian (Julian) calendar was adopted. Some historians claim that the celebration is connected to the Wild Hunt or was influenced by Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival. Terms etymological equivalent to "Yule" are still used in the Nordic Countries for both the Christian Christmas, but also other religious holidays of the season. In modern times this has gradually led to a more secular tradition under the same name as Christmas. Yule is also used in a lesser extent in English speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. In modern times, Yule is observed as a cultural festival and also with religious rites by some Christians and by some Neopagans.
So - December is the season of holidays. Religious and non -- no matter what your beliefs, everyone can find some reason to celebrate in the month of December!
Happy Holidays! Season's Greetings! Happy COOKIE DAY!!!!!
And - to those who believe --- Merry Christmas!
WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Calls Hails Progress on Health Insurance Reform Despite Defenders of the Status Quo
WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the progress that has been made on health insurance reform, and spoke out against those who defend the status quo in order to score political points and protect their profits. With reform the closest it has ever been to becoming law, the insurance companies are rolling out deceptive ads, paying for misleading studies, and flooding Capitol Hill with lobbyists. Now, Washington needs to serve the American people, not the special interests
[ Click here to read more ]
September 15th 2009 04:32
I'm really wondering why we have such a problem with the health care reform issue. What do people really want? Most of the people I've heard bashing a "government run" healthcare system are already on Medicare. What do they think that is?
And the biggest problems with Medicare came when the government allowed PRIVATE insurance companies in to compete with it
[ Click here to read more ]
I found this awesome article about healthcare reform - I just have to share it. Read the whole article here, I've only posted the highlights.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[ Click here to read more ]
Spread the word...
The best solution is single-payer national health insurance. HR 676, the U.S. National Health Insurance Act, is endorsed by more than 14,000 doctors and would provide comprehensive, universal health care coverage for all Americans
[ Click here to read more ]
Sarah Palin recently made headlines, again, for a comment she made on FaceBook about the "Death Panels" that would be created if Obama's healthcare reform passes. My question is, where has she been?
The insurance companies we have now already have these so called "Death Panels." The President's plan, however, does not. That is part of the REFORM - making it illegal for these companies to deny coverage, or deny payment -- which results in DEATH to those people to whom coverage or treatment is denied
[ Click here to read more ]
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