Health Vs Wealth

"Centene Corporation is the St. Louis based leading multi-line health care enterprise that provides programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)."

Clayton, Missouri, is the county seat of St. Louis and houses many prominent business; of which, Centene is a player -- though a younger one.

With rapid growth, they reached $1 billion dollars in revenue in 2004 and the CEO was the 19th top salary-maker in St. Louis. Last year, he moved up to 13th with a whopping $950,000 base salary with an extra $3,931,941 in stock awards. Amazing huh? Yet another success in the pocket of managed health care!

However, some time ago, Centene decided that they would like build a $210 million headquarters. To do so, would require the acquisition of other business in the Clayton area. However, instead of working to acquire these properties in a civilized manner, Centene demanded the right for imminent domain and threatened to relocate the business and that their employees were replaceable. Some local business owners were even willing to negotiate with these dictators but this did not matter to Centene. When the city of Clayton rebuked these greedy demands, it finally took the Supreme Court to shut them up.

So what has Centene decided to do now? Why, they've come to the "rescue" of the still-undeveloped new Busch Stadium. Despite being ready to displace their "dispensable" employees, they now claim that they can bring over 1500 jobs to the city. What a turn-around! Centene and city officials say the $250,000,000 development will occupy two blocks of Ballpark Village, including more than 700,000 square feet of office and retail space, parking for more than 1500 cars, and a 180-bed hotel. Wait ... a hotel? ...for a Medicaid provider?

The deal includes $78,000,000 worth of incentives for Centene, including:
- St. Louis tax abatement estimated value $48,000,000.

- St. Louis TIF/MoDESA on economic activity taxes estimated value $26,000,000.

- Chapter 100 Sales Tax/Personal Property Tax Abatement estimated value $4,000,000.

Other incentives include $24,000,000 in New Markets Tax Credits and a C-I-D penny sales tax on the hotel, estimated at $2,000,000. St. Louis will also request Missouri MoDESA financing for a percentage of new incremental state revenue.

Now, let me rephrase the business of Centene in case you missed it above:

"Centene provides programs and related services to individuals receiving benefits under Medicaid, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)."

Now, the obvious most moronic-asinine question left is:

How can we let these people make so much money off Medicaid when Medicaid recipients can't even get proper health care?!?!?! ....hell, I can't even get proper health care and I WORK A JOB AND PAY FOR IT!

Nocturnal Chatterings #14

-- I don't know what happened. I was exhausted and ready to go to sleep @ 9pm. Maybe I should have. I thought that if I did then ... well, I don't recall what I thought

++ Maybe it's the Prozac dose uppage. It is known to happen.

-- Crap, I hope not. I hate having to change a medication. Remember the time my face ended up swollen and itchy as if it were going to explode? I hate the ER.

++ I don't think that's likely.

-- Maybe it was the presentation of Enterprise Architect today. That got me excited to manic proportions.

++ I think that was just you being a geek. Maybe you need to start regular exercise again. You've stopped since the new job and the terminal cat.

-- Exercise for the sake of exercise is disgusting.

++ So are dark circles around your eyes.

-- Yes, I am looking like a corpse again, aren't I ... I haven't even been drinking the protein shakes because it is too much trouble to make then have to wash the blender. Damn...

++ ......

-- At least August is over. I hate August. Oh, that reminds me -- the lurkers. I think the lurkers are back. In fact that's probably what's keeping me up and getting me all goofy.

++ Never mind the Rockstar energy drinks and then you had an extra cup of coffee after the noon hour.

-- Oh, yeah, .... forgot about that. Damn ...

Shiny Happy Pills

Surprisingly, I can't say I was disappointed today when my doctor suggested we up my dose of Prozac. I'm on a low dose anyway so it doesn't matter a whole lot. I know -- I had been very proud to be doing well on such a tiny dose. After all, it was hell coming off years of the deadly Effexor. I should be disappointed to have the dose raised; however, it's been a rough year and I'm tired.

I've lived the black depression, am definitely not there now, and do not think I am close but the stress is most certainly affecting my physical health more and more. Nightmares and jaw-clenching have left my head, jaw, and neck in a ton of misery that I'm probably going to have to wear some type of appliance for.

Taking a mood-drug is not something I take lightly and I believe them to be over-prescribed. The majority of people should probably deal with their problems instead of eating a pill. Maybe they are just tired as well.

Odd Random Thoughts: Freud & Boy-Shorts

Someone want to explain this to me? It's not that the fit or shape/style is bad, it's fine, whatever ... but why do a number of these female panties have fake "penis exits?" Is this what Freud was talking about in regards to "Penis Envy"? Were these panties designed by a male or female?

P.lease S.top P.laying II

24 hours on the wagon and the hang-over headache has set in. My hands started shaking over lunch as the discussion at the table focused around the beauty of a totally destructible gaming environment. I went for a walk.

P.lease S.top P.laying !

Symptoms of Heroin withdrawal:

dilated pupils, piloerection (goose bumps), watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, tremors, panic, chills, na
usea, muscle cramps, insomnia, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, shaking, chills or profuse sweating, irritability, jitterness

Except for the emesis, I have all of th-th-the ab-bove. OMG.

Ever since the PSP Core was released I have been craving the little demon. Excuse after excuse, I managed to avoid buying one. A while back, the follow-up to the PS2 Metal Gear series was released for the PSP and would be released to NO OTHER console! OMG! ...after Metal Gear: Snake Eater what was I to do!

But I controlled myself, even then. EVEN THEN. After all, I'm not done with my PS2 games and I STILL haven't decided if my next console will be the PS3 or XBOX 360 Elite!

The stress of sick dying animals, bedding woes, etc, got to me -- pushed me over the edge I tell you! The new PSP Slim Daxter package broke me down on Saturday. I don't even like Daxter but it's been attached to my hands like an IV since. Tonight I need to go to sleep so I put it down and the shakes began. Tremors. Sweats. I have even started the new Metal Gear yet! OMG!

No, the browser is not the greatest but I CAN GET ON THE WAN, download games, rss feeds, videos, music, movies, get e-mail. It is too much for one body to endure and I can't stop! Because it's portable, it goes with me everywhere like an addict hooked up to an IV. OMG!

Maybe I shouldn't have deprived myself for so long, oh have mercy ... nonstop for two days ... I may have to break out the bennies. If I start modding and hacking this abomination then I'll never see the light of day again.

Auuuuwwwgghhhhhhh ... the pain !!!

Today I wore black
I have worn black on this day since 2002
Sometimes, I think everyone should wear black on this day
We all lost ... there were no winners ... not even those responsible

oh say can you see...

Here Comes The Black Rain Again

August has always been a difficult month for me so I was glad to see it go. Having just ordered some bedroom furniture and having the past month behind me, I woke up on September 1st quite vibed and ready to go. First thing, I had to take my rescue cat to the vet. He had been doing better but needed a regular check-up so I wasn't worried; that was, until the explosion hit.

Have you ever been near an explosion of such magnitude that you were thrown through the air only to be slammed into a brick wall? Me either, but I've seen it on television and am certain that is how it felt when I left the vet's office last Saturday.

I was told that the cat has a tumor in his intestines and that this is why he cannot digest food very well. They could not determine if surgery was not an option until they did an x-ray to determine if the growth had spread up into his lungs. Fortunately, it had not so the little guy was scheduled to have surgery this past Wednesday. It was crushing but I had hope that the tumor could be removed and, eventually, kitty would be better than before.

It was around noon that Wednesday that I got the call from the vet. There was no way to remove the tumor without taking the pancreas and doing so would only worsen the situation so his seven-inch incision was closed up with two layers of stitches and then stapled together.

I have felt really ashamed to have put him through such trauma for no use. Nothing can be done but wait until the tumor grows large enough so that he cannot digest any food and then, well, you know....

Anyway, I get quite distraught over these types of problems. I guess my August is now his September. What a crappy year he has had: he was abandoned by his family at a shelter, has been extremely ill, and now his guts have been taken out and put back in for no reason.

It's Growing and It's Going To Pop

"the bulge"

As you may recall, I've been sleeping on an air mattress since moving into the apartment seven months ago. The first air mattress started to die about a month ago and now the second one is about explode (see above).

Finally, I ordered a real bed to be delivered next Saturday. Sorry to admit it, but I feel quite guilty about the purchase for the reasons I mentioned previously. However, what am I supposed to do? Have a heart-attack in the middle of the night when the thing blows? Sleep on the floor or sick-cat-vomit-ridden futon? As much Call of Duty 3 I've been playing lately, I'd probably leap through the air yelling "INCOMMMIINNGG!" ...that would get the neighbors going.

Despite my shame, when I look at the picture above I can't help but to get a good laugh at the ridiculousness of me thinking I can continue sleeping in this type of situation! As if I do not have enough back problems as it is! Hell, I'm the one who gave up the FURNISHED HOUSE so don't I deserve a freakin' bed?! It's like, if someone pokes me in the eye then I would ask "did that feel good, you can do it again if it helps you."