After Mumda and his experience he went through , with the Dr. and his WIFE I thought I would share this .
Another cabinet maker who happens to be a friend recently referred an Eye Doctors office to me for a small job that he and most of the other shops in the area were too busy to do . I enjoy shorter jobs and usually will take a look .
The senior Dr. showed me what he wanted to emulate or match , it was two stacks of drawers that with a countertop were to be his personal desk . The building had recently been enlarged and remodeled . He was very clear that the ID of the drawers needed to be an exact size and not made of Melamine .
All the new cabinets in the remodel were to match the existing but fell short because of the hardware used and all the interiors were Melamine and they hated it .These were simple Red Oak cabinets not unlike kitchen or household work .
I delivered the job, got paid and the office manager showed me all the new cabinet work and again complained of the lack of quality . Well the next day there was a message from the Sr. Doc on my machine he thanked me for the work and complimented the craftsmanship and expressed his pleasure . I called him back an hour later to thank him for the nice words and his time to make that call .
The next day the office manager called and left a message to call her back , I thought oh no , did I forget to put some screws in the drawer slides or what ?
When I called her back she said after the other two Doctors saw the new desk they decided they wanted me to replace all the cabinets from the remodel , what a surprise indeed .
The medical field is a large portion of our client base , they can afford nice things so I work for many Doctors and have done so for many years . Mostly in their homes and sometimes in the office . I have never been burned or even treated poorly by any of them . Sure the God syndrome exists and you need to keep them on their pedestals , every now and then they balk at the price and seem to be cheap , but the same is true in the private sector.
If we are professional and do our job of educating / explaining and communicating , seldom will a problem arise .
Almost always as an ice breaker I will say something like even though you are practicing I am doing this for real , how would you like me to practice on your house ?
dusty
Edited 9/16/2006 12:07 pm ET by oldusty
Replies
oldusty,
Your very lucky to have found such nice Dr.'s. My uncle was a Dr. and his wife a lawyer...usually the tradesman got enough over the phone to never show up. The poor fools that did were treated miserably....they were incredibly picky and always thought they were being over charged.
Hi BG ,
I think for me the trick has been to charge them enough to do the job in a manor I leave them no reasons to complain , once the price is given and they are still talking to me they then have been qualified and understand from the beginning I will do exactly as they wish but , on my terms . It seems as though a mutual respect can be obtained .
For the most part we are able to do things they can't , regardless of their greatness .
We have become friends with many of them and are treated like family .
To be clear I certainly have not worked for all the Doc's I have spoken to and bid for , and it is probably a good thing I did'nt . That is part of being in business .
dusty
This whole "doctors" thread is about as far off as they come. Father is an OB/GYN, Mother is an RN/Practitioner, Sister is an RN/Practitioner, close friend just completed residency ( only has $250,000 in loans to repay ), Aunt is a dentist. A quick look at the numbers will show you that 6-figure malpractice insurance, and the devastating effects of HMO's, have left healthcare in shambles. Medical Economics is a huge part of being an MD., and there isn't a single one out there that would recommend the proffesion if money was a motivating factor
Hey Edward ,
This thread was sort of a spin off of one in the business folder titled " crazy client or am I screwing them "
check it out for a bit more insight , I was actually sharing the fact that I have had many satisfactory transactions with Doctor's , and not all doc's are problematic so to speak.
dusty
Edited 9/19/2006 7:25 pm ET by oldusty
Sorry to " jump the gun " on that one. Having been close to the subject, I tire of the stereotype.
They could have been a plumber and an electrician. Has nothing to do with professions./Gretchen
Who was who said when asked "Why do you rob banks" .... "because that's where the money is"
Why do we work for docs? Because that's where the money is.
I believe it was John Dillinger who said that. If not him, maybe Clyde Barrow.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I thought Willie Sutton said that.
Regards from Perth
Derek
You're right, I just googled it and they credited Sutton, too. Thanks, Either the program was wrong or my memory is going. Or, "How many people with ADD does it take to change a lightbulb?""I don't know, how many?""Wanna go for a bike ride?"
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Actually it was Willie Sutton (Why do you rob banks? Because that's where the money is").Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
G. Absolutely correct, it may have been in his book but he was on the old Johnny Carson show and that was what Johnny asked him. I saw it with my own blood shot eyes. Carson was a joy, he let the guests talk and we got the benefit of that, unlike the mooks today that must control all conversation to point to themselves like letterman. Thanks for the memory. Pat
This is kind of mine own opinion about people who have money.
I have worked for some very wealthy people and have never been burned by any. Usually I ask them some questions about how they found out about me and then follow up on those.
If I find they have a lot of money and have earned it, they are usually great to work for. If they have had it given to them, then I am wary of their demands and somehow seem to be able to steer them away from me.
If they are people who have gotten their money by treating people well it is different than if they are miserly and seem to want to use people.
Hi Dusty,
Encouraging story, thanks. How do you market to these Dr. offices?
In the small area we are in , word of mouth and referrals are the strongest forms of advertising and marketing for me .
After 25 years in the same area our client base has grown , mostly by being patient (and not a patient ) and being dedicated to detail from start to finish . As I said I gain total controllability of the job while doing exactly as they wish , on my terms .
dusty
Thanks, so I just need to hold out another 21 years and I'll be doing it like you. Unless my state (Michigan) implodes before then, which is highly likely...
Mum ,
It took me about 5 years before I started to get any referrals .
All I can tell you is it won't happen overnight , regardless of your talents.
My shop is on the same property as my home as I believe your's is . Sometimes a client may need to come to your shop for various reasons , approving design or color or sometimes just to make sure you are for real . They are entrusting us with a lot of money and seeing your shop can help lend credibility to you and your operation .
In your "am I crazy post " you stated you were not comfortable in having the client know where you live . This may work for some but may not work for all .
Typically as soon as a client walks into my shop they seem satisfied and even more confident in me . Try it .
dusty
Thanks for the advice. I already have doubled the number of jobs I had last year, which was double the previous year so the trend is in the right direction.It's good to hear there are craftsmen that can make it in this business.I have had clients to the shop. I just didn't want those particular clients to know where my home was because of the bad conversations we had for each other.Speaking of shop, I need to get it cleaned today...
Oldusty,
I too have a few docs as clients & find them no different than most other professions. What is it about school teachers on the other hand....................
Don
Don ,
School teachers are like librarians maybe , they have read so many books and know just about everything there is to know . They may have never done a particular thing but they have read about it .
" Knowledge without experience is simply information "
Mark Twain
dusty
"School teachers are like librarians maybe , they have read so many books and know just about everything there is to know . They may have never done a particular thing but they have read about it ."For the above generalization you owe teachers and librarians an apology. You should stick to comments regarding woodworking and the business of, where you've shown you have some knowledge.
Yes, lets be careful with how you generalize about groups of people. There are people who do their job well and others who don't in every profession. To single out teachers and librarians is uunconscionable (if you don't know what that word is ask a teacher or a librarian, they can help you).<!----><!----><!---->
Now if what you said was sarcastic, I missed it, and I apologize. If not - stick it in your ear. Jerk.<!----><!---->
I am a teacher and my job is hard enough without people making assumptions without fact or real experience. What do I teach... technical education, engineering actually, so I think that I do know something about what I teach and actually "do" something.<!----><!---->
So far as pay, it is getting better, but still lags far behind for the amount of training (schooling) and work (far beyond the 40 hours a week most put in - think planning, grading and extra help) - that other professions expect. <!----><!---->
Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, its just that when people who don't know open their mouth and spew something that is negative - that flies in the face of what most teachers are all about - it makes me not want to teach.<!----><!---->
Sorry, but I don't let things like that go.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
Donkey
Donkey ,
Please take the time to read post #13 from dondownunder , I was merely responding to his post and had tongue firmly planted in cheek as I believe Don did .
I have the utmost respect for teachers and have come to the realization that it is much harder to be a teacher then a student .
I also said nothing about pay scale and never intended to insult anyone .
I hope the record is straight now , apology accepted .
dusty
Wood.... <!----><!----><!---->
Deal with it...<!----><!---->
All teachers, except those at private schools, are paid through our tax dollars...you will always be under the microscope... don't like it...Nuts! (Hmm wonder if you know who said that teacher...)<!----><!---->
As an accountant, I have made many a collection call and teachers, and professors top my list. Whether the excuse be "Oh I forgot" or "I was not happy…" it’s the same. My employer was not paid for services rendered.... Well, market forces, competition, and result oriented compensation concepts are an alien ideas to many teachers<!----><!---->
Yes, this is a bit harsh and coarse, but nuts! <!----><!---->
FYI generalizations are just that…They generalize a group and do not define it. They are an inference from ones observations, even if they are limited. If your inferences are different, good.
Rich<!----><!---->
"Nuts!" ~ General McAuliffe.
I give that answer an A+
:o)
Rich
Do I get a sticker too?
You might add that it was a reply to a German Major when asked to surrender the surrounded 101st Airborne Div. at Bastogne Dec. 22, 1944 during the peak of the Battle of the Bulge.
Actually a very civilized response as spoken by a high ranking officer of the U. S. Army.
If I had been asked, I would just have told them to "kiss my southern a*s". But then again I was only a Sargent and not an "officer and a gentle-man". ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
In all due respect for past events and all that have served...
SARGE..
This thread has shown there is a lot of boneheaded narrow-mindedness here. I respect a lot of participant's woodworking knowledge, but as human beings, some of you are completely lacking.
"as human beings, some of you are completely lacking."
Well, this is my fisrt foray into this thread, but I hope I'm already part of that elevated group. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Hi Richard ,
I'll drink to that
The only ones we have not heard from are the librarians
"it's too bad ignorance is not painful "
dusty
in all honesty , if I had to choose to only keep one thing , be it cars , property , tools , it would be my literature.
<"The only ones we have not heard from are the librarians">You want to be careful of p-ing off the librarians... they have the CIA, FBI and Dept of Homeland Security on the run...Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
" in all honesty , if I had to choose to only keep one thing , be it cars , property , tools , it would be my literature."
Poor choices dusty. You forgot beer, expensive women, and cheap 3 legged horses, and--- er, pretty sheep. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
How bout boots ?
your baaaad !
Richard,
Kinda like Groucho Marx, who said something on the order of "I wouldn't join any group that would have someone like ME for a member." Haw
Ray
Unfortunately Ray, I'm in that group. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
<<This thread has shown there is a lot of boneheaded narrow-mindedness here.>>
<<Knock, Knock>> Yep, that's bone alright...tough part am figgerin' out on whether it be hollow or solid....
<<I respect a lot of participant's woodworking knowledge, but as human beings, some of you are completely lacking.>>
I believe that I would resemble that remark..... ;-)
_____
Easy there, Sparky! Them what acts like maroons merely provide much free entertainment and endless opportunity for a good chuckle. Take advantage of it....Tschüß!
Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!
James
Sarge,
I've been told that the "NUTS!" reply is the civil and printable one in all the history books. The actual answer is reputed to be a wee bit more scatalogical.
IMO, McAuliff was generally more at the crusty end of the spectrum, kinda in the same mold as Terry Allen and George S Patton. And ya gotta remember: lots of them WWI era generals (and other commanders) were officers and "gentlemen" only by an Act of Congress (that minor fact, of course, doesn't detract one bit from their abilities or accomplishments; in fact, I think that the rough-around-the-edges qualities of most/many officers was/is a distinct advantage.)
Good to hear from you again!!
Tschüß!
Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!
James
Graduate, US Army, Sergeant, 11B20, 1980
Graduate again, US Army, Major, 11C00, 2003
...didn't learn a damn thing....
Edited 9/20/2006 4:01 pm by pzgren
Edited 9/20/2006 4:11 pm by pzgren
Oldusty,
I'm sure you meant your "teachers and librarians" comment in jest.....right?
My wife is a teacher. Has been for over twenty years.
Perhaps you were one of her students. She teaches the emotionally disturbed and conduct disorder kids. ;o)
BTW, Considering her experience and education, way underpaid.Rennie
A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward. Frank Lloyd Wright
Hi Rennie ,
Absolutely and purely in jest .
See post # 13 .
How was Imnaha ?
regards dusty
Doctors... teachers... librarians... can't we all just get along?Now as for lawyers and politicians...;^)Glaucon
If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...
Hey Doc ,
Now don't start that stuff all over again , be nice .
dusty
Well,
Whatever else can be said about teachers, apparently those who read messages on Knots seem to be somewhat thin-skinned. Those were pretty quick objections to a pretty innocuous comment.
"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."
I didn't say it. H. L. Menken did.
Hi Rich ,
Thanks for being so observant . No real problem to me I knew I meant no harm and actually did not call anyone any names as others have . Not my style .
regards dusty
My variation that I tell my classes occasionally is that "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, consult; and those who can't consult become managers." Usually aggravates everyone.
BTW I have been in all the above mentioned groups.
That's all bull, Bob.
Those that can, do. Those that can't do, teach. And those that can't teach, teach teachers. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Yep, My bad. I have never been good at stereotyping. Fact is, I have trouble using this one keyboard--never have been able to use two at once. So, I guess I'll stick to monotyping--oh, wait, haven't seen a Monotype since I operated one in high-school.
http://www.woodsidepress.com/MONOTYPE.HTML
Oh! Wait! It was a pair of Linotypes that my school had:
http://www.woodsidepress.com/LINOTYPE.HTML But I only used one at a time so it still wasn't stereotyping.
I do hope that my fellow readers understand that my post #.62 is in jest, and so in reply to "that's all bull," I'll agree, and then ask "Where's the beef?"
<Sorry for the thread hijack emoticon>
You read, you write, you measure, you calculate, and you quote--thank a teacher!
"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, consult; and those who can't consult become managers." Nice...you've managed to sum up my entire career in a single run-on sentence. :)
Bob,
"Those who can, do, those who can't, teach."
Then there's the old saw that says, "If you want to learn a subject, teach it."
Sort of like: "Great minds run in the same channel." But: "Fools think alike."
Cheers,
Ray
Hi,
Imnaha is on the calendar for Oct 1 thru 6. Really looking forward to the visit. No phone, no electricity, no computers, no TV.......
How's the weather? Snow yet?
Here's where we're staying. (along with apologies for hijacking this thread)Rennie
A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward. Frank Lloyd Wright
Rennie ,
It has been a tad wet up there as of late , no real snow just yet. The huge spring is awesome and a sight to behold , bring your camera.
dusty
And just how is it that YOU know how to read? Or write, sort of...? "If you can read this, thank a teacher!" Good luck!
Perhaps he learned to read and write despite the best efforts of "professional teachers".
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
TinaK ,
Perhaps you should read post #13 , I was merely responding to that .Then please continue to read on , if you have not done so yet .
Is it possible you are reading more into my post then what is really there.
Do you feel any part of what I said was inaccurate ?
Is there something specific that has upset you ?
"School teachers are like librarians maybe , they have read so many books and know just about everything there is to know . They may have never done a particular thing but they have read about it." Was this intended to be...not negative? If so, I retract my comment 100%. Perhaps you are not contributing to the assertions that "those who can, do: those who cannot, teach." I certainly may have misread your comments! If so, I apologize. Edited 9/26/2006 8:33 pm ET by TinaKEdited 9/26/2006 8:33 pm ET by TinaKEdited 9/26/2006 8:34 pm ET by TinaK
Edited 9/26/2006 9:03 pm ET by TinaK
I'm sure he can,as can Richard the other recipient of your venomous dart on the matter. I'm just shining a little light on your seemingly narrow vision and lack of humor .
I would remind you that reading is a useless skill without comprehension.
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
Hi d ,
Yup , about as useless as knowledge without experience .
Growing up in a boy's town orphanage did not provide the best education opportunities , sorry If I have not met the industry standards .
dusty
I'm no expert on that industries standards but you're fine by mine.
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
No barbs felt here dg.
I teach. It's one of my jobs.
If you're going to make disparaging remarks about a profession, it's often best to be a member of that profession.
Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
I figured if you had felt barbed you would have said something. From reading your posts the last few months (and I confess to looking up some of your older ones) I knew you certainly did not need any looking after!
I mentioned you only as a reference to her post. It's pretty obvious you have a healthy sense of humor and are not afflicted with thin skin disease. Must be all that lanolin!
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
d,
I have had an ex parte conversation with RJ as well as other committee members of the Sheep herders of the world association in regards to your comments , it appears a class action suit shall be brought forth .
Careful your boots may be confiscated .
dusty
p.s. the white water trip I offered you will always be open come on down
we can bring a wireless lap top with us I'm sure this will still be going on !
Thanks for the tip! I contacted my attorney and he said I probably don't need to worry too much since the association is still busy fighting that pandering charge. Nevertheless I will sleep with my boots under my pillow tonight and have hidden my lambswool jacket just in case.
I do appreciate the invite but this year is booked solid, maybe next year :)
I'd kind of like to take a look at Milton-Freewater too. I hear land and power are cheap and it's not succumbed to the nanny politicians yet. The city has big plans for the area I'm in and light industry is definitely not going to be welcome. Time to start looking.
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
dusty,
Richard can do without the high top boots, as long as he has his velcro gloves.
Ray
edit: dgreen,
pandering? Those cute little bears are involved too??!!
Edited 9/27/2006 8:55 am ET by joinerswork
I get it wrong sometimes Ray. If I put on the 'loop' pair I'm all out of luck. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
TinaK ,
Apology accepted , I never said anything about those who can or any of that stuff .
TinaK ,
It is really too bad we can't see the expression on each others face as in a face to face conversation , a smile is as good as 100 posts . Many comments are taken out of context and some get offended over words . So what kind of wood work do you do Tina , I'm your basic wood butcher .
Oh no , now the meat cutters will be taking slices at me , lol !
life is short , eat desert first , smile
dusty
Well said dusty--I couldn't agree more :-) I don't comment on this site much, and unfortunately I seem to only reply when I think I have something to defend...
dustman,
Every Cuban is a mechanic.
( old Cuban saying)
Et al;
My mom was a teacher- taught med school for 35 years- anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. So those who think teachers can't "do", ought to remove themselves from the gene pool, they're only dragging down the average score.
Jackplane old buddy, I guess I ought to drop off the briefs, my schemes of work and lesson plans at my supervisors office---- and get my coat. ;) Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Liked your article in Woodwork about how to bill... very thorough...
Thank you Charles. That's very kind of you to say so. Perhaps you wouldn't believe the original is 38 (A4) pages long. It covered a lot more ground, e.g., working in metric, conversions, the use of accountancy programmes and spreadsheets, sidebar notes, explanatory captions to images and an eight page table summarising all the previous verbiage.
I think the editor, John Lavine, did an extraordinary job of extracting the essentials and condensing it to only seven pages. My email inbox has been pretty busy ever since publication, although we probably won't see our subscription copies over here for another couple of weeks, ha, ha. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Lavine does a great job with just about every aspect of that magazine.
I've written a lot for magazines, and it's always hard to see my perfect 20 pages get condensed to six. At first it bothered me, but I came to understand over the years that the articles were invariably better after the editor's work was done.My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
I know what you mean John. I too have been writing for several years. I write with the editor as being my immediate audience. Give them all the information so they can understand it and let them condense it and extract the essentials for their readership.
A good editor is worth his/here weight in gold. A poor one is a right royal pain in the pants, ha, ha. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Current Aust Bumper sticker from vets:
.........If you are reading it in english, thank a soldier.
I like that too:-) Although I learned English in another country, I now teach it, and I very much appreciate the language and your comment...
Oi... ... ...
My wife is a school teacher. Please let me know where school teachers are paid well enough to afford commissioning custom furniture. We need to move there.
Edited 9/19/2006 1:08 pm ET by TaunTonMacoute
i have a few teacher friends here in ct and they do pretty well pay wise.
My neighbor teaches 2nd grade and is at $47K for nine months of work.
What is their education level? How many years in the profession?
DW teaches HS English, has a Masters degree, 15 years in the profession and makes $36K/yr. She typically works 10+ hrs per day and usually a 1/2 day on either Sat or Sun. planning, grading organizing, calling parents of kids falling behind and attending training sessions - sometimes on our dime. Schools are so well funded, that we spend at least $20 ( sometimes a lot more ) a month on supplies/materials for her to use in the classroom. If you have not been in a "modern" average level class in awhile, you ought to - dealing with the disipline and behaviour issues she does, would get me a lawsuit or admitted to the looney bin.
" There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow
I'll ask those questions when I see them this weekend. I think a lot has to do with what state/county/district the teacher is in. I know our schools that my girls go to are well funded and very modern. All the teachers seem to be out of the school by 4:15, (when I get my daughter from practice, the faculty lot is empty). The only supplies we had to buy were back-packs and calculator."- dealing with the disipline and behaviour issues she does, would get me a lawsuit or admitted to the looney bin." >I hear you there!!!<
DW is usually out of school by 3:30 - 4pm, but spends 1-3hrs working at home afterwards - usually grading, creating tests and calling parents. Each class has an average of 35 kids and she teaches 6 classes (200+ kids) and has a lunch period and "prep" period (where she is supposed to do grading, planning, test creation...)
" There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow
My father was a teacher. When I was growing up he often told me I could do anything I wanted to; except become a teacher. He taught for 35 years, had a masters degree and enough other classes and credits to fulfill a Ph.D. In any other profession he would have been a VP or CEO.I know that he spent too much of his class time trying to teach basic manners and social skills to teenagers whose parents thought that was his job, so they didn't bother to do it at home. He spent many hours outside the classroom, planning lessons, shopping for supplies (un-reimbursed), organizing and attending events. There is no overtime pay for teachers. There is also no paycheck from the end of June to the beginning of September. Like many teachers he did other work to pay the bills over the summer. My parents also ran their own business on the side to put 3 kids through college.I grew up in a district dominated by IBM and its' employees. School budgets were routinely voted down and then brought up for revote as 'austerity budgets'. This was basically a ploy to cut everything but sports so the IBMers could stick it to the teachers while their kids still got to play baseball and football. Oddly the first computers our schools got were Apple not PC.It seems budgets pass 50/50 these days but my second grader still got a list of supplies to bring in that totaled over $60. I must say that I am pretty happy with our schools. Taxes are pretty high, but the way I see it, we can either pay them and give our kids and education, or our kids might as well sit outside and watch the grass grow.AndySaid least is often said best,
but said best is often said least.
Same here - DW is a HS teacher, and if she wants custom furinture - guess where we go to get it made. - ME
" There'll be no living with her now" - Captain Jack Sparrow
Exactly.
In my many years as an accountant in real life I can tell you of my experience....
Teachers and professors are the worst payers...
Then Churches, not your Big 3, but your "Great smoky church of blah blah" for example
The best payers have been blue collar workers....Think on it...
Rich
This is kind of off the subject, but does relate.
I saw a quote by a con man that said "doctors are not as smart as they think, but they have more money than me".
I've worked with them, they seem nice, but over worked and do not have a sense of the real world outside their practice.
Insurance reform and consumers paying the bill will bring all of them and us into the reality of value for medical results and services performed.
Do you think if they passed on your bill to a third party to write the check, your would have heard a peep?!!
My dream future is that a good craftsman will be paid as well as a "medical professional". Results should be judged by the consumer and not the third party payee.
It's the difference between an art and a science.
BR
That's right BR.And in your "dream future," when you have bacterial pneumonia or need a quaudruple coronary artery bypass graft following your near-fatal heart attack, just call your neighborhood "good craftsman."BTW, following my CABG, and after reviewing the bills the insurance company paid out, the helicopter air ambulance was paid $24,000 to transport me for about 35 minutes. The hospital was paid $52,000 for 3 days of care. The cardiac cath lab was paid $30,000. The surgeon, who spent 3 hours inside my chest, saving my life, whose technique could not tolerate one iota of error charged $4000 and was "allowed" $2400 by the insurance contracts which he had to accept as full payment.Rich
triplenet ,
That dream future you speak of , is and has been a reality for along time . I've never been there but , from what I have heard first hand the place you describe is called CUBA .
There is a price to pay for not paying a price , it may be personal freedom and choices .
I had a sister in law who came from Cuba , she came to this country and became a PH.D. , she said opportunities were limited or non existent in Cuba , she wanted to better herself and much of her family eventually came across . She told me children were sent to the sugar cane fields to work at an early age and had little opportunity to go to school let alone college .
This was some years ago I asked her why the people don't get rid of Castro , ( her grandfather died in a Cuban prison , he spoke his mind ) she told me the reason was that Castro's brother was next in line and he was worse than Fidel . Yeah she said he wants to kill everyone .
be careful of what you wish for
regards dusty
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