Nationwide Insurance, Drops 100K Policies, Pulling Out of Pet Insurance

Speaking of the rising cost of healthcare (particularly pharmaceuticals) in America in my previous post today, veterinary costs have also skyrocketed, and I'm super sick of the "COVID" excuse for inflation.  

If you're a small business, I get it if you're still struggling, but corporations?

No - they got major subsidies for COVID and loans with a lower interest rate, plus continued tax shelters lingering under Trump, still in effect by March 2020 and continued throughout the pandemic.

When it comes to healthcare, that includes corporations that make pharmaceuticals, imaging equipment, lab tests and equipment, even medical office supplies - thousands to millions more than any of us got with our stimulus checks.  

Also, their labor has been back for years now - so that excuse needs to die, at this point - they're just being greedy.

Also, some corporations - particularly gas and car companies - do not like it when there's a Democrat elected, because they're afraid that will mean less tax shelters, more labor laws, and more consumer protection.

Even if these things won't happen or don't happen, they will raise and lower their prices at whim just after an election in anticipation, based on who is in office, which makes it appear to be some sort of "reward" or "punishment" of the voters for voting the way they like, rather than a true financial crisis yet  😂

Don't believe me? 

Watch how fast gas prices drop, usually within 2 days, after a Republican gets elected, particularly by state - but only for a month or so, then it creeps back up.

(For which, of course, they'll now blame something else, like storms in the Gulf, before they even hit, or conflict in the Middle East even though it's been quiet, or Democrat-sponsored labor or consumer protection laws on the table that haven't even passed yet and likely won't be, blocked by Republicans. ).

However, watch gas prices skyrocket within 2 days after a Democrat is elected and stay that way, going even higher.  😂

Now, you know dang well, nothing happened to their profit margin, their taxes, labor or consumer protection laws, nor even significant decreases to their stock margins, just 2 days after an election - so methinks it's less about financial anticipation and more about just being shitty over politics.

Because such an immediate price response to elections - which always goes back up, after a couple of months, even if a Republican - is proof that they can raise or lower their prices at whim without true justification.

Regardless, whoever was actually elected has zero control over that, other than the gas company's stamp of approval on them as a candidate or not.

Also, not only do presidents have nothing to do with prices themselves, but there's nothing they can do about them, either.

So if you're blaming or crediting Biden - or any president - for prices, you're an idiot - and you really need to reread the Constitution regarding the roles and rules of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government. 

Only Congress has the power to regulate prices, by passing laws - but they haven't and they won't regulate the price of annnnytttthinnng, even healthcare, due to irrational "Socialism" fears.

This is despite the fact that not regulating even just pharmaceutical costs alone is now bankrupting both public and private insurance companies, but boosting the profit margins of not just U.S. corporations with less taxes than we pay, but corporations in other countries that do have socialized healthcare, thereby boosting the  overall economy of entire countries in doing so (see below post regarding Ozempic and Denmark's GDP rise)!


Yes, the president can author a bill, but Congress still has to vote on approval.

Thus, the only string the government has to pull is the Federal Reserve to just keep raising interest rates, which does very little. In fact, companies just use the high interest rates they're paying for business loans as an excuse to charge you more!

But I digress, to my actual point 😂

So 6 years ago, Mark's employer began offering pet insurance, and we jumped on it.  The company was Nationwide, one of the first insurance companies providing pet insurance, and they paid for everything - exams, shots, wellness visits, even allergy testing.  In fact, they are still the only company out there that pays for as much as they do - until now?

We paid $15 out of every paycheck, his company matched it.  The deductible was $250, then Nationwide would reimburse you 80% of whatever costs were accrued over that.  It was GREAT!

Other companies have come along, but no one offered full coverage at a great price, so we stuck with it. 

Fast forward to this past year - suddenly, our premiums increased without warning to $60 a paycheck a month ago.  

Also, we had Ziggy neutered April 29th and they have yet to reimburse us for that, though we met our deductible earlier in the year. 

Then last weekend, when we took Ziggy to the urgent vet for an allergic reaction, the vet informed us of THIS - Nationwide is pulling out of pet insurance because they're bleeding money due to costs - and they just dropped 100,000 members without warning, spurring a class-action lawsuit.

Thus, I wonder if we ever will get reimbursed?

Last week, Mark contacted his work benefits and they're checking into it, to make sure we haven't been dropped, too, but with the July 4th holiday, we don't know.  

However, on calling another company for a quote - the name as yet TBA -  they told us that we are unlikely to be among the 100,000  dropped, because Kentucky makes it difficult for you to stop doing insurance business at whim; however, we WILL be dropped in the next couple of years because Nationwide is getting out of the pet insurance business.

(Wow, I finally found the one good thing about living in Kentucky 😂)

This person was very honest and advised us to stay with Nationwide for now, because if we switch now, we will never get reimbursed, and to call Nationwide every day and bug them to pay, especially since they raised our premiums without warning.

He also said although his company is great, Nationwide was previously the best, they covered more than any other company, including allergy testing, which is what Ziggy will need next.

I said, "Okay, but if we aren't getting reimbursed for things they said they would cover anyway, we have to pay out of pocket anyway, so what's the difference if we're never reimbursed?"

He said, "I get it, but if you switch now, you can be certain you'll never get paid for your open claims. Get those claims paid, then give me a call."

I was super grateful for his honesty and definitely will!

Now, my current vet is also awesome - in fact, he left his former practice and went into business himself, because he felt they were overcharging and he wants to keep prices reasonable - but there are certain things he still has to send out for or outsource for, like labs or testing or imaging, for which he has no control over the price. 

What kills me is all of the American people complaining about inflation, but still cutting their own throats financially by supporting politicians who have provided large corporations with the largest tax shelters in history and are anti-consumer protection laws, labor /pay laws, and healthcare/pharmaceutical-control laws - it defies logic, right?

(Mostly because these same Republican politicians also do so much fearmongering about immigrants, gender issues, race issues, and abortion issues, as distraction tactics, and they take the bait!)

Okay, I'm done for today, bitching about the cost of American healthcare without justification,  though we could fix this very easily, with consumer protection laws and pharmaceutical price regulation -  but noooo, Republicans would scream "socialism," instead of realizing that healthcare - especially for humans -  should NEVER be treated like a regular business, it should be about providing for the general welfare for our citizens. 

*Hop* off my soapbox now! 😂

Things to Consider Before Using Ozempic

Though I'm prediabetic, I only weigh 128 pounds (making my BMI 22) and have been thin most of my life, so Ozempic wouldn't be an option for me, even if I went into type 2 diabetes, unless my BMI was greater - so this post is for anyone who does qualify and is considering Ozempic (or even if you don't and just want to use it for weight loss and pay out of pocket, as many do). 

And though I'd like to lose 10 pounds still, I'm not about to use Ozempic for it, because temporary use isn't what it's designed for and there is a proven boomerang effect in doing so - you will gain all of your weight back (and then some, if you don't also diet and exercise), with a couple of months. 

But before I get to the specifics of Ozempic, a little background ...

So most people know what I do for a living, and that Contract #1 is transcribing the price-test marketing interviews before new drugs launch, between Big Pharma and insurance companies, both public and private, as well as key-opinion-leading clinicians. 

Unfortunately, the interviews have dwindled since the Inflation Reduction Act, which goes into full effect in 2025, and isn't targeting inflation as a whole, nor is it regulating prices (I wish).

The IRA only targets Medicare copays - meaning that as of 2025, Medicare members will never pay more than a $50 copay for any pharmaceutical drug, regardless of the price.  

Also, Medicare will drop a list of 10 medications every September which Medicare will offer to renegotiate lower prices on, and if pharma won't negotiate, they will no longer be covered - and private insurance will reflect those prices (though will pay slightly more). 

Thus, though passed two years ago, it doesn't officially go into effect until 2025, and they've also dropped the first list of target drugs last September as a warning shot - which has left insurance companies and pharma scrambling to figure out how to accomplish this (without actually dropping the price, of course, though some did for insulin before the last list was dropped last year because they knew they'd be on it). 😂

The government doesn't care HOW pharma and insurance companies accomplish this, just that they get it done, so that no Medicare patient ever pays more than $50 for a prescription. 

What this means for me and Contract 1 is, I guess there's no sense in doing price-testing if you know you're going to overcharge and may end up on Medicare's shit list, with the Medicare consumer now paying no more out of pocket for any drug than a $50 copay anyway, right? 😂

Thus, the work has dwindled over the past year with Contract 1 and so I picked up Contract 2, going back to regular medical transcription.  It takes me 1-1/2 days at Contract 2 to make what I could make in a 3 hours with Contract 1, but c'est la vie; this is the going rate for medical transcription, now, after competing with electronic medical records and outsourcing to India still, when we used to make $50K with benefits. 

(At least this newer, smaller company is fair with QA, not cutthroat over few resources, and verbally abusive and bullying because you're not face-to-face, like other companies, and that's worth a million to me!)

ANYWAY -  to the point of this post, finally ...

The work that I have received is regarding "me-too" Ozempic-like drugs coming out soon, and I just learned that the the Novo Nordisk type 2 diabetes/weight loss injected drug, semaglutide - the active ingredient their drugs Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus (oral formulation) - has boosted the national GDP of Denmark by 1.7% in 2023, and is expected to rise to 2% in 2024.

So essentially, because the U.S. pays the most for pharmaceuticals out of any country in the world, we have paid for the boost in Denmark's economy - so Denmark is a wealthier country because of semaglutide, mostly because of us!

You're welcome, Denmark!  😂

I say that because America, paying the outrageous prices that we do for drugs compared to the rest of the world, is largely responsible for that boost. 

So what is semaglutide and how does it work?

Semaglutide is an injectable incretin mimetic of GLP-1.  In layman's terms, this means it's a "mimic" or synthetic version of the GLP-1 hormone,  which is the body's natural incretin hormone that is responsible for not only stimulating the pancreas to produce more insulin (which regulates blood sugar), but triggers the satiation mechanism in the brain into thinking you're full (though this mechanism is still not well understood). 

Additionally, it thus can create nausea/vomiting/and even diarrhea or constipation if you eat past the brain's satiation-point hormone release.

Thus, all of this combined will result in weight loss - on average, at least 20 pounds, but up to 75 pounds has been recorded IF you also diet and exercise, too (and the effects are sustained longer, and more weight is lost,  if you also diet and exercise).

Additionally, we already knew that semaglutide showed a reduction in cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes due to the original 2016 SUSTAIN clinical trial, but in November 2023, the SELECT clinical trial just proved that even people without type 2 diabetes showed a reduction in cardiovascular events. (New England Journal of Medicine.)

Then just this past May, a European study showed that semaglutide also reduced the risk of kidney failure in people with type 2 diabetes (not yet published in the NEJM or can't find yet).

Though this study hasn't been done in non-type 2 diabetics yet, we can extrapolate, to a certain degree, that the same would happen in non-diabetics, just like the cardiovascular reduction.

Sounds like a wonder drug, right?

Somewhat, but not so fast - there are some things to consider -  especially if American.

THE COST

The official FDA label states that semaglutide (as the injectible product Ozempic) is only indicated for blood sugar control for type 2 diabetics with a BMI over 27% - NOT weight loss. 

If you're not diabetic and you want to use injectable semaglutide for weight loss only, you have to buy the exact same semaglutide from the exact same company, only called Wegovy. 

(FYI, Novo Nordisk also makes Rybelsus, which is an oral formulation of semaglutide for needle-phobics, but it's less effective and only costs $50 less than the more-effective injection, so most people opt for the injectable.)

Why does the same product, by the same company, have two different product names and lines?

Because Novo Nordisk knew that insurance companies do not cover weight loss drugs.  So if they put both blood sugar control AND weight loss indications on the same label for the same product, insurance companies would never cover it, and thus, the product would never be used, for either blood sugar control OR weight loss.

Thus, the solution was to then put the same drug out as 2 separate products, with 2 separate indications. 

Smart move, right? 

And it worked - your insurance WILL cover Ozempic *IF* you're a type 2 diabetic using it for blood sugar control (after you've tried 1 or 2, even 3 other products first, because of the price).

However, if you're NOT a type 2 diabetic and using it instead for weight loss only, then you MUST use Wegovy and your insurance will NOT cover it - UNLESS - your employer has specifically "carved out" a weight-loss rider on your employer's health plan, but this is rare. 

And the cost? 

Even though though it's the same drug, Ozempic is $1,000 a month without insurance, and Wegovy is $1,300 a month without insurance. . 

If you DO have insurance -  and you have type 2 diabetes and your BMI is greater is 27% or greater -  you will pay around $780 a month until you hit your deductible (and considering most health care plans now have high deductibles, that would likely take you anywhere from 3 to 6 months).  

After meeting your deductible, and if on typical 80/20 copay plans, you will pay $200 a month.

For Wegovy, since insurance coverage is rare, you're going to continue pay $1,300 per month. 

Subsidized/partially subsidized or socialized health care?

Yes, please - at least and especially with pharmaceuticals.

Now - lots of little clinics and docs are popping up and prescribing Ozempic, either suddenly finding a lot more people with type 2 diabetes, these days, or finding ways around it, but either way, you're likely going to pay more out of pocket for it. 

In fact, LA has gotten the reputation for finding ways not only to get it, but to overpay to get it - to the degree that legitimate type 2 diabetics couldn't get it, for a while, as they bought them out! 

Regardless, even if you truly meet the criteria and have insurance, you're going to pay a minimum of $2,400 a year , but since most don't, are you ready to pay $12,000 to $16,000 a year for it?

That's like buying a car every year for the rest of your life!

Also consider this ...

If you go on it before you develop type 2 diabetes, you likely won't develop it - so yeah, you're going to pay $16K a year for Wegovy, for the rest of your life - even higher with inflation.

With regards to the IRA and Medicare's new "shit list" of overpriced drugs to renegotiate, many are speculating Ozempic will be on it, this September, but we shall see.  

Last year, they targeted expensive drugs of equal efficacy that have never reduced their price in 20 years, despite the market being flooded with competitors, including generic -   i.e, insulin and the novel anticoagulants of Eliquis, Xarelto, Brilinta and Pradaxa. 

(For why the pharma market doesn't play by the same market rules as every other product, keep reading below.)

However, semaglutide has no direct competitors of equal efficacy yet and no generics, so the government might just wait for pipeline competitors to launch to see if the prices drop then or not (likely not - again, see why below).

THE NECESSITY FOR CHRONIC USE

Speaking of that cost, we'll start with the financial "side effects" before the clinical ones. 

Though many people use semaglutide for a temporary event like a wedding, etc., it doesn't actually work that way - if you stop semaglutide, you will gain the weight back, the majority of people do, especially if you don't also diet and exercise.

Which means, you - and your insurance company - will be paying the above amounts for the rest of your life (unless you move to Europe).

The good news is, lately I have done a couple of test-marketing interviews for some "me-too" drugs in the pipeline with the same mechanism of action from other countries.

The bad news is, in America, flooding the market with more of a product, even if generic, doesn't bring the price of pharmaceuticals down much, if at all.

This is partly due to still increased demand, but mostly due to the way that PBMs operate. 

PBMs or Pharmacy Benefit Managers are the often third-party companies that manage the pharmacy benefits for your health insurance plan, although a few insurance companies have bought their own PBM, over the last couple of years, due to the below issues I'm about to tell you about.

PBMs rely almost solely on "rebates" on certain drugs for their profit.  The bigger the rebate off the price, the more profit they make, 

Worse, unlike insurance companies, PBMs are not yet legally required to disclose the total rebate percentage received back and where that money goes, to either their insurance-company clients nor its members. 

They have to guarantee insurance companies a rebate percent back , sure - but they don't have to disclose to them the entire rebate percentage they're getting back from the pharmaceutical company, nor where it goes - back into other programs within the company or in their pockets..

So for example - and I'm just making up these percentages, but they are reflective of the types of deals made -  let's say PBM  #1 negotiates a deal for Ozempic where it they get an upfront discount of 10% off the WAC (wholesale acquisition price) PLUS a rebate of 30% on every vial sold.

However, here's the catch  - the PBM, and their client, have to both promise that:

1.  A certain amount of volume of Ozempic will be bought over a year's time.   

2.  Ozempic is their preferred drug over Trulicity (another GLP-1 with somewhat less efficacy), or even excludes Trulicity altogether off  their formulary. 

3.  There will be no prior-authorization requirements other than what's on the label - the doctor attests they have type 2 diabetes without lab-test documentation, 27% or higher BMI - period. 

4.  There will be no more than one step through another drug first, such as metformin, before you can to get to their drug.

PBM #1 takes the deal, excludes Trulicity so that Ozempic is either the only option for patients, or is offered at a lesser copay.

The PBM gets to keep half of the 10% upfront discount plus 20%  of the 30% rebate at purchase of the agreed volume. 

Thus, in the end, the PBM gets a total of a 35% discount, but their client, the insurance company, only gets a 15% discount to put towards lower premiums - and the insurance company doesn't even know, because PBMs do not have to disclose the total rebate percentage!

Now, PBM #2 doesn't take  the same deal.

Maybe because they also own their own PBM rather than use a third-party and thus don't depend on rebates as their income. Maybe they fear that the rebates will not offset the total increased cost for the sheer volume of Ozempic.  Or maybe even some think the the physicians should be primarily responsible for making the choices as to what's best for the patient rather than an entirely financial decision. 

Thus, the insurance company sends PBM 2 a a counter contract in front of Novo Nordisk, and also reminds them that if Ozempic prices get too high, then they can always prefer Trulicity over Ozempic. 

So let's say  PBM 2's counteroffer contract says they will: 

1.   Put Ozempic on the formulary - BUT -  at parity price to Trulicity, with no volume-utilization guarantee, and they'll just let the prescribers and the market decide what's best to use for the patient.

2.  Need at least a 2-year price-freeze.  

3. Require patients to get a prior authorization before approval, such as producing lab tests to prove type 2 diabetes rather than just physician attestation, that your BMI must be 35% rather than 27%, and that an endocrinologist has to prescribe it rather than your PCP.  

4.  Require that patients must have tried metformin and an SGLT first.  

5.  Require that patients also have to subscribe to a third-party digital health and wellness program for diet and exercise, to ensure optimum outcomes, with proof of usage and results before they'll reauthorize it, next year.   

Novo Nordisk then says: "Um, okay -  but if you do, we'll only offer you the basic 1% pay-to-play discount with no rebates at all ..." 

"However ...  if you can convince your insurance client to loosen up  some of those restrictions, we'll give you a 5% rebate or even higher, depending on how many you convince them loosen.  But still, because we're at parity to Trulicity, the rebates will never go higher than 10%, of which you'll get 8%, they'll get 2%."

So the PBM will go back try to convince the insurance company to loosen some restrictions, because they'll get rebates and a profit, that way, and the lion's share of the rebates. 

See how that works, now?

Thus, because the rebate amounts and contracting differ so dramatically, rather than letting the market decide, the profit and losses for the pharma company vary' thus, the price never goes down substantially. 

Because of this, the pharmaceutical industry in America is one of the few market players that does not follow normal market rules and trends.

So just because you have other players now, even generics or biosimilars, doesn't mean the price will go down as with other consumer products. 

Now, the second concern regarding chronicity is clinical rather than financial.

Because although we're also seeing positive outcomes with cardiovascular and kidney results, we really don't know yet what the long-term effects of semaglutide are.  

It has been out 8 years, and we haven't seen any yet, but there is no drug out there without them, and we need more time.

Because remember, you're messing with your pancreas and insulin production.

And keep in mind, pancreatic cancer is the deadliest - I'm not saying semaglutide CAUSES pancreatic cancer, there's no evidence whatsoever to support that (at least not yet) - I'm just saying we don't know and you're messing with your pancreas. 

Though we have made huge leaps in cancer treatment over the past decade with immunotherapy, they seem to have no effect whatsoever on pancreatic cancer, we cannot seem to make a dent.  If caught early enough, it can go into remission, but since the early stages are symptomless, most people aren't. 

Also, if caught in later stages and you are lucky enough to put it in remission, the recurrence rate is astronomical, so if it doesn't get you the first time, it will likely in the second or third time.

And even if it's not pancreatic, all of our systems are more connected than we ever knew, after so much immunologic research, even on things like psoriasis, where we now know that other organ systems are damaged than the skin, like GI and arthritic problems related 

The body can be like a set of dominos in a "cascade" effect - you mess with/fix one chink in the immunologic chain, but trigger a chain of events further down in the immunologic cascade.

Just something to think about - we don't know. 

Lastly, "Ozempic face" has become treated as if it's  "side effect."

It's actually not a side effect of Ozempic, it's a side effects of rapid weight loss - if you lose weight faster than your skin can keep up, it will sag.

In fact, the same happens with bariatric surgery - which, by the way, only costs $20,000 and it's a one time deal versus $12K to $16 K a year for the rest of your life

Now, as I said, for me personally, although I'm prediabetic and would like to lose a few pounds, I only weigh 128 pounds, so even if I do transition to type 2 diabetes, I would never be able to take semaglutide as long as my BMI isn't 27% or greater anyway, so it isn't a concern for me, and I wouldn't want to use it even temporarily because the swing in blood sugar might in and of itself trigger diabetes, because your pancreas is confused!

Now, I know that some people will read this and still go "Sign me up!" but just some things to think about before jumping on that bandwagon, right? 

A Change In Leadership In the UK

*Edited, content added. 

Now, I know enough about UK politics to be dangerous, so I won't go into great detail, here, but I am fascinated (mostly in a good way) about how their politics and policies work versus ours in a general sense.  

But what I do know for certain is the UK just shifted slightly left to the Labour Party in a landslide, after 15 years of Conservative leadership, with both their Prime Minister and a majority in the House of Parliament.

However, it was apparently a very low voter turnout, reflecting a dissatisfaction with all of the current candidates in Britain in general.

Oh, but wait - the Labour Party isn't the soft-left party of yesterday  - under new leadership by Keir Starmer, it's become more centrist, but we'll delve into that more in a little bit, and any British friends can email me if I get it wrong (because my comments remain closed), because as I said, I'm no expert on British politics. 

I'm going to stay mostly positive, here, so I'm going to talk about what is different from the US and what I like about British politics.  😂

The first thing that I absolutely love, for reasons I can't fully explain, is after a new PM is elected, they move into 10 Downing Street immediately, saying the old PM, like "Thank you for playing, but that's a fail.  Now get the F out, bye!"  😂

Okay, okay, not really - that's the American way of putting it, so I guess the British way would go more like "Well done.  Our apologies, but the people have chosen a different path, so if you could be good enough to collect your things, please, we'd be very grateful, thank you."  😂

Now, sometimes this may not be a good thing, if the former PM was much beloved -  and it doesn't leave much time for moving out, if you thought you were going to win -  but it does send a very clear, strong message that the people have spoken and it takes effect immediately.

Thus, no time or opportunity for vindictive lame-duck legislature  to be pushed through by the outgoing PM or MPs, no waiting until the following year to take effect, and no time to try to sabotage anything before you go, like, oh, say you want to organize an insurrection or attempted coup because you don't like it that you lost (which is the main reason I love this.)  😂

Oftentimes, here in the U.S., there are lots of lame-duck executive orders and legislation pushed through congress as a sort of FU to the other party on the way out, but no time for that, in the UK, no time to organize an insurrection or attempted coup! 

Secondly, I love the various parties as opposed to just two, so that you have options along the political spectrum, as opposed to just a binary system where you only two you have to choose from - and yet from what I understand, they have become more difficult to distinguish/differentiate from each other?

And keep in mind, you can't necessary compare UK conservatives to American conservatives, nor UK liberals to American liberals, because there are distinct differences.  

British conservatives as a whole are more moderate than our conservatives; for example, though they are somewhat similar to our conservatives when it comes to big government and taxes, some exceptions are guns and healthcare - British conservatives often support their nationalized healthcare programs and support strict gun control, as they believe both healthcare and guns both fall under the "general welfare" of a people.

Speaking of parties in the UK, here's another critical difference - in America, the labor unions have gone Republican/conservative over the last 40 years, such that now, corporations/inherited wealth and labor unions are actually on the same political side!

I know -  it doesn't make any sense.

This has been mostly accomplished by manipulating their heart strings or fearmongering about non-economic issues such as God, abortion, gender issues, etc.  - and even more of interest to them, corporations and tech companies began blaming their plant closures on government labor laws and taxes and Dems, when the truth is, Japanese car and tech companies began to far surpass us in quality in the late 70s, and the idea to outsource overseas in the late 1990s though it began with Clinton and NAFTA, peaked when Bush so they  could save labor costs (at the expense of the American worker) was a Bush/Republican platform, not a Democratic one of American labor was their idea, not ours.

This is not the case in the UK - Labour and Corporate/Inherited wealth are two opposing parties, with Labour historically (until now) being soft-left, with the Liberal Democratic party being true center-left or even hard left. 

Lastly, I love it that the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed and has sometimes even been from the opposing party, based on the proportion of votes.  

When this happens, this is done in the spirit of collaboration, acknowledgement of a strong opposition and including their voices.

Other times, the appointment stays along party lines, as it was today, when Angela Rayner, also from the Labour Party, was appointed as deputy PM.

Regardless, no running ticket with both a PM and a Vice PM from the same party, it's an appointment after the fact. Thus, no faltering on voting because you dislike one of the two candidates, you pick one and then that guy or gal gets to choose, and it can sometimes be from another party in good will and acknowledgement of dissent. 

Now, I could write another list of things I'm not fond of in the UK, such as not having a formal written constitution and changing their constitution at whim, every time a new person is elected -  but as I said, I'm trying to keep this positive, and God knows we Americans are worse, i.e. the fact that we have a Supreme Court that has little oversight, with the power to interpret the constitution to their personal political will isn't such a positive, either, is it?

As for the new PM, Keir Starmer, I know very little other than what I've recently read.  All I know is that he's moved the party from a soft-left to a more centrist position.

What is clear to me is that he is primarily focused on how to fix their economy after Brexit fell short and COVID, foreign aid to the Ukraine and Israel, etc. 

Brexit is a whole other can of worms I won't go into here, not understanding all of the intricacies, but I know the general gist.

Now, initially, the original idea of Brexit was an economic decision - they didn't like the centralized European Union making all the rules and they wanted the right to dissent and make their own, which is understandable.

But eventually, it morphed into a borders and Britain First issue, which of course left it wide open to be hijacked by paranoid racists, hiding behind the borders issue, as paranoid racists often do, much like here in America. 

Regardless, Brexit didn't go exactly as planned and COVID didn't help, so it's time for a cleanup and nobody can agree on how best to do that.

Now, from what I've read, what I like about Starmer is that when he changes his mind about a former policy, he says so and explains why he changed his min - that's almost unheard of in American politics.

Our politicians often flip-flop so much without any explanation, it gives us whiplash, and our politicians counting on us to have the attention span and memory of gnats and not even notice (which they're often right about)  but some of us have better memories and tracking abilities than that. 

For example, Starmer initially wanted to socialize the utilities under public ownership, but the idea was wildly unpopular, and Starmer recognized that not only was that unpopular, but also not feasible and would cost the people more tax money and the need for more  government manpower; thus, he's creating a public utility company to compete with private energy companies - a bit like we did with healthcare, the ACA/Obamacare/Healthcare exchange, only with utilities instead of healthcare. 

Now, you can view that change in policy as populist or flexible with the will of the people, depending on your view of him, I guess, but at least he's been transparent about it and addressed it.

I also like that he publicly acknowledged and apologized for antisemitism within the Labour Party previously, which the prior leadership had largely ignored. 

Lightly touching on this things I did not like about Starmer, when reading about him, was his initial stances on the Israel-Hamas war, but that is in much in the same way I don't like what Biden has done  (who I voted for) - because again, for the record, I think we should condemn actions, but not take sides or provide weapons, only providing humanitarian aid to both sides and try to mediate between them.

Also, I can't really get a handle on Starmer's policies when it comes to other issues than economic, namely social issues and environmental issues?

I thought it was because I was just doing a quick search, but then I've also read his policies are sort of hard to define on social issues and are kind of all over the place.

Social issues like racial and gender inequality and women's healthcare (abortion/fertility) and climate change are a bit harder to find? 

That's about all I know thus far, and as I said, I know enough to be dangerous - but what I will say is this: "Thank GOD they at least didn't go hard right (or alt-right, like they like to deceptively call themselves) like France did!"

*In the UK, though some Conservative Party members could be considered hard right/alt-right, actually the most Trumper-like, conspiracy and cult-mentality "alt-righters" (hard righters)  have gravitated towards Nigel Farage, formerly of the UKIP (United Kingdom Independent Party), now called the Reform UK party.

Oh, and don't be fooled by the "Reform" title, it's a deceptive/misleading title, much like they like to call themselves "alt-right," instead of "hard right." 

They want to "reform" it all right, back to policies from 100 years ago or more!

They're playing with language because it sounds better, much like the KKK and the American Nazi Party have "White Appreciation Days," as deceptive because those terms sound better, what they really mean is, reform is back to the way it was, like a century ago or longer, if they can. ☹ 

Happy INDEPENDENCE Day!

 

Gratz Park/Transylvania University area, Lexington, KY, July 3, 2024

I'm feeling less patriotic than I used to, due to current events, but I still love to see children sitting on old porch steps and stone walls, eating their hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream and popsicles on the holiday, and I am still proud of the following 5 things, which at least at present, still remain intact in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution: 

1)  The right to dissent in independence, currently still without official sanction. 

2)  The right to openly criticize political/governmental figures, including former and current presidents, and speak out against abuse of power, giving a voice to the powerless and vulnerable. 

3)   The first country to give the right to separation of church and state, giving us a choice whether to believe, believe in different ways, or to not believe at all without harassment, imprisonment, or death. 

4) The right to recognize that our country's history isn't as pristine, pure, and lily-white perfect as many would like us to believe, that it's actually messy - and that I can acknowledge that and also take pride in the right for those people we've wronged, by allowing them to have a voice and representation, to include protest, just as we did with Britain 248 years ago.

5)  The right for people of color to now stand alongside us, in this grand old park, in the middle of the oldest (and formerly wealthiest) part of Lexington, which used to be segregated and disallowed anyone but the help in homes (but not the park). 

Thus, we accompanied my mom, my little sister, and my little's sister's boyfriend to Gratz Park, last night, to hear the Lexington Philharmonic play in the park.

The following pics of houses are not my photos, but just some photos others have taken of a sample of the homes surrounding Gratz Park (and then my photos again below).

Gratz Park is - with the exception of the Mary Todd Lincoln House (on Main Street) and the Henry Clay House (Ashland off Main, to the East of the city) -  are among the oldest homes (and formerly the wealthiest) in Lexington, original homes in the 1790s, with a boom after 1825 and continuing to the early 1900s to 1940s. 

I will do my best to put them in chronological order, but you can tell by the transition from Federal townhomes to Greek Revival to the 2nd Empire Victorian/Queen Anne Victorian/Gothic Revival to the Colonial Revival/Prairie Style/Craftsman/Tudor Revival of the early 1900s ... 

Though I believe my grandmother's family lived briefly on 3rd street, she grew up in the Rand Avenue/Apple Tree Lane areas and nearby Transylvania park, which back in the day, considering the rigid social structure in the South, would've been considered the "next tier down" socially (merchant/engineer/lawyer/doctor class).  

Unfortunately, unlike the Gratz/2nd/3rd Street areas, those areas have have now either nearly fallen in decay or have already been torn down. 

You never would've known she was upper middle class by the time we were born though - she'd live a farmer's wife blue-collar life on Little House on the Prairie in nearby Jessamine County for too long.

Regardless, back to the Patriotic Concert, in addition to the National Anthem and other patriotic tunes, UK Opera Baritone, Michael Preacley, also treated us to what is known as the Black National Anthem called "Lift Every Voice and Sing!" - very cool!

Written initially as a poem by James Weldon Johnson in 1900, a melody was later added, giving birth to what is now known as the Black National Anthem, and should be acknowledged every bit as much as our official national anthem ... 

Here's an a Capella version by Oakwood University singing group, "Committed,"

They also played Kentucky's National Anthem, "My Old Kentucky Home," which is problematic in its own right, but the words have been changed to remove the racist elements.

Thus, when I hear it, half of me feels sentimental and the other half bristles when I know the racist parts are coming up, despite the lyrics having been changed.

But more interestingly to me, they played both Star Trek themes AND the Star Wars theme (to please both Team Trekkie and Team Star Wars).

They also played some Dixieland Jazz,  30s/40 swing, and some Cab Calloway stuff, to which the older set got up and boogied down with the Charleston to swing to the jitterbug - even my mom did a little jib, at one point!

I haven't heard back yet on permission to post any family photos, so for now, just this one of myself and Mark while walking to the park ...

Yes, I cut my hair again and made such a mess of it that the only way to correct it was to go short- whups!

I now have a Karen haircut (but it was it was an accident)! 

Also, sorry for the film quality - the camera on my phone is apparently going? Everything has a darkish-yellow cast I've tried to fix, but to no avail.

Lastly, if I do post family pics,  keep in mind that the heat index was 100 degrees! 

There was no breeze and the cloud cover was low because a front was coming in, so despite battery-operated fans with misters, cold drinks, and sitting under a tree, we were literally dripping with sweat, makeup having melted off by then - but we had a great time!  😂

_________________________

PS - Just got permission from everyone to post the photos - again, keep in mind, my phone camera is dying and gives a dark, yellowish cast, so I've tried to brighten up as best as possible - also, we were sweating our tushies off in 100-degree weather!

My little sister, her boyfriend, and me, with our bangs now firmly stuck to our heads with sweat! 😂  

Mark was in the picture, too, but was looking down and had his eyes closed and asked to be cropped out 😂

BTW, Lil Sis is 45 -  exactly 10 years and one day younger then me at 55 - but she looks 25, right?!?

Me and Mom ... Mom will be 81 next week ... 

Little Sis, Mom, and Me ...

My Former Downstairs Neighbor (Rob Dillingham) Gets A $28.5 million NBA Contract

You may recall my mentioning him in this post. 

The former Kentucky point guard was the 8th-round NBA draft pick, originally chosen by the San Antonio Spurs, immediately traded with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 His contract is $28.5 million for four years of play. 

"Hey, former neighbor - I made you lasagna, once, remember?  That'll be $1 million dollars, please."

😂😂😂

JUST KIDDING!  I was happy to do provide him/his roommates, college players, some home cooking, no charge 😊

He's as good of a person as he is at basketball, truly.

Congratulations, Rob!  Knew you'd get there!

WHAT??? Has a Dangerous Precedent Been Set, The Very Same Week the Declaration of Independence Was Signed?

(*Edited - corrected typo on date and content added, particularly with regards to footnotes regarding which "abuse-of-power crimes" listed in the Declaration of Independence which I believe are also suspect with Trump.)

SCOTUS just ruled Trump "partially" immune from prosecution. 

I’m still finding out exactly what that means, as this just came across the wire.

Thus far, it appears that it depends on whether it's "official presidential business" or not.

Okay, so of course, Trump's lawyers will say it was, and who decides that?

Judge Chutkan -  and then, of course, it'll be right back in the Supreme Court for them to decide whether her decision is constitutional or not, so what was the point?

So the potential then exists for things to be listed as "official presidential business," which of course are not -- which leaves the door open for anyone - of either party - to play the "presidential immunity" card in the future -- making this a very short-sighted/short-game-thinking decision by Republican justices.

Meanwhile, while awaiting to find out exactly what this means, I've been reading our Declaration of Independence today, the signatures of which will be exactly 248 years old on this coming Thursday, July 4th. 

So ... the Declaration of Independence literally lists “crimes” and abuses of power by King George III, a document which was our literal battle cry to begin the Revolutionary War -  with many men being killed over it -  as well as our constitution is specifically built to prevent such crimes and abuses of power by preventing any one person or entity from ever doing so again!

But to hell with all that, I guess, Republicans, claiming you're "patriots?"

If you need a refresher course, which apparently many Americans do, The Declaration of Independence is below - note the highlighted areas which are pertinent to Trump today, with my footnotes with examples.

So ... y'all want to force the bible to be taught in our schools, but you can't even learn/interpret basic American history that's already being taught (or twisting it to your advantage) - namely, the foundations this country was built upon, the DOI and the Constitution?!?

God preserve us from these thieves in the temple, unraveling everything this country was built upon, and doing so falsely in your name like false prophets ... Amen. 

I wish I was a billionaire and I'd sue the SCOTUS itself  to make them define this better, once and for all, but who would try the case? 

The SCOTUS is the only entity in the constitution which did not receive enough oversight, it is not "checked and balanced" enough - which is why the political parties fight so vehemently over it.

*Full disclosure - so Ziggy had an allergic reaction, yesterday, and we're still trying to figure out the cause.  

No breathing issues, but hives and swelling everywhere, vomiting, diarrhea. He has a known moderate food allergy to chicken (and thus receives none), somewhat to beef, so he gets lamb and hasn't had anything else unusual.  So we go to the emergency vet. He's recovering now, slowly.

All of this to say, I'm already on edge, after that, and thus, I'm in no mood for this foolishness, but the point is, that's the state of mind I'm in, while trying to learn what "partial immunity" even means, before I completely lose my shit!!! 😂

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.    

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.  

 

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

 

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. 

 

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. 

 

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. (Georgia - privately pressuring/threatening the state governor and other  state legislative and election offices to "find votes," etc.)

 

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

 

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.  

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands (Latin Americans including legal migrant workers).

 

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.  (Taking classified documents which could be considered a threat to national security to his home, keeping them in nonsecured locations and discussing them with nonclassified personal and foreign dignataries, claiming he declassified them, when he didn't.)

 

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries (particularly Kavanaugh and Comey-Barrett?).

 

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance (ICE, misusing the Department of Homeland Security).

 

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

 

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power(gotten close, on this one, with George Floyd protests by calling in the military in DC, as well  as promising a national police force if elected).

 

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation (fake electors in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania): 

 

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

 

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

 

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

 

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

 

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury (threatened to do so to his enemies if re-elected.):

 

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

 

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: (Attacking/undermining/threatening  the FBI, DOJ, CIA, judges, lawyers, witnesses and even jury members, as well as defying the constitution on items on this list found also in our constitution, as well as many other actions prohibited by our constitution such as insurrection).

 

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

 

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. (Anyone who is a Democrat)

 

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

 

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

 

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

 

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

 

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

 

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.