Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

Dweezil Zappa as Ajax

"That's not chocolate!"
— Ajax

 

[gtmalone]

I've found the secret to winding up with a small fortune in the music business: you start with a large fortune and get out b4 it's all gone.

I was on the way to a 50 dollar blues gig riding with our drummer. We were talking about how a musician at least like most guys around here could survive playing 50 dollar gigs. If you wanted to make 50K a year you would have to play 1,000 gigs a year or about three gigs per day.

In 2000 six of us drove to San Antonio, stayed in a hotel, ate, and played a gig for $285. Early retirement, baby! We didn't care. A gal I worked with in San Ant knew the president of the Blues Society there who also owned a bar called Wings who also knew a DJ on a local station (on the left end of the FM band). We played live on the radio before the gig. Now how cool is that! Still haven't heard from any record companies...

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Since you are reading this and listening with undivided attention, here's stuff from the two groups I played in up to '00. The earliest dated files are from the group that went to San Ant. The later dated stuff is from a mid-90s four piece blues band.
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[beans-on-toast]

I was on the way to a 50 dollar blues gig riding with our drummer. We were talking about how a musician at least like most guys around here could survive playing 50 dollar gigs. If you wanted to make 50K a year you would have to play 1,000 gigs a year or about three gigs per day.

In 2000 six of us drove to San Antonio, stayed in a hotel, ate, and played a gig for $285. Early retirement, baby! We didn't care. A gal I worked with in San Ant knew the president of the Blues Society there who also owned a bar called Wings who also knew a DJ on a local station (on the left end of the FM band). We played live on the radio before the gig. Now how cool is that! Still haven't heard from any record companies...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Since you are reading this and listening with undivided attention, here's stuff from the two groups I played in up to '00. The earliest dated files are from the group that went to San Ant. The later dated stuff is from a mid-90s four piece blues band.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

That sort of experience makes it all worth while.

I like how up front in the interview you hit a bass note. Probably an accident but it’s always nice to let your bass say hello.

 

[Deleted member 268085]

...

The insurance racket is as bad. They'll go to great lengths to get out of paying, and a favorite thing is to refuse to pay for Drug A at $$$ when Drug B is available at $$, or better still Drug C for $. I had it happen. They tried to talk the doctor into changing me to C, but she said "No, he's been on that before and it doesn't work as well." "All right," they say, "how about B, then?" "Nope, same story; and that's why I prescribed A, which is best for my patient, so you need to pay for it."

That's just one of the things I'm looking forward to when I finally get moved to France...the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card).

I'm a disabled vet who gets a lot of his health care from the VA. I have a Humana PPO (Medicare) designed for vets as a backup. I pay about $1200/year for it. Tons of deductibles and copays. High annual deductible limits. Like my doc visit today. $50 copay before they'll even talk to me.

In France, it'll cost me about the same, €1000/year. No deductibles. No copays. And an excellent heath care system.

One of the biggest differences? Health care in the U.S. is "for profit". Insurance is "for profit". Not in France.

 

[GwenOnBass]

That's just one of the things I'm looking forward to when I finally get moved to France...the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card).

I'm a disabled vet who gets a lot of his health care from the VA. I have a Humana PPO (Medicare) designed for vets as a backup. I pay about $1200/year for it. Tons of deductibles and copays. High annual deductible limits. Like my doc visit today. $50 copay before they'll even talk to me.

In France, it'll cost me about the same, €1000/year. No deductibles. No copays. And an excellent heath care system.

One of the biggest differences? Health care in the U.S. is "for profit". Insurance is "for profit". Not in France.

@mikeoso recently related a caller who sees parrot rescue AKA placing birds in good homes without profit motive — as worse than all seven deadly sins in a cocktail shaker. With a road apple on top.

 

[Charlie Tango]

With a road apple on top.

One of my favorite Col. Sherman T. Potter lines was "Road apples!"

 

[bobyoung53]

Rocking Grandmother:

 

[beans-on-toast]

That's just one of the things I'm looking forward to when I finally get moved to France...the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card).

I'm a disabled vet who gets a lot of his health care from the VA. I have a Humana PPO (Medicare) designed for vets as a backup. I pay about $1200/year for it. Tons of deductibles and copays. High annual deductible limits. Like my doc visit today. $50 copay before they'll even talk to me.

In France, it'll cost me about the same, €1000/year. No deductibles. No copays. And an excellent heath care system.

One of the biggest differences? Health care in the U.S. is "for profit". Insurance is "for profit". Not in France.

Social medicine comes with it’s own faults. Waiting times can be long if just going to drop in clinics. It’s important to find a good family doctor that is well connected. There is also the option of private clinics for one of’s such as scans and minor surgery.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I see a doctor of osteopathic medicine for primary care, and couldn't be happier. The new medication that replaces the medication the insurance company deemed too expensive looks expensive. Someone or multiple someones are making money as I manage my health concerns. It's a shakedown.

 

[bobyoung53]

I see a doctor of osteopathic medicine for primary care, and couldn't be happier. The new medication that replaces the medication the insurance company deemed too expensive looks expensive. Someone or multiple someones are making money as I manage my health concerns. It's a shakedown.

The AMA is the strongest union this country has ever seen with many lobbyists and very conservative, most of them are against single payer for example., not sure if they take a unified stand on it but most likely. Just for example, here in Peru, you want an antibiotic? Go buy it, there doesn't seem to be any more antibiotic resistance out here than anywhere else although people do sometimes buy them for colds. The healthcare industry out here is poor and not as good as the US as far as equipment and hospitals having beds etc but it's a LOT cheaper but it's because the country is poor not that the doctors here are any less good than anywhere else. They still even do house calls here. Over 65 everything is free but you have to wait many times.

 

[mikeoso]

@mikeoso recently related a caller who sees parrot rescue AKA placing birds in good homes without profit motive — as worse than all seven deadly sins in a cocktail shaker. With a road apple on top.

Here's the conversation

Ring Ring
"Iowa Parrot Rescue, Mike speaking"
"Do you have any macaws?"
"Yes, there are 20 here."
"How much do they cost?"
"We don't charge for them."
"Huh?"
"We don't pay for them and don't charge for them...it's an adoption process by application."

pause

"How do you make any money?"
"We aren't trying to make money, just find homes for the birds."

long pause

"Nobody makes any money, nobody pays anything, and people get parrots?"
"That's right."

very long pause

"Bunch of damn communists."
click

 

[notJaco]

Here's the conversation

Ring Ring
"Iowa Parrot Rescue, Mike speaking"
"Do you have any macaws?"
"Yes, there are 20 here."
"How much do they cost?"
"We don't charge for them."
"Huh?"
"We don't pay for them and don't charge for them...it's an adoption process by application."

pause

"How do you make any money?"
"We aren't trying to make money, just find homes for the birds."

long pause

"Nobody makes any money, nobody pays anything, and people get parrots?"
"That's right."

very long pause

"Bunch of damn communists."
click

I wonder if their family gives each other a bill for birthday presents.

 

[mikeoso]

It is a problem, thankfully things are changing. I know of one nearby large shelter that is pet friendly. The cold weather forced the city to rethink their no-animal policy. Last winter Inuit were sleeping on the floor on cardboard in my parking garage. This year there’s a shelter across the street in a church basement.

Perhaps a benefit of covid is that social assistance has more resources available to quickly deal with issues.

We formed a group here locally, some years ago, that makes sure people who go into homeless or domestic abuse shelters have a place to care for their pets. Pets are often used as hostages in abuse cases. We have a dog shelter, cat shelter, horse shelter, plus my parrot shelter. Also two vets and county humane.

 

[bobyoung53]

Here's the conversation

Ring Ring
"Iowa Parrot Rescue, Mike speaking"
"Do you have any macaws?"
"Yes, there are 20 here."
"How much do they cost?"
"We don't charge for them."
"Huh?"
"We don't pay for them and don't charge for them...it's an adoption process by application."

pause

"How do you make any money?"
"We aren't trying to make money, just find homes for the birds."

long pause

"Nobody makes any money, nobody pays anything, and people get parrots?"
"That's right."

very long pause

"Bunch of damn communists."
click

Do you really have a Parrot rescue in Iowa or am I naive?

 

[mikeoso]

Do you really have a Parrot rescue in Iowa or am I naive?

Really do. Currently 47 birds in care, from conures and Senegals up to macaws.

Www.iowaparrotrescue.org

In fact, one of our macaws was imported almost 50 years ago from Peru.

The red one in this pair, Rojo, came back to the US in 1970 with a returning diplomat.

 

[bobyoung53]

Really do. Currently 47 birds in care, from conures and Senegals up to macaws.

Www.iowaparrotrescue.org

In fact, one of our macaws was imported almost 50 years ago from Peru.
View attachment 4169914

The red one in this pair, Rojo, came back to the US in 1970 with a returning diplomat.

Beautiful birds and Rojo is the perfect name for him (or her) We have an Australian Gouldian Finch, very pretty bird with a variety of whistles and calls. We call him Eddy after Edilberto, my wife's father's name. From the web but pretty much identical.

 

[mikeoso]

Beautiful birds and Rojo is the perfect name for him (or her)

Rojo is a female, and probably should have been Roja. Her partner, the hyacinth, is named Uve, which should have been Uva. But, what the hey, right?

 

[notJaco]

Rojo is a female, and probably should have been Roja. Her partner, the hyacinth, is named Uve, which should have been Uva. But, what the hey, right?

Our Quaker Parrot was named Paulie till she laid an egg. It's still Paulie.

 

[bobyoung53]

Rojo is a female, and probably should have been Roja. Her partner, the hyacinth, is named Uve, which should have been Uva. But, what the hey, right?

Uva- grape? I named my cat Gata. Resting before the big gig.

 

[mikeoso]

Uva- grape?

yup...from his color.