As Bushie's World Turns (The Update Thread)

[memphis]

I'm looking to lose quite a bit of weight while I'm in Kenya.

Should be easy enough. All you have to do is drink the water

[memphis]

Someone who is FB friends with him please post the highlights here.

Am I allowed to? He's had some good ones lately.

[memphis]

What is Bushie doing now?  Looking for Obama's birth certificate?  Reenacting some scenes from "The Book of Mormon" (the musical)?

More likely, he's praying to Jesus to help him recover from gastro issues. And for some A/C.

[memphis]

Bushie, you do need to worry about the details of your life. You're the one that has to live it. Somethings are beyond control, but to throw up your hands and say I'm going to let God handle it isn't helpful either. I think it's cool that you have a goal, and it's a welll-intentioned one. There is a lot of need for humanitarian work.  Have you talked to people who do this full-time so that you understand what you're working toward and what jobs are available?

[memphis]

While I am enjoying this season as much as all the others, I can't help but think the update show is jumping the shark. Bringing in new children, moving to an exotic location, increasingly unbelievable storylines. The telltale signs are all there.

[memphis]

I'm far from an expert on theology, but isn't it heretical (or at least extremely unorthodox) to claim direct communication with God? After all, if you have a direct line to the big cheese, what's the point in having the organized religion at all? You could just have a heart to heart with the big man and sleep in on Sundays. I've got a feeling it's going to depend on what sect one subscribes to. It seems adherants never can agree on the details of their belief systems, even the important ones. From my limited experience, Bushie's position seem more in line with those of the blacks. To make an unfair generalization, they're much more into the whole God will call me, and make a path, and you just have to believe, etc. Never really known a white person with quite this angle on religion. But like I said, I'm no expert, so, somebody more into the Christian groove: please fill me in.

[memphis]

So you've had a real one on one with the CEO of CEOs? What's the dude like? Seems awfully insecure for such a big shot, hiding behind ancient texts and requiring all the constant praise and attention and such. It doesn't seem to work out too well for Bushie or all the others who are denied basic human needs like clean water and shelter. And that's not even getting into all the natural disasters that wreck so many lives.  Next time you're on the phone with him, tell him to chill the f out with all that stuff. We could all use a little more stability in our lives.

[memphis]

Perhaps Google can recommend a good attorney who specialized in international adoption. If you're serious about it, there's going to be a mountain of red tape. And it's going to cost far more than $35/month. Here's some basic info from the gubmint:
http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=kenya

And from this cursory info, it looks like Kenya does not allow single men to adopt.

[memphis]

Yes, I will be signing the card "Love from your daddy in Oklahoma!"

kind of creepy. 

Kind of? That's about the creepiest sentence in the history of the internet. It's Michael Jackson territory.

[memphis]

I have other things that have developed and is regurgitated from previous episodes. 

Please elaborate.

[memphis]

Still deleting Atlasians from your FB?

Yeah, I'd like to know if anyone else got the ax.

mitty and I did.

And me. I think Duke as well.

[memphis]

Update has hit the big time! Npr noticed.
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/09/149394987/when-god-talks-back-to-the-evangelical-community?sc=fb&cc=fp

[memphis]

Not that it was a particularly difficult thing to see coming, but I did predict this:

More likely, he's praying to Jesus to help him recover from gastro issues.

[memphis]

Fundie war!

[memphis]

Probably not. I'm still saddened to know that he doesn't love either you or I, and requested us to be friends again on facebook

He doesn't love waltermitty either

We should start a gang or something.

Me, you and mitty would be the most pathetic gang ever

I wanna be in the pathetic gang too.  Gotta represent East Memphis.

[memphis]

Why don't you just donate the cash to charity? Surely that would do more good than flying yourself out there. And you'd get a tax deduction.

[memphis]

I've had the same job for several years now and I always take a couple of weeks off in the summer for vacation. I give plenty of notice and it has never been an issue. Plenty of coworkers do the same.

[memphis]

Let me see if I have this correct:

So you did not want to claim unemployment, something you actually paid into, because that would be mooching, but you show up for a few hours to a pow wow and you are entitled to free health care in perpetuity. 

I can't speak from direct experience but I know most of these tribes and those on reservations are pretty desperately poor and have a dearth of resources.  Some white guy with 3% and very distant ancestry  taking up resources doesn't seem right to me.

I'd be interested in BRTD take on this- didnt he live on a reservation as a youth?

Get off your high horse. He's a poor in need of medical attention. It's a national disgrace that he's not entitled to care as an American citizen, but that's just the way it is. I would absolutely go for the free medical care in his position. I'd be interested to know if mental health care is covered also. Not trying to be a jerk about it, but I suspect that's something he could use as well.

[memphis]

Let me see if I have this correct:

So you did not want to claim unemployment, something you actually paid into, because that would be mooching, but you show up for a few hours to a pow wow and you are entitled to free health care in perpetuity.  

I can't speak from direct experience but I know most of these tribes and those on reservations are pretty desperately poor and have a dearth of resources.  Some white guy with 3% and very distant ancestry  taking up resources doesn't seem right to me.

I'd be interested in BRTD take on this- didnt he live on a reservation as a youth?

Get off your high horse. He's a poor in need of medical attention. It's a national disgrace that he's not entitled to care as an American citizen, but that's just the way it is. I would absolutely go for the free medical care in his position. I'd be interested to know if mental health care is covered also. Not trying to be a jerk about it, but I suspect that's something he could use as well.

Thanks, Memphis.  I don't see anything wrong with it and I definitely don't feel bad about it.  This is not mooching, it is using what I'm entitled to and something I desperately need.  If this is going to save me a hypothetical, but not unrealistic, $4,000 a year, that is $333.33 a month saved.  That will make my pay cut not seem so bad.  A side note, this even covers my OTC allergy medicine (Zyrtec, Claritin).  When I get my insurance in October, I will have to tell them I have insurance and they have to file with the insurance, but the tribe will pick up my portion of the cost, so I still don't have to pay anything.

From what I've heard this even works if, heaven forbid, I'm hurt on the job and have to go to the Emergency Room and end up hospitalized for a few days, I can get my entire bill paid for or at least heavily discounted.

Again, I'm going tomorrow morning to Shawnee to fill out the application along with my mother.

The only downside is my doctor would be 45 miles from my work, but if I get free service, I'll go!

Your monthly savings is more than I spend per year on healthcare.

It's news to you that healthcare is insanely overpriced here in the US? You should know that it's also a common experience to have to wait weeks for an appointment, then wait hours after your appointment time to be seen, be seen for just a minute or two, and then receive a bill for a few hundred dollars. And usually that's just to receive a permission slip to buy a drug that is also outrageously priced. A short hospital stay can easily cost a man a year's salary. And while fixing it all wouldn't be simple, it's not difficult to figure out that there are far too many hands in the cookie jar. Insurance companies, people whose job is to take pills from big bottles and put them in small bottles, and at every step of the way, an enormous army of very well paid advertisers and salesmen. And millions of Americans go bankrupt trying to manage the system. And plenty of them even have insurance. And now that even the government is going bankrupt just trying to pay for basic care for the elderly and destitute, it looks like this burden will soon be pushed even further onto those least able to afford it. All that said, I find it very difficult to cast judgement on Bushie for finding a way to circumvent this train wreck. Any sane person in his position would do the same.

[memphis]

I think it's cool Bushie is going to a pow wow. We could all know a bit more about our background.

[memphis]

At 100 degrees, it matters very little whether one is wearing shorts or jeans. Either way, it's going to suck. I'd stick to the indoor attractions.

[memphis]

off topic:  bushie is the 'hobby lobby' a christian establishment?

Every December they take out a full page ad in the local paper (I presume in many papers; it'd be really weird if it were only in Memphis) reminding people to remember the reason for the season. I'm not at all an arts and crafts kind of person, but if I were, I would definately go to Michael's. I don't need retailers telling me what religion to be.

[memphis]

do not take a sick day anytime soon!

Well, technically, I can't until I get past my 90 days which will be 18 September, so I'm good there, not that I planned on it anyway!

So what happens if people really get sick during the first 90 days?

Employers have no obligation to give time off for minor illnesses or for new employees. Employees are only entitled to (unpaid) time off if
1. The company has 50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius of the worksite.
AND
2. The employee has worked there for 12 months and has worked at least 1250 hours.
AND
3. The employee is seriously ill or needs the time to care for an immediate family member who is seriously ill or a new baby.

[memphis]

Usually, new employees have to be at a company 6 months before they can start taking paid sick time.  Before that, it's unpaid, and usually frowned upon if you take any time off within the first 90 days of employment. Of course, if you're really sick, than your sick and you don't go in.

I'm used to unlimited PAID "sick time" based on it being determined medically necessary by a doctor. Whether you've worked somewhere for 30 days or 1 year, doesn't really affect whether you're too sick to work or not...

Wouldn't work here. Poors don't frequently see doctors.

[memphis]

You do realize that stretching it out over the course of the day doesn't help. By the time you get your heart rate up, you're at your desk.

Yes, i realize that.

To counter that, I am thinking about taking advantage of that big parking lot at work and walk for about 25 minutes 3 times a week during my lunch hour and then coming back in and eating a quick bite before time to get back on the phones.

Honestly, though, I am not going to worry myself sick and make myself sick to get healthier.  Yes, I'm going to do what I can, but I am not going to go overboard and the last thing I want to turn into is a self-righteous health-freak.  I would rather work on my "insides" and purifying my heart before my God.  As much as physical health is important, it is all superficial, because nobody can take their health, in whatever state its in, with them when they die.  The only thing that truly matters in the long run is not the health of the body, but the health of the soul.  The health of the body is temporary, the health of the soul is permanent.  Am I going to use that as an excuse to sit on my lazy rear end?  No, because that is also contrary to the Bible.  I am called to take care of my physical temple, which is my body, but not to let fitness and nutrition become my god or sole focus in life.

The health of the body absolutely matters, the fact you don't believe so might play a huge factor in why you are obese.

No one is saying you should worry yourself sick to get healthier.  Eating healthier and getting regular exercise should not worry you.  Eating nothing but cap and not getting much exercise should worry you because its dangerous.  That is FAR FAR more unhealthy than thinking about eating better and exercising.

I fully agree with that.  If you read my posts, I've got a plan that I am going to implement.  I am not going to just sit on my butt all day.  I'm going to find what plan is right for me that gives me the nutrients and energy I need, the taste I crave, and still allows me to lose weight.  I'm also going to get started walking around the parking lot, because I do believe exercise does do quite a bit.  It is true that exercise with no proper diet is useless, but a proper diet without exercise is also useless.  The two go hand in hand, and I'm going to do both.  I'm just not going to obsess over it.

Bushie, I know this is Oklahoma, but is there a walking trail along the road or a park nearby where you live/work that you can use to walk?

Yes, actually there are a few of them. In fact, there is a park in my neighborhood that is about a block from my house.  I've lived in this house for 3 years and have never visited it because I didn't want to be looked at suspiciously being a single guy.

.
You won't visit a park, but you want to adopt children?