We appear to have turned the corner on the seasons. We were out in Tucson Mountain Park before noon today, and it was already warm. At 3:00 in the afternoon it's 86F (30C). The days of the leisurely 1:00 departures may be coming to an end soon. This is what's on tap for tomorrow. April is windy as a rule.
I think we're not riding tomorrow.
Jim had an interesting letter yesterday. Medicare cancelled his card and issued a new one with a new number. Apparently 2023 was a bad year for Medicare fraud. On Jim's behalf, the bad guys billed Medicare for $2,900 worth of catheters for home use in 3Q23. It's not a lot of money, but multiply that by thousands of fraudulent claims that are submitted and it adds up to about $31B (yes that's billion) a year.
We rode yesterday. A new building for retail on first floor and apartments up is going in. It's down there by the Mercado San Augustin. This man was up in the air, and sounded like he was agitated about something. I'm in awe of the fact that he is even up there. I'm assuming there is a safety harness in place and the camera couldn't see it.
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Today we hiked - it was good, it was warm! The desert remains eerily green. Look center photo, there's a coyote moseying across the street. They don't run, they mosey.
There is an amazing amount of Brittle Bush in bloom.
The republican party continues to flush itself down the toilet. I think I lack the energy to list all the ways it is doing this. Ok, here's one. Play this video. This is MAGA Maine state representative Laurel Libby asking what the Nazis did that was so bad and what did they do that was so illegal and how did they infringe on anyone’s rights. Unbelievable. Don't get me started on the recent spate of white male republicans claiming that birth control turns women in to sluts, and etc. These people are truly evil.
That's it then!
Good that Medicare sorted that..mind you the thought of that many catheters makes your eyes water!!
ReplyDeleteIf there is any safety harness it looks like it is on the cross beam that he is standing on....Elf and Safety 😲
When you look back in history, it was the Republicans supporting abolition, women's suffrage etc...how have they changed so much?!
And the desert is blooming beautifully
ReplyDeleteThere is always someone out there taking advantage but a fraud of billions is mind-boggling to me.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the lovely weather!
does Libby not understand that the whole world fought a war against Hitler and the Nazis exactly because what they were doing was so horrible? JFC.
ReplyDeleteDesert beauty! The light there is stunning.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that stupid gets the mike? How is that even possible without rotten tomatoes tossed? This country has been dumbed down so hard!
I wonder what kind of education Laurel Libby has. If she graduated high school, that says some appalling things about the state of schools these days -- but then again, maybe she was home-schooled. And then all bets are off.
ReplyDeleteI love the shot of the coyote, though I know a lot of people don't like them.
It looks like there's a safety rope (maybe?) looped around the beam, beneath the guy.
As for Medicare fraud, it's distressing not only because it's theft from the taxpayers, but it helps anti-government types argue that we should do away with it!
Wow, just wow. It boggles the mind and horrifies as well.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of coyotes here. I like them myself but they've never gone after my dogs either. I do give them a wide berth mind you.
That is crazy. Holy cow. It is just crazy. Every time I think that I am done being shocked, well...surprise! Once again, I am speechless. How can people not see it?
ReplyDelete