I live in a small rural area and they housed some evacuees at a nearby military base

• female role models - laura bush and oprah
  • female role models - dana reeves (sm)
  • Let's not turn an innocent poll into a political bantering free for all. - Administrator see message inside
  • Condoleeza Rice - me
  • Most definitely LAURA BUSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nm - KB
    • The one, the only, the woman who has done SO MUCH FOR AMERICA!!!!! - Suki
    • It's a toss up between Denise Richards and Heather Locklear...BUT... - Kathie
    • HEIDI KLUM BY FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SM - Tinkee
    • Whooo, let's see, PINK, J-LO, BRITNEY AND XTINA! - KnickNack
    • Kathy Hilton and her daughters, Paris and Nicky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - SueLue
  • Laura Bush, Judge Judy, Mariska Hargitay (from L&O SVU) - All educated, strong, classy women
  • Maria Shriver and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg. nm - R
  • Jessica Lynch - ER MT
  • Meredith - Sandy
  • Bethany Hamilton..surfer girl who lost her arm to shark bite. nm - R
    • YES! Most definitely! nm - KB
  • Jane Pratt, editor of Jane magazine. nm - R
  • Dot Richardson, olympic athlete turned ortho surgeon. nm - R
  • Role models - MTqueenB
    • And let's not forget..............nm - Dr. Maya Angelou..............nm
  • Katharine Close, the girl who just won the nat'l spelling bee. nm - R
    • I agree (nm) - good one

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Of course you can buy a big house for 130,000 in a smaller town and the same amount won't buy you a pot to pee in, in a place like San Diego or the D.C. area.  It's all relative.

Changes were gradual.  First, we were allowed to start working at home at 12 cpl, instead of the hourly wage.  We still were employees and had the same benefits.  This saved the hospital money in overhead and we were all happy.  Then they started using outsourcing services for holidays and weekends.  Gradually, the whole MT dept was phased out and we had the option of going with the service handling the hospital transcription or finding another job.  The service kept us at this rate of pay for a short time and then gradually started implementing "incentive bonuses" and lowering the line rate of pay.  It evolved over the years to what it is today.  Starting line rates were lower and incentive bonuses done away with.  Health insurance is contingent on production, but their platforms crash regularly (as do many, many others) and we either have to work extra to make up the loss or just eat the financial loss altogether.  The services overhire to make sure that their TAT is met, which means unstable availability of work, which in turn affects production, in turn affecting benefits. 

The logic today behind all the changes is the "lack of experienced MTs in the U.S.", thus the need to hire people outside the country, who have even LESS experience with the English language and slang medical terms, at half the price of hiring American MTs.  The MT field in general has to be able to compete and so must lower their rates to keep clients from going offshore at half price.  And now with the advent of VR, the MTSOs using it try to justify the cut in line rate to the fact that we're no longer "typing", we're "just editing."  It's been a gradual evolution, but not in a positive direction.

And in all of this, AAMT has not come to the aid of the transcriptionist.  It has furthered the promotion of offshoring and has developed ways to enhance the MTs adjustment to VR instead of enhancing the MTs value and amount of worked involved in VR.  When the AAMT doesn't step up for the very ones it says it represents, why would the ones using the services respect, understand, or value the MT either?  

It is clinic notes that are pretty easy to type.  Some of the work is digital and some is still on tapes.  They want me to come in and pick up tapes, and they want me to print and deliver reports when I pick up the tapes because they don't know much about setting up a remote printer.  I made an introductory offer of 12 cpl for the first month and then 15 cpl if we both feel like continuing to work together.  I felt that since I am going to be out the cost of gas and ink, my offer was more than reasonable.  Well, they countered with a flat 12 cpl period with a one year contract and then we reevaluate at that time.  While I was mulling that over, she called back and asked if I would be interested in doing some radiology for them in addition to the clinic work.  So basically this account will keep me very busy and is not going to be just overflow.

So now I'm back to thinking 15 cpl and because they balking, not offering the introductory rate anymore.

What does everyone think?

Helping a small church could be the best way to help someone.

Their web page says they need everything from personal items to clothing and bedding to food and water, don't forget first aid supplies.  They said you could send money but there's nothing there to buy anyway.

The address is:

Gonzales Church of Christ

1225 South Purpura

Gonzales, LA  70737

Bigger churches have more people, it's the small churches that need outside help and don't qualify for Red Cross or anyone else to help but people like us.

I worked for a small company and although I did get paid by the line, I made way more than $16 an hour and could pretty much name my own hours to work. I did, however, have to pick up tapes!

and Clearwire is also not available.  I have the satellite service. It is expensive - you have to purchase the equipment and pay for the installation ($600 and up). The service is expensive too ($65).  The speed is not quite as fast as DSL, but I download and upload jobs with no problem.  Some MTSOs won't allow satellite service, citing security issues, which is dumb.  It's like any other wireless service - you have to make sure your signal is secure, which you do through your computer (not the service itself).  Even this is ridiculous in remote areas for 2 reasons: 1) I really don't think anyone is going to bother camping out on my land or drive down my mile-long driveway with their laptop just to see if they can pick up a signal and 2) even if they did, they can only gain access to the internet itself - they can't see what you are doing online.  So this security issue thing is baloney!  Also, in 2004 when we were hit by Hurricanes Charlie, Frances and Jeanne, there was no phone or cable service for nearly a month, but I was still able to work by just using our generator for my computer until the electric came back on - those that had dialup, DSL or cable were outta luck.

I may possibly be moving there.  What can you tell me about it?  The school systems do not matter as we no longer have children at home.  What areas are nice to live in?  I read that when it snows it usually melts the same day....is that true?

Any information from someone who lives there or has lived there would be much appreciated.

TIA

Right now, everything is rockin along ok, but he may turn quite ugly because he isn't getting his way and you need to protect yourself and your children.  Have you changed the locks on your house? Are there other ways he can get into the house and if so, you should take care of that immediately.  Have you had the locks changed on your vehicle.  If not, you need to also do that immediately.  Does the school have the papers so that he can't walk in and take your children out of school or pick them up after school? 

Believe me, I am glad you made the decision that you did, but I want you to know that I see on TV all too often, disgruntled husbands that come back and get revenge.  I don't mean to scare you, rather to let you know that because I went through a similar situation, you cannot take this lightheartedly.  If you can move away, far away from him and be close to your family, do it. 

What would it take for you to be able to move back where you family lives?

Broken down once, never again.

in the Independence, MO area.  The city governments have passed laws banning pit bulls and last week something like 100+ pitbulls were picked up by animal control or dropped off at the city pound and all were destroyed.

Personally, I think the owners of these animals should be held just as accountable as the dog.  Well, I guess maybe putting the owner to sleep is a bit extreme.

I'm so sorry about your lab.

We are even getting some in our small town of Ruidoso.  I can't believe the negative postings I'm reading on this board regarding these unfortunate people.  I'm really surprised. 

We even had a patient in the waiting room one day that brought in a paper bag with baby chickens in it as it was too hot to leave them in the car.  Nobody in the waiting room gave it a second thought.

It was great fun to work there.  They called it a "medical center" but it was in an old house with less than state of the art equipment.  The country folk swore by "Doc" and "Doc" didn't think twice about going out at 3:00 a.m. to make a house call.

He never would have dreamed of asking for a co-pay up front and even let one farmer's wife pay with fresh baked pies.

They sure don't make them like they used to.

P.S.  We still had typewriters back in 1994.  :)

It is very frustrating to feel so limited in your job choice b/c of something like that.  I have never really had any major problems with my dial-up and have been told by two different techs. that I have excellent connection speed considering it is dial-up.  Frustrating though....