Obamacare vs. UPS and FEDEX

Apples and Oranges, I'll give you that. But what I won't give you is dissent about overarching government solutions versus the private sector.

ObamaCare is the socialist idea of government healthcare versus private sector answers. And by that I mean a truly unfettered private sector. Not the faux 'capitalism' practiced and protected today by an unbelievable goat cluster assembly of Rules, Regulations and Law seemingly in place to prevent capitalist competition. Competition, the engine, frame, suspension, bolts and bearings of Capitalism.

This Christmas season UPS and Federal Express are enduring some bad press for missed or late deliveries. Quite the scolding going on the mainstream press. Who've never worked a day like these two do.

But what do we get when these two marvels of the free enterprise system don't live up to company standards?

Someone on the other end of the telephone whose job is to listen to you, diagnose the problem and set corrective measures in motion. Online chat access for correcting problems. An online system for tracking your package as it happens. Verifiable, actionable intelligence networking, if you will. Scanning every step of the way. Automation that rarely fails and when it does, both of these companies spring into action to make it right.

Wrong size on that pair of boots you bought? Chances are your online retailer has already set up a Return Process that's no more complicated than you putting it back in the same box it arrived in, slapping an already provided Return Address label and either calling for a pickup or dropping it off somewhere along your day.

Amazon, that amazing online wonder retailer has what must be ten divisions of Customer Service Representatives to handle any and every complaint you can produce. If you are an Amazon Prime member ($79 per annum) your Prime purchases arrive within 2 days. I've had next day delivery from time to time. That is competition at its best.

Via: American Thinker

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[CARTOON] Reason for the Season

Via: California Political Review

Wal-Mart Blamed for Obama Economic Policies and ObamaCare Caused Cuts

Fired By Walmart for Christmas

Written by Michal Rozworski, City Watch LA,  12/24/13

SEASON MEANING-The holidays are meant to be a joyful time. Religion aside, they are a time for family and celebration. For many workers at Walmart, however, the holidays are a source of stress and challenge. Stores become figurative, sometimes even literal, battlefields, making already-taxing work more demanding, even chaotic. At the same time, low wages and inadequate benefits stretch year-end budgets, leaving little room for the joys of the holidays.

On average, US retailers make 20% of their sales during the holiday shopping season. Walmart does not publicize holiday revenue figures, but its fourth-quarter sales are almost a third higher than the rest of the year. With profits similarly higher, Walmart and its shareholders have cause to celebrate during the holidays, especially as the company has been aggressively buying back shares, using its profits to line the pockets of investors with over $15 billion since the summer.

Walmart “associates” (the term Walmart uses for its employees), on the other hand, have fewer reasons for holiday cheer. The last two holiday shopping seasons have kicked off with highly-visible Black Friday protests organized by OUR Walmart, the organization of current and former associates that aims to improve conditions at the retail giant. According to OUR Walmart, problems at the retail giant center on a lack of respect for associates, low pay and benefits as well as haphazard enforcement of policies including scheduling. These grievances are even more evident during the holidays.

Mary Watkines is a 13-year veteran at Walmart in Federal Way, Washington. She describes a fundamental shift in the culture at Walmart that can be traced back less than a decade. For her, a more “family-oriented” approach that saw associates as partners has been replaced with a drive for profit that squeezes workers. And this squeeze is at no time more apparent than during the holidays.

Via: CA Political News

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Late Surge in Web Buying Blindsides UPS, Retailers

A surge in online shopping this holiday season left stores breaking promises to deliver packages by Christmas, suggesting that retailers and shipping companies still haven't fully figured out consumers' buying patterns in the Internet era.

A surge in online shopping this holiday season left stores breaking promises to deliver packages by Christmas, suggesting that retailers and shipping companies still haven't fully figured out consumers' buying patterns in the Internet era. Shelly Banjo reports.

Companies from Amazon.com Inc.AMZN +0.55% to Kohl's Corp.KSS +0.27% and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.,WMT +0.18% having promised to deliver items before Dec. 25, missed some delivery target dates.

United Parcel Service Inc. UPS -0.10%determined late Tuesday that it wouldn't deliver some goods in time for Christmas, as a spike in last-minute shopping overwhelmed its system. "The volume of air packages in the UPS system did exceed capacity as demand was much greater than our forecast," a UPS spokeswoman said.

Consumers were reporting missing deliveries from FedEx as well, although a FedEx spokesman said the company wasn't experiencing significant delays.

Americans tend to go online for a bigger proportion of their Christmas shopping than for their buying during the rest of the year. This year, the trend's acceleration apparently took some stores and carriers off-guard.

Via: WSJ

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Hiding the Hacking at HealthCare.gov

Christmas shoppers were stunned to learn last Thursday that computer hackers had made off with the names and other personal info of some 40 million Target customers. Some of the pilfered information is reportedly being sold on the black market, prompting JP Morgan Chase to limit purchases and cash withdrawals on debit cards owned by recent Target shoppers.

But at least Target informed its customers of the security breach, as it is required by federal law to do. HealthCare.gov faces no such requirement; it need never notify customers that their personal information has been hacked or possibly compromised. The Department of Health and Human Services was specifically asked to include a notification requirement in the rules it designed for the health-care exchanges, but HHS declined.

The Federal Register tells the tale about what happened on March 27, 2012, at a meeting on the issue.

At that meeting, two commenters asked HHS to ensure the exchanges would promptly notify affected enrollees in the event of a data breach or unauthorized access to the exchange’s databases. One commenter suggested that a full investigation be launched each time such a breach occurred, with the goal of holding hackers legally and financially accountable for breaking into the website.

Via: NRO

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The REAL Obama Christmas Card

When it comes to his signature epic health care failure, there’s nowhere to hide, not even Hawaii, for President Barack Obama.

Perhaps that’s why Barack and Michelle are wearing such sour expressions and being told to “Cheer up, Mr. President, it’s Christmas!” on the cover of today’s Drudge Report.

If you can believe the mainstream media, exhaustion trailed Obama all the way to Hawaii where he is taking a 17-day timeout in sunshine happy Lei Land.

Not only crashing down to 37% in popularity polls trumping the legendarily loathed George W. Bush in popularity,  more software foul-ups bedevil Obama, who is learning the bitter lesson that You Can Run but You Can’t hide, even in far-from-Beltway Hawaii.

The Hawaii Free Press is reporting that a new director taking over the Hawaii Health Connector immediately crashed the website.

Via: Canada Free Press

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[VIDEO] A Gov't Carol: The 12 Ways of Spending

In the spirit of all the Christmas specials that are hitting the air, we thought we would return again this year to sing a little number about the “12 Ways of Spending” the government decides we need.

Don’t feel that people in Texas should help pay for a bike path in Missouri? Well, the federal government says it’s necessary - and there’s a lot of similar programs.

Besides learning that many of us at the MRC are not good singers, we also hope you learn a little bit about some of the ways the government spends our money.

Rather than type them all out, we put 12 of them to a festive melody. Below is the final section of lyrics with links to information on the actual programs. Watch the video above to hear the song in its, uh...full musical glory. (CAUTION: We are not professional singers)

Via: CNS News

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[VIDEO] Watch the Terrifying ‘War on Christmas’ Ad That’s Been Airing on Fox and MSNBC

If you thought Sarah Palin was the fiercest fighter in the war against the War on Christmas, think again. The four-year-old girl who stars in a new ad that’s been popping up on Fox News and MSNBC over the past week has Palin beat.

The ad, which was produced by St. Mary’s Parish of Barnegat, New Jersey, features a young girl only identified as “Amy” who goes from smiling to frowning to screaming to laughing over the course of 30 seconds as the voiceover warns that “not everyone is OK” with her celebrating Christmas. The full narration reads:

“This is Amy. She lives in America. She’s free to smile to show she’s happy. Everyone’s OK with this.

Amy is a Christian. She’s also free to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ to show she’s happy. But not everyone is OK with this.

We are one nation under God. No man owns Amy’s happiness. No man will define how she shows it.”

If you live in New York or New Jersey and watch a lot of cable news, chances are you’ve seen the ad. If not, you’re in for quite a treat. Is this a genuine fight against the War on Christmas? Some elaborate form of satire in the vein of Stephen Colbert‘s “Blitzkrieg on Grinchitude”? Either way, it should help inspire/amuse you this holiday season.

Watch video below, via Fox News:

Via: Mediaite.com

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Crunch Time: Congress running up against partial shutdown deadline, again

'Tis the season of important dates -- Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, government shutdown ... 

Yes, it's that time of year -- again. Just two months after the last partial government shutdown ended, lawmakers are once again struggling to meet the deadline for funding the government. 

As part of the short-term agreement struck in mid-October, Congress gave itself until Jan. 15 to pass a budget, and until Dec. 13 to reach a tentative deal at the committee level. It's Dec. 4, and despite weeks of talks the budget negotiations have only crept forward. And Congress really only has five more days this month to do anything. While the House is in session, the Senate doesn't return until next week -- and Speaker John Boehner plans to adjourn the House for holiday recess next Friday. 

"The speaker is very serious about us being out of here on the 13th," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said. 

There may be little stomach on Capitol Hill for another shutdown showdown. The last 16-day standoff helped drive public approval of Congress to historic lows. And while President Obama took heat for refusing to negotiate, Republican leaders emerged from the battle bruised -- and with little to show for it, having failed to win any major delay in ObamaCare. 

Via: Fox News

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Three guys, three nights make one terrific health insurance site

So, how are you going to respond if some obnoxious Obamabot relative or friend ruins your Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza and/or Shabbat get together with (un)helpful suggestions about enrolling in The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, ie, ObamaCare?  What if s/he even offers to guide you through the unworkable healthcare.gov site during a break in the festivities as mentioned here?  No, no, no, don't punch him/her or explain that you're not going to enroll because of higher premiums, higher deductibles for a worse policy.

If you want to put down while enlightening said obnoxious Obamabot have I got a better suggestion for you!  Smile sweetly, then smugly say, "Oh no problem.  I ignored the government and got all the information about health insurance I needed from HealthSherpa. Isn't it amazing what three diverse, minority (an Asian-American, a Greek-American and a Jewish-American) twenty something young men can do in a few nights with only a few hundred dollars?  Why couldn't the government do that?"

And then watch Obamabot sputter.  Oh sure, it might feebly retort, HealthSherpa isn't as comprehensive as the government site, you can't purchase a policy through the site, etc and etc, blah and blah.  "Exactly!," you reply.  "Affordable, non governmental insurance information is available without the costly government interference which distorts the market and the price."  "And," you triumphantly conclude, "it gives you all the information, including prices and comparable prices before you offer up very personal information on a very insecure, easily hackable site! You don't even have to give out personal information." 

Via: American Thinker
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Stocks enter holiday season with a tailwind

As stocks sail into the holiday season at record highs, strategists are looking past any Santa rally to the volatility that could come with the new year.

In the week ahead, the focus will be very much on economic data, crammed into Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. There are durable goods, jobless claims, home prices, income and spending, and consumer confidence readings—all of which will be followed carefully for what they might say about the economic outlook and how the Fed will react to it.

"I'd go with the idea inertia may help keep the bulls floating here," said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS. "[The week] should be slow. It has a historical bias to the upside, and Friday's a half day and Thursday's a holiday. It's the ultimate family holiday so a lot of people will stretch it into Wednesday."

Via: CNBC

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USPS ad for ‘holiday stamps’ omits Christmas — includes Kwanzaa, Hanukkah

Where’s Christmas? As one social media commentator rapidly noticed, a recent U.S. Postal Service advertisement to sell “holiday stamps” curiously omitted a Christmas or Christian-themed message, yet included portrayals of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

The ad reported by The Blaze contained the text: “Don’t forget your holiday stamps. You’ll find them at your nearest post office or on eBay.” And below the text were pictures of three stamps: One showed a candle holder with nine lighted candles, emblazoned with the word “Hanukkah.” Another showed an colorful symbol over an open book, above the block-type word “Kwanzaa.”

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SEE ALSO: Pope Francis says ‘no’ to a Middle East without Christians

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And the third, in the middle, showed — a gingerbread house.

Twitter reflected the outrage of at least one eagle-eyed writer.

The poster @RennaW said: “Don’t forget those three American holidays: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and … gingerbread house.” The same poster followed with another comment: “What happened to Christmas?” And a couple more, from the same poster: “Oh yeah, because Christians celebrate the Holy Day of Gingerbread House, seriously? This is awful” and “I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very merry Gingerbread House.”

Via: Washington Times

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[VIDEO] Is This KMART Ad Naughty or Nice? Tell Fox Nation What You Think?

The home of the blue-light special is under fire for what many are calling an incredibly inappropriate Christmas commercial. It features a group of men dressed in shorts — jingling more than their bells.

Is K-Mart’s holiday video naughty or nice? Perhaps their next Christmas commercial could feature more tinsel, less testicles.

Via: Fox News

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America after Obama

What will the United States of America be like after Barack Obama leaves the presidency on January 20, 2017 (assuming he does leave)? 

Five days before the 2008 election, Obama declared he would "fundamentally transform" America.  Obama has done much to fulfill that promise since January 20, 2009.  If he completes his agenda, the U.S. will be very much like a European-style welfare state. 

Obama is not personally responsible for some of the changes in American society that have facilitated the welfare state's growth.  Charles Murray (Coming Apart), Bill Cosby and Alvin Poussaint (Come On People), and Nicholas Eberstadt (A Nation of Takers) focus on different -- albeit complementary -- facets of American society that have deteriorated since 1960.  Murray focuses on increasing social dysfunction -- drug addiction, divorce, illegitimacy, single parenthood, etc. -- among (especially working class) whites during the last half-century.  Cosby and Poussaint deal with many of the same phenomena among blacks.  Eberstadt writes about the growth of dependence on government by a citizenry seemingly more adept at "gaming" the welfare state than they are at the habits of self-reliance that once were the heart of "the American character."

Another changing facet of American society for which Obama, although hardly an innocent bystander, is only tangentially connected, is the growing secularization of our culture.  There are many examples of this transformation, such as the on-going "war on Christmas," and secularists' reliance on sympathetic judges to drive Judeo-Christian religions from the public square.  The war on religion began long before Obama came on the scene and won't end when he's gone, but Obama and the Obamians have participated in the drive to cleanse America of any vestige of organized religion, except Islam.

Via: American Thinker

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