A story to make you cry in your (increasingly expensive) beer
Now here’s a topic that could cause some cognitive dissonance among certain regulars:
Two huge international conglomerates — Anheuser-Busch Inbev and MillerCoors — now control 80 percent of the U.S. beer market. That dominance is the result of a recent joint venture between Miller and Coors, formerly the No. 2 and 3 biggest brewers in the U.S. market.
As a column in the New York Times notes, the two top surviving companies are now “raising prices at the same time, during a recession and while beer demand is slumping.” That’s the kind of pricing power that a noncompetitive market can provide. The column suggests that “the move almost begs for an antitrust review” by the Obama administration.
It also notes that “years ago, the Justice Department sued to prevent the merger of Pabst, then the 10th-largest brewer, with the 18th biggest, Blatz. The case went to the Supreme Court, which in 1966 ruled the deal was anticompetitive and forced Pabst to divest Blatz.”
The TImes offered that as an example of what could happen in the current situation. Personally, I think it’s telling evidence of just how much things have changed in this country. Forty years ago, consolidation of the 10th and 18th largest brewers was grounds for anti-trust action, upheld by the Supreme Court. Today the combined market share of the 10th and 18th largest brewers is too tiny to even be measured, and we allow the 2nd and 3rd largest brewers to combine without serious scrutiny.
All in the name of the free market of course.
Bottoms up!
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175 comments Add your comment
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator :-) You Whine :-(
August 27th, 2009
12:00 pm
Oh no, not a government takeover of the beer market.
Imagine the Townhalls for that.
ByteMe
August 27th, 2009
12:02 pm
There’s a tear in my beer
’cause I’m cryin’ for you,dear
you are on my lonely mind.
Into these last nine beers
I have shed a million tears.
You are on my lonely mind
I’m gonna keep drinkin’
until I’m petrified.
And then maybe these tears
will leave my eyes.
There’s a tear in my beer
cause I’m crying’ for you dear
You are on my lonely mind.
Jay
August 27th, 2009
12:06 pm
My daddy’s version went:
“I got tears in my ears
from lying on my bed
cuz you laughed while
I cried over yoouuuuuu!”
And nobody better talk bad about my daddy!
PoliticalMan
August 27th, 2009
12:10 pm
It’s quite a twist with free-market nuts having to defend oligarchy in the name of free-markets. I wonder what it would be like to be a neuron in their tiny little brains.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:15 pm
This is indeed a revolting development.
Looks like I picked the wrong day to not give up beer drinking.
TnGelding
August 27th, 2009
12:15 pm
Well, we’re competing more against the rest of the world now. Have to circle the wagons.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:17 pm
Johnny Walker Black, neat.
Almost makes me forget that the refrigerator in the garage is full of beer.
Almost.
TnGelding
August 27th, 2009
12:18 pm
Why can’t they just make near-beer or non-alcoholic beer?
Normal
August 27th, 2009
12:20 pm
Blatz…The sound of beer hitting the toilet…
TnGelding
August 27th, 2009
12:21 pm
The international conglomerates have it all covered so it probably weakens U.S. antitrust laws.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
12:22 pm
Jay…your daddy wears birkenstocks
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:23 pm
Jay and ByteMe –
thanks for reminding me why I don’t like C&W
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:24 pm
TG, where’s the fun in that?
That’s like shooting a deer with a paintball gun.
That’s like cooking a filet mignon in a skillet till it is very well done.
That’s like walking to Milwaukee instead of flying (the best beer city in America, deliberately chosen).
That’s like looking at a picture of Pamela Anderson naked (her, not you), while she’s ringing the doorbell you forgot to fix.
That’s like paying cash out of your pocket for those 17 Hyundai’s, while you could have had the ‘vette for the same money.
That’s like trying to run over the neighbor’s cat in your driveway – and missing.
It just isn’t the same…..
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:24 pm
Whiner –
your 12:00 is probably the (intentionally) funniest thing you’ve ever said … well done.
Matilda
August 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
Big business squeezing out small business again. The result: we accept s-uckage as the norm. Yuk!
pat
August 27th, 2009
12:25 pm
Yeah, but those beers suck anyway. They could cost $100 a bottle for all I care. I’ll take a Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Terrrapin, etc…There’s to many good beers out there to over pay for crappy ones. Let them jack up prices, that will just give more market share to the microbrews which actually have taste.
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:26 pm
Bud –
“That’s like cooking a filet mignon in a skillet till it is very well done”
waitaminnit … you mean that isn’t a crime?? (if it isn’t, it should be!)
jt
August 27th, 2009
12:27 pm
There is NO free market.
You know this Jay. It seems as if the federal goverment will drive this commodity to medocrity too.
Chapter 22
Government Beer Regulations
(selected excerpts)
The brewing industry is subject to extensive government regulations at both the federal and state levels, as well as to regulation by a variety of local governments. Some of the regulations imposed at the federal and state level involve production, distribution, labeling, advertising, trade and pricing practices, credit, container characteristics, and alcoholic content. Federal, state and local governmental entities also levy various taxes, license fees and other similar charges and may require bonds to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Specific alcohol taxation (as opposed to more general sales taxes) is primarily a federal and state right although some states permit some additional local taxation. The brewing industry must also comply with numerous federal, state, and local environmental protection laws.
pat
August 27th, 2009
12:28 pm
I wear birkenstocks…and I love them. I hope summer never ends…
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:29 pm
my favorite american beer:
http://abita.com/
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
12:33 pm
Normal wears jorts.
Hef
August 27th, 2009
12:33 pm
Goose & a smidgen of cranberry-ah nice. Have’nt picked up a beer in a year.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:36 pm
USinUK, this is absolutely the finest beer in the world, bar none</a, and I can say that I have had the pleasure of sitting in a beer-garden in Stuttgart, by the central train station, and enjoying Stuttgart’s finest along with one of those fabulous pretzels.
Great.
Now I have the urge to jump on a plane to Germany tonight.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:37 pm
I hope this thread degenerates into a serious beer discussion.
It might be more effective closer to happy hour.
Or over in Manuel’s Tavern.
jconservative
August 27th, 2009
12:38 pm
So? I drink vino, and there are thousands of producers & the price is falling like a can of beer off of the leaning tower.
tortured choice
August 27th, 2009
12:39 pm
less filling!
TnGelding
August 27th, 2009
12:42 pm
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:37 pm
Will they let you in at Manuel’s?
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator :-) You Whine :-(
August 27th, 2009
12:43 pm
The jack in prices, by the way, is to make up for the loss of sales following the death of Swimmer Kennedy.
We all get to pitch in.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
12:44 pm
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
12:33 pm
Normal wears jorts.
Yeah, and if you go to jorts.com that’s me in the picture…so?
Normal
August 27th, 2009
12:44 pm
tastes like pi$$
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
12:44 pm
USinUK,
Chicken/rice casserole – with broccoli and water chestnuts – and sliced maters. Yum.
Peach cupcakes?
Normal!!!
Blatz – the sound of beer hitting the toilet! So glad I didn’t take a swig of my tea as I read that – I can’t find my keyboard cleaner right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American beer sucks – it’s just the plain, honest truth. Except Samuel Adams – is that still American? So who cares if they try to price it higher.
But that’s not really the topic is it.
I remember in 1983 (I think) when old Ma’ Bell broke up – my dad’s company – it was like a family member had died. My dad gave me this plaque that read something about now the best company in the world didn’t exist anymore ’cause of the stinking government, something along those lines.
Anywho – yeah, now we have companies that can take out the economy if they fail.
Paul
August 27th, 2009
12:45 pm
And decades ago GM drove other automakers out of business so they could have the market. Then, when they got in trouble, we had to finance them because they were ‘too big to fail.”
Great what we could face in the future. Bailouts of Bud or Miller. ‘Cause they’re too big to fail. Sound silly? So does a lot of what we now do.
And, I think I’ve figured it out. “Free Market” doesn’t mean the market’s free. It means people are free to do whatever they can get away with until the market crashes. Then they’re free to get help.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:46 pm
And US…, I do believe there is a law against pan-frying a filet. If found guilty, the convictd moron is sentenced to 36 hours of community service mopping the floors at McDonald’s…..with his obviously non-functional and useless tongue.
And, I pulled up the site you left to discover that there are no less than 18 establishments within a 10 mile radius of my home where I can sample Abita, including a package store, oyster bar, and a bar and grill. I was surprised that Taco Mac wasn’t listed, but I’ll check that out next time in.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:47 pm
TG, if they let you in, you have to believe anyone can get in.
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
12:47 pm
USinUK,
OMG! And Bud Wiser was actually funny at 12:24!
Brad Steel
August 27th, 2009
12:47 pm
If beer was the only beverage, Jay would have a point.
There are myriad substitutes for beer that are not controlled by the filthy Dutch or a NeoFascist.
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
12:49 pm
Now I must run to get in shape for soccer.
Back in a bit – ’cause I’m so out of shape, I don’t think this run will take long.
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:51 pm
Bud –
(in reverse order)
“I do believe there is a law against pan-frying a filet. If found guilty, the convictd moron is sentenced to 36 hours of community service mopping the floors at McDonald’s…..with his obviously non-functional and useless tongue.”
hear, hear!!! it’s time to get tough on culinary abuse!!!
… Manuels Tavern (heavy, heavy sigh) … that bar is the cause of many of my hangovers when I was in my 20s … and they had damn good wings back in the 1990s
and lastly … DAMN. that German beer looks downright LETHAL!! me, I gotta admit, I really enjoyed the weissbiers I had in Salzburg – my first go at wheat beers and I can highly recommend them!
I liked the Abita amber … let me know what you think
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
Bosch –
peach cupcakes: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/peach-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-frosting/#more-4820
TnGelding
August 27th, 2009
12:52 pm
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
12:47 pm
It’s just that it’s infamous for catering to your nemesises.
Mrs. Godzilla
August 27th, 2009
12:57 pm
Jack Daniels, crushed ice and a sprinkle of water…..save the beer
for battering fish filets.
Matilda
August 27th, 2009
12:58 pm
Macallan 25, please. No ice.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
August 27th, 2009
1:01 pm
Well, ain’t nobody mentioned what this drop in beer demand is going to do to my job, so p_ss on you all, is all I got to say. So I ain’t going to waste any more time writting pearls of wisdom for a bunch of unthinking louts. I’m outta here.
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
1:01 pm
I got one of those home brew kits for my birthday one year and I made me a dozen large bottles of beer with it. They were actually very good. I’ll have to check into the price per ounce to see if it’s worth it or not. Then again, a six-pack can last me anywhere from one to six months, depending on how much the company drinks so maybe it’s not worth the trouble.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
1:01 pm
I do believe there is a law against pan-frying a filet.
Hmm. I think it’s perfectly fine to use the cast iron pan in conjunction with the broiler. I’ll grant it’s a bit trickier, though, if there’s no broiler involved, and it’s all done on the stove top.
Jefferson
August 27th, 2009
1:05 pm
PBR, a premium beer at popular prices. Considered too strong for girls.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
1:06 pm
Forty years ago, consolidation of the 10th and 18th largest brewers was grounds for anti-trust action, upheld by the Supreme Court. Today the combined market share of the 10th and 18th largest brewers is too tiny to even be measured, and we allow the 2nd and 3rd largest brewers to combine without serious scrutiny.
I do love how the Times piece buried that lede.
Paul
August 27th, 2009
1:06 pm
Chamay.
God bless those Belgian Trappist Monks.
JF McNamara
August 27th, 2009
1:09 pm
They are just recouping the money from buying their way to legality. It takes a lot of money to buy Presidential antitrust inaction and Congress.
Either way, They are a business, and they have to make thier Wall Street numbers just like everyone else. If one is struggling then the other likely is too and they both have to raise the price. It’s likely some fall out from heavy competition when times were good and each was trying to gain share. There’s probably a little gouge in there too, but not like what you’d think.
While I agree that Oligarchy is negative, it’s not all bad. Look at Wal-Mart, AT&T, and Microsoft. Because of their size you have cheap everything, the iPhone, and cheap personal computing.
Finn McCool
August 27th, 2009
1:10 pm
A cast iron pan is perfect for a good steak!
Heat oven to 500 degrees with a cast iron pan inside.
Turn burner on high and put heated pan on it.
Slap in the steak (salted and peppered already)
Cook 60 seconds on each side then put the pan in the oven for 3 minutes.
Remove and tent with foil for 2 minutes.
That’s Alton Brown and it works really well.
Kamchak
August 27th, 2009
1:11 pm
La Bavaisienne—-or any of the French Biere de Gardes.
Public Option or No Bill
August 27th, 2009
1:13 pm
Two huge international conglomerates — Anheuser-Busch Inbev and MillerCoors — now control 80 percent of the U.S. beer market.
And TWO and only two insurance companies (not the same ones in every area but TWO) now control 94% which is bigger than 80 and ) of the insurance market in America.
USA USA
Homeland Homeland (a term almost never used by anyone and not since Ibsen wrote his plays)
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
1:15 pm
“That’s Alton Brown and it works really well”
(sigh) he’s dreamy … in a geeky culinary sort of way …
and I do miss the US version of Iron Chef (although I don’t miss the overrate King of Blue Corn, Bobby Flay)
Finn McCool
August 27th, 2009
1:16 pm
Laphroaig with water.
Actually Americans are making some pretty good beer: Bison, Anchor Steam, Blue Moon, Abita, and, my favorite, Dixie beer
Public Option or No Bill
August 27th, 2009
1:18 pm
In the words of the Unemployed Facebook blogetress to whom English is a second language, and so but also, goshdarnit it’s important for An Bush-Inbev to prosper so that Cindy McCain can keep her California boy toys with whom she lives and so but also up in the style to which they’re accustomed but also.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
1:19 pm
Finn @ 1.10, yeah, that’s more or less my approach; from the steak’s perspective, a 500 degree oven isn’t that different from a broiler amped up to 11. I kinda prefer to flip it just once, though.
But I would never argue with Alton about food.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
I do miss the US version of Iron Chef (although I don’t miss the overrate King of Blue Corn, Bobby Flay)
Can’t you just stream the video on your Interwebs?
ByteMe
August 27th, 2009
1:21 pm
Jay,
My dad sang me the same song!! I thought he was a little crazy when he did this, but I was 6 at the time, so my judgement wasn’t the best.
Thanks for the smile.
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
1:21 pm
and the nice thing about Greenwich Mean Time???
I’m heading home and having a beer!!!
have a good evening!! tomorrow’s Friday!! woowoo!!!
USinUK
August 27th, 2009
1:22 pm
dB –
“Can’t you just stream the video on your Interwebs?”
we actually have a slingbox, but then you have to contend with the 5-hour time difference …
Mrs. Godzilla
August 27th, 2009
1:23 pm
Finn
Seious question….does Blue Moon give you gas?
I sat with my husband and brothers who were heartily enjoying the stuff icey cold from the kegerator…..those boys didn’t warn me and proceeded to curl my hair!
It was like the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles.
What’s that all about?
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:26 pm
The only thing domestic beer is good for is hair rinse. Used to use in in the 70s before I went back in the Navy…
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
1:27 pm
Public Option or No Bill
August 27th, 2009
1:13 pm
Two huge international conglomerates — Anheuser-Busch Inbev and MillerCoors — now control 80 percent of the U.S. beer market.
And TWO and only two insurance companies (not the same ones in every area but TWO) now control 94% which is bigger than 80 and ) of the insurance market in America.
These insurance companies should merge as well so they can offer us lower prices via the economies of scale. It’s the American way. They’ll be so large that we will all get trickled down on, no matter where we stand.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:27 pm
Jay, your daddy wears socks with his birkenstocks…
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:29 pm
MRS G: I don’t know about Blue Moon, but a bottle of Blue Nun was my first religious experience…
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
Normal wears a Snuggie over his jorts.
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
How long should Billy Beer be aged before opening? And, what does it mean when the unopened cans bulge out like softball.
Bud Wiser
August 27th, 2009
1:34 pm
Finn, Finn, Finn…….please reread my 12:24, and add your method to that list.
Let us paint a picture here, and call it Selection A; it’s a beautiful afternoon or evening, temperatures hot, beer VERY cold. The scent of burning charcoal wafts by your nostrils, and suddenly the door swings open and out comes your wife or girlfriend, or whatever, with a huge plate of filets! The family cheers!
Uncle Bud (no relation) tosses you a fresh cold one, and mouths begin to water as the steaks hit the hot iron and the smell and the smoke covers everyone. The kids (and the adults) are particularly happy because Mom didn’t forget the hot dogs for the taste inhibited little ones. And tucked in her apron is a bag of marshmallows for the kids to put on sticks over the coals after the feast.
Now…..
Selection B: Picture your significant other with hair in rollers, sweat pouring down that puffy face as the microwave internally combusts those prewrapped baked potatoes, a cigarette hanging out the side of her mouth, and a by-now warm beer sitting on the counter next to the stove top, where that almost glowing cast iron skillet is generating enough thermal heat to melt 5 inches of ice off the Arctic ice cap.
She looks over at you in disgust, down to your tee shirt and underwear, dripping sweat like you just came in from the rain. Of course, the air conditioner is broken, and what remains of your dinner is cooking alone as it sits on a newspaper covered folding table that serves as the kitchen table.
Soooooo, as choices go, I opt for selection A.
Finn McCool
August 27th, 2009
1:34 pm
Mrs. G,
I haven’t noticed that side effect.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:34 pm
Any of y’all ever had Tiger Beer? Bangco*k, Thailand. Unlike domestic beer the alcohol was unregulated back then (60’s, don’t know about now).
One beer could be 6,4 and the next one coul be 25.0. If you drank ‘em like Buds, you could be in a big hurt. They were, without a doubt, the best tasting beer in the world, I kid you not.
Zip
August 27th, 2009
1:35 pm
And for the Irish in us all…..
Beer, beer, beer, tiddly beer, beer, beer
A long time ago, way back in history
When all there was to drink was nothing but cups of tea
Along came a man by the name of Charlie Mopps
And he invented a wonderful drink and he made it out of hops
(Chorus)
He must have been an admiral, a sultan, or a king
And to his praises we shall always sing
Look what he has done for us, he’s filled us up with cheer
Lord bless Charlie Mopps,
The man who invented beer beer beer, tiddley beer beer beer…
The Jury’s Bar, the Clancy’s Pub, the Hole in the Wall as well
One thing you can be sure of, it’s Charlie’s beer they sell
So come on all me lucky lads at eleven O’clock ye stop
For five short seconds, remember Charlie Mopps
One, two, three, four, five
Chorus
A barrel of malt, A bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick,
The kind of lubrication to make your engine tick.
Forty pints of wallop a day will keep away the quacks.
It’s only eight pence ha’penny and one and six in tax
One, two, three, four, five
Chorus
The lord bless Charlie Mopps!
Scooter
August 27th, 2009
1:36 pm
Normal, domestic beer is also good to brush your teeth with.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:37 pm
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
1:31 pm
Normal wears a Snuggie over his jorts.
OK, how come you know so much about me? You dating my wife?
Scooter
August 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
Taxpayer, It means too much yeast in the Billy Beer. Don’t open it if it is hot!!
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
Hey, Scooter…There is that. Hey, you are getting good with those faces. I can’t figure out if I have to download something or not.
I am not a techno-geek. I can fix any electronic gizmo in the world,
but “smilies” are killin’ me….
Normal
August 27th, 2009
1:42 pm
Jay…your daddy smokes cornsilk…
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
1:51 pm
“Seious question….does Blue Moon give you gas?”
Okay! I’ve blogged here for years now, and I’m always, always, pleasantly surprised.
Mrs. G – you’re still my hero.
Scooter
August 27th, 2009
1:51 pm
Normal, I thought the same thing and couldn’t figure out what to down load. So, I tried it without doing anthing and it worked.
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
1:53 pm
Normal!!! Scooter!!!
I gave you the web page at least once this week already!!!
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Smilies
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
1:54 pm
Speaking of Birkenstocks, is there anyone else here on the blog that have striped feet (tan line) after the summer?
Kamchak
August 27th, 2009
1:56 pm
Bosch–Off topic
The UCL had the group stage draw today
Group A
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa
Mrs. Godzilla
August 27th, 2009
1:57 pm
Bosch
I thought it might have something to do with formulation, ya’ know too much wheat or hops or something. But when my brothers and my Mr. G (their evil co-hort) get together I usually get pranked somehow…..
If I’d had matches we’d of had fireworks!
Scooter
August 27th, 2009
2:03 pm
Bosch, yeah and I went down stairs to try it. Thanks!
Normal
August 27th, 2009
2:03 pm
BOSCH, I’m sorry but it wasn’t in comic book form…
Tray
August 27th, 2009
2:05 pm
But when government takeover of healthcare eliminates the competition and the only healthcare provider is the government, you left wing kooks will be fine with that…right? Monopoly is OK only if it fits YOUR needs…I would say dumb _sses, but it’s more like DUMB MASSES…
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
2:05 pm
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
1:54 pm
Speaking of Birkenstocks, is there anyone else here on the blog that have striped feet (tan line) after the summer?
My daughter picks on me because of my tan line from my ankle-high socks. She has not yet acquired a full appreciation for the protection offered by something other than flip-flops, on sunny days, while out working in the yard and garden or hiking, etc., and the tradeoffs one must deal with at times. Ah well. The things a parent must endure.
Scooter
August 27th, 2009
2:06 pm
Normal, If I can do it I know darn well you can.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
2:07 pm
But when government takeover of healthcare eliminates the competition and the only healthcare provider is the government,
Nobody is proposing to legislate an NHS style system here.
jokerman
August 27th, 2009
2:08 pm
I have an unopened can of JR beer from J.R. Ewing’s private stock imported from texas. It was bad in it’s day, I wonder how it tastes today?
I was stationed in Germany years ago and we used to have two cases of snap caps delivered to our BOQ every Friday….Can’t remember the brand, but smooth as silk, and twice as good. Even after all these years I can’t handle the watery taste of domestic beer.
Oregon has great micro brews….If you like a good wheat beer try Widmer Hefeweizen!
Normal
August 27th, 2009
2:08 pm
BOSCH, Striped feet? No, but I wear retro sneakers with the laces out and the tongue stuck in the shoe, so my tan line is kinda like a dagger.
an aside, back when I was teenager, we used to glue different shapes on our body. Crescents, stars, triangles, etc. and lay out in the sun. It was our Age of Aquarius thing…ha
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
2:09 pm
Normal,
And what’s your relationship with Jay’s dad?
Bosch
August 27th, 2009
2:09 pm
Kamchak,
And Manchester United is grouped with Wolfsburg. Excellent. I had to look up Maccabi Haifa – not much into Israeli futbol.
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
2:09 pm
Normal… Normal… Normal… If you can’t do it, nobody can.
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
2:09 pm
But when government takeover of healthcare eliminates the competition and the only healthcare provider is the government,
Nobody is proposing to legislate an NHS style system here. Nobody.
Not that I have anything against the UK’s health service, but I repeat–that is not what is being proposed by anyone in the House or the Senate.
Do you really believe otherwise? If so, why?
stands for decibels
August 27th, 2009
2:09 pm
Sorry ’bout the double post.
Normal
August 27th, 2009
2:12 pm
Dogs against Whiners: This:
And nobody better talk bad about my daddy!
Sounded like a challenge to me…jus’ sayin’
Turd Ferguson
August 27th, 2009
2:14 pm
I wondered what happened to PBR.
Sam Adams
Heineken
Either will do.
Taxpayer
August 27th, 2009
2:18 pm
At least four million Americans under age 65 are exposed to high doses of radiation each year from medical imaging tests, according to a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Josh Haner/The New York Times
About 400,000 of those patients receive very high doses, more than the maximum annual exposure allowed for nuclear power plant employees or anyone else who works with radioactive material.
The paper, being published on Thursday, was based on a survey from 2005 to 2007 covering almost one million patients insured by UnitedHealthcare.
It did not estimate the number of cancer cases that the radiation might cause over the next several decades. But Dr. Rita Redberg, a cardiologist and researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who has extensively studied the use of medical imaging, said it would probably result in tens of thousands of additional cancers.
Well, it looks like UnitedHealthcare is starting to fight back a little and going after some of those unneeded tests. They’re not only unnecessary, they’re costly and dangerous. So there! Take That! Insurance companies do so provide a valuable service!
deegee
August 27th, 2009
2:19 pm
They can raise the price on watery American beer all they want. Nobody is going to buy it because the people that drink that stuff left the country when the construction boom went bust.
Dogs Against Whiners
August 27th, 2009
2:20 pm
Normal,
No wonder your wife complains to me about you all the time!