The 2012 "October Surprise" Has Already Arrived...

...and it's not good for Barack Obama.

I know you may be thinking "what the hell are you talking about"?  I'll bet that you haven't heard anything about it via the so-called traditional news outlets, and haven't read anything on your regular Internet news feeds either.  I know that I read a lot of news on a daily basis (much more than I write obviously), and I've seen nothing about it.  But guess what, boys and girls?  The much ballyhooed "October surprise" is here, and for those of us still employed and who have employer provided/subsidized insurance, we know exactly what it is.

It's our health benefits annual enrollment. 

For those of you who work part-time, as contractors, or who don't work for employers who provide benefits, I'll provide a bit of a primer.  Every year about this time, most of us who have the more traditional, employer provided health insurance and other benefits plans (FSA, HSA, etc.) receive a notice from our employer which instructs us to advise our HR departments how much in deductions we want to allow for our FSA/HSA plans next year.  It also informs us of any changes in our health insurance plans.

We're all learning, right now, first hand, how much Obamacare is going to screw us.  Surprise!

While "the media" is sitting around speculating what will be the great "October Surprise", those of us who are still blessed enough to have jobs are seeing the increases in premiums, decreases in coverage, and/or the reductions in our prescription coverage...all thanks to President Obama and the Democrat party.  Also, FSA limits are now capped at $2,500 (for the individual and $5,000 for dependents), and people looking at stocking up on over the counter drugs, so they won't lose what's left of their 2012 FSA, will learn that their FSA doesn't cover any of that anymore, so they may lose their money.  As a further note, many people use their FSA (or HSA) as a tax-deterrent means to pay for out of pocket costs for regular medication and/or for expensive out-of-pocket costs for special needs children.

Surprise!  Not as much anymore, chumps.  No more slight discount on that special program for your autistic kid, you "top 1%er" who makes $50K a year.  Obama and his enormous soul eating leviathan government needs your money to "build that" food stamp program for your neighbor's 27 year old "child", Jaeyden.  You've met him a couple of times, he's the one who with the $125K in student loans for his "Wymyns' Studies" degree who just moved back in with his parents.  He's sitting on his ass playing X-Box all day while claiming for Mom and Dad's benefit to be "starting his business" selling artisanal suburban organic wasabi honey mayonnaise on Etsy.

So, while 30 year old "law student activists" are screaming at you about trying to kill them because you're cruel enough to actually believe that if they can afford things like 9 years of Georgetown Law School, business managers, iPhone plans, and flights across country to "rally" 10 other unemployed morons, certainly they can find $9 somewhere to buy themselves some birth control pills...you're being denied a tax benefit for the the ability to use more of your own money to pay for your own actual health care and/or the health care of your family.  And while you're paying more for gas, groceries, and everything else, you're about to get absolutely gored on your health insurance.  I hate to ask, but how long ago was your last pay raise?

So enjoy your October surprise, workers of America, and go on out there and vote for the party of  the high cost of everything (except your paycheck) and especially, "universal healthcare." 

Efenant Party Time 2012

So, the GOP is having another nominating convention, and as is becoming the tradition, we here at YPS Manor have mostly ignored it in favor of spending a little quality time with each other and some old and new friends. Aside from a bit of comedy provided by the Paulbots, nothing of import was going to happen. Seriously, efenants, Mittens? That's the best you can come up with?

Neither party is serious about addressing the problems our country faces, so why should I be serious about paying attention to them? The clowns have taken over the circus, and are determined to drop the tent on everybody as the final act. The screaming and wailing and gnashing of teeth is going to be epic when it finally collapses.

Online Poll Fail

So, Ron Paul (R-onulan) has announced his exploratory committee and team for Iowa. I think we should all keep in mind the sad truth about online polls:

Any online poll is worthless, and polls featuring candidate Paul are doubly so.

The Ronulans are the undisputed masters of swarming online polls to give him approval numbers usually seen only in one-party dictatorships. If he actually does throw his hat in the ring, the crazy will, just like last time, come crawling out of the woodwork and crush any online poll with him in it.

This is, I should add, simply a statement of fact, not a value judgement on Paul's candidacy. I voted for Paul in the primary last time, even after he had already dropped out. But his legions of online supporters are more than a little nuts, and don't represent the candidate well. Since I'm not the candidate, this really isn't my problem.