Walmart..the solution to the Healthcare crisis

I am not a fan of WalMart. For better or worse, the majority of this country and Canada disagrees with me. Everyone else seems to love WalMart. Well, they may not love WalMart but certainly enjoy shopping there. WalMart really does not care whether you love them, they just want you to shop there and you will be rewarded with low prices. Wal Mart does do that. They are able to deliver products and services more efficiently, and thus have lower prices. It demonstrates free markets operating at their best.

No one needs a dose of the free markets behaving correctly more than the healthcare industry. Let's face city hospitals have outlived their usefulness. They are great if you live in a city. They happen to be convenient. Most of us live the suburbs or exurbs. We are closer to shopping malls and big box stores, like Walmart. Next, most of the large city hospitals are located on some pretty expensive real estate. Most of these hospitals could be converted, indeed some are, into co-ops. So we keep the teaching hospitals and the the more important ones. I have always wondered why people living in half million dollar homes or more have to schlep into the city to get decent medical care.

Next WalMart runs the diagnostic clinics and some hospitals. In the Walmart hospital you are greeted by a retired nurses or a nurse who are simply fed up with hospitals. The WalMart Hospital would only have a main level and a lower level with a coffee shop run by McDonalds. . You give the nurse your symptoms and select from a list of possible diagnostic tests, X-ray, blood test, urine test, MRI...of course you would be provided with a price list. You decide what tests are needed. My wife has diagnosed herself with more accuracy than most doctors. Let's face it with the net and Websites like WebMD. you have all the information you need. It's a new world, the doctor can no longer leverage information against you.

The technicians take the X-rays and results are e-mailed to India to be read. You see a doctor, only after you have had the diagnostic tests have been completed and a report is available. The doctor would have to spend no more than fifteen minutes with you deciding whether you need more tests or provide a diagnosis or treatment. Being WalMart, they would have a Walgreen, next door. All this may be provided for a fraction of the cost....

Meanwhile, your spouse may continue shopping for the day. Your time is spent more efficiently and you would not have to pay for parking. Hey, do you have a better idea?

Career Advice: One step ahead of the falling dominoes

When you get close to a quarter century with the same company you reflect back on your career. I made that mistake the other day. I realized the four positions I had, no longer exist. The image was sobering. All I have done is kept one step ahead of the falling dominoes. That is the way it goes today. If you think the grass is greener on the other side. During my tenure with my company, I had two opportunities to move to another company. I have learned both those jobs have also been abolished. The dominoes fall around me. The analogy of falling dominoes is much closer to the truth than you may believe. Mt company, other companies do not see departments, business groups, regional offices as individuals. They are faceless, when the positions are abolished, they are all abolished at once just like the dominoes toppling each other, in a stampede.

My wife has unfortunately been in the path of the falling dominoes three times. She was an excellent worker, well educated but ended up in departments which were eventually dismantled. Her reviews were excellent. Once the dominoes fell, there was no room for her within the company. Despite her excellent work ethic, other departments were protecting their domino.

You would think my story is one of survival. It is, in fact part survival, part thriving. You do need both. I know quite a few people, friends and family who got caught in the falling dominoes. These are good people who just could not get out of the way of the falling dominoes. I now feel compelled to provide some career advice:

1) Move on..... You can bet the job you have now will not exist in a few years, it will be reorganized, restructured, abolished...when? I have no idea. But it will one day be in the path of the falling dominoes. You best defense is to continually renew yourself. Be prepared to accept another position..even it is a "lateral" promotion.

2) Look for the signs and react........ New technologies often lead to falling dominoes. Yeah, computers were going to make our jobs easier..no, it just meant you no longer needed a typist. Companies no longer need regional outposts. If you think you could work in a satellite office like the Midwest, forget it. Be ready to move your office home or yourself to the head office. Another sign is any change in top management. If you disagree with the new rules, start planning to leave, now.

3) If you are caught in the falling dominoes, take my advice, it is not personal. You were at the wrong place at the wrong time. You need that attitude when you begin looking for another job. After all, the reason you had your job in the first place is because other dominos fell. Accept it as a company renewing itself.

4) Here is the good news, you have more time than you think. Pay attention. Whenever companies begin to lean one way, rule of thumb, it takes one to three years to act. You are in fact more nimble than the organization. So you do have plenty of time to "move on", distinguish yourself. You have to do it because once those dominos fall they fall quickly and without regard to who may be in the path. If you decide not to do anything, and many people do

The answer is not always to move with a company. If I had done that, I would have been twice unemployed. Always be prepared to learn and accept anything new within your company

So, I will celebrate a quarter century with the same company, even though the company has had five different names. Yes, my company renews itself constantly.

Shopping at BJ's

This Sunday my wife said we were shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club. We had received a $10.00 coupon in the mail towards a one year membership...and on top of that we get 3 free months. So, instead of $40.00 for a one year membership, we got 15 months for $30.00, saving us a grand total of $1.33 for the privilege of shopping there. The concept of paying to shop is something I aprreciate.in fact, I would like to see every retail store have a cover charge or two drink minimum.

I research BJ's on the net. I am about to google BC...no..quite the sites I had hoped to find find. I tried BJ's wholesale club. They have a website www.bjs.com. That is one letter away from a website, I would rather not visit, especially on Sunday. The have everything. I decide we should go. Hah.

Once at BJ's we were processed. We provide two forms of ID and had our mug shot takes. Just what I needed one more useless ID picture. Oh well, this will stop all those freeloaders trying to shop at BJ's Wholesale for free. It is exactly those cheats who have caused membership fees to skyrocket to $40.00 per year unless you have a coupon.

Once inside, my cynicism fell. The place is a wonder of the shopping world. Grocery on steroids. Where else can you buy one gallon containers of peanut butter, vats of margarine and pounds, not ounces of dry roasted peanuts. So we did what every American should do in such an auspicious place. We got a cart and shopped. I left my wife to the more mundane food products and went to the man's area...grills and big screen TV's.

A gas grill got my attention....I have one, already..but this is BJ's. The cooking area measured not in square inches but square feet. Where else would you the 20 pound rib rolls sold at BJ's. My grill could not handle it. Iy came with two gas cylinders and an optional tank farm. I passed. Then I saw it a plasma TV. A 42 inch plasma TV for $1799. I was hoping no one else knew about this. I summoned the electronics expert in the store. Ok, he wore a BJ's tag and was in the same aisle as me. I asked him him about the 42 inch plasma TV. I asked him what it was, he answered $1799., if you are a member, after all membership has its privileges. I asked what looked like the area manager for electronics. OK, his tag said "Hi, may I help You." I asked him the same question and he replied it was a 42 inches plasma TV and added "Pretty good deal" That was it he had me. I had to have it. Hey it's a 42 inch plasma TV for $1800, excuse me $1799. You would have to be nuts to pass it up. I started looking for my wife.

Her cart was full with 10 pounds of Raisin Bran, five pounds of peanut butter, enough paper towels to wallpaper Trump Tower. She was stalking the Poland Spring Water. The deal was incredible, 15 cents per half liter bottle. Fifteen cents....that is almost as cheap as tap water. We passed for now. Now that we're members, we can come back any time. Although it is a bit disconcerting purchasing groceries that will outlast you.

Anyway, I am glad we are members. Security, that's why. I told my wife if there is a terrorist worse year a nuclear attack we are bunkering down at BJ's. They have everything and we're members. They have to let us in.