I'm hoping to release a collection of my short stories through Create Space later this year. I've got some talented artists working on some illustrations at the moment. Quite exciting, especially the feedback from a professional editor
I'm hoping to release a collection of my short stories through Create Space later this year. I've got some talented artists working on some illustrations at the moment. Quite exciting, especially the feedback from a professional editor
Tomorrow is my "last duty day" in the US Air Force. Then I am on "terminal leave" until 29 Sep 2013, which is my "day of separation". Lots of terms, I know. Let's just make it easy and say that after tomorrow, I will happily never put on the damn uniform again. Yay!
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Gosh.
It's one of the things that makes me happy living in France.
Here : most of the medical bills, are freely reimbursed by the french NHS, up to 60%.
In order to get the remaining 40% back (and sometimes simply not having to pay ANYTHING at all up front), you have to have what is called a "complémentaire".
Some employers will pay it for you (up to january it was free for me), and since january, i pay 10€ per month... so 120€ a year.
My girlfriend, working at H&M gets it for free. Last year, she went for a back surgery because of a very strong scoliosis (~70%), and we didnt even have to pay any medical bill for it. Not for the surgery itself (who must have cost about 30-40k), nor the stay at the hospital (1 week before + weeks after in a recovery center). Only had to pay for phone at the center :p
On top of that, she has a paper that supposedly makes that she doesnt have to pay most of things that are related to this scoliosis, for the next 5 years.
For instance, she had numerous "physio" sessions : she had to pay forward, but got all of the money back.
Another great thing about France, is that during this surgery & the recovery months afterwards, she was obviously off work. But, during those, she had an income. I may be wrong, but i think that it was like 75% of her wage for the first 3 months, then 50% for the next 3 months (half of it being paid by her employer, the other half being paid by the NHS).
It's complicated as there is always loads of paperwork... but hé, cant complain with all those advantages
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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I do not like the facts that RF posted.
I think the NHS is great but it does get abused
We're very lucky in the UK but the system is under immense pressure and it is looking like the Tories are wanting to privatise as much as they can, typical of their ilk.
Mind you I don't think any of the parties are worth voting for as they are all pretty much the same these days and do not represent the people, only themselves. All corrupt as hell and lining their own pockets.
Congrats Shannon, seen Mick have to go through the exit malarky when leaving the RAF so I know what you've gone through. Mick had to do 6 years reserve service after leaving too but thankfully he wasn't called back to duty.
"I'm hoping to release a collection of my short stories through Create Space later this year. I've got some talented artists working on some illustrations at the moment. Quite exciting, especially the feedback from a professional editor"
Sounds interesting, let us know when we can get hold of it!
Health insurance is an over-priced joke. I went for almost 10 years with no insurance simply because it was a choice between having insurance and paying my mortgage every month. At the time I was able to get insurance for my kids through a state program but they changed that a few years ago so now we make too much money to qualify for it.
We have insurance through my wife's employer right now but it doesn't cover much. I went to the doctor last year and was diagnosed with bronchitis. That visit cost me over $300 after the insurance. Add the 2 days I missed from work and I was out almost $1000 that week.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
Did you already final out? If not, you'll need to put that 'damn uniform' on one last time. Funny, I don't feel the same way about my old uniform ... Service and Mess Dress are still hanging nicely in a suit bag in the closet.Tomorrow is my "last duty day" in the US Air Force. Then I am on "terminal leave" until 29 Sep 2013, which is my "day of separation". Lots of terms, I know. Let's just make it easy and say that after tomorrow, I will happily never put on the damn uniform again. Yay!
WANT LIST: Any SK #186; Dark Man Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Black Tape Spine Proof; FDNS Unbound Color Proof
Congrats Shannon as you transiiton to the next phase in your professional career! I vividly remember going on Terminal Leave. It was nice getting the paycheck from the USMC for a month while I was already collecting a paycheck for my new job. That was back in 1985, after 12 years in the USMC. Miraculously, I am still with the same company today. Coming up on 28 years!
DT Spoiler - Enter at your own risk!
Spoiler:
In my collections thread I noticed that the last three images of The Dark Man proofs didn't show up. I went to Photobucket and they were there. I copied the IRL for them (which was different from that I had originally) and now they're back in the post. I don't know why Photobucket would have changed just those three images. Strange. Has anyone else noticed this?
John
I've got to blow off some steam. I had my pediatric recert board exam this morning - have to take the test every 10 yrs. so lots to cover. Test was at 0900. The center was 70 minutes away. I left at 0645 to give myself a good 45 minutes leeway. For those in Cali or familiar with NorCal - I had to go from Vacaville (in between SF and Sacramento) over to Santa Rosa. A quick drive down i80 over through napa/Sonoma and then on to Santa Rosa (101 north). So on i80 they have the big signs with traffic alerts, as well as my gps - which did not show any delays (also plugged into local traffic alerts). Big traffic sign says route 12 ramp blocked - that was going to be my exit. As I near this - all 4 lanes on i80 are nearing a crawl. So I say okay I'll go past this and take one of the alternate exits - there are 3 more I can take. I'm still projected to get there before 0900, no worries. As I pass route 12 - there's a fucking bus jackknifed on the off ramp at 12 - the single lane off ramp - that no one can get around because a bus is across the entire road - wtf was the driver doing. Okay no one can get off and the next exit - red top - is backed to high heaven - okay I got 2 more. Next is American canyon - forget it - on to the next one. I've already been on phone with my wife to look at traffic and start calling testing center. Now onto last exit - 37 - moving okay at first - so I get off at 29 to take back way through napa - the road that the first 3 exits would intersect and where all those people want to go. After 10 minutes in traffic and unable to get through the first green light - I turn around and try 37 again - only to find that both lanes are completely stopped - and if I take 37 it would be about 30 miles before I reach 101 - holy fuck - I've never seen traffic this bad in the 13 years I've lived here. So I get off and go back to 29 - at least it was moving. Finally at 0810 I get through to the testing center and they were awesome. My test was a 5 hour block. Fortunately they were able to sit me at 1330 and stay open late for me. I eventually got there after 1000 - over 3 hours for a 70 minute drive. They sat me at 1230 and I finished around 1630 and got home in about 80 minutes. The day is over, the test is done, now I just have to wait a few weeks for the results.
In 1978 I was nearly 2 hours late for my Internal Medicine Board Certification exam in San Antonio. A friend was in town for the exam and we drove together from my house. Torrential rains flooded most of the city and freeways were impassable for the most part. Most of the exam takers were from out of town and were staying in a nearby hotel. They were on time and the exam started on time. My friend and I finally arrived 2 hours late and the exam was, of course, already underway. We were soaking wet having had to park quite a ways from the exam site and walk. All of the promised breakfast, coffee, etc. were already gone. So we were given our exams and we sat down in our wet clothes and hungry for the most important exam of our lives. We both did OK but your story brought back that day very clearly. I hope your scores are good. I'll bet that they will be.
I watched a really great Dutch movie last night (subtitled in English) about the Dutch resistance in WWII called Black Book (Zwartboek). It was made in 2006, and though I'm a big WWII history buff I'd never heard of it before; just happened upon it while channel surfing. Really great movie ... interesting, engaging characters, action, constantly evolving plot with twists ... breasts, very nice breasts ... I was reeled in from the beginning. Stayed up until 2 am watching it, so working on 4 hours sleep now (yawn).
It's well worth seeing, definitely not your typical war movie. The lead actress, Carice van Houten, is fantastic (and very pleasant on the eyes). Plus it's in Dutch which I understand a bit, so that added to the subtitles for me (I know some people hate subtitles, but I don't mind). I googled it afterwards to find out a little more, turns out (according to Wiki and Cinema.nl Niuews), that the Dutch public voted "Zwartboek beste filme aller tijden" (Best film of all time). Don't know how I missed it for 7 years, but glad I came across it last night. Liked it enough that I felt compelled to write about it and spread the word here ... see it!
WANT LIST: Any SK #186; Dark Man Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Black Tape Spine Proof; FDNS Unbound Color Proof
this guy is good, doing tv shows and movies if they were cartoons, there's even some King in there
http://www.jublin.com/projects/ratedg/
Zwartboek-Das schwarze Buch-Black Book
The Paul Verhoeven movie with Sebastian Koch and Carice van Houten. I remember several debates that Paul Verhoeven´s evil German perpetrators use the same torture as the Americans now in Guantanamo.
My Stephen King collection
http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...on-Stockerlone
Non-King collection
http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...rlone-Non-King
Spoiler
WANT LIST: Any SK #186; Dark Man Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Unbound 1st Proof; FDNS Black Tape Spine Proof; FDNS Unbound Color Proof