| Pets Under Cover
At least 16 pets are dead nationwide and countless others sickened according to the latest reports following a recall of about 60 million packages of wet dog and cat foods manufactured by Menu Foods.
Along with the devastating impact of having a beloved family pet face kidney failure, these pet owners are also faced with the staggering veterinary bills that come with treating such a serious condition. It's a double whammy of the worst sort.
"We've had a lot of calls and a lot of questions since the pet food recall started, and it really is a sad case of the unexpected happening to a pet," said Brad Iannessa, spokesperson for Veterinary Pet Insurance. "Who would think their pet is in danger from pet food? It's put a lot of people in the awful position of trying to choose between the best treatments possible and having to go with treatments they can actually afford."
Though many people aren't familiar with pet insurance, it's been around for about 25 years and is growing in popularity.
US Auto Parts 4Q Results: Un Disastro
US Auto Parts (PRTS), stock is down some 40%+ this week (and down a pretty similar amount from its initial public offering price of $10 completed in early February). "Un disastro" is an Italian word/expression a friend once taught me that needed no translation. And probably best sums up the conference call the company held Tuesday afternoon. Management had to come on the call and explain to its new shareholders that after they got back from the road show and began to "close the books" they discovered a couple employees at their Parts Bin acquisition had mispriced (way below market price), the company's performance and accessories parts. The mispricing hurt profit margins and "fill rates." In some cases, the company had sold a part to a customer, but could not actually "fill the order" (with management indicating on the call that they experienced 10% lower fill rate at two of their vendors) and had to credit back the customer.
It's spring clean-up time in our driveway
Just when I was getting my yearly spring recharge to whip the house together, the U.S Congress decided to wake me up an hour earlier in the morning. Great. That takes a lot out of my steaming resolve to clean this place up. Now I can't get anything done and I'm tired too. Still, my tools of order and cleanliness are calling me forth to do battle with the forces of winter build-up. Although, there have been a few tool problems. Winter can be unkind to everything. My new wife came with her own pressure washer. Wow, what a great tool. Whoosh, the windows are clean. Swish-swash, the gutters and roof line are cleared of all debris. Whammo, the deck is 10 years younger. Unfortunately, right now, it's blub-blub-blub ... hisssssss and I'm the only thing that's cleaner. I think one of the seals is leaking and the once-legendary pressure is now reserved for hitting me in the face or dribbling out the bottom.
A multitude of Medicare plans
Sitting at a senior day care center in Ventura with her cane propped against the table, Dolores Bojorquez smiled to show the crooked teeth she thought were finally going to be fixed. The 70-year-old Santa Paula woman, who had a heart transplant several years ago, pinned her hopes on a private Medicare plan that senior advocates say is inciting turmoil across the state and nation. She heard a sales pitch at the day care center earlier this year and thought the fee-for-service plan would supplement her existing insurance, bringing more money for eye care and dentists. .
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