Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Posts about Kevin Knauss, his opinion, analysis, work as insurance agent, history writing, hiking, or his tattoos.
On a recent hiking excursion where I was leading a group of people on a history hike, I was able to try the different modes. Public speaking events, where I have to field questions, has been particularly difficult for me with my hearing loss. The Live Music mode suppressed the side noises and the person in front of me sounded clear, even when they were twenty feet away. I did switch to Outdoor mode so I could easily talk to the person next to me as we were hiking on the trail.
Perhaps the oddest bit of information from J was that the son she gave birth to was also named Kevin. This gentleman was born in 1955. I was born in 1963 when my father was on his third(?) marriage. Was I named for the son my father had abandon in hopes of recreating some alternative reality with a happy ending? Again, this would not have been out of the realm of possibility for my magical thinking father.
With the Niro PHEV I’ll have 26 miles of all EV range and approximately 44 miles per gallon when burning gasoline in hybrid mode. Except in the winter when the petrol engine must run to heat up the cabin, I should be traveling in all EV mode when I trek out to the grocery story, Post Office, or even to see one of my local clients. My goal with a new car is to reduce my fossil fuel consumption as much as possible. The Niro PHEV will meet that goal, short of investing in an all EV car.
You can call me anytime, or send me an email, and I will try to answer your questions. Sometimes this requires us to chat on the phone for a while, but I don’t have to visit your home, meet you at a closed café, and you don’t need to travel to my little home office. I’m open for business.
I was in attendance at a Covered California meeting in Sacramento where agents asked if Covered California was going to publicize the individual mandate penalty in their marketing campaign for open enrollment. Executive Director Peter Lee told the audience that Covered California marketing would focus on the new California Premium Subsidy and not the penalty. But now, Covered California is using the argument that thousands of people don’t know about the penalty, when they are in charge of making California residents aware of the individual mandate penalty.
Some of the most uninspiring logos can be found in the insurance industry. When I first got into the insurance field as an independent agent I decided to play it safe and not attempt to create a logo. But as my website has become more popular, and I recently published a book, I found myself considering images that reflect me and what I represent. The result is probably a logo-failure by professional standards, but one I really enjoy looking at. It is a stylized concrete arch bridge over a body of water.
As I conclude two years on the Placer County Grand Jury I’m struck by how the experience was so completely different than I could have ever imagined. There were periods of intense frustration, brought on by my own personal view of organization and commitment, and moments of satisfaction that we were reporting on important aspects of local government. My experience was not unique. All the Grand Jurors I served with felt alternatively gratified by our work while carrying the weight acrimonious debate and fellow jurors who failed to carry their work load.
Copyright laws help institutionalize greed and perpetuate an inflated sense of self-worth on the part of the creator or artist. Any true and original work will be revered and respected by the public with proper attribution to the creator. While copyright laws are necessary for the unauthorized reproduction of a creative piece for the purposes of generating a profit, most copyright laws should cease when the creator dies.
At the January 23, 2014 Covered California Board meeting I made public comments regarding the numerous applications for enrollment that had failed to be transmitted to chosen health insurance carriers. I have documented the numerous instances where I’ve enrolled individuals and families into a Covered California health plan only to learn the health insurance company never received the data.
After giving presentations in Oroville and Chico, it was apparent that I should offer the educational seminar to other communities in Northern California that want to learn more about this new health insurance market place call Covered California. I am now offering presentations on the features and benefits of Covered California to large and small groups.
