This and that...which amused, well for the most part

[shadowkat]

1. A rather funny book review, particularly comments section on Smartbitches -- the reviewer can't remember the names of the characters. I laughed, because this happens to me a lot. It's true of the romance genre, unfortunately, the books sort of blend or blur together. Only a few stand out.

Here's one of the comments that reminded me of conversations I've had with my mother about this:

Everything I’ve read blends together into one big mush. When I pick up my Nook after an hour away, I play a little game where I ask myself, “What title am I reading? Who is the author? Who are the characters and what is going on in the book?” I’m lucky if I can remember any of these even for the most compelling books. I guess my brain is just full.

My mother and I will tell each other about a book we're reading, but when one of us asks the title or the author, the other one has no idea and has to hunt it down. We're lucky if we can remember the characters names.

I've noticed books, movies and television series have this in common...they are only memorable if they really strike a chord in me somewhere. I either have to hate it, find it weirdly different, or adore it to pieces. It does of course help if I've seen it in more than one medium.

Does not help, if the books or series are similar. (ie. all superhero shows, or all romance novels about Dukes).

2. Apparently Star Trek Discovery is doing it's first openly gay romance or gay character romance on a Star Trek ship, portrayed by gay actors, both of which performed in Rent on Broadway. I think the US media has decided to join forces and through counter-programming kick homophobic butt. Fox has chosen to do a live musical version of "Rent". And now, Star Trek Discovery on CBS All Access is doing the first gay couple portrayed by actual gay actors on Star Trek.

3. Sesame Street makes fun of 1980s pop songs. LMAO. Can you guess what songs they are doing?

Watch on YouTube

4. Remember what I said above about our media and pop culture and artists..as if by mutual agreement standing up to the stick in the mud bigots? Well...here's James Corden's, the new host of Late Night, response to the Doofus's latest. (By the way, I'm not sure if his latest will be upheld by the courts or not.)

5. Hmmm... Smart Bitches Lists Several Virigin Hero Recommendations.. -- What is a Virgin Hero? A romance novel in which the male hero or male romantic lead is the virgin in the story or a virgin in the story.

Smart Bitches also conned me into buying another book on sale for $2.99 -- entitled The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, which was the reality or inspiration behind the Scarlett Pimpernel.
It's a historical, contemporary, mystery, romance novel all in one. Yippe..Kai..Ay?

6. Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah Try to Explain What is Happening with ACA in the US Senate or rather what they are trying to do with the Health Care Bill

What we have is three-four factions.

* The Conservatives who prefer the way the world was prior to the ACA. And are convinced life was a better without it. (Gee tell that to the 3 Million Americans whose lives were saved once it was passed. Archie Bunker mentality. Sigh. It should be noted, particularly by any conservatives currently wandering about my reading list...I have zero patience for this mentality. Mainly because I don't like seeing people die because they can't afford health insurance. Particularly when they are family members. It's a thing. Right-Wing Conservative Party -- aka Regan Conservatives led by Rand Paul who I keep confusing with Ru Paul for some reason. I don't know why they are nothing alike.)

* The group who thinks the present ACA is problematic, but doesn't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. And thinks we should all work together and fix it, and the fixes really are financial in nature and how it is funded. (This group actually makes logical sense. And is the Democratic Party led by my State Senators Chuck Schumer, Daddy of Amy Schumer (the comedian).)

* The group who hates ObamaCare and wants TrumpCare, because...well, my dick is better than your dick, not to be crude, but seriously this is what it sounds like.
They want to do away with ObamaCare (note that's what they call it, not the ACA), and replace it with their own better plan (which isn't a better plan, and would only benefit the rich and insurance companies, and defraud everyone else...ie. we'd have limited health insurance coverage, but with a clause prohibiting pre-existing conditions. So if you have cancer, guess what? You are banned for life.)

* The group who hates ObamaCare and wants a new health insurance, but wants a better one, similar to Single Payer Health Insurance just like the UK has.

* The group who wants to keep ACA as it is.

Note, none of these people agree. Basically, organized chaos. The farthest they've gotten to date is to agree to debate on the repeal. They did not manage to agree to repeal it, mainly because that would leave several Senator's constituents without health insurance. The Congressmen may be dumb regarding this, the Senators aren't. As one lady Republican Senator put it, I didn't come here to hurt people.

It's hilarious, if you aren't living here and watching it happen. Or hilarious from an objective perspective.

But not at all surprising. I knew this was going to happen. I'm still surprised the ACA got passed to begin with. The wicked insurance lobby is strong in the US.

My mother is currently entertained by the War between Trump and Jeff Sessions. Trump wants Sessions to resign in disgrace for not defending him against the Russian inquiry. Where's your loyalty, declares Trump. Sessions stoically glares back, "what loyalty? I'm not your employee, you nit. I'm the Attorney General. You want me out. Fire me." Trump, "you're a weakling! You can't defend me! That's your job." Sessions, "No, a weakling would be defending and agreeing with you. And no, that's not my job. You have white house counsel for that. Talk to Bannon."

Neither of us are surprised by this, because hello, narcissistic personality disorder. Trump is basically doing exactly what we knew he would, which is why we didn't vote for him. Duh.

Comments

[ex_peasant441]

similar to Single Payer Health Insurance just like the UK has.

That's not what we have, and trust me no sane person wants what we have. (The British by and large are not sane on this issue, which is why we are stuck with the current nightmare.) There are much better systems out there.

[shadowkat]

Hmmm...the internet appears to disagree with you. As do many of my British and Canadian friends, who have discussed it at length over the years online, providing examples to support their views. Recently Stephen Hawkins came out and stated the Britain's National Health Care System had saved his life.

Here's a few recent links I found discussing it:

1. Stephen Hawking - I would not be alive without NHS

2. Pros and Cons of Universal Health Care in the United Kingdom

3. Socialized or Not Britains Health Care System is Superior

4. Health Care in the UK

In a 2014 report ranking developed-country healthcare systems, the United Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom was ranked the best healthcare system in the world overall and in the following categories: Quality of Care (i.e. effective, safe, coordinated, patient-oriented), Access to Care, Efficiency, and Equity.[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-3 [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-4 The UK's palliative care https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palliative_care has also been ranked as the best in the world.[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-5 On the other hand, in 2005-09 cancer survival rates lagged ten years behind the rest of Europe,[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-6 although survival rates continue to increase.[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-7 [8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-8

In 2015, the UK was 14th (out of 35) in the annual Euro health consumer index https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euro_health_consumer_index. It was criticised for its poor accessibility and "an autocratic top-down management culture".[9] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-9 The index has in turn been criticized by academics, however.[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-10

The total expenditure on healthcare as a proportion of GDP in 2013 was 8.5%, below the OECD average of 8.9% and considerably less than comparable economies such as France (10.9%), Germany (11.0%), Netherlands (11.1%), Switzerland (11.1%) and the USA (16.4%).[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-11 The percentage of healthcare provided directly by the state is higher than most European countries, which have insurance-based healthcare with the state providing for those who cannot afford insurance.[12 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_the_United_Kingdom#cite_note-12

So, care to provide an explanation for your perspective?

[ex_peasant441]

So, care to provide an explanation for your perspective?

Far too much experience of having to use it, with occasional experience of the better alternatives. Friends and close relatives who work in it. And a lot of time researching it and the better alternatives.

It isn't the NHS that saves lives, it is modern medicine. But the British people have been so gaslighted for so long a large number of them seem to be very confused about this. Modern medicine is a marvellous thing. Universal access to that medicine is something that every country that can possibly afford it should ensure. The NHS is a very bad, outdated and institutionally flawed way to do it, one that pretty much structurally guarantees underfunding, poor productivity, bad service and unpleasant conditions. There are much better alternatives.

And I would prefer not to go into any more detail because this is a very upsetting subject for me.

[shadowkat]

Fair enough, but that's a weak argument and I can basically state the exact same argument regarding our system. Except various people don't have access to health care or modern medicine at all in the US. If they have a pre-existing condition, they won't be covered. And no, they don't get treated.

I have friends and family members who have suffered under our system. I worked in a health care insurance company, worked to get health care legislation passed on the state level, and have myself suffered from not having it in place. So, upsetting subject for me as well.

[shadowkat]

There's no perfect system. But the argument isn't about "modern medicine" -- it's about "access" to modern medicine. People assume everyone has access, they don't. If you look at the links above that is what all of them state -- that the UK's health insurance plan provides "access" to all. And good access better than most.

I have a dry sense of humor, wickedly dry, and my way of dealing with stressful situations is to make fun of them. That's what I was doing above, making fun of these idiots.

[ex_peasant441]

I personally think the US system as a whole is much worse than ours (but I normally try not to say so too bluntly since as a foreigner it isn't my place to criticise), but for those who do have access your medicine is probably better in most fields and the service is better by miles. If our palliative care is better then that is telling, since it is a field of medicine that is largely outside the NHS and under the charitable sector. Palliative care in NHS hospitals is something everyone who knows fears, with good reason.

As far as I am aware there are no other advanced western countries that have access as poor as the US, but most people in the UK assume that every other country is like the US and that there is only the binary choice between the two systems - there isn't, there are many other better alternatives to both our systems.

Beyond the simplistic issue of access there are complex issues about how health care is funded, about how it is supplied and managed and about how it is rationed. The NHS has a different set of answers to all those questions than practically every other country, and those answers are outdated and inflexible which is why so many aspects of it are so bad. In one or two areas it is better than other countries, but those advantages seldom outweigh the disadvantages. Theoretical access may be good but that is irrelevant if the rationing system results in poor outcomes, and regardless of what you have read, access is by no means universal. Conditions range from horrible to horrific, staff morale is at rock bottom, and the number of avoidable deaths is truly frightening. But the population still prefer blissful ignorance and a rose tinted belief that the NHS is the pride of the world rather than acknowledge to themselves that the system is flawed. Even when the evidence is flung in their faces they somehow manage to ignore it. I sometimes feel like I am the only person with my eyes open (although there are of course plenty of others).

the UK's health insurance plan

It isn't a health insurance plan. That was actually my original point - there is no insurance, there is no pot of money saved up for each person, it is called National Insurance but the name is a lie, it is paid for entirely out of current taxation. It is a ponzi scheme. That is part of what makes it such a structurally disastrous system that will always be underfunded. Anyone in the US who wishes to copy our system needs to understand that and understand why it is such a bad idea. There are several much better ways to fund universal access - look at almost any other country for examples, but for heaven's sake do not look at the UK.

That's what I was doing above, making fun of these idiots.

It was unclear which model you yourself preferred so hard to pick up on which ones you were mocking. But my original comment was simply trying to correct the mistake about the nature of the UK system.

[shadowkat]

Thank you for the explanation. This is clearly not a topic I can rationally discuss at the moment. Struggling to frigging find a couple of good doctors that take my insurance. Been having horrible insurance issues for a while, and I have to contribute for my insurance. Add to that what just happened this week, we had a stay of execution, thank god. But it's still bad, really bad.

Your situation from our perspective is much much better.

[ex_peasant441]

The grass is always greener... Every system has advantages and disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages of yours happens to be solved by one of the few advantages of ours, but that doesn't mean our system is better because our disadvantages are also huge.

One of the commonest medical stories you get in this country is of a family desperately raising money so a loved one can be sent abroad for treatment. Enough said.

we had a stay of execution, thank god

Yes, I was very relieved to hear that. I hope you all manage to keep kicking the can down the road for the foreseeable future.

And yes, let's stop trying to discuss this, it is making neither of us happy.

[shadowkat]

One of the commonest medical stories you get in this country is of a family desperately raising money so a loved one can be sent abroad for treatment. Enough said.

That's not uncommon here either. Although not always that easy to manage.

With an estimated 45 million uninsured Americans, some 500,000 trekked overseas last year for medical treatment, according to the National Coalition on Health Care. Asian hospitals in Thailand, India and Singapore have long been swarmed by medical tourists looking for tummy tucks and face lifts, but many glitzy, marble-floored facilities are now gaining reputations for big-ticket procedures including heart surgery, knee and back operations.

More and more patients like Gilmore — who had never held a passport or even tasted Indian food before her trip — are returning home and spreading the word about an alternative to America’s ailing health system. Businesses, insurance companies and even a state lawmaker are now also starting to eye the potential savings of outsourcing health from the world’s richest country to the developing world.

“It’s just one of the many ways in which our world is flattening,” said Arnold Milstein, chief physician at New York-based Mercer Health & Benefits, who’s researching the feasibility of outsourcing medical care for three Fortune 500 corporations. “Many companies see it as a natural extension of the competition they’ve faced in other aspects of their business.”

Some American hospitals already rely on places like India for X-ray readings and other diagnostics, while also importing foreign doctors and nurses. But the U.S. health care industry has been largely immune to overseas competition — just one reason behind soaring costs.

- http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15513596/ns/health-health_care/t/more-americans-head-overseas-health-care/#.WX4fIoopB-U

!4 Million Americans Will Go Abroad for Medical Care - Fiscal Times.

Medical tourism” was valued at about $439 billion last year in a new report by Visa and Oxford Economics, which projected that it could grow 25 percent a year over the next decade. This year, an estimated 1.4 million Americans will leave the country for a medical procedure, according to Patients Beyond Borders.

In addition to traveling in order to save money, some medical tourists plan trips because they want to have a treatment that’s not approved in the United States or because they’ll have a shorter wait by going abroad.

A lot of people go to Costa Rica for their dentist and arthritis. And I know people who travel to the UK for heart surgery.

[yourlibrarian]

My mother and I will tell each other about a book we're reading, but when one of us asks the title or the author, the other one has no idea and has to hunt it down. We're lucky if we can remember the characters names.

You're not alone, though I extend this to many a TV shows or movies I watch as well, not remembering character names. I started writing a review of a book I'd finished the night before and had to go look up the narrator's name. And yeah, forget the titles or authors of most any book or fanfic I read either.