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This and that...which amused, well for the most part
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:
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?
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.
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?
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.
no subject
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.
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.
no subject
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.