health care from several perspectives

One of the few non-lobby, non-industry witnesses at Congressional health care hearings.  As he speaks, you can hear that he is not motivated by trying to increase his personal income, but from recent, direct experience in trying to run a small business and dealing with health care from that perspective.

This article in the current Economist magazine has an interesting discussion regarding the process of reforming health care, and includes some opinion polling regarding the general opinion offered of the issue.  As we saw last week, the public's opinion on health care reform is sharply different depending on how you frame the question.

Another article that I've found today from The New Republic suggests that one driving force in this debate is again going to be the young, as they drop off of health care plans that were in force due to their enrollment in education.  Where are they to go now?

The other day, I was at a function and listened to a small group of men across age groups who were united in their rejection of any change to the status quo ante.  Yet, they had no personal connection with any need for change - none of them had been rejected for pre-existing conditions, none had experienced difficulty in accessing benefits because none had been sick and apparently didn't know anyone - they were only parroting what they'd heard in the way of 'socialized medicine restricts choice' and 'Canadians have to wait for health care'.

People who have faced not having health care, who are unable to buy medication, see a doctor, see a specialist, get coaching from a health educator, or who find themselves in the cataclysmic place of having accessed health care and then having their claim retroactively denied cannot understand this argument.

Last night, I was talking with some close friends about religion and the Bible, and the idea was batted around that many people don't really know what the Bible says, and that a common teaching originating from those that are seeking to protect the status quo is to advise those who are not learned that people who study and try to understand can "twist the meaning and the words to fit their agenda".

The same thing is happening here in this debate, as it does in all elements of human discourse.  Reasonable minds can easily agree about a path, but nearly all humans have the same goals and outcomes in common.

Whether one is inclined to favor single payor health care, or keep everything the same "but keep the damned lawyers from ruining everything" - keeping an open mind, hearing and learning as much as possible, and pushing away headlines and talking points in favor of doing your own research will provide for the most balanced outcome.

This is my first post using a new Firefox plug in that easily allowed me to haul in references and links, and post them most effectively, so it may look a little clunky.  I'll learn, though

Further to my last

Check out this picture. Hey, it's me! It's me and I wasn't the one who discovered that cartoon!

Some random thoughts:

It's time to release a blizzard of books that I don't read. I have READ them, but I don't still READ them. I look at them and think "well, I don't want to look at that.."

I've now posted a bunch of them on Amazon, and loaded another big stack into the car to go to the church garage sale.

A change in course

I received my first web-connected computer - a Zenith laptop - in 1988.

It was shipped to me FedEx - it was twice the size of a modern laptop, with a blue on silver LCD screen. 10MB hard drive. 80806 Intel chip. 2400 baud modem.

It was the pinnacle of what was available 21 years ago.

I frankly don't know what I did to divert myself prior to 21 years ago. There were no cell phones, no iPods. Just books. I know that I read a great deal. I didn't engage in watching much television even then. I did have more external contact.

My computer came with a subscription to CompuServe - then, the most advanced of the internet services. They had email, chat, news, stocks, all in text only format, all of which spilled across my silvered screen in purple/blue letters and lines.

Fairly quickly, I knew that I was avoiding work and life by focusing on this safety zone. It's seemingly impossible to break away from that sort of distraction, and somewhat terrifying to see it happening but not be able to stop.

For these last two decades, I've zeroed my attention in on my computer, and although I've produced a prodigious amount of work output, I've also invested the large part of my time reading, reading, reading. It was like having access to the Library of Alexandria in real time - without having to get up from my chair.

I can completely understand how some South Korean video gamers end up dying in their chair after not having moved for three days during an intense game.

So, things are changing and I have been calling out to the Universe for support in changing for months. In the next week, my environment will change and in that new space there will be no spot for the computer, nor connection to the interwebs. All communicating of that nature will be during business hours.

What will step forth to replace that time and focus will be a renewal of live interaction, a renewal of my standards of care for clothing, home and vehicle, and a reconnection with reading that is no longer of the divergent sort, but of the challenge to self-structure sort.

After hearing of this notion, I was told that I was going to be getting a Roku for my birthday, so the blackout may be over by mid-October. In the meantime, the political blogs and reading are cast out, and the endless searching for some new piece of information is likewise cast out.

I'll let you know how this all goes.

The best message ever left...

Prior to this, the top contender for the best message ever left was the vivid and unforgettable scene in the movie "The Godfather", in which the Hollywood executive wakes up in his silk sheeted bed with the head of his beloved race horse lying next to him.

How does one get all of that blood out of taupe gray silk anyway?

Judy's brother lives up the street a few doors, and has an older yellow lab who just LOVES me. I've "babysat" a few times, and I knew that they wanted me to watch her again soon.

I came home last night to a 40 pound bag of dog food lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, on which was written his request that I watch his dog in magic marker.

THE BEST MESSAGE EVER!!

Musing or is it just worrying?

I love this entry from the website "texts from last night"

(215): i got kicked out of Barns and Nobles cuz i put all the bibles in the fiction section

I did NOT love this personal on Craigslist today "It's hot out". What a capacity for understatement! Creativity pours forth.

You know, there are several things that astonish me.

One, that people continue to believe that depression is just a matter of attitude. "Just focus on the good things".

Two, that people continue to believe that someone would choose a "lifestyle" or "preference" that involves having every aspect of your being long for a person antithetical to every message be they religious, social, family, media, entertainment, visual, aural and otherwise.

Three, that people continue to believe that people who are overweight or have developed adult onset diabetes should just "eat less" and that they are somehow flawed in their character.

There are more things that astonish me, but I'm doing my best today to avoid seeming bitter (grin).

Monetize? How?

Every day that I drive into town from out here at the Judy shack, I get to experience some of the most ill-mannered driving styles found in this area.

That having been said, I thought I'd share a few interesting thoughts.

Over the last fifteen years or so, we've seen two heinous criminal defenses/alibis that have been proffered over and over again. They are ALWAYS a lie, and they have become so prevalent as lies that they are being soundly rejected.

This would be the "Gay Panic" defense, and the "A Man Kidnapped/Carjacked/Assaulted me" and took/killed the spouse/child.

In the case of the latter, when some person has engaged in the most vile sorts of perfidy, killing or gravely injuring someone very close to them in relationship - they always blame some dark skinned man/men of nondescript appearance.

Has anyone noticed how often and how quickly it turns out that there was no dark skinned man?

The "Gay Panic" defense is equally vile - here, younger men (usually either engaged fully in straight society, hookers, hustlers or otherwise) brutally attack and usually kill an older gay man, take his money, credit cards and car, and go on a days long spree of relative freedom.

When caught, they assert that said older (now dead) gay man "came on to them" and made unwelcome sexual advances.

Okay, so .. as Nancy Reagan oft repeated "Just Say No".

News flash to said younger men - if a single, somewhat effeminate older man compliments your appearance, offers you money, food and shelter and you DON'T get a little nudge toward the nookie - you've discovered Santa Claus's warm weather hideaway.

Fortunately for the dark skinned men, the dragnet now less frequently catches up one of these innocent bystanders and the villain is revealed for what they are fairly quickly. I am aware that dark skinned people have for decades been lynched, beaten, gassed, jailed and put to hard labor for just being handy. More scientific criminal investigations and the ubiquitous electronic nannies such as video surveillance, OnStar and cell phones have started to interrupt that process.

For the gayer set, however, the "gay panic" defense is alive, well and kicking. Only recently did we first see a Defendant lose utterly in his "gay panic" defense in the matter of Angie Zapata.

In the practice of law, certain circumstances give rise to "presumptions" which may be refuted by contravening testimony advanced by the opposing side.

I propose that in criminal investigations and judicial prosecutions, the promoters of Justice create for themselves a working presumption that should any suspect or defendant advance either of "A Random Black/Latino Man Did It" or "He Tried To Grab Me, So I Beat Him To Death" - the entire crime and prosecution team make the logical presumption that the accused did it. No more should we seek to plead out the young murderer to property crimes because someone touched his wee-wee. No more should we start rounding up men of color because some blond woman in an SUV screams that her husband/baby were taken off by black men with no definite description.

Just focus on them's that did it.

It is a puzzlement

All of the conversations I overheard today were just .. baffling.

All of the conversations I engaged in today were .. rewarding.

I found my best friend from law school today, and feel a sense of great relief and satisfaction.

I found the two men I was closest to in high school this evening (who still live) and felt gratitude.

I met a young woman who truly didn't like me at all, and I don't buy the story that they're telling.

I thought that a useless display trinket I've wanted to own for a long, long time would be finally mine (meaning, at the price I wanted to pay) but it did not come to pass.

I'm not tired and I should be.

I am finding that sometimes when I procrastinate, it is because more research needs to be done, or because more information is coming my way that I don't know to expect.

The "hurry up and wait" mentality confuses me.

I can't decide if it would be acceptable for me to wear jeans to church tomorrow.

I wish my car were cleaner, but it's too bloody hot to go out there and wash it myself.

I need to go through my storage unit and dig out more stuff.

As much as I study

People still baffle me. Not all people, I have collected a set that are fairly predictable.

But people can still just absolutely challenge all expectations. Even deeply cynical expectations.

I know each person is living their own stage play that is unfolding within their own cranium, and that outside images and messages are filtered through their stage play's script to work into the play as they are directing it.

Maybe if there were a communications rating system that could be utilized for pre-screening. A "1" could refer to someone with no sense of self-causation, and a "10" could refer to someone with a full sense of self-causation and an openness to not "knowing" what is going on.

Would save a lot of time and disappointment.

No one will prevail

Over on Facebook, I indulged myself in a little "How much do you know about Douglas" quiz that has stymied everyone who has tried to climb it.

As I was framing it up, I figured that most of the questions and answers I had created were indeed never disclosed or rarely disclosed.

Sneaky.

Averred, advised, revised..

So, here we are - June 13, nearing the end of the day. I've just watched "1776" on DVD, which I've never seen on stage or as a movie. Lord, two hours and forty six minutes. It was interesting, yes, but .. not a great musical. I can scratch that off the list, though.

Idle questions -

Why do people selling cars (that I find appealing) on eBay ask prices that aren't remotely connected to reality? $69,000 for a 1969 4-4-2 W32? Uh ...

Who would put a sun porch on the back of a house in SE Texas? Today, the "high" on the sun porch reached 130F. Outside, it never got higher than 96. What plants could I put on that porch that would be baked alive?

When do people grow up?

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Tomorrow is a busy, busy day for me. Monday, well, hell the rest of the week, too.

FOCUS!

I need er.. will now manifest some web developers and marketing support to move things forward.

And, I had planned to take a vacation at the end of next month - and forget to ORGANIZE it. I think I need to get on that stick.

Channeling the Orlando magic

Orlando magic sinus infection, actually.

So, feeling like your head is burning up isn't the most fun one can have. Seems to be that, anyway.

I have more stuff on the "to do" list that needs doing, but it isn't going to get done today. Just about time to wrap things up and head for the house.

So many things to keep track of - most of them seemingly insignificant. For instance, I could benefit by opening up OnStar online, modifying my commuting preferences and get a run down of traffic in those areas before I headed out that way. Takes forever, as their interface sucks. Of course, if one were fortunate enough to have the equipment and subscription, XM NavTraffic would do that for me in real time - except I fully expect Sirius to screw that service up as well.

Well, according to the Chronicle's website, it seems the way is clear to head out, so off I go!

hanging at MCO

Another hour or more before we start boarding for the flight back home.

Airport is very dated but has free wifi - I'll take the funky 1992 carpeting in exchange for the free internet access.

CNN is hawking for Charles Schwab - encouraging people to invest "with as little as $100"

Great. Why not encourage them to refinance with adjustable rate mortgages??

Oh, that's happening too. Great.

last night in Orlando

Coming home tomorrow. This sure has been an interesting trip. Started out with seeing a Lamborghini convertible at the drive-through of the bank. Kind of makes you wonder - someone has a $400K car, but makes deposits at the drive through?

Got to the airport, bright and beautiful day. Got to gate C30, and could immediately see that the 757-300 that was scheduled had been replaced with a 737-900. Clearly a number of people were not going to be on the flight. Had a seat assignment for the last row of the original plane that were accommodated on the smaller one.

Went with Matticia to his bosses' new restaurant, had a few glasses of wine and some Bruscheta. Friday, we knocked around, went out for a drink, came back home. Saturday, we went shopping a tad, and Matt made a state dinner that was AWESOME.

Today, we drove up to visit my Dad which was quite the entertainment. Saw over 30 anti-abortion billboards on the way there and back. Interesting, considering today's murder. Interesting that the pro-lifers will speak for violence and murder until one of their number does it, and then they decry and deny everything.

Dad was entertained by having a new set of ears for his political ranting - and gave it his all. I think today that I found the source of my having people in my life who carry on a monologue of repeating self-interest, insisting on my attention but uninterested in anything but my hearing.

What to do with this insight? That remains to be seen.

There is a clear connection between the situation with my family today (and for the last twenty plus years) and the events at the church. How interesting that I can deal with it so easily at the church, both emotionally and intellectually, and I'm catapulted back forty years by the actions of family today. Hopefully, seeing the association will be productive for me.

Been re-reading "Your Marketing Sucks" in anticipation of using it in developing my own business and that of Fabulair.

Watched "The Dark Knight" this evening, finally. Got a copy of it for Christmas, which was shortly thereafter snatched up by someone. Very good movie.

Hoping for cooler weather tomorrow after I return home so I can wax the car.

Is it only that the social scene here in Orlando seems more welcoming be ause it is unfamiliar? Houston's has felt moribund for years - cliquish and aloof

Miscellany - May 27 2009 (but finished on June 6)

A productive day, peppered with appointments out of the office. Who knew?

Yep. That's all I wrote back on May 27. I don't remember anymore what had come up, but I never got any further. Such a delicious blank space, and nothing erudite to contribute. Since then, I've posted a few things, tweeted a bit, wandered around.

So, since this remains a gorgeous blank space, I'll throw out some random thought-oids.

I love my car a lot more now that I have it cleaned and waxed. And repaired. Mostly.

I never thought I'd get attached to a cat, but it seems to have happened.

It's really frustrating to see that I've made huge progress in some areas and almost none in related areas

I wonder if I should sell my Petosky stones (they're worth about eight bucks) or put them on my desk with my other trinkets in the corner.

My dad has 267,000 miles on his 96 Olds 88. Basically, that car has been free for the last 167,000 miles or more.

I don't think that the friend I was hoping to see a movie with tonight is going to call. Unless I give up and drive toward home, and when I'm just about to exit, 27 miles east of downtown, he'll call.

I feel like doing some journalling tonight, but I also want to watch "The Boys in the Band" on DVD

The entire cast of "The Boys in the Band" save three died of AIDS related illnesses.

I had forgotten what the 1980s and early 1990s were like until I watched the special features of "The Boys in the Band" DVD last night. Everyone I knew was dying.

Pandora is the bomb. It's aces. It's got me listening to music, which I never used to do aside from in the car.

I really think that this job is the right one for me.

It's time to shut down and drive eastward for the night. Church tomorrow (June 6, remember?)

Outrage with a broad brush

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I do NOT understand gay Republicans.

Of course, I don't understand most Republicans. I don't mean the cloth coat, pre-Goldwater Republicans. I understand them quite well. I mean the snarling, bigoted, racist, hate-filled people who want to bomb every brown person into oblivion, save for the ones here in this country, for whom they reserve starvation, penury and Tasers.

But, gay + Republican = confusion. Mixed messages. Gay in behind hand behavior only. Gay, but vote against having any inclusion in the society. Gay, but hate on the brown people - even if you ARE a brown person.

Maybe my frustration with Gay Republicans is that I want to help them see that they're campaigning for their own restrictions. With non-Gay Republicans, it's easy enough to navigate "safe" conversations, or even to reach agreement on some issues. Most of the Republicans I know are not in favor of half-Billion dollar stadia for Millionaires to play in for the financial benefit of Billionaires, all paid for with tax dollars.

Here in Houston, we have four such with a fifth coming. What could we have done for people here with the more than $2,000,000 spent on these monuments to bread and circuses?

There is little disagreement on giving tax dollars to banks, or maintaining our enormous, wasteful military.

Wander, though, from such safe topics and the conversation degenerates into a snarling furball of anger toward taxes, toward brown or poor people, toward other countries, toward government.

These are never substantive conversations, and any effort to direct them into analytical discourse encounters an increase in volume. "Nancy Pelosi is a liar!" "Obama is a socialist!" "Tax and spend!" "Free markets!"

Of course, NOTHING is simple enough to be reduced to four or five words. Yet, these memes are thrown about as circular, self-proving statements. "How would you like to see things done?" "WE NEED FREE MARKETS!" Okay, free in what way? We let loose the bonds on the financial markets, and in five short years we ended up with world-wide calamity, but fewer than 0.05% of the population made a whale of a lot of money, most of which they've now lost.

Why is it so hard to engage in a discussion about what works and what doesn't, and come to some resolution, even if it is to disagree on how to get there?

Have we as a (human) race come so little down the path that we still cling to our fear of those who are not "like us" and make long-term choices based on that?

Back to gay Republicans - in talking with a young man whose Republican leanings I cannot penetrate - he, like so many people have been convinced since the early 1980s that Republicans will protect the average person, I guess. Not from affluence nor privilege, why would a working-class, Hispanic gay boy be a virulent follower of Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck?

I've thought about this both on a macro and micro level; the only thing I can come up with through observation, conversation and assumption is that he, like any gay Republican I have encountered, isn't able to accept himself at all.

I've been there myself. I spent years fighting my sexuality. Even after twenty years of what I thought was acceptance, I still found plenty of self-limiting communication and behavior. I think when one combines growing up knowing you are something that your environment tells you is wrong and unacceptable with a very religious or conservative family upbringing, you can push yourself into expressions of self designed to contain or deny who you are, rather than expand and celebrate.

Nigerian scammers and giggle greatness

The other day, a friend told me he'd received one of those chain letters in the mail in which you send a dollar to the person at the top of the list .. I had totally forgotten about that scam!

Back in the day, I had several clients who were convinced that they were going to get rich by sending a dollar to each of eight people. They wanted me to play with them, and I told them that it was as illegal as anything - not believing, they moved forward UNTIL a bunch of them got arrested IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF A LAWYER'S OFFICE!! The lawyer, by the by, had been telling them that there was nothing illegal with the scheme.

I guess that lawyer got their degree from a box of Chex Cereal.

Then, only a day later, I had an email from a dating site (that I frankly had forgotten I had once registered on) from some young man promising me eternal love and happiness - but he was regrettably back in South Africa. NIGERIAN SCAMMER! WHOOT! It has been YEARS since I've seen that come on, and I laughed right out loud.

And sent customer service a little note saying .. uh, nuke this guy's user account.

NOTHING is free. Love, money, property, profit, nothing. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Still, there's a sucker born every minute. I'm glad to be a mere observer.

why is it (May 2009 edition)

So, today I jetted over to Knapp Chevrolet after my friend Jimmy told me that they had a Victory Red 1LT RS over there.

Sitting there, out front, was indeed the first production Camaro that I could look at and sit inside of.

Red with black (cloth - it was a 1LT) - and the RS package (including wheels, which I wanted to see in person).

We crawled inside, and .. yes, it's somewhat claustrophobic in there. Yes, the window line is quite narrow. Yes, the interior is very plain. Yes, the view out the rear is very limited. Yes, the passenger side of the dash is featureless.

And yet, I love it. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has a jewel-like interior, but seems .80 scale, as does the Acura RL. The Genesis Coupe also drove like a wizard, but left me cold on its looks.

I haven't driven the Camaro yet, but from the WaPo's auto editor, I'm going to love it.

Some of the very fun interactions between me and the very nice salesman who came outside to say hello:

"Oh, this is the only red they make." "No, they also have a red tintcoat color." "They only make ten colors." "Yes (recites ten colors by name)."

"We can put leather seats in this one much cheaper than getting the 2LT package." "Yes, but what about the other equipment that comes with the 2LT?" "It's just the leather."

"We had a guy come in and want to see the orange that was on the concept car at the car show. It doesn't come in orange." "Yes, it does. Inferno Orange."

sort, organize, clean, put away

I think I'm finally mostly settled into the new office.

I've been waffling over whether to unload my collection of 20th Century Limited memorabilia .. and I think I'm going to hang on to it for the time. I need to bring its display case over here to the office and hang it, and then unload the two boxes thereof.

It is driving me crazy that I have ONE ungrounded electrical outlet here. I need to get that upgraded.

Waiting to hear that my car is done. I may go home early and clean it up. It really, really needs the help.

Was watching "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" last night. AWESOME movie. I have to finish it tonight.

Anyone know how to replace an ungrounded outlet with a grounded one? Let me know.

After a time away, a posting

Happy Birthday to my dear dutch Auntie, who celebrated in the Hill Country this weekend!

Pollen affects people very differently; it makes me want to sleep endlessly. I had respite from the onslaught of pollen up until Saturday, and then it whacked me like a Batman comic. So, although I was rocking today in church, I'm still wiped out.

As sundown approaches, I hope that wakefulness doesn't grab me by the throat. That happened quite a bit in the last thermonuclear pollen meltdown.

During sleep of late, I keep dreaming of having met a new, fascinating man. This afternoon, in the drooling, post-church napification, it was a beefy would be real estate investor who was looking at an old house and apartment set that I've dreamt about oft before. He was eagerly tearing into closets and other scary elements of the abandoned house that I wouldn't go near. Last night, I was at Southland Mall in Portage, where I had my first job. I met a handsome Dutch man, who had an adorable tow headed little boy, and seemed to work for Continental Airlines managing their 767-200ER fleet.

Both of those dreams were interrupted as they got interesting. I keep swearing that I'm going to go get earplugs, and I don't do it.

So, four fascinating new man dreams in five nights. The first one was a combined dream car/dream man dream in which I was driving a new BMW 7, ; I was driving it around at night, and couldn't figure the headlights out - had to stop at a non-corporate exotic car store and ask for help. THEN, had a dream about having a boyfriend who was handsome, and fun, and smart, and not out to be supported..

I don't know which dream is less likely. I say the boyfriend; Brian says the 7. I'd prefer an S8 anyway.

Tell it to stop.

Moving into the NEW new office, which replaces the OLD new office across the parking lot. The office space is glorious. I have to find movers to haul my office furniture back across town to the new space, and that has to happen by this week, pretty much, since I have nothing to work on at the moment in the way of surfaces and chair.

Projects are presenting themselves, and there is a lot of enthusiasm on my part for the spring and summer months. I'd still like to have some clear guidance on what to be when I grow up.

Several years ago, when I was uncommonly attracted to the VW Phaeton, I thought it was the end-all, be-all car for me - now, one has been offered to me at a high but decent price, and I keep thinking "green Imperial" - another opportunity to have something disintegrate in the driveway.

Uh, no.

Quite a shift. I'd love one of Jason's Magic Audis, but they don't sell that particular model here in the US (A8 short wheel base, W12 motor) so the closest I could come to Jason's MAGIC Audi would be a S8. I just don't see paying that much money for a car, though.

I think I'll watch another episode or two of "The World at War" - a BBC documentary filmed in the early 1970s. It's an amazing piece of work. Last night, Alger Hiss, Curtis LeMay, Avrill Harrimann, Lord Avon, and three members of the Imperial Japanese Cabinet were interviewed (on my TV!) Contrary to what we're hearing these days, the Japanese Cabinet members suggested that Japan would NOT have withdrawn from the war had we not dropped the atomic bomb, and that the Emperor himself made the decision to quit the war; the Cabinet, the Army and the Navy were totally against it. They wanted to fight to the last man.

I'm almost into the bonus material of the series. It's awesome. If you're a history buff or a WWII buff, you should rent this from Netflix (don't buy DVDs, sheesh!) and watch it. It's about 40 hours of programming, so don't expect to do it in a weekend.