Friday, May 05, 2017

Weekend Reading: The I Should Have Procrastinated on the Accounting and Gone for a Rollerblade Edition

I didn't get my rollerblade today, because I was trying to get caught up after spending yesterday at a conference and stuck in traffic (LA->SD) and half of Wednesday stuck in traffic (SD->LA). I have sworn that next time, I'm going to make the train work out even if it means I won't be home in time to kiss my kids goodnight, because between the two drives, I spent the equivalent of an 8 hour work day sitting in my car and that sucked. But the conference was great (and I got paid to be there), and I got to have dinner with one of my best friends, who now lives in LA, and that was great. So I can't really complain. I'll just try to remember this for next time I look at the train schedules and think they don't really work for me.

Anyhow, I didn't go for a rollerblade, but I also didn't get caught up because one of the retail outlets I sell my books through sent me $1.16 this month and I can't figure out why, which means I can't finish my accounting. I did get fed up and go for a run, though, so I wasn't a total slug.

But on to the links. It is all about healthcare right now, right?

Since I spent more than eight hours in my car in the last two days, I haven't had a chance to read up on what the AHCA really does. From what I've heard, neither did a bunch of the congresspeople who voted for it! But oh well.

I have been amused to hear some conservatives who are frustrated that the bill is getting "misportrayed" and people are saying it does things it doesn't do. I will of course try to avoid doing that. I think we should try to tell the truth and be honest about what the impact of the bill would be. But to these conservatives, I just want to say: DEATH PANELS. You guys are the ones who ratcheted this debate up to a fever pitch in the first place. Your reap what you sow, folks.

Bad Mom, Good Mom sent me a link to the the Congressional Research service's summary of the bill and its impacts. But I haven't had time to read that yet.

From what I've heard about it, I tend to agree with Jamelle Bouie's assessment that it is a very cruel bill.

You may have heard Alabama representative Mo Brooks say that the purpose of this bill is to reduce "the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy." And you may have been surprised to see someone so blatantly claim that those of us with some bad medical luck somehow deserve our fate. But that belief isn't so unusual, and Vann R. Newkirk II explores how it is linked to prosperity gospel.

Through this entire debate, I've said that I agree that their are real problems with the ACA. Here is a story about one of them. As far as I can tell so far, the AHCA does nothing to help fix this problem.

Josh Marshall's Iron Law of Republican Politics is why I am not at all sure the AHCA won't pass the Senate. GOP moderates always cave.

So, that's enough about healthcare for right now. Here are some other things.

I meant to include a link to Ashley Ford's beautiful story about meeting her father after his prison term last week, and forgot. So here it is. Go read it if you haven't. She is a wonderful writer.

Escaped pet birds are teaching wild birds English.

Cool playgrounds!

This bunny kind of sums up my mood right now:



But, it is Friday afternoon, so that's something.

Happy weekend, everyone!

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