The good news is that this (by which we mean the toxic effects of BP's multi-million gallon oil spill) too shall pass: “Thoughts that this is going to kill the Gulf of Mexico are just wild overreactions,” said Jeffrey W. Short, a scientist who led some of the most important research after the Exxon Valdez spill and now works for an environmental advocacy group called Oceana. “It’s going to go away, the oil is. It’s not going to last forever.”
Of course, the bad news is that nobody knows how long it will take to "go away"--or even what "going away" really means. Apparently, toxic effects can linger long after the oil disappears, and the underlying ecology of a region can be irrevocably altered. Oil from a major spill in the Gulf of Mexico still shows up in local mangrove swamps, and fiddler crabs off the coast of New England wander about drunkenly in attempts to avoid oily sediment. And, frankly, if poisoned wetlands and contaminated coastlines are the price we pay for drunken crustaceans, we're OK with that.
In a move that surprises no one at Solipsist Central, big insurers and their corporate clientele may limit the number of doctors and hospitals from which policyholders may choose. Cost-cutting. At this moment, Glenn Beck has probably downed a few dozen Bud Lights, and Sarah Palin has gotten "toldja so" printed out on cue cards (complete with stage directions for when to wink): We have to admit, it does seem to fly in the face of President Obama's pledge that no one was going to have to change doctors when the new health law goes into effect.
Relax, people. Corporations and insurers can do what they will to cut costs--after all, that's part of the idea of all the healthcare reform in the first place. Participating insurers will still have to provide a fair number of options, and everybody will be able to get to see a doctor. Frankly, as someone who basically grew up under the auspices of managed care, we've never formed a deep, unbreakable bond with any medical provider. If we have, say, 25 doctors to choose from instead of 50, it's a reasonable proce to pay if it ensures that people will have access to care.
But what do we know? We're just a blogger. It's not like we've written a book about building schools in Afghanistan. And while that may not qualify one to comment on healthcare reform, it apparently is a solid resume component for strategic military planning. The US army has turned for advice to Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea, about his efforts to build girls' schools in the AfPak region. Not so ridiculous, really. If the US Army really does want to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan population, it makes sense to turn for inspiration to someone who has made something of a career out of reaching out to the region with education instead of bullets. Sure, it's not as innovative as warrior monkeys, but it could work.
The aforementioned Lady Palin has lots of opportunities to trot out her newest Obama laughlines. She's the big "get" for aspiring Republicans these days. Over one hundred Republican candidates running for everything from senator to governor to local dog catcher have found themselves on the receiving end of Palin endorsements. Candidates don't even necessarily know Palin is considering an endorsement until they receive word that it has come. In this, Palin has taken a page from the MacArthur Foundation, recipients of whose "Genius Grants" don't even know they are under consideration until they get the big call. We realize the use of the words "genius" and "Sarah Palin" in one paragraph may strike some as ludicrous. Then again, a week ago, people would have said that machine-gun toting baboons was a ludicrous idea as well.
All right, enough about Taliban monkeys.
Finally, we note that, when Sarah Palin gives her endorsements, they often first appear on her Facebook page. And while Facebook has no problem promulgating the cause of right-wing culture warriors--or, to be fair, left-wing culture warriors--it does have a problem with death. What is a social network with some half a billion users to do when one of its members dies? It's not as though the member can change his own status message: "THE SOLIPSIST is dead!" The problem arises when Facebook's automated notifications tell people that they should "get back in touch" with people who have passed over. Technology marches on, but it can't always get ahead of the ghosts in the machine.
Of course, the bad news is that nobody knows how long it will take to "go away"--or even what "going away" really means. Apparently, toxic effects can linger long after the oil disappears, and the underlying ecology of a region can be irrevocably altered. Oil from a major spill in the Gulf of Mexico still shows up in local mangrove swamps, and fiddler crabs off the coast of New England wander about drunkenly in attempts to avoid oily sediment. And, frankly, if poisoned wetlands and contaminated coastlines are the price we pay for drunken crustaceans, we're OK with that.
In a move that surprises no one at Solipsist Central, big insurers and their corporate clientele may limit the number of doctors and hospitals from which policyholders may choose. Cost-cutting. At this moment, Glenn Beck has probably downed a few dozen Bud Lights, and Sarah Palin has gotten "toldja so" printed out on cue cards (complete with stage directions for when to wink): We have to admit, it does seem to fly in the face of President Obama's pledge that no one was going to have to change doctors when the new health law goes into effect.
Relax, people. Corporations and insurers can do what they will to cut costs--after all, that's part of the idea of all the healthcare reform in the first place. Participating insurers will still have to provide a fair number of options, and everybody will be able to get to see a doctor. Frankly, as someone who basically grew up under the auspices of managed care, we've never formed a deep, unbreakable bond with any medical provider. If we have, say, 25 doctors to choose from instead of 50, it's a reasonable proce to pay if it ensures that people will have access to care.
But what do we know? We're just a blogger. It's not like we've written a book about building schools in Afghanistan. And while that may not qualify one to comment on healthcare reform, it apparently is a solid resume component for strategic military planning. The US army has turned for advice to Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea, about his efforts to build girls' schools in the AfPak region. Not so ridiculous, really. If the US Army really does want to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan population, it makes sense to turn for inspiration to someone who has made something of a career out of reaching out to the region with education instead of bullets. Sure, it's not as innovative as warrior monkeys, but it could work.
The aforementioned Lady Palin has lots of opportunities to trot out her newest Obama laughlines. She's the big "get" for aspiring Republicans these days. Over one hundred Republican candidates running for everything from senator to governor to local dog catcher have found themselves on the receiving end of Palin endorsements. Candidates don't even necessarily know Palin is considering an endorsement until they receive word that it has come. In this, Palin has taken a page from the MacArthur Foundation, recipients of whose "Genius Grants" don't even know they are under consideration until they get the big call. We realize the use of the words "genius" and "Sarah Palin" in one paragraph may strike some as ludicrous. Then again, a week ago, people would have said that machine-gun toting baboons was a ludicrous idea as well.
All right, enough about Taliban monkeys.
Finally, we note that, when Sarah Palin gives her endorsements, they often first appear on her Facebook page. And while Facebook has no problem promulgating the cause of right-wing culture warriors--or, to be fair, left-wing culture warriors--it does have a problem with death. What is a social network with some half a billion users to do when one of its members dies? It's not as though the member can change his own status message: "THE SOLIPSIST is dead!" The problem arises when Facebook's automated notifications tell people that they should "get back in touch" with people who have passed over. Technology marches on, but it can't always get ahead of the ghosts in the machine.
Seems like you launched the whole bowl of pasta out into the Universe and this is what stuck?! My feeble mind cannot process so many issues at once...I'm still on the poor drunken crabs up in New England!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l87soyHs3U8