Taking A Break
I haven't posted here in over a month ... ever since I set up my Facebook page I guess. I don't want to give up on my blog entirely, but I think I'll take a break from posting for a few months. I'll reassess in August. Until then ...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Health Insurance Reform ... how about a real opt-out option?
The most recent and virulent opposition to Health Insurance Reform has seemed to center on the idea that requiring people to buy insurance is tyrannical. I have some small sympathy for this argument. People who own and drive cars are required to buy car insurance, so that if they hurt themselves or others, any damage will be reliably paid for. In the health care realm, people with no insurance who are injured or sick have the right to treatment ... emergency treatment anyway ... and then they get billed. In the end, if they just can't pay the bill, the bill doesn't get paid, and we all pay a little in higher costs to make up for the loss. If everyone pays upfront for health insurance, then the cost will be paid upfront, fairly, and we all don't get left holding the bag for people who WILL get treatment and most likely will never pay for it themselves.
On the other hand, people don't have to own or drive cars if they really don't want to pay for car insurance. According to the health insurance reform bill, simply existing in the US will require one to buy health insurance, unless you get it through Medicare, Medicaid, or your employer. There's no practical way to opt out, so in effect, you're required to buy a product whether you want to or not. Hence the tyranny. But is it any fairer to expect everyone else to pay for your accident or illness just because you didn't want the cost or hassle of buying insurance?
I think we should seriously discuss a way that people who truly and across-the-board hate being told to do anything they don't want to do, to opt out of a whole slew of society's "requirements". In return though, they should have to sign some kind of ironclad waiver saying that they are opting out of modern society, and therefore they don't expect society to give them anything at all ... no emergency care, no search and rescue, no income assistance, no matter what. If someone is philosophically or constitutionally allergic to being a part of this complex modern society, with all of it's hassles, they should be able to accept the responsibility for that decision. To a large extent, this is what the Amish do, and some people who go "off the grid". Maybe it would be a good idea to provide a formal way of recognizing this. I suspect that if we did, a very small but determined minority would accept it, and the rest of us could get on with our social contract without contending with or violating the rights of the true purists, misanthropes, dissenters, and luddites.
The most recent and virulent opposition to Health Insurance Reform has seemed to center on the idea that requiring people to buy insurance is tyrannical. I have some small sympathy for this argument. People who own and drive cars are required to buy car insurance, so that if they hurt themselves or others, any damage will be reliably paid for. In the health care realm, people with no insurance who are injured or sick have the right to treatment ... emergency treatment anyway ... and then they get billed. In the end, if they just can't pay the bill, the bill doesn't get paid, and we all pay a little in higher costs to make up for the loss. If everyone pays upfront for health insurance, then the cost will be paid upfront, fairly, and we all don't get left holding the bag for people who WILL get treatment and most likely will never pay for it themselves.
On the other hand, people don't have to own or drive cars if they really don't want to pay for car insurance. According to the health insurance reform bill, simply existing in the US will require one to buy health insurance, unless you get it through Medicare, Medicaid, or your employer. There's no practical way to opt out, so in effect, you're required to buy a product whether you want to or not. Hence the tyranny. But is it any fairer to expect everyone else to pay for your accident or illness just because you didn't want the cost or hassle of buying insurance?
I think we should seriously discuss a way that people who truly and across-the-board hate being told to do anything they don't want to do, to opt out of a whole slew of society's "requirements". In return though, they should have to sign some kind of ironclad waiver saying that they are opting out of modern society, and therefore they don't expect society to give them anything at all ... no emergency care, no search and rescue, no income assistance, no matter what. If someone is philosophically or constitutionally allergic to being a part of this complex modern society, with all of it's hassles, they should be able to accept the responsibility for that decision. To a large extent, this is what the Amish do, and some people who go "off the grid". Maybe it would be a good idea to provide a formal way of recognizing this. I suspect that if we did, a very small but determined minority would accept it, and the rest of us could get on with our social contract without contending with or violating the rights of the true purists, misanthropes, dissenters, and luddites.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Health Care Reform
Dear Rep. Owens:
As your constituent, I'm writing to tell you why I'm such a strong supporter of health reform.
Although I am writing as a lone constituent, in my professional life serving people with disabilities, I could name hundreds of people just in the North Country alone who suffer from our current irrational "system" of heath care insurance. While many people with disabilities already get coverage through Medicaid and / or Medicare, many others are unable to qualify for these programs or are unable to maintain eligibility without monthly "spend downs" or other financial gymnastics that are truly bizarre when viewed objectively. They are among the millions of Americans who would directly benefit from many of the provisions of the current Heath Care Reform bill.
Since this summer, we have heard intimations and outright claims that people with disabilities and chronically ill people will somehow be hurt by the proposed reforms. These rumors, while wildly inaccurate, unfortunately resonate with many people precisely because they are used to being on the losing end of almost any changes regarding health care. Put another way, if you are in a boat that is taking on water, and you are an inch away from sinking, someone who stands up to try and do something about it will, for a moment, make you afraid that their very action will tip the boat over. Nevertheless, something has to be done. The water continues to rise, and even if it wasn't, it is unacceptable to spend one's life afraid to make any move at all for fear of losing the meager benefits one has. We can't continue to live like this. No actions are going to be perfect, and a few people might even for a time perceive a worsening of their individual situation. But ultimately, we will all benefit from movement towards the principle of universal coverage. Furthermore, failure to act now will have severe political consequences, including lawmakers being frightened once again to try ANYTHING for years, maybe decades to come.
Conversely, a bill like this that brings even mixed results will be amendable, in part because lawmakers will realize that there is room for experimentation and continued work on this issue.
This is something that you can help bring about by voting in favor of the bill.
This is a national issue with local relevance, but it is also one of those rare issues where the implications are, on balance, more important nationally than any purely local considerations.
I beg you to recognize both the immediate benefits and the long-term significance of this rare opportunity, and vote in favor of the Health Care Reform bill.
Sincerely,
Andrew D. Pulrang
Dear Rep. Owens:
As your constituent, I'm writing to tell you why I'm such a strong supporter of health reform.
Although I am writing as a lone constituent, in my professional life serving people with disabilities, I could name hundreds of people just in the North Country alone who suffer from our current irrational "system" of heath care insurance. While many people with disabilities already get coverage through Medicaid and / or Medicare, many others are unable to qualify for these programs or are unable to maintain eligibility without monthly "spend downs" or other financial gymnastics that are truly bizarre when viewed objectively. They are among the millions of Americans who would directly benefit from many of the provisions of the current Heath Care Reform bill.
Since this summer, we have heard intimations and outright claims that people with disabilities and chronically ill people will somehow be hurt by the proposed reforms. These rumors, while wildly inaccurate, unfortunately resonate with many people precisely because they are used to being on the losing end of almost any changes regarding health care. Put another way, if you are in a boat that is taking on water, and you are an inch away from sinking, someone who stands up to try and do something about it will, for a moment, make you afraid that their very action will tip the boat over. Nevertheless, something has to be done. The water continues to rise, and even if it wasn't, it is unacceptable to spend one's life afraid to make any move at all for fear of losing the meager benefits one has. We can't continue to live like this. No actions are going to be perfect, and a few people might even for a time perceive a worsening of their individual situation. But ultimately, we will all benefit from movement towards the principle of universal coverage. Furthermore, failure to act now will have severe political consequences, including lawmakers being frightened once again to try ANYTHING for years, maybe decades to come.
Conversely, a bill like this that brings even mixed results will be amendable, in part because lawmakers will realize that there is room for experimentation and continued work on this issue.
This is something that you can help bring about by voting in favor of the bill.
This is a national issue with local relevance, but it is also one of those rare issues where the implications are, on balance, more important nationally than any purely local considerations.
I beg you to recognize both the immediate benefits and the long-term significance of this rare opportunity, and vote in favor of the Health Care Reform bill.
Sincerely,
Andrew D. Pulrang
Saturday, March 06, 2010
My Oscar Picks
These are the nominees I would like to see win, not necessarily those I think will win:
Lead Actor, Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Supporting Actor, Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Lead Actress, Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Supporting Actress, Anna Kendrick, "Up In The Air"
Animated Feature, "Up"
Director, Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Picture, "Up In The Air"
I'm splitting my vote between two movies for Director and Best Picture. To me, "Up In The Air" beats "Inglourious Basterds" by a hair, mainly because I think Tarantino's film is a bit insular and exclusive in it's appeal, while "Up In The Air" has mass appeal, without mass mediocrity. However, Tarantino put a more personal, distinctive stamp on his film, while Jason Reitman hasn't quite found his voice yet.
These are the nominees I would like to see win, not necessarily those I think will win:
Lead Actor, Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"
Supporting Actor, Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"
Lead Actress, Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Supporting Actress, Anna Kendrick, "Up In The Air"
Animated Feature, "Up"
Director, Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Best Picture, "Up In The Air"
I'm splitting my vote between two movies for Director and Best Picture. To me, "Up In The Air" beats "Inglourious Basterds" by a hair, mainly because I think Tarantino's film is a bit insular and exclusive in it's appeal, while "Up In The Air" has mass appeal, without mass mediocrity. However, Tarantino put a more personal, distinctive stamp on his film, while Jason Reitman hasn't quite found his voice yet.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
More Propaganda Please
I had the Olympics on pretty much all the time this weekend, mostly tuned to Canadian coverage on CTV. I've noticed an interesting ad in heavy rotation. Its a Canadian government ad that simply and appealingly lays out the various services available to help laid off workers get help during this recession. It includes a simple title to cover all the programs discussed ... "Canada's Economic Action Plan". The ad is well-produced and not at all what you'd think a government ad would be like.
You could see the ads as propaganda for the Conservative Party of Canada, but it still seems like a worthwhile thing to do. To my knowledge, there is no such ad campaign here in the US, laying out the basics of Unemployment Insurance, education / retraining grants, payroll tax reductions ... not to mention TANF, HEAP, Food Stamps, and the like. I think an ad campaign like that would be a good idea. For one thing, most people don't have a good grasp of what's available to them, and an ad like this might help change that. Plus, it might help dispel the general feeling that "nothing's being done" that helps get people down.
One could still debate the pros and cons of specific programs, or even reject the whole thing as too much deficit spending, but at least we'd be debating something people more or less knew about. I think one reason why we don't see this kind of publicity is that in the United States, we are deeply ambivalent about anything that looks like "welfare". Even those who advocate and push through such initiatives seem vaguely embarassed by them, and it seems to have not occurred to them to spend a modest amount of that money telling people about the new help they've made available. What we get instead is a situation where there's really quite a bit being done to help people hurt by the recession, but people have to be especially savvy, organized, or well-connected to know about it.
I had the Olympics on pretty much all the time this weekend, mostly tuned to Canadian coverage on CTV. I've noticed an interesting ad in heavy rotation. Its a Canadian government ad that simply and appealingly lays out the various services available to help laid off workers get help during this recession. It includes a simple title to cover all the programs discussed ... "Canada's Economic Action Plan". The ad is well-produced and not at all what you'd think a government ad would be like.
You could see the ads as propaganda for the Conservative Party of Canada, but it still seems like a worthwhile thing to do. To my knowledge, there is no such ad campaign here in the US, laying out the basics of Unemployment Insurance, education / retraining grants, payroll tax reductions ... not to mention TANF, HEAP, Food Stamps, and the like. I think an ad campaign like that would be a good idea. For one thing, most people don't have a good grasp of what's available to them, and an ad like this might help change that. Plus, it might help dispel the general feeling that "nothing's being done" that helps get people down.
One could still debate the pros and cons of specific programs, or even reject the whole thing as too much deficit spending, but at least we'd be debating something people more or less knew about. I think one reason why we don't see this kind of publicity is that in the United States, we are deeply ambivalent about anything that looks like "welfare". Even those who advocate and push through such initiatives seem vaguely embarassed by them, and it seems to have not occurred to them to spend a modest amount of that money telling people about the new help they've made available. What we get instead is a situation where there's really quite a bit being done to help people hurt by the recession, but people have to be especially savvy, organized, or well-connected to know about it.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Bilodeau
Alexander Bilodeau won the Gold Medal in Men's Moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This is the first time Canada has won an Olympic Gold Medal on home soil.
CTV did one of those patented "inspiring stories" about him, highlighting his relationship with his brother, who has cerebral palsy. The story was done by Rick Hansen, who is a Canadian wheelchair athlete, and a segment that could have been syrupy and condescending was actually pretty good. They underlined the fact that as a child, Alex liked hockey, but switched to skiing because the sport in general was in some way more accessible to his brother and family, and he didn't want his brother excluded. Alex himself made one of those true but rather tired comments about not giving up in his sport because his brother never gives up in life, yadda, yadda. But then they told about how when Alex did poorly in the last Winter Olympics, and was upset, his brother apparently said he was really proud of Alex, saying something like, "Are you kidding? You competed in the f*cking Olympics!"
So, I was glad to see Alex win, for Canada, and for his family. Sometimes, those tearjerker Olympian stories hit just the right note.
Alexander Bilodeau won the Gold Medal in Men's Moguls at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This is the first time Canada has won an Olympic Gold Medal on home soil.
CTV did one of those patented "inspiring stories" about him, highlighting his relationship with his brother, who has cerebral palsy. The story was done by Rick Hansen, who is a Canadian wheelchair athlete, and a segment that could have been syrupy and condescending was actually pretty good. They underlined the fact that as a child, Alex liked hockey, but switched to skiing because the sport in general was in some way more accessible to his brother and family, and he didn't want his brother excluded. Alex himself made one of those true but rather tired comments about not giving up in his sport because his brother never gives up in life, yadda, yadda. But then they told about how when Alex did poorly in the last Winter Olympics, and was upset, his brother apparently said he was really proud of Alex, saying something like, "Are you kidding? You competed in the f*cking Olympics!"
So, I was glad to see Alex win, for Canada, and for his family. Sometimes, those tearjerker Olympian stories hit just the right note.
Bonecrack
Dick Francis, author of scores of horse-racing-related thrillers, has died. I've read about fifteen of his books. Each one featured horse-racing, usually of the British steeplechase variety, plus one other topic or profession. One was about racing and computers, one about racing and winemaking, one about racing and worldwide cargo transport, etc.
One of the best things about Francis' novels was his titles, usually one or two snappy words, like "Dead Cert", "Driving Force", "Whip Hand", and "Bonecrack". Every year around Christmas, I look to see if a new Dick Francis is out. Although I haven't actually read one in several years, I'll miss thinking I might have the chance.
Flickchart
Which movie do you prefer, "Casablanca" or "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"? What about "Ghostbusters" and "Beverly Hills Cop"? "The Godfather" or "Gandhi"?
If you like movies ... I mean really like movies ... set up a Flickchart account. By choosing your favorite of hundreds of pairings of movies, you gradually develop a list of all the movies you've ever seen, ranked in your preference order. It takes awhile for your list to seem valid, because it takes literally thousands of head-to-head votes to develop a mathematically significant list. But after an afternoon or three of ranking, you'll be amazed at how accurate your list can get.
Which movie do you prefer, "Casablanca" or "Fast Times At Ridgemont High"? What about "Ghostbusters" and "Beverly Hills Cop"? "The Godfather" or "Gandhi"?
If you like movies ... I mean really like movies ... set up a Flickchart account. By choosing your favorite of hundreds of pairings of movies, you gradually develop a list of all the movies you've ever seen, ranked in your preference order. It takes awhile for your list to seem valid, because it takes literally thousands of head-to-head votes to develop a mathematically significant list. But after an afternoon or three of ranking, you'll be amazed at how accurate your list can get.
Facebook
I decided to set up a Facebook page for NCCI, and soon found out that in order to do that, I had to have a personal Facebook account. So, created one, and then got started on the NCCI page. It is a work in progress. I figured I would just leave my personal account undeveloped.
Then this morning, I saw that someone wanted to "Friend" me. That got me thinking it might be fun to see how my own Facebook page could be filled out. I've been more of a blogger, and the whole "social networking" thing has until now kind of past me by. I know what it is, and sort of know how it works, but none of it really interested me. It still doesn't, but I've enjoyed setting the page up, and I think it will be fun reconnecting with old friends, which is what the whole thing seems to be best at.
I plan to keep blogging ... or should I say resume blogging. Maybe the Facebook page will bring in a few readers.
I decided to set up a Facebook page for NCCI, and soon found out that in order to do that, I had to have a personal Facebook account. So, created one, and then got started on the NCCI page. It is a work in progress. I figured I would just leave my personal account undeveloped.
Then this morning, I saw that someone wanted to "Friend" me. That got me thinking it might be fun to see how my own Facebook page could be filled out. I've been more of a blogger, and the whole "social networking" thing has until now kind of past me by. I know what it is, and sort of know how it works, but none of it really interested me. It still doesn't, but I've enjoyed setting the page up, and I think it will be fun reconnecting with old friends, which is what the whole thing seems to be best at.
I plan to keep blogging ... or should I say resume blogging. Maybe the Facebook page will bring in a few readers.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Another Health Care Graph
Comparing various countries in terms of life expectancy, amount of money spent on health care, and average number of doctor visits per citizen, from 538.com.
Comparing various countries in terms of life expectancy, amount of money spent on health care, and average number of doctor visits per citizen, from 538.com.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
My Favorite Album
It's been a snowy Sunday here in Plattsburgh, and while doing some minor "homework", I listened again to what has become my favorite album, the self-titled 1989 debut of the Manchester UK band, The Stone Roses. Like a lot of Americans, I had no idea of this album or the band back in 1989. I don't think I even heard a Stone Roses song until maybe 2006, and that was probably by accident ... a very happy accident. I do remember I bought the whole album for iTunes download just after Christmas, 2007, and listening from beginning to end I was truly stunned at how appealing it was. I can honestly say I hear something new in the album every time I play it.
I know I've posted a lot of Stone Roses clips in the past, but I think some of those clips have gone dead, so here are a few to give anyone interested a taste:
The Stone Roses - "Fools Gold"
The Stone Roses - "Waterfall"
The Stone Roses - "Elephant Stone"
And one of their singles issued before 1989 ...
The Stone Roses - "Sally CInnamon"
Apparently, around the time the album came out, veteran rock critic Robert Christgau asked, "What do [the Stone Roses] do that the Byrds or Buffalo Springfield didn't do better in 1967?". I don't have a learned answer for that, except to say that The Stone Roses are about a lot more than just jangly guitars. Also, my sense is that The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield mixed their guitar-pop with country and folk, while The Stone Roses blended theirs with club / rave music, which didn't even exist in 1967. Anyway, I've heard albums by both of these sixties bands, and while I like them a lot, they don't affected me the way "The Stone Roses" does.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
I Missed It!
I can't believe I forgot to watch the 2010 Winter Classic outdoor NHL game yesterday. It sounds like it was a fantastic event. The Bruins and Flyers played in a transformed and iced-over Fenway Park, and the Bruins won 2-1 in overtime. Boston punk/Celtic band The Dropkick Murphys played before the game. That that loud, boisterous Boston attitude must have been flowing like water ... or maybe like Sam Adams.
I can't believe I forgot to watch the 2010 Winter Classic outdoor NHL game yesterday. It sounds like it was a fantastic event. The Bruins and Flyers played in a transformed and iced-over Fenway Park, and the Bruins won 2-1 in overtime. Boston punk/Celtic band The Dropkick Murphys played before the game. That that loud, boisterous Boston attitude must have been flowing like water ... or maybe like Sam Adams.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
My First New Year's Eve
My first clear memory of staying up till midnight on New Year's Eve was when my best friend at the time and I set up in my room and watched "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" on TV, while our parents and a bunch of other adults had a party elsewhere in the house. That's a great old movie, full of Hollywood has-beens having a great time. Plus, the title seems fairly appropriate for the last New Year's Eve of this decade. I kind of wish I had a copy to watch tonight. Instead, I'm watching "After The Thin Man" on TCM. Not a bad movie, either, and it does have a rather thin but noticeable New Year's Even theme.
Nick Charles: "How do you do? I'd like to get this gal out of the woman's tank."
Prison Matron: "Oh, yes. Is this the one that was doing the fan dance?"
Nick Charles: "Fan dance?"
Prison Matron: "Yes."
Nick Charles: "Well, if it is, she's been holding out on me."
Happy New Year!
My first clear memory of staying up till midnight on New Year's Eve was when my best friend at the time and I set up in my room and watched "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" on TV, while our parents and a bunch of other adults had a party elsewhere in the house. That's a great old movie, full of Hollywood has-beens having a great time. Plus, the title seems fairly appropriate for the last New Year's Eve of this decade. I kind of wish I had a copy to watch tonight. Instead, I'm watching "After The Thin Man" on TCM. Not a bad movie, either, and it does have a rather thin but noticeable New Year's Even theme.
Nick Charles: "How do you do? I'd like to get this gal out of the woman's tank."
Prison Matron: "Oh, yes. Is this the one that was doing the fan dance?"
Nick Charles: "Fan dance?"
Prison Matron: "Yes."
Nick Charles: "Well, if it is, she's been holding out on me."
Happy New Year!
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