I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Linkee-poo takes the knee

So, how's the Lake Erie algal bloom (that few national news organizations have given any coverage to) going? "Health officials in Ohio are telling children, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions not to swim in the river that flows through Toledo because of an algae outbreak." That well, huh. Well, winter is coming.

Remember people rolling their eyes about the reports of "gassy cows contributing to global warming"? "Why are we wasting money on this?" they shouted, waving their tiny, tiny fists. "Cattle pass a lot of gas… Livestock account for 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, with over half of that coming from cattle… The key is breeding less-gassy cattle, and scientists now know it's possible because of a study that won the Public Library of Science Genetics Award on Thursday." Science, bitches, it rocks. Also, you know, maybe not feeding them corn (cheap) to fatten them up ($) before butchering them might help.

"Britain is prepared to abide by European Union rules and pay into the bloc’s coffers for two years after leaving the EU in March 2019, Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday in a conciliatory speech intended to revive foundering exit talks." That doesn't sound like an actual exit.

"The former model and Manhattanite traded her stilettos for sneakers Friday to plant, harvest and wash vegetables in the White House kitchen garden with help from local children." Okay, let's stop the bashing of the first lady for both wearing spiked heels to a disaster area and for taking them off to go into the garden. No, really, that shit bothers me. The heels to touring a disaster, sure because that's just ludicrous. But that she took them off to go into the garden, that's what people do (okay, not everyone wears stilettos, but I do know a few and they wouldn't wear them to garden in). But she planted broccoli? Um, when's the first frost in DC (broccoli shouldn't be planted less than 2 and half months before a frost)?

"Pyotr Levashov, a 37-year-old known as one of the world’s most notorious hackers, was arrested earlier this year while vacationing with his family in Barcelona on a request from the U.S., where authorities want him on charges of fraud and unauthorized interception of electronic communications." One less Russian hacker.

"Many Californians’ regularly scheduled broadcasts were interrupted Thursday morning with strange emergency messages warning of extraterrestrial invasions and the beginning of Armageddon. The bizarre warnings aired on TVs in the Orange County area, affecting Cox and Spectrum cable users, according to the Orange Country Register." And the excuse of the monthly emergency test not including the end tones is laughable. Over the radio I've heard dozens of screwed up test and never once was threatened with violent times.

"The Securities and Exchange Commission waited until Wednesday to disclose a hack of its corporate filing system that occurred last year." Here a hack, there a hack, everywhere a hack hack.

Rand Paul is a no, and now so is McCain. Susan Collins is waffling. Also note, it was widely expected that McCain would vote for the bill last time, and he disappointed his GOP comrades. A vote isn't actual until it's cast and voting is closed.

"At least 21 million fewer Americans would have health-care coverage from 2020 to 2026 under the Senate Republicans’ latest plan to repeal and replace parts of Obamacare, according to an estimate by the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit think tank."

"Many older Americans who have Affordable Care Act insurance policies are going to miss a Sept. 30 deadline to enroll in Medicare, and they need more time to make the change, advocates say… A lifetime of late enrollment penalties typically await people who don't sign up for Medicare Part B, which covers doctor visits and other outpatient services, when they first become eligible at age 65. That includes people who mistakenly thought that because they had insurance through the ACA marketplaces, they didn't need to enroll in Medicare." Here's the thing, it's not like I don't think there needs to be revisions to these programs. It's just my ideas end stupid shit like this. Say, have we talked about Medicaid Recovery yet? It's the death tax that poor people pay, which the conservatives who were all up in arms about ending the estate tax because of it's unfairness completely ignored.

"The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning hours-long maintenance shutdowns of the federal ObamaCare exchange during the next open enrollment period, CNN reports." Because they need to do "maintenance." Like you do. Everybody knows Amazon has to go down for a few hours every weekend. It's only liberals who think this is a problem know when they had to do this regular maintenance during all the previous years. :: holds finger to ear :: Oh.

"In a new effort to tackle the deadly opioid addiction crisis in the US, pharmacy giant CVS announced on Friday it will limit opioid prescriptions to seven days for certain conditions. This restriction will apply to patients who are new to pain therapy… The new pharmacy program will also limit the daily dosage of pain pills based on their strength and will require use of immediate-release formulations before extended release opioids -- intended for severe, long-term pain treatment -- are dispensed." So, how's that conservative mantra "don't want to get between patients and their doctors" thing going? This is bad policy and penalizes too many people to try and stem a problem which already has other remedies. So let's be clear. One, doctors who prescribe opiates need to have special certification. Two, doctors can no longer call-in opiate prescriptions. Three, you have to see your doctor to get the prescription. That means every 7 days you need to see your doctor to get your prescription. Think your insurance will cover that many appointments? If you live a few hours from your doctor's office, think that might be an inconvenience? Will your job allow you to go to your doctor's every single week?

Trigger warning. "In Cambridge, Mass., a woman named Kristin sits down on a stone bench to talk about a common but rarely discussed injury that's starting to grow along with the opioid epidemic: rape."

"Tensions continue to mount at the University of California, Berkeley, where a conservative student group is planning to host an event it's calling 'Free Speech Week' starting on Sunday." There's a difference between free speech and giving a platform to intentionally incendiary personalities. And, yes, these people have the right to free speech. You don't see the government shutting them down and putting them in jail. And in an open marketplace, or a place of public accommodation, sure they have the right to express their (non-violent) opinions. So it depends on how you want to categorize Berkley (I would go with "government"), and if the organization putting this on is following all the rules (which it appears they aren't, and didn't the earlier time either). However stating that they have a right to speak doesn't negate my right to shout the fuckers down (of course then we get into Berkley's/venue's rules for acceptable behavior).

"According to new reports in Vanity Fair and Mediaite, after student organizers failed to file the proper paperwork to reserve university buildings, and after Yiannopolous apparently neglected to notify some of the scheduled speakers that the event was even happening, the affair has been reduced to a Saturday press conference in San Francisco." Yep, poor planning does them in again.

Hey, remember when I said that if SCOTUS upheld the travel ban that it was pretty certain that it would 1) be longer than 6 months and 2) be expanded? Whelp, since Trump is confident he'll win he isn't waiting to expand the restrictions.

No comments: