I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

jancie

Scoot - I want to see pictures of your horse!!!! 

YramAL

I am AMAZED-and happy-that the entire thing was upheld. I thought for sure parts of it were going down. 

Mary 

Enjoyful

Pictures will be forthcoming!!

artsee

Edward Jones investments in "Toad Suck Square". Just doesn't seem right. Too funny.

Ya just can't do nothin without getting a name tagged onto something, for life! Nobody better never call me a bloated toad after

my Corona.:)

bluedahlia

As someone who has had nothing but excellent healthcare, I just want to go on record as saying Canada's Heathcare is NOT second rate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

crazy4carrots

Gee Blue, same here!  Ain't that a wonder!

bluedahlia

Just boggles the mind when people spurt stupidity out of their mouths without even knowing.

1Athena1

I'm proud to be American. We have finally joined the league of civilized nations. Kudos to Justice Roberts. I am one of the few liberals who supported his nomination in the first place. (And kudos to NYT columnist Linda Greenhouse for predicting Roberts's federalist slant - that was good journalism).

Also glad it was upheld as a tax - that has no bearing whatsoever on the law itself, but it sort of pins healthcare on the poster of essential services that a twenty-first century people have the right to expect of a twenty-first century government, along with roads, bridges, schools and a standing army. Very basic and fundamental.

This means far fewer Americans will have to choose between food and medicine. I'm elated.

CherrylH

I'm with you Athena. However, I was very surprized that Roberts would be the deciding vote.

rosemary-b

Jancie

I am so sorry.

1Athena1

Roberts is very structural in how he rules. One reason why the court moved to even consider the ACA as a tax was because the court wanted to uphold a precedent which says, essentially, that efforts should be made to NOT see laws as unconstitutional, if possible. Roberts always rules narrowly, following precedent. The opinion, as I see it, sort of analyzes ways in which the mandate could or could not be upheld. The opinion considers several questions before finally arriving at how the mandate CAN stand. My interpretation is that the court DOES see the mandate as a tax. The court disagrees that it is a penalty, saying that NOT paying for insurance is taxable but not unlawful. That's how Robert splits hairs. I sort of admire that from an intellectual point of view even if it can be frustrating.

The pundits are so obsessed with saying that justices are conservative or liberal that they barely think outside those binary terms, and they proceed to misinform an entire country based on their black-white thinking. Roberts is not as easy to categorize (nor is Justice Kagan, IMO).

lassie11

When I was in Florida last week there was a convention of 7000 nurse practioners. It was interesting to discuss health care in Canada with them and to explain that the biggest difference is that the system here is not based on profit. I was also able to tell one woman in answer to her question that end of life care is whatever the patient and the family want. Really. Sad how some specious propoganda lingers. No doubt it will all rise again now.

Anonymous

Athena

roads, bridges, schools, standing army - essential services! WOW!  I am THRILLED with how you positioned this - just LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  Never ( ever) thought of the "tax" that way - but NOW I WILL.  THANK YOU, roar, roar, roar!

eta: also, just read on the other thread Fixed Noise, Cretin News - you're on a roll today!!!  ROAR!

gardengumby

I must admit that I was not amazed that it passed - but am overjoyed that it did.  I hadn't thought of it as a tax, but it makes complete sense when viewed in that light.  I was surprised that Roberts was the deciding vote.

On a completely different note - I called the dr yesterday about an itching nipple on my newly lifted non-mastectomied breast.  It has been driving me CRAZY for a few weeks now.  They freaked out, said I had to come in right away.  So today I got to have another mammo and ultra-sound.  I am happy to let y'all know that I do NOT have Paget's disease.  But they figure I probably do have some kind of infection, so will be taking anti-biotics for the next 10 days.

208sandy

Thrilled for my friends in the U.S. (even though some of said friends aren't happy) - and I am with Linda and Blue - we in Canada have top notch healthcare!

Scoot - wanna see the horse!

suzieq60

Didn't get to sleep until 1am so I pulled a sickie - I do feel like I'm coming down with a cold - better to stay away in case I infect anyone and I do have heaps of washing to do

Here's the long awaited pic of the baby - I had to download some free software to fix the red eye.

riley702

Along those (political) lines:

http://www.facebook.com/beingliberal.org has some great posts today.

http://www.upworthy.com/heres-what-obamacare-actually-does-for-you?c=bl3

http://www.commondreams.org/files/images/edtoon.jpg

Edited to remove the images and make them clickable instead. *Sigh*

YramAL

What a cutie, Susie! He looks like he was talking to you when you took the picture.

Mary 

suzieq60

Looks just like his mother at that age

1Athena1

(source: NOAA.gov - putting in my zip code, 20007) 

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
133 AM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012

DCZ001-MDZ009>011-013-014-016-VAZ036>040-042-050>057-501-502-
291345-
/O.NEW.KLWX.EH.A.0002.120630T1500Z-120701T0100Z/
/O.CON.KLWX.HT.Y.0004.120629T1500Z-120630T0100Z/
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-MONTGOMERY-HOWARD-SOUTHERN BALTIMORE-
PRINCE GEORGES-ANNE ARUNDEL-CHARLES-NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-
MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-ORANGE-CULPEPER-
PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK-FAIRFAX-
ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA-STAFFORD-SPOTSYLVANIA-
KING GEORGE-NORTHERN FAUQUIER-SOUTHERN FAUQUIER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WASHINGTON...GAITHERSBURG...COLUMBIA...
BALTIMORE...ANNAPOLIS...WALDORF...CHARLOTTESVILLE...LEESBURG...
CULPEPER...MANASSAS...MANASSAS PARK...FAIRFAX...ALEXANDRIA...
FALLS CHURCH...FREDERICKSBURG...WARRENTON
133 AM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO
9 PM EDT THIS EVENING...
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS
ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH...IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING
THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES...AROUND 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. UP TO 110
  DEGREES SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES...AROUND 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY
  AFTERNOON.

* IMPACT...RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION OR OTHER HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
  FOR THOSE WITHOUT AIR-CONDITIONING OR THOSE SPENDING TIME
  OUTDOORS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT
TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF
HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES
AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES
ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED
ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK IN ON RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN
POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

 

Thank you for listening to my whine! It's not just the politics that never change around here.

Enjoyful

Oh gack. I am staying inside for the next month.

208sandy

We are in the second day of a heat advisory and now a smog alert - only activity today is giving the poor doggie a bath - she hates the heat too!

jancie

Athena - how close is that to McLean, VA?

ananda8

It was 108`F yesterday and it's going to be over 100`F for at least the next week.  No rain in sight.  We've been in a severe drought for almost a year.  Parts of Texas have been in an extreme drought for almost 3 years.

Anonymous

btw, when a certain governor of the great state of MA passed idenitcal health care ( to what we now call ObamaCareS) he, that governor, called it a "FEE" not a tax when questioned by a reporter accusing him of raising taxes.   Ain't politics fun.

Oh, dear lioness, thought of you when I read what my friends in Bethesda MD are enduring..hope there's a shady acacia tree somewhere nearby..with lots of COLD water to drink.  Even when it's steamy here, there's still a breeze - the benefit of living in a very small cabin, lots of windows, not much area to cool, no tall buildings...someone who doesn't like the smell of cows, or the sound of roosters & chickens, might not love it, but I think it's heaven...my friends from earlier days sometimes call it "underpopulated" - tee, hee, they aren't such good friends anymore

bluedahlia

What was that I heard about global warming.   Nah, I must have been hearing things.  After all the far right said it wasn't so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   NUTS!

Lilah is so smart. I have to measure out her antibiotics with a syringe to squirt into her mouth. This morning she saw me with it and ran and hid behind the couch. My Lilah is back! hehehehhehehe! She's a kook!

bluedahlia

Sunflowers, my greatest dream was to live on a small farm.  I love animals and have a green thumb.  Alas my body decided to turn on me so I live in a big townhouse on the edge of the city.  Farmland all around though.  That's as close as I'll ever get.

Anonymous

I can empathasize Blue.  I live NEXT to two farms...one is a CSA ( community supported agriculture) and the other raises dairy cows.  So I can wander on "farm land" but don't have to do any of the work.  Quite nice.  Have a very tiny garden myself - just the basics: lettuce, tomato, sugar snap peas, herbs, and this year - if the chipmunks aren't too hungry- zuccini.

LOTS of wild black berries, and raspberries, but the birds get to them first.  So I go to a "pick your own" farm nearby to gt blueberries. Lived in cities most of my life, always, ALWAYS knew, since I read Walden as a young teen, I'd spend my later days in a quiet, quiet, as rural as possible solitude....feel blessed.  Saw and HEARD a gorgeous male Scarlet Tanager in the maple tree at my back door. JOY.

Hope all are having a peaceful, HEALTHY, good day.  Still smiling about ObamaCareS

RetiredLibby

Jancie - it is just over the river from McLean.  Everyone in DC metro (and Balto metro) is stewing in the same toxic soup (um ... yeah .... weather and political!) 

L

1Athena1

Jancie - McLean is a Northern VA suburb (Fairfax Co. - I think), so it is affected too. They are about a 1/2 hour-45 min drive from my house, close to the end of the metro line.

Scoot, HL, you all know who you are....hope your dens and acacia trees are ample and comfortable.

I am so glad not to be on hormonal treatment anymore. I can't imagine being crippled by Tamoxifen hot flashes on top of this - boy, those were awful days.  I do have to be judicious in my own use of my other meds in climate like this, as they elevate my body heat. I feel sorry for all the tourists.