Before I could even comment, the government shutdown was over. Seventeen days, billions of dollars lost, and in the end the United States received a three-month Band-Aid on a long-term gash wound. What happened earlier this month was obstructionist politics at its ugliest and misguided, a case example of what our highly partisan system has been reduced to. The Tea Party opposition was bullheaded and foolish --I still can't take them seriously-- yet at the same time I can't see them losing too much ground in 2014. At the same time, the whole system has to take some blame for the shutdown.
With that said, has the Affordable Care Act --er, "Obamacare"-- been slow to roll out? Yes. Has it been marred by complications, technical errors, and other kinks in the system? Yes. Is it an abject failure? No, and give it time. The government has never nailed modern technology down, no matter what's being rolled out. This is an embarrassment to the Obama Administration, no questioning that, but nothing that can't be rectified.
Other notes:
+ Dad Update: After nearly six weeks out of the house, my father is expected to come home later this week. He can walk 100+ yards now, but the lack of peripheral vision gives him dizzy spells. A day or two ago, my grandmother's former live-in caretaker has been rehired to handle my father, as least for the next six months.
+ About a month ago, my Palm Pre died. I wasn't able to transfer any data (photos, contacts, etc.) before it conked out, so I bought a new phone basically from scratch. Since the Palm brand ceased to be a year or two ago, I ended up buying a Nokia 822 that runs on Windows. I'm not the most proactive guy when it comes to new technology, but so far I'm really digging my new gadget. The interface is surprisingly easy to use and understand, and its reads wifi signals a lot faster than my old Pre.
+ My World Series pick: Cardinals in 7. Allen Craig's return from the DL was enough to sway me in what should be a very close series.
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Showing posts with label Health care reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health care reform. Show all posts
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tea & No Sympathy
I can't say I'm surprised by how both liberals and conservatives are reacting to last week's passing and executive approval of health care reform. After making several minor concessions, the Democratic majority passed far-reaching legislation in a manner that would've been unheard of five years ago. In short, President Obama succeeded where nearly all of his predecessors from TR onward had failed. Where Democrats are rejoicing, Republicans are seething, and independents and moderates are wary. It's a victory on paper for the Dems, no question about that, but the moral victory remains to be seen. Half the country has their misgivings about "Obamacare," but they'll have to learn to swallow this big pill, figuratively and literally. The various lawsuits, noble in their intention, will likely fail. It is what it is, and 1/6th of the nation's economy has been irreversibly changed.
In the wake of the March 21st vote, a rash of vandalism and character assassination has hit several Democratic lawmakers (or in one case, a legislator's brother). Bricks have been thrown in windows, death threats have been faxed and called in, the list goes on. On the floor of the House of Representatives, pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak was taunted as a "baby killer" by a fellow anti-abortion (albeit GOP) congressman. Yet one incident was like something out of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Did anyone hear about this story, then thought about that one scene where the Boy Rangers rally for Sen. Smith in his hometown, then get rammed off the road by Jim Taylor's henchmen? Thank God that little girl wasn't injured. Sure, Rep. John Boehner went on Fox News to condemn all these actions, but it doesn't feel like enough.
It's saddening to think that this is what political discourse in this country has been reduced to. The tea parties don't want to hear a second opinion, they just want to reinforce their fears and underinformed viewpoints; instead of exchanging new ideas, they only get louder and shriller. I'm not implying that the Tea Party movement is behind all this reckless behavior, but the influence is certainly there. I want to give Boehner the reason of a doubt that the GOP core is not encouraging this mob rule, yet it was their ineffectual response to Obama's original platform that set the wheels in motion. (His "Hell no!" speech didn't exactly help matters.) How many of these tea-baggers are accepting unemployment checks, social security, and/or Medicare? How many of them would be willing to sacrifice those "socialist crutches" for their common cause? Will they keep protesting if the economy improves? Either way you look at it, in the long run somebody's going to look awfully sheepish.
Next week: my ever-so-slightly-delayed 2010 baseball preview.
In the wake of the March 21st vote, a rash of vandalism and character assassination has hit several Democratic lawmakers (or in one case, a legislator's brother). Bricks have been thrown in windows, death threats have been faxed and called in, the list goes on. On the floor of the House of Representatives, pro-life Democrat Bart Stupak was taunted as a "baby killer" by a fellow anti-abortion (albeit GOP) congressman. Yet one incident was like something out of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Did anyone hear about this story, then thought about that one scene where the Boy Rangers rally for Sen. Smith in his hometown, then get rammed off the road by Jim Taylor's henchmen? Thank God that little girl wasn't injured. Sure, Rep. John Boehner went on Fox News to condemn all these actions, but it doesn't feel like enough.
It's saddening to think that this is what political discourse in this country has been reduced to. The tea parties don't want to hear a second opinion, they just want to reinforce their fears and underinformed viewpoints; instead of exchanging new ideas, they only get louder and shriller. I'm not implying that the Tea Party movement is behind all this reckless behavior, but the influence is certainly there. I want to give Boehner the reason of a doubt that the GOP core is not encouraging this mob rule, yet it was their ineffectual response to Obama's original platform that set the wheels in motion. (His "Hell no!" speech didn't exactly help matters.) How many of these tea-baggers are accepting unemployment checks, social security, and/or Medicare? How many of them would be willing to sacrifice those "socialist crutches" for their common cause? Will they keep protesting if the economy improves? Either way you look at it, in the long run somebody's going to look awfully sheepish.
Next week: my ever-so-slightly-delayed 2010 baseball preview.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The House of "No"
A couple weeks ago, I was skimming my news feed on Facebook when Daniel Solzman's latest status update caught my eye. Solzy had commented that the Democrats will lose the both houses of Congress come November. Reactions were mixed, though I commented that the Republicans don't really offer any solutions, implying that a GOP comeback was little more than a power grab. About three hours after I posted my opinion, a conservative pal of Daniel's posted a link to the GOP's health care strategy. While I concured that there were a handful of valid points, I asked this fellow where was this agenda during all the debating last summer. Sarah Palin dreams up all that "death panel" garbage and town hall meetings nearly turned into riots, and that went to the backburner? He never responded.
I was reminded of this cold shoulder when President Obama staged that 6 1/2 hour bipartisan health care summit last Thursday. Was it courageous for the president to address both sides of this heated debate in such a grandiose and public manner? Yes. Did he state his case to the GOP fully knowing that they'd never come around to his side? Also yes. The summit was as extraordinary was it was testy and highly partisan, and in the end nothing was accomplished. To some degree, this unprecedented powwow was a Hail Mary pass for Obama's core platform, one that was defanged somewhat in the past week (we'll miss you, public option!) in order to garner support from across the aisle. Maybe this more moderate approach will work; nine centrist Democrats stated on Monday that they wouldn't rule out changing their vote from "no" to "yes" if Obama plays his cards right. If control of both houses of Congress comes down to the public's stance on health care reform and that issue only, the best-case scenario for the Democrats is to regroup ASAP, vote, and hope for the best.
Other Notes:
+ Last Sunday, my troupe Keepin It Mediocre had their second show at Second City. Our 25-minute performance was the culmination of my Improv Level D class, and we start Level E next weekend. When the show is posted on YouTube, I'll let everyone know.
+ Time again for "HeyStu Recommends." For the twenty or thirty of you that weren't already aware, Conan O'Brien has joined Twitter. He tweets about once a day, and his account is still fairly new, so there's plenty of time to catch up to Coco's musings.
+ It was David Geffen? Seriously?
+ A representative in the South Carolina legislature has proposed a law that will replace paper currency with gold and silver in The Palmetto State. He also intends to shut down the state's banks and replace them with "Cash 4 Gold" centers. ;)
I was reminded of this cold shoulder when President Obama staged that 6 1/2 hour bipartisan health care summit last Thursday. Was it courageous for the president to address both sides of this heated debate in such a grandiose and public manner? Yes. Did he state his case to the GOP fully knowing that they'd never come around to his side? Also yes. The summit was as extraordinary was it was testy and highly partisan, and in the end nothing was accomplished. To some degree, this unprecedented powwow was a Hail Mary pass for Obama's core platform, one that was defanged somewhat in the past week (we'll miss you, public option!) in order to garner support from across the aisle. Maybe this more moderate approach will work; nine centrist Democrats stated on Monday that they wouldn't rule out changing their vote from "no" to "yes" if Obama plays his cards right. If control of both houses of Congress comes down to the public's stance on health care reform and that issue only, the best-case scenario for the Democrats is to regroup ASAP, vote, and hope for the best.
Other Notes:
+ Last Sunday, my troupe Keepin It Mediocre had their second show at Second City. Our 25-minute performance was the culmination of my Improv Level D class, and we start Level E next weekend. When the show is posted on YouTube, I'll let everyone know.
+ Time again for "HeyStu Recommends." For the twenty or thirty of you that weren't already aware, Conan O'Brien has joined Twitter. He tweets about once a day, and his account is still fairly new, so there's plenty of time to catch up to Coco's musings.
+ It was David Geffen? Seriously?
+ A representative in the South Carolina legislature has proposed a law that will replace paper currency with gold and silver in The Palmetto State. He also intends to shut down the state's banks and replace them with "Cash 4 Gold" centers. ;)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Random Notes, January 2010
+ In the eyes of his critics "Obamacare" might be perceived as a Pyrrhic victory, but give the president credit for one thing: health care reform is very close to reality. It took months of bitter partisan bickering, but that legislative Stone of Sisyphus finally made it up the hill, and President Obama is thisclose to succeeding where nearly every president since Teddy Roosevelt has failed. Granted, the core of the Democratic Party didn't get everything they wanted (i.e. the public option), though at long last the seeds have been planted to patch up --though not necessarily simplify-- our faulty health care system. The cost of such sweeping reform still worries me, though I'm trying to accentuate the positive: health insurers could be banned from refusing coverage or tweaking rates based on a patient's race, gender, or medical history, and insurance companies will no longer be exempt from most anti-trust laws. Let the endgame begin.
+ The midterm elections aren't for another ten months, but is it too soon to speculate on what's at stake? Keep in mind that voter turnout is generally lower in midterms compared to a presidential election, the majority of voters in said elections are active in their parties' respective cores, and moderates and apathetics are almost a non-factor. Both parties seem to have their issues; moderate and liberal Democrats are still combing through the finer details of health care reform, while "tea party" conservatives seem to be distancing themselves from the GOP hardliners. In the end, it comes down to who's more enthusiatic and who's benefitting most from the status quo. As it stands, the Democrats will almost certainly lose their super-majority in the senate, though I can't picture the Republicans regaining control of either house. Then again, we still have less than a year to decide.
+ I have a late entry to my "best music videos of 2009" list: "Her Morning Elegance" by Israeli singer-songwriter Oren Lavie. Somehow this clip was completely off my radar until a couple days before New Year's. This video was nominated for a Grammy, which gives it additional gravitas. Plus, it inspired a pretty wacky parody. (To anyone that missed by thoughts on the last year in music, click here.)
+ Well, my mercurial second stab at fantasy football ended with a whimper, not a bang, as I finished fifth out of six. I made the bonehead move of editing the league presets and tweaking the schedule --I was the commish, after all-- by having the regular season end after week 15. Had I left it alone, I would've made the playoffs; instead, I tied with two other teams at 7-8, and I lost out because I had the fewest points of the three. (On that note, congrats to Hellfish on his roto championship.) Though fantasy football was a wash, I did marginally better at pro football pick 'em; I finished 10th out of 23 in the TV.com league and third out of eight in my friend's group.
+ A correction to last week's blog: that was a John Deere riding mower on "Mad Men," not a tractor. I humbly regret the error.
+ It's so cold outside, Mark Sanford thought he was standing next to his wife...
+ The midterm elections aren't for another ten months, but is it too soon to speculate on what's at stake? Keep in mind that voter turnout is generally lower in midterms compared to a presidential election, the majority of voters in said elections are active in their parties' respective cores, and moderates and apathetics are almost a non-factor. Both parties seem to have their issues; moderate and liberal Democrats are still combing through the finer details of health care reform, while "tea party" conservatives seem to be distancing themselves from the GOP hardliners. In the end, it comes down to who's more enthusiatic and who's benefitting most from the status quo. As it stands, the Democrats will almost certainly lose their super-majority in the senate, though I can't picture the Republicans regaining control of either house. Then again, we still have less than a year to decide.
+ I have a late entry to my "best music videos of 2009" list: "Her Morning Elegance" by Israeli singer-songwriter Oren Lavie. Somehow this clip was completely off my radar until a couple days before New Year's. This video was nominated for a Grammy, which gives it additional gravitas. Plus, it inspired a pretty wacky parody. (To anyone that missed by thoughts on the last year in music, click here.)
+ Well, my mercurial second stab at fantasy football ended with a whimper, not a bang, as I finished fifth out of six. I made the bonehead move of editing the league presets and tweaking the schedule --I was the commish, after all-- by having the regular season end after week 15. Had I left it alone, I would've made the playoffs; instead, I tied with two other teams at 7-8, and I lost out because I had the fewest points of the three. (On that note, congrats to Hellfish on his roto championship.) Though fantasy football was a wash, I did marginally better at pro football pick 'em; I finished 10th out of 23 in the TV.com league and third out of eight in my friend's group.
+ A correction to last week's blog: that was a John Deere riding mower on "Mad Men," not a tractor. I humbly regret the error.
+ It's so cold outside, Mark Sanford thought he was standing next to his wife...
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Stuart Matthew Allard, the First 9,131 Days or So: A Self-Indulgent 25th Birthday Celebration
Last week, in the span of 24 hours I achieved three milestones at TV.com: 25,000 forum posts, 300 forum topics created, and 14,900 approved submissions. Either this cements my status as one of the most prolific contributors in the unofficial nine-year history of the site or makes a statement about my fledging social life, take your pick. On top of that, today's my 25th birthday and we're entering what is considered the "slow" part of the year in terms of current events*. So how should I take advantage of this unusual alignment of stars? Why, some top five lists, of course!
Five Trendy Dog Names That Could Easily Be Confused for Skin Disorders:
1. "Frengle"
2. "Zena"
3. "Taz"
4. "Rosacea"
5. "Spot"
Five Elements on the Periodic Table and Their Long-Hidden Criminal Records:
1. Strontium (held up a White Hen Pantry)
2. Bismuth (37 parking tickets dating back to 1998)
3. Praseodymium (allegedly instigated a Lanthanoid-Actinoid gang war)
4. Ununoctium (two counts of graft, three counts of mail fraud; walked on a technicality)
5. Krypton (no explanation necessary)
Five Unhelpful Sentences Used by Spelling Bee Judges to Derive the Meaning of the Word:
1. "_________ is the word you are trying to spell."
2. "_________ is one of my favorite words."
3. "_________ is a word that will never come out of Spencer Pratt's mouth."
4. "There is a single word that could alter the course of your life, that if spelled correctly will give you the personal validation and respect of your peers that you've been largely denied in your brief lifetime, and if answered incorrectly will not only further your social ostracization but hinder any future human interaction and subject you to a long, miserable life of silent anguish... and that word is _________."
5. "If you don't spell _________, I will lose fifty dollars. Let's be honest- this whole thing is rigged."
My Five Favorite Current Pittsburgh Pirates:
1. That guy
2. The other guy
3. That dude, you know, with the moustache?
4. The bullpen catcher
5. Andrew McCutchen
*Yes, I realize President Obama is backpedaling on universal health care, but there's really nothing I can add to the subject that I didn't already say two weeks ago. Plus, today's my birthday!
Five Trendy Dog Names That Could Easily Be Confused for Skin Disorders:
1. "Frengle"
2. "Zena"
3. "Taz"
4. "Rosacea"
5. "Spot"
Five Elements on the Periodic Table and Their Long-Hidden Criminal Records:
1. Strontium (held up a White Hen Pantry)
2. Bismuth (37 parking tickets dating back to 1998)
3. Praseodymium (allegedly instigated a Lanthanoid-Actinoid gang war)
4. Ununoctium (two counts of graft, three counts of mail fraud; walked on a technicality)
5. Krypton (no explanation necessary)
Five Unhelpful Sentences Used by Spelling Bee Judges to Derive the Meaning of the Word:
1. "_________ is the word you are trying to spell."
2. "_________ is one of my favorite words."
3. "_________ is a word that will never come out of Spencer Pratt's mouth."
4. "There is a single word that could alter the course of your life, that if spelled correctly will give you the personal validation and respect of your peers that you've been largely denied in your brief lifetime, and if answered incorrectly will not only further your social ostracization but hinder any future human interaction and subject you to a long, miserable life of silent anguish... and that word is _________."
5. "If you don't spell _________, I will lose fifty dollars. Let's be honest- this whole thing is rigged."
My Five Favorite Current Pittsburgh Pirates:
1. That guy
2. The other guy
3. That dude, you know, with the moustache?
4. The bullpen catcher
5. Andrew McCutchen
*Yes, I realize President Obama is backpedaling on universal health care, but there's really nothing I can add to the subject that I didn't already say two weeks ago. Plus, today's my birthday!
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