In light of Brian Thompson being shot dead on my birthday (🎉🥳🎂) I'd like to share a personal story about UnitedHealthcare.
During the peak of COVID, my family all got sick. I couldn't be on my parents' insurance because they were both older and on Medicare. So, I had insurance through my University: UnitedHealthcare.
For some reason, rather than roll-over each year, I got a new plan each year that ended after May and didn't start until August, so I was uninsured for the summer months, but it was a weird situation that the university denied, and told us we were supposed to be insured year-round, it was messy.
Both of my parents went to the hospital, and I got sick too. I had to take care of my pets, and myself, and try to stay alive and keep my pets alive when I was so weak I could hardly move. When my parents came home, my condition got dramatically worse (I think my body knew it couldn't give out, because there was nobody to take care of me, so once my parents were okay, it completely crashed and failed.)
I started experiencing emergency symptoms. It was a bit hard to breathe, my chest hurt, and I was extremely delirious. I wanted to call my insurance to see if I was covered (this was during the summer) and I was connected to some nice person, probably making minimum wage, who told me with caution in her voice that my plan was expired. I had no active insurance, but she urged me to go to an emergency room. I remember saying something to the effect of "You just told me I don't have insurance, I can't go to the hospital, I can't afford it."
She sounded so genuinely worried and scared. I remember she said "You really don't sound good, you sound really sick, please call 9-1-1" and I think I just said "I can't afford it without insurance, don't worry, I think I'll be okay."
And she paused and said "I don't want to hang up the phone with you like this." And it sounded like she was holding back tears. And I don't remember what I said, I think that I would be okay, and I hung up.
I still think about her. I wonder if that phone call haunted her, or if she had dozens of calls like that a day. I wonder if she thinks about it at all, if she wonders if I died after she told me I didn't have insurance and therefore couldn't go to the hospital without incurring a tremendous financial burden. I wonder if she feels guilt or blame-- of course she shouldn't, it wouldn't have been her fault if anything had happened to me. Maybe it's self-centered to wonder if she thinks about it. I'm not the main character and it was just her job. But, still.
I think about how evil it was that we were put in that situation. Because offering year-long continuous coverage through the university plan would maybe cut into profits, maybe not benefit shareholders enough, maybe cut into Thompson's $10 million salary. While his minimum wage administrators have to feel afraid to hang up the phone, because on the other line someone might be dying, and they wouldn't know. While his patients hang up and decide to take their chances rather than put their family through that trauma.
This is UnitedHealthcare. This is Brian Thompson's legacy. This is why, understandably, an entire nation is jubilant that he was gunned down like the vermin he was. I don't care about his widow. I feel pity for his children, despite the fact that they will inherit millions, but I feel more pity for the children of his victims patients who are gone because they didn't want THEIR children to inherit crippling debt. Brian Thompson got what he fucking deserved. I pray that he not be the only one. I pray for continued safety, peace , and anonymity for his killer.
"I think these are awesome moments...as players, we're excited, and I think the hockey world is excited, too." - Utah defenseman Olli Määttä discusses being named to Finland's roster for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off
I adore it when the Pens radio team is just going, "How does Sidney Crosby do things like that?! How is that possible? Maybe his freakish body strength..." 😎😎
Saw this while backreading old entries today and laughed hard enough I decided it needed another airing.
[ID: A sign out front of a hardware store in Chicago, decorated with a drawing of a Christmas tree and reading “The Trees are coming! Available week of Nov. 14, fresh from Midwest farms.” It looks jaunty but I found its message ominous.]
I am not excited about Harris as a candidate, but I will be voting for her in this upcoming election. This is why→
(full transcript under the cut)
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
“Transgender ideology” to be classified as pornography & excluded from First Amendment protection. Authors who produce & distribute it threatened with prison. Educators & public librarians who share it classed as registered sex offenders. communications & technology firms that facilitate its spread shuttered. -Project 2025, page 5
Delete the terms sexual orientation, gender identity, diversity, equity, & inclusion, gender equality, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, out of every federal rule, contract, grant, regulation, & piece of legislation that exist. -Project 2025 page 5
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Victimization should not be a basis for an immigration benefit. -Project 2025, page 141
Increase all fees for asylum applications, limit the availability of fee waivers. -Project 2025, page 146
Mandatory appropriation for border wall system infrastructure. -Project 2025, page 147
Deny loan access to those who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents & deny loan access to students at schools that provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens. -Project 2025, page 167
Ensure that only U.S. citizens & lawful permanent residents utilize or occupy federally subsidized housing. -Project 2025, page 167
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Encourage intelligence agencies not to waste effort collecting surveillance data when they can buy it from private sector facial recognition companies. -Project 2025, page 206
Defund the Corporation for Public Broadcast, specifically NPR & PBS educational programs like Sesame Street. -Project 2025, pages 246-247
The USDA will not be able to place environmental issues ahead of agricultural production. Reconsider the Food Stamps program. -Project 2025, page 290
Labeling regulations that unnecessarily delay the manufacture & sale of baby formula should be re-evaluated. -Project 2025, page 302
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Eliminate the Community Eligibility Program which allows school districts with high rates of poverty to offer meals to all students without having to qualify each student individually. No longer provide meals to students during the summer unless students are taking summer-school classes. -Project 2025, page 303
No public education employee shall use a pronoun in addressing a student that is different from that student’s biological sex without written permission of the parents or guardians. -Project 2025 page 346
Delete reporting on which educational institutions claim religious exemption from Title IX. -Project 2025 page 357
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Gut the Office for Civil Rights’ power to prosecute any kind of discrimination in public schools. -Project 2025, page 357
Eliminate the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management -Project 2025 page 377
Eliminate the stand-alone Office of Environmental Justice & External Civil Rights -Project 2025, page 421
Restructure the Office of International & Tribal Affairs into the American Indian Environmental Office -Project 2025, page 421
Eliminate the Office of Public Engagement & Environmental Education -Project 2025, page 421
Pause all action of the Environmental Protection Agency for review. -Project 2025, page 422
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Center for Disease Control stripped of the ability to suggest that schools embrace masking or vaccination strategies. -Project 2025, page 454
All states will be required to submit detailed information about pregnancies, abortions & miscarriages to a federal database. -Project 2025, page 455
The medication Mifepristone, a life-saving drug used to stop deadly postpartum hemorrhages that’s also used in chemical abortions, will be banned. -Project 2025, pages 458-459
Artificial intelligence should be used to determine what is suitable treatment for those currently covered by Medicare. -Project 2025, page 463
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which implements government price controls for prescription drugs. -Project 2025, page 465
Funding for abortion travel prohibited under the Hyde Amendment. -Project 2025, page 471
End taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. -Project 2025, page 471
Withdraw Medicaid funds for states that require abortion insurance. -Project 2025, page 472
Hospitals will no longer be willing to perform emergency abortions, even to save the life of the mother. -Project 2025, page 473
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Rescind the Department of Health & Human Services' ability to impose a moratorium on rental evictions during COVID. -Project 2025, page 492
Rescind large portions of The Endangered Species Act & The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, reinstate Trump’s plan for opening the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska to leasing and development. -Project 2025, page 524
Review & downsize national monuments. -Project 2025, page 532
End the Endangered Species Act’s ability to prevent economic development & de-list many currently endangered species. -Project 2025, pages 533-534
I AM VOTING AGAINST THIS
Make it harder for workers to unionize & easier for employers to retaliate against whistleblowers & organizers. -Project 2025, pages 601-602
TikTok classified as a national security concern & made non-operational. -Project 2025, page 674
Break up National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, including National Weather Service & National Marine Fisheries Service. -Project 2025, page 674
Downsize the Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research; disband its climate-change research work. -Project 2025 page 676
AND SO MUCH MORE.
The full text of Project 2025 is available at static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
I am very grateful to stopproject2025comic.org which produced a series of very readable comics to help explain many sections of Project 2025. Some of the language in this post is taken directly from their transcripts. (You can read many of their comics here on tumblr @stopproject2025comic)
Please vote against Project 2025. Our tattered democracy, healthcare, clean air & water, workers rights, reproductive rights, civil rights, intellectual freedom and more are at stake.
Oh look, he's there playing already tonight after yesterday's trade! And yes, the reporter was very short in comparison, LOL (why do I always forget he's that tall?!)...
Loved to hear the whole pregame and in-game commentary on how excited they are to have him there to stabilize the blue line, and bring his 2-Cup/85 playoff game experience to the team as a mentor. As it should be! I hope hope hope that he convinces them to extend a longer-term contract.
Do you guys realize that YOU created the fandom and community and camaraderie—not the transphobic person? YOU gave media meaning? The meaning is not inherent? You can move on and away from a piece of media, I assure you.
I'm a middle school teacher, who was thrilled years ago when those books got more of my students to read. Whose kid read them avidly (although we talked about some of the stereotypes in them). Who dressed up as Professor McGonagall one year to the delight of my students. Who enjoyed the positive aspects of the fandom for a while. Those books are not longer in our house.
I now organize/advise the school's LGTBQIA+/Allies club. I will NEVER ban books in our school library, and kids can check out whatever books they want to read them. But as the queer parent of a trans/nonbinary young adult and as that club's staff advisor, I will not put those books and toys on my classroom shelves. I will speak to our school librarian and assure her that she can do a Halloween display without that series being centered in it. Or in it at all. Many queer teens know. about that author - they're online, & they see things. My room has to be a safe refuge. In fact, I've showed our QSA club the interviews Daniel Radcliffe did with queer youth for the Trevor Project!
There are plenty of other fantasy book series and fandoms that are, frankly, better written and more truly inclusive with actually diverse casts of characters and non-stereotypical representation. Moving on hasn't been difficult.
[ID: a man pointing to a white board on which is written "When you read Lord of the Rings as a teenager you wanted to be an Elf, because they were powerful and immortal. When you read it as an adult, just wanted to be a Hobbit and live quietly in a hole" (taken from Dwarves, Elves, & Men FB page)"
i cannot be the first person to post this here but i am going so fucking insane about the gaia music collective's one day choir singing wait for me. the opening harmonies are you KIDDING me
Honestly as a blind person I’m so tired of seeing fictional blind characters who don’t use white canes or other guides. “They have special powers so they know what’s around them” or “they’re confident enough to not need a guide” are common tropes, and I’m tired.
Are people scared that using a white cane will make their blind character seem weak? They can’t use a cane because they’re so special that they already know what’s around them, and other blind people who use guides are inferior because they’re not special?
I’m tired. Give your blind characters white canes and other guides. Let them hold onto their friends, let them have guide dogs. Don’t make white cane users feel ostracized for not being “strong enough” to go without.
Another thing that pisses me off is when a sighted character comes up with the fantasy equivalent of braille and teaches it to the blind character. Braille was invented by Louis Braille, a blind man, in 1824. The blind character should be the one coming up with it.
Locally-grown organic strawberries and several tart apples and now there are jars of jam! We’ve done apricots and strawberry-apple so far this summer, mixed berry jam is next up. W made a few jars of plum syrup, too, after a first batch of plums from the tree they’ve grown. We are very lucky to live where I can get local fruit that’s safe (MCAS is a literal pain I’d like to avoid and pesticides and I do not get along)…
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
titsay
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
gummygunk
