Since I haven't actually gotten my mitts on a copy of paperdol's book yet, I can't do this, but somebody who has really should:

She's got no reader reviews yet up on her page at Powell's Books, and they're offering a chance to win free books to the first reader to post a review. And, of course, if you click to Powell's through the Buffista affiliate link page and then decide to buy a book or two, the board gets a cut of the swag.

I'm in pain, and no one will help me. I am stuck in the worst insurance situation. I have an earache that spread to my throat, Tylenol isnt helping anymore, a doctor wont see me until Friday, and I'm being told that I need a referral to get to urgent care, which is in Redondo Beach (an hour away, with light traffic).

To be clear, I live in fucking Los Angeles.

And I have to be with this HMO for a year. I want my old HMO back. The one with the hospital and all my doctors in my own neighborhood.

It's 200 a month. I'd pay it. I would totally pay it out of pocket.

But now I'm stuck. I'm so angry.

Just a rant, not an advice request. I had to get it out.

If you need a referral to get to urgent care, it's kinda not urgent anymore, is it? Who would give you one? The insurance company?

I had an HR woman here tell me that I needed a referral for the ER, but I chewed her out and it turned out she was wrong anyway. But I know not of your HMO nor HMOs in general, and I'm massively (especially after this weekend's hospitalisation) disillusioned with this marvellous health care system that's so much better than Canada and Europe.

I have 6 months of medical receipts to go through to make sure I'm not being pillaged and looted by the billing services' reluctance to press insurance companies for money.

And I just think of the not or partially insured friends, and shudder.

why the confusion on cell phones? Looking for a new one?

Yeah. I want something with a keyboard and general niftiness, and then I go fall in love with one and that means I'm in decision-making mode and I need a new carrier and is there any point sticking with GSM instead of CDMA and will the world end if I don't have 3G and what is the PIM like and will I be able to get my Palm repository out of my PC and into the new phone and...

You get the picture.

I have a lot of organisation to achieve.

Oh! One of my LVNs (let me google: Licensed Vocational Nurses) this weekend was from Belize which is obviously a sign about my vacation. Now, few of my nurses or Care Partners (it just sounds icky) were from the US, but everything can't be a sign, can it?

This is why people vacation in Paris: Enjoy the rugby World Cup in the Capital of Love.

HoYES!!!

t edit Yes, it's clearly photoshopped, as there are some improbable angles going on there. That's NOT the point, which I should hardly need to say amongst Buffistas.

I fondled that one at the AT&T store, ita. It's lovely. I broke down and went with the BlackJack and I'm still getting used to it. I think I love it muchly. It synchs with Outlook.

I fondled that one at the AT&T store

I gotta break with AT&T, stat. I fled to Cingular to avoid them, and look how that turned out...

I have a Windows CE allergy, and I don't use Outlook, so I'm hoping I can make a Nokia/Symbian solution work.

I am sitting at the Heartland Cafe in Chicago. This is the hippiest place that I know of in Chicago (not that I know of many such places here). They have a big display on the wall on the history of SDS, and they sell books on socialism.

I am enjoying their free WiFi, buffalo steak and their large selection of fine beers.

Wait, are buffaloes free-range?

Extremely Rare And Beautiful Pink Dolphin Spotted

This extremely rare and beautiful "pink dolphin" was spotted and photographed by Capt. Erik Rue of Calcasieu Charter Service on June 24th, 2007 during a charter fishing trip on Calcasieu Lake south of Lake Charles, LA.

It appears to be an uncanny freak of nature, an albino dolphin, with reddish eyes and glossy pink skin. It is small in comparison to the others it is traveling with and appears to be a youngster traveling with mama. After spotting the beautiful mammal cruising with a pod of four other dolphins, Rue and his guests Randy and Peyton Smith and Greg and Sam Elias of Monroe, LA idled nearby while watching and photographing the unusual sight for more than an hour.

So, my parents just got back from their local independent bookstore, and The Book was sold out! (Theo, was that all you?) They re-ordered.

Extremely Rare And Beautiful Pink Dolphin Spotted

That's near my lawyer friend's place!