Also, does she have the money to sign up for Cobra? Can she at least check out what the cost would be? As far as I know, if the company offered health insurance then Cobra or some similar program that lets the fired/laid off employee continue on the same health plan has to be availabe for times ranging from six to eighteen months. (Actual Cobra was 18 last I checked, but substitute programs often offer much shorter periods.) Unfortunately these buy-ins are often expensive, but not always. Has your friend at least check what program her ex is covered under, and what the cost of coverage under it is?

OK I'm being stupid again, I was think of this for your friends coverage, but I think COBRA is only for the ex-employee, not for dependents.

Thanks -t. I will just continue to try and be supportive-- certainly she has been for me (this friend found me my apartment when I was doing a show and had to move in two weeks time!).

Typo- That is a good Iidea, and I will tell her to check,but I doubt she has the money. She is more in the position of having a couple hundred dollars left, no money coming in unless he gets unemployment, and him spending the money to buy alcohol. If Cobra is better in the long run, she could probably ask her mother for more money. Unfortunately, I really don't have money to give her myself.

Edit- Typo- but maybe the Cobra would be better in the long run for alcohol treatment plans than whatever the state/county has to offer.

OK I'm being stupid again, I was think of this for your friends coverage, but I think COBRA is only for the ex-employee, not for dependents.

No--you can get coverage for dependents.

No--you can get coverage for dependents.

OK, cool. Good to know.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am signing off for today(I am leaving work), but thank you so much for the advice.

Sophia, you are a very good friend.

The Cocktail Party Physics blog has an interview with the author of The Physics of NASCAR: How To Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed. It's pretty interesting. The author talks about how she was essentially embedded in a NASCAR team to learn stuff....

So if you have a wedding, people are always worried that they will offend someone. However, you don't expect that if you don't let people in to your reception that they will come back and shoot up the party. And I really don't think it should happen two streets away from my house. the entire city police force was here last night, plus the gang task force. Charming.

Holy cow, Beth! That's horrible!

So far we aren't here details - it is an open investigation - there were some arrests and a couple of people injured.