Where in blue bloody blazes did I get the idea that seeing a nurse practitioner was supposed to be more economical than seeing a doctor? Because it is a stupid, false idea.

And so I'm going to see an actual doctor for my $150 this time around.

ND, curse you! Now I am drooling over the Mercedes C230s on the CarMax site! Alas, my trusty 2000 Integra has only 50K miles and my plan is to drive it into the ground. My next car, however, may just be a Mercedes. Good safety record and affordable if you buy used. I want a black one with black interior!

Forget miraculous experimental treatment and medicines

Sighhh...

Do people not realize that most drugs are produced by massive multi-national corporations?

Eos is so ridiculously awesome. Very expensive, but one of the extremely few places I've ever been where you walk away seriously feeling like every bite was worth every penny. Hec and I have only been there three or four times over the past five or six years, but the quality has been consistently spectacular each time.

ION, this artist's entire website is making me swoon. I think I want six or seven of everything, and I feel like now I have to sign up for Secret Santa or Slacker Santa this year because these in particular are so very Made For Buffistas.

Fleur de Lys

I'd skip, actually. They've been downgraded a star, due to spotty service and a slight drop in kitchen quality.

Re: Slanted Door, I'd go to Charlie Phan's newest project, Heaven's Dog. That's where his (and his bar manager's) energy has been concentrated.

Also recommended: Dosa on Fillmore - they just opened and have been getting rave reviews.
Ame (Mission & 3rd) - Euro-Japanese, and worth every penny.

Forget miraculous experimental treatment and medicines

Well, not to mention that a lot of "miraculous experimental treatments" are....not so miraculous. They're *experimental* for a reason. Yes, sometimes they're awesome and eventually become not experimental because they are figured out to work, but...sometimes after you try them for a while, it's realized that they don't do much. Or only work for a very small subset of people. Or, say, cost $50,000 to make and only give people an extra month of life. Or maybe cost $50,000 and give not even an extra month to live, but just an extra month of whatever--seeing better? And yes, in that article they make the point that maybe that sort of thing might be rationed under socialized medicine. And that IS hard to hear....but do you SERIOUSLY THINK YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY NOW ISNT" MAKING THOSE DECISIONS????

Actually, for anyone looking for reviews of Bay Area restaurants, I recommend the "Week In Review" tag at Eater SF: [link]

(The site itself is pretty awesome for keeping track of the restaurant scene here.)

And yes, in that article they make the point that maybe that sort of thing might be rationed under socialized medicine. And that IS hard to hear....but do you SERIOUSLY THINK YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY NOW ISNT" MAKING THOSE DECISIONS????

Exactly!

Dear Hospital -

Either give my mother the fucking tests you are talking about or GIVE HER A FUCKING SANDWICH. 36 hours since she last ate. Cocksuckers. I understand that caffiene and food can alter cardiac tests. However, her passed out on the FUCKING TREADMILL from NOT EATING FOR 36 HOURS will also alter the stress test results.

No love,
The Empress

cc: VW's brother's mil, who seems to hink our health care system as is is perfectly fine.

they want her to do a treadmill stress test on a 36 hour fast? That's mean.

It's not even a fast - it's that she *couldn't* eat anything yesterday on a ccount of the heart-attack like excruciating pain that she suffered when she tried to eat a small piece of dry toast.