MA law forbids pre-existing conditions being a factor. And thank goodness, that will soon be nationwide if the law is not rolled back.

As long as we're praising good government, let's praise Japan (and Chile, and New Zealand) for having strict housing codes and earthquake preparedness and disaster coordination. There are hundreds of thousands of people alive in Japan right now because of it.

I am sitting out of my porch, on my tacky palm tree painted Adirondack chair. Miss Kitty has not idea what to do with herself out here. I'm letting her explore the patio, but yipping at her when she gets close to the wall.

Oh, and one VERY cool thing is also going to happen this weekend. You remember how we had our house madeover on TV? The reason I got interested inth e show was seeing them stain a concrete patio on an early episode and being amazed with how wonderful it looked.

Scrappy, I never got to see that eps, or even pics. Is there a link?

As long as we're praising good government, let's praise Japan (and Chile, and New Zealand) for having strict housing codes and earthquake preparedness and disaster coordination. There are hundreds of thousands of people alive in Japan right now because of it.

Every time I look at a picture, I think this.

Re: Health insurance. D and I pushed our wedding up 6 months, because of health insurance, and how prohibitively exspensive my meds were w/o insurance.

Timelies all!

Happy Birthday Tommy!

No special plans this weekend. I'm going to pick up a book I have on hold at the library, but otherwise it's watching stuff from the DVR or college hoops.

I have more cashier job orientation and training tomorrow -- for a $9/hr job, they sure have to give you a lot of prep. Also a brunch on Sunday, which since I don't know what my schedule is next week, I have no idea whether I can even go....

Oh, and Happy Birthday, tommyrot!!

The news just started - leading stories? NFL and a kinda local fire. Oh, and some earthquake. Geeeeesh

And as things stand now, dictates where I will be working for the rest of my life.

Ah, yes. There's nothing like the free market for health care. One of the things that burns me about the people who say that health care costs should be dictated by the market is that markets only work when people can choose the best provider for them. In fact, the people receiving the service have very little choice. I'm pretty happy with Kaiser, which is a good thing because no one else will ever insure me. It's $500 a month and a $3,000 deductible though.

I think at some point the 24-hour news things becomes overload. I mean, CNN is not really giving me anything new. Hasn't for a long time. Al Jazeera is showing other stories between earthquake coverage and I get that because the rest of the world didn't actually stop. At some point we're just watching the car crash. Not that I think no coverage is the answer, just ... there isn't a real answer, I don't think. Though I am pretty sure that the answer is not covering the NFL. A local fire, maybe. But not football.

I am mostly keeping CNN on mute.

You guys, I am not doing well dealing with this. I was fine until I saw this pic from the pier at Kailua Kona: [link]

And these: [link] Damage on Alii Drive: [link]

There are reports of another new earthquake near Nagano, not an aftershock, but I can't find good data about it.

The nuclear facility is still in danger of meltdown, and although apparently Hillary Clinton said the US military delivered "coolant" the US military says it didn't, although it's ready to help. But it's a stupid thing to say because coolant isn't the problem, a lack of power is the problem.

I haven't heard from my cousins since last night when they were asking each other if their cell phones were working...no, wait, in classic posting makes it happen form, she just posted. They're okay, just can't travel very well because of the aforementioned Ali'i Drive. She said she saw somebody's house floating. Anyway, she's the one I was thinking of, because she works down at Bubba Gump Shrimp, which I know got water in it.

My mom talked to my other relatives, and it seems like only one would have had to evacuate and she thinks everybody got out that needed to.

I'm just tripping. I think I'm going back to bed. The dog doesn't know what to make of me.