We lived near the tracks when I was a baby. Mom told me she rather liked it, because when she'd be up with me at 3am the sound of the train made her feel less isolated, like there were other people around and awake.

My apartment was right next to the elevated metro and commercial lines (like 50 ft maybe?) I barely noticed it unless I was on the phone on the balcony, or near an open window when it went by. Which, metro, not infrequent.

Damnit, I was going to Do Stuff this morning. Instead, I dozed to the radio, first in bed and then on the couch. Guess I'll just wait and go swimming, then Do Stuff.

That's why I prefer living in town anymore. There are few things as quiet as 3 AM out in the country. And then the dog starts barking at . . . something.

On my twitter timeline this morning, some ios game developers are talking about the cost of their health insurance. One is in NY, family of three, $2300 a month.

Another is in CA, family of 3, $1300 a month.

They are independent, do not work for another company. Holy fuck. People who are against ACA need to be hit with a cluestick.

Well, if they'd had the sense to get degrees in something they could make proper money in, they wouldn't be having this problem. Don't make good, decent, hard-working folks pay for the poor decisions of other people.

Please say I don't have to add the sarcasm font.

Holy fuck. People who are against ACA need to be hit with a cluestick.

I'd like to use against all the people who shot down the single payer plan and the public option as well.

Even as an individual with no health issues, my NY coverage through COBRA was going to be $600/month or something, and I got equivalent coverage in MA for $200/month, thanks to Romneycare.

My house is maybe 30 yards from active train tracks, though a) it's in a 50-foot deep cut, b) part of that 30 yards is wooded slope from the cut, and c) it's mostly commuter trains, so they're only truly busy M-F morning and evening. I really only "notice" them late in autumn and early spring when its warm enough to have the windows open but the trees don't have leaves.

Yet another reason why my house was priced very attractively...

My brother is stressed out right now, he had insurance through the college he's attending for him and my nephew. But the college switched to catastrophic only. His job offers insurance but for full time only. Originally he was going to work part time and take 17 hours so he can graduate at the end of the semester.

Now he's working full time AND taking 17 hours of classes so he can have decent insurance.

So, wouldn't better, universal health insurance help small business owners more than any fucking tax cut you could cobble together? If their expenses were not going toward paying the above rates for each employee and their families, it seems to me that this would be of great help to small businesses - unless I hire only PT people w/o benefits.

(agreed about single payer and public option)