Comments on: Day Ten: On to Scene Five, After Giddiness

By: Strop

Strop — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:37:05 +0000

I’m in the UK and therefore the NHS, and although it has its problems I’m glad to be in a universal healthcare system.

Just don’t get me started on the evils of pet insurance.

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:52:16 +0000

I agree that Obama is a wonderful speaker. We need that again. I understand your distraction and giddiness. I like the idea of keeping the giddies fed with doughnuts and sprinkles. I may try it sometime when I am in the throws of packing – again!

Take care all!

By: McB

McB — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:28:08 +0000

“party doesn’t matter, we need to work together”

I just wish more politicians would get on board and stop thinking that the old school tie was the most important thing in life. With Obama I worry that I’m coming to believe in something to good to be true. I prefer being cynical and I’m going to be seriously ed if he disappoints me. Hmmm, I know somebody who knows somebody; maybe I can get an “or else” message through.

Sorry to hear that Bob is sick. It seems like if it isn’t one of you, it’s the other. And he was just bragging about being in such good shape, too.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:18:21 +0000

I fixed it, Diane. You can stop twitching.

By: Diane (TT)

Diane (TT) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:53:33 +0000

Rats. I thought I’d deleted the d just before “MRI”, thinking, wow it’s amazing how distracting that one additional letter is, and it turns out I eliminated the space, thus compounding the problem. Sorry – bad proofing!

Oh, and I should have added that I’m fairly lucky – my health problems are far from catastrophic, the bill (while not petty cash) is something I can pay over a couple of months of saving, etc.. My point was that my minor situation was awkward enough for me, and other people have truly terrible stories about insurance or the lack thereof. But when a company has a financial incentive to deny care, they practically have a fiduciary responsibility to do so – and that is not going to “promote the general welfare”!

Good luck to all with reading and writing!

By: Magdiego

Magdiego — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:02:04 +0000

I swear this will be the last I post on anything political. Kieran, I love hearing opposing views stated without emotion! But please, please take a look at what Obama is proposing; it’s not actually universal _healthcare_, it’s universal _insurance_. I won’t go into details here, it’s not the place, but that is a very common misconception about something really important.

By: Diane (TT)

Diane (TT) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:49:05 +0000

I am vastly ignorant of the health care systems in other countries, but I can’t get too excited about ours, when I (otherwise healthy, employed, etc.) get dinged with huge payments to have an abnormal mole removed, because the insurers (despite what the doctor said) declared it to be “pre-existing”. Who cares if it’s pre-existing, surely the important thing is to get it taken care of before it actually makes me sick (and more expensive)?

So, I had Kaiser (a pre-cursor of the HMO) when I was a kid, and that worked really well, but when insurers are spending tons of money thinking up ways to deny coverage to avoid paying for it – that’s REALLY inefficient.

And when every practice has to get themselves an MRI (or other serious machine), so starts calling for them often, to pay for the machine – that’s inefficient.

This is not one of my big issues, and I don’t think it has to be political, but the American health care system sure isn’t working for everyone – not even all of the 83% of us who have insurance, let alone those who don’t.

By: jackie

jackie — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:02:08 +0000

Carrie Vaughn – “Kitty and the Midnight hour” -is a native Coloradan and just blogged on then DNC. Worth a look. Her observations on the whole atmosphere in Denver were great.

By: Kieran

Kieran — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:49:19 +0000

Oops, after I wrote that about Scottish healthcare, I realized I might offend somebody! I’m sorry, Mary. It was just my experience and my Scottish friends’ experiences with the system that brought me to that conclusion. I’m glad to hear your Mom got great care, and I’m sure that if I looked, there would be many people with stories like your mother’s.

And Jenny, I totally agree that the bashing and total division between parties is so bad for our country. We’re all on the same team–wouldn’t it be great if the whole world were on the same team?

Eckhart Tolle is a huge influence on me now. I am totally trying not to put up barriers, labelling myself to prop up a sham sense of self. We are all creatures sharing this planet together, we will all live and die, we should all try to help each other through this experience called Life.

I like listening to Mr. Tolle on my iPod. I love his voice. And he’s HOT, no matter how unattractive he says he is. Go, Eckhart, you guru you!

Peace to all of you, my friends!!!!

By: Melissa Blue

Melissa Blue — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:15:33 +0000

Jenny,

I just think we’re *Americans* burnt out and any sign of hope that the economy, society, everything that is going wrong right now MIGHT get better is what we need to believe. Obama is not only making us believe it’s possible, but he’s doesn’t seem tainted by politics. I’m a born cynic, but even this guy is getting to me. I’m hoping he’s the once in the lifetime type of presidential canidate that is as good as he seems.

And really hope just springs eternal anyway.

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:04:41 +0000

Jenny, I want “It’s possible to say, “You’re wrong,” without adding “You’re old, you’re stupid, you’re elitist, you’re ugly.” on a T-shirt. Those are words to live by.
Kiernan, I live in Canada where we have a universal health care system. Yes there are problems, I have never ever heard of any health care system, universal or not that didn’t have problems, however, my mother lived in Scotland for the last 20 years of her life and let me tell you, she had excellent health care including doctors that made housecalls. Mary

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:43:24 +0000

Kieran, all Republicans welcome here, along with Independents, Democrats, and the Green Party. The best part of Obama’z speech last night, if you ask me, is where he said party doesn’t matter, we need to work together. I’d love to see political parties disbanded altogether, but I have a feeling people would just make up new ones. Everybody wants to belong to something, and somebody has to organize things so we got parties, folks.

But I do love a good debate; that is, one that looks at the issues and discusses them without personal attacks. It’s possible to say, “You’re wrong,” without adding “You’re old, you’re stupid, you’re elitist, you’re ugly.” If Obama can rescue American politics from the Rove-minded name-calling and swift-boating, he’ll have done this country a huge favor.

By: robena grant

robena grant — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:34:09 +0000

I know what you mean, Jenny. I intended to write for another two or three hours last night but after Obama’s speech I was thrown into some kind of reverie. Loved what he had to say about change, how Washington doesn’t change, change comes to Washington.

By: Kira

Kira — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:14:05 +0000

Is it me, or is it just exactly like the last season of West Wing?

Except there’s no chance of him picking anyone as sane as Alan Alda’s character for Secretary of State …

I’m a Republican, too, but G-d bless America, and whoever gives her hope.

Jenny, thank you again for sharing your writing process. I would never have thought that someone with your aplomb experiences panic. Good luck -I hope you find the right thing to do with that scene soon, so it doesn’t cause you any more anguish.

By: Kieran

Kieran — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:06:56 +0000

I usually vote Republican, and I like Obama. But I’m worried that I’m all about emotion and sentimentality with him. I’m not sure that is the way to vote, with stars in my eyes because I’m enamored of this guy’s energy and vision–can he implement it? That’s the question.

And one part of his vision worries me–his plans for universal health care. When I lived in Scotland, the health care system was designed to support everyone, but it wasn’t nearly as good as ours in the US, and everyone there, whether rich or poor, lost in the long run. Even with its problems, I think our healthcare system is the best in the world.

Jenny, I hope you don’t mind that a Republican reads you and comments. Feel free to eliminate this comment if it riles you–I want you to stay on track with that book!

:>)

By: Naked Under my Clothes

Naked Under my Clothes — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:26:14 +0000

Not to be a total wet blanket, but don’t forget that the really hard part starts in January, whoever wins in November.

See, this convention, through the election, is like being in the throes of a fabulous story idea…and then when the election is over, you have to sit down to the page, day after day, to share the fabulousness with the public. That’s hard work, baby.

And even though the fabulousness is never the same on the page as it is in your head, there can still be fabulousness, even in the imperfect execution. So there is reason for hope, in both the world of the reader and the world of the, er, world.

But it’s the hard work that makes the hope of good things come to fruition.

Geez, I sound just like my mother, God rest her soul.

By: ajay

ajay — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:01:35 +0000

This has been a beautiful four days. And now my hopes are sky high and I’m madly in love with the possibilities. Glad to hear you are too.

By: Erica

Erica — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:08:46 +0000

I actually saw a speech given by Mrs Ombama in some big stadium shown on SBS (Aussie tv channel that shows foreign news and such). What an amazing lady

By: RfP

RfP — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:29:50 +0000

Oh, and remember: productive procrastination. Use the panic to fuel productivity. Write while giddy and see what happens. Eat doughnuts to maintain giddiness. Add sprinkles for the sugar rush.

Why no, I don’t hear a maniacal cackle.

By: RfP

RfP — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:25:56 +0000

The TV commentators seemed a bit giddy tonight too.