The upscale but privately owned coffee shop is crowded. I sip the double Espresso (meant to calm my sore throat), while reading about the health care bill that covers an additional 31 million individuals, the bill the insurance companies and big pharmacy are patting themselves on the back over. I wonder what will happen in 5, maybe even 3, years when 105 million out of the middle will be choosing between food and housing or health insurance and medicine. The shame of no national health care haunts me.
I don’t miss the irony. A double espresso is costly, and this is my second.
I continue reading, this time about millions of hungry people in this country, many of them are children, and though it doesn’t specifically say so I’m fairly certain some of them are veterans. I know because we feed a lot of veterans at the mission and homeless shelter here.
I’m not alone. I’m considering lunch, while listening to co-workers discuss the political anthropology of our organization. At the same time I’m concentrating haphazardly on a discussion between two individuals I have great fondness for. A Chicano and a Cuban American. The conversation/argument surrounds the differences between Chicano and Cuban Americans. I, being neither Chicano or Cuban, unless non bio family osmosis counts, am a happy to monitor this type of thing after a couple of glasses of wine, but I prefer not to deal with it while drinking my 2nd pre-lunch Espresso.
I grab the laptop, briefly click through to TPM where they were highlighting John Stewart’s wtf talk with Lou Dobbs. I appreciate the observation made by one commenter — “that for Dobbs advocating for the military industrial complex is the middle of the road and advocating for health care for the soldier running up Omaha beach is taking a hard turn to the left “. I want to add that Dobbs has always been covertly irrational. Covert because his voice doesn’t squeal with hysteria and he doesn’t cry like Beck. His patronizing, yet almost calming, tone deceives those for whom overly cynical, strict fatherly love has a calming effect, giving the illusion of a rationality he does not possess, and making him all the more dangerous.
peace
Wow. Is this the New Yorker?
.-= Doug´s last blog ..Gastric Juice =-.
I apologize.
You had me at gastric juice though.
My comment was meant as a compliment. You had me at of which Dobbs was the worst I could think of.
.-= Doug´s last blog ..Tope =-.
I’m
never quite
sure with you.
It’s all about
the mystery.
;)
covertly irrational – I love it.
Wine not espresso when involved in heated discussions between latino friends.
.-= john´s last blog ..It’s All About the Handball =-.
I find the description to be fairly accurate.
I’d wonder where you disappeared to this last week. ;)
A+, what can I say. It’s less like a blog post and more like one of those things that just need to be read.What you say of Dobbs deception is true.
.-= jacob´s last blog ..Michelle Wie Finally A Member of the Winners Circle =-.
this is an aside but i always want to say expresso.
.-= jacob´s last blog ..Michelle Wie Finally A Member of the Winners Circle =-.
shame on you. ;)
Sick, working, and in school, a hell of a combination, Jacob. That I am here
at all is a testament to my strength and endurance, as well as my addictive personality.
Health insurance for myself and my kids went from $500 to $800 in the course of two months. A 22% increase because of costs, then a second increase (approx $100) because I turned 45. I sure wish there was an answer.
.-= Croaker´s last blog ..Swan Song =-.
Wait another 5 years. This state had a 16 to 20 percent increase this year in preparation for this fake health care stuff going on right now.
Lou Dobbs and bleepnutz Beck are the 21st century’s version of Jim Jones and Jim Baker. It’s the new religion.
But in a way that is not quite as obvious to stupid people. yes?
If you condescend to someone who doesn’t know they’re being condescended to, is it still considered condescend..ation? Or is it just a new kind of sad?
.-= Bone´s last blog ..Paths =-.
The second one.
Not a bad lunch hour. I’ve had much worse. As time goes on your entertainment factor becomes equal to the opinion factor. Or vice versa. Does that make sense?
I agree with the whole covertly irrational thing, the dumber someone is the more likley they will not pick up oin the irrationality. You were gentler. ;)
.-= g´s last blog ..Will I Be Famous =-.
Seeing Dobbs go was a good start to my week. Seeing Stewart lay him out like the fat blob he is, was the best part of my week. But why is a fake news journalist doing the work of the MSM?
How long till Dobbs signs with Fox News?
.-= Chris- The Fold´s last blog ..GOP: The Official Party of Conspiracy Theories =-.
Or run for president?
So much right about this. A soothing hysteria – if that’s possible.
Espresso is not my drug of choice for a sore throat. I hope your throat is better.
so hysteria is soothing now? I like it.
I had a dream, and the person in reference was you, which is rather odd since I seldom recall any dreams about anybody ever. I thought maybe that means I need to prose by.
No, nothing sexual. Very lovingly friendly, which struck me as peculiar.
Speaking of which, I think the function of Lou Dobbs is to satisfy a percentage of Americans needing to hear an old white guy say things in a slightly condescending overtone based on irrational stereotypes. I think his elderly gay sex tips might be just as fulfilling to a certain demo-graph.
.-= Bennet´s last blog ..Sell Some Crazy For The Hazy =-.
I’m the reference in many a dream, what can I say I am a scary person but quite memorable even if one has not met me. ;)
God he is so much worse than any old white guy I ever knew.
I’ve always thought there is something violent about forcing hot water under pressure through finely ground coffee. It may calm your sore throat but doesn’t it jangle your nerves?
Other than the espresso, you make the lunch time information gathering, conversation, and thoughts sound like a dream – even the dobbs part.
.-= casey´s last blog ..Port of Baltimore to be Upgraded =-.
Invigorating not violent….
It was sort of like a dream all week from school to work because I was half ill all week.
A great little piece. You’ve always been “a creative”, why you want to analyze policy just to change it into something that’ll need to be changed in ten years is beyond my limited comprehesion.
I place Dobbs among the condescendingly wrong assholes I always wanted to see get drunk and fall on their ass. Or head.
.-= dane/robotman´s last blog ..Been Busy =-.
condescendingly wrong assholes – yes, yes.
A creative? Is that some kind of mutant?