Austinist: I Am So Popular: Take My Uterus-- Please!

Ska1ser

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:00:08 -0600

I have lived in Australia, and nationalized health care is more about quantity than quality. IT's fine if you have endless time to wait. It still COSTS money, just not as much as private. It's not free. Australia has a HIGH HIGH HIGH tax rate. So even with living in other countries you get what you pay for. They still have private insurance which is vastly supreme to the one the govt hands out to everyone. Half the time you go in for something (i.e. x-ray, etc) and you end up waiting SO long with other people that you can get sick with something else. Not a big fan of nationalized health care, but it's not to say we don't need something for everyone. I just don't know with all the bureaucracies(sp?) we have now that it won't get all F-ed up anyway. This was a good article in terms of getting a discussion started. I do agree with personal responsibility. You only get one life, and it's really up to you how to live it. Eat like shit, and you'll feel like it. I agree I shouldn't have to pay for it, but sometimes it's nice to have some compassion for others who didn't necessairly get fat, because they ate too much. All bodies are different.

weirdo

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:37:03 -0600

"Meanwhile, if you don't have insurance because private co's won't take you, take a class at ACC and sign up for their insurance." That is simply sidestepping. You're not there for the class, by your suggestion; you're there for the insurance. I'm hardly a fan of insurance companies, but at least have the balls to admit you're gaming the system. As for popularity, who gives a fuck? I have more than enough good friends. Having strangers on a website approve of me is hardly on my top 100 list of priorities. And if you really believe that food and exercise choices are not responsible for 90% of our health, then keep going to school. You're going to need that insurance... My point is, essentially: I take a lot of time and effort ot stay healthy. Why should I pay taxes to ennable the lazy fat pigs in this corpulent land who never think about health until it's time to leach off public health care? I've lived in Sweden, Germany, France and Canada. What do you know about nationalized health care? Catastrophic accidents are one thing; heart and other diseases caused by obesity and plain sloth are not my ills to heal. They are personal responsibilities. Shunting them to the state (which is really the taxpayers) is like saying, I ran my credit card over my limit last month. You're my neighbour, why don't you pay for it?

tspoonie

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:11:15 -0600

If you call paying a monthly premium (plus the deductibles and co-pays) in exchange for allowable reimbursements "ripping them off" then I guess you've caught me red handed. Somebody better tell the CEO and shareholders of that company that they've really botched the business model. Lifestyle and food choices can be a factor. But you make out like it's a simple equation. And yet we all know that some people do all the right things and drop dead on the hike and bike trail. Genetics plays a role as well as environmental conditions. If you want to learn more, I suggest the anatomy, physiology, and microbiology courses at ACC. It wouldn't take very much to be as smart as me. But I can tell you'll never be as popular as Spike.

weirdo

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:53:12 -0600

"And the idea that there is some direct cause/effect between lifestyle and disease is too rediculous to address. I hope you don't blame yourself too much if you get a debilitating disease someday. It must be very frustrating for you, understanding so little about how things work." Perhaps someday I will be as smart as you! You're right; lifestyle and disease have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Fat people get so many more diseases because they, uh, um, well, they uh, must be genetically predisposed. Just like smokers and lung cancer. Not their fault! If lifestyle and food choices and lack of exercise don't cause disease, please inform us dumbasses what does. You know so much about how things work, you must know the answer. PS You're ripping off ACC and that company, spin it how you will. Why do they owe you health insurance?

tspoonie

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:40:27 -0600

The insurance that you get thru ACC is not sponsored by ACC, but is a private insurance company. Did you actually think it was a charity paid for by the school and funded by taxpayers? It's a for-profit business that doesn't cherrypick individuals because the pool is mostly young, healthy people who never need it. The insurance co also has many limits on what they pay out so they don't end up loosing if a couple of sick apples end up in the young, healthy barrel. Furthermore, students are not required to buy the insurance so the live-free-or-die crowd can skip it completely. Clear enough? Furthermore, it's only working people who are screwed. The rich can pay for full-body transplants if they want. The poor get free health care already. And even if they didn't, you can't collect what they don't have. If you want to step over people dying the streets, I suggest you move to a third-world nation. And the idea that there is some direct cause/effect between lifestyle and disease is too rediculous to address. I hope you don't blame yourself too much if you get a debilitating disease someday. It must be very frustrating for you, understanding so little about how things work. No wonder you're so angry. Maybe you should take some classes at ACC!

weirdo

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:01:15 -0600

Sign up for ACC just so they can pay for your insurance? Guess who really foots the bill? Austin taxpayers. Which brings us to the real issue here that no one will touch: give me one good reason why the world, the state, the city, your neighbors owe you one damn bit of money for anyone's health issues? Why does the world owe anyone anything just for being born? I grew up with full total state health care and frankly much prefer the social darwinism of the states. Fuck universal health care. Go to Sweden, England, etc and see how many folks are in the doc's office every damn day with a sore toenail. This country is full of fat pigs who never give a thought to their health until it disappears, and then waaaaa it's everyone else's fault for not taking car of their hospital bills. Nothing against Spike, your situation sucks, but truly, why should everyone else have to pay for everyone else's health issues? Soon enough folks will learn that health is a purely personal matter that each of us needs to take care of personally. Until then, just sign up for ACC and jack them for your health problems so that people who really want to learn something there will have to pay far more, so that you can screw them for bills that have nothing to do with them. Great health plan!

tspoonie

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:35:27 -0600

I feel yr pain, in a manner of speaking, and my COBRA is about to run out. We need to ask ourselves if we are a first world country, and if so, then act accordingly. Meanwhile, if you don't have insurance because private co's won't take you, take a class at ACC and sign up for their insurance. It's not the best, you'll pay out of pocket for prescriptions, and it only goes up to $50K, not enough for cancer or a heart attack. But, it's better than nothing. Just thought you might like to know.

spikegillespie

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:49:53 -0600

why thank you. i'm pretty fond of it myself!

AustinTourist

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:43:10 -0600

What a c*nt.

floydene

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:26:30 -0600

I have never cried with laughter about someone's health woes. Sign me up for one of those t-shirts, girl.

seth

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:43:48 -0600

Stompo is so right. It's like someone trying to productize a cry for sympathy in text format. I suppose spoken word as well if you get sucked into the Hyde Park Theater offering. It is awful that our country still doesn't have good universal healthcare. Sadly, I don't think Obama will bring it, either. People have gotten all sucked up into this guy's campaign because he's not X and not Y, but they're not especially clear what he is. His vote yesterday giving amnesty to the telcos that assisted in Bush's illegal wiretaps provides a good insight, though. I wish the best for Spike in her struggle with this healthcare situation. My only suggestion might be to get a CPA that can help you hide your income well enough that you can qualify for Medicaid coverage. Seth

spikegillespie

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:12:40 -0600

on a totally different note-- a few weeks ago i wrote about knitting and offered to teach anyone interested. the first free lesson is tuesday, july 15th, 5ish. email spike@spikeg.com for details. thanks, spike

KatintheHat

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:06:52 -0600

Every time I read a story like this, I get ridiculously angry at our health care system all over again and spend a few more minutes depressed that Hillary didn't win. (FYI, I'm voting Obama now. Don't worry, I'm not an angry feminist.) We're one of the last First World nations that doesn't take care of our citizens, and one day or another I'm convinced the US will eventually get universal health care. Sorry, that's my little rant for the day. I just hate hate hate hearing stories like this and knowing if that person just happened to live in Scandinavia, the UK, or even Canada... They'd be honky-dory.

sun dae

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:29:49 -0600

ha ha. so true, yet i cannot not read these. and i totally have one of those neighbors. and i cannot not listen to her, either.

Lord Stompo

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:06:06 -0600

Reading this column is like being cornered by your crazy neighbor with all the cats while she tells you far more than you ever wanted to know about her uterine issues and cavalcade of ex-husbands.

spikegillespie

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:28:49 -0600

i got mine at bookwoman-- the new location is on n. lamar, near great hall games. everyone needs one of those shirts.

ennea999

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:07:56 -0600

please tell me how to get one of those uterus ut-like t-shirts. thanks, -s