Vance's 'childless cat ladies' comment sparks uproar from Swift fans: 'Armageddon is coming'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/07/24/taylor-swift-jd-vance-childless-cat-ladies/74525531007/

If you’ve never seen Dorothea Lange’s photographs of the World War II internment camps and the Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned there, today is a good day to see them and to commit to making sure this never happens again.

https://anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothea-lange-censored-photographs

There is so much to experience at the Huntington in Los Angeles (actually in Pasadena) but you will find plenty to see in just two parts of it - the Library and the Japanese Garden. My daughter and I loved our visit:

https://perceptivetravel.com/blog/2024/03/21/huntington-los-angeles/

#TravelTuesday #travel #LosAngeles #California #BotanicalGardens #RoadTrip

Oh cool! There's a new documentary out about The 19th News!

"Who decides which stories get told? A scrappy group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists buck the white male-dominated status quo, banding together to launch The 19th*, a digital news startup aiming to combat misinformation. A story of an America in flux, and the voices often left out of the narrative, the documentary Breaking the News shows change doesn’t come easy."

https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/breaking-the-news/

I have had skin cancer surgeries in 2 countries: the U.S., with "hope you can afford the deductible" insurance, and Portugal with single-payer/universal/socialized medicine.

In the U.S. (in 2001): Notice growth on ear. Call to see primary care. Get into appointment 2 days later. Get a referral to a dermatologist. Wait 2 weeks for the insurance company to approve referral. Get into dermatologist 1 week later and have a biopsy. The biopsy showed it was squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer usually found in folks over 60 (I was 23 or 24). Dermatologist puts in for an approval for surgery which is denied twice over 3 weeks because “the biopsy was wrong.” Get in 2 days later for another biopsy, which, surprise!, shows it really is squamous cell carcinoma. After another week of wrangling with the insurance company, we finally get approval for surgery. Surgery is scheduled for 1 week later. So, from noticing the growth to surgery about 8 weeks.

In Portugal (5 years later): Notice growth on ear. I call primary care and am transferred to the dermatologist. Get same day appointment. Dermatologist looks at it, picks up the phone and calls the plastic surgeon. We walk down the hall to the plastic surgeon. Both doctors consult their schedules, and I’m scheduled for surgery 2 days later. So, from noticing the growth on the ear to surgery about 2 days.

Again, to show you the difference: In the U.S. without universal healthcare, about $1000 out-of-pocket and 8 weeks until surgery. In Portugal with universal healthcare, about $60 out-of-pocket and 2 days until surgery.

When Congress says we can’t afford universal healthcare, they are saying, “We can’t afford to not make the insurance companies money because they fund our campaigns.” It isn’t about the best interest of Americans, it’s about their own best interest.

The first scenic drive in America is still one of the best. Try not to hit any waterfalls as you enjoy Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway scenic byway near Portland. My latest on the Perceptive Travel Blog:

https://perceptivetravel.com/blog/2024/02/15/columbia-river-highway-near-portland/

#travel #RoadTrip #Oregon #ScenicByway

Hey folks!

Heather Cox Richardson and I just recorded an Instagram conversation about what the Taylor Swift phenomenon means—on left and right.

We’ll be dropping new “episodes” regularly, so watch for them!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3LKjAyLJzC/?igsh=MTBscmIzNnFrNTRmMQ==

#taylorswift #politics #superbowl #democracy