From NPR: Almost 3/4 of Doctors Support Public Option

Just found an interesting story on doctor's opinions and healthcare reform. I originally heard it on NPR "All Things Considered" yesterday afternoon and found the print version. Some highlights from the article:

• 63% of doctors favor a plan that would include a public option as well as the freedom to purchase private insurance. This is the plan supported by Barack Obama and many others, including this particular blogger
• Another 10% of those doctors polled say they support a public option only
• The survey found that the support was widespread and did not differ much between specialists and generalists or those salaried or in private practice.
• Many of the doctors who wanted a public option were AMA members, despite the fact the AMA is opposed to a public option
  

I stole this graph from the NPR article, linked above

What this means is that compared with polls conducted on the general public (ostensibly, patients), doctors are more in favor of a public option and that much of the political dissonance surrounding healthcare which uses doctors as an example of who might be victimized by such reform is inaccurate, at least with regard to an overwhelming majority of doctor's opinions. Certainly something to chew on.

This Week (In My Opinion): Week of August 16th

PROJECT RUNWAY

I have to lead with this because I am almost positive that I am not the only person, even among my (so-far) limited pool of blog readers who is absolutely, 100%, hardly containably excited for the premiere of season six of Project Runway. Guaranteed. As the show was moving from Bravo to Lifetime, it got caught up in a cyclone of legal bureaucratic nonsense that almost kept this season off the air...it was filmed almost a year ago at this point, and fans have been biting their nails in anticipation. It's hard to put one's finger on the pulse of exactly why this show is so good, but it simply is. I think it has a lot to do with seeing some industry insiders whose expertise pack a true punch foster and reward new talent in such a way that it seems to actually have an impact in the designers' continued success. That, and it's just so full of personality. It's been far too long since Tim Gunn inspired me to make it work. It premieres on Thursday, August 20th on Lifetime at 10pm ET/PT.


HEALTHCARE

I plan to say a lot more on this subject at a later date, especially given my strong personal opinions on the matter, but as for a blanket statement related to the topic's timeliness, am I the only one who feels a bit jerked around by the ongoing legislation? Everyone seems to have some wildly bold opinions on what they want to do with healthcare and yet just about everyone can agree that our current system isn't working for everyone. If we can agree the current system isn't working, then why are people so resistant to ANY change? And on a separate note, I am a staunch Obama supporter, but if its true that he plans to "back off a plan," as some pundits have stated, I think it's a bad time for that. If he wants to make this a pet issue, he needs to really drive it, not have a jelly spine on the matter. I would be disappointed if, rather than focusing the issue on what we can accomplish, he gives up on the fight. Stay strong, Barack! I mean, at the very least can we agree that it should be illegal to dump people from insurance plans for getting cancer (it happens, in a roundabout way) or exclude people from coverage for pre-existing conditions? I think we can all agree on that...

COLIN MELOY

Colin Meloy, the lead singer of the Decemberists, has a lot less to do with topicality and a lot more to do with things on my mind lately. He's just so ridiculously good looking and I appreciate that in a genre overrun by really unattractive, very tight jeans and ridiculous outfits that make hipsters and their ilk fodder for ridicule, Colin Meloy can still rock a suit and occasionally, a beard with the rest of them. I love it. He's so good looking, not to mention his talents. I think I like him and the Decemberists because in an industry overwraught with excessively simple lyrics, they dare to be as grandiose and verbose and other ten-dollar-words as they like. Good for them. And with John Cusack, my previous predominant celebrity crush falling from grace due to some grammatically appalling and boring/ridiculous twitter updates, Colin seems fit to fill his shoes. In my dreams.

TRUE BLOOD

I'm sorry to offend any die-hard fans out there, but with members of my family and a couple friends being interested in the show, I've attempted to give it a couple different shots and can only conclude that it SUCKS. Yeah, I had to bold that. I've yet to get through a full episode and most sections I see inevitably include either overly dramatic exchanges or gratuitous vampire sex. Seriously, this goes far beyond my distaste for vampire stories in general and well into the realm of cliche and a little sad. Observe the picture I found, I feel it's absurdity sums up a lot of why I think this show is bad. There are so many good shows on television that investigate so many different subjects that I just find it a little silly that the shape-shifter orgy show is getting so much buzz. Does that make me prudish? No. Do I think people are less intelligent for liking a show that to me seems stupid? Who am I to judge, I love The Bachelor. But I know that for all the recommendations this show seems to get, it deserves a bad review. I'm giving that to you.

NEKO CASE

I haven't heard the entirety of Neko Case's new album "Middle Cyclone" yet because poverty keeps me from behaving as I please. But I do know that I've heard a lot of the songs already and I'm dying to get it. I also downloaded the All Songs Considered Live Concert Podcast of her show at the Newport Folk Festival and it's so, so good. She's so funny and personable in between songs, much like she is when she plays with The New Pornographers and her voice is just as clear and twice as emotional when you hear her live. I've nothing but good things and recommendations to say when it comes to Neko Case and I think she deserves all the accolades I can muster. To listen to that podcast, simply look up the All Songs Considered Live Concert Podcasts on the iTunes store. They're free and Neko's show is there a long with a lot of other great shows. Or you can go here: Neko Case on NPR Music

LISA FRANK

I just thought I'd remind everybody about Lisa Frank, because I was at Target the other day during school supply shopping for the kiddies and I definitely saw a Lisa Frank puppy poking out of a cart. I don't think she's as prevalent as she once was, but I'm glad to see she still rocks the school supply circuit. Does anyone remember these? I'm pretty sure I had this one pictured here when I was in third grade. I'm pretty sure.

All Songs Considered Poll: Best Songs of the Year So Far (2009)

All Songs Considered on NPR did a listeners poll about their favorite songs of the year 2009 so far. If you want to read the actual All Songs Considered Blog, go here: ALL SONGS CONSIDERED BLOG!

In any event, the list turned out to be pretty in line with my opinion. As the woman on All Things Considered pointed out, the list may be a little skewed by the tendency of young white hip people to be the main demographic that follows All Songs Considered, despite the diverse music featured on the show. But that said, most of the songs are really good. In fact, two of them I've featured on this blog before (those are italicized) I've reposted the list here and bolded and/or featured some of my favorites. To also read their list of the top albums of 2009 so far, go to their blog.

1. My Girls - Animal Collective
2. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear video
3. Blood Bank - Bon Iver video
4. The Rake's Song - The Decemberists video
5. Lisztomania - Phoenix

6. Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
7. This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case video
8. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit

9. Laughing With - Regina Spektor

10. The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid - The Decemberists
11. Train Song - Feist and Ben Gibbard
12. Knotty Pine - David Byrne & Dirty Projectors
13. Daniel - Bat For Lashes

14. Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective
15. One Wing - Wilco
16. The Fear - Lily Allen
17. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs video
18. Wilco (The Song) - Wilco
19. Stillness Is The Move - Dirty Projectors
20. Help, I'm Alive - Metric video
21. Anonanimal - Andrew Bird video
22. On No - Andrew Bird
23. No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand video
24. I And Love And You - The Avett Brothers
25. French Navy - Camera Obscura

26. Magpie to the Morning - Neko Case
27. Woods - Bon Iver
28. Black Hearted Love - PJ Harvey and John Parish
29. While You Wait For The Others - Grizzly Bear
30. Panic Switch - Silversun Pickups


I think my only surprise is that my favorite on Neko Case's new album, "People Got A Lotta Nerve" didn't quite make the cut. That's one I would have definitely put on there.