Slapdash

"It’s important not to let this contraception clash pass without understanding the true source of the..."

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:36:39 -0600

“It’s important not to let this contraception clash pass without understanding the true source of the problem. It’s not President Obama’s debauched liberal drive to shower teens with condoms and morning-after pills. It’s not the bishops’ urge to enforce a moral code from which most of their flock dissents. A sane America would never deny women who work for Catholic employers access to the contraception that every other health plan offers — but it also wouldn’t force Catholic employers to offer coverage that violates their beliefs. Instead, a sane America would solve this whole problem by moving into the 21st century and making sure people can buy group health coverage on their own and not tied to their employers.”

- The missing contraception question - The Washington Post Wouldn’t removing the cost of providing employees’ health care make it cheaper for businesses to hire? More jobs! (via swirlspice)

Well… probably not. Businesses don’t have to provide health insurance now; when they do, it’s because they are competing with each other for employees, and offering insurance makes them more attractive to potential employees. Healthy employees are an added benefit; and of course some employers just believe it’s the right thing to do, and hooray for them. But mostly it’s because most people would rather enroll in group health insurance than have to buy it individually in the existing market. If you have a choice between a job with insurance and one without it, you’ll probably take the insurance!

If health insurance were decoupled from employment, employers would still be competing with each other for employees; and employees would still need to buy health insurance. And so a likely way for this to play out is that employers would take the money they’re putting into health insurance and convert it into higher salaries. No new jobs!

But it’s still a great idea. When you think about it, it’s just kind of bizarre that your health care is tied to your choice of employment. It makes it harder to leave a job you don’t like, and harder to start your own business. And as Matt Miller points out, it is why we have political tempests like the current one. If you could choose your own insurance, people who work for Catholic employers and want birth control coverage would just get it, and we wouldn’t have to argue about who’s being “forced” to pay for what.

edkohler: spiegelman: barackobama: An hour and twenty minutes...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:36:07 -0600

edkohler:

spiegelman:

barackobama:

An hour and twenty minutes of the First Lady hugging people. You’re welcome.

THIS IS INSANE

Try to watch 5 minutes of this starting at around 36 minutes. The streams of people who are so proud to get to meet Michelle Obama is overwhelming. At 53 minutes, the group of girls is great awesome too.

OMG

"We’re excited to announce that Freelancers Union is sponsoring new, nonprofit, member-driven..."

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:05:21 -0600

“We’re excited to announce that Freelancers Union is sponsoring new, nonprofit, member-driven health plans in New York, New Jersey, and Oregon.”

- This is great news, although I probably won’t move to New Jersey for it.

Octavio Ocampo, “Jimmy Carter”

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

Octavio Ocampo, “Jimmy Carter”

Supporters of Minnesota’s voter ID amendment posted this...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:05:00 -0600

Supporters of Minnesota’s voter ID amendment posted this illustration of who they’re protecting us against.

If this blog is to be believed, Seoul is gorgeous.

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:41:54 -0600

If this blog is to be believed, Seoul is gorgeous.

Photo of Seoul by Keeran Murphy.

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

Photo of Seoul by Keeran Murphy.

Los Angeles. 1900. Spring St. near 8th. (via Twin City...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

Los Angeles. 1900. Spring St. near 8th.

(via Twin City Sidewalks)

"Every political question is a battle between winners and losers, every last one. And in this battle,..."

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:30:06 -0600

“Every political question is a battle between winners and losers, every last one. And in this battle, you want me to rush to the aid of someone like Kim Dotcom? No thanks. The information is never free. Somebody gets paid. The question is, which soulless millionaires and corporations do you want to pay?”

- Freddie deBoer has another take on SOPA.

nedhurley: sarahjulson: Empty Words (so that we may do our...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:06:50 -0600

nedhurley:

sarahjulson:

Empty Words (so that we may do our living) by Piotr Szyhalski at Northern Spark 2011 in Minneapolis, MN.

A first glimpse of some of the footage Ethan Holbrook and I shot and edited for the Labor Camp.

I like how this captures the sheer strangeness of the work. Also, I like it because I’m in it.

Today, like every day, is a good day to reread Mildred...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:26:20 -0600

Today, like every day, is a good day to reread Mildred Loving’s statement on the 40th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia:

The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God’s plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation’s fears and prejudices have given way, and today’s young people realize that if someone loves someone, they have a right to marry….

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.

The full statement is longer, and better, and available as a PDF.

"The Grammys. Think. That they. Were the victim. Of Chris Brown. Hitting. Rihanna. In the face."

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:32:16 -0600

“The Grammys. Think. That they. Were the victim. Of Chris Brown. Hitting. Rihanna. In the face.”

- Sasha Pasulka is not okay with Chris Brown.

“An aerial view of submerged cars at the Honda car factory...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

“An aerial view of submerged cars at the Honda car factory in Ayutthaya province,” Narong Sangnak, October 2011

(via Desdemona Despair’s “50 doomiest images of 2011”)

"There is a graceful manner of holding a hat, which every well-bred man understands."

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

“There is a graceful manner of holding a hat, which every well-bred man understands.”

- Martine’s Hand-Book of Etiquette,
and Guide to True Politeness
(via Kempt)

wr3n: Welcoming the RNC 08/08 February 7th, 2012 is caucus...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:43:33 -0600

wr3n:

Welcoming the RNC 08/08

February 7th, 2012 is caucus night in Minnesota. Find your caucus precinct location for all political parties here. Never caucused before? Just show up. Grass roots participation starts at the caucus.

I’ve been around politics my whole life but I’m not sure I’ve ever caucused. Tonight’s the night!

"A Pitchfork review may ignore history, aesthetics, or the basic technical aspects of tonal music,..."

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:30:05 -0600

“A Pitchfork review may ignore history, aesthetics, or the basic technical aspects of tonal music, but it will almost never fail to include a detailed taxonomy of the current hype cycle and media environment. This is a small, petty way of thinking about a large art, and as indie bands have both absorbed and refined the culture’s obsession with who is over- and underhyped, their musical ambitions have been winnowed down to almost nothing at all.”

- Richard Beck, “5.4”

I don’t know if this is fair to Pitchfork or to indie rock - I suspect not - but it’s an interesting read, especially after Let’s Talk About Love.

From Adam Sherwin, “The plastic found in a single...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:30:06 -0600

From Adam Sherwin, “The plastic found in a single turtle’s stomach”

(via Desdemona Despair’s “50 doomiest images of 2011”)

Calvin Trillin: “President Romney Meets Other World Leaders”

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:52:23 -0600

Calvin Trillin: “President Romney Meets Other World Leaders”:

“Congratulations,” President Romney said. “Lipstick contains a substance made from fish scales.”

colleen-powers replied to your photo: Tomorrow night in Minneapolis an 8-piece band is… ...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:02:00 -0600

colleen-powers replied to your photo: Tomorrow night in Minneapolis an 8-piece band is…

Love it! Will the openers also be playing Jeff Mangum/NMH songs, or just your band?

As far as I know, only us. The upside of this is, you don’t have to listen to the same eleven songs over and over for four hours. On the downside, they’re pretty good songs.

Tomorrow night in Minneapolis an 8-piece band is going to cover...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:34:18 -0600

Tomorrow night in Minneapolis an 8-piece band is going to cover Neutral Milk Hotel’s album “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” start to finish. I’ll be in it! Playing accordion! We also have trombone and singing saw and some other instruments, and singers. It will be great.

Details: Cause Spirits & Soundbar, 3001 Lyndale Ave. S.
$5 cover, doors at 9, music at 9:45, our set at 12:15.
Facebook event.