The Frankish Reich

No offense, but this is what MDs always say. There's a protectionist/limiting competition reason for that. My take: it is better to have access to a primary care provider, even if it is a PA or NP, than it is to have no access at all. And that's kind of where we're heading in a lot of parts of this country. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Should we allow NPs/PAs to practice without onsite physician "supervision" (supervision that exists more on an org chart than in reality) in underserved areas? Absolutely. All those routine physicals, well-baby appointments, taking blood samples and adjusting blood pressure meds, treating strep, etc., etc. We are spending way, way too much on all those things.

Famous Communist Ronald Reagan: "anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in America and become an American." No stronger statement of American Exceptionalism has ever been voiced.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Busy little beaver! Assuming narrative control this morning, out Homelanding Homelander! Congratulations. Now pretend that you aren't seeing this.

Tis the season ... I just saw my first "What will Thanksgiving Dinner Cost this Year" story. And the answer is still: "not much." Oh, a little more than last year for sure, but still, not much. Eating the common family's food at home? Cheap. Eating out at restaurants? Expensive. Wow. What a shock.

I would agree IF there were any reason to believe that the Republicans would negotiate anything. They passed the BBB with only Republican support, using the reconciliation process to jam it through. I doubt this is a good strategy on the part of the Democrats, but I get it. Like the Republicans under the start of Obama, they have leverage only through the budget process, and even worse through the debt ceiling.

We are getting there, but we are getting there really slowly. @Joe Ferguson forever, we don't need you doing primary care in small town Alabama. We do need an NP or a PA and some other less overeducated health professionals there. The American model of training physicians - 4 years of college, 4 years of residency, etc, etc, is just way too expensive and lengthy for what we really need in these non-major cities. I'm in a big city with leading regional healthcare, but when something more than the old "it'll probably resolve by itself in a week or with antibiotics" hits me, I'm referred to a specialist anyway.

This is the polar opposite of the original idea of American Exceptionalism. Call it what you want - I call it true love for my country - but I still try to honor that ideal, that we are a country based on an idea, a common goal, rather than just a common ancestry.

It's that ability to bring in guys who don't "fit the culture" and somehow wind up maintaining the culture.

I have to question the Democrats' strategy here, since they've put themselves in a very difficult position. If they'd signed off on a QR, I think it's obvious that the Republicans would have to 100% own the end of the supplemental Obamacare subsidies. Now? Well, it's kind of a muddle in the eyes of the average low-information voter. I think that's where we're headed, and I still think we'll see very significant blowback from some of the red state members of the House and Senate.

Milei's "dollarization" plan has gone nowhere. I'm glad his party won, because the alternative was worse. But at best it's Two Cheers for Javier.

Hmm, 1865 ... I wonder what happened then. Perhaps more accurate to say we're about 406 years into the experiment to forcibly import African workers for the enrichment of your so-called "Americans?"

We're gonna get some WR. I'm sure of that. No way this team is going into the second half with the WR room we have now.

How about Pets' Rights too! Stop the scourge of Pawtism. I think my dog might be on the spectrum. He's nonverbal and exhibits repetitive "stimming" behaviors. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/briefing/anti-vax-for-dogs.html

Don't sleep on Devaughn Vele. Maybe the Saints want to move one of the starters and give Vele a chance, but right now it looks like they don't value him. He's the one I'd want.

World Series time. A competitive game ...

Too bad there wasn't anything like TBD back then. I was a kid, but I remember some Bills fans saying things like "I think Marangi could be a good one." He really was that bad. The QBR for "good" QBs in that era was much lower, but Fergy had his best (injury-shortened) QBR that same season: 90.0. And Marangi put up a 30.8 with the same offense. Just horrible.

Run blocking!

It somehow is a weird source of pride for me that my Bills have had both Nathan Peterman and Gary Marangi under center. #1 and #2 worst NFL QBs of all time (although Peterman getting garbage starts is ruining that)

I will stop hating them when Kraft finally departs. And I don't mean departs New England.

Love that guy. He just does whatever you ask him to do, and does it efficiently.

I hope you mean you saw the entire soccer game. No multitasking allowed! You should be busy yelling at the refs. (Thanks for the report!)

My cheap/realistic trade target: https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4569559/devaughn-vele Flashed a bit as a Bronco. 6'5", seems to be able to get open. Broncos WR room was (as we're seeing) loaded. Traded him to the Saints, where he is a victim of terrible QBing. Late bloomer because he did a Mormon mission.

I thought our Flanker played well today. The Split Ends, not so much.

That's probably why he's nervous.

Right. Trump said as much when asked about Comey. Something like "if he's guilty, he's guilty, if not, then he's not." Which is of course not the standard the Department of Justice uses. Under DOJ guidelines, you don't bring a prosecution on a coin flip chance of winning. You bring it only if you are confident that a jury will find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.