It's a small Manhattan kitchen. If you need a microwave, over the range is the best place for it. Sometimes you just need to do nothing.

There are some broad assumptions being made here that medical insurance equates to medical care. Many care options are flat out denied and/or partially covered. The out of pocket $$$ even with insurance does not work for many ill people. I chose to purchase medications (for my elderly Mom) out of pocket via Canada because it made more sense financially. That is because we have no policies in the United States to compel the pharmaceutical industry to make generic versions for Americans just like they make for the rest of the world. The policies here allow them to sell us a name brand bottle of pills for $900 when I can buy generic via other countries for less than $100. Generic was approved here in 2019. The policies do not make them offer to us, so they don’t.

Currently the corporations write the American Policies. Due to $$$

Does everyone here consider Citizens United to be public policy? I do!

A policy that screwed the American public. BIG time!

Exactly. You know how mine ended, mtn, and you’re so right — dealing with seven figures in bills afterwards just added more trauma to what was already so unbelievably traumatic.

❤️Thank you for your empathy, it’s in such short supply nowadays.

I could write a book here, but won’t — there’s too much hostility in general on these boards lately. I don’t feel comfortable sharing more, even though it might help in understanding what people go through in regards to this particular topic.

I said before that I would not defend the mess that the US medical system is. With that in mind, I find the information and sources cited by TV and others to be biased and flawed. There's no need to continue to throw rocks about this, everyone is entitled to their own perspective on the mess. I respect those with passionate, personal views or unfortunate experiences. What's needed is a political solution to close the coverage gaps and that's unlikely to happen.

Some of you live in states with stingy medical coverage of low-income people. There are states that refuse federal Medicaid funds or limit such programs. These very same states are often ones that score low in objective comparative health stats. If anyone cares, historically this group has been disproportionately Southern states. Making changes in these places is a place to start.

I think some of the comments hinting at consequences of nefarious conspiracies are quite one sided. Extremists of all political colors find funding to do their dirty work, there are no angels or altruistic souls in such endeavors.

Good luck and good health for all.

Arcy's guilty pleasure is thread party pooper.

Thank you everyone.❤️ Arcy, sometimes you ARE a horse's patootie, as grandaddy would say. AND… if you knew half her history and what an accomplishment this is , you’d not dare question a marching band down Broadway.

Since I know the thread will get pulled, I thought this would be the perfect time to share this.

I love reading all these posts. Disclosure, I am a data scientist that studies health outcomes and the effectiveness of campaigns that are meant to influence health outcomes. I was also part of the superwoman generation and have spent a lot of time supporting women's rights and other forms of civil rights and equality movements.

I see all the comments about how work is shared evenly in your households, but when couples are surveyed and time studies are done generally the workload for unpaid home related work is not nearly as even as the survey results show. When we have couples that earn close to the same amount women spend more hours on house work, take more responsibility for managing the household, spend more hours performing childcare, do more multitasking (watching the kids while doing the housework) and have less leisure time. Men spend more hours on paid work, but not enough to make up the difference.

Studies also show that female children spend more time on household chores than male children.

Why is this important? We see that young, single women earn slightly more than young, single males, but when we get married and have children women earnings drop about 4% for every child they have, while men's incomes go up by 6% when they become a father.

Men are more likely to be groomed for advancement in the workplace, will get more promotions and higher raises than women because they are viewed by their managers as being more focused on work and less distracted than women

If we want parity in the workplace it has to start at home.

OllieJane, so you are okay with comparing men to women as an acceptable insult?

There is really no insult for a straight white male which isn't actually an insult to someone who is not a straight white male, because almost any insult to a straight white male is calling him something that is not a straight white male, as if being something other or "less" than his straight white maleness is a really terrible thing.

Unless you have some special dietary concerns, I wouldn't consider pizza for dinner as self-destructive. Fix yourself (or order) a salad to go with or eat a piece of fruit for dessert if it helps you feel better about it, but enjoy your pizza. A Friday night classic.

A few pieces of pizza for dinner is NOT self-destructive, A whole pizza…pizza every night….pizza with ingredients that make you sick and/or countermand your doctor’s recommendations—- that’s self-destructive.

Enjoy your dinner!

I share your size-zip zeal! I have MANY in MANY colors from EF, Gap, and Eddie Bauer. I stocked up over the years, and I'll probably never, ever run out? They are the best look for me.

I appreciate hearing the positive reviews of Brooks Brothers. Up until a few weeks ago I just assumed they were menswear only. I have been eyeing some of their blouses. I have been looking for some blouses and sweaters for work.

Revisiting this thread to report that DD says the skirt and twinset outfit gives her murderous kindergarten teacher vibes. I told her to watch her back 😎

So darling:)

Cutie pies!! Love B’s feet sticking straight out…just adorable, both!

The bottoms of his feet are always filthy. We just cannot get the kid to keep shoes on and we've mostly given up trying unless we're out in public somewhere where it matters.