THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND

And Alfie Evans is in the news--a child many people say is the victim of Britain's "Utopian" socialized medical system.

I never had to see a doctor in England but I did in Germany. For the most part I had great doctors but my ex said there really are two classes, regardless of what people say. I went to a clinic for a follow-up appointment (their wish, not mine). It was like an ice cream parlour or a bakery where you take a number. I was dead last, even though I wasn't the last to take a number. When my turn finally came the doctor said cheerfully "last but not least." I was furious. I asked "why? I was here before a lot of these other ladies and none of them looked very sick." He glibly told me the other patients were "special cases"--for example some of them were there for ultrasounds, which are NOT brain surgery. Another was a very old lady who was there as an inpatient. Hell, she wasn't going anywhere anyway.

When I got home my ex told me the truth: the "special cases" were probably privately insured, either through their own or a family member's jobs. They paid out of pocket and got reimbursed so the clinic got its money right away--with my insurance they had to submit the paperwork to my carrier and wait for their money. Mystery solved.

It bothered me. When I fly I see people in first class get better seats towards the front of the plane--they get just about everything first, better etc. That's understandable--they're paying more so of course they should get more. But to pretend you have such a perfect social system and treat socially insured patients badly is hypocritical.

Note: most German doctors weren't this bad. One of my ex's friends went to a private clinic not far from where I lived. When I went there they explained they couldn't treat me without a referral but they recommended another doctor in the same neighbourhood. I ended up going to his partner instead. She was wonderful. The only reason I stopped going to her was I left the country.

BILL COSBY WAS CONVICTED.

Someone asked on Facebook why his accusers waited so long. I think there are a couple reasons 1) They didn't think anyone would believe them. 2) They feared retribution 3) They felt what happened was their fault. I can think of two cases in which I didn't come forward or press for "justice." Both times I was afraid of retribution, one time I felt some guilt even though the other party committed what would probably be considered a serious HR violation.

A little known fact: one of his daughters was married to a man who lives in DC. (The marriage only lasted about a year). Years ago I told him I could have married for money but didn't. He told me he DID marry for money and when it was over he said "here's your money back." I really respected him for that although I couldn't figure why he would marry for money as he's a doctor and joined his father's practice after graduating so he wouldn't really need money that much. A local bartender told me the story--this man had been married to Bill Cosby's daughter. You could have knocked me over with a feather--the idea that a man who had been married to a billionaire celebrity's daughter found me beautiful. Cosby's ex son in law told me the celebrity lifestyle was what attracted him although his wife was in his words, bat shit crazy. Although it escapes me that he had known her at least two or three years and didn't figure it out.

One thing I am proud of is I have never responded to a man's sexual overtures or pretended I loved a man to further myself financially or professionally. Even though I am now living in a basement in a place I hate and pushing buttons and pointing and clicking for OTHER people's shows.

MY MOTHER IS IN THE HOSPITAL.

Again.

School ends three weeks from today.

Nothing like sharing an Uber with two guys who reek of weed.

Went to a psychic fair that was so bad I volunteered to do readings.

urbanexile@mail.com

CONVERSATION WITH PANHANDLER IN THE TRAIN STATION

Panhandler: (Yelling to no one in particular) It's Sunday, can you help me out?

Me: It's Thursday. Moron.

Winds are supposed to be up to 40 MPH today.

Barbara Bush died.

Saw Gran Torino

I can understand why people would want to pull a Clint Eastwood. I wonder what real estate is going for in that part of Michigan now?

Woke up with horrible muscle spasms.

urbanexile@mail.com

Fever broke

Woke up with a fever of 101+ and chills.

I am about to go snap.

Happy Orthodox Easter!

THE JOY OF PAINTING

NO KIDDING

Is a large, sudden loss of #wealth in middle or older age associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality? Find out from researchers at @NUFeinbergMed and @UMich https://t.co/D3rMmMuXhn pic.twitter.com/1OsS76oBCg

— JAMA (@JAMA_current) April 3, 2018

Happy Easter!