Since we've been talking about health care in light of the recent Canadian Supreme Court decision, here is Paul Krugman's recent column about the state of the US non-system. Harry Truman tried to create a national health insurance system. Public opinion was initially on his side: Jill Quadagno's book "One Nation, Uninsured" tells us that in 1945, 75 percent of Americans favored national health insurance. If Truman had succeeded, universal coverage for everyone, not just the elderly, would today be an accepted part of the social contract. But Truman failed. Special interests, especially the American Medical Association and Southern politicians who feared that national insurance would lead to racially integrated hospitals, triumphed. Sixty years later, the patchwork system that evolved in the absence of national health insurance is unraveling. The cost of health care is exploding, the number of uninsured is growing, and corporations that still provide employee co...
One thing I don't envy about your short walk to the lake is the cold, cold wind you're going to be getting off the water very soon. You'll want to make sure you have a very thick coat.
ReplyDeleteMMmmmmmmmmmmm....winter. I find it hard this time of year because it's too cold to do summer activities but to warm to do winter activites. In a month and a bit however, I'll be skiing up a storm.
ReplyDeleteI love crisp mornings. We had a heavy frost too. It went down to -5oC last night.
It's all down hill from here :-(
ReplyDeleteHave you discovered the toque yet? That got me when I first heard it...
ReplyDeleteI think she meant the kind of hat we wear in winter.
ReplyDeleteI think she meant the kind of hat we wear in winter.
ReplyDeleteBut she said "when I heard it". That's why I asked. I know it's a hat, but heard what?
Speaking of which, what do you call it in NYC?
Nothing in particular. A hat. A knit cap, maybe. Or a ski cap.
Allan, from Vermont, calls it a toque.
Funny thing, a toque pronounced "toke" is the big puffy white hat worn by pastry chefs, although mostly cartoon versions of chefs these days.
Isn't it pronounced "tuke" rhyming with nuke? Or is that just a Quebec thing?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's pronounced "tuke" like "nuke".
ReplyDeleteBut people sometimes spell it toque (like the chef's hat which isn't pronounced the same) or touque. The "proper" spelling is tuque.
Or where you referring to the chef's hat?
ReplyDeleteThat might be a Quebec thing....
Naw, I was definitely refering to the most elegant of winter accessories.
ReplyDeleteTime to start unpacking the winter stuff. At least I'm not in the Eastern Townships where they just got 25 cm of snow this week.
*shudder*
You both have me completely confused.
ReplyDeleteYou both have me completely confused.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of your first culture-clashes.
When expat said "Have you discovered the toque yet?" that instantly registered in my mind as talking about the hat.
You knew that a tuque was a hat, but a lot of foreigners don't which is why she said "That got me when I first heard it".
It seemed simple to me, I couldn't figure out why you thought she was talking about anything else.
Then that started the discussion about the "toque" (chef's hat), which then confused jessica because Canadians always assume toque=touque=tuque=winter hat.
ReplyDeleteWhew, thanks for clearing that up, Kyle.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the two kinds of hats were spelled differently.
What threw me was "when I first heard it". I thought, how can you hear a hat? :)
The "proper" spelling is tuque.
ReplyDeleteThat...can't be. Lies, I say! Lies!