3.23.2010

Typed with a very tight smile on my face

Hello, Bleakonomy readers. Thanks for stopping by, particularly those of you who feel like commenting. Nice to have you.

That being said, let's make one little thing clear. If you think I am an idiot or a charlatan or a heartless, dishonest socialist who seeks to make the world worse for coming generations (for some reason), you have several options to explore:

1) Keeping your opinion to yourself. You are certainly not required to do so, however. Which leads us to option...

2) Write a politely-worded comment correcting the error in my thinking. I have a pretty high tolerance for politely-worded comments that disagree with my opinions. Have at it.

3) Start your own blog, link to mine, and tell the readers that stop by what a laughable buffoon I am.

All of those choices are ones I would encourage. (Particularly option 3, because one of these days I hope to have a Technorati ranking. A boy can dream, right?) Here's what I'm not going to put up with, here at my own wee little blog -- I'm just really not game for being insulted. Don't call me stupid, as that is both rude and incorrect. Don't aver that I have some sort of moral failing, as you're conflating my politics with my virtues (or lack thereof). And don't be surprised if I start deleting your comments if you start acting like a craphead.

I have made a point of defending even those commenters whose opinions aren't popular with a lefty blog like this one. I have gone so far as to delete comments I found particularly insulting to other commenters, even when the sentiments expressed were largely consonant with mine. I expect, and will demand, similar courtesy. I try not to wade into spats between commenters, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be insulted in my own house, as it were.

If you find yourself unable to live with these very, very reasonable requests, you are welcome to find another corner of the Internet to inhabit.

5 comments:

  1. I believe I should offer an apology here as well as in the earlier comment thread. I regret and offer my apologies for phrasing my objections to Obamacare in personal terms.

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  2. Bygones. We'll call it a one-off, and be done with it.

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  3. but dr.danny, how can anyone call a sweetie like you, and a helluva Doctor to boot, stupid?
    I hate only one thing about you, that TNR mug you got and your mention in the print magazine for your funny quip about George Bush and the Constitution (or is that two things?)

    charo

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  4. By the way being that you are a Doctor you might understand this. I have an acquaintance who has a small business and is self insured, he also believed himself to be an expert on holistic medicine. His two year old daughter complained of stomach pain and he attempted to self treat her but her condition quickly deteriorated and she died from a burst appendicitis. I know that childhood appendicitis is rare but he was just found guilty of negligent homicide in NJ (it was all over the NJ news). It was a combination of arrogance and cheapness and it led to a huge tragedy. This is why I have a tendency to go ballistic at stupidity when the end result is children getting hurt. Get health insurance, get vaccinations, get that check up even if you can't pay the electric bill one month. You don't know better than a Doctor (even your doctor doesn't know better than every other doctor, so if you gut tells you so get a second opinion, just don't be rude about it).
    So yes, I suppose I should apologize for going nuts about Health care and Children but it is hard not to get emotional. The mother was a real sweetie (she wasn't charged because she truly thought her husband knew what he was doing) and now she lost her husband in addition to her daughter, so I have been in a bad mood lately over it all.

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  5. Get vaccinations and checkups regardless of insurance. Believing in stupid stuff, like Alternative Medicine, can be fatal.

    Health insurance should cover large, unusual expenses, not routine care. Insurance that covers routine care, like vaccinations and physicals, is prepaid medical coverage, not insurance. Those of us who are responsible adults ought to be able to purchase insurance, not prepaid medical coverage.

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