Blackmoor Vituperative

Bic introduced the Bic Metal disposable razor in 1988. I still prefer it to any other disposable razor.

I had a dentist appointment this morning. I had planned to pick up some milk from the store afterward. Unfortunately, my car’s battery was dead. After some protests, Susan consented to allow me to drive her car.

When I arrived at the dentist’s office, I realized that I didn’t have a face mask: it was in my car. So no shopping afterward.

I called the dentist office to let them know I was outside, so they could bring out the pandemic-release forms and take my temperature. My temperature was 96.3 F, and they left the forms with me.

The first page described all of the reasons that I could catch COVID-19 at the dentist’s office despite their precautions, and ended with a statement I was supposed to sign confirming that my visit met the requirements of urgency and medical necessity described above.

I apologized and returned the form to the next nurse who came outside, and said it wasn’t urgent: just a checkup.

“Oh, it’s okay. We are seeing patients for checkups now.”

I apologized again, and fled, my stomach in knots.

Taking into account both the costs of coverage expansion and the savings that would be achieved through the Medicare for All Act, we calculate that a single-payer, universal health-care system is likely to lead to a 13% savings in national health-care expenditure, equivalent to more than US$450 billion annually (based on the value of the US$ in 2017). The entire system could be funded with less financial outlay than is incurred by employers and households paying for health-care premiums combined with existing government allocations. This shift to single-payer health care would provide the greatest relief to lower-income households. Furthermore, we estimate that ensuring health-care access for all Americans would save more than 68,000 lives and 1.73 million life-years every year compared with the status quo.

“The Lancet”, Volume 395, ISSUE 10223, P524-533, February 15, 2020

This is the first of a new thing I am doing: tips for young people from an old man. Today’s topic: condoms.

In movies, you often see people get into bed and the guy immediately starts fumbling with the condom wrapper. There are two problems with this.

First, practice opening a condom wrapper and putting on a condom. They aren’t expensive, and you can afford to waste a half-dozen. Figure out what to do with the thing when you don’t have someone naked waiting for you.

Second, when you first get undressed is not the time to put on a condom. Women don’t warm up as quickly as men do. I am assuming the person next to you is a woman, but even men take some time to warm up — and women take longer (15 to 20 minutes is not unusual). So fool around for a while until the other person is thoroughly warmed up (that’s called “foreplay”). Only when you are both ready for penetration do you pause to put on the condom.

As for foreplay, Google that term, and read up about it. It’s not hard to do well, but it’s very easy to do poorly. Pay attention to what the other person wants. Ask them from time to time if what you are doing is working for them, and pay attention to what they say and how they respond. As a guy — particularly a young guy — if you pay attention to the other person, and are good at foreplay, you will be a much better lover than most people.