Talk Thursday: The Sweet Spot

Okay, I have a topic for Talk Thursday, but I dunno how I'm going to talk about it.  I mean, something momentous happened today, and ever since then it's like talk on all other subjects has been banned.  News commentators were going crazy.  Sean Hannity was foaming at the mouth.  Everybody at work is buzzing about it.  Opinions have grown heated.  My boss's boss, who generally keeps his opinions to himself, actually raised his voice.

I'm talking, of course, about Afrah's appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

This is a Big Deal in the life span of my favorite restaurant.  The owner had to triple his wait staff.  Rumor has it there's a major remodel in the works (though I only know that because I saw the owner peering over something that looked suspiciously like blueprints with a couple of guys that looked suspiciously like architects.  Architects.  You can spot 'em a mile away.)  I'm here on an ordinary Thursday and almost every table is full, even the ones outside.  I was lucky to squeeze in near the door.  Which is scary.  I mean, I need a table for this laptop.  It's not like I exactly have a lap.  But it's all good.  It's great to see something you love get recognized for its, uh, inherent loveability.  And its chicken shwawarma, which is the best in the world.  And its pita bread, which is the best in the world. And its gelato, which--okay, okay, you get the idea.  Anyway, come up to Richardson (Greenville and Belt Line) and frick'n eat something, already.  You won't regret it.  And security is excellent (the police station's right across the street).

I suppose I should say something about that other thing that happened, that Supreme Court Affordable Care Act thing. As a Legal Person I am sometimes asked to comment about things I know nothing about, like, say, the Supreme Court.  Really, I don't know anybody who knows anything about the Supreme Court.  They're very mysterious.  The only thing I can say for certain is this:  They're harder to predict than a jury, and juries are--well, hard to predict.  It's been an interesting week, watching lots of people on both sides of the debate talking about the decision like it had already happened, and in their favor.  Alito on the side of throwing out the whole thing?  John Roberts (George W. Bush's John Roberts) on the side of keeping the whole thing?  Never would have seen that coming.  But then, it's hard to see anything coming with these guys.  And despite one of my wacky representatives allegedly saying something about the Supreme Court not being the final word on the constitutionality of something (if I could find the original quote, I'd link to it, folks), uh, yes, it is.  A wiser law professor than I said it best; the Supreme Court isn't last because it's right, it's right because it's last.

Which brings us to the sweet spot, how?  I'm not entirely sure.  When the topic first came up, I thought immediately of the G-spot, which is just the way my brain works.  If I can get something X-rated out of it, I'll go there first.  But this being a religious type establishment, I'd better not talk about that.  I'd better talk instead about my process server friend.  His wife had breast cancer eight years ago.  She's been cancer free all this time, but they don't have health insurance because it would cost them $3800 a month.  Yes, that's $3800 a month.  Note that the insurance company didn't deny them outright; it just made it impossible for them to afford coverage.  If by some chance they both live until 2014 (and I think they will; they're both pretty stubborn), they will be able to get coverage at the same rate the rest of us pay.  (Which is what?  I dunno.  It comes right out of my pay check, so I never think about it.  I think mine's about $600, which is far more reasonable.  You will note, however, that it's not cheap.)  Today has to be a pretty sweet spot for them.  And doubly so for the 50 million people who will at least have a chance to get some health coverage.  And the 26 million of those, who are young people aging off of their parents' health insurance.

And for moi?  Well, I have a table, and I have shwawarma, and in 45 minutes the Law Dogs will be taking on Parkland Hospital. So today's pretty sweet for me too.