it can't hurt to try (political)

The Department of Health and Human Services is asking for public comment on the GOP bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, and Credo Mobile has set up a webpage to make that easy.

There's a canned comment you can sign your name to, but it's a free-text box, so you can also put in your own comments (or combine the two). This is what I just submitted:

The Affordable Care Act has enabled more Americans to start businesses or work for themselves as freelancers, because we're no longer dependent on an employer for health insurance. If you believe in free enterprise and the American dream, you should support this.

Trumpcare and Republican plans for 'repeal' would actually steal health care from at least 22 million in order to give a huge tax cut to millionaires. That is immoral and unfair.

One of those millions is my disabled brother-in-law. He is a severely disabled stroke survivor, and this bill could be his death warrant.

(I'm a socialist, but invoking free enterprise seems more likely to work here than talking about the human family and why we need to take care of each other.)

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They say all politics is local. I voted in a special election today for the state senate, and had the unusual and pleasant choice between two good candidates. Technically, this is a primary election; there are three Democratic candidates (one of whom has barely been heard from), and no declared candidates for the other parties (ballots were offered, because of the possibility of write-in votes).

pineberries

cattitude bought something new at the farmers' market today: "pineberries." They're a strawberry variety, very pale with dark seeds.

They have a mild but definite strawberry scent, and a similarly mild flavor. There's nothing wrong with them, but a ripe red strawberry is sweeter, more intense, and to my tastes much better. I'm guessing that, other than novelty value, a reason for growing these is they may like slightly different growing conditions: these turned up at the market two or three weeks after the regular strawberries.

Cattitude noticed a faint but definite undertone of pineapple in the flavor, and thinks that explains the name. (They dnn't look or smell anything like a pine tree.)

I'm glad to have tried them, but probably won't get them again, even if there aren't any normal strawberries.