- Vital Signs: GOP bills to allow ‘a la carte’ health insurance policies to ignore state mandates
- "This is a way around what they call mandates and we call consumer protections," says Robert Kraig of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. "This legislation will hollow out the state's insurance policies and undo consumer protections and standards we have built up over years. This a race to the bottom. What next? I guess we could make health insurance entirely affordable by making sure it doesn't cover anything."
For more information about medical treatments and conditions currently covered by mandates under Wisconsin law, click here.
- Don’t Journalists Have Any Labor Leaders In Their Rolodexes? | Media Matters for America
- Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me that if you're going to run an article in which the Governor of Wisconsin attacks unions over a budget dispute in which tens of thousands of protesters (and a strong majority of the public) — stand with the unions, you should probably quote a union representative in response….
This exclusion of labor's perspective from news coverage of labor disputes is extraordinary — particularly when you consider how the media fell all over themselves to cover the so-called Tea Party …And let's be clear: The Tea Party never produced anything like what's happened the last few weeks in Wisconsin: Tens of thousands of people engaging in sustained protests in a single location for weeks at a time over specific, concrete grievances, in concert with a walk-out by a group of elected officials that has shut down a legislative body.
- Daily Kos: Idaho legislature strips teachers’ collective bargaining rights
- The bill phases out tenure for new teachers, putting all teachers on one- to two-year contracts. It strips seniority as a factor in determining layoffs, limits teachers' collective bargaining for salaries and benefits and entirely removes negotiations over issues like class size and workload. …[Another bill] would institute merit pay for teachers, further limiting their ability to negotiate salary in collective bargaining.
…Public testimony, calls and e-mail to the legislature have been overwhelmingly negative, 95 percent in opposition to the plan.
- kittydesade | owe my soul to the company store
- We're adding a couple of states today: Michigan, for some less directly union-related issues and Idaho, for fuckery that snuck up on me and now requires thinking on and looking into. Because I know that's what you all wanted, more states caught up in this collective bargaining whirlwind. Yay. As always, although I don't think I've explicitly stated this here recently, if you have fuckery or just something that should be paid attention to share with us, please do so.
michigan ohio indiana iowa tennessee idaho new_jersey union-busting
- adsartha | Today’s link roundup is brought to you by: holy crap…
- In case you thought I was done telling you how many ways from Sunday Walker is fucking with healthcare in this state, I'm not and neither is the Cap Times. …
The Wisconsin Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint. Against Walker. I know, it seems like there are a lot of these. THERE ARE. Everyone's lawsuiting up…
Are you wondering what, really, unions have ever done for you? Bethany will eventually get a post up, but until then, have this ThinkProgress article.
- Government, CIA Seek Science of Language Learning for Bilingual Recruits | Shortage of Multilingual Speakers | LiveScience
- …researchers have just begun to figure out how to predict the most promising language students, and how to measure their progress.
…Doughty and her colleagues used tests to train up cognitive processes related to language learning, such as the ability to hold information in the brain while using it for learning. They then confirmed that the training's effects left a lasting impression in the brains of candidates even after several months…
At least one panel member saw a silver lining to the late language-learning challenge. The United States represents an ideal lab for seeing how the brain changes in response to language learning, because so many Americans start out speaking just one language.
…Slater suggested that the government should look into a real "paradigm shift" that would "build pipelines" for developing second language talents earlier and funneling them to higher levels of education.
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- Physics of Pruney Fingers Revealed
- [Wired: Science - Lisa Grossman]
Understanding the geometry of wrinkly skin could help design new materials that can stretch out without losing strength.
…The researchers stumbled upon the new model in a purely math-based search for interesting topological shapes.
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- The Internet Wishlist Helps Make Your Ideas Happen
- If you've ever had an idea you've wanted to see turned into software or a webapp, the Internet Wishlist is a site that wants to help make your dreams come true.
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- Moon cave!
- Indian lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1 has discovered a large cave on the Moon. Aside from the hey, cool, there's a cave on the Moon factor, the other big feature of the cave is its constant and temperate temperature.
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- Grab MacX DVD Ripper Pro Free This Week [for Windows & Mac users]
- [Lifehacker - Kevin Purdy]
Hit the link to grab a serial number and other download details.
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- Etch a Circuit Board using a Simple Homemade Mixture
- Electronics hobbyist Stephen Hobley wanted to see if he could create an etching solution that wasn’t as dangerous and noxious smelling at traditional muriatic acid solutions. By combining regular white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and table salt, he created a homemade etching solution from ingredients safe enough to store in your pantry. The only downside to his recipe is that, compared to traditional etching solutions, the process takes a little bit longer so you’ll have to leave your board in the solution longer. Not a bad trade off for the ability to skip using any oops-I-burned-my-skin-off acids.
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- The Hidden Inner Beauty of Abandoned Hospitals and Theaters
- [WebUrbanist - Delana]
- Rare 1930′s Colour Fashion Film
- [Glamour Daze]
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[My bookmarks live at delicious.com/camryl. In case it needs to be said: I don't agree with every word of everything I link to. Also, signal boosts are awesome! --L.]
The Of interest (Wed, Mar 9th, 3pm) by Lee Salazar, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Terms and conditions beyond the scope of this license may be available at leesalazar.com.