After healthcare.gov

The strange and annoying healthcare.gov error
that no one understands and which is keeping me from enrolling.

I've spent a month, off and on, trying to get past a site error and #getcovered. I've talked to about five official HealthCare.gov workers. I haven't spoken to any unofficial ones but I have posted to the Facebook page and tweeted. Don't bother. Whoever is running the online presence is stuck in broadcast mode.

Anyway, I managed to get on the call-back list today. This means I am now a number on what I presume to be a very long list indeed. I no longer have to worry about the deadline because healthcare.gov will call me back at some point to enroll in healthcare.

The application is finished*. I got that far before the website crapped out with some weird error that no one understands or knows how to fix. Asking for a supervisor got me to "send us income verification." I mean, come on, this is the FEDERAL government. They have a record of my income going back to my first job ever. I sent it in, though. Gotta cross all those T's and dot those I's. heh

Friday I was on hold twice before giving up. Once for 20 minutes after which the call spontaneously aborted. Then for 30 minutes and I hung up. It just wasn't happening.

Meanwhile, I wonder just how good my coverage deal will be. I'm am discouraged by hundreds of reports from those at the Facebook page about high deductibles ($12,000 per year) and high premiums. I keep thinking about the poor soul who continues to pay cash for medical care in addition to having (basically) useless healthcare.gov coverage. Because they can't afford a non-insurance penalty on top of all the bills.

Thankfully, I've worked through to the point where I can do no more. It's all on the government now.

_____________
*It's a two-part process. You apply, after which you get a notice of eligibility, and then you enroll in coverage.  I'm stuck at the enroll part because I get a tax credit which generates the above error.

The Elaine Report

Today's items of interest, variously posted, and now here all in one place for your browsing pleasure.

• Digital Product Placement and the Rise of MiriAd
New fields to furrow and brows to burrow.
• 21 Tips to Keep Your Shit Together ...
Ways to lift your spirits and other suggestions on how to suck it up.
• Chowder Clam knitting pattern Cuteness break.
• Severe Weather Forecast for Topeka
Wondering wether I have time to walk to the library this morning without getting sucked up by a tornado. Answer: yes, I do.
• Saudi Arabia Denies Paralysis Punishment
Keeping an eye on the tiny changes that happen in a country ruled by Islam.
• Gulf of Mexico Deep Cleans Itself
But for how long? And does that mean we can use it as a dump? I think not and neither does Professor Hazen.
• Easy-to-make tasty frozen drink. Just in time for summer!

And a late addition: How to Really Manage Creative People. 

I signed up for 3 Coursera Classes

Know Thyself (already in progress) because it offers a wide-ranging view of what a self can be.

... viewpoints of philosophy, psychoanalysis, experimental psychology, neuroscience, aesthetics, and Buddhism.

Writing II: Rhetorical Composing because it's a "II" and I'm impatient with long introductions and I missed "I." I also like the attention to "rhetorical", a word I've long wanted to have pinned down.

to help you become a more effective consumer and producer of alphabetic, visual and multimodal texts.

It's visual and multimodal that's appealing.

Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society because I'm always willing to learn more about design. Karl T. Ulrich, the instructor, has a wide-ranging view of design and artifacts and he offers a free book to match. After reading the first chapter, I signed up for the class.

Creativity, Innovation and Change because these are my favorite topics. There are three instructors. I'm hoping to get some far-ranging views as well as some practical application in work and life. Wish it started sooner.

All of the classes are free. Registration was the most pain-free account creation ever as was registering for multiple classes. It really is one-click. Good thing I've learned a bit of restraint along the way or I would have signed up for ten classes.

The Elaine Report: Feb 6, 2013

From Richard III to Beutel-Ei Nr. 1 in 8 steps.

• Reconstructing Richard III's Face So glad they did this! The portraits existent are so flat and characterless. There's a good description of digital facial construction and its limitations.
• Indian women robbed of their uteruses by money grubbing doctors ... and the government does nothing. Many women now convinced they cannot recover from illness without a hysterectomy. 
• New York city negotiating with Air BnB to keep visitors off the street. I was an Air BnB host for about a year. I met some intriguing, kind travelers who appreciated my local expertise. And helped pay my bills.
• Turns out being miles underground is the best way to study dark matter and get real peace and quiet.
• Microscopic nutrients from the Sahara rain on the Amazon. We are all one ecosystem, ya'll! Not a lot of other facts or explanations in this brief article with a Nikon-sponsored video of lovely shots of the Sahara.
• 21 Things You Should Never Buy at a Garage Sale. Full of ooky bugs and germs! Would have been better to tell us what we should buy.
• Internet to be replaced by esoteric time stream. Note the napkin sketch at the end of the article. Doesn't really help. Tumbled it.
• Technology aging backwards? I don't get it. Read about three paragraphs and became overcome by dark matter.
• Seamless beautiful backpack made of wool. The artist named it an Egg Bag. It is sort of egg shaped. Looks more like a Lady Bug to me. Pinned it.

World News Made Visual and Interactive and, ok, Fun

Try this at home. It should be self explanatory but if not try hovering.

Safari with Cover Flow - for the PC, too!

Wow! I had an automatic software update notice, so I installed the update. I had no idea what it was. Usually the little status line says what it's installing but not this time. Later, as I was doing the morning wake up, I checked the install log and there it was, new Safari update. So, okay, launch Safari and ... Wow! Really great Top Sites feature showing page snaps (my top sites - that was definitely an eye opener). And then I found cover flow.

The insanely great thing is I needed no preparation and did not have to read a manual to figure out how it all worked. Simply launch and go. Under "self evident" see "Apple Software."

The only thing I was curious about was the cute star in the upper corner of the page snaps. That I had to look up. Turns out it means that the site has been updated. Here are some screen shots for you. Gosh. Never mind. Go get it!

Current Fads
Listening. America Simon and Garfunkel; rain
Watching. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991)
Activity. waking up
Gadget. stainless steel teaspoon
News Source. the news feeds in Safari
Reading. From Doon With Death - Rendell; Real Energy - Bonewits; A Wish Can Change Your Life - Sasson and Weinstein
Writing. "Bronwen's First Age" (screenplay)

Be a Fan of a Celebrity on Facebook

That little gingerbread guy from Shrek (the movie) has more profiles than live, real celebrities. The astounding thing to me is how many of the gingerbread guy's profiles are in Spanish. Homer Simpson is the number one celeb today with 1,923,846 fans putting Michael Phelps in second place. I am now a fan of Boo (Monsters Inc.) and Sid (Ice Age), among others. Did you know that 151,017 people with profiles on Facebook are fans of "Guy Who Threw His Shoe at Bush"? I love it!

instant shameless commerce

Yes, you too can have an instant store on Zazzle.com. Go! Be instantly prosperous!

heartwind.com missing in action

It's my own fault. I went dabbling in things I know nothing about, like CNAME. I've read the help sections at me.com, Yahoo! and Network Solutions and am none the wiser. In the meantime, I have disabled my domain and probably lost about 36 hours of email. This is the only place I am still okay. Sorry! Please try again around Tuesday. All should be okay by then. In the meantime, try my temporary Mobile Me page(s). And you can email me at elainegreywalker@mac.com.

I'm such a ditz. Kinda reminds me of that time I punched all six doorbells in a three story building because I wanted to know if they worked or not. They did. You can't really blame me though, none of them had names listed and some of them had busted name holders. What I learned is to never do that when my Dad is around. ha ha