what's in a name? what's in a computer?

or...should some names be off limits? ask sweden, i guess, which won't let a couple name their daughter metallica. yes, really. now, i'm not sure if i agree with this governmental intrusion or not. on the one hand, sure, name your kid whatever you want. on the other hand.....metallica??

in other news, i am highly annoyed (again). i dropped my computer a little while ago and bent the case even worse than it had been bent before. why apple made laptop cases out of fucking ALUMINUM, i will never understand. it's pretty, sure, but it's dumb. anyway, it seems to be working OK, but it no longer sits flat on a table. instead, it rocks back and forth as i type. that is gonna get old really, really quick. does anyone out there have a suggestion for surmounting this problem? because right about now i'm ready to chuck the thing in the trash on my way out of the library, and head over to the computer store to buy myself a new mac-book.

what i'm saying is, this might be the last straw for this machine... but i would feel a little ridiculous (i.e. a conspicuous consumer) junking it, because it does still work. otoh, it is hard to imagine not going insane while trying to write a dissertation on a machine that won't sit still. as if dissertation writing weren't crazy-making enough.

:::sigh:::

the cost of medical imaging

in case you were wondering, an abdominal CT scan at the UW medical center costs $2,938.00.

how do i know? i had one in february, and i just got the bill. fortunately i have insurance, but it only covers 90% (after the deductible), so my portion will still amount to at least $294.

oh, and that doesn't include the doctor's visit where i actually heard the results. that is billed separately, and costs another $200+.

did i mention that i'm still paying off the bills from my surgery last july? i don't even know how much that amounted to, because it was broken up into a gazillion separate bills, but i still owe about $400.

(and they wonder why i'm suffering from anxiety...)

this calls for some punk rock and a run. i'm heading out shortly for 4 miles, which will put me at 8 for this week.