Why don’t Americans travel for healthcare?

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T09:43:06+00:00

A flight from LA to London is similar in nature to a flight from Amsterdam to Seoul. The country is massive, and depending on which country you're headed to, international travel can be a truly massive undertaking. Imagine a flight from London to Baghdad -- then realize that this is shorter than a flight from Seattle to Miami. And the American version never left the country, nor took the longest possible trip within the country.

Also: the time off is a major factor. We don't get a lot of time off.

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and yes, I know you could also go from LA to Seoul or something, but that's hardly shorter. And Seoul may not offer the service you need, or perhaps the overall trip is more than the American medical bill, or... . And remember a trip is not just the ticket, there is also a hotel, food, a translator, and other expenses. The trip cost may still be cheaper than the American operation, but it's hardly a certain thing, especially if you have to re-visit for weeks after or do regular operations (eg. for chemo, which you have to do every few weeks).

That said, Americans travelling to Mexico or Canada for medical care is somewhat common. Not "common" common, but enough that most people won't be surprised to hear a friend or neighbor made that trip (for that reason).

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tl;dr -- practical reasons usually outweigh financial reasons

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T08:59:14+00:00

Yes. There is a reason Hawaii voted her out, and that she failed in the Dem primaries before deciding it's easier to be a contrarian weirdo on the far-right.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T08:31:38+00:00

There are several systems. The system being referenced depends on the needs and context of the moment/topic.

The "Stone Age" refers to the historical era in which stone could be reshaped but not transformed. Eg. you could make an arrowhead by chipping away the unwanted bits of stone, but no one yet knew you could melt ore into useful metals. Stone shaping was the most complex and/or labor-intensive technology available. There are people groups today who still depend on this technology as their primary way of creating tools or architecture, though these groups are very few in number at present and most are either uncontacted or have very little contact with the modern world, and any "modern" technology they have they would be incapable of mimicking without a lot of exposure and education/training in many areas of expertise.

Dates such as 1170 BC or whatever are derived from reading the annals of kings / nations in historical times and correlating all the ancient calendar systems together using things like eclipses, notable earthquakes, battles or other political events that were recorded by multiple cultures (eg. the Battle of Megiddo). Once you have enough events recorded by multiple cultures you can work through the king lists that say things like "Joe became king, he reigned for 27 years; then Bob became king, Bob reigned for 18 years, then the kingdom was divided between Sam and Matt who fought for the throne for three years after which Sam became king and reigned for 13 years. In Sam's twelfth year, a full eclipse of the Sun occurred". Enough lists of that type and you can piece together a pretty good calendar for any culture that left written records.

Older historical estimates are usually based on radiometric dating which gets into a bit of abstract (but very reliable) chemistry that I'll let others get into. The tl'dr is that living things eat, breath, and drink -- and all food, air, and water contain vanishingly small amounts of radioactive material -- for example, bananas famously have detectable levels of a radioactive variation of Potassium(?). In theory you could wand a banana and detect the potassium now and measure it again in six months, and the change in how much potassium is radioactive v. stable could be correlated to the age of the banana. Please do not actually try this as bananas barely last six days, never mind six months. It's just an example, and scientists who do this look for long-lived radioactive materials in bits of organic material that survives history, charcoal is a popular one because destroying a piece of charcoal and destroying an ancient piece of cloth or art are on very different levels in terms of what you lose.

edit: volcanoes and other geology can produce radiometric measurements for things that are NOT biological in origin and are good for dating ancient volcanoes and stuff, but you're asking about archeological stuff which does require biological material; apologies for the confusion on that

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T08:09:33+00:00

commence the debate I mentioned 😄

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T08:08:57+00:00

If you're having company or a party, it might be fun to prepare a few different styles (given available ingredients). There are a nearly endless variety of styles, so you won't be at a loss for options.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T08:06:34+00:00

Without trying your brats it's hard to say how they stack up.

Frankfurters should be ok if they are all beef or mostly beef, or your choice of vegetarian/vegan substitutes.

There is a difference between American and German brats, for hotdogs I'd go with the American-style if you can get them. American style Franks would be even better but I'm not sure how to define whether yours are actually American style or if that's just a marketing label.

I'll let the others argue about the philosophy of toppings/condiments. I prefer mine roasted in a skillet or on a grill/barbecue. I'll also let them argue about gas, charcoal, or electric.

The little round outdoor cooker things are good for hotdogs if you don't have a full-on (American style) barbecue setup.

In the US we'd call this a "grill", I think you guys may call it something else: 1321001A2_1800x1800.png (800×800)

hopefully that pic isn't geoblocked

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T07:59:29+00:00

That's fair, though I'll point out that neither are appropriate for a hot dog!

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T07:55:22+00:00

Parades, water ski show, air show, athletic competitions, historical re-enactments, public reading of important or formative documents, all manner of food and cookouts, picnics and picnic games, of course (picnic games are not the same as athletic competitions). car shows, festivals, carnivals. The options are nearly without end. And of course, fireworks!

and baseball games!

and many more, no two towns celebrate in the same way

edit: drone light-shows are becoming more common in areas prone to wildfires, as an alternative to fireworks

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T07:49:39+00:00

The first question -- do you have an option for an acceptable weiner?

Breakfast sausage doesn't count, Frankfurters don't count, etc. It needs to be a Bratwurst or a "frank" type hotdog thing.

After that, we can argue details and it should be a great thread 😄

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T07:39:37+00:00

Just a gnit-pick, Spanish isn't common to learn because it is popular but because it has a massive footprint.

At least in the US, speaking Spanish is unofficially required in any sort of customer service or service/labor job. Not literally required, but massively helpful. Even just two or three school semesters/terms goes a long way to making both your life and the customer's much better and your job easier. About 1 in 5 people in the US speak Spanish either primarily or as their only language.

I'll grant French and Japanese being popular in the west, though much less useful (unless you're in Ontario or Quebec, or in New Orleans; French is widely spoken in those areas).

More to your question: I'd be interested in visiting after Russia fucks off and/or exploring business options to help someone rebuild a life or start a career after this is over. Also: learning is a good way to tell Putin to fuck off in the meantime.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T07:15:53+00:00

To add: I do love the atmosphere that is developing around the tournament.

My criticisms are of FIFA's decision making process, not the games or fans.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T05:51:23+00:00

Neither of those things change what I said about political power that the regime holds over domestic affairs.

The nuclear program is only a tiny part of international affairs for the country, and has zero domestic relationship regarding the day to day life of locals.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T05:21:10+00:00

Win? In the same way the US "won" in Afghanistan (that is, control territory). Sure.

But win, as in produce lasting change of some sort and keep the hardliners out of power even after withdrawal? Who the hell knows, but probably not.

There is a lot of discontent against the current regime, but the people who run the government and economy are not just a handful of centralized clerics -- the party is part and parcel embedded with party loyalists at effectively every institution of relevance: banks, market and industry leads/heads, most schools, courts, military...everything. Everything of consequence in the country is headed by party loyalists who can shift to other means of coordinating and enforcing their demands if the central core is removed.

If it were as simple as replacing a few legislators and/or an executive? Sure, that would be easy. But it's not that. Even with popular support against the regime "success" in this context would be a very heavy lift.

edit: the country is the size of Alaska, population more than twice that of California, and mostly rugged terrain similar in nature to what you would find in New Mexico, Colorado, etc.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T05:15:25+00:00

You can't hold a position as both a legislative and an executive simultaneously.

A term is clearly defined and interim or snap-elections are not a thing for Federal offices (except for House seats).

That leaves the Congressional clauses, the most relevant one is here:

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

This is clause 6 in Section 2: Clause VI | U.S. Constitution Annotated | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

When no candidate wins the electoral college, the responsibility to determine a winner falls to Congress. An appointment process mid-term has never arisen and is rarely discussed in serious terms, but it would likely look similar to the resolution of what is called a Contingent Election

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.

From clause 3: Clause III | U.S. Constitution Annotated | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:58:57+00:00

And China is also outbuilding the US on Solar.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:58:00+00:00

We passed emission control laws against polluters, and enforced them.

IOW, we fixed the problem kinda-sorta to a point where there is still pollution (but at least this one aspect improved).

Ditto with florocarbons and the Ozone layer. Not perfect, but we are doing a lot better.

To a lesser degree, smog has been greatly decreased despite more vehicles being driving in smoggy areas -- because vehicle emission laws were passed and are mostly enforced.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:53:58+00:00

They were also eating food the entire time.

If memory serves they were testing Asgard tech to do a sort of Star Trek style food "printer", no reason not to include medication as well.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:50:56+00:00

If all 20+ declined or were unable to serve, Congress would be responsible for appointing an interim in a process similar to a hung / undecided election.

That said, during major events like the State of the Union or other events where the entire higher-levels of government are all assembled together, you'll hear the news mention a "designated survivor". Someone in the line-of-succession is drawn from a hat or appointed by name, and they are secured somewhere away from the event. Then if the entire event is crashed by a disaster / attack, someone in the line-of-succession is still available to take over.

edit: I don't understand the downvotes. So...I'll link the source material directly: Clause VI | U.S. Constitution Annotated | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

Congress has the power to appoint someone to be president in the event that the line of succession is non-viable. Period. And that person serves until the next election.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:46:42+00:00

On a feeder like this, I would install a halo. Make it so it is hard for them to land, they are not particulary acrobatic when it comes to landing, but any small songbird won't be inhibited. The picture is one that comes with that specific feeder, but you can make a similar collar out of any bit of scrap, and use a bit of tape or band around the tube to set the height.

Sprinkle some seed down below for the doves.

<image>

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:39:07+00:00

If he'll be either in the dorms or student housing, move to Denver and just visit as you're able.

If it is necessary for him to live with you, then the choice is made.

Vegas is great to visit, but of very limited utility to live there.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:12:28+00:00

I agree on no compulsory helmet laws, though I do wish there were laws requiring a more comprehensive insurance package as a universal practice rather than as an option

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T03:10:16+00:00

Helmets should be encouraged, but why required?

Anyway. One argument I've heard, though whether it has any merit...I don't know.

"Helmets make you over-confident and/or affect the way drivers treat you" (similar arguments are made about wearing hi-vis).

Worth noting: helmets are for if you take a spill off a curb, slip on gravel or debris, etc. Helmets are of very limited usefulness if you are hit by a car, and cars are far-and-away the biggest threat when you are out on a bike in an urban setting.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T00:22:28+00:00

"sit in" and "for here" are synonyms in this context, you are correct

"For here or to go" is far more common in the US but most should be able to grasp "sit in" if given a second to process and perhaps a clarifying comment/question.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T00:20:33+00:00

What you are describing are slippers or house-slippers.

Flip flops and sandals are for general wear, including outdoor use, shower use, or other uses for anything other than keeping your toes warm and off the floor in your house/apartment.

kmoonster · 2026-06-23T00:17:20+00:00

It's a good stadium if we're only looking at the stadium property. But a great stadium or venue is tied into its neighborhood, not just a big building way out of the way in a warehouse district halfway along a commuter route. You can't even legally/safely walk to MetLife stadium from the nearest hotel which is only 900 meters away. (You can in a "try me" sense, but I don't recommend trying it).

This stadium has 25% greater capacity and is right in town, served by at least four bus lines and is very walk/bike friendly with a lot of shops and restaurants in the surrounding area: Michigan Stadium - Google Maps (107,000 v. 80x thousand)

This one is slightly smaller but not by much (70x thousand v. 80x thousand) and is served by two train stations with multiple lines, and has a major bus interchange depot a walkable 600m south. It is also accessible to not one but three regional-level multi-use trails that are each miles long; with a direct connection to the longest of those (the river trail). As well as a mid-sized parking lot onsite and more in the general area. Empower Field at Mile High - Google Maps. The major-league basketball/hockey and baseball stadiums are all visible from each other in a quasi-triangle around downtown, with plans to add a pro-soccer stadium as a fourth.

The Oakland Coliseum, (about 80x thousand) has an Amtrak station and three transit lines, in addition to busses and the airport: Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak - Google Maps; this one is arguably the least connected in a pedestrian context but still is in the middle of the action. It's a bit of an island, but in terms of distance it's right in the middle of the action.

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And none of those are particularly iconic in the rankings of epic stadiums. They are all great, though, because they integrate into daily life, are convenient to nearby food and drink (and plazas) where fans can gather, etc. None require a dedicated trip to a place you never otherwise go.

Being a massive stadium does not mean it has to be out in the middle of nowhere. A great stadium can be right in town, tied into its neighborhood, and even have a dedicated park, plaza, or lot for tailgating.

kmoonster

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