Rick Scott is the senator of… Which state was it again?

Powerful lobbies are surpressing the number of doctors practicing in the US. If a foreign doctor wants to emigrate and practice here they cannot until they pass TOEFL (reasonable) AND finish US-based residencies, of which there are few. I know a Russian dermatologist who has been a receptionist for years because she cannot get ECFMG certification. Some states are wising up and waiving the residencies, but way more need to do it.

Jesus, the shudder this comment just elicited gave me a crick in my neck… Someone distract the mango before he gets the astronauts killed…

Woodworking. I want to refinish my dining set and build a Murphy bed in the basement. These things seem well within my theoretical abilities but the tools are expensive and I’m afraid those items will look bad. I put some chair rail up and there’s one spot I joined poorly and I can never unsee it.

I honestly think it’s because in measures of distance, a US American could be considered well-traveled without ever having left the United States. Living in DC and visiting Florida or California is a big trip logistically. I love to travel and have moved a LOT and I have just barely been to every state in the US (some I only drove through, fuck rural Nebraska). While I disagree personally, I think that most Americans just don’t see the immediate utility in learning other languages.

Not learning Spanish in school as a requirement at this point is just racism, though.