Category: Anxiety

Gotye gotcha: Singer isn’t dead

http://twitter.com/#!/gotye/status/219431193349849088

Relax, Gotye fans. Your guy is alive and well. He’s merely the latest subject of an online death hoax. (Dear CNN: You might want to put a little more effort into vetting the “news” posts on your iReport site. Sincerely, Accuracy.)

The “Somebody That I Used to Know” singer – and his management, for good measure – personally disputed the report.

We're happy to report Wally is alive and well. Tell your friends 🙂

— GotyeHQ (@GotyeHQ) July 1, 2012

(Wally is Gotye’s real name.)

It took about half a second for the inevitable joke to appear:

Gotye is dead. Now he's just somebody that we used to know

— Aaron Saarinen (@aieos) July 1, 2012

And only a bit longer for the requisite “yeah, but Justin Bieber sucks!” tweet:

Gotye is dead? Why don't Twitter kill Justin Bieber first?

— epal misai (@iAppleMustache) July 1, 2012

At least the hoax was a change from the usual snowboarding death story we’ve come to know and adore. It’s all getting to be old hat for Twitter veterans.

If you believe Gotye is dead. You must be new here. (here in twitter everyone dies)

— David (@DavidKrap) July 1, 2012

But look here! Perhaps the person who posted the phony iReport story got inspiration from a high source?

Tough but fair. RT @BarackObama: Because Gotye is so terrible, I’m outlawing male-female duets for a period of three years.

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) June 27, 2012

Actually, no. First, Rob Delaney’s a comedian (he also posts fake tweets that supposedly come from Mitt Romney’s account). Second, a scan of the Obama 2012 feed revealed no such tweet. To paraphrase the still-breathing Gotye, surely the president’s people wouldn’t have to stoop so low. On this topic, anyway.

As one tweeter knows, this episode merely confirms Gotye’s status as a major celeb.

@GotyeHQ You're not big until a "death" rumour arises!

— AndTheFoul.net (@Andthefoulnet) July 1, 2012

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/07/01/gotye-gotcha-singer-isnt-dead/

‘First day as NEA president’: Already cozy with the White House [pics]

http://twitter.com/#!/Schwabcycler/status/506569952112173056

Incoming National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen Garcia’s first day was spent on Air Force One, in the President’s limo, and at “Labor Fest” with the President. Is it any wonder we can’t get education reform that actually helps students?

http://twitter.com/#!/EricaMelone/status/506584462332002304 http://twitter.com/#!/Lily_NEA/status/506541301731692544

Actually that’s the one subject he doesn’t need to read about.

http://twitter.com/#!/Lily_NEA/status/506515475116077057 http://twitter.com/#!/Jadesfire/status/506569192548892672

Nobody likes a suck up.

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/09/01/first-day-as-nea-president-already-getting-cozy-with-the-white-house-pics/

Romney’s Obamacare pander causes conservative heartburn

http://twitter.com/#!/adrim00/status/245223653816549376

Many folks on Twitter are buzzing about GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s statement on Meet the Press about health care reform. They believe that Romney is guilty of a monumental flip-flop:

Mitt Romney's Instantaneous Flip-Flop on Health Care http://t.co/mOVPtcVV #meetthepress #flip #flop #obamacare

— Styla (@axialarts) September 10, 2012

.@Lizardoid Romney executed a perfect flip flop flip, most difficult so far. Too bad about the belly flop.

— Grace Lidia Suarez (@gracels) September 10, 2012

Mitt Romney's Instantaneous Flip-Flop on Health Care: Remember yesterday when Mitt Romney surprised a… http://t.co/6JresmRG LiGrFballs

— Jewish Community (@JComm_BlogFeeds) September 10, 2012

Flip Flops are the signs of summer. Sept 9, 2012 must be declared Romney’s Flip Flop Day. The date to amplify Romney’s history of shifts.

— Filipino Joe (@FilipinoJoe1) September 10, 2012

Here’s what Romney said:

I’m not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I’m going to put in place.  One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage.  Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.  I also want individuals to be able to buy insurance, health insurance, on their own as opposed to only being able to get it on a tax-advantage[d] basis through their company.

Today a Romney aide attempted to clarify the issue:

In reference to pre-existing conditions, a Romney aide responds, “Governor Romney will ensure that discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage is prohibited,” and refers me to these remarks Romney made in Florida in June:

I also want to make sure that people can’t get dropped if they have a preexisting condition. . . . So let’s say someone has been continuously insured and they develop a serious condition and let’s say they lose their job or they change jobs, they move and they go to a new place. I don’t want them to be denied insurance because they’ve got some preexisting condition. So we’re going to have to make sure that the law we replace Obamacare with assures that people who have a preexisting condition, who’ve been insured in the past are able to get insurance in the future so they don’t have to worry about that condition keeping them from getting the kind of health care they deserve.

This is a muddled mess, alas. From the statement above and from past campaign statements, Romney supports the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regarding continuously-insured individuals with pre-existing conditions. This law was passed 16 years ago  and is not particularly controversial.

Romney, however,  is on record as not supporting Obamacare provisions regarding uninsured individuals with pre-existing conditions. In other words Romney does not want to force insurers to enroll uninsured sick people.

Some people on Twitter understand this:

@Toffleresque his campaign already walked those positions back. Coverage for pre-existing conditions only if there is continuous coverage.

— Al Robert, Jr. (@ajrobert) September 10, 2012

FYI Romney's "continuous coverage" for pre-existing conditions has been law since 1996. http://t.co/TAdb7y7k

— Jeff Spross (@jeffspross) September 10, 2012

#Romney said recently he supports health coverage for pre-existing conditions, only w/ continuous coverage, which is how it is now…!?

— Jerry Thomasin (@JThomasin) September 10, 2012

Nothing seems to have really changed on Romney's pre-ex position. Has tethered to 'continuous coverage' for months. http://t.co/84AkmvSj

— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) September 10, 2012

When Romney said on Meet the Press that he wants to “make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage,” it came off as a clear dog-whistle assurance to independents nervous about Obamacare repeal.

In other words: Vintage, straddling Romney.

Allowing people to wait until they get sick to buy coverage defeats the purpose of insurance and undermines the insurance market. But Romney’s too chicken to say it out loud on Meet the Press.

Because: Bipartisanship!

This is not the way to win — someone get Romney and Ryan the memo: http://t.co/1RVQcpMx

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) September 10, 2012

Why would Romney/Ryan be emphasizing bipartisanship when Obama's ideas are destroying us? We need to reject him in toto; not accept half.

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) September 10, 2012

We shortchange the American people when we assume they can't handle the truth.

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) September 10, 2012

How do you sharply contrast our message with Obama's by assuring America you'll move toward him? Just nonsensical and suicidal IMHO.

— David Limbaugh (@DavidLimbaugh) September 10, 2012

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/09/10/romneys-obamacare-pander-causes-conservative-heartburn/