Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

Books are my comfort food!

We will not go back.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Come on, man.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

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Almost done

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Almost done

You are invited to attend DPHS PhD candidate Dave Anderson’s dissertation defense, “Analyzing the Impact of State Policy Discretion on Risk, Enrollment, and Plan Offerings in the ACA Individual Health Insurance Markets.”

The defense will take place on Monday, July 8 at 11 a.m. You may join us in person in DPHS Classroom A or via Zoom:

We hope you’ll join us as we support Dave in this significant milestone of his academic journey.

 

 

 

 

All you Jackals are invited tomorrow. I could not have gone on this journey without the space and the freedom that I’ve had to explore ideas at Balloon Juice.

Reader Interactions

84Comments

  1. 1.

    Another Scott

    Woot!  Knock ’em dead!

    (After they sign the paperwork, of course.)

    Seriously, very well done.  Congratulations!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  2. 2.

    narya

    WOOHOO!!!!!!

    From soccer referee to Ph.D. candidate in no time at all a million years (i.e., what it felt like, at times)!

    Seriously, congrats; I will join if I can. And the offer to read things stands.

  5. 5.

    scav

    Huzzah!

     

    eta.  And may the ABL stage be short, sweet, and blessed by no issues with margins.

  11. 11.

    jonas

    l had this professor in grad school who told us that back in the day (1950’s-60’s) in the old country, you still literally nailed, with like this six-inch spike, a copy of your doctoral dissertation to the door of the philosophy faculty building to announce you were prepared to defend, just like Luther.  In addition to your committee, who was usually pretty supportive, they always invited a “devil’s advocate” to the defense as well to shit all over your work and tear it apart to see what your response would be.

    Good luck, Dave!

  14. 14.

    Meyerman

    On my birthday no less! Best of luck defending! I’ll always be able to say I knew you before you got famous. :-)

  15. 15.

    JeanneT

    Whoo-hoo!  WaterGirl’s right – you’ll nail it. I can’t imagine anyone who could defend their subject with more knowledge and insight.

  18. 18.

    Mandarama

    Fantastic!! I enjoyed my defense–after all, in that moment, no one in the room understands the topic as well as you do. And you are an amazing writer. They’re lucky they have you among them, and so are we.

  19. 19.

    trollhattan

    Best of luck! (Luck’s got nuttin’ to do with it, but who doesn’t want some anyway?)

    I’d tell Runner Girl, to saunter over from her new home base @ Wake Forest but she’d got a jerb and cetera keeping her occupied. Guessing she’d learn a thing or three, given her medical bent.

  20. 20.

    Yutsano

    @scav: ​Speaking of which, it’s ABL’s birthday today!​

    EDIT: u got dis doe. Blow their socks off!

  21. 21.

    raven

    Go get em dude! There was no way I was having anyone in my defense that wasn’t on my committee!

  23. 23.

    chemiclord

    Hey!  I will not have you besmirching jackals by comparing them to us!  I demand an apology, good sir, on behalf of all the jackals you have slandered!

    But congratulations nonetheless.  Knock it out of the park, you.

  25. 25.

    Madeleine

    This is great news! I hope the defense is positively stimulating. As Mandarama (and others?) have said, you know the topic better than anyone. Wheeee!

  26. 26.

    KRK

    Congratulations!!! All the best! And when it’s done have yourself a smashing celebration.

  30. 30.

    J. Arthur Crank

    @raven:

     

    There was no way I was having anyone in my defense that wasn’t on my committee!

    I know, right? Also, too: back when I did this there was no Zoom, internet, electricity, etc., so there were also practical obstacles involved.

  37. 37.

    Argiope

    You’ll blow the doors off, soon-to-be-Dr. Mayhew!  I mean Anderson.  I went day drinking after my defense, and ended up having a two-hour-long unscheduled nap when the exhaustion caught up with me.  Congratulations in advance, and thanks for the invitation!  May you be lifting your first glass by this time tomorrow.

  39. 39.

    CaseyL

    See, that’s what fourteen (?!) years of Explaining Healthcare Insurance to Jackals will get you.

    That is amazing news! I have no standing to be proud of you, but I am swelling with pride for you anyway :)

    You got this! Knock ’em dead. Slay ’em in the aisles. And all that good-luck-storming-the-castle stuff.

    I’ll drop in if I can, but I’m on the West Coast and 3 hours behind you. Will be there in spirit at least!

  40. 40.

    JPL

    Wow!   Congratulations!   What an amazing accomplishment and I am so happy that you included us on your journey.

  42. 42.

    bbleh

    @Mandarama: this.  It was a breeze, and David is possibly the most knowledgeable person in the whole damn world on his topic.  I’m sure even the Designated Skeptic will give up quickly.  Congratulations David!

  44. 44.

    dnfree

    This is so awesome! Congratulations on your hard work, and thanks for all the insights you have shared with us.

  45. 45.

    NutmegAgain

    Sending you all the best–hoping for a few interesting questions, and no argumentative idiots.

  47. 47.

    Ohio Mom

    Wow! Reading this wonderful news gave me goosebumps. So happy and thrilled for you, David.

  48. 48.

    Zelma

    Congratulations!  I have been reading your posts since the beginning and thus sort of understand the impact of the ACA and the state of health care in the US.  I say “sort of” because nobody really understands it.  But you come pretty close.  Good luck tomorrow.

  49. 49.

    MattF

    And… my advice. Always answer the question, even if it’s just a guess— the trick in questioning is to look for gaps. One of the people on my committee was notorious for terrorizing candidates, but I answered all his questions and he eventually gave up. My advisor asked me afterwards where the hell I’d learned all that.

  51. 51.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    Excellent news.  Congratulations to you, your family, and all emotional support animals.

  52. 52.

    Jimbales

    Dave,

    congratulations! It’s on my calendar, and I will go onto the zoom if I am free.

    And remember, the best thing about having PhD is that you never have to get another one!

    Jim

  54. 54.

    SiubhanDuinne

    This is so exciting, and I’m so happy for you! I’ll zoom in at 11:00; not sure how long I’ll be able to stay, but at least an hour (I have no idea how long a diss defense takes).

    This is huge, and it’s been a treat to be on this journey with you, Dave. Congratulations!

  55. 55.

    MomSense

    Oh my goodness!  Congratulations!  I just teared up a little bit reading this.  I can’t join tomorrow but am sending merde merde merde (ballet dancers’ good luck) to you.
    Can’t wait to call you Doctor Mister Anderson (think agent from Matrix)

  56. 56.

    Ghost of Joe Liebling’s Dog

    “Doctor Mayhew” has a ring to it.  Many good wishes in advance.

  57. 57.

    lowtechcyclist

    Congrats, David, on achieving this milestone, and thanks for all the knowledge you’ve shared with us over the years!

  59. 59.

    Delk

    A little late (I have houseguests visiting) but way to go! This is a remarkable achievement. Congratulations!

  60. 60.

    Bard the Grim

    Congratulations, Dave (also noted in the Celebrating Jackals thread upstairs)!  Sorry if I missed a previous posting, but have you said what your post-degree plans are?

  61. 61.

    WaterGirl

    @Bard the Grim: Yes, my Celebrating Jackals tread was written yesterday before Dave’s announcement here today.

    I had that post scheduled for 1pm when Dave put his up at like 12:56, so I put mine back an hour.  But I had company arriving at 2pm blog time, so I just had time to hit publish and didn’t have time to add an addendum about Dave’s great news.

    Hoped others would take care of it!

  67. 67.

    Susan Einbinder

    Massive congratulations!!!!  It will probably be anti-climatic, given your amazing publication productivity well before this stage, but do take the time to enjoy the moment.  It’s not only a fantastic feeling, but a very happy memory that lives on long after.

  69. 69.

    Mai Naem mobile

    Good luck Dave. It seems like it’s been forever since you’ve been at Duke. I know you’re going to be at some future congressional hearing as an expert on healthcare utilization and I’ll be able to say I knew that guy when he was Richard Mayhew!

  72. 72.

    Wanderer

    Congratulations! Thank you for all the expertise you have shared with us.  Very happy for you.

  74. 74.

    caphilldcne

    Congratulations, David!  As someone who works on health care policy your posts are invaluable.

  75. 75.

    BeautifulPlumage

    CONGRATULATIONS! May Monday go well for you! I have really appreciated your explanations here and deep dives into how policy decisions affect actual lives when viewed through data and statistical analysis. I hope this leads to many opportunities for you!

  76. 76.

    StringOnAStick

    Congratulations!  Having your expertise out there puts you in the side of the angels, and we need you out there being all knowledgeable an’ stuff!

    Seriously, you’ve provided us with so much information. No matter the group or setting, I was always the most informed about the ACA and that’s 100% due to your writings here.  Thank you so much, now knock it outta the park tomorrow!

  79. 79.

    Gary Ratner

    Family and friends checking in from all over. After years of training you appear before your mentors and the leaders of your community, showing them that you have mastered the community’s traditional practices. You become a formally received, fully mature member of the community. You take on all its rights and responsibilities. A little formal party, immediately after. Perhaps a modest institutional gift or two. Then, I expect, a livelier party later in the day.

    A dissertation defense is like a bar mitzvah. Mazel tov.

  82. 82.

    WaterGirl

    @Dave’s Dad: Hi Dave’s Dad!

    The first comment on the blog has to be manually approved, and I just saw your comment.

    So now everyone can see it, and from now on, any comment you write will show up for everyone right away.

    Congratulations to you, too!   What a great son you have!!!

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