Rolling Out Obamacare

TPM has a great round-up of various states' ads for their new health insurance exchanges and marketplaces that will open on October 1st and hope to cover seven million people in the next year. A lot of the campaigns are clever and fun. Some are more informative than others, but I think they're all interesting enough to get people who need insurance or pay high premiums for individual insurance to take a look. I really like the one that emphasizes that when insurers compete, you win!



Who doesn't like beating the insurance companies and getting better coverage?

Choice: Texas, a Very Serious Game

There's an interesting campaign on IndieGoGo to help develop an interactive, online game designed to show how difficult it is for women in Texas to gain access to reproductive healthcare and abortions, especially after the controversial passage of the omnibus abortion bill earlier this summer. It's an interesting concept, and could be a good way to get more people to understand the difficulties women face when trying to gain access to reproductive services, as well as the devastating effects these new state laws can have against the right to choose.

[via ThinkProgress]

Otter Conservation Does a Global Climate Good

Otters, who help manage kelp forests by keeping urchin populations in check, sequester an estimated $200-400 million worth of carbon, according to an analysis (of European carbon markets) by UCSC. So in case anyone ever asks why it's worth protecting animal species aside from their inherent adorableness? Boom. Answered.

[via ThinkProgress]

Rob Thomas Making Our Generation's 'Les Miserables'

Rob Thomas has yet to do any wrong in my mind (don't screw up the V-Mars movie, please!!), so I hope that his modern adaptation of 'Les Mis' recently picked up as a script commitment for Fox is as awesome as it should be. There are hundreds of scripts written for pilot season, so we'll probably never see this show, but I bet it would be seriously awesome. How many gender roles do you think he'll reverse? What norms will he subvert? Will our Jean Valjean be as bitingly funny as V-Mars or Henry from Party Down? We might know!

[via /Film]

'Gates' Parody Trailer

If Jobs was about Bill Gates instead...



I can't agree with the joke about who still uses PC's (most companies do, not just car mechanics...), especially considering how much cheaper they are and better for certain job types (Adobe anyone?). But it is true that Bill Gates seems like a loveable nerd who is more interesting in function than design. Also weird that they made fun of him for being a philanthropist and wanting to use his money for good... but still pretty amusing!

[via Happy Place]

Former Prisoners' Thoughts on 'Orange is the New Black'

The Cut held a screening of Orange is the New Black for formerly incarcerated women. Here's what they thought.

This paragraph was particularly interesting:

"Orange Is the New Black’s frequent flashbacks provide depth for its formidable ensemble cast, but they might erase one of the hazards of forming relationships inside: You never truly know anyone. “Prison is the largest stage ever,” Morales said. “And the Oscar goes to ... Everybody is somebody else.” Women are not just “gay for the stay,” added Donovan. They’re religious for the stay. Degrees are invented."

I had never thought of it that way... I bet that must be really weird/stressful to go through.

Show Us the Dongs, HBO!

I know this is a few weeks old, but I've been on vacation! So here's another funny comedy video making the rounds, also with Sasheer Zamata. Careful, though some Season 3 Game of Thrones spoilers ahead...

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

For serious! We got some Rob Stark butt and some Jon Snow chest (and maybe also butt) last season, but there were no wangs. And there were many, many boobs and vaginas. Netflix, you are not excluded from this, either! I know Orange is the New Black is set in a women's prison, but still. All we're asking for is equality. Not equalititties.