Y2HH

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 01:23 PM) No the topic is not new. It's been attempted before and failed, and put on the back burner. Why do you suppose the document is 1300 pages? Everything done in the last 5 years is 1300 pages, it's how you sneak the pork through. I think it's become a requirement now, no matter how new or old it is.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 01:18 PM) Everyone knows that you can manipulate any poll to say whatever you want so all polls/ surveys are meaningless (unless I find one that agrees with what I'm saying, then its 100% factual). [/conservative hand-waving of contradictory data] edit: hahahahahaha did I call it or what? Point out the flawed methodology. You can't just reject any data set that you don't like on the basis that you don't like it. If you're going to accuse them of fraud, you've got the burden of proof. Show where the data is skewed. Show where their methodology is biased. Yea, read this for me: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...0401394_pf.html I've posted it, you ignored it. Read it, and then read it again. Then come back and tell me, who knows first hand how wonderful the VA system is since I have a father who was exposed to agent orange in Vietnam, how wonderful the system is. Oh, and lean on your skewed pool data, too. For the record, I'm not a republican, either...so you fail.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 01:16 PM) On the graphic there are numbers. Numbers that signify data. Data collected from polling people. People who use the services in question. Healthcare reform has been a topic for half a century, at least, longer in fact. There are senators/governors/states that have been working on a way to fix this for much longer than four months. What is happening now is they are trying to pass it, and having to deal with many people who have only been working on it for four weeks, don't want to see anything change, and are getting money to make sure that happens. Everyone here is smart enough to know polls can be manipulated to show exactly what you want. The two links I posted say enough, too. But let's ignore those, after all, they weren't in a neat graphic. And while yes, it's been a "topic of reform", this current reform is ALL NEW, and they're trying their hardest to shove it through whether it's ready or not, and I think that's the big mistake. Pushing law/reform before filling in all the cracks is just crazy as far as I'm concerned. It's just asking people to come out of the woodwork to leech the system dry.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 12:56 PM) Any proposed solutions other than "everything sucks"? First and foremost, the Medicare system is backed up by the private insurance premiums -- they help subsidize it since Medicare contracts are dictated to the insurance companies. So while that works when you can offload the cost to the younger people with private insurance contracts (such as they do now), if there was no such crowd to pass these costs onto, then what? There are a lot of questions, and a lot of answers flying around here -- from one side or the other side, constantly refuting each and every point made. I'm in the camp that knows there is a problem, but I'm also not arrogant enough to think that I have all the answers to a problem as complex as this -- also, let's keep in mind that this has been going on for years and years and they've been working on fixing it now (in the current administration) for what, 4 weeks and what we have is a document full of legal jargon upwards of 1300 pages that nobody has read? Sounds like an awesome plan. I say we put it into effect immediately -- I'm sure it'll solve everything. If they're going to do this right, it should be done in phases to make sure they've got all the loopholes closed, all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed, and move on from there. How, I wish I had such an answer to such a complex problem...but I don't. And pointing to things like the VA or Medicare as solutions is crazy, because neither of them work even a little without the current system supporting them. Edit: This guy thinks the VA hospitals are top notch! http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7718565 These people all seem to have had positive VA experiences, too. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...0401394_pf.html Man I wish my everyday healthcare could be this awesome.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 12:56 PM) So, a poster presents actual evidence... you say the opposite, without any evidence, and that you will say nothing more, and that everyone else is reading propaganda. Did I miss anything? You call that actual evidence? A graphic? You guys are hilarious. I can post some articles where Daley claims his hiring practices are fair, too. Or that he wasn't involved in any back room deals in streets and san or land management contracts going to relatives/friends. Doesn't mean they're true just because someone printed them or drew up an official looking graphic in his defense. Back on point -- my father is a veteran -- the VA sucks, I know this FIRST hand...I have no willingness to proove myself right, either. Find yourself a veteran and talk to them rather than asking me to do it for you.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 11:37 AM) Medicare could be run better (See specifically the proposal to take away Congress's power to set reimbursement rates) but it does a darn good job at what it does; keeping the elderly out of poverty. Its administrative costs are significantly lower than any private plan because they don't spend so much money finding reasons not to treat people. Its satisfaction ratings are dramatically higher than private insurance. About the only system in this country that genuinely works better is the VA system, which even Bill Kristol admits is about as good as you can get. The VA system sucks, as does Medicare. I have nothing more to say about this, it's an obvious waste of time. Anyone that thinks the Medicare or VA system is working needs to stop reading propaganda and go talk to some actual veterans in the system or elderly caught up in the awesomeness that is Medicare.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 11:28 AM) Do your parents and grandparents refuse government controlled Medicare? Yes, because they did government controlled Medicare so well that we should use it as an example as to why we should give them control of the rest of it, too... Just...heh. Being able to refuse it for an alternative if you can afford it is a nice option to have. Having no other option, as far as I'm concerned, isn't an option at all. Medicare couldn't be run WORSE than it is, so let's not even discuss it like it's something great.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 09:25 AM) I don't think ANYONE has said otherwise. But, government take over of health care is not the way to go, period. And my prediction of what would happen appears to be happening... I said somewhere back in this thread that the "compromise" would be that they take the "government option" off the table, in name only, and would pass rules that would force insurance companies to do exactly what they say anyway - which is the same thing, but taking this "option" off the table to make it look like they're compromising. I said it was a trojan horse, and sure enough, it looks that is exactly what is happening in the "senate agreement". Frankly, it's still government takeover of health care, now they're just changing the packaging of it. I don't know why you bother.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 07:44 AM) Widger's last game with the Sox - July 20th. The Sox were 58-36, 22 games over .500. White Sox record after July 20th? 32-36, division lost. Coincidence?

Oh God. Conspiracy theorists are really funny. Heh.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 16, 2009 -> 05:35 AM) But yes, I am a redneck. /spitsout dip of Grizzly Don't make fun of Grizzly.

I also get 19% off my AT&T bill through a work discount, so my iPhone bill isn't that bad -- then again, I'd still pay it. My windows mobile phone on Verizon cost more than my iPhone on AT&T. Either way, not a big fan of Sprint, and I have no complaints paying what I pay, either.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 16, 2009 -> 12:19 AM) Do any of the iPhone alternatives, like maybe the PRE, not have the big data charge associated with them? All internet based phones will have some sort of data charge for them, but the PRE (Sprint) charges less than AT&T does.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 02:38 PM) I was really just being facetious. And in fact, I just looked, and I'm up on the year pretty much straight across as well. Last year sucked, though. I felt like Dorothy with the slippers - just keep saying "its a buying opportunity", over and over again. I didn't do all that bad through all of this, even with the downturn. I have a lot of stuff that didn't move much. I only wish I had more cash on hand after the fall, there was so many things to buy, but I only got a few of them. I didn't panic sell anything, though...which is the biggest mistake a person could have made.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 02:20 PM) Heh. You sure about that? I'm positive. I'm UP on the year. As a matter of fact, I've outpaced the S&P 500 by over 8% since the downturn. And for the sake of being honest -- I'm not taking credit for that like it was all skill, because I know in some ways, I was lucky, but whatever the case may be, it worked out well!

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 02:16 PM) The Pre is awesome. It has tons of features. The only thing lacking is EAS Support, so make sure your company has an active SSL Certificate for EAS based email if that's how you roll. Other than that, no complaint. I've used a PRE, it's, IMO, the only device that competes with the iPhone. I still feel the iPhone is better (but it has 3 years of polish on it), and the PRE needs more work, but it's "there", unlike anyone else.

I don't really "collect" anything. I buy the things I want -- but not in mass quantities...like I own a bike, a tv...etc...but I don't really collect "things" these days. I have hundreds upon hundreds of DVD's from yesteryear, but these days I don't bother with things like that. I guess you can say I collect stocks these days, but that's not really a waste of money, but still...it's a collection.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 11:07 AM) When I was in college I was obsessed with buying DVDs. I wanted to have a collection. What a f***ing waste of money. No one cares about the BluRay collection but you... take the money you are spending and put it into an account. Then 6 years from now when BluRay is out and the next fancy thing is in, take that bank account and compare it to the amount you would get selling those crappy BluRays on eBay. You will not be able to believe the difference in value. EDIT: That came across harsh, but I was just referring back to my own wasted cash and trying to pass the lesson onto you. Harsh but true -- and I have almost 1000 DVD's to show my experience in not only agreeing with you, but KNOWING you are right. Although I'd never recommend this, it's just what I've "heard" you should do -- save your blue ray money -- buy a newsgroups account and download all those bluray movies for free.

I have had an iPhone (edge), and iPhone 3g, and now I have an iPhone 3GS -- my previous models became hand me downs to my wife. The following apps are the apps that I consider "best in class", and if an app listed costs $ while there are free alternatives, I've tried all the free alternatives before I decided which was better. News Apps: AP Mobile (FREE) USA Today (FREE) WeatherBug Elite (Maps in motion, audio/video forecasts, wind speed, etc.) (.99cents) Entertainment Apps: Now Playing (Movie Show times, Locations, Reviews, Etc.) (FREE) ESPN SportsCenter (FREE) Facebook (FREE) AOL Radio (Live broadcast of Local/Domestic radio stations) (FREE) Pandora (Internet Radio) (FREE) Security Apps: 1Password (I'm a MAC user so I pay for the desktop version which synchs to my iPhone, this is a password encryption program) (FREE for iPhone edition) Misc Apps: 9-Toolbox (Contains a Level, Currency Converter, Tip Calculator, Units of Measurement Converter, etc. (FREE) AIM (FREE) Rooms (IRC Chat) (This was like .99cents, but it may cost a few dollars these days.) Flashlight (Why the hell not?!) (FREE) Remote (Remote control iTunes from your phone) (FREE) Shazam (Ever wonder what that song was?! Hold the phone to the speaker and this app will tell you it's name, album, etc.) (FREE) Games: Some of these may be slightly cheaper or more expensive at this time, as the prices change due to sales, etc. Flick Fishing ($4.99) Texas Hold'Em ($4.99) Paper Toss (FREE) PinBall Dreams ($4.99) PegJump (FREE) Peggle ($4.99) MLB Slugger ($4.99) StoneLoops ($2.99) As for using it, I've used just about every cellular phone in existance (I'm a big cell phone nut), and I think the iPhone is again, the best in it's class. I also have a BlackBerry for work, and wish I could just use my iPhone instead. I've had multiple palm devices, multiple winmo devices, and I feel the iPhone is superior. I'm not an Apple loyalist, either...as I have 2 windows vista laptops (dell), 1 windows xp laptop (lenovo) and my iMac, so please -- don't go there.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 07:55 AM) I can't see how this would be possible - seems to be very much against the major principles of a democracy. That's what makes it so unpopular.

Every morning when you wake up, the song playing on the radio should be the same... And it should always be, "I got you babe", by Sonny and Cher.

QUOTE (SmashROT @ Jul 15, 2009 -> 07:22 AM) Give me a break. Do you really think that Cardinal fans would even remotely be thinking during politics their shining moment? It was in the midst of the introductions of the greatest Cardinal players of all time, community allstars, and the righteous hometown steroid free savior of baseball today. The last thing on their minds was, and should have been, politics. Last night was about baseball, plain and simple. A healthy boo from an anti-Chicago baseball city is all in good fun. They're not an anti-Chicago baseball city, they're an anti-Cubs baseball city. I know plenty of Cardinals fans and they like White Sox fans and the White Sox -- as a matter of fact, most of them say that if the Cards can't win, they want the Sox to win. People think about politics whenever politicians are involved, and a politician was involved, so yes...

I'd not kick either of them out.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 10, 2009 -> 02:52 PM) I didn't think anybody would get it. Ironically that movie is probably the closest to what boot camp is actually like of all the movies I've seen. Full Metal Jacket is closer, but a little bit more old school.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jul 1, 2009 -> 02:27 PM) Thanks Let me clarify. When I say 6 hours I don't mean it as I work out every minute of those 6 hours. I usually get there around 9 or 10 in the morning and leave around 3 or 4. But I make sure I take 3-5 minute breaks inbetween cardio machines. And I spend about 45 minutes in the sauna and another 30 minutes swimming (which feels awesome right after all the cardio). So I get plenty of rest time while I'm there. But yeah, I realize not everybody can do what I do. That's still a long time to spend in a gym -- I wish I had that sort of extra time still...I did in my 20's...but those days are over. heh