kapkomet

QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 2, 2009 -> 12:23 PM) Kapkomet said something similar to this a couple of days ago. Seriously, if that kind of "party" existed, they would wipe out the entire government - that's change we can believe in. I think the bas*** crazies on both sides are ruining America.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2009 -> 12:07 PM) So, your solution to the health care problems in this country are to keep people from using the health care system because otherwise waits will get too long. Get rid of 15-20% of the population and we fix everything. Like I said, best system in the world! What system is better? And I will also contend you have a choice. If you don't like your doctor's wait time, change your doctor.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2009 -> 11:40 AM) My wife has had to wait over a month repeatedly for appointments for things causing a Hell of a lot of pain. And that was while she was insured. Now we just kind of live with those things. And you don't think it will get worse? It has to because now you will throw that many more people into the system.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 04:16 PM) Well, I disagree, but more importantly I think it just doesn't matter. The actions of our government are more important to me than the silly symbolic crap. I understand... and do slightly disagree - get the symbolic crap right because that's easy. It makes you look like a total idiot when you don't. Everyone wanted to bash the s*** out of GWB for "image" but now it doesn't matter? That's what bothers me about it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 04:11 PM) And in both cases, utterly inane topics. Seriously, who cares what gifts they give. Pointless. I do because it shows the lack of respect that these people have. In the "picture" case, it was a different term and a different circumstance all together. When you have foreign dignataries giving us a pen set made from the same wood as the Resolute and ours gives DVD's, I'm sorry, it's a total lack of respect for the history of your office.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 03:22 PM) nothing like giving out autographed pictures of yourself to other heads of state. Totally not the point and in totally different circumstances.

London was the lowest going in and they got it. And I'm glad Chicago sucks so much that you don't want to see investment in your own city... f*** what anyone else thinks of your city.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 01:31 PM) I see it as a bait and switch... "Look, you get all these great tax cuts, we fix the budget, and grow america... but wait, what we forgot to tell you is that you have to opt into those tax cuts, and out entire budget is based on you not doing that... so dont. but look, we gave you the option, how nice of us!" And what Obama is doing is not a bait and switch? Hmmmm.

Texas Stadium was a dump. I was in it for a couple of events... not a Cowboys game, though. The new stadium is just ginormous. Pictures doesn't explain just how big the Boss Hawg Bowl really is.

Holy f***, now Obama gives QEII an ipod? WTF is wrong with these dips***s?

QUOTE (lostfan @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 12:55 PM) It does in the short term, but assuming it stimulates growth, you'd eventually have to raise them back. I think there is a sweet spot somewhere that maximizes revenue, nobody knows where it is though. Right, and the way they did that was calculating it based on a set of assumptions that would nearly equal out.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 12:52 PM) As I understand COBRA, you get to keep your insurance, but pay the full rate charged to the company you had previously worked for. So yeah, its an increase in costs, a big one probably. But the alternative is worse, right? Having no insurance, or having to buy private individual insurance, which is probably more costly than COBRA. Or am I misunderstanding? You're right on. I just mean to say it's extremely pricey. The problem with going with another insurance company is you lose all your pre-coverages and a ton of your privacy rights for nearly the same money. A lot of people don't know that, and it can really screw you in the future because you will lose your pre-coverages on your next employee plan, potentially. I'm paying $1600+ a month. That drains the account in a hurry. Now, my plan is waaaaaay better then most coverages which makes it more expensive. But, the privacy part played a large role in me keeping the COBRA.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 12:50 PM) This is the EXACT wording from the plan: Got it. It doesn't guarantee a loss of money, though. It depends on several things.

I think some of this is getting cherry picked and not reported correctly.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 11:44 AM) So out of curiousity, I take it you have no credit cards, no loans, and no mortgage, along with a job that you can never lose? If not, you are taking many of the same risks as an individual that these companies took as corporations. Most people live 1-2 paychecks away from being destitute in this country, because they have no savings, and they have leveraged themselves in much the same fashion by over extending themselves with credit. If they lose their jobs, much like these banks lost their income flows when people quit paying their mortgages, they are in the exact same situation as these corporations going to the government with their hats in their hand. All I know is it is a damn good thing I had some savings because of the assholes I worked for fired me. I haven't tapped my 401K yet and I've been off 4 months now. I may have to in a couple of months... but people really need that 6 months that everyone talks about. If you have a family, it's really hard because of COBRA. That s*** kills. If I didn't have that, I would be able to get through until almost fall.

The problem is (like I said in another thread this morning) is you HAVE to have growth in GDP with this enormous printing of money that we're doing. You won't see a corresponding decrease in unemployment, though. The media will scream GROWTH and it will hit right about fall of 2010. The GOP is too damn busy talking about policy and not actual issues. They might as well pull the trigger and splat their brains against the wall if they can't deal with real issues.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Apr 1, 2009 -> 08:52 AM) Hmm this is actually quite hard; So what are the top 5 things that you have seen in your life, and the top things that you still want to see? It can be anything from an event, to a place, or whatever else you desire... Been to 1. Aussie Rules Grand Final in Melbourne at a stadium filled to 100,000 capacity where my team won for the first time since 1963. 2. Grand Canyon 3. Central Park filled with snow in the Winter Time. 4. The view from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. 5. The Great Wall in Beijing. 6. A White Sox game at the Cell. 7. Great Barrier Reef Want to go to 1. London 2. Sweden (or somewhere in the Scandanavian region) 3. Germany / Oktoberfest 4. A Dallas Cowboys Home game at their new stadium. 5. Statue of Liberty (will be doing this before I leave New York in 2 weeks). Andrew, you should see that place. Holy crap is it big. One of the writers here affectionately calls it the "Boss Hawg Bowl". I love that name.

The sentiment that StrangeSox was getting at is absolutely true. The GOP is in shambles right now, they have no leader. They are ragtagging and RESPONDING to bulls*** instead of being proactive. They are irrelevant until they lead. If they keep responding instead of leading, no one will ever get anywhere. I think real conservatives understand that things needed/need to be done here to get things moving again. I don't think any right minded individual (no pun intended) disagrees with that. However, we are getting the foot stuck on the accelerator in the wrong direction here and it's going to kill our country. There is going too far with all of this, and in my opinion Obama is doing just that. The GOP needs to get off their ass and actually stand for something. GWB's asshatery led us to Obama (that should be his legacy, IMO, because it led to what is a massive buildup of government structure). I don't disagree with the voter sentiment that led to Obama, and the GOP better wake the hell up before it's too late (in many cases, it's getting that way real quick).

*YAWN* This is such a stupid day.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 09:54 PM) There are 2 conclusions that can be drawn here. Either the answer is yes, or no one believes your point of view. 77,344 - Murphy 77,279 - Tedisco Final #'s with all precincts reporting. May still be some absentee ballots out there, no idea how that district works. So how can no one believe my point of view? You cannot sit there with a straight face and tell me that this is all roses and greatness. If you can, you're delusional (no offense personally, I mean generally). ANYTIME you spend this kind of money in government it's not good. If people don't believe that, then our country has just become the Republic of Chinese America.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 09:47 PM) That certainly was the debate that gave the unknown the opening. Tedisco refused for about 2 months to say whether or not he would have voted for the package, then finally came out and said he'd have voted against it, and Murphy used that in his ads constantly. So let's read into that. People would rather spend trillions and trillions (if you put all the packages together) and not give a rat's ass about how much is spent to "stimulate" the economy? And the GOP loses on this issue?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 09:35 PM) With 1 precinct remaining to report, Centrist Democrat Scott Murphy has inched ahead of Republican Jim Tedisco in the race to replace New York's new Junior Senator. The Republican in the race challenged the results in court...before the voting day was finished. The difference is currently less than 100 votes. This election was being viewed as a referendum on the Republican party in a number of ways. The RNC was heavily involved, and a loss could be a death knell for the man at its head. The election put a well known Republican against a poorly known up the middle Democrat in a Republican district (which had been held by a Democrat and which seems to be moving left despite being gerrymandered to be a Republican seat). The stimulus battle was fought quite heavily up there, and it was probably the key to Murphy coming back. So you're saying that the stimulus bill is that popular (at least in this district?).

Kind of like... Change.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:25 AM) I disagree. In fact, I think its been an interesting thing to note that this Congress-President party majority thing was way overblown, because Congress has wanted to do things their way, and Obama has had to follow along or oppose them on some things. When the AIG thing blew up, it was (AT FIRST) the White House that propogated the whole thing. Barney then went and ran with it. He knew damn well what he was doing.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Mar 31, 2009 -> 11:18 AM) Barney Frank = Barack Obama? Come on now Kap, molding all Democrats together into a generic archetype and including the bats*** clueless ones like Frank as part of it is just lazy. Barney Frank isn't doing anything that the Obama Administration doesn't know about... not on a policy level, anyway. The bats*** crazy mouthy crap? I agree. Policy? No way. Obama's leading the charge there.