mr_genius

w t f

these uniforms are terrible

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 20, 2009 -> 06:02 PM) Maybe it's pork grease. I hope it's been tested for swine flu pre-helicopter drop.

Without the internet, we wouldn't be getting all this information from Iran. There is a government cotrolled media blackout. More venues, and more voices that can be heard, is often of great value.

FOX news is reporting the Iranian government is droping 'scalding, acid like liquid' onto protestors from helicopters.

I couldn't locate the vote option either.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 10:14 PM) Hawk= Awesome. I think he does a good job. I find him entertaining most of the time. Him and Stone are an excellent combo.

When he killed that fly he saved or created 10 million jobs. True story.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 09:51 PM) Have you ever had to deal with private insurers personally? Have you ever spent any time uninsured? Have you ever put off care or endured pain because you're uninsured and can't afford to see a doctor? You're screwed no matter what if you have a major problem. I never have, thank Obama, but even with insurance a week stay in a hospital is going to cost like $50,000 at least. With all your huffing and puffing, will YOU admit there needs to be strict cost measure like in Europe or Japan? Or do you just suggest a California like program; totally bankrupt. there are limits which on the amount of debt the feds can take on. I think your guy Obama knows this.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2009 -> 09:37 PM) (assuming you don't count the nearly infinite wait times for the 80 million people who are uninsured for at least part of every year). what are you talking about? 80 million US citizens have no health coverage?

WordUpThome: OK WELL THIS OLDEN CHAPERONE HAS TO REQUEST THAT YOU GET OUTSIDE OF HERE HarperImage: why WordUpThome: WELL THE SIMP WordUpThome: SIMPLE ANSWER IS THAT THIS CHAT ROOM IS FULL OF CUSS-WORDING VAGABONDS HarperImage: whats the complex answer WordUpThome: CUSS WORDS

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 04:49 PM) This just in, Sammy Sosa is claiming that he was only using the steroids for batting practice to entertain his fans, but not for the real games.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 17, 2009 -> 05:04 PM) It hasn't been the same since we won the World Series. It used to be "this is the big series since neither team is going to ever win anything and hasn't won anything since the early 20th century", but since we won it all, it doesn't have nearly the same luster. That and the fact that this is the 13th season of the series has made it a bit less than it was. I don't mind it though, at the end of the game it's still just 6 games against a team not even in our league. With that said, I still hate the stupid, silly Cubs fans so winning these games is always a nice plus. i admit i used to be a big time Cubs hater. would watch NL games to merely root against the Cubs. Now I don't even care at all about that team.

bigger headline would be "Senator decides not to cheat on wife!"

i hope there is a replay of the game tonight. for us that couldn't watch due to work.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 06:09 PM) The problem is...any attempt to actually put those cost-controls in to the plan is being opposed by the people who oppose the plan as well. The cost-controls are probably the portion of the plan with the weakes support since both doctors and insurance companies will oppose them and the constituency for a public plan is stronger than the constituency for cost-controls...so the people who want to bring the plan down are attacking the cost-controls...things like focused preventative care, more efficient record keeping, and analysis of the actual effectiveness of treatments are running in to heavy resistance in Congress, esp. from people who tend to oppose "Big government spending". Yes of course, opponents of a central health care policy will look for 'support' anywhere they can find it. I'm just saying from my point of view, I can support a plan but it NEEDS to have cost cutting measures in the forefront. A hybrid plan of super high prices with the tax payers fitting the bill is the worst scenerio. Imagine the gouging we will see, everyone can go to the doc for free, yet the doctor may charge anything they please. The costs will spiral out of control, even worse than they are now! Just saying.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 12:15 PM) It's not so much about the dollar amount of the salaries, but about the current system that pays doctors for each service they do. I agree, that needs to change. agreed. but there is major price gouging going on, that needs to end if there is going to be affordable health care.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 11:11 AM) Similar people, demographics, races, ages and economic states have nothing to do with treatment types. It's cheaper to treat a person with a headache than a brain tumor. My question is/was, does the El Paso hospital treat the EXACT same types of patients? It's very rare that every hospital treats every type of patient in the same manner with the same expertise. See Mercy vs Northwestern, etc...this is no different as far as I'm concerned. I'm skeptical, at best, that both of those hospitals have the EXACT same doctors performing the exact same treatments -- which is the only valid comparison I would know of. But if hospital A is paying their more experienced surgeons 5x more than hospital B, to say their treatments are absolutely equal without giving any data on the types of people performing them is a shady way of reporting it, IMO, and it comes across as an opinion, rather than fact based on comparison. his evidence ignores so many variables. as a data and statistical expert, i must say that some of the 'data' arguments i'm seeing here are very weak.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 10:13 PM) finding the anecdotes for the fraudulent ones are going to be absolutely simple if there is a motivated industry or interest group interested in publicisizing them. Balta, in all fairness, you linked an article that was written by a medical malpractice attorney. He has an obvious economic interest here. You did not link the study, even though the article mentions where the study can be found. But still, it shows that there is advocacy based on profit from trial lawyers whom may be prone to cherry picking data, as well as the insurance industry.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 07:58 PM) They wouldn't if they weren't having to spend 150k per year in malpractice insurance, which they do because of the multitude of frivolous "only in America" lawsuits they get tossed at them every year. I agree. That is another area costs can be lowered.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 07:58 PM) They wouldn't if they weren't having to spend 150k per year in malpractice insurance, which they do because of the multitude of frivolous "only in America" lawsuits they get tossed at them every year. In addition to changing the laws to help protect doctors against this, as Balta pointed out, it won't save us any money because these doctors won't suddenly agree to a pay cut to make up the difference in the money they're no longer sending to the malpractice insurance companies, they'll merely pocket it -- what we need is additional legislation on cost cutting measures...but now we get into very dicey territory, as I don't want the government involved in saying what people can and cannot make. I think we tread into dangerous territory when we start letting the government decide what people can make/charge, or otherwise. I like living here, the way it is...I don't want socialism, I don't want communism. Now this isn't directed at anybody here in particular, but it is directed at a lot of people I've spoken with as of late... Seems like a lot of people today have had it so good and their lives have been so blessed that they have time to dwell on these types of issues, nitpicks, or otherwise, but as long as they get that updated iPOD, what do they care, right? It's not like they're the ones paying. This sounds like a lot of spoiled kids talking out of their asses is what it sounds like, repeating the same s*** they heard on Fox news or CNN or whatever other biased f***ing station you watch before regurgitating the information they want you to spread for them. There is probably going to be health care reform and if I, as a long time tax payer, end up paying some douche bag doctor to charge $5000 an hour to give out prescriptions I will start wrecking iPODS. at will. now if that makes me a socialist, then the definition of socialism has been greatly expanded.

Obama knows Doctors will have to take a pay cut for universal health care to work. At least he's being realistic. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/con...+temp_top+story And honestly I think he is right. I know this is going to piss off some people, but I think some doctors are extremely overpaid. I honestly don't think most work doctors do should command a $400,000 a year salary.

f*** YEA what a great inning

The internet is a communication tool which can be utilized by nearly all the population in the US. Just as with the invention of the printing press, radical ideas as well as mainstream can be spread easier. The internet also allows fast and easy access in the form of email for people to send out a message to an organization like FOX news. The ease of sending a fairly anonymous email to FOX news, complaining about something, adds a level of convenience over the old process of writing a letter, getting a stamp, going to mailbox, and sending. This convenience is going to lead to greater levels of feedback. I'm also sure the economic downturn has increased anger in the population. As far as the MSM losing credibility, they don't need the internet for that to happen. Their reporting is garbage a lot of the time.

wtf? i thougth Mariotti left the city all together. guess not. seriously, we should ignore him and NOT link to his articles. it just gives him web traffic and makes him look important.