Rex Kickass

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 10:19 PM) Do you really and truly think that individuals are currently making health care decisions? That the decision is not being made by 1. the individual's doctor, 2. the individual's insurance company, and 3. at a long distance back, the individual? And frankly, do you really think individuals are qualified to be the ones making health care decisions? I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'm not. Trying to scare me with the idea of a bureaucrat making decisions about health care doesn't work when it's already happening...just happens to be done by a person who's job is to do everything possible to make sure that his or her company doesn't have to pay the bill. Furthermore...saying "Everyone can get health care now if they want to make that choice" is a wonderful straw man...because that's not the issue. The issue is that the way people are being forced to get health care is vastly, VASTLY more inefficient than the alternatives. Not going through preventative care is vastly more expensive than having to deal with something major that could have been avoided. Going to an emergency room for care is vastly more expensive than being able to see a regular physician. I have been in a situation in the last three years where I had to decide whether or not to file a claim on some diagnostic work because I feared having my coverage dropped as a result of the kind of tests that were required. I have been in a situation in the last year where I was denied the only available medical plan to me that I could afford because I was eligible for a much more expensive plan in another state that would not honor any claims I made because I lived in the wrong state. Bureaucracy and managed care is alive and well in the US, just in the name of making money.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 03:02 PM) People can opt out of public schools. They also are primarily funding roads with gasoline taxes, which means people have a way out of that as well. Public schools are funded with property tax money usually. You don't have to go to school, but if you own land - you pay for it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 02:59 PM) Basically then your argument is that there should be no such thing as health insurance. Or public schools, free to use roads, etc.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jun 5, 2009 -> 06:46 PM) I am admitted Letterman fan, but I do like Conan as well. But the first few shows, Conan's monologue has been downright bad. Is it me or do others think that as well? Conan's skill has always been his skits and outrageousness that he is willing to do while Letterman is probably the best in the biz at the interview and quick wit, so I know it's tough comparing the two, but Letterman's monologue is much better. Also, I know a lot is the writers, but Letterman seems to deliver better as well. Conan's monologues were never good. There's a reason there was a five joke maximum on the Late Night show. His monologue is actually a lot closer to Carson's than anyone we've seen in a while in that, it was a lot of bad jokes followed by a lot of inside baseball. I'm kinda lovin it actually. Actually, the greatest joke he's done that I've seen so far was the "children born during the 16 years of Late Night" joke. It was so uncomfortable and sorta subtle....

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 9, 2009 -> 08:03 PM) They ration the s*** out of it, they deny care and have year(s) long waiting lists, and I could go on. Oh, and they tax the piss out of their citizens. Obviously, we don't tax enough here. Not really entirely true. Although, there are many cases where I'd rather get treated here than in some European countries - mostly because many European hospitals don't have AC - many countries cut down costs by focusing on preventative treatment first. Look at what France does with its children, for example. Also, I have gotten ill and been treated in more than one western European country. There was never a bill, I got the treatment I needed promptly and quickly. And Doctors do quite well for themselves there too. My father's friend, a Doctor owns a country house and a townhouse in the city. My uncle's late friend had a palatial penthouse suite in the city, and a giant oceanside mansion in the French riviera. There is a lot to be improved in the way health care is managed in Europe - but for many, if not most people in the US, its a far superior approach to what we currently see.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 10, 2009 -> 10:07 AM) EDIT: and on the first point, all I hear from the GOP is that Obama is trying to make Americans dependent on government by just giving away free money and now with Palin saying that she wished the government spending was less, shouldn't she eliminate the free money to Alaskans? seems like she is helping make people dependent on government money. She's like any other politician. It's a do as i say, not as i do mentality. Truth is that she looks for more federal dollars for her state all the time. She looked to increase the bonanza Alaska residents get every year when that money could be used to keep Alaska more self-sufficient rather than having to depend on a "bloated" federal budget to build bridges to anywhere. The difference between a fiscal conservative like Palin and the people she criticizes - is that the people she criticizes tend to be more honest about where that money is or isn't coming from when it hits their state or district.

It's such a touchy subject, this. I don't think Tiller actively sought to encourage late term abortions, but he performed them. Probably for two reasons - first - he was very good at them, and it is a risky procedure that few doctors will do. Second - it is a legal medical option when the fetus is not seen as viable in Kansas. He was brought up on charges that on 19 occasions that ended up to be the case. He was acquitted on every single charge. For all the vilification that Tiller received, the evidence points to nothing more than a skilled doctor acting professionally and properly within the framework of the law, however you interpret that law to be. Bill O'Reilly is a jackass. But a jackass who is free to call people a baby killer.

Paul Wellstone Jennifer Granholm - was always very nice to me. Jon Corzine - once complimented me on his beard (I in turn complimented him on his sweater vest) Dick Lugar Bernie Sanders Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jun 2, 2009 -> 12:10 AM) Coleman needs to give it up. I wonder how much money has been spent on his legal efforts? The RSCC has given Coleman $750k to fight.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 1, 2009 -> 09:02 PM) Longest running elections thread ever! Oral arguments were made before the MN supreme court today. I'll outsource commentary to an election law blog who watched the proceedings. More at link. Basically, it's probably only a short time, matter of days to 2 weeks or so, before the MN supreme Court rules for Franken. Then the game really begins. Will the MN Supreme Court issue an edict requiring the governor to sign off on certification of the election? Will the governor risk his 2012 campaign and comply? Will the Coleman Camp attempt to hang things up by launching what will be essentially very unlikely to succeed challenges in Federal court? Coleman will follow to the Supreme Court. Pawlenty may end up seating Franken, because a 2012 run is harder if not seating Franken makes it harder to win in 2010. If Pawlenty thinks Coleman has not shot in federal circles, there's no point to stick with him for 2012 aspirations. It's a dodge that will be forgotten in two plus years.

Chrysler filed for bankruptcy once, in 2009.

For anybody who eschews the title "domestic terrorist" for this guy - I don't think any other title would suffice. A man was murdered in his church for performing legal medical procedures as a doctor. The man had his clinic bombed, repeatedly vandalized, was previously shot twice by other anti-abortion "activists." It's a shame.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ May 31, 2009 -> 04:27 PM) Tiller the baby killer was killed himself today in Kansas. Karma is a b****. I would be interested to hear Sebelius's comments. I believe murdered in church no less.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ May 31, 2009 -> 04:35 PM) Either a person knows the material or not. It says a lot when you have to grade on a curve to promote one person over another. What happens when a city promotes a person and their inexperience or lack of brains causes someone to lose their life? But at least we had the person we wanted in the position whether they know their job or not. But had the appeals case heard this suit, and overturned it - it would be the definition of judicial activism. The three judge panel decided not to overturn the case (which every court had previously ruled the same way) because it was clear to the court that the city of New Haven did everything prudently and correctly under the auspices of federal law. If the court's job is not to legislate and create policy, then what is the problem with the ruling that Sotomayor was one third of?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 29, 2009 -> 08:00 PM) The New Haven case. The New Haven case was a pure example of judicial restraint, not judicial activism. The 3-0 decision of which Sotomayor was only one vote, dealt solely with the fact that the city was trying to deal with federal law as it was written and not as you may perceive it to be. The truth is that current federal employment laws that municipalities have to follow don't allow cities to promote or hire based on tests that primarily favor one race or another. The court's view was that since nobody was promoted as a result of a test that under federal law would be viewed as flawed because the city was taking steps to avoid liability in this case, that this case shouldn't have been brought up. This unsigned decision was made on extremely narrow basis of the law. For all the talk about "activist judges" around here by conservatives, you'd think there'd be more respect for decisions made that apply the law, not create new policies.

Make sure its a converter and not just an adapter.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 27, 2009 -> 01:17 AM) I've seen you say that three (at least two) times now. What is there to consolidate? I mean, he's running the show. Everyone knows it. What's the point? He had a major stroke last year. He's not running as much of the show as you think, and he's trying to name his heirs (63 year old brother in law, 20-something third son).

It's problematic on either side because any kind of actual warfare could result in some serious civilian casualties on either side of the DMZ. Seoul is very close to that line. The reactions from South Korea, Japan, China have been somewhat reassuring though. They don't seem to think that this is more than sabre rattling - even though the propaganda coming from the North is at a fever pitch at the moment. The question seems to be, is North Korea finally backed into that corner that might make them lash out in one desperate attempt at survival? Or is it just more brinkmanship from them to get some more aid - or maybe just an effort by Kim Jong Il to consolidate power within North Korea?

Better news out of this: China is pissed and is working with the Security Council over this which means that there might be sufficient motivation in the UN to get something severe done. Also, North Korea alerted to the US that it was going to happen within an hour of it happening. A lot of analysts seem to think that this is a purely internally political move as Kim Jong Il is trying to consolidate power after his stroke.

OK enough. Let's actually talk about the topic now. It's tough to figure out who are the good guys here. It really is.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 18, 2009 -> 09:30 AM) I will say this. The CEO of Fiat is brilliant. He gets the most lucrative parts of GM and Chrysler at no cost (if you believe the rumours floating around that GM is going to sell off China and Latin America portfolios to Fiat as well) - and actually gets funded by OUR government to take these assets over. This man will come out of this smelling like a rose. Given that FIAT has its own balance sheet issues that will rear its ugly head in about two years.... I wouldn't say smelling like a rose will necessarily sound that apt.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 17, 2009 -> 04:05 PM) It'd be more accurate if it was the "Rush Limbaugh" thread. Or the "party of no" thread

All this does is reinforce the view you previously had.

Given that they were assigned to fly to Buffalo with neither pilot having had any experience dealing with icing as can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder literally minutes prior to the crash, I'd say training was a huge factor in this pilot error.

He seems like a solid pick for the position, fluent in Mandarin among other things.