StrangeSox

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 07:45 PM) And I was saying that once Europeans understand our system and not go by the spoon fed media blitz, they realize ours WAS much better. A Ferrari is better than my Pontiac but that doesn't mean I can actually afford the damn thing. Even if we accept the premise that "Some random Europeans like our system, therefore it is superior", it still misses the entire point of millions being unable to afford our system.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 11:17 PM) He's already told Congress that he has his lawyers taking care of the issue. Funny how the lawsuits were ready to go today about blocking this. Hmmm. He did this because this was the message to Congress to get the cap and trade legislation off of the shelf, and to dupe America into saying he worked with the GOP and they mocked him. Of course they did, because his announcement today means absolutely nothing, and everyone knows it... except those who want it to mean (or look like) something. If he opens up off-shore drilling but there are legitimate legal challenges to implementing any of it, it means that the talking point dies.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 05:59 PM) But Mike's larger point is that the government doesn't have these reporting standards to adhere to - so they "save" when banks had to keep the loans on the books less the deductability of the subsidies. Meanwhile, the government takes the difference and calls that a "savings" when in reality it's revenue neutral to a real accounting of the funds. Were they given subsidies because they were losing money on the loans or because they weren't profiting enough? That makes all the difference between revenue-neutral or not.

Sure, because the UK Parliament is in on it! GW is the single biggest conspiracy ever known to man!

QUOTE (kev211 @ Mar 31, 2010 -> 11:00 AM) You left out the two biggest things Charles is trying to stop MIB, we already knew that from last week or the week before I hope they bother explaining that. You're right, that added a bit of information. They said something like 'everyone you love and know', which I take it to mean he's going to destroy the world. But it's already been about trying to contain a powerful evil force, so that's not really new information.

Even the on-island stuff barely advanced the plot: Jin is kidnapped (done in 2 minutes), Sun bumps her head (but could communicate anyway so who cares), Locke declares war (again, done in 2 minutes) and we see Desmond (last 30 seconds). They're wasting a lot of time with only a handful of episodes left.

Thank you for making my point. They have the luxury of the financial ability to pay for our system, while millions of Americans and millions of Europeans do not. No one ever denied that we have great medical services if you can afford them. Talking to a bunch of relatively well-off (compared to the impoverished) Europeans misses the point. edit: It's like when people who choose to come here to have surgery is used as evidence at how awesome our medical system. It misses the entire point because its using an exception (someone who can self-finance expensive surgery) as the example.

How many of the Europeans you talk are the ones who could afford our (now destroyed, lol) system?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 04:38 PM) No, because there are other effects that can localize sea level changes. In this case, the Bay is warming particularly fast, so localized thermal changes are likely driving it. In other words, when I pour a gallon of water into the ocean, the sea level doesn't instantaneously equalize that change around the world, right?

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Mar 30, 2010 -> 01:53 PM) Currently at True Value and never went the public accounting route. I always valued work/life balance. OT: consider the IRS route. My dad worked in the corporate world for years and had 60-80 hour weeks for a couple of months every year. Hasn't had anything close since going to the IRS, plus he gets to work from home a lot.

No surprises there. Looks like a roster that definitely can compete for the division.

Student Loans - Evil Banker Greed = $68B ss2k5 made a few comments in the health care thread about it, but I only sort of get the point he's driving at.

Ugh. I feel great for having exercised but this program kicks the s*** outta me.

I was part of the supplemental census a few years back, and it was a little more in-depth than this one IIRC. But still, I don't get why anyone* gets so bent out of shape about it. *I do get the fears of illegal immigrants but I don't think they're well-founded.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Mar 29, 2010 -> 12:30 PM) Does this qualify?: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...eric-cantor.php This does not sound like the rant of a leftist: Could be.

My census form was "who are you and where do you live" and nothing more.

No video = didn't happen?

'grats!

I understand kap. Where do you think he got his avatar image?

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Mar 28, 2010 -> 07:05 PM) Yea but things get way too chaotic to coordinate attacks enough to really wipe out either country completely. I'm pretty sure a lot of the nuclear subs will go completely dark once the bombs start flying, nobody will know what has already been hit and what hasn't. I wrote a paper on the Healthcare debate titled "Partisanship and Healthcare, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Nuclear Option" earlier this semester. Clearly you've never heard of Attack Plan R.

?thrown bricks and cut gaslines = baby? eta keep making excuses for s***heads being s***heads. It really furthers the conservative cause.

In what way are "half" of them "sketchy"? They're all documented with the appropriate police reports.

So my fiance and I were bored Friday night and started to re-watch some of Season 1 on Netflix. A few thoughts: 1) This was a completely different show. Their was so much more mystery and intrigue and genuine tension. That's going to happen naturally though as the show progresses to more and more reveals. 2) The Kate/ Jack story was just as annoying from the first episode. 3) The Black vs. White theme was prevelant from the start. In the pilot, Locke is explaining backgammon to Walt on the beach with black and white game pieces and "good vs evil". When Jack finds Adam & Eve in the cave, one of the bodies has the black and white stones that Jacob and the other guy have. Just some random thoughts.

NSFW Louis CK learns about the Catholic Church

Fair enough, some of them (like ELF) have resorted to violence and intimidation.