StrangeSox

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 11:25 AM) Our group was definitely not against this, but we really didn't even know where to begin to write something that a) would actually accomplish this and b) would have any chance of being enforced. What we feel like we did is reduced the influence of money be reducing the frequency of elections, and reform the redistricting, and primary process to try to reduce some of the advantage of extremist candidates, who tend to benefit most from the money. All campaigns 100% publicly funded.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 04:23 PM) It's even more embarrassing when you talk to someone from another country. They just cannot believe that we basically allow people to die or go bankrupt if they can't get or afford medical care. Exactly. That is far more embarrassing than a s***ty website.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 03:19 PM) There was a WSJ Op-Ed where someone's policy was canceled, she had cancer, and was now stuck with a plan where some of her providers were out of network. It is sad, and that does suck. But, it turns out that provider had been struggling with their individual plans and were talking about cancelining them months before. Had this happened 5 years ago she would not have been able to get any coverage because she had pre-existing conditions. It was United Healthcare, and they had already planned on pulling out of the individual market in California. They were getting their butts kicked in part because their two main competitors got big tax breaks from the state. Their publicly stated strategy right now is to exit that market, let these two take the brunt of the people with pre-existing conditions who will actually be able to get insurance now but are more expensive to cover, and then re-enter the market in a few years.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 02:46 PM) Good. I pray everybody affected can get coverage before they get sick. I'm glad this "one of the worst" embarrassments/fiascos included important provisions that ensure that people who are already sick can still get health coverage.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 8, 2013 -> 02:37 PM) I said "one of" the biggest embarrassments/fiascos ever Bay of Pigs? Vietnam? Iraq? Afghanistan? The systematic displacement and slaughter of native peoples? Slavery? Jim Crow? The lack of guaranteed health care for every citizen, unlike every other developed country in the world? Backing multiple brutal dictators because they opposed left-wing politics in their own country, sometimes even supporting or orchestrating violent coups? Our foreign policy in Latin America from about 1840 onward? There are many, many, many things I'd put ahead of "a website that's pretty s***ty for a couple of months as part of an effort to expand healthcare to millions" on the list of horrible and embarrassing s*** this country has done.

Richard Cohen didn't realize slavery was all that bad until someone made a movie about it: How is it even possible for someone to live in 2013 as a political opinion writer who;s been in the industry for decades and is at one of the most prominent papers in the country to not realize the horror and brutality of slavery? And Cohen's supposedly one of the liberals at WaPo. It's not like 12 Years A Slave is even the first movie to depict the awfulness of slavery. http://wonkette.com/533655/terrible-column...ally-really-bad

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Nov 7, 2013 -> 03:55 PM) So he blew off Lincoln's invite and was late to the other two assassinations. Sounds like he should be questioned as an involved party to three counts of murder if you ask me.

well, all of the recent insanity about shutting down government and defaulting on the debt was driven by the neophyte politicians, not the career guys

Making election days Federal Holidays is good, but plenty of people don't get off on many federal holidays. Make election day a weekend.

I don't really see term limits being effective at fixing anything. That means that, instead of career politicians who are dedicating their lives to serving in elected office, we have people who are going to be there a max of a couple of terms and then they'll be back out in the private sector.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 6, 2013 -> 10:53 AM) The result is the only thing that matters. If you want to think Ozzie was a genius because he left his pitchers in, fine. If you want to think Ozzie was "not smart" for not yanking his pitchers, fine. The Sox won. Why have a problem with what was done 8 years later? Just want to point out that sometimes suboptimal decisions still work out. If Option A will work 10% of the time while Option B works 90% of the time, you didn't make the best choice if you happen to go with A and it happens to work out.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 6, 2013 -> 11:25 AM) I would say there would be at least a 3% chance they implode.

I can't imagine the reaction from certain people being positive if Martin had instead punched Incognito in the face, anyway. Who's this scrub punching a much better veteran player just because he can't take some hazing?! Incognito and the assholes who supported and enabled him deserve to be sold out. I don't know why we should have sympathy for people like that or their apologists.

This is pretty horrible: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s320930...ml#.UnpuhvleZly I'd hope that everyone involved in this, from the police to the doctors to the magistrate that issued the warrant, are fired and face criminal charges, but I know that'll never happen. oh and apparently this sort of thing must be somewhat common: http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S321035...04#.UnpvIvleZlw I'm a little more hopeful that the police involved are fired, that the dog is removed from service, and that the doctors who did this lose their medical license for life.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Nov 6, 2013 -> 10:16 AM) Just because Martin is a football player does not make him, by default, someone that has the capacity to go around beating the s*** out of people, even those that say despicable things to him.Why do so many people assume that the two things are somehow interchangeable? And before someone says "He's a football player...it is his job to beat the s*** out of people," that is simply not the same. I'm not sure why grown men should be settling things by punching each other in the face anyway. I'm going to steal this too: "On the streets of Chicago violently confronting someone for disrespecting you is evidence of a 'culture of pathology.' In the NFL it is evidence of handling things 'the right way.'" What I've heard is that Martin was a quiet, soft-spoken introvert. He's probably the type to avoid confrontation and wouldn't go looking to punch people in the face because they're douchebags. And that says nothing about his ability to play in the NFL.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 6, 2013 -> 09:35 AM) He has had anger issues dating back to Nebraska. Probably high school if someone dug it up. His dads messageboard posts pretty much reaffirm Jr's line of thinking Yeah that part of the story is hilarious/sad. http://deadspin.com/is-richie-incognitos-d...on-m-1457997230

Make sure to shop around at different stores for prices. The Verizon store wanted $200 for my HTC One while Best Buy had the same phone with Verizon for $50. Amazon had similar pricing.

Apparently it's Martin's fault because he isn't a gigantic douche who would punch Incognito or something, because that's how grown men handle things I guess?

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 5, 2013 -> 09:35 PM) How? The NFL is a billion dollar business Part of being a "billion dollar business" is public relations and marketing. The news that has come out about Incognito damages the Dolphins brand. Even putting that aside, we always hear about certain guys being a "locker room cancer." This guy was such a cancer (and an all-around terrible person it seems) that he drove another player off of the team. edit: I'm not getting the link between "lots of stats and analysis" and "being a raging racist asshole who extorts people for thousands of dollars." How does more media coverage and scrutiny lead to or encourage that type of behavior? There's plenty of non-assholes in the NFL.

Illinois House votes for marriage equality Bill is going back to the Senate, but it's basically a formality and will soon be on Quinn's desk to be signed into law.

(paywalled)

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 5, 2013 -> 02:07 PM) Interesting... So, I've always wondered this, and I have to ask -- when you were doing this, did you ever say to yourself, "Wow, this is like working 1.5 jobs for the pay of 1?" I know people that make good money (subjective), and for sake of an example, let's say they make 100,000$. Sounds great when they tell people they make 100k, but knowing their schedules, I always say to myself, "Actually, you make 50k, and work two 50k jobs, since you work 80 hours a week". I was being paid hourly at the time (contracting). Things really worked out in my favor when they switched me to salary based on my 60-hours-a-week income and then my typical work week switched over to 45 and has now been right at 40 almost every week for a couple of years.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 5, 2013 -> 02:03 PM) Oh, so he wants Ma Bell back... The ultimate irony is that limited-liability corporations, the foundation of modern capitalism, are entirely a creation of government. They are intangible entities that only exist because legal documents say they exist.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 5, 2013 -> 02:02 PM) This isn't really true anymore...because the second you get dubbed a monopoly, you are shattered into tiny pieces now. Laws changed this view pretty drastically. Duke is arguing for a "perfect world" free of government interference. You know, no more pesky, freedom-killing things like anti-trust laws.