Texsox

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:12 PM) One of them, the element was old and got super-clogged, and just couldn't be cleaned enough to work well. The other, a part broke (and it was a fairly new one!). Colorado's high country is afoul with giardia - one of the worst areas for it. I was packing coffee filters and tying them onto my inlet. Slowed down the draw rate, but seemed to save my prefilter and thus my main filter. When I bought my Pur, I was mostly working with 12 and 13 year olds and the beefier handle seemed more durable than the MSR lever configuration. I understand the MSR pumps easier.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:38 PM) The definition of a "recession" is two consecutive quarters of GNP shrinkage. In this event tax revenues fall, which means that the US budget would have to contract to meet that smaller tax receipt. This means less programs, jobs, funding ect for people who depend on the government for income. Either that or they have to raise taxes to meet the current budgetary levels, which again, takes more money out of the general economy, and exsaserbates the recession. You can have a balanced budget in good times, but you can't in bad times, unless you want big and long bad times. That makes sense, but shouldn't we look at income projections and spending projections to determine what is off? The little trick of just increasing the projected income and spend is dangerous. Would it make sense to perhaps broaden the window and be balanced over a two or three year period?

How would he look next to Obama?

Just got this

For most of my employees I bought "vouchers" from one of the night clinics here for routine office visits. They could use them to at least be seen an d hopefully keep small stuff from becoming big. By buying 100 passes at the start of the year, we negotiated a decent office business rate. I just noticed that clinic has moved. He was a new Doctor, had just opened his doors, and was willing to negotiate. I did have one employee complain he didn't have "choice" and it was geographically a bad deal for him, but most appreciated my attempt. Anyone in the family could use them.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:29 PM) Beause of the forced reserves of banking and the higher savings rate of the rich, there is a lot of money taken out of circulation by the upper classes. Its not like giving money to the poor who have zero savings rates. The multipliers are MUCH different in these classes. Correct, which is why any large scale sales tax program is tough, even with serious luxury taxes. Currently that exec or baseball player with $21M is taxed on $21M, with a sales tax, how much is he really going to spend? And I'm using an extreme example, but even take a $500,000 salary. We'd only be collecting taxes on a smaller percentage of those earnings.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:21 PM) You shouldn't. If we are indeed being talking into a recession, the LAST thing you want right now is a balanced budget. The spending cuts or tax increases to make it happen will turn a garden variety recession into a full blow depression. Is it because 1. We need to spend that exact amount and not a dime less? 2. We need to collect that exact amount and not a dime more? 3. It has to be a debt? It would seem that we tax and spend not to run the country, but to manipulate the economy. I agree that "free" money today is a nice thing for the economy, but that "free" dollar becomes more and more expensive as it needs to be repaid. It also gives politicians a free ride to just give us stuff with the promise that someone else will pay for it.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:20 PM) I don't think it has to be, if you structure the sales tax correctly, and ONLY remove the income tax (meaning, keep cap gains, etc.). You would need a bevelled approach of course, product groupings like you said - but that doesn't have to be overly complicated. I think it could be done, and done well, to the benefit of the country. Think about the ubber rich, they may spend the first million they will earn this year, but not the next 20. I just do not see being able to recoup that without seriously crippling those in the $15,000 to $45,000 range.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:09 PM) Tex, while I simply don't offer insurance to my employees, I can recall back in the day when my father had his own company. They had to switch carriers every 2 or 3 years because they 'introductory' rates tripled, or someone had an expensive claim, etc. I think I recall the last one they had for a while, maybe 5 or 6 years, before he was forced to sell the business for unrelated reasons (family squabble, betrayal, etc.). So in a way, I feel your pain. I thought you had one employee you bought coverage for? You know how the competition thing is, non of my competition offered benefits and that's the competition I had to deal with. No way to pay 60 or 70% more, as it was I was paying 20% more than anyone else, but I had my pick of employees. I also treated them like humans. But it really is my ex father in law that I think of. Worked all his life, dumped from a company in his mid/late 50s based primarily on "image" and with his and his wife's health he was screwed until Social Security disability and Medicare kicked in. At first I was thinking that those cases of preexisting conditions and almost automatic loses for the company would destroy the system, but it would also include some healthy people as well. Small business owners and their employees.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 02:04 PM) My blood pressure is usually too low to give blood. I also have very rolly veins. In college 9 of 14 cross country runners got rejected for low bp and low pulse rates.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 01:50 PM) I hate to say it, but if the Dem nominee wound up being Hillary...I'd wind up considering myself undecided in that 3 way race. I'm just so sick of voting for people who voted for this damn war... I give everyone a pass on that war vote. First off, the underlaying evidence was faulty.

We've had this thread before and SS convinced me a long time ago how bad an idea it is. The system we have, although with plenty of built in and bolted on problems, is about as good as it gets. I'd like to see some serious balanced budget proposals, but I know that will never happen.

I was speaking with a local blood drive rep and she told me they are having a struggle this year because more and more Winter Texans are getting tattoos. I started laughing, thinking of grandma getting a slutmark when she told me it is usually permanent makeup.

I donate blood fairly regularly. Red Cross. I use to be more regular, now I just go when they are set up somewhere convienent.

QUOTE(Felix @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 01:23 PM) And he could still pitch! It worked for Jim Abbott. (man, this is a horrible joke)

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 01:06 PM) We got caught at very high altitude in Colorado one summer when the water filters both broke or clogged beyond repair. We eventually ran out of iodine, so we resorted to boiling. Except, at 13,000 feet, the boiling temp isn't high enough. 4 of us got Giardia - thankfully after we were out of the woods. Not fun, though. yikes. I remember the Backpacker article a couple years ago that tested water around the country and found very little incidences of Giardia, bummer you found a spot. Which filter are you using? I keep thinking I should update my 6 year old Pur, but it keeps working and working.

I've never seen that proposed. Seems like a great idea worth studying and a step in the right direction.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 09:50 AM) So, which party would Bloomberg get more votes from? I think it may be pretty close to even. flip flopper I think he would pull votes from both. But it will depend on which nominee from each party. For example Dems that just could not pull the handle for Clinton, but who would shudder at voting for say Thompson, would be more willing. Same thing, a GOP who just could not stand to vote for Giulianni, but would gag at a Clinton vote, would. Compared to say myself who would not vote for Clinton, but would vote for McCain. Another GOPer and I would look at Bloomberg

Actually the really poor already have coverage via Medicade, we'd be covering more of the middle class who get squeezed. They are paying taxes. And as to why, I guess it is the same rationale that produces roads, water, police and fire protection, etc. There is also some public health savings. We pretty much stopped polio by legislating vaccinations. Flu epidemics are almost unheard of here, etc. There is also a cost in lost productivity that is shared. So there may be a total cost savings. Or maybe because we can? Maybe it's a family value thing? In part it was one reason I closed my business and put a few people out of work. I could not get private insurance and needed a large group coverage. My employees were making between $10 and $12 per hour. Insurance would have cost $850 per employee. That was a benefit of over $5 per hour. I made it work for a couple guys while I could. But as soon as I had a hospital stay, the increases started and wham, it was all over.

QUOTE(Brian @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 01:03 PM) Was the dog booked on manslaugher charges? No he had a good lawyer.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 11:28 AM) Take it to the 'Buster. This is a baseball forum. Thought it was about jewelry

Hmm a grudge baby, someone had it in for him.

At least in the woods, I'd have poured some boiling water onto those glasses (nalgene). Knock on wood, I've never experienced gastric problems while backpacking. We're very careful about cleaning. Imagine staying at a decent hotel and being subjected to worst.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 10, 2008 -> 10:08 AM) A microwave? Now I know why max power chose that name! It just hadn't dawned on me yet. Wow, YAS is a multi thread / cross posting / comedic machine excellent