OCinBuffalo

Said it before: Chris Kelsay = Rasputin

1. You cannot add a whole crapload of Demand to a model, while holding supply constant, and not expect to see the price go up. 2. Due to #1, in your model cost is almost irrelevant, because who cares what the exact cost is if the price is 2-3x more? 3. As a person who works with health care providers on at least a weekly basis, deep into the guts of their business processes, where especially doctors fear/refuse to tread...I can tell you that your "Insurance company administrative cost" argument is f'ing peanuts...when you compare it to how much money is wasted by the average provider. 4. To be clear: 80% of that waste is due to d-bags that neither provide care or receive it. The malpractice nonsense causes a ton of unnecessary cost. The government's amateur attempts at quality control, and cost control, end up costing the entire system 5-10x more than they are worth, and fail miserably at preventing fraud, which costs even more, and top of that adds even more useless government employees to the states' budget. Doctors are constantly being pushed by outsiders to over-prescribe drugs. 5. The average health care provider staff is beset by the terrible notion that "we take care of people, therefore, we don't have to manage ourselves or our employees". I have news for you: a lot of us have super special jobs that nobody else can do, that doesn't mean we don't have to be managers. Sloppy management runs wild top to bottom and across all sectors of health care, and there's really no excuse for it. The insurance company "administrative cost" argument is nickels compared to #4-5's dollars, and even the wonk Democrats know it. The only people who won't admit it are the blowhard Democrats. And, to be fair, I bet there are some clueless Republicans that aren't even aware of any of this.

The irony is precious. I honestly forget who said what in an 8 page thread...but there you are instantly ready to remind me. It's 2 am. Are you really that starved for my attention?

Oh, but wait, we aren't allowed to recount personal experiences here, right? Which D-bag said that again? I forgot who it was, and I'm not going to bother looking. For the last time, I am not saying that we hold all Muslims accountable for some Muslim's bad behavior. Edit: Let me ask you a question. Were there any other self-described Christians standing around when your beating happened? If there were, and they didn't help/tell/something, then they are just as guilty as the tools who went after you, and they certainly didn't live up to the what they call themselves. They don't get to hide behind "yeah, but Christianity is a religion of peace". They tolerated that behavior in the name of their religion = not OK. I am saying we ALL need to hold those that tolerate this bad behavior accountable for their actions = their toleration. Toleration is as bad as the act itself, because it supports it by giving the offender the impression that what he is doing is OK when it's not. If so many tolerate these acts that it effects the entire culture, then yeah, we can call it a bad culture, because it f'ing is. I am saying we ALL need to accept the fact, and make damn sure that we don't encourage anything but Muslim acceptance of the fact, that 95% of their problems are directly due to their own f'ed up culture. They didn't create this mess, that started 600 years ago. But, they do have a role in cleaning it up, and it's the primary role. They have to be accountable for their own choices going forward. I am not going to sit here and have some D-bag tell me that it's our fault when they attack us. That's retarded. I am not going to sit here and have some D-bag tell me that the f'ed up culture they espouse isn't 95% responsible for their problems, and the primary reason they attack us. That's also retarded.

Uh, Ok. I apologize for not buying into Darin's politically correct BS. Lord knows, if only I personally would ignore the problems Islam has, then all the terrorists attacks, the psychotic celebrations of them, the delusion that somehow the average American gives a crap about the average person in any Muslim nation, the delusion that somehow we are interested in them enough to want to bother with oppressing them, and their desperate attempts to stay relevant centuries after the world has passed them by....would all go away. Yes, it has been all my fault. The clear insecurity complex, delusions of grandeur(Achmedenijad claiming that "Iran is a big power" ), and all the rest of the Dr. Evil behavior? Yeah, that's all my fault as well. If only I would stop making Muslims in every other country but ours suck so badly at everything. Of course, my ego won't allow me to let them stop sucking. My ego is also to blame for their horrible willingness to continue to follow their horrible leaders...their BS ideology has nothing to do with it. None of these problems are the fault of Muslims. All of them are mine. I am sorry.

Of course not. Phony moral superior outrage is only acceptable if your guy isn't in the white house. As evidenced by: Instead of getting a deluge of links and babbling on for 5 paragraphs about how awful the President is.... ....we get some timid quote. Obama is victimizing you just like Bush did...where is your outrage? Oh, that's right, you are a f'ing phony...I forgot. You are right, sort of. The real B word is the potential mandate that all of us may have to endure. We may have to create a whole bunch of performance killing bloatware that adds no value to our bundles which affects our QoS every day...because the government might someday ask us to show them our data. Which means they just exponentially increased our data storage requirements. I don't want to be paying for otherwise useless terabytes of session data, because somebody might want it someday. Anybody who does a lot of transactions is looking at a serious amount of wasted money and time. Because that logic is inherently flawed, assumes dissimilar things are the same, and is not applicable to the Internet. Consider: 1. Your home is yours. Your front door is used by you, and those you let in, but in all cases, you control it. Each home has it's own front door, with its own keys. IF you are doing something stupid in your house, your neighbor shouldn't be affected, and the warrant doesn't allow the FBI to "accidentally" search his home also. 2. Facebook is like everybody living in the same house, with one door, and right now that's ok, because Facebook controls the only door, and if they screw up it's on them. The market will punish them accordingly. And, their "door" is unique to their system. Breaking into Facebook only means you got into Facebook. 3. The government wants to create a back door. But, this back door is going to be standardized. Who punishes the government if this back door is compromised? Can we sue them? Can we sue to have the back door removed? No and no. 4. A standard back door means that once you figure out how to attack it, not only can you get into Facebook, but Myspace, and even into sensitive ares like this. 5. "Security by obscurity" is not the way to secure a system, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have lots of different ways to create that back door, instead of a standard, government issued one. 6. Why would the government be so foolish as to demand a standard back door? Answer: because they have to regulate it, and there's no way they will want to deal with trying to figure out each company's approach and whether it is acceptable, and to keep checking forever, as updates are rolled out. That is, unless they want to create legions of government jobs. ------------------------ 7. Giving one warrant to one FBI agent to search one home is fine. But, you can't do that here. Once the door is open, the FBI can search wherever they want to. They are ultimately going to be searching for records, but not knowing exactly what they are looking for, and that means inevitably retrieving records that aren't covered by their warrant. 8. We can write SQL privileges and roles until we are blue in the face, but we can't only give them rights to exactly what they need and nothing more, because we can't know what they will ultimately need. Short of creating an individual role for every single user of Facebook, which defeats the purpose of privileges and roles, kills performance and functionality, and wastes lots of time and $$$, it ain't happening. Besides, even with that level of stupidity there's still no guarantees that the wrong records won't get accessed. 9. As a start up guy, these potential restrictions would have made my business plan cost prohibitive. So, the very real possibility is that we won't see any more innovation if this allowed to proceed in its current form. Honestly: when was the last time you saw new, excellent software from IBM? The 80's? Killing innovation is simply not worth allowing some government employee to maybe, someday, use the back door, and potentially grab a bunch of records he has no right to be looking at. 10. How do we know this won't end up being used as a political tool, by either side? Look they are going after people's message board posts in political campaigns now. The nice thing about the internet is we get to say what we think/tell the truth without having to worry about being excoriated in our personal lives. It is the last bastion of truly free speech. 11. We can argue that OUR government won't f this up. And let's say, for reasons passing understanding, that this somehow is true. Am I supposed to trust China's government not to exploit the data they get from these back doors?. Russia's? In fact, I basically don't trust anybody but maybe us and some NATO countries not to pull crap with this. Are we supposed to be OK with some guy being killed for what he said, because his government used our government's mandated back door? This is the Internet, which means everybody, and that's something many people still struggle with. Taking 1-11 into consideration, along with the fact that government has clearly screwed up everything else it has touched for the last 50 years, I simply see no reason to trust them with this. They WILL f it up.

I absolutely agree that nobody has to apologize for what other people do, that doesn't make sense. I am saying: if I am playing golf with a bunch of white guys, and somebody tells a Jewish joke, I can choose not to laugh. I can even choose to tell that guy that I don't want to hear that stuff. Those choices ARE mine, and I am responsible for making the right ones. If I simply just go along with it, laugh and say nothing, then I am supporting it, like it or not. In the same light, Muslims need to make the right choices as well. Not speaking out against terrorism is a backhanded way of supporting it...similar to laughing at the Jewish joke. Right now, and again this could be due to lots of things, we haven't seen a lot of Muslims confronting those who are bastardizing their religion. Instead we see either active or tacit support, and that is simply unacceptable. Muslims don't get to complain that the US is forced to deal with Muslim problems, if they aren't doing anything to solve them. And, the Alaska Darin's of the world are trying to convince us that these problems don't exist, and that we are bad people if we refuse to believe in his self-righteous fairy tale. I work with some Orthodox Jews and they remind me of Christ's Jewish heritage a lot. In fact, they say that Jesus was simply an Orthodox Rabbi, whose disciples created a separate religion he didn't intend. It's an interesting position to say the least. Perhaps Darin would like to explain to the guy who lost 2 cousins in two separate attacks that Islam doesn't have major problems...and that the only reason he sees these problems, as the problems they are, is because he is a bad person.

Blah, blah, blah, name call, blah. You still haven't refuted the reality of what I am saying. Calling me names proves nothing. After all your irrelevant bluster, the Muslim problems still exist, as I said would happen. Thanks for proving me right, again. You could talk for days, and nothing you will say changes any of this. Muslim problems are Muslim problems, and somebody has to deal with them. My ego has nothing to do with it. Yes, I am the reason that these people aren't fighting to save their own religion and themselves. It's all my fault. Frankly you are the one with the ego problem here: you keep acting as though denying the reality makes you superior. It doesn't. But go ahead and keep blaming me...as if I have anything to do with it.

Yes the catastrophic failure of these liberal college professors, who have gone right back to Harvard and Berkley....is washed away by your D-bag, irrelevant video. The facts are that these Keynesian acolytes have failed miserably, because Keynes was the finest example of putting minor short term gain over long term macro benefit. Oh, wait, I thought it was only the evil corporations who did that. Their policies failed because they are based on a failed ideology. ALL the evidence we have supports this conclusion. But, wait, I am sure we are going to hear, for the 100th time, that the ideology isn't flawed...it's just that it wasn't implemented properly. So, apparently the people who are clearly at the pinnacle of this ideology, um Harvard, Berkley, don't know how to implement it? Got any more BS you want to spew before 2 NOV 2010? Might be good to get it all out of your system before reality hits you like freight train.

So what is your point? Are we supposed to be pleased that Barney Frank, etc., used their influence to bastardize the system? Are we supposed to forget that the CRA is where this all starts? I understand that others are culpable. But, what I understand the best is: this all starts, and ends, with a retarded political agenda: "taking care" of poor people by telling them "you can own a house too!", forcing banks to lend them money, and then, when they can't pay....because....they can't pay, you take their house, and their equity away. Yes, what an incredible job liberals did of "taking care of the poor". Once again: liberal motives are usually honorable, but liberal methods are usually retarded.

Warren Buffett is also telling us that: 1. we shouldn't be upset with how things are going in Washington (uh, yeah Warren, that wouldn't be because you supported Obama would it? ) 2. the American economy will sort itself out, because capitalism works..... ....ok Warren, then why are you supporting the guy who doesn't believe that? To the point of spending trillions on bailouts, nationalizing whole industries, forced redistribution of wealth, and massive regulation? How the f is capitalism supposed to "work on its own" with your boy pulling all that crap, Warren? Why didn't we let capitalism work on its own 2 years ago, Warren? That whole article, and especially the full transcript smells like a CYA job...to the point of irony.

I absolutely agree that both this day, and 2 NOV 2010 will be days that will be remembered. Why? Because I am just barely old enough to remember Jimmy Carter...that's why. I remember the same great uncertainty then. I definitely remember waiting in lines for gas. I remember the speech where he blamed everybody else but himself for the economy. I remember when he told us that we needed to start walking...talking, whatever, as though we were the ones who created the stagflation. And I sure as hell remember the USA hockey team and then Reagan cleaning up Carter's mess. (Disclaimer: Reagan had to do extreme things to clean up an extreme mess) See, I am convinced that we need a Jimmy Carter-type D-bag to come along every 30 years or so and be President. Specifically to remind us just how ineffective far left people are in foreign policy(Iran then, Iran now), just how weak they are in the face of difficult decision making, just how awful their economic plans are, and just how indifferent they are when they inevitably fail. Most Americans are good people and that means they have an inherent tendency to forgive and forget. Unfortunately, that also means we need an Obama-type to provide us a generational reminder of the buffoonery that is the far left. Yes, I am certain you will remember this election, the days leading up to it, and most definitely the things that happen as a result. We all will. We will all be reminded why we should never let the far left be in charge of anything....and we will fire their sorry asses....for another 30 years anyway.

No, it's always about you stalking me with your queer little agenda. I am responding to a personal experience...with a personal experience. Get a life.

Do I need to explain? If I do, then I need to use more than 10 words. And, they may be big words.... I am not condemning an entire religion based on the actions of a few, so yeah, your analogy is retarded. I am simply saying that you cannot wish away the obvious, serious problems that Islam currently has by constructing some menagerie of "look at me, see how tolerant I am?", politically correct BS. When you get done with your exercise in phony moral superiority, the fact that Islam has major problems will remain, and you will have solved nothing. Ignoring these problems doesn't make you right, and it never will. We are talking about Islam, and its obvious issues here. Other religions have no effect on these problems. Do you really think that solving the problems in other religions will have any bearing on solving Islam's problems? Of course not. But go ahead and bring up Christianity again... Muslims have to solve the Muslim terrorist/psychotics that clap when people die problem. It boils down to choices, and Muslims have to hold each other accountable for their choices. It's not our f'ing job, it's theirs. If they don't do it, we have every right to criticize them, and every right to go after their problem children if they won't. You want an accurate analogy? Racism against people of color is a white people thing, and only white people can solve that problem. Islamic terror is a Muslim people thing, and only they can solve their problem. Making excuses for them, and ignoring reality is a waste of time, unless of course it feeds your need to appear "superior".

No they aren't. And that analogy is broken. Try again. Are you shitting me? Those people have been excoriated everywhere, all the time, by everybody. Meanwhile, the "Draw Mohammed" lady has to go into hiding? Time for a re-think Tom. Both of you: seem to be stuck in this "yeah but we are better than you because we defend Muslims" shtick. I ain't working. Time to deal with the reality here. I know it feels good to "take a stand"...but this ain't that. It ain't, and it's far past time for you both to accept that you are defending the indefensible. The reality is that Islam has been causing a lot more problems than it solves lately. Don't start obfuscating by talking about other religions. Muslims have a lot of problems, THEY need to solve them, and no amount of blaming other people or other religions solves their problems.

But, Tom knows better than to get up in my business.

Oh, just wait...the "Democrats cannot run on their record or away from it". Now, as cliche as that is, it is exactly true. They can't have a debate on the issues, policy, etc. They won't, instead, they will be trying to create BS stories, and distract us with Steven Colbert on the same day that a guy basically gets up and accuses the DOJ of racism towards white people and blatant abuse of power....and he can back it up. So this isn't even the beginning. For the next month we are going to hear every absurdity imaginable. Smart Democrats know they are going to get routed so they think they have nothing to lose. However, IMO, this month people will remember what is said more than normal. I think that they do have a lot to lose. We'll see. I knew it! Way too many similarities between conner's evirontology screeds and the screeds of a Scientologist. But, leave Doug Adams out of this please. He is way too good of a writer to be invoked by the likes of you.

Anybody with some junior college could have predicted these outcomes.... So why the F didn't these Ph.D's and college professors get it? Ah, that's right: when you are defending an indefensible ideology, that has been proven stupid everywhere in the world for the last 40 years, it is bound to keep kicking your ass. The problem here is that ideology '= solutions. This is doubly true when we are talking about leftist ideology, because by definition, it is doomed to fail. The point is Tom: while you may not know economics that well, you do know history. Apply your historical knowledge to this health care abortion and you end up with the same conclusions as Magox.

As someone who was given an F for the class discussion portion of my grade in Organizational Theory, because I said things like "we shouldn't send women to Saudi Arabia, due to their culture, not ours" and other common sense statements, took my case to the Dean and beat the leftist, lesbian, male-bashing, retard feminist professor in the debate that ensued in the Dean's office, guaranteeing me an A in both her class and the Dean's ....I can assure you that NOT ALL of the leftist brainwashing conspiracy is absolute nonsense. I took a huge risk on that, for all I know I could have been booted altogether. The question I have is: if no bias exists, then why did I have to jump through those hoops?

How about this "stereotype"? Or, as I like to call it, fact: Obama's 3 economic advisers who have quit, so far, all were college professors before, and have gone right back to being college professors after they quit. So, given their absolute failure, because, hey, it's not like we are only talking about 1 person here, clearly college professors aren't going to succeed merely because they are college professors. I had business college professors. The simple fact is most of mine were smart people, but putting that in perspective with what I have seen since I have been working? Clearly the smarter people are working in business, not teaching it. And finally: college professors are typically completely unaccountable to anyone for anything. That is not a good thing, believe me. It will screw with your head no matter how hard you try to avoid it. It creates an unhealthy detachment from other people and their problems. Oh, wait, wasn't Obama also a college professor? Does he make you want to become more liberal?

Jesus hated self-righteous phonies too. I don't remember him being very religiously tolerant of the Pharisees. The simple fact is that the vast majority of religion-based acts of violence today are committed by Muslims...and...the defense we are offered by other Muslims is (hauling out an old one) but...but...but..."Islam is a religion of peace". That's not condemning the acts, never mind the d-bag himself, of the terrorist. Instead, it sounds like something out of 1984. It sounds like Clinton-esque obfuscation. It sounds bizarre, especially when it is said 2 days after ANOTHER Muslim kills somebody. No amount of calling me, or anybody else, names is going to to make this "religion of peace" crap sound less bizarre to rational people. It's also not going to explain why in the hell the "good" Muslims aren't going out of their way to squish the bad ones. IF they are, then they should fire their PR people, because we don't see it, hear about it, nothing.

The tailgating scene has been consistently recognized as the best in the NFL. I can personally attest that Green Bay's and KC's are a close second, but they are still #2. In light of this, how much more can #1 improve? What are you trying to say? That the behavior of less than 5% of the crowd means we don't have the best tailgate?

No Fun League As the original poster described: "family" doesn't stop when you turn 12. I love partying with my entire extended family at the game, and good booze and food is part of it all, always has been, and I seem to remember it being the same for every family that ever parked next to us. The first drink I ever had was at a Bills game. No matter where we moved, we always came back for at least 1 Bills game, and grandfather always made a magnum of cherry bombs with real cherries that he grew. Where the f does this guy get off screwing with our traditions? WTF does he know about how our families, however defined, do our thing? Pinto Ron doesn't deserve this, and where does it end? Are they going to arrest me/tell me to leave if I make cherry bombs in a magnum this year?

Right, while their GM continues to publicly self-congratulate his own intelligence, while losing in the playoffs to the Jets, after firing the coach that built their team because he lost in the playoffs. This A.J. guy is a turd, and since he is constantly trying to rip off other teams, nobody wants to do business with him. He may be good at talent evaluation, but apparently he hasn't learned much about business yet. He certainly has the self-promotion part down though.

Perhaps...but, weren't the 2006/2008 elections "revolutions" also? In fact, wasn't it the intention of the framers that a "revolution" happen every 2 years, WRT the House, that controls the purse, being re-elected every 2 years? OTOH, I suppose those weren't "real" revolutions, as much as they were "see, we can have a black President and a female speaker of the house" farcical exercises. Perhaps Deepak Chopra can come and tell us that at least we are spiritually improved as a result.