Random Comments/Stream of Consciousness Thread

[Rahfa]

I do have a problem with a government that demands a person to purchase a product or get fined. If I decide to roll the dice and not buy insurance... I should be allowed to take that chance. Likewise, if I get sick, I should be responsible for my own doctoring.

Then you go bankrupt and they write that cost off and pass it on to other customers - so you're "responsible," but then you're failure to actually pay your bill gets passed on to somebody else.

This whole required tax issue already happened for many years - we pay to register a car, pay to get a license, pay for required car insurance in some states, etc etc.

It's true that we could "choose" to not drive, but of course that's not really possible - so just as the government now requires people to have some form of health insurance (and this wouldn't have affected you since you had insurance through your job) it's required those same sorts of purchases for years.

In different states, we have to pay property tax, car tax, boat tax, hunting tax, fishing tax, dog tax. Do I think these are great taxes? Of course not, but I like paved roads and fire departments.

I don't care either way - but the whole argument against mandatory health insurance is an anti-Obama argument, not a legitimate argument against anything that wasn't already done for many years before. Now, is Obamacare's specific legislation the best way to put all this into action? Not really, but that's a different argument.

[Sir_Boomme]

I do have a problem with a government that demands a person to purchase a product or get fined. If I decide to roll the dice and not buy insurance... I should be allowed to take that chance. Likewise, if I get sick, I should be responsible for my own doctoring.

Then you go bankrupt and they write that cost off and pass it on to other customers - so you're "responsible," but then you're failure to actually pay your bill gets passed on to somebody else.

This whole required tax issue already happened for many years - we pay to register a car, pay to get a license, pay for required car insurance in some states, etc etc.

It's true that we could "choose" to not drive, but of course that's not really possible - so just as the government now requires people to have some form of health insurance (and this wouldn't have affected you since you had insurance through your job) it's required those same sorts of purchases for years.

In different states, we have to pay property tax, car tax, boat tax, hunting tax, fishing tax, dog tax. Do I think these are great taxes? Of course not, but I like paved roads and fire departments.

I don't care either way - but the whole argument against mandatory health insurance is an anti-Obama argument, not a legitimate argument against anything that wasn't already done for many years before. Now, is Obamacare's specific legislation the best way to put all this into action? Not really, but that's a different argument.

I couldn't disagree more... the car, license and even property taxes are all taxes that are optional... you chose to drive, own a house, buy goods, buy a boat, and hunt. If you don't buy a license and car insurance, the government only fines you IF you drive a car, but the fine for NOT buying Obamacare or buying insurance instead of food for the table is a fine on existing, on breathing.


And I don't care who implemented it or voted for it... whether it be Romney, Obama, France, Canada, or Mickey Mouse... I have the same argument... It is only an Obama argument because he is the fool that forced it down the throats of every person in the US... And BTW it's not affordable.

[Randall Flagg]

It is only an Obama argument because he is the fool that forced it down the throats of every person in the US... And BTW it's not affordable.

IIRC Obama signed the bill after the Senate voted 60-39 (One not voting) in favor of the bill, and the House voted 219-212 in favor.

Yes the POTUS typically drives these type of bills, just as Both Bushes (with congress voting in favor) sent US troops to war in the Middle East. A new President and a slightly different House could repeal the ACA, but we are stuck with the dead and maimed US soldiers.

New subject please.

Had this for dinner the other night. Seared ahi salad. Slight variation of Ahi Nachos

[bdwyer19]

showing off last night's dinner... Isn't that what Instagram is for?

[Rahfa]

New subject please.

This is the "random comment" thread, right?

[Rahfa]

I couldn't disagree more... the car, license and even property taxes are all taxes that are optional... you chose to drive, own a house, buy goods, buy a boat, and hunt. If you don't buy a license and car insurance, the government only fines you IF you drive a car, but the fine for NOT buying Obamacare or buying insurance instead of food for the table is a fine on existing, on breathing.

But they are NOT optional in any real way - you need a car. You just do. So yeah, it's "optional" to not be able to function in society unless you use public transportation all the time, but not realistic.

It's "optional" to not buy property, but again, not realistic.

Yes, Obamacare is one step earlier than those examples since they tax you before doing anything - but the fact that we have required taxes is not new. Car/property taxes are basically mandatory.

This is not an argument that Obamacare is a good or bad policy - that's a whole other argument that I'm not sure we'd disagree on.

But the idea that we can't be "forced" to pay something is just not true - we're "forced" to pay taxes all the time.

[Randall Flagg]

New subject please.

This is the "random comment" thread, right?

Please feel free to continue the discussion on healthcare etc., I was more searching for positive comments on my homemade dish. As a moderator I should have skipped the new subject request (or made clear the request was not an administrative dictum,) and said "look at me, look at me....and my dish..."

[T-Dogz_AK47]

New subject please.

Had this for dinner the other night. Seared ahi salad. Slight variation of Ahi Nachos

Looks delicious, RF!

New subject please.

This is the "random comment" thread, right?

Please feel free to continue the discussion on healthcare etc., I was more searching for positive comments on my homemade dish. As a moderator I should have skipped the new subject request (or made clear the request was not an administrative dictum,) and said "look at me, look at me....and my dish..."

Fair enough....

Hey everyone! Look at me and MY dish..... I had Lamb chops and Quail!

[Randall Flagg]

Looks basic.

Spoiler:

Check out my Pud:

[Patrick]

Rahfa, to your point about property taxes, it may bean option to avoid buying property, but those taxes factor into the determination of rents, so they're still generally unavoidable.


Both dishes look delish.

[bdwyer19]

Check out my Pud:

We had something that looks similar on Star Wars Day... C3PO Pancakes...

[T-Dogz_AK47]

Check out my Pud:

Meh!

Look at MY pud!!!!

[Rahfa]

Rahfa, to your point about property taxes, it may bean option to avoid buying property, but those taxes factor into the determination of rents, so they're still generally unavoidable.


Both dishes look delish.

That's a good point too - if you rent, the landlord is going to charge rent based on their property tax...in fact, in many cases the rent is meant entirely to pay the property tax...so a renter still ends up being unable to avoid that tax.

The ahi nachos looked very good.

[Randall Flagg]

I call fake on T-dogz image. Fake as in that is not a pic of a dish he personally made.
The Ahi nachos, salad nachos and the pineapple upside-down cake were all made by me.

[Br!an]

I call fake on T-dogz image. Fake as in that is not a pic of a dish he personally made.
The Ahi nachos, salad nachos and the pineapple upside-down cake were all made by me.

Do tell. http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/Home-Cooking-Recipes

[Sir_Boomme]

random comment...


3weeks ago I was trying to shoo a dog out from a hole it had dug under a under a huge cactus in my back yard (see the big one to the left)



during which I managed to stick one of the long pointed thorns into my forearm, it bleed for 5 hours and ended up swelling up from wrist to my elbow... after a visit to the emergency center at 2 am to get a steroid shot (paid 100% out of pocket with no obamacare) and then 5 days later a visit to my regular doctor for massive antibiotics (also paid 100% out of pocket) followed by 2.5 weeks of pain and massive pus oozings.



Then a couple of days ago, while I was doing the daily pus squeezing, out pops this big ass thorn tip.



The hole is now healed and the swelling is almost totally gone now.


.... and I really like platypuses, porn and the color green.

[Sir_Boomme]

some of my platypus porn for you...

[Rahfa]

Hahahahahahaha

(But of course you don't have Obamacare if you have health care through work. So do I. Yeah, maybe yours is not a great plan, but at least it's a plan - but that's between you and the company. So I'm not sure why you'd bring up Obamacare, which has nothing to do with how a company does anything - if you didn't want to pay out of pocket, get them to pony up for a better plan)

[peripheral]

I just woke up and read the recent trajectory of this thread and found myself dissociating into a David Lynch acid-flashback. Thank you guys. Gold.

[Br!an]

That isn't a cactus. It's an agave. (Think Tequila)

I've had similar injuries from agave, cactus and palms. The tip always seems to be about a quarter of an inch long. (That is not what she said.)

[Randall Flagg]

Hahahahahahaha

(But of course you don't have Obamacare if you have health care through work. So do I. Yeah, maybe yours is not a great plan, but at least it's a plan - but that's between you and the company. So I'm not sure why you'd bring up Obamacare, which has nothing to do with how a company does anything - if you didn't want to pay out of pocket, get them to pony up for a better plan)

I agree. Terry, quit your job (or continue to work there as your TCP -Total Compensation Package) allows you the luxury of simply writing a check for your own health care.
You seem to be in a position to simply pay cash.
It won't be quite as easy if you have an illness that generates $100K+ in expenses.
You might have to sell your rare King items to cover such expenses.

[Sir_Boomme]

That isn't a cactus. It's an agave. (Think Tequila)

I've had similar injuries from agave, cactus and palms. The tip always seems to be about a quarter of an inch long. (That is not what she said.)

damn... you mean I could have been drinking that thing... sumbitch!

[Sir_Boomme]

and RF... you're breaking into my randomness.

[Sir_Boomme]

back on topic...
I recent capture a picture of a rare Texas Split-Tongue Golden Horned Whippet Hound...
It was seen feeding on my agave and then stumbling about randomly afterwards.

[Brian861]

Looks basic.

Spoiler:

Check out my Pud:

Hmmm, cake.....

We had something that looks similar on Star Wars Day... C3PO Pancakes...

Is it just me or do those look like.......