It appears that the least open thread has scrolled off the front page. It’s easy to make a new one. The movie idea didn’t go over so well. We can try it again sometime. Meanwhile, Doubt is an excellent film if you haven’t seen it. Apparently some viewers got the wrong idea about its intent. The film was very much about gossip and its consequences. Maybe Rick will have more time this week to lead a discussion. He is our resident movie critic.
97 Thoughts to “Open Thread for March 28”
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Blogroll
- 9500Liberty
- Bacons' Rebellion Blogspot
- Bearing Drift
- Blue Virginia
- Citizen Tom
- Counts of Monte Cristo. The
- Derecho, The
- Dixie Pig, The
- My Side of the Fence
- My Star Journey
- NARAL Pro-Choice VA Blog
- New Dominion Project
- Nova Common Sense
- NovaTownHall Blog
- One Libertarians's Point of View by Al Alborn
- Pete Candland's Blog
- Potomac Local
- Prince William Muckraker
- PW Conservation Alliance
- PWC Moms
- PWCPolitics.com
- PWCPolitics.com
- Red NoVA
- Shad Plank, The
- She the People
- State of NoVA, the
- The Jeffersoniad
- Townhall
- VEA Daily Reports
- VivianPaige
- WDGolden.com
- You, Me and the Lamp Post
With regard to the deficit and debt, it seems to me that much of Washington is floating on a cloud of self-denial, as if the laws of economics do not apply to us. The reality is that we are being looked at more and more as a potential defaulter on our obligations. Even now it appears that investors consider securities issued by our private firms to be a safer investment bet than securities issued by the U.S. government. That is a stark reversal of the norm and a very bad omen for us. Either Washington wakes up and makes a serious effort to cut back on spending or we may arrive at a breaking point where the only options will be to combine severe spending cuts with a major spike in taxes. We could see a time when individuals and businesses are taxed out of their livin’ minds. And the result of that will be an even greater downhill slide in the economy. Watch that AAA bond rating. If Moody’s ever says that it’s all over for our AAA, I say fasten your seatbelts for the beginning of a nasty ride. When I said that the IMF has issued us a warning about our deficits and debt, you should be aware that this is the kind of IMF warning which was once aimed almost exclusively at the foundering Soviet economy and the Third World.
My conservative roots come out over certain things, Cargo.
And the good news is, this story is all over the news now. Faux News of course so I am sure OReilly will find out. He will crucify this judge.
I would donate to this family. NO one deserves to have to pay for court costs. No one deserves Westboro. They are pure evil.
I really do think I would have to go to jail. Westboro deserves no money.
Found while surfing the net:
A candidate in VA,s 1st Congressonal district is named “Krystal Ball”. Wonder what life’s like with a name like that?
Wolverine, we are just coming out of a huge recession…closer to a depression. Not sure I even know the difference. What did we do after WWII? We owned as much money proportionately then.
Maybe she is related to Mary Ball Washington, mother of George. She is sure from the right area. Interesting young woman.
cargo,
The cost of the surgery is $18,000 – if you have no insurance, you pay the Dr. $18,000. If you are insured, the Dr. gets a reimbursement of $3,900 – the rest ($14,100) is written off.
The doctor should be made whole, but he should be paid the same whether the payment is coming from a person or an insurance company.
Another example – lab work.
Lab bill – $298 – network discount $261.34 – Plan pays $36.66. But, if you have no insurance, how come you have to pay the $298 for the same lab work. If $40 is a true fair price for the lab work, why is the fee not $40? I am not complaining about paying, but I want to pay a fair price, not the inflated price (which I have no control over – meaning, I do not pick my lab).
I went to the link you indicated – he is truly lucky that he does not get sick… He gets free meds from Cymbalta as a charity type thing – well, I would not be considered a charity case, and I do not want them for free, I do not mind paying, but would want to pay a fair price. I do not figure out how he thinks he would be charged less in a hospital, and what is the cost of an Angiplasty? 3 Stents, 2 Arteries – about $73,000 – I wonder what the writedown is on that.
I always thought that the insurance company decides how much a procedure is worth and pays the Dr. the pre-approved price minus the patient’s co-pay. The Dr. has to be aware of how much a specific insurance company will pay for a procedure. That’s why even people with insurance can go bankrupt when costly procedures are only covered partially by insurance, and the patient ends up with the burden of the costs. Doesn’t some coverage cap at a certain price which is what compells people to purchase additional coverage for catastrophic medical care? I went to the dentist Monday for “periodonatal upkeep”. The total bill was $296. Insurance paid $190, I paid $106. Dentist was paid in full by the both of us for the procedure. And how do HMO’s work? I don’t have a clue. All I know is that I have one, and they do everything themselves in one building. Took son in today with strep. Got a throat swab at lab, saw the nurse, got a prescription that I filled. My cost was $20. No clue as to what their cost was. But I assume everything was paid for, since it’s their building/staff, and I assume that they have to be making some sort of profit somehow.
Please return your Census 2010 forms. Virginia is at 55%, Prince William County is at 51% and Manassas is lagging at 49% participation.
Pat,
I, personally, have no clue how the details of insurance payments work other than that they are negotiated between the medical service companies and the insurance companies. I agree. Let’s see the cash cost up front. Then we decide how it gets paid.
Cindy,
I am a sell out. My wife filled out the census form. If I had filled it out, there would have been no name, phone number and the race: American. She filled it out as asked. The irony: I was just hired as a follow up interviewer. Figured I needed the job as I’ve been unemployed for a year and I need to a keep a roof on the table and food on the house….
cindy b, those numbers are shocking to me. I never expected them to be that low at this point, especially since the forms this year were so simple and so unobtrusive compared to 2000. Actually, as a genealogist, the forms this year were a bit disturbing. The census forms from yesteryear (1880 – 1930, minus 1890 – mostly lost in a fire) really allowed you in many cases to flesh out a big part of the lives of the people you were researching. Given the legal delays in releasing the census, the 2010 form won’t affect me; but I can see some genealogists of the future tearing their hair out.
I agree wolverine! It was the 1930 census that gave me enough info as the family genealogist to find detailed info on my Irish ancestors via the Leitrim/Roscommon society. This year’s census form was easy as far as the questions. Completed mine in less than 10 minutes.
Looks like some of the candidates are starting to stir in the Manassas City
elections for City Council and School Board on May 4th. Sanford Williams
has his web page up as does Marc Aveni and each has a few yard signs already
placed. Have any others signs of “electoral spring” been seen in Manassas?
(Plus all of PWC’s towns will also hold municipal elections on May 4th.
Certified candidates are listed on the Virginia State Board of Election website).
No doubt, a growing debate will be over moving the May elections to the Fall
where they would be held along with State, Federal and PWC elections.
Manassas Park moved their election several years ago.
Plus:
– Larger turn-out and less cost for community (Virginia is withdrawing funding
support for May elections – all expenses will be paid by local government).
Minus:
– Fear that local elections would be swamped by focus on national and state
candidates and issues. More difficult for local candidates to get their messages
heard, consequently more expensive for them to run. Municipal
elections could become more partisan and less low-key civic oriented events.
Thoughts?
Like social security, many people have paid for Medicare via payroll deductions
for decades, but now, thanks to Obamacare, the latter has become almost
worthless. Fewer and fewer Doctor’s will even let you in the door
with the degraded Medicare card — great to “fill in the doughnot hole” — but
somebody has to write the prescription. I don’t think the President is
the anti-christ, at least most of the time, but he is either a fool or crook to
think he has helped anyone on Medicare. A massive increase of demand with
no increase in supply is foolish – the numbers simply don’t work – for
patients, medical professionals or for government budgets.
Medicare and the thousands who depend on it have been betrayed.
I haven’t figured out how City of Manassas works. Is everyone ‘at large’ rather than by district?
Prince William Committee of 100 is having a nonpartisan program tomorrow, but the deadline for reservations is past: http://www.pwc100.org/rsvp.htm
Reggie Moore, Sanford Williams, Pam Sebesky and Tim Demeria (4 of the 5 candidates for City of Manassas School Board) have active Facebook pages – can’t find Patrick D. Linehan.
Coffee Party Prince William will show “One Woman, One Vote,” on Friday, April 23, 6 to 9 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, 9325 West Street, Old Town Manassas, Virginia. Coffee and light refreshments will be served by the voter education group. Discussion after film. FREE. The film, narrated by Susan Sarandon, documents the 70-year battle for woman suffrage that culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.
Eat dinner on Sunday, April 18 from 5 to 8:30 pm at Thursday’s Restaurant, 7901 Heritage Village Plaza on Heathcote Blvd., Gainesville and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Gainesville Magisterial District Democratic Committee. http://www.thethursdayssportsbar.com/
M-H: Yes, everyone in Manassas City runs “at large”.
Cindy: Thank for the Facebook information.
My basic goal is to give a “head’s up” – many local elections are coming on May 4th.
(The News-Messenger has, so far, pretty much ignored them).
Would anybody here would have liked the idea of President Bush having the power to shut down any part of or all of the internet without oversight in the name of improving internet security?
How about President Obama? Apparently, it almost happened.
http://stuckinmassachusetts.blogspot.com/2010/03/wtf-over.html
Here’s the bill: PDF file.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=06b53a92-d0ec-4f77-87b1-79b038ab4840
How many votes? I gave up trying to read that pdf file.
44 people running for 30 local seats on May 4:
City of Manassas
City Council (3 seats)
Marc Aveni – R – incumbent
Andy Harrover – R – incumbent
Steve Randolph – I – incumbent
School Board (3 seats)
Tim Demeria – incumbent
Patrick Linehan
Reggie Moore
Pam Sebesky
Sanford Williams
School Board (special – 1 seat)
Jack Magee
Prince William County
Mayor – Dumfries (1 seat)
Charles Brewer
Fred Yohey – incumbent
Mayor – Haymarket (1 seat)
Pam Stutz – incumbent
Mayor – Occoquan (1 seat)
Ernie Porta – incumbent
Mayor – Quantico (1 seat)
Kevin Brown
Iris Ross Tharp – incumbent
Dumfries Town Council (3 seats)
Sue Cornell – incumbent
Gerald Foreman
Kristin Forrester
Michele Jurgensen
Clyde Washington – incumbent
Haymarket Town Hall (6 seats)
Ellie Cole
John Cole – incumbent
Susan Edwards – incumbent
Milt Kenworthy – incumbent
David Leake – incumbent
Mary Lou Scarbrough – incumbent
James Tobias
Bob Weir – incumbent
Occoquan Town Council (5 seats)
Ken Brunsvold – incumbent
Denise Bush – incumbent
JP Cunha – incumbent
Liz Quist
Patrick Sivigny
James Walbert – incumbent
Quantico Town Council (5 seats)
Peggy Alexander
Earlene Clinton
Mary Lou Angell DiMarzio – incumbent
Tommy Dorsey
Al Gasser – incumbent
Rusty Kuhns – incumbent
Virginia Macfarlan
FoFo Petkoson
Julia Smith
Bill Unrine
Cargo, OReilly is all over the Westboro Baptist deal. He has said he will pay the $16k. He was as upset over it as I predicted he would be. He is all over the wingers of both flavors. Good for him. I knew I could count on Bill for my 25% agreement.
Rez left this story out of Charlottesville for us:
http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/crime/article/vandalism_strikes_albemarle_county_gop_headquarters/54116/#comments
The local GOP offices got a brick through the windows. More wingers…..left flappers???
Cindy: Thank you for the candidate listing.
Footnote – Jack Magee is running in a special SB election to fill
the two years remaining on the seat vacated by Mrs. Bass
when she was selected to fill a vacancy on the Manassas
City Council.
@Moon-howler
OUTSTANDING!
@Cargosquid, I figure you and I would be equally delighted. I HATE HATE HATE Westboro Baptists. I hope the Supremes shut them down. I know Bush did his best to do so. Free Speech isn’t without its limits.
(even if it makes me sound Republican) 🙄
You know, down in Texas, there’s supposed to be a legal defense for murder, “Judge, he needed killin’.” Just saying……..In the old days, it would have been too dangerous for this to happen. There is a reason that code duello lasted so long. Also, I wonder if anyone has challenged the Westboro bunch on “fighting words.” I guess someone would have to beat the everlovin’ crap out of the head guy and then defend himself on that…..too bad. Too risky.
Time to get creative. My former boss (I used to be a “counseler” at a cemetery) said that if they ever showed up at our place, it would be time to water the lawn wherever they were standing. With a fire hose, from a truck.
Cargo — If that does happen at that cemetery, I want to see some video tape!!
Hopefully the RNC faux lesbian “showgirls” weren’t undocumented aliens.
Now, THAT would be bad for the PARTY party.
Poor Richard, I give up. I know it is still early. What Faux Lesbians?
Cargo, needed killing is almost admissable. Almost. I can understand it.
M_H, you must have missed Jon Stewart last night – they did a great take off on
the Republican National Committee spending mearly 2K for some VIP’s to
“enjoy” a Hollywood club that features “faux lesbians, bondage and stripers”.
Also refer you to Kathleen Parker’s op/ed in this morning’s WaPo.
The holier than thou “family values” folks are having a real “scandalita”.
If Dems would have done this, FOXy news would be on it 24-7.
Wolverine,
Left there a while ago, as did that boss. Too bad.
Poor Richard, How do you know that they were faux lesbians?
Oops, let me rephrase that. Just read down….how did JON STEWART know that they were faux lesbians…..hmmmm, inquiring minds want to know.
If anybody want me to get first hand information, for accuracy, of course, please send donation….
Great Tom Toles editorial cartoon in today’s WaPo. But not sure this is what
grass roots Republicans mean when they say party leaders need to start
“cracking the whip”.
PR, I did miss it. I watched to news for some reason. I will try to find the scandalita on video. Is John Stewart back from vacation?
Cargo has a gay-dar that detects such things.
Actually, growing up in New Orleans will help with gaydar. But, in this case, further investigation is warranted. I will sacrifice my time to go investigate whether or not those women were faux lesbians or not. Repeated viewing will allow me to determine the accuracy of the report.
Chris, let me know when you have an update on the school situation at SMS.
How is someone a faux lesbian?
Going to find the video now. PR is right, I missed it last night. I thought Stewart was still vacationing since it is Passover.
Moon,
If you really want to know, probably women that have real or simulated sex with other women, usually for money, but are not actually attracted to women.
Of course, perhaps its a lesbian on Faux News? Or one that is hot, you know, a…..faux.
Stop me before I pun again…..
What did Stewart say? Food, Faux lesbians and fun? Too funny. So is that what a faux lesbian is? I guess that just isn’t something I have given much thought to…faux lesbians…capitalism at its best….
Hah! I wonder if Jon Stewart has a permanently reserved table at the Voyeur West Hollywood. Probably how he knew to use the term “faux lesbians.”
I thought everyone knew it but me. sigh. Maybe everyone knew it but you and me, Wolverine. I was also unfamiliar with the off-color definition of tea-bag used as a verb.
Lenny Bruce had a point about people allowing others to insult them with terms. So, I am now proud to be a Tea Bagger. I refuse to be insulted by my inferiors. And if you use that term (no one here, of course) in a derogatory manner, you are most definitely my inferior.
Love it! Topeka is one of the hundreds of communities attempting to
be selected by Google a new high speed internet system. The Kansas
town even changed its name to Google for a month to attract G’s attention.
So today, April Fool’s Day, Google has labeled their search page “Topeka”.
Cargo, you people keep getting me in trouble and confusing me.
Too funny, PR.
@Poor Richard
Is this a permanent change or just an April Fool’s thing?
Pinko – Assume the change is just for today.
Silliness all round in this contest – a new Raleigh NC councilman, who forgot
he was suppose to prepare remarks for a video appeal, suddenly declared
that he would name his soon to be born twin sons for Google owners
Larry Page and Sergey Brin if Raleigh was selected! He, alas, had not shared
this thought with his wife before sharing it with the rest of the world.
Not a wise move.
Do give Google great credit for standing up to Chinese censorship – few
companies would risk millions to uphold their ethical standards.
Microsoft caved years ago.
This is a bit old old, i.e. Bush was still President, but who saw this parody Ben Afflek did of Ken Olberman on SNL – this is great satire.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/42024/saturday-night-live-countdown-with-keith-olbermann
“Specially trained ferretts are now being used to deliver broadband to
rural areas”.
London Telegraph (4-1- 2010)
And who said the Brits are no longer innovaters – at least on April 1st.
FBI warns letters to governors could stir violence
WASHINGTON – The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group’s call to remove governors from office could provoke violence. The group called the Guardians of the free Republics wants to “restore America” by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site. It sent letters to governors demanding they leave office or be removed.
Investigators do not see threats of violence in the group’s message, but fear the broad call for removal of top state officials could lead others to act out violently. At least two states beefed up security in response.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he received one of the letters but wasn’t overly alarmed.
“We get all kinds of shall we say, ‘interesting’ mail, so it’s not out of the norm,” Pawlenty said Friday. “It got more attention because it went to so many governors.”
As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don’t leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The note was obtained by The Associated Press.
The FBI expects all 50 governors will eventually receive such letters.
Governors whose offices reported getting the letters included Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Chet Culver of Iowa, Dave Heineman of Nebraska, Jim Gibbons of Nevada, Brad Henry of Oklahoma, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Bob McDonnell of Virginia, and Gary Herbert of Utah, where officials stepped up security in response to the letter.
See more at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100402/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_governors_extremists