CosmicBills

You really don't read anything do you? You just want to write whatever it is that's floating through your mind at the moment without regards to what's being discussed. Even this response is a study in bipolar disjointedness. It's like you have two old men in your head yelling as you sit at the keyboard to write up a response. Whoever yells the loudest in your head gets to control what you type ... regardless of the content. It's amazingly hilarious actually.

For exactly that reason... It paints Romney into a corner he's trying desperately to distance himself from. It's politics 101. Call out any and all hypocritical statements made by your opponent to attempt to paint them as something other than what they are. Not saying it'll work. But imagine if the GOP had a candidate without that kind of baggage. Then they could launch a full scale attack on the ACA and Obama without looking like a fool.

Do I run Hollywood? 'Cause if I did, that's news to me. Dave is an assclown because he is an unabashed racist who denies it by saying absurd things like, "well... I employed a black guy once!" If you can't see the absurdity of that statement in relation to Dave's posting history, then you should examine your own reading comprehension skills. But thanks for playing.

You're not wrong about the economy. But are you really thinking that the issue won't come up in the debates? Especially with Romney claiming his first act will be to repeal his own (bastardized version) Health Care bill? He set himself up to take a big hit on that point over the next few months. It might not be enough to cripple his campaign, but it doesn't help.

...But it sure doesn't help that the GOP candidate will be unable to debate Obama's core, and most politically explosive, piece of legislation.

Santorum called it. Maybe the only thing during the whole race he was correct about.

We'll never know unless we study it.

The only books on my writing desk: The Complete Collection of Calvin & Hobbes The Complete Collection of the Far Side OED

Because there's nothing beneficial to learn from studying the origin of the universe...

...Well, it is a story about Peter Parker. A teenager with super powers. That's kind of the whole point of Spiderman, isn't it?

Nope. Entirely disagree. I'm a (relatively) young white male with a chronic disease. The disease, while not fatal, requires not only medication but surgical procedures to keep in check. It's a disease I was diagnosed with when I was 18, and despite uncertainty as to the cause of the disease, most medical professionals will tell you it's genetic rather than environmental. In other words, I was born with this condition and without the necessary medication and surgeries, the disease can indeed become life threatening. I didn't bring this upon myself. I didn't make a wrong choice or eat the wrong food or take the wrong pill. In a family of six children, I was the only one afflicted with this disease. But hey, that's life. I know that. I'm not complaining about having a disease -- it's how things go. Even when I was 18 I knew that the diagnosis was going to put a crimp in my life plans. It was going to force me to carry insurance my whole life because without it, the meds can cost upwards of 12k per month -- let alone any hospital bills or doctor's bills that would come along. I didn't complain. I didn't begrudge my creator for sticking me with this disadvantage. I was fortunate enough to be born into a family that had some financial means -- and good health insurance plans. Despite wanting to broaden my horizons, I stayed close to home for financial reasons. I simply couldn't afford to pursue the dreams I had AND pay for the health insurance I was now required to have for the rest of my life. So I took up employ in the family business, keeping myself on the family health plan I'd been my entire life. After all, so far, the insurance company had done nothing but take care of my health issues without complaint. Of course, what I forgot to factor into that equation was until that moment, the insurance company had no idea I had a medical condition. How quickly things changed. The moment my health insurance company, the very one I'd been a member of for 18 years, discovered my chronic condition, they began a systematic crusade designed to not only price me out of coverage, but to avoid paying ANYTHING when it came to my condition. At first my rates went up. WAY up. Okay, that's to be expected. I cost more to cover so I should pay a bit more than normal. No problems with that. I happily accepted that, even with my job, I was paying close to 300 bucks a month for insurance. Hell, it was cheaper than paying the full price of the medicine a month so I figured I was coming out on top. Eventually I learned that the family business wasn't for me. Not only was I completely terrible at it, I foresaw the next 40 years of my life going by in excruciating boredom. That's not something I was going to allow, so I decided to make a career change. Again, I was fully aware of the additional costs I'd have to endure to do such a thing. Having a pre-existing condition I knew I couldn't just drop my coverage otherwise I'd never get it back. I also knew that I couldn't just get a new plan that covered me as well as my old one. So, I sucked it up and transitioned from my family plan to my own through the same company. In fact, it was the SAME policy. With a monthly premium beginning at $525, I set off on a new path. It wasn't more than three months into this new plan that my premiums began a dramatic climb once again. Going from $525 to over $850 in less than 6 months. In that time, nothing had changed with regards to my health. Other than my condition, which was happily in remission, I was healthy and happy. No broken bones, no emergency surgeries. The only claims made were for my monthly medicine designed to keep my disease in remission. I never missed a payment even with the increased costs. This was my cross to bear so I did. And I did it without complaint. But the premiums kept going up, eventually topping out over 1,050 bucks. At 22 years old I wasn't just carrying an insurance policy, I was carrying a virtual mortgage on top of rent, car, insurance, student loans, taxes etc. To do this, I was forced to work three jobs. And again, I did them. I've never been on any state of federal assistance program, and I always, always paid my premiums. Each and every month. Sometimes more than once a month when the "funky" paper work began. That's when the claims started being denied. At first it was for the monthly meds. They wouldn't outright come and deny them at first, rather they would claim the orders needed to be renewed by the doctor despite having over 3 months left on the last referral. The purpose, I learned, wasn't to avoid paying for the meds but to alter my dosage schedule so the drugs would become less efficient -- thus forcing me to change to a cheaper medicine. If that isn't manipulative and down right evil, I don't know what is. But again, I was lucky enough to have some money. I paid, out of pocket, five times that year alone to cover my meds (almost 20k). I did it because I knew I needed to receive treatment on time. Twice my doctor covered me with free samples because he too was outraged by what was going on. It took over 4 years for me to get refunded that money. FOUR YEARS to get the insurance company to do the job I (continued) to pay them for. A year later, I couldn't cover the medicine cost. I had paid my premium already, my insurance was current and the referral was current, but the Insurance Company complained that they had misplaced the paper work(!) They gave me the run around for weeks, saying they were working on it -- all the while knowing full well that being off even a week with my meds raises the possibility of an allergic reaction. Unable to cover the 6k needed, one month without medicine stretched into three. Which resulted in my body building up anti-bodies to the medicine and landed me in the hospital for the first time in my life. It also resulted in a bill of close to 80k that the insurance company also refused to pay initially. That was just the beginning. Over the next eight years, the insurance company waged war against me. Twice denying me emergency coverage (bills of 80k and 50k which took 5 years to get the insurance company to pay), and dozens of times denying me the necessary medicine I needed -- which twice resulted in long stays in the hospital and, I believe, unnecessary surgery. As if that weren't enough, suddenly my billing cycles began to change every other month. They'd send letter after letter saying rates were going up, due dates were being changed -- each time a different date, different structure, different scale. This wasn't done out of some need for administrative efficiency on their part, it was done to literally drown me in paper. Confuse me. Force me to pay late so they could drop my coverage and not be forced to pick me back up. It didn't work. I paid on time, every time. I was fortunate to be able to. But there are millions of people just like me who can't. They aren't milking the system or causing their own health related issues, they are suffering at the hands of their OWN health insurance providers who find their illness to be an inconvenience to the corporate bottom line. People who are denied coverage or medical necessities not for legal reasons, but for paper trickery. The health insurance companies KNOW they can afford to drag out payments and their customers can't. And since their main drive is profit, not health care, the insurance companies continue to do exactly that. If you don't believe me, go ask someone under 40 who has been diagnosed with cancer. Health Insurance companies are driven by one thing and one thing only: PROFIT. And that should have absolutely NOTHING to do with the equation when you are discussing the health and well being of your population. The moment you become a threat to the corporate bottom line, they will find a way to f*ck you. Again, this isn't some sort of lefty anti-capitalistic driven diatribe. This is my life. Had I not lived it, I wouldn't believe it either. But I've seen first hand the underbelly of the beast. I've been trampled by it, kicked to **** by it, and then they ask me to thank them. Well f*ck that. F*ck it right in the ear, I say. In my story, the insurance company was liable and wound up paying for everything. I "won" each and every case against them. But still, it took months, if not years, for the Insurance Company to pay. Long after the financial and physical damage was done. If I had not been as fortunate as I am financially, it would have destroyed my credit and my ability to work. Hell, I'd be dead by now if I didn't have money. I know it and they know it. The fact I'm not is only a testament to the fact that with money, you can buy health in this country. And I for one just think that's flat out un-American. It's no way to operate as a civilization let alone a nation. I made my choice knowingly. I knew I'd pay more for premiums and be saddled with a burden that other healthy 20 somethings weren't faced with. I didn't complain. I paid what was asked when it was asked for, never missing a payment. All I expected in return was the service I was allegedly paying for. But it was denied over and over again. Why? Because it's cheaper for them to make me foot the bills and sweat it out while they drag their feet. It's cheaper for me to die than it is for the company I employ to provide the services I pay them for. Are Health Insurance companies the only ones to blame for the health care crisis in America? No. Never said they were. But they provide absolutely no function OTHER than to make a profit for their investors. And the moment that profit buts heads with life or death is the moment that evil takes over. Always has, always will.

You're welcome.

Did you let them work with or without the shackles? Did you make 'em call you Overseer? You're an unbelievable assclown.

The Health Insurance "Industry" isn't a noble or virtuous industry. In fact, it stands in the way of building a stronger, healthier America. Removing it, like a malignant tumor, would be the best thing this country could do for itself in the long AND short run. Health Insurance as an industry provides NOTHING for America but increased costs for patients and doctors. It's an industry that values profits over health, death over life. A country cannot prosper under such a system -- individuals can, but a nation cannot. You want a stronger America? You need healthy citizens. That means providing a health care system that promises help to those that need it rather than just those that can afford it. That logic runs counter to everything the Health Insurance industry stands for. The demise of any empire or nation has always been tied to the declining health of its population. Medicare is single payer. Veteran care is single payer. Government employees use a single payer ... why? Because it's the best health care system available. It's only a matter of time before every US citizen is on a single payer system. I hope it's in my lifetime but it probably won't happen. /Health Insurance rant

I am not sure what the point of this response was? Can you clarify, please?

Is that you, Crayonz? You wascally wabbit.

Depends on what the purpose is. Is the tax (let's call it what it is) designed to force people to buy insurance or to provide revenue to help with the costs of accommodating 30 million new patients? Again, I'm in no way claiming the ACA is perfect -- it's far from it. If it were up to me we'd be on a single payer system yesterday and all health insurance companies would be extinct. This is my understanding of it as well...

This is wrong -- which was the point of the eye roll. The point of the penalty is to prevent this from occurring. As for your other questions, I have more personal knowledge of the health insurance industry and it's insidious nature, than anyone my age ever should. Personally I believe this country needs to be on a single payer system -- and once people get over the rage of this law being upheld and take the time to actually understand how it will affect you as a customer, they'll want single payer too.

Fu*k all ya'll honkey crackers!

...Because no one without healthcare ever goes to a doctor.

I was looking forward to this show and it lived up to my expectations. Excellent cast, interesting subject, superbly written and produced. Sorkin isn't for everyone of course, but to me he's one of the best out there. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the season and wondering what the week to week will look like.

They're both desperate to be President ... which is the problem. What the country needs is someone who doesn't give two chits about being President. Someone who is willing do what's right rather than what's politically in their best interests.

:lol:

I've been out of internet contact for the past couple weeks and am just now getting back to life. My first episode just aired last week ("Blonde Thunder") and is available on iTunes. Not sure when my next one is due up but I'll do a better job letting people who are interested know. Cheers.

Actually, both plays were mental errors. Judge attributes Heyward's to laziness in the article, but it wasn't due to laziness. It occurred because Heyward forgot who was running the bases. He assumed Harper wouldn't have the balls to take second. He took a slow first step, saw Harper wasn't stopping and bobbled the ball which led to the throw being late. That's a mental error as much as Cole who either forgot there was a runner on third (unlikely) or didn't think Harper would have the balls to swipe home. They both were wrong, both misjudged Harper. And that's a far stronger argument for the conservative cause than the one he wound up citing. The whole, "the libs are complacent in their seat of power, they don't think we have the balls to try to challenge them, let's prove 'em wrong in November" kind of thing. In fact, had he cited both he would have not only made his case stronger. But he chose not to. It's either laziness on the author's part OR a continuing pattern of his racist rants. And you have fallen for it hook line and sinker. Rob too. Hats off to Judge for having less faith in the common man's intelligence than me I guess.