Empress of Groovy

You do understand that for at least the last decade, 20 cents of every dollar of your insurance premium has been going into stockholders pockets, don't you? Not into "recovering the cost" spent on a pre-existing condition, but into pure profits. Not even going into paying the huge salaries of insurance executives. Those two dimes multiplied by millions of dollars have gone into paying stock dividends.
You really shouldn't comment on Socialism until you understand Capitalism, you know.

Cool. I can dig it.
Got you down to (up to?) -10.
(from -11, that is)

Cool. I can dig it.
Got you down to (up to?) -10.
(from -11, that is)

I've only clicked the negative response thingy a couple of times, when I thought someone was being a dickwad. But even then, I felt so--so dirty.
Overall, I don't think it's a bad idea, and I agree with the decision to disassociate the individual post rankings from user rankings. I've noticed that a couple of VJ members are being followed around and "negatived" on every post no matter what it says. It's asinine, but I admit I find it funny in a kind of juvenile way. I think my sense of humor is degenerating the older I get.

I've only clicked the negative response thingy a couple of times, when I thought someone was being a dickwad. But even then, I felt so--so dirty.
Overall, I don't think it's a bad idea, and I agree with the decision to disassociate the individual post rankings from user rankings. I've noticed that a couple of VJ members are being followed around and "negatived" on every post no matter what it says. It's asinine, but I admit I find it funny in a kind of juvenile way. I think my sense of humor is degenerating the older I get.

Cool. I can dig it.
Got you down to (up to?) -10.
(from -11, that is)

Cool. I can dig it.
Got you down to (up to?) -10.
(from -11, that is)

I do this every Friday, so you can chill and listen if you're bored.
If you love Hard Rock, tune in
http://listen.nuclearfridays.com (http://38.96.148.43:5118/listen.pls)
Playlist @ http://www.nuclearfridays.com/index2.html
and yes, it's me Been doing this for almost 5 years!

I think the bill is less than perfect, but I'm glad to see some of the restrictions placed on insurance companies, and that covering a big chunk of the uninsured has finally become a priority. I've been self-employed for various stints, and getting an individual policy was always a project. Fortunately, I never had to test my individual insurance in a real way, but if I'd been in an accident or really sick, I know my out of pocket costs would have been enormous. I do think this legislation will hugely benefit freelancers & self-employed people. I suspect that a lot of people opposed to the legislation haven't dealt with the clusterfvck that is an individual insurance plan--in some cases, getting one at all. And I know two people offhand who were kicked off their policies because they made too many claims.
My (UKC) husband hates the healthcare system here. He doesn't even want to talk about it because it pisses him off so much. His position is that people opposed to a basic universal system that covers all are simply selfish bastards who don't care if their access to care hampers someone else's. He's basically healthy and hasn't really had to test his insurance, but he broke his collarbone a couple of years ago playing soccer. He spent about an hour in the ER getting X-rays, and they sent him off in a sling with some pain meds. Although his out-of-pocket costs for the visit ended up being about $150 after insurance kicked in, the piles of paperwork that arrived in the mail was staggering--a bill from the hospital, doctor, x-ray department, this, that--it really shows you how inefficient the system is when 30 min. in the ER generates this much paperwork. Can you imagine being a cancer patient and dealing with this $#it? Especially when certain claims are denied for whatever reason?
Anyhoo, I do think the furor will die down, and this legislation will benefit a lot of people. I don't think any bill representing real change would be immune to a lot of criticism. Everyone knows that cost has to be controlled, but there's no one way to do that without switching to a single-payer system, and that simply isn't feasible in the U.S., at least not now. Too many interests have been allowed to make too much money for too long, and our system is very corrupt.
I am hopeful that overall, it will be a good thing, and many people who have gone without care for a long time can finally get the treatment they need and quit panicking about getting sick.

for someone thats so familiar with them why dont you draw the parallels for us unwashed masses not worthy of your ivory tower

I would be very happy to know that RJ was stranded on a desert island (Pitcairn?) while the wheels of USCIS slowly ground. And, regardless of accuracy rating (which has nothing to do with toxicity), pushbrk is here and RJ is not.I still recommend that all current critics of pushbrk read his messages since the beginning of the year.

Well, that's pretty cynical. I suspect it would involve more than checking a box on a form.

I really think Stayfree should bring back the meadow. I miss the meadow. It was so easy to make a connection between cramping and bleeding, and meadows. Now it's all so confusing.

Paul, I get the impression that you don't have an understanding of how the individual health insurance market works. People with a long list of conditions and former conditions (such as cancer) are considered uninsurable, and it's nearly impossible for them to get meaningful coverage. Some states have high-risk pools, but these policies tend to be extremely expensive. Several of your posts have suggested that you're not considering this in your argument. You might also be surprised at the seemingly innocuous conditions that would put one into a high-risk (i.e., uninsurable) category.
I've been self-employed for about a third of my working life, so I know what a nightmare the individual market is, and I'm basically healthy. This bill will do a lot to help self-employed people and small business owners get decent coverage for themselves and their families. I agree that the bill is nowhere near perfect, but it's a good start.
And charitable donations to fund a high-risk pool? Are you joking?

And a government official will arrive at your house and remove your kidney.

Eek.
It's very condescending. It's clear that you're frustrated with the misunderstanding, but the tone is highly confrontational and is only going to upset people further.
If you must send an e-mail, I suggest using simpler, more polite wording. An example:
Instead of:
"Next time if you have a misunderstanding, I HIGHLY SUGGEST contacting me first through phone or email before going haywire."
How about something like:
"It seems that there has been some confusion. It may be best if we talk on the phone."
I think it would be better to call, to be honest. First, it's more personal, and you can clearly explain what's happening. Also, you may not want evidence of your anger and frustration sitting in various e-mail inboxes. This is the kind of e-mail that gets forwarded to all and sundry ("Can you believe this?")--unless your father-in-law is particularly discreet.
Good luck!