Jobber of the Week

You don't need the government to run health care. You need government to run paying for health care. As it is we're paying much more per person than anyone whose government pays for health costs. Private industries with shareholders have built a model that puts profits before people. Government allows for collective bargaining that gives you leverage you can't get on your own in a world of medical underwriting and high costs.

I have no interest in this for exactly the reasons you stated, because it's just throwing more good money after bad. I have no problem letting the market shrink like what's been going on. You, on the other hand, might be less interested in whether Joe US Taxpayer is getting a good deal but simply keeping the market propped up since if it's curtains for us it has a ripple effect for you. It is, essentially, what's going on with Fannie/Freddie.

You know, if you're going to bring up a case of Harper sitting around and leaving Canadians to their own devices when they run into foreign law systems, you could at least use Brenda Martin or one of the other handful of cases involving people not trained in terrorism.

Followers of Canadian politics, what are the chances you're going to dissolve into two parties like the US anytime soon? Not counting Green (not enough of a threat) and BQ (only run in one province)? Because it seems like Harper has dominated by moving so many parties together. What are the chances that NDP and Liberal merge in the next 5 years? I mean, aside from Layton being Harper's BFF in fighting to keep the Green out of the debate, it just looks like the inevitable way of things. Which is sad, because it means we'll never see a legitimate third party here.

If you think companies don't blow a lot of money on needless luxuries, I'd invite to the Strip with me most any time of the year. Walk through the meeting halls of the megaresorts here and you'll see meetings held by large companies that have laid off workers and have plenty of meeting rooms within many campuses around the country. This is a fallacy. It assumes that there's no competition and no margins on goods. Everyone isn't going to raise their prices because if they do that then someone will see an opportunity and sell for less than everyone else.

It's a NEV. There's a whole class of cars like that. You can only drive them on certain streets depending on the speed limit, so unless you live in Celebration FL it's a pain.

They'll print more. Helicopter Ben and all that.

Aww damnit, it's so cute looking though. I was hoping it was at least something I could use on a quick run somewhere.

What's the mini white car called? It reminds me of a Smart, but a bit more attractive.

Next week is the VP debate. Then the week after that is the town hall debate. Then after that the economic debate. This would put the foreign policy debate basically one week before the election. If they want to placate McCain and let him get in the last word by putting foreign policy at the end, they can swap it and talk the economy now. But, debates happen. They happened during WWII, they can happen during this. If you can't talk on television while handling a crisis at the same time, what kind of President are you?

http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport...32-9dd6b2df8c02 Immediately after John McCain's announcement 3 pm ET today, Wednesday 09/24/08, that he was suspending his campaign and seeking to postpone Friday's schedule presidential debate, SurveyUSA interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide. Key findings: A majority of Americans say the debate should be held. Just 10% say the debate should be postponed. A sizable percentage of Americans, 36%, think the focus of the debate should be modified to focus more on the economy. 3 of 4 Americans say the presidential campaign should continue. Just 14% say the presidential campaign should be suspended. If Friday's debate does not take place 46%, of Americans say that would be bad for America.

Debate is happening. The debate committee made a statement that it's still going on. UMiss says it's still going on. This is the first time these guys have strongly taken a position they can't fold on without looking bad, and it looks like the advantage is Obama. And the media is playing his "a President should be able to do two things at the same time" line in heavy rotation. I think you may have actually seen the first debate exchange before the debates actually started. God only knows what the polls tomorrow will show.

That would have been an avalanche for Obama, because Romney campaigned like The Man from the beginning. Drug companies are selflessly helping people! People don't have health care because they can afford it but choose not to buy it! He basically was running as "The Man" in the cultural slang meaning of the term. McCain used to talk about how companies put profits before people, how we could do better, how he would shut down Gitmo and rewrite the interrogation rules, etc. This stuff is what got him where he is, but now all he's concerned about is that endorsement from the Rush Limbaugh wing, so he's thrown it all into obscurity.

I think 16 is a reasonable age because here in the US it's driving age. I'm not sure if it's the same in Canada, but the age should be set at whatever driving age is. If you're responsible to drive a car, which can be a deadly weapon, you're responsible to live up to running someone down with that car if you do so.

A bad one.

Tracy: I need sixty-thousand dollars, or I’m gonna lose my house. Jack: Which house? (Tracy thinks to himself) Tracy: I need a hundred-thousand dollars, or I’m gonna lose both my houses. Jack: Tracy, I don’t understand. You’ve starred in fourteen films. You don’t have any money saved? Tracy: No, I lost all of it. Jack: Really? Who’s your money manager? Tracy: Grizz. Grizz: Worldcom, man. Worldcom.

Isn't that the kind of thing he needs a majority for? If not, why didn't he do it before? If he could do it before and didn't, what makes you think he'll do it now?

Obama has a PDF and just the other week published an entire book of policy ideas. What are you talking about?

And now for something completely different. 4,001 dead Americans, yeah?

Wait, I thought you voted for a party and not a person. If your person switches party, doesn't the party put a new guy in there instead?

France24 uncovers NATO report, NATO denies the existence of it. Basically, the Taliban are better armed than they used to be, and ten French soldiers killed in Afghanistan were out-gunned. NATO is denying the paperwork of this, but a Canadian newspaper first broke word of it and now a reporter with the French government's news agency is confirming it as well.

http://gizmodo.com/5052830/clean-coal-no-l...new-power-plant

Isn't Rae kind of like the Jimmy Carter of Canadian politics? (i.e. policies that wreaked havoc and turned the guy into "too dangerous to lead" even among those who like him?) Because all I ever hear about him from the outside is how he fucked Ontario something fierce. Likewise, I hear Ignatieff is a good politician who will never get to lead because too many casual voters see him as some guy with a crush on the British who is only in Canada because it's easier to get power.