Weekend Open Thread

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Michigoose

Nothing much to comment on, so I thought I’d drop some music in on you. Aloe Blacc is one talented guy:

But, of course, there is always the incomparable Aaron Neville:

Happy weekend, all!

Filed under: music, Open Thread | Tagged: |

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79 Responses

  1. Michigoose, on May 17, 2014 at 9:48 am said:

    Are you still on the road, jnc?

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  2. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 17, 2014 at 11:07 am said:

    Thanks Michi!

    Dude…

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  3. jnc4p, on May 17, 2014 at 12:43 pm said:

    Yep. Technically still on the water.

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  4. Michigoose, on May 17, 2014 at 2:36 pm said:

    “Still on the water” sounds lovely!

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  5. Michigoose, on May 17, 2014 at 5:26 pm said:

    And California Chrome wins the Preakness!

    A shot at the Triple Crown at last. . .

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  6. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 8:22 am said:

    This column is a combination of enlightening, obnoxious, and appalling to me. One of the points of interest to me is this part of his attempt to explain why homosexuals seem not to believe in love:

    “When it comes to our relationships, most gay men have only ever identified with the word “boyfriend”. Historically, we have never legally been allowed to marry, so “husband” — and the responsibility and consequence of such title — is a foreign vernacular.”

    This goes back to the point I made in response to Mark (and previously) that there is a contradiction between the argument that changing what the law calls marriage can’t affect opposite-sex marriage (redundant) and argument that it is necessary for the law to call homosexuals married for them to feel married. It will come as no surprise that my response to the question this guy raises is in the nature of the “orientation.” He instead blames society. How convenient. How did marriage and family exist before the Brady Bunch or Barbie.

    Read more: http://www.yourtango.com/2014216260/sex-homosexuality-why-gay-men-dont-believe-love-boyfriend-couples-bravo-millionaire-matchmaker-david-cruz/page/2#ixzz324Zu9dkt

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  7. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 8:38 am said:

    I see absolutely no need to read anything that you recommend on that subject, QB.

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  8. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 9:02 am said:

    I see absolutely no need to give a flying fig what you have to say about anything, Michi.

    Edit: oh, but it’s funny that you don’t want to read a homosexual ideologue’s musings. Heh.

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  9. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 9:04 am said:

    Andrew Klavan has a message for all you baggers.

    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/05/must-watch-andrew-klavan-explains-why-the-debate-is-over-video/#!

    Pretty funny. Especially like thedebateisoveryouarebeingauditedyouareunderarrest.com.

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  10. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 9:39 am said:

    Oh, I have no doubt, QB.

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  11. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 9:47 am said:

    This seems like the logical conclusion of the the 21st century’s way of dealing with all the hardships and slights suffered in one’s life: just sue everyone in the world for more money than could possibly exist.

    http://nypost.com/2014/05/16/man-suing-almost-everyone-for-all-the-money-on-earth/

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  12. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 10:09 am said:

    Oh, I have no doubt, QB.

    Nor should you. You earned it, many times over and with obvious zeal.

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  13. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 10:55 am said:

    Someone probably linked this before. The comments to this piece of obviously ghost-written agitprop are depressing evidence of why the USA is going down the tubes in the grip of mindless socialism.

    http://www.salon.com/2014/05/08/my_personal_wal_mart_nightmare_you_wont_believe_what_life_is_like_working_there/

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  14. Brent Nyitray, on May 18, 2014 at 11:16 am said:

    1:53:15 in the Brooklyn 1/2 yesterday – PR’d by a minute and 40 seconds… Actually PR’d my 10k time as well in the 10k-20k split… Pretty happy with that.

    Top third of all finishers… Not bad for an old guy like me…

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  15. quarterback, on May 18, 2014 at 11:16 am said:

    Here, some “progressive” I’ve never heard of seems to argue that SunTrust should not have reversed its decision to cut business ties with the Benham brothers, because their “antigay” and “anti-abortion” views are “extremist” and political and not religious. It’s so hard to keep up with the shifting arguments of the left.

    http://www.tpnn.com/2014/05/17/dana-loesch-obliterates-anti-christian-bigoted-democrat-strategist-over-benham-brothers-smear/

    I would like to see conservatives begin to file more lawsuits, in appropriate cases like this, against businesses for religious discrimination. Fight fire with fire.

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  16. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 11:39 am said:

    That’s an awesome time, Brent–congrats!!! That’s a pretty big PR jump; you must’ve been training like a mad dog lately.

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  17. Brent Nyitray, on May 18, 2014 at 12:04 pm said:

    Thanks, Goose. I probably peaked at 30 mpw this time around… For the National Marathon in DC, I peaked at 60 mpw… This time I let myself rest more before the race.

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  18. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 12:54 pm said:

    This time I let myself rest more before the race.

    Good move. I’m starting my mileage increase this week for a fall race (haven’t picked which one yet) and I don’t plan to go over 30 mpw, either.

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  19. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 3:45 pm said:

    This is for Brent. Heh.

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  20. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 18, 2014 at 5:22 pm said:

    Brent and Michi, do you all run every day?

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  21. Michigoose, on May 18, 2014 at 6:00 pm said:

    Right now I’m running every other day (which is backed off from two on/one off). I’m working the extra mileage in by alternating adding mileage to a running day and adding another day (so moving back to the two on/one off regimen) with a short, easy run.

    I usually do weights on my off days, with every third off day completely off.

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  22. Brent Nyitray, on May 18, 2014 at 6:50 pm said:

    I run about 4 days a week… Will take probably stick with that until late summer when I start training for the NY marathon in early Nov.

    Don’t cross train, but am starting to think about replacing my crappy 15 year old Trek recreational bike with something decent..

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  23. jnc4p, on May 18, 2014 at 7:08 pm said:

    Subsidies breed an expectation of being entitled to more subsidies.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/realestate/rent-regulated-tenants-excluded-from-amenities.html?hp

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    • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 11:48 am said:

      jnc:

      Subsidies breed an expectation of being entitled to more subsidies.

      Stories like that truly depress me. The entitlement mindset just boggles my mind.

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  24. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 18, 2014 at 7:51 pm said:

    Subsidies breed an expectation of being entitled to more subsidies.

    I’m literally flabbergasted.

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  26. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 12:30 pm said:

    That rent-control piece drips with ironies. Favorite:

    ““It just seems creepy, we don’t live in a country club,” said Heather Mac Rae, an actress and singer who has lived in the building for nearly 30 years.”

    Well, yes, dear, that’s right, you don’t live in a country club. You just want free membership to a country club paid for by others.

    This country is doomed. (TCID)

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  27. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 12:39 pm said:

    More faves:

    “‘Sitting at her dining-room table recently, a sketch of Malcolm X hanging behind her, she said, “Nobody makes me a second-class citizen in my own home. I had thought that by the time I got to be classified as fragile elderly that I would not have to fight this fight.’

    “At 230 Riverside Drive, a condo conversion on the Upper West Side, rent-regulated tenants cannot use the building’s gym and have limited access to storage areas. “It’s ridiculous to have a gym here that I can’t use,” said Sarah Denby, who lives in a rent-controlled one-bedroom with her husband, Walter Brotman, a building resident for 60 years.”

    Right, they only want to be second-class citizens when it comes to paying rent. They want to be first-class citizens when it comes to building amenities added decades after they embedded themselves like ticks at half the market rate for rent. All have lived in their appartments for 30, 50, even 60 years. All are singers, actors, (i.e., barristas for hire),activists, retired, yadda yadda. Why get off your rear when your life is subsidized.

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  28. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 12:48 pm said:

    Single Payer, fuck yeah!

    Krugman is such a twit, and a high-IQ moron.

    I want to just keep asking these morons, health care is different from other goods and services, thus requiring government monopolization, because __________?

    So far, the only answers I have ever heard boil down to, “It’s a right, because people need it.”

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  29. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 12:49 pm said:

    It seems to me the solution would be to open some of those “exclusive” areas to the rent-controlled tenants for a fee. It’s obviously primarily about money but this caught my eye.

    The high cost of construction means developers often rely on public financing and tax breaks to build new luxury housing, either as rentals or as condos. In exchange, as many as 20 percent of the apartments must be set aside as affordable housing. Despite the financial benefit, developers worry that well-heeled buyers might be turned off by low-income neighbors.

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  30. novahockey, on May 19, 2014 at 1:01 pm said:

    “Despite the financial benefit, developers worry that well-heeled buyers might be turned off by low-income neighbors.”

    From what I can tell, this has not been an issue in DC condos. at least in a particular building. the criticism is more broadly aimed at gentrification and “what type of city should DC be.”

    i don’t think i’ve seen stories were some aspects of the building are off limits. but these are new buildings and it’s basically a lottery for the very few non-market rate” folks to get in. so it’s not like they’ve been their for decades in that particular building. maybe in the neighborhood. .

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  31. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 1:10 pm said:

    Privilege checking checking.

    http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/378186/harvard-says-it-wont-be-conducting-check-your-privilege-training-orientation-josh

    I would like to see some different “privilege checking” questions.

    “For each other group of which you are a member that benefits from affirmative action, take a step forward.”

    “And for each group of which you are a member that is disfavored by affirmative action, take a step back.”

    “If your family has received government subsidies, take a step forward.”

    “If you are less capable and talented because your ancestors came to this country against their will, take a step back.”

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  32. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 1:15 pm said:

    It seems to me the solution would be to open some of those “exclusive” areas to the rent-controlled tenants for a fee. It’s obviously primarily about money but this caught my eye.

    I am no expert in rent control in NYC, but I would guess this would be no more acceptable to the disgruntled and their government sponsors. It seems to miss the point: they consider paying their “stabilized” rent for their apartments to entitle them to every amenity attached to the building.

    They literally disgust me.

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  33. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 1:32 pm said:

    “It seems to me the solution would be to open some of those “exclusive” areas to the rent-controlled tenants for a fee.”

    That would indeed be an option, except for certain other aspects of the rent control legislation and the potential for litigation as evidenced by the piece:

    “Developers point to rules governing rent-regulated leases as a reason for restrictions. If a developer offers a gym to a rent-regulated tenant and later decides to remove it, the landlord would have to get permission from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the state agency that oversees rent rules. Otherwise, tenants could be entitled to a rent reduction and reinstatement of the service.”

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  34. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 1:39 pm said:

    From NR:

    “Although HKS Speak Out won’t get an official role in orientation, the group said they still plan to hold “privilege training,” including a “privilege walk.”

    A privilege walk involves a seminar that tells students what privilege is, after which students are placed in a line and asked to step forward or backward depending on whether they think they’re privileged based certain questions.”

    This was a worthwhile rebuttal:

    “As a Harvard outsider who will one day live under a governing elite populated by today’s KSG first-years, I’d only ask for one addition to the “step forward, step back” exercise. Prior to the day it is conducted, KSG should take out some ads in local media: $50 dollars available for the first 500 non-Harvard students to show up at the campus football field at an appointed time. Let them gather, black, white and brown; men and women; straight and gay. The hoi poloi and the KSG freshmen should all mass together behind one end zone. Then the stadium announcer should say, “If you’re not a Harvard student, stay where you are. And if you are a Harvard student, take 95 steps forward, until you’re at the 5 yard line by the far end zone.”

    Once all the KSG freshmen are lined up straight at that 5 yard line, everyone can do the “step-forward, step-back” exercise as before. I submit that my augmented approach will afford a more accurate understanding of privilege as it operates at Harvard.”

    http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/05/how-to-improve-privilege-training-at-harvard/370927/

    This is still the best summation of the entire exercise:

    “To call someone “privileged” is to say that his or her successes are undeserved. It’s a personal insult posing as social critique.”

    http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/05/check-your-check-your-privilege/361898/

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  35. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 1:44 pm said:

    jnc

    That would indeed be an option, except for certain other aspects of the rent control legislation and the potential for litigation as evidenced by the piece:

    That sounds to me like a problem if it were included with the price of their rent not as an extra charge in addition to their rent.

    Regardless, I’m no rent control expert. We’re so stingy here we don’t even have rent control areas or even apartments, except for one Sr housing complex. We’re very segregated here, like a little community for rich bitches……………..hahahaha

    Also, it’s my experience that no matter how wealthy or poor a person is we’re always hoping for either a bargain or “free stuff”.

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  36. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 1:45 pm said:

    & the logical end result of all the privilege vs merit arguments in academia:

    “On March 24, 2014 at the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Championships at Indiana University, two Towson University students, Ameena Ruffin and Korey Johnson, became the first African-American women to win a national college debate tournament, for which the resolution asked whether the U.S. president’s war powers should be restricted. Rather than address the resolution straight on, Ruffin and Johnson, along with other teams of African-Americans, attacked its premise. The more pressing issue, they argued, is how the U.S. government is at war with poor black communities.

    In the final round, Ruffin and Johnson squared off against Rashid Campbell and George Lee from the University of Oklahoma, two highly accomplished African-American debaters with distinctive dreadlocks and dashikis. Over four hours, the two teams engaged in a heated discussion of concepts like “nigga authenticity” and performed hip-hop and spoken-word poetry in the traditional timed format. At one point during Lee’s rebuttal, the clock ran out but he refused to yield the floor. “Fuck the time!” he yelled.”

    http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/04/traditional-college-debate-white-privilege/360746/

    http://www.salon.com/2014/05/13/%E2%80%9Ci_was_hurt%E2%80%9D_how_white_elite_racism_invaded_a_college_debate_championship/

    This approach to the rules in a competition should be applied more broadly. If you are losing a basketball game, then the thing to do is tackle the opposing team’s point guard. And if the shot clock runs out, just say “Fuck the time!”

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  37. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 1:46 pm said:

    “lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 1:44 pm said:

    jnc, that sounds to me like a problem if it were included with the price of their rent not as an extra charge in addition to their rent.

    Regardless, I’m no rent control expert. We’re so stingy here we don’t even have rent control areas or even apartments, except for one Sr housing complex. We’re very segregated here, like a little community for rich bitches……………..hahahaha

    Also, it’s my experience that no matter how wealthy or poor a person is we’re always hoping for either a bargain or “free stuff”.”

    My reading of the article was that it applied to generally available amenities that were added later and included in the existing rent.

    I don’t dispute the idea that everyone looks for a bargain nor do I begrudge those who find them and take advantage of them. But people who are paying half the rate of someone else living in the same building already have one. They aren’t automatically entitled to another.

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  38. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:15 pm said:

    They aren’t automatically entitled to another.

    I agree they’re not entitled to one, I was only suggesting perhaps they should be offered the amenities for a price separate from the rent they are paying. I thought some of the denials of access were somewhat ridiculous, such as rooftop, but a gym membership should only be included in the higher rent. I only pay $40 for my gym membership so it shouldn’t be that prohibitive IMO. I’m completely unfamiliar with NY city though or the people. I only know two people who actually live in the city and one’s a starving actress (my niece).

    I’m not particularly fond of people who constantly try to get something for nothing or just feel entitled for some reason only they seem to understand, so I’m not particularly sympathetic to the “rent controlled” crowd in any event.

    I do think there seem to be benefits to more than just the lower income renters in a rent-controlled situation.

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    • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 2:30 pm said:

      lms:

      We’re so stingy here we don’t even have rent control areas or even apartments, except for one Sr housing complex.

      Rent control isn’t about a lack of “stinginess”. It is about a willingness to violate the fifth amendment. Rent control is nothing other than the taking of private property for public use without just compensation.

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  39. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:23 pm said:

    QB – More fodder for your views on the decline of liberal arts education in college.

    “Colleges across the country this spring have been wrestling with student requests for what are known as “trigger warnings,” explicit alerts that the material they are about to read or see in a classroom might upset them or, as some students assert, cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of rape or in war veterans.”

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/us/warning-the-literary-canon-could-make-students-squirm.html

    Hiding behind veterans to advocate for this sort of policy strikes me as particularly despicable.

    “Ms. Loverin draws a distinction between alerting students to material that might truly tap into memories of trauma — such as war and torture, since many students at Santa Barbara are veterans — and slapping warning labels on famous literary works, as other advocates of trigger warnings have proposed.”

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  40. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:26 pm said:

    “I’m not particularly fond of people who constantly try to get something for nothing or just feel entitled for some reason only they seem to understand, so I’m not particularly sympathetic to the “rent controlled” crowd in any event.”

    That’s just your inner one percenter struggling to get out as a result of owning rental property and actually having to deal with tenants. You fail to appreciate that they have a right to affordable housing (meaning only paying 1/2 of what you wanted to charge) at your expense. It’s part of FDR’s Second Bill of Rights.

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  41. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 2:30 pm said:

    The news daily converges more completely with parody.

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  42. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:33 pm said:

    That’s just your inner one percenter struggling to get out as a result of owning rental property and actually having to deal with tenants

    Actually, we charge quite a bit under market and have for the last 27 years. We do it as a way to keep someone in there who can actually afford the rent. It’s worked out pretty well except for 2012, which as you know was awful.

    I’m afraid our days of striving to be in the 1% are behind us………..lol

    We should however be able to support ourselves for the next 25 years at least, barring some unforeseen disaster which appear to potentially be numerous. 😦

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  43. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:34 pm said:

    Scott’s correct. A better observation in the “stingy” category would be the lack of housing subsidies or vouchers.

    That’s redistribution, but it’s more straightforward and doesn’t screw up supply as much.

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  44. novahockey, on May 19, 2014 at 2:35 pm said:

    trigger warnings?

    don’t put your finger on it until your sights are aligned and you’re ready to fire.

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  45. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:35 pm said:

    “I’m afraid our days of striving to be in the 1% are behind us………..lol”

    I’m telling you, sell out on the Tennis patents to the big boys.

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  46. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:36 pm said:

    Rent control isn’t about a lack of “stinginess”

    It sure keeps the “riff raff” out!

    edited………….sorry, I mis-understood at first. lol

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  47. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:39 pm said:

    We don’t accept housing subsidies or vouchers either, that sounds like section 8 and I don’t like to take money from the government.

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  48. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:39 pm said:

    I interpreted your observation on “stinginess” to mean that your local community was a low spending community with narrowly defined public services.

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  49. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:40 pm said:

    jnc

    sell out on the Tennis patents to the big boys.

    Well, I suppose that really depends on how much we have to pay for them first and how much my husband’s reputation matters to him. 🙂

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  50. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 2:47 pm said:

    You can buy a lot of reputation in the one percent.

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  51. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 2:53 pm said:

    Read the Salon and Atlantic pieces and then argue that Western Civilization isn’t kaput. I dare you.

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  52. lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 2:59 pm said:

    Hey guys, I had to switch computers, my keyboard just went on the fritz. But I hate this office so I’ll see ‘ya on the other side of a new keyboard.

    But look, I’m not a big rent control supporter so it’s sort of silly of me to even participate as “the other side” of your discussion. I do think there are some advantages for property owners, in some instances, of rent control and I think communities fare better if their low income workers can actually afford to live in the community they work in. I wish it was that way here, but we’re a very wealthy community and the powers that be prefer to keep it that way. I would prefer a little diversity but it’s not up to me!

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    • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 3:05 pm said:

      This reminded me of the discussion lms and I had last week about voting. The article itself had a larger point to make, but this part echoed my thoughts perfectly:

      As the founder of this magazine once observed, decent people would leave politics alone if we thought politics would leave us alone. But if you choose to participate in politics, you might consider that more people follow Kim Kardashian on Twitter than read every political periodical in the English language of whatever ideological bent combined, that Web traffic on JSTOR is probably not a rounding error of that on PornHub, and that all the readers of the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, and the Washington Post, combined, add up to fewer people than are playing Farmville on any given day.

      If your reading on public affairs has not progressed much past Internet memes, you have a responsibility to your country: Don’t vote. In fact, you probably should not even speak about those things.

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  53. novahockey, on May 19, 2014 at 3:03 pm said:

    “Many of their arguments, based on personal memoir and rap music, completely ignored the stated resolution”

    somebody’s had media training. answer the question you want, not the one they ask.

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  54. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 3:21 pm said:

    NoVA, they need to go full check just like hockey. Just slam into your debate opponent while they are trying to speak.

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    • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 3:28 pm said:

      jnc:

      NoVA, they need to go full check just like hockey. Just slam into your debate opponent while they are trying to speak.

      That’s no joke, and is a question worth pursuing seriously.

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  55. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 3:22 pm said:

    Some of the comments on the debate articles had transcriptions and video links. Just dumbfounding.

    A while ago we had some snarky exchanges about feminism’s claims, and I linked some sources for the feminist ideological assault on science, logic, reason, etc., as being patriarchal and akin to rape. These dopes peddle the same foolishness in race terms: logic, reason, principles, decorum, etc., are all racist white oppression.

    Of course, they are too dumb to realize that they are actually on common ground with white supremacists and are perpetuating racial stereotypes.

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    • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 3:51 pm said:

      qb:

      These dopes peddle the same foolishness in race terms: logic, reason, principles, decorum, etc., are all racist white oppression.

      We have one of those dopes sitting on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor seems to think that the theory that members of different ethnic groups or genders may have basic differences in logic or reasoning is worthy of taking seriously.

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  56. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 3:26 pm said:

    Scott, it wasn’t convenient for me to comment at the time, but the meta issue is conflating rights with what’s usually called “access”, i.e. attempting to have the government make up for one’s general life circumstances as a leveling exercise.

    I have no problem with requiring a photo ID to vote, provided that the price isn’t set artificially high intentionally to discourage it (i.e. something like the “bullet tax” that’s often proposed as a back door gun control mechanism). If just having an ID requirement disproportionately impacts poor people, so be it. On the other hand, Virginia mailed out voter ID cards to all registered voters free of charge and that seems perfectly reasonable as well.

    Government should neither try to discourage or encourage someone to vote. I opposed mandatory voting and fines for not voting for the same reasons.

    And lastly, trying to pretend that voter ID requirements are meant to provide a partisan advantage, but things like motor voter are just good civics exercises that are partisanly neutral is disingenuous.

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  57. novahockey, on May 19, 2014 at 3:28 pm said:

    knock them off the puck, I mean, podium.

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  58. quarterback, on May 19, 2014 at 3:50 pm said:

    Today in hypocrisy: Geithner condemns economic inequality.

    http://cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-hunter/geithner-how-well-you-do-life-depends-too-much-color-your-skin

    But they aren’t against successful people at all.

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  59. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 19, 2014 at 5:41 pm said:

    Serious question, who is surprised by the horrors of the VA? If so, why?

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  60. jnc4p, on May 19, 2014 at 7:53 pm said:

    I had higher expectations of Secretary Shinseki.

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  61. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 19, 2014 at 8:14 pm said:

    But what example of anything the government runs led you to believe that the VA would be the exception?

    I know a number if vets across country who will not go to any VA fascility for any reason.

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    • lmsinca, on May 19, 2014 at 9:50 pm said:

      Troll, two government agencies that come to mind are SS and Medicare. I know most of you would like to wish them out of existence but I think they run fairly efficiently for the most part in regards to recipients. I only know one person very well who’s ever gone to the VA and it was my husband’s best friend. He stepped on a land mine in Vietnam. He was never happy with the VA or anything else really after that. I thought the issues with the VA were primarily of an IT nature correct? It does seem the government doesn’t do IT very well.

      I put a pic up in the library if anyone is interested. Fair warning though, it’s a little gross. I nearly electrocuted myself tonight changing a light bulb in an antique lamp. Scared the crap out of me……………heading to docs in the morning. No ER for me…………..we did that last week.

      I can’t think straight of how to get the image into the page. It’s in the library if anyone is curious enough to look………..yikes. I’m gonna go lie down for awhile!

      Edit: tried one more time and figured it out. At least my brain didn’t get fried! LOL. The image is a little larger than I realized, hope it’s not too gross, if it is just delete.

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      • ScottC, on May 19, 2014 at 10:00 pm said:

        Yikes. That’s nasty. Definitely get that looked at.

        Lms edit. I decided it was too gross for you guys to look at so deleted it. Sorry you commented before I did it. And Scott restored it.

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  62. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 20, 2014 at 1:38 am said:

    Ouch! That looks bad!

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  63. lmsinca, on May 20, 2014 at 6:57 am said:

    Walter finally dragged me to the ER last night and they cleaned it up, put a burn dressing on it and told me I might need a skin graft. I need to go see a specialist. $300 and 3 hours later and I still have to go see my doc today to get a referral. And I can’t swim.

    Anyway, sorry if I grossed everyone out. I was a little freaked out when I actually saw the pic on the screen, it looks worse somehow than it looks up close and personal. I thought it was funny because it was a “light bulb” moment, but it’s not quite so funny this morning.

    If I die young, and I consider under 85 young (LOL), it’ll probably be from some sort of freak accident. 😉 For now I’ll just avoid 4X4’s, ladders and light bulbs! I should have been born a fish rather than a land mammal.

    Is Brent gone?

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  64. Michigoose, on May 20, 2014 at 7:28 am said:

    Serious question, who is surprised by the horrors of the VA?

    Two facilities, McWing. Two facilities in a system that sees >200K patients/day. I’m surprised that one of them is Phoenix, which has a good reputation (up till now, anyway) both inside and outside of the VA system. While this never should have happened for a number of reasons, it’s hardly systemic.

    I know a number if vets across country who will not go to any VA fascility for any reason.

    More fools, they, then. If they’re our age or younger, even more fools they. The VA is hardly the Catch 22 system that it was for a very long time.

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  65. Michigoose, on May 20, 2014 at 7:32 am said:

    lms: I don’t think it’s that gross a picture, but I am glad that Walter dragged you to the hospital last night. Take care of that finger!!

    I imagine Brent is simply recovering–he ran a fast half marathon on Sunday. If he’s like me, recovering from a hard run takes longer than recovering from a hard swim.

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  66. lmsinca, on May 20, 2014 at 7:52 am said:

    recovering from a hard run takes longer than recovering from a hard swim

    No doubt about that. This is a pretty healthy bunch here. I just wondered if one of us should put up a new post today if he’s out of town or something. I’ll leave you guys to it and save my typing for work.

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  67. quarterback, on May 20, 2014 at 8:04 am said:

    Didn’t gross anyone too far out. But that was a really bad wound. I’m mostly speculating, but the silver lining of having the current disintegrate a chunk of flesh could be that it limited the current that ran through the rest of you.

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  68. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 20, 2014 at 8:48 am said:

    It’s actually 8 facilities and some deaths. I don’t think it’ll stop there.

    http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/19/whistleblower-expands-va-wait-list-fraud-to-eighth-facility/

    And my acquaintances may be fools but are alive.

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  69. jnc4p, on May 20, 2014 at 8:52 am said:

    My general impression was that the VA has come a long way since the 1970’s, but not having used the facilities myself my opinions are mostly based on public records and the second hand reports I receive from veterans I know.

    It doesn’t seem to be a money issue though:

    http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/09/09/va-budget-skyrockets-despite-federal-spending-cuts.html

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  70. I'm Now Kevin's Biatch, on May 20, 2014 at 9:16 am said:

    The VA, as with any government program does not exist to serves Veterans, it exists to serve itself and politicians. These problems are endemic and it’s interesting that some are surprised.

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  71. Michigoose, on May 20, 2014 at 1:38 pm said:

    You are painting with far too broad a brush, McWing.

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