When are people and regulators going to wake up and realize that the "well, they don't compete against each other an any areas" is *not* a reason to say this merger is OK, but is a reason why it should be rejected!
The problem with broadband access in the US is that we don't have competition in most places. Some places have DSL (slow) or Fios/U-verse, but most don't. And no, satellite or 2 GB-capped cell service doesn't count as competition.
The very statement that they don't compete anywhere is the problem. Things need to be changed so that they compete against each other. That will not happen if they merge.
Sounds like they are trying again after getting blocked by the courts last time.
It did say "The commission will not seek to immediately reclassify Internet service as a utility. Mr. Wheeler said that the commission will retain the right to do so, however, if its new rules are approved and appear not to be working adequately." but this makes sense. Declaring ISPs common carriers has some side effects that may or may not be readily apparent.
The comment box isn't a wysiwyg editor. Can't I just highlight text and hit control-B and make it bold? C'mon, this is 2014, we had this functionality 20 years ago.
Absolutely not! This is news for nerds (until the beta takes over. Fuck the Beta!). You have to prove your nerd cred by typing HTML tags. Anyone can hit ctrl-B.
Because there is another car immediately in front of them stopped because everyone left work at exactly the same time creating the world's biggest traffic jam. Then everything got covered in ice and no salt trucks could treat the road because see above.
Windows 8.1 is actually a really nice interface if you have a tablet or a notebook with a touch screen.
In my 20+ years of computing, I just about tackle anyone who is about to put their finger on my screen to show me which spreadsheet cell they are talking about, etc. I don't want to be staring at smudges all day.
So why would I now go out and buy a system that is *designed* to be smudge up my screen with fingerprints?
Yes, I touch the screen on my phone all the time. But I'm not staring at that screen all day.
Wow, that's amazing. I was going to post something basically bashing the choice to live in a HOA-controlled area in the first place.
I am not aware of hardly any HOAs in my neck of the woods (although I am sure there are some), and I live in a fairly large metro area. What kind of place only has HOAs?
There were a few problems with the idea of a car player that needed to be solved - besides simply keeping the needle on the record. One of them was safely operating the unit while driving.
The player had to be small, so the 7-inch size of the 45-rpm record was ideal; but using 45s would have meant changing the record every few minutes, a little risky at highway speeds. To solve that problem, 7-inch records for the player were produced in the new 16 2/3-rpm format (ultra-microgroove) offering up to an hour of playing time per side and the added benefit of a slower speed that was less likely to kick up the needle. The records also were easy to load. Moving the tone arm over the record would start it spinning and, in a few seconds, the needle would automatically lower into the starting groove. Then the turntable could be pushed back in and the front cover closed.
Exactly. I didn't leave anything out. I specifically said
The only remaining debate is whether to take the money that Congress was previously kicking in as a contribution to their employees' group health care and add it onto their employees' paychecks instead, which seems fair to me.
Ironically, if the employer mandate wasn't delayed a year (still don't know what was up with that), it would seem to me that Congress could have been fined for dropping coverage for their employees upon the ACA go-live.
Congress is the only employer that is actually required by the ACA to drop their existing coverage of their workers and require them to purchase their own insurance (and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to purchase your insurance on the exchanges; that was just supposed to make it easier - although so far that isn't the case - and would be the only way you get the subsidies if you were eligible for them)
All other employers (above 50 employees) are *required* to provide health insurance to their employees (although enforcement has been delayed a year). So yes, Congress got "exempted", but not in the way the ACA-haters are making it out to be. The "exemption" was actually put in by Charles Grassley, a republican, because he thought that this would kill the bill. However, congress actually said "sure, whatever, we don't have a problem going through the exchanges just like all the people who don't have coverage now". The "exemption" actually requires these employees to get their insurance through the exchanges (or on their own if they want), rather than to just stay on their employer's group plan like most other full time workers in the country.
The only remaining debate is whether to take the money that Congress was previously kicking in as a contribution to their employees' group health care and add it onto their employees' paychecks instead, which seems fair to me.
Yes, but that is how everything burns. Nothing burns in the solid or liquid state. Whether it is wood, paper, gasoline, or whatever, the exothermic oxidation that most people call "fire" occurs in the gas/vapor phase between gases released from the fuel (when heated) and oxygen in the air.
Ten states where Obamacare wipes out existing health care plans [dailycaller.com]
Nope. This just says there are places where some insurance companies are not offering plans through the exchange. They can still sell their policies. You don't have to purchase your insurance through an exchange.
Trader Joe's Invites Part-Timers Losing Company Coverage To Seek Additional Obamacare Subsidy [huffingtonpost.com]
From the article:
It's rare in the U.S. for part-time workers to be enrolled in company health coverage. (According to a recent report, the rate is a mere 8 percent.) Trader Joe's had recently announced other cutbacks for employees -- including pared raises and significantly reduced retirement contributions -- so the advent of Obamacare may have provided an opening for the company to drop a benefit it had already hoped to trim.
Despite Obama Promise, Many Coloradans Losing Their Health Insurance Plans [thecoloradoobserver.com]
This one does reference some anecdotal cases where plans are discontinued. But nowhere is it clear that this is directly related to the ACA. It appears the ACA is a convenient excuse whenever an employer wants to make a change in their rates or offerings.
Democrats remember this. Remember when Romney proposed just this sort of thing as part of his plans to replace ACA? It was the Democrats who had to point out to him that that was already law of the land according to HIPPA.
The problem is this only worked if you COBRA-d right when you leave your old company. If you are unexpectedly laid off, you can't necessarily just go an pick up the full group premiums the next week without a new job.
True, this option was available to people who wanted to quit and start a new self-employed venture (and who presumably setup the finances for this in advance). But what if you wanted to go with a less comprehensive plan (say, catastrophic coverage only, like some of the bronze or lower ACA plans) to save on premiums? Your old employer's plan probably isn't like that, and you don't get to choose.
How can you possibly describe a law whose specific purpose is to set up markets of private insurers to offer their plans to the public as "no market"? That doesn't even pass the laugh test!
Are you saying that requiring coverage for contraception and keeping kids on the program until they are 26 raised the rates by 15%. I think your employer is feeding you a line of BS.
I am confused. Are you arguing that ACA shouldn't be implemented, because the current system provides better access to some people by way of making it difficult or impossible for other people to see doctors?
That the best system is that some people get great medical care and others get none, as opposed to all getting good medical care?
In Georgia, apparently. In New York, you get the same 5 points on your license regardless of whether it is a phone or a dedicated GPS -- so long as it is not mounted. If it is mounted on the dash, then you can fiddle with it. (see http://www.safeny.ny.gov/phon-ndx.htm)
Of course, that doesn't make sense either.
But efforts to stop texting while driving make boatloads of sense in general.
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Especially since oil has been produced from this area for many decades now. It is already a very established industry in this area.
When are people and regulators going to wake up and realize that the "well, they don't compete against each other an any areas" is *not* a reason to say this merger is OK, but is a reason why it should be rejected!
The problem with broadband access in the US is that we don't have competition in most places. Some places have DSL (slow) or Fios/U-verse, but most don't. And no, satellite or 2 GB-capped cell service doesn't count as competition.
The very statement that they don't compete anywhere is the problem. Things need to be changed so that they compete against each other. That will not happen if they merge.
How do you explain this then:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02...
Sounds like they are trying again after getting blocked by the courts last time.
It did say "The commission will not seek to immediately reclassify Internet service as a utility. Mr. Wheeler said that the commission will retain the right to do so, however, if its new rules are approved and appear not to be working adequately." but this makes sense. Declaring ISPs common carriers has some side effects that may or may not be readily apparent.
The comment box isn't a wysiwyg editor. Can't I just highlight text and hit control-B and make it bold? C'mon, this is 2014, we had this functionality 20 years ago.
Absolutely not! This is news for nerds (until the beta takes over. Fuck the Beta!). You have to prove your nerd cred by typing HTML tags. Anyone can hit ctrl-B.
Because there is another car immediately in front of them stopped because everyone left work at exactly the same time creating the world's biggest traffic jam. Then everything got covered in ice and no salt trucks could treat the road because see above.
That's why.
Windows 8.1 is actually a really nice interface if you have a tablet or a notebook with a touch screen.
In my 20+ years of computing, I just about tackle anyone who is about to put their finger on my screen to show me which spreadsheet cell they are talking about, etc. I don't want to be staring at smudges all day.
So why would I now go out and buy a system that is *designed* to be smudge up my screen with fingerprints?
Yes, I touch the screen on my phone all the time. But I'm not staring at that screen all day.
Wow, that's amazing. I was going to post something basically bashing the choice to live in a HOA-controlled area in the first place.
I am not aware of hardly any HOAs in my neck of the woods (although I am sure there are some), and I live in a fairly large metro area. What kind of place only has HOAs?
HOAs are evil in my book.
BU cancelled their football program in 1997 because it cost too much.
According to the Mars One website, the first crews leave in 2024. As in *not* 2018
http://www.mars-one.com/mission/roadmap/2024
"savvy enough to wipe his drive" = "dumb enough to risk an obstruction of justice charge in addition to the false bomb scare charge"
Obstruction of justice often comes with penalties at least as great as for the crime.
From there:
Yeah, if only there was a third option
(note, I love my android devices)
The only remaining debate is whether to take the money that Congress was previously kicking in as a contribution to their employees' group health care and add it onto their employees' paychecks instead, which seems fair to me.
This.
Ironically, if the employer mandate wasn't delayed a year (still don't know what was up with that), it would seem to me that Congress could have been fined for dropping coverage for their employees upon the ACA go-live.
Congress is the only employer that is actually required by the ACA to drop their existing coverage of their workers and require them to purchase their own insurance (and contrary to popular belief, you don't have to purchase your insurance on the exchanges; that was just supposed to make it easier - although so far that isn't the case - and would be the only way you get the subsidies if you were eligible for them)
All other employers (above 50 employees) are *required* to provide health insurance to their employees (although enforcement has been delayed a year). So yes, Congress got "exempted", but not in the way the ACA-haters are making it out to be. The "exemption" was actually put in by Charles Grassley, a republican, because he thought that this would kill the bill. However, congress actually said "sure, whatever, we don't have a problem going through the exchanges just like all the people who don't have coverage now". The "exemption" actually requires these employees to get their insurance through the exchanges (or on their own if they want), rather than to just stay on their employer's group plan like most other full time workers in the country.
The only remaining debate is whether to take the money that Congress was previously kicking in as a contribution to their employees' group health care and add it onto their employees' paychecks instead, which seems fair to me.
I know I should just ignore such rants, but come on! What has the administration have to do with common core? An initiative sponsored by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
Yes, but that is how everything burns. Nothing burns in the solid or liquid state. Whether it is wood, paper, gasoline, or whatever, the exothermic oxidation that most people call "fire" occurs in the gas/vapor phase between gases released from the fuel (when heated) and oxygen in the air.
Ten states where Obamacare wipes out existing health care plans [dailycaller.com]
Nope. This just says there are places where some insurance companies are not offering plans through the exchange. They can still sell their policies. You don't have to purchase your insurance through an exchange.
Trader Joe's Invites Part-Timers Losing Company Coverage To Seek Additional Obamacare Subsidy [huffingtonpost.com]
From the article:
It's rare in the U.S. for part-time workers to be enrolled in company health coverage. (According to a recent report, the rate is a mere 8 percent.) Trader Joe's had recently announced other cutbacks for employees -- including pared raises and significantly reduced retirement contributions -- so the advent of Obamacare may have provided an opening for the company to drop a benefit it had already hoped to trim.
Despite Obama Promise, Many Coloradans Losing Their Health Insurance Plans [thecoloradoobserver.com]
This one does reference some anecdotal cases where plans are discontinued. But nowhere is it clear that this is directly related to the ACA. It appears the ACA is a convenient excuse whenever an employer wants to make a change in their rates or offerings.
Why do you say that it is the law that priced his current coverage out of reach? What in the law would require them to raise the premiums like that?
Democrats remember this. Remember when Romney proposed just this sort of thing as part of his plans to replace ACA? It was the Democrats who had to point out to him that that was already law of the land according to HIPPA.
The problem is this only worked if you COBRA-d right when you leave your old company. If you are unexpectedly laid off, you can't necessarily just go an pick up the full group premiums the next week without a new job.
True, this option was available to people who wanted to quit and start a new self-employed venture (and who presumably setup the finances for this in advance). But what if you wanted to go with a less comprehensive plan (say, catastrophic coverage only, like some of the bronze or lower ACA plans) to save on premiums? Your old employer's plan probably isn't like that, and you don't get to choose.
How can you possibly describe a law whose specific purpose is to set up markets of private insurers to offer their plans to the public as "no market"? That doesn't even pass the laugh test!
Are you saying that requiring coverage for contraception and keeping kids on the program until they are 26 raised the rates by 15%. I think your employer is feeding you a line of BS.
So you really think that by next year, there will not be more people covered by health insurance (i.e. the "intended end" of Obamacare)?
I am confused. Are you arguing that ACA shouldn't be implemented, because the current system provides better access to some people by way of making it difficult or impossible for other people to see doctors?
That the best system is that some people get great medical care and others get none, as opposed to all getting good medical care?
In Georgia, apparently. In New York, you get the same 5 points on your license regardless of whether it is a phone or a dedicated GPS -- so long as it is not mounted. If it is mounted on the dash, then you can fiddle with it. (see http://www.safeny.ny.gov/phon-ndx.htm)
Of course, that doesn't make sense either.
But efforts to stop texting while driving make boatloads of sense in general.
Or use backuppc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BackupPC). Does it all for you with a nice web-based front end.
Pain in the ass to set up, but once it is up and running, works flawlessly. Saved my ass a few times.