Better yet, call or show up at the hotel and offer cash. Works nicely for independent places -- they'll still need an ID and/or card for security, but they're willing to negotiate if you cut some of their costs (swipe, consolidator fees) out of the equation by paying cash.
Many private hotels and motels will accept less than their published rates, and lower than the Travelocity/Expedia/Hotels.com rates if you're willing to pay cash. You might still need to put a deposit or give a card as security against damage.
You win, the hotel wins (no fees from the room resellers, no swipe fees).
That's how I've booked hotels in areas that are "hot" like beach towns -- pick up the phone and negotiate.
Actually, I pay more for my policy than it pays in medical bills, so I'm subsidizing others. But it's nice to know that I'm covered without having to THINK about things like an HSA if I have an accident or get sick.
Look at the comments on the crazier US conservative sites, and people are calling for prosecution of Mr. Obama and much worse. I agree that it would be a disaster.
The people who were publicly offensive then are slightly more offensive now. The people who sprayed vitriol at the Obama family are still vitriolic towards the Obama family -- they're just sore winners, not sore losers now.
Fine -- "how about authoritarian fuckbags who are overly quick to arrest and lack human empathy?"
Prof. Gates showed that he lived in the house. He had just got back from a long trip and was locked out of his house. He might have yelled at the cop, but his frustration was understandable to any normal human with empathy.
Cop is a public servant. Having established that no crime was committed, he should have sat down, taken it, and left at his earliest convenience. He had no reason to be there, and rudeness isn't an arrestable offense -- it's not nice, but it's part of any job which involves dealing with the public, unfortunately.
He got far better than he deserved, which would have been a personal lawsuit and summary dismissal without pension or benefits for unprofessional conduct.
Boston area can be extremely racist -- there were race riots there in the 1970s, and memories are long.
"He's from and is/is not racist" is a pretty silly generalization.
Low point? No one was jailed, sued, or had their career ruined. I'd say that the cop who badgered and arrested Prof. Gates despite him living in the house got the kid-glove treatment compared to what would have happened had the President not intervened.
Not at all -- the racist gallery was extremely loud and offensive during Obama's presidency. Witness the personal attacks on Obama's family, Photoshopping his wife and kids as animals, questioning his birth, etc. However, the fact that he and his family managed to maintain poise and decorum despite this nastiness spoke to his strength.
If we end up with a former President jailed or exiled, this likely would mean the end of democracy in the US. We really don't want to go down the road of purges and reprisals, Soviet-style.
He probably saved the Cambridge police department a lawsuit. Cop got a free trip to DC and to meet POTUS. Regardless on your feelings on the actions of both parties, sounds like no kittens were hurt in resolving the problem.
She wasn't running in the middle of the road, she was running on the side, lifting her arms to exercise as a lot of joggers do. She probably glanced back, saw a cop following her, then tried to cross the street, and turned around when they got out of the car.
As far as your example, I don't think police should have any obligation to keep adults safe from themselves. Minimal interaction. At most, they should have honked a few times and said "it's safer to run on the sidewalk" through their megaphone before being on their way.
No need for the paper check/fishing expedition. If she decided to keep running on the street after being warned, she was warned and what happened from that time forward would be her own business.
There are also extremely red states in the US. But if GOP were forced to actually campaign in CA, maybe they'd moderate their views and CA would actually BECOME more purple and less blue.
Same with red states and Democrats. The electoral system encourages dismissal of either end of the spectrum and appealing to the crazier fringes in swing states.
Amen to this -- in an ideal world, the cop who made the arrest would have been sued and had to pay out of pocket for Prof. Gates' inconvenience. Obama may have actually saved the Cambridge PD (the actual likely target of a lawsuit) quite a bit of money.
As far as US police, the first part of the problem is their "us vs them" mentality. Anyone who uses the word "civilian", as if police were an occupying army, or similar verbiage, should be automatically fired without pension.
Any cop that protects or ignores another cop who harasses the public or commits crimes against them (brutality, etc) should also be fired, lose benefits, and see some jail time in general population.
Then we can start working on the laws. Get rid of most drug possession laws, treat it as a medical issue. Don't bother with things like jaywalking unless it's done in an unsafe manner (read: almost causing an accident). Automate speed and red-light enforcement (with minimum durations for yellow lights) to give cops minimal excuse to search people's cars and jack them up.
But those who come to the US tend not to be as crazy as US evangelicals -- I don't see a large clamor from the Mexican (or greater Latin American) community to end science-based sex education or teach creationism as science in public schools.
If social conservatism has its way, at least it will likely be more pragmatic than the brand pushed by US evangelical Christians.
He might have won, but he wouldn't have been able to push a platform that was deliberately dismissive of coastal states (where, ironically, he was born and raised). Ending the Electoral College would force Presidential candidates to run a unifying campaign to get voters from all over the USA (one person, one vote, no matter where they live) instead of concentrating on swing states.
Actually, that's a myth. California couldn't elect Presidents by itself -- remember, in a national popular vote, it wouldn't be winner-takes all. A Californian would have exactly as much voting power as someone from Wyoming. There are 40 million people in California, 310 million in the US as a whole. Do the math.
But yes, Republicans would have to actually campaign in California rather than writing it off as a Democratic state. Having to campaign nationally vs cherry-picking swing states is a feature, not a bug.
Either party is less likely to be able to say that we'll do (something to screw over traditionally Dem or Rep states) to appease voters in (small swing states) and get away with it.
The ASU professor? Who cares? She was walking on a street with no traffic. Why did the cop have to make it his business, even if she "looked like a tweaker?"
Honestly, I don't subscribe to the view that law-enforcement is always right. Frankly, cops should be subject to constant oversight and censure. If it keeps them from harassing the public, and limits them to actually investigating serious crimes with victims, then GREAT!
There's no reason why someone should be fined for possibly endangering herself, other than to raise revenue for whoever pays the cops.
More than half the country (in terms of population) voted for Clinton. If it were one human, one vote, then she'd have won. Problem is that we cling to an ancient system that bases votes on population size, and that also apportions political power based on population, not number of votes. It was actually designed to allow states to disenfranchise large parts of their population (women, Blacks, etc) without losing political power.
(1) Unclear. Property tax in states like NJ, MD, and NY can run $8 to $10 grand per year, even for a modest home. Pays for excellent schools among other things. Capping SALT may well raise taxes on middle-class people there. (2) The bonuses offered are not outsized -- they're fairly normal for holiday bonuses, and were likely decided before tax cuts passed. (3) Job market and DOW have been going up since 2010... and will likely do so until the next crash. (4) I have a $600 deductible. Why? My state didn't sabotage ACA, but actually took steps to preserve good choices of insurers on the exchanges, as well as having a public option under 2x the Medicaid limit. (5) Travel ban? Keeps getting blocked in court (6) Bi-partisan or not, paying money to move the embassy to Jerusalem is a mistake. It will cost us in building a new secure embassy, security, etc. Why waste money on political theater to appease or irritate religious rutters of any faith?
I have a $600 deductible and $25 co-pay after ACA. Why? Because my state actually gives a cr@p about the ACA working, and enacts policies that support it, not harm it.
Slashdot Mirror
Better yet, call or show up at the hotel and offer cash. Works nicely for independent places -- they'll still need an ID and/or card for security, but they're willing to negotiate if you cut some of their costs (swipe, consolidator fees) out of the equation by paying cash.
Many private hotels and motels will accept less than their published rates, and lower than the Travelocity/Expedia/Hotels.com rates if you're willing to pay cash. You might still need to put a deposit or give a card as security against damage.
You win, the hotel wins (no fees from the room resellers, no swipe fees).
That's how I've booked hotels in areas that are "hot" like beach towns -- pick up the phone and negotiate.
Actually, I pay more for my policy than it pays in medical bills, so I'm subsidizing others. But it's nice to know that I'm covered without having to THINK about things like an HSA if I have an accident or get sick.
And you're Slashdot's token racist village idiot.
Look at the comments on the crazier US conservative sites, and people are calling for prosecution of Mr. Obama and much worse. I agree that it would be a disaster.
The people who were publicly offensive then are slightly more offensive now. The people who sprayed vitriol at the Obama family are still vitriolic towards the Obama family -- they're just sore winners, not sore losers now.
You mean ... the Trump administration. What did Obama do to deserve a long jail term?
Fine -- "how about authoritarian fuckbags who are overly quick to arrest and lack human empathy?"
Prof. Gates showed that he lived in the house. He had just got back from a long trip and was locked out of his house. He might have yelled at the cop, but his frustration was understandable to any normal human with empathy.
Cop is a public servant. Having established that no crime was committed, he should have sat down, taken it, and left at his earliest convenience. He had no reason to be there, and rudeness isn't an arrestable offense -- it's not nice, but it's part of any job which involves dealing with the public, unfortunately.
He got far better than he deserved, which would have been a personal lawsuit and summary dismissal without pension or benefits for unprofessional conduct.
Boston area can be extremely racist -- there were race riots there in the 1970s, and memories are long.
"He's from and is/is not racist" is a pretty silly generalization.
Low point? No one was jailed, sued, or had their career ruined. I'd say that the cop who badgered and arrested Prof. Gates despite him living in the house got the kid-glove treatment compared to what would have happened had the President not intervened.
Lawsuits, possible dismissal.
Not at all -- the racist gallery was extremely loud and offensive during Obama's presidency. Witness the personal attacks on Obama's family, Photoshopping his wife and kids as animals, questioning his birth, etc. However, the fact that he and his family managed to maintain poise and decorum despite this nastiness spoke to his strength.
If we end up with a former President jailed or exiled, this likely would mean the end of democracy in the US. We really don't want to go down the road of purges and reprisals, Soviet-style.
Yep, because of price controls and government pharma firms in said Asian countries. These things would never fly in USA, because Horatio Alger...
He probably saved the Cambridge police department a lawsuit.
Cop got a free trip to DC and to meet POTUS.
Regardless on your feelings on the actions of both parties, sounds like no kittens were hurt in resolving the problem.
She wasn't running in the middle of the road, she was running on the side, lifting her arms to exercise as a lot of joggers do. She probably glanced back, saw a cop following her, then tried to cross the street, and turned around when they got out of the car.
As far as your example, I don't think police should have any obligation to keep adults safe from themselves. Minimal interaction. At most, they should have honked a few times and said "it's safer to run on the sidewalk" through their megaphone before being on their way.
No need for the paper check/fishing expedition. If she decided to keep running on the street after being warned, she was warned and what happened from that time forward would be her own business.
Ugh. Those cops with the oily fake concern, then the demand for "papers please" for running on a public road.
(Sidewalks are often uneven and not ideal for jogging.)
Good on her for creating a stink -- hope those cops will be less likely to harass and gaslight people in the future.
Disagree.
There are also extremely red states in the US. But if GOP were forced to actually campaign in CA, maybe they'd moderate their views and CA would actually BECOME more purple and less blue.
Same with red states and Democrats. The electoral system encourages dismissal of either end of the spectrum and appealing to the crazier fringes in swing states.
Amen to this -- in an ideal world, the cop who made the arrest would have been sued and had to pay out of pocket for Prof. Gates' inconvenience. Obama may have actually saved the Cambridge PD (the actual likely target of a lawsuit) quite a bit of money.
(don't feed the troll)
As far as US police, the first part of the problem is their "us vs them" mentality. Anyone who uses the word "civilian", as if police were an occupying army, or similar verbiage, should be automatically fired without pension.
Any cop that protects or ignores another cop who harasses the public or commits crimes against them (brutality, etc) should also be fired, lose benefits, and see some jail time in general population.
Then we can start working on the laws. Get rid of most drug possession laws, treat it as a medical issue. Don't bother with things like jaywalking unless it's done in an unsafe manner (read: almost causing an accident). Automate speed and red-light enforcement (with minimum durations for yellow lights) to give cops minimal excuse to search people's cars and jack them up.
Social conservatives? Sure.
But those who come to the US tend not to be as crazy as US evangelicals -- I don't see a large clamor from the Mexican (or greater Latin American) community to end science-based sex education or teach creationism as science in public schools.
If social conservatism has its way, at least it will likely be more pragmatic than the brand pushed by US evangelical Christians.
He might have won, but he wouldn't have been able to push a platform that was deliberately dismissive of coastal states (where, ironically, he was born and raised). Ending the Electoral College would force Presidential candidates to run a unifying campaign to get voters from all over the USA (one person, one vote, no matter where they live) instead of concentrating on swing states.
Actually, that's a myth. California couldn't elect Presidents by itself -- remember, in a national popular vote, it wouldn't be winner-takes all. A Californian would have exactly as much voting power as someone from Wyoming. There are 40 million people in California, 310 million in the US as a whole. Do the math.
But yes, Republicans would have to actually campaign in California rather than writing it off as a Democratic state. Having to campaign nationally vs cherry-picking swing states is a feature, not a bug.
Either party is less likely to be able to say that we'll do (something to screw over traditionally Dem or Rep states) to appease voters in (small swing states) and get away with it.
The ASU professor? Who cares? She was walking on a street with no traffic. Why did the cop have to make it his business, even if she "looked like a tweaker?"
Honestly, I don't subscribe to the view that law-enforcement is always right. Frankly, cops should be subject to constant oversight and censure. If it keeps them from harassing the public, and limits them to actually investigating serious crimes with victims, then GREAT!
There's no reason why someone should be fined for possibly endangering herself, other than to raise revenue for whoever pays the cops.
More than half the country (in terms of population) voted for Clinton. If it were one human, one vote, then she'd have won. Problem is that we cling to an ancient system that bases votes on population size, and that also apportions political power based on population, not number of votes. It was actually designed to allow states to disenfranchise large parts of their population (women, Blacks, etc) without losing political power.
(1) Unclear. Property tax in states like NJ, MD, and NY can run $8 to $10 grand per year, even for a modest home. Pays for excellent schools among other things. Capping SALT may well raise taxes on middle-class people there. ... and will likely do so until the next crash.
(2) The bonuses offered are not outsized -- they're fairly normal for holiday bonuses, and were likely decided before tax cuts passed.
(3) Job market and DOW have been going up since 2010
(4) I have a $600 deductible. Why? My state didn't sabotage ACA, but actually took steps to preserve good choices of insurers on the exchanges, as well as having a public option under 2x the Medicaid limit.
(5) Travel ban? Keeps getting blocked in court
(6) Bi-partisan or not, paying money to move the embassy to Jerusalem is a mistake. It will cost us in building a new secure embassy, security, etc. Why waste money on political theater to appease or irritate religious rutters of any faith?
I have a $600 deductible and $25 co-pay after ACA. Why? Because my state actually gives a cr@p about the ACA working, and enacts policies that support it, not harm it.