ahegeman

You're taking a DE's class, right? An intro to finance class should be a breeze for you then. We can continue this discussion after you pick up a rudimentary understanding of corporate finance principles. Until then, anything further along these lines of argument will be a waste of my time. I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but seriously, if you don't understand basic principles such as risk-based returns and the time value of money, then I'll never be able to explain why profit is necessary in the healthcare system. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

You've been standing around, doing nothing wrong, and a cop has simply thrown you up against a wall and searched you? And this has happened many times? Tell us about a couple of them. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Do what I did - quit your bitching, suck it up and take out a shitload of loans. I went through private school that way. The first 5 years after school my loan payments and living expenses took up every cent I made, and then some. I've still got a few years left before its all paid off. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

I don't have time to go through your entire post, so I'll just pick my favorite point and work on that one. Why the need for profit? The old commie "profit is evil" argument that I've heard so many times before. Profit is nothing more than compensation for assuming risk. Who's going to invest the billions that healthcare advances require if they can't earn a good return from them? Why is there this perception among so many people that the more important a thing is to society the more it somehow becomes evil to earn a profit on providing that thing? If you believe that there is excess profit, i.e. the profit provides a return at a greater level than is justified by the amount of risk assumed by those providing the capital, I'd like to see an example. If somehow you do find an example, I'm willing to bet the excess profits are sustained through limitations on competition enforced by the state, a distinctly non-capitalist force. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

You really have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, do you? Where do you get this stuff from? --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Its all about personal preference. Didn't really do it for me, but who's to say? --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

And what if I don't want the government to provide for me? --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

I'd give it a few days before getting too pissed off. Strictly defined, calling it a homicide doesn't mean it wasn't justified. I'm sure the DA will look at it, and decide not to press charges. But that Larissa chick definitely needs to go do something more useful with her mouth besides talk bs. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Yuck. White zin is for old ladies and sorority chicks. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Its better than no moderation at all. You can't expect perfection. Tongue-in-cheek comments, by their nature, can be easily misinterpreted by a moderator. Subconscious biases can also affect how a moderator might view a comment. No doubt it goes too far sometimes, and not far enough at others, but on the whole I think we're all thankful that someone is keeping it real around here. I don't think there's any sort of conspiracy, though. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

What does left vs right have to do with this? Do you look at everything that way? --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

I don't pretend to be an expert, but my hands down favorite wine is the 1999 Pinot Noir by ZD. My favorite white is Rombauer Chardonnay, any year. My regular drinking wine is Ravenswood Zinfandel Vinters Blend. Its a great wine, and only $8 a bottle at World Market. Good pounding wine. 99% of the wine I have drunk is California wine, though. I need to branch out a bit more. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

I own a house but it sure as hell didn't cost $350K. Sheesh. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Watch out folks - 67MB. Glad I've got a fat pipe here. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

He's also forgetting about US food aid. We give away a lot of food. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

If you don't pay your taxes you go to jail. Hence, forcibly seized. A threat is just as forcible, but perhaps I should have been more precise in my language. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

I doubt he'll take it as an insult. He'll probably find it quite funny, though. I certainly did. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Holy missing context, Batman! I think Jesus is talking about tax evasion there. I do not believe the Christian ideal of charity is manifested through taxes, siezed by force. Charity is given as the giver sees fit, not seized by the government and handed out as payoffs for votes. Besides, Ceasar's empire wasn't exactly a democracy. Or do you think we should just bend over and give the government whatever it wants? By your logic voting to reduce taxes automatically precludes someone from being a true Christian. Laughable. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Like the retarded younger brother of the red one. Good plan! --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

No doubt. Its like crack. I load up the Square 1 website or Dropzone classifieds and I'm giddy like a Valley girl with Daddy's VISA at Nordstrums. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

No, dammit. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Yeah, don't worry about it. I look like a frickin' Power Ranger in my gear. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

You mean like TennCare? [sarcasm]Yes, the government is well known for making great purchasing decisions[/sarcasm]. Government spending is based on who's representative has the most seniority and power in whatever legislative body is controlling the money. Taxes are rarely well spent. You think a government body in a far-away land run by fossils beholden to lobbyists and special interest groups can spend a family's money better than that family can themselves? Get real. If that's true, maybe we should just give ALL of our money to the government, then they can take care of everything for us. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Your dog wants a Kevlar skidplate. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry

Glad to see you feel noble for espousing a philosophy based on using government goons to forcibly seize other people's money to salve your own conscience. Real charity is freely given. There is no holiness in taking other people's hard-earned money with no regard for their situations to be spent by unaccountable government bureaucracies based on who's got the best pr people. And you call yourself an anarchist?!? Christ, Godwin must be spinning is his grave. --------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'. --Dave Barry