Maybe spending stupid amounts of money on power cords isn't entirely harmless

[christopher3393]

The problem, from my perspective, is not regarding whether or not power cables can make a difference. It is whether or not a particular demo of this, or any other entity that is being demonstrated, is honest or dishonest. If the demo can't stand the light of day, what genuine good is it for anyone? Why not challenge it to disclose what is there?

[sandyk]

The problem, from my perspective, is not regarding whether or not power cables can make a difference. It is whether or not a particular demo of this, or any other entity that is being demonstrated, is honest or dishonest. If the demo can't stand the light of day, what genuine good is it for anyone? Why not challenge it to disclose what is there?

 

I agree that this could be a problem at some Audio shows, however in the case that I just mentioned, only the person changing the power cables over knew what was in use at the time. The rest of us present simply reported what we heard under what was non sighted conditions.

[Priaptor]

Commie hippy cat-lover.

 

I admit I am "mellowing" in my old age.

[wgscott]

I have a cat allergy that hopefully will keep my priorities intact.

[tranz]

Way too much audio talk in the thread recently. I have a question since I am learning a lot about the US:

 

Why are there so many junkies and beggars in big cities in the US? Every corner of the street, under many bridges and on many on- and off-ramps for the highways as well as at many traffic lights? This in addition to the large shanty towns.

[wgscott]

Way too much audio talk in the thread recently. I have a question since I am learning a lot about the US:

 

Why are there so many junkies and beggars in big cities in the US? Every corner of the street, under many bridges and on many on- and off-ramps for the highways as well as at many traffic lights? This in addition to the large shanty towns.

 

Because since the mid-70s, there has been a bipartisan effort to turn the place into a third-world country, with economic disparity resembling places like Brazil. So while some people buy expensive power cord jewelry, many others are picking through dumpsters to find food to feed their families, since the manufacturing jobs have all been decimated.

[Priaptor]

Way too much audio talk in the thread recently. I have a question since I am learning a lot about the US:

 

Why are there so many junkies and beggars in big cities in the US? Every corner of the street, under many bridges and on many on- and off-ramps for the highways as well as at many traffic lights? This in addition to the large shanty towns.

 

Those are Democrats.

[wgscott]

and the almost identical in policy Republican party.

[wgscott]

The funny thing is that the two parties are so similar with respect to most economic policies, you start to see situations where the Republican candidate is outflanking the (presumed) Democratic candidate on the left.

[Paul R]

Way too much audio talk in the thread recently. I have a question since I am learning a lot about the US:

 

Why are there so many junkies and beggars in big cities in the US? Every corner of the street, under many bridges and on many on- and off-ramps for the highways as well as at many traffic lights? This in addition to the large shanty towns.

 

Well, the real answer is that panhandling has turned into a profitable enterprise that doesn't require citizenship and/or documentation.

 

As for "large shanty towns" - I am not sure exactly what you are referring to there. If you mean the big "Jungle" down near San Jose, that would be a combination of job losses, mental illness, bankruptcy, drug addiction, and other similar issues. Mostly a combination of those issues.

[firedog]

Way too much audio talk in the thread recently. I have a question since I am learning a lot about the US:

 

Why are there so many junkies and beggars in big cities in the US? Every corner of the street, under many bridges and on many on- and off-ramps for the highways as well as at many traffic lights? This in addition to the large shanty towns.

 

Seems to me it varies greatly depending on location. In some cities there seems to be a noticeably large homeless population on the streets, in others there seems to be no more than in cities in Western Europe.

[mav52]

Well, the real answer is that panhandling has turned into a profitable enterprise that doesn't require citizenship and/or documentation.

 

As for "large shanty towns" - I am not sure exactly what you are referring to there. If you mean the big "Jungle" down near San Jose, that would be a combination of job losses, mental illness, bankruptcy, drug addiction, and other similar issues. Mostly a combination of those issues.

 

Detroit comes to mind as a city on the brink of total collapse..

[Priaptor]

Detroit comes to mind as a city on the brink of total collapse..

 

On the "brink"?? It has collapsed. They can't pay off their creditors. That is collapse.

 

Like Venezuela, the country by the way that Bernie and crew will no longer use as a shining exampling of socialism done "right" now that there is chaos in the street, burgers costing 150 bucks, hyperinflation, food shortages, etc. Notice how despite endorsing Venezuela just one year ago, he and his crews are quiet about another failed socialist country.

[Priaptor]

Well, the real answer is that panhandling has turned into a profitable enterprise that doesn't require citizenship and/or documentation.

 

As for "large shanty towns" - I am not sure exactly what you are referring to there. If you mean the big "Jungle" down near San Jose, that would be a combination of job losses, mental illness, bankruptcy, drug addiction, and other similar issues. Mostly a combination of those issues.

 

You are exactly right. Here in S. FL they actually did some great undercover work on some of these "homeless" who you always see on the highway exits. Their takes ran anywhere from close to 150K per year to as little as 50K per year. One guy lived in a 500K home in Palm Beach Gardens.

 

I am not saying every "homeless" person is a scam, but a large portion is.

 

As you point out, the junkies and mentally ill is more an expose of the issue than those begging.

 

As to the mentally ill, if there is a REAL failure of our health care system, it is how we deal with the mentally ill. It is horrible.

[wgscott]

the country by the way that Bernie and crew will no longer use as a shining exampling of socialism done "right"

 

Like Sweden?

[mav52]

You are exactly right. Here in S. FL they actually did some great undercover work on some of these "homeless" who you always see on the highway exits. Their takes ran anywhere from close to 150K per year to as little as 50K per year. One guy lived in a 500K home in Palm Beach Gardens.

 

I am not saying every "homeless" person is a scam, but a large portion is.

 

As you point out, the junkies and mentally ill is more an expose of the issue than those begging.

 

As to the mentally ill, if there is a REAL failure of our health care system, it is how we deal with the mentally ill. It is horrible.

 

Not to mention how we treat our veterans. Our VA is a joke.

[Priaptor]

Like Sweden?

 

Why do "you guys" always use Nordic countries to make your points.

 

These countries are the most homogeneous isolated countries in the world. They have strict immigration policies and Denmark began en mass deportations of Muslims back in 2007 when they saw their social and economic infrastructure at risk as result of the stresses being put on the system. Likewise Sweden is now learning a lesson the hard way. Native Swedes will be the minority by the year 2040 and their financail and social infrastructure is already starting to show the stresses AND the "native Swedes" are starting to show their hostility more and more each day. The other interesting phenomena is the transfer of wealth from one generation to another to ensure each generation is "safe" from whatever the Government of their respective governments screw up going forward, particularly Switzerland.

 

Population Sweden=9.5 million. Denmark=5.5 million. Norway 5 million. Population of Switzerland-8.3 million.

 

Many more failures (and they ultimately all fail) of socialism than successes.

[wgscott]

At least now you are using quotes.

 

If I was a socialist (which I am not), I would argue that comparing the United States to a wealthy European country would make more sense than to compare it with a third-world country that has been economically embargoed by the region (and the world's) superpower.

 

So why do "you people" always choose the most extreme examples to make your point?

 

Wouldn't the argument work better if you said something like "even in Sweden, one of the wealthiest European countries, socialism has done X" than if you said "even in Nicaragua, which is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere ..."?

[Priaptor]

Not to mention how we treat our veterans. Our VA is a joke.

 

YUP. Definitely agree with you on that one.

 

On this one however, many if not most VETS swear by and only want to go to Veterans hospitals. When I was in training we would call these places the VA SPA. The Vets would come in and get really crappy medical care (not the top of the class as Allan F likes to put it work in these places). The results are not the greatest and appropriate utilization is irrelevant because the more utilization the more the funding. The reason they love it is for the ancillary stuff like pedicures, haircuts, etc. One thing many VA hospitals are pretty good at is for real rehab.

 

If it were me, I would give each and every VET free care to wherever they wanted to go in the private system for whatever reason they needed it. You will be surprised how many Vets want nothing to do with that proposal and WANT the "services" of the VA SPA.

 

So the problem is really multi-factorial and like our welfare system, give some perks like the stuff Vets get from the VA SPA and that supersedes their perception of good care for the real stuff.

[Priaptor]

At least now you are using quotes.

 

If I was a socialist (which I am not), I would argue that comparing the United States to a wealthy European country would make more sense than to compare it with a third-world country that has been economically embargoed by the region (and the world's) superpower.

 

So why do "you people" always choose the most extreme examples to make your point?

 

Wouldn't the argument work better if you said something like "even in Sweden, one of the wealthiest European countries, socialism has done X" than if you said "even in Nicaragua, which is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere ..."?

 

 

WG,

 

Now that some of these Nordic countries, particularly Sweden, are opening their borders and the social and financial boundaries are being stressed as never before, we will see just how well Socialism works.

 

Trust me, Venezuela is just one example of failure and chaos and a worthy example for all. Many in the EU are not far behind.

 

I am not saying capitalism unchecked is the answer to all of the world's woes but Socialism and Communism will always fail.

[mav52]

YUP. Definitely agree with you on that one.

 

On this one however, many if not most VETS swear by and only want to go to Veterans hospitals. When I was in training we would call these places the VA SPA. The Vets would come in and get really crappy medical care (not the top of the class as Allan F likes to put it work in these places). The results are not the greatest and appropriate utilization is irrelevant because the more utilization the more the funding. The reason they love it is for the ancillary stuff like pedicures, haircuts, etc. One thing many VA hospitals are pretty good at is for real rehab.

 

If it were me, I would give each and every VET free care to wherever they wanted to go in the private system for whatever reason they needed it. You will be surprised how many Vets want nothing to do with that proposal and WANT the "services" of the VA SPA.

 

So the problem is really multi-factorial and like our welfare system, give some perks like the stuff Vets get from the VA SPA and that supersedes their perception of good care for the real stuff.

 

I'm a 17 year vet. I was basically forced to go to the VA and then you wait for hours just to see someone in admission, then if your lucky a doctor. Since my wife is a retired Fed employee I'm also secondary on her policy so I do my time at the VA only to have the doctor inform me to or better yet refer me to a doctor outside of the VA. I ask why is this, why not allow me to go straight to the private doc, well the kicker is if your referred the VA picks up the tab, if your not, you pay whatever your secondary insurance doesn't pickup. What a cluster, I say if your a Vet , you present you Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) to any hospital or doctor and your covered, no questions asked. But now thanks to a new bill, Public Law 114-41, the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 a veteran is given a choice. It only took 30 plus years to do this. But it comes with a catch.

 

To be eligible ;

 

* You have been (or will be) waiting more than 30 days for VA medical care.

* You live more than 40 miles away from a VA medical care facility or face one of several excessive travel burdens.

 

Just too much bureaucracy when it comes to the health of our Vets. . Hell 30 days I could be dead.

[Priaptor]

I'm a 17 year vet. I was basically forced to go to the VA and then you wait for hours just to see someone in admission, then if your lucky a doctor. Since my wife is a retired Fed employee I'm also secondary on her policy so I do my time at the VA only to have the doctor inform me to or better yet refer me to a doctor outside of the VA. I ask why is this, why not allow me to go straight to the private doc, well the kicker is if your referred the VA picks up the tab, if your not, you pay whatever your secondary insurance doesn't pickup. What a cluster, I say if your a Vet , you present you Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) to any hospital or doctor and your covered, no questions asked. But now thanks to a new bill, Public Law 114-41, the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 a veteran is given a choice. It only took 30 plus years to do this. But it comes with a catch.

 

To be eligible ;

 

* You have been (or will be) waiting more than 30 days for VA medical care.

* You live more than 40 miles away from a VA medical care facility or face one of several excessive travel burdens.

 

Just too much bureaucracy when it comes to the health of our Vets. . Hell 30 days I could be dead.

 

You got my support. I agree. It is really horrible. The VA system is an example of how the Government can screw up everything and as you say literally place a bandaid on an arterial bleed to show they did something about the problem they created. Vets deserve the best, no questions asked and the VA system is an almost total failure.

 

Sorry about the pain.

[tne]

Why do "you guys" always use Nordic countries to make your points.

 

These countries are the most homogeneous isolated countries in the world. They have strict immigration policies and Denmark began en mass deportations of Muslims back in 2007 when they saw their social and economic infrastructure at risk as result of the stresses being put on the system. Likewise Sweden is now learning a lesson the hard way. Native Swedes will be the minority by the year 2040 and their financail and social infrastructure is already starting to show the stresses AND the "native Swedes" are starting to show their hostility more and more each day. The other interesting phenomena is the transfer of wealth from one generation to another to ensure each generation is "safe" from whatever the Government of their respective governments screw up going forward, particularly Switzerland.

 

Population Sweden=9.5 million. Denmark=5.5 million. Norway 5 million. Population of Switzerland-8.3 million.

 

Many more failures (and they ultimately all fail) of socialism than successes.

 

 

Have you been to these countries personally or are you relying on media sources as the basis of your opinions?

[wgscott]

His opinions have a basis?

[Priaptor]

Have you been to these countries personally or are you relying on media sources as the basis of your opinions?

 

I have been to Denmark several times.

 

The issue is not "whether I have been there or not".

 

The issue is it that it is an absurd comparison to compare America to Nordic countries which so many in this country love to do in order to make a point that has no legitimacy. If America were to elect a Gov't that supported the policies of Denmark, the same people would be accusing the government of being xenophobic and racist.

 

Just an anecdote. My wife's cousin from Israel moved to Denmark 40 years ago married and has two great kids. Back in 2003 she was bragging about how great their health care system was compared to ours. Fast forward 5 years, when she was diagnosed with "malignant ovarian tumor", had it removed. 6 month followup which is how long she had to wait for a PET/CT scan showed "recurrence". She was told to go home and make arrangements for end of life. Well that tumor turned out to be an aggressive benign tumor. I made arrangements for her to come to Sloan Kettering where I used to work, she was treated and cured. Her perspective of the Danish health care system has obviously changed.