You lost my point, didn't you? Compare the European plan to the current plan being proposed before the Congress in the United States. Check your math. Try to understand why what you point out is absolutely irrelevant as an answer to my question.

Do NOT pass GO, do NOT collect $200!

And yet, what's being proposed wouldn't really lower your rates. If you weren't able to get health insurance AT ALL, then it'd help. But it won't make it more affordable, if the problem is that it is too expensive. If it's possible to get health insurance, no matter how crappy or expensive, under the current proposal - you'll be REQUIRED to get it. Period. No further help. And add to that? You will be taxed on the income you use to pay for it. So, what's so good about the proposed "socialized medicine" again?

And assuming that the lifetime > 30 years, and assuming there are no maintainence costs. Important stuff.

The goal is to have a street capable car that people would gladly purchase and drive, not produce a bicycle that gets good gas mileage that bike riders wouldn't use. Does this proof of concept even get us closer to the real goal? It doesn't seem like it does.

You don't rendezvous with something by pointing a camera at it. I'm guessing the guy who wrote the summary either doesn't know what the word means, or is some sort of deluded voyeur? "Yeah, I rendezvous with the chick across the street every night - she NEVER closes her curtains!"

Am I the only person who sees this as an excellent opportunity for Apple to ditch the unfortunate moniker and go with something like iSlate? I mean, they can even deliver a bunch of moralizing over the thing. And yes, it'll cost them - but it's going to cost them to keep the iPad too - people are making more fun of the name then they are paying attention to the shiny lights of the product.

The United States has a LOT to loose (and gain) from social unrest in China.

Think for a moment.

Do you believe that social unrest in China will be nonviolent? It won't be. There will be plenty of violence - especially if the lid is kept on too long.

Do you believe that the violence won't effect nearby nations, such as Japan, India, Korea, RUSSIA, etc.? It will. It will be deadly serious for those countries, because we are not talking about social unrest where a few people get a few guns and start shooting at people. China may not have a technologically powerful military, but they have a lot of weapons, in the hands of a lot of people, and they are plenty dangerous (these weapons include nuclear missiles, in case you've forgotten). Neighboring countries will be freaking out, to put it mildly, when the shit hits the fan. And they'll have good reason to do so, since the consequences of, and the conflict itself, will most definitely spill outside the border.

Do you believe that the United States won't get involved with the problem? Without a doubt, the United States will get itself entangled in the problem, to some degree. Even if we are constantly being told to butt out by Russia, our other allies like South Korea and Japan will be screaming for help - and we'll try to do something. We'll pour in aid. We'll fuck around in the U.N. trying to create some sort of international intervention, spending massive amounts of political capital. We'll send in troops, with various contradictory missions and poorly thought out objectives. We might be able to resist for a bit, but we'll go in. And our pundits, of course, will say it's because of the money - because Americans, above else, need clarity of purpose - it doesn't MATTER how complicated the situation is - we must simplify it to a single sentence.

And so, do you think this practically inevitable situation won't affect/hurt the United States? I think that's pretty naive. We offload a huge amount of manufacturing of our goods to China - the type of goods that keep our masses happily consuming and ignoring the what's happening in the world. We might not freak out too bad if gasoline hits $4 - but we certainly will if we can't buy a 30" TV for less than a $1000. And we react pretty badly when we demand something as a majority. We won't just get hurt economically, as prices for things considered basic commodities go up - we'll make it worse by poking ourselves, and others, in the eye.

All that said, I hope it happens. I hope the Chinese people take control of their government, grow their middle class, and build some more freedoms into the core of their political, social and moral beliefs. I'm not positive it'll happen, but I'm pretty sure that there will be some sort of explosion in that country. We'll see.

Fuck off on the trolling comment.

As for the house listing - thank you! I appreciate that SOMEONE put some real effort into defending the first post.

Hardly a rant. And, no, the link does not. Care to back up your assertion, with, say, anything?

Seriously? You consider that a:

(a) relevant argument;
(b) a useful addition to the discussion; and
(c) having anything to do with the point I was disagreeing with?

I'm astounded by the apologists for this statement that have come out of the woodwork. The guy spouted something as a fact, while actually speaking out of his butt, and I called him on it, along with providing actual, factual data.

I happen to agree that $54,000 is a lot of money. I'm on the same "side" as the poster I disagreed with. I merely don't like having people "on my side" spouting garbage that weakens the argument. It's a losing proposition.

That's a valid point. The original was not. I prefer to have people who I are on my side spouting relevant, true facts. Otherwise, they are fucking up the argument. It's really that simple. I refuse to condone that kind of behavior.

What's your point? Are you trying to pretend that the data I supplied is inaccurate? If so, did you LOOK at the information I provided to back it up? The median price I provided is the price that houses are selling for in that city.

If your point is that the housing market sucks, and you got screwed - then yep - and yes, I'm sorry to hear it. That really does suck.

Bullshit. $54,000 is one THIRD of the median home price. Where do you get your information, and why did you bother posting that?

Here's where you can get the MEDIAN home price of Brainerd, Minnesota:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/Minnesota/Brainerd

Bad information & lies makes people doubt the truth - and your side of the argument.

Well, there is a good argument FOR FBI+DEA domestic surveillance activities. That means they work! Still not okay with it, but thank you for easing my concern about them a bit.