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Comment Re:Even supporters should want to kill this thing (Score 1) 398

It needs to be put down like a rabid dog and THEN we can evaluate what our options are after that.

Is there some reason we can't see what our options are before we kill it so we have a superior plan ready to vote on in congress? I keep hearing repeal and replace but until I hear a real plan for "replace" I am really only hearing "repeal".

Comment Re:Social security numbers? (Score 1) 398

Working in the health insurance arena I can say that almost all medical insurance carriers use SSN to identify their members. Occationally an employer will want to use something else and either the carrier refuses to support it or it is like we are asking them to murder their children to make it happen.

Comment "Suit their specific needs" means upselling (Score 1) 664

I like when companies throw out the line about offering a range of products to suit specific needs of consumers. It actually means that they are confusing the consumer and most definately will push the most expensive product to the consumer by telling them it is be better in some miniscule way that the consumer would not have noticed to begin with.

Comment You can fairly review some things (Score 1) 581

I do think that it is tough to give definitive bad reviews on diagnoses and outcomes of treatments due to the complexity of our bodies. However, I think it is completely fair to give reviews based on the experiences with the staff and office itself. If you wait an hour after your appointment was scheduled, if the nurse or doctor was rude, or if the office was not in a clean condition, I want to be able to read those reviews.

Comment Another thing to buy/break on a vehicle? (Score 1) 619

All horrible privacy issues aside, I'm not a big fan continuing to add expenses to vehicles. Airbags and safety systems are great, but is this really going add that much safety to a driver and passengers? We will have to pay for these black boxes when we buy the car, and what happens when the "black box" malfunctions? Does the car shutdown? When you get pulled over does the cop somehow check that the device is working and ticket you if it doesn't? I'm guessing the way it needs to be mounted and the eletronics won't make it a cheap device, but I could be wrong.

Submission + - What data mining firms know about you (time.com) 1

storagedude writes: "Time writer Joel Stein spent three months learning what data mining companies know about him. After learning everything the companies had profiled about him (some of it inaccurate) — social security number, age, marital status, religion, income, debt, interests, browsing and spending habits — he had a surprising reaction: complacency.

"... oddly, the more I learned about data mining, the less concerned I was. Sure, I was surprised that all these companies are actually keeping permanent files on me. But I don't think they will do anything with them that does me any harm. There should be protections for vulnerable groups, and a government-enforced opt-out mechanism would be great for accountability. But I'm pretty sure that, like me, most people won't use that option. Of the people who actually find the Ads Preferences page — and these must be people pretty into privacy — only 1 in 8 asks to opt out of being tracked. The rest, apparently, just like to read privacy rules."

Google

Submission + - Google Draws Fire From Congress (nationaljournal.com)

bonch writes: Democrat Herb Kohl, the Senate's leading antitrust legislator, has vowed an antitrust probe into Google as one of his top priorities. Others in Congress are criticizing the search giant over several flubs, including scanning personal data over neighborhood WiFi, collecting Social Security information from children in a doodling contest, and sidestepping net neutrality rules through a deal with Verizon. They're also concerned over ties with the administration--Eric Schmidt is a technology advisor to President Obama, Andrew McLaughlin serves as Obama's deputy chief technology officer, and Sonal Shah leads the White House Office of Social Innovation. Google spent $5.2 million last year on federal lobbying, but critics say their increased Washington presence has made more enemies than friends.

Comment Re:Fear & Ignorance (Score 1) 1530

You make it sound like the elderly loves entitlement programs because it is a free lunch. Most elderly people "love" Social Security and Medicare because they need it to live. They paid into the programs as well, it isn't like someone decided later to give them a free bus pass because they're old.

Comment Re:More Proof of Government Incompetence (Score 5, Insightful) 125

I understand your point regarding incompetence, but the only reason we know about this is because this is a government agency. If it was private company the public would have no idea. You could make an argument regarding hiring standards between the government and private companies, but based on my experience private companies hire lazy and incompnent employees as well. Where is the public report from a Health Care company where mistakes cost hundreds of premium paying customers money or time to recoupe money due to sloppiness on the insurance company? Or worse, where are the reports where people were delayed necessary procedures? You won't see it because it is a private company. I agree the government may not do a great job managing heathcare, but this is not a valid example.

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