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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: microsoft windows on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:29:00

Title: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:29:00

This article reinforces my extensive distaste in the federal government.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/21/feds-try-to-eliminate-housing-for-deaf-at-complex-built-for-hearing-impaired/

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:37:37

If it was a housing complex built for a minority group and only had minority groups living in it, they would give it an award.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:45:25

I think these are anecdotal laments...

Governments are the largest corporations on earth...  Not everyone is a bad egg, Most are good eggs...

Given the size however, we will always have a bunch of communications "lost in queue"..


This creates the mal-drama that we see..   

For everything that went "wrong" a giant portion must've gone "right" otherwise there wouldn't be much of a country left...


So... My point is... slow your consumption of what is "entertainment news" designed to capture your ONLINE clicks...

(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/f529a952.gif)

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:47:03

Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:45:25

I think these are anecdotal laments...

Governments are the largest corporations on earth...  Not everyone is a bad egg, Most are good eggs...

Given the size however, we will always have a bunch of communications "lost in queue"..


This creates the mal-drama that we see..   

For everything that went "wrong" a giant portion must've gone "right" otherwise there wouldn't be much of a country left...


So... My point is... slow your consumption of what is "entertainment news" designed to capture your ONLINE clicks...

Show Image

(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/f529a952.gif)

Sounds like something a politician would say...

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:50:02

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:47:03

Quote from: tp4tissue on Mon, 21 October 2013, 15:45:25

I think these are anecdotal laments...

Governments are the largest corporations on earth...  Not everyone is a bad egg, Most are good eggs...

Given the size however, we will always have a bunch of communications "lost in queue"..


This creates the mal-drama that we see..   

For everything that went "wrong" a giant portion must've gone "right" otherwise there wouldn't be much of a country left...


So... My point is... slow your consumption of what is "entertainment news" designed to capture your ONLINE clicks...

Show Image

(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/f529a952.gif)

Sounds like something a politician would say...

LOL.. nawh... I have the public's best interest at heart.... (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_113_.gif)

Buy Ergodox...

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck. So let's give them more responsibility and power over our lives?! It's crazy. Meanwhile, the ObamaCare rollout is pathetically, horribly bad. The Feds exhibit varying levels of incompetence tempered only by outright malice towards the populace. The government should do less, not more.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:43:06

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck. So let's give them more responsibility and power over our lives?! It's crazy. Meanwhile, the ObamaCare rollout is pathetically, horribly bad. The Feds exhibit varying levels of incompetence tempered only by outright malice towards the populace. The government should do less, not more.

krog I thought of you the other night, I saw a bumper sticker that said 'Socialism is great, until we run out of other people's money.' :P

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:49:55

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck. So let's give them more responsibility and power over our lives?! It's crazy. Meanwhile, the ObamaCare rollout is pathetically, horribly bad. The Feds exhibit varying levels of incompetence tempered only by outright malice towards the populace. The government should do less, not more.

^This. These days the word "politician" is synonymous with "complete ****ing moron."  I can't believe we elected these people...

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:16:13

Speak your voice next time you vote--vote against the incumbents.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:19:17

But no matter who I vote for, I'm voting for a moron...

So I'd rather not vote unless it's someone who is truly worth voting for.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:20:54

Well, at least you can vote against the morons who are currently screwing things up.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:25:01

We need to stop electing people based on what party they are in.

If the government was smart, they would abolish this bi-partisan system and just say that all politicians are part of the "Jackass" party. No more of this "oh, it's the democrats fault" or "it's the republicans fault". IT'S ALL OF YOUR DAMN FAULTS AND YOU'RE ALL MEMBERS OF THE JACKASS PARTY!!!

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:25:29

I'll vote for you.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:28:51

Thank you good sir!

CLiB for President 2016

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:33:46

Quote from: SpAmRaY on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:43:06

krog I thought of you the other night, I saw a bumper sticker that said 'Socialism is great, until we run out of other people's Krogenar's money.' :P

FTFY

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:44:00

http://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/obamacare-healthcare-gov-website-cost/

$500 million for a website that doesn't even work. Now Obama is calling in "experts". Well, hell, why not call them in the first place? I mean, for $500 million (just for the website) you could just give every man, woman and child in America $1+ million and say, "put it in a medical savings account" where it might even earn some interest before you need it, or could pass it on to your family, etc. But no, instead we get a $500 million pile of horse dung. I would actually prefer that the government simply give people money outright -- it would actually cost less. But that's not the point -- helping people -- it's about power; about Washington having control. There has to be a bureaucracy to administrate the stupidity properly; a class of people who can be counted upon to vote Democrat every time, because that's where their bread is buttered.

Government: Boldly Maximizing Stupidity for the Last 60 Years.

There's your new bumper sticker.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:45:06

Very well said.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:47:13

Personally, I don't see why people are getting so worked up over the Obamacare site. The law was a giant steaming heap of **** that didn't work, and when the government went to India to have a website made about it, they came up with a giant steaming heap of **** that didn't work. Suits the law perfectly!

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:56:32

Quote from: microsoft windows on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:47:13

Personally, I don't see why people are getting so worked up over the Obamacare site. The law was a giant steaming heap of **** that didn't work, and when the government went to India to have a website made about it, they came up with a giant steaming heap of **** that didn't work. Suits the law perfectly!

It passed without a single Republican vote, not one. And it was passed with so many backroom deals, and then passed using a technique called "reconciliation" that heretofore had never been used to pass legislation of this scope (one seventh of the U.S. economy is health-related). Yes, ObamaCare is a steaming pile of ****, and it should be repealed. In the meantime, I've been informed that my health insure ends Dec. 31st, and the cost of a new policy is several hundred dollars more than my old policy. (I'm not poor enough to qualify for benefits.) And my business can no longer afford to supply healthcare to my employees, so now I've got to find some other way to help them pay for healthcare.

Obama's "signature legislation" is a malformed turd that should be flushed.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Leslieann on Thu, 24 October 2013, 21:56:43

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck.

Yep, those highways, clean water and clean air really sucks doesn't it.
Breaking up Ma' Bell really sucked too.

Yes, they mess things up, but the same can be said for big business.

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:44:00

$500 million for a website that doesn't even work. Now Obama is calling in "experts". Well, hell, why not call them in the first place?

Government contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder.
"You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it? " - Rockhound - Armageddon

Also bear in mind, no website has ever had to go live from day one with this kind of traffic. Ever. Websites can be designed with it in mind, but until it gets tress tested, which normally happens as traffic ramps up, you don't know where the faults lie. Lastly, a website... Really a website fails and clearly the entire thing is a joke. And of course let's blame Obama for it, because obviously he has nothing better to do than micro manage the development of a website.

Like him or not, it's BS to blame him for the failure of this website or claim the entire rollout was a failure because of a website.

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:56:32

It passed without a single Republican vote, not one. And it was passed with so many backroom deals, and then passed using a technique called "reconciliation" that heretofore had never been used to pass legislation of this scope (one seventh of the U.S. economy is health-related). Yes, ObamaCare is a steaming pile of ****, and it should be repealed.

It wasn't for lack of trying.
They made concession after concession and DID have teh agreement of many Republicans, after all, it was a Republican idea it was based on. Had Dems got what they really wanted, we would have single payer. Instead they made compromises with Republicans who turned on them when it came to a vote, making all those compromises worthless.

Why did none of them vote for it?
Because they agreed after the election to not let him pass ANYTHING if they can help it. Which they have done the first and second term.


Also, most people like most of what is in it. Minus the mandates (which are ridiculous anyhow and going to be hard to enforce) and the impression that it has caused rates to go through the roof (complete BS). The insurance companies have been raising rates like crazy over the years, but many people were shielded from it by their employers (this is why you weren't getting any raises). Now the employers see a way to get the extra burden off their backs and blame someone else, and insurance companies saw a way to crank up rates even faster and place the blame elsewhere as well.

As for the exchange...
My mom's insurance dropped $900 per month, BEFORE government incentives.
Mine went low enough that I can afford to get some and not have to rely on the V.A. and this is all in a state that isn't even participating.

So while YOUR insurance may go up, check and see what you can buy it for through the marketplace, you might find you're getting screwed and lied to. You probably are.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: iri on Fri, 25 October 2013, 01:58:17

Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:25:01

If the government was smart, they would abolish this bi-partisan system and just say that all politicians are part of the "Jackass" party. No more of this "oh, it's the democrats fault" or "it's the republicans fault". IT'S ALL OF YOUR DAMN FAULTS AND YOU'RE ALL MEMBERS OF THE JACKASS PARTY!!!

we had such an experiment: one party for all the politicians. you know, it didn't turn out well...

Quote from: Leslieann on Thu, 24 October 2013, 21:56:43

Websites can be designed with it in mind, but until it gets tress tested, which normally happens as traffic ramps up, you don't know where the faults lie.

oh noes. websites intended for high load are load tested waaaaaay before they go into production.

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: berserkfan on Fri, 25 October 2013, 06:10:03

the very whole purpose of socialism was to redistribute the resources of a society. so of course they use other people's money.

it was very relevant in the 19th century, when there was much social change going on in Europe and some haves became very rich by exploiting other people. (Actually, Karl Marx himself was one such exploitative factory worker.)

When there are too many have-nots in society, most of whom became have-nots because of small inequalities in information or knowledge or luck (ie rather than because of extreme laziness and irresponsibility the way some right wingers would claim), there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the social status quo and naturally there is social pressure to redress the differences in resource allocation and availability.

You can also see socialist/ marxist movements in many societies that are undergoing rapid change with large discrepancies in income distribution.

BUT in a fully developed modern society where opportunities are much more evenly distributed, the need for socialism is less. And then it becomes ridiculous that so many people are lazing off on unemployment and child benefits. The bums are parasiting on the worker bees, simple as that.

I notice government workers in the US are slow, lazy and unmotivated in contrast with the private sector. But that's true everywhere... the recent government shutdown has probably had minimal impact on Americans' lives because government is that useless.

Quote from: SpAmRaY on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:43:06

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck. So let's give them more responsibility and power over our lives?! It's crazy. Meanwhile, the ObamaCare rollout is pathetically, horribly bad. The Feds exhibit varying levels of incompetence tempered only by outright malice towards the populace. The government should do less, not more.

krog I thought of you the other night, I saw a bumper sticker that said 'Socialism is great, until we run out of other people's money.' :P

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: tufty on Fri, 25 October 2013, 06:27:23

Quote from: berserkfan on Fri, 25 October 2013, 06:10:03

BUT in a fully developed modern society where opportunities are much more evenly distributed, the need for socialism is less. And then it becomes ridiculous that so many people are lazing off on unemployment and child benefits. The bums are parasiting on the worker bees, simple as that.

Could you, perhaps, point out one of these fully developed modern societies where opportunities are evenly distributed?

Title: Re: A Deaf Ear to Reason?
Post by: Krogenar on Fri, 25 October 2013, 07:05:26

Quote from: Leslieann on Thu, 24 October 2013, 21:56:43

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 07:29:23

Why do people place so much trust in government in the first place? Almost without exception everything they touch, they wreck.

Yep, those highways, clean water and clean air really sucks doesn't it.
Breaking up Ma' Bell really sucked too.

Right, and add a functioning military to that list and you've completed the list. How do you explain $600 million for a website that doesn't work?

Quote

Yes, they mess things up, but the same can be said for big business.

Who do I call to cancel my account when the government makes a horrific mess of things? How many audits will I face if I make a big enough stink about Apple's latest product? At least with a privately-owned business there is some possibility of people voting with their dollars. When the government is in charge, there's really no path to a redress of grievances. Yes, "big" (read "evil") businesses make mistakes -- but at least they occasionally pay for those mistakes; government never pays for the mayhem they produce. The problems of today are eerily reminiscent of the "solutions" of yesterday.

Quote from: Leslieann

Quote from: Krogenar on Thu, 24 October 2013, 08:44:00

$500 million for a website that doesn't even work. Now Obama is calling in "experts". Well, hell, why not call them in the first place?

Government contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder.
"You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it? " - Rockhound - Armageddon

I've bid on some of those contracts, and yes, they just award it to the lowest bidder -- which is exactly the opposite of what a normal person does. If you were replacing the roof of your home, you might get three estimates and then use your judgment to decide which contractor to award the job to. You wouldn't just look at the bottom line and give it to the lowest bidder -- you would use your judgment, your brain. You apply that judgment because it is your roof, and if you choose poorly you will be paying the consequences. With the government, no one pays any consequences -- so what incentive do they have to be wise, to be careful? None. This isn't rocket science folks, it's the way the world works; it's how markets work.

Are the people at HealthCare.gov worried about competitors? No! They have none. So why worry if the site is a pile of crap? Amazon, flowers.com -- they worry about that stuff, because they do have competitors.

Quote

Also bear in mind, no website has ever had to go live from day one with this kind of traffic. Ever. Websites can be designed with it in mind, but until it gets stress tested, which normally happens as traffic ramps up, you don't know where the faults lie. Lastly, a website... Really a website fails and clearly the entire thing is a joke. And of course let's blame Obama for it, because obviously he has nothing better to do than micro manage the development of a website.

The major maintainers of large websites (Amazon, eBay, etc.) they know how to stress test their operations before clients try them out. As pointed out by others, their sites don't crash on Black Monday, or any other dates that see surges. So the argument that stress testing is needed is bull****, sorry. They had three years and $600 million dollars, and now the contractors who made the site are claiming they warned their government overseers that there were going to be serious problems and ... no one did anything. This is what you get when you trust government with anything -- crappy service at great cost. Thanks, Obama!

Quote

Like him or not, it's BS to blame him for the failure of this website or claim the entire rollout was a failure because of a website.

I don't blame Obama for the coding of the site. I blame him and his ilk for even proposing the monumentally stupid idea that the government is better at handling healthcare than the free market. That's why I blame him -- Obama and his legions of Obamatons think publicly-run healthcare is genius. It's not. So yeah, I blame Obama.