On Jan 1, 12:00 am, Pers3id <pers...@anti-spam.comcast.net> wrote:

Werewolfy <Werewol...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in
news:23afd1e5-1b45-466b-815c-
fd32ccb38...@v32g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:

On 31 Dec, 15:45, Marvin The Paranoid Android
<marvinparanoidandr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Just a quick post to wish you *all* a safe and happy evening and a
prosperous, healthy and happy 2008!

Why, thanks Marv. Actually, I don't much care for safe evenings,
and haven't been happy for years...but the sentiment is nice...;)

All the best to you...It's always nice to hear from you, nice to
hear from one of nature's gentlemen.

I think Marv's just too smart to get involved in some of our petty
bickering. It's an admirable feat if you can manage to stay out of
the fray.

Actually to be honest I *was* reading thru the 'Bastards!' thread on
healthcare.

I think 'for profit' healthcare is a non-argument. Why would it be
any different then providing policing and fire services?

911 Operator:"911 -- Is there an emergency?"
Caller:"YES! MY HOUSE IS BEING BROKEN INTO! I NEED THE POLICE!'
911 Operator:"Can we have your policy number please."
Caller:"WHAT???"
911 Operator:"We have to be sure your policy covers Immediate Response
Service as well as Break Ins"

My wife was hospitalized for almost 2 months two years ago. If we had
'for profit' healthcare here, some shmuck at the insurance company
would have a new swimming pool and his kid would be driving a new
Mercedes while I'd have lost my home.

I find it beyond offensive that the richest country in the world does
not provide healthcare as a right to it's citizens. Something's wrong
with a society when it balances your well-being with the 'bottom
line.'

But that's just my opinion ... I was born in the early 60's in
Canuckistan. The social safety net was pretty well established at
that time. I've never known anything else but this.

AND -- waiting times aren't that bad. Everyone's prioritized ... if
someone comes in in cardiac arrest he will get ahead of the kid with
the ear infection. But I've never had to endure anything too bad.
Doctor's appts are same day or next day. MRI's and CATScans we've
managed to get in next day or same week, in my wife's case ... but the
MRI's are run almost 24-7 so it's possible you will be scheduled for a
3 AM appt. Such is Life.

Anyhow -- there ya go! I'm in!

I'm working on a 'illegal alien' rant too ... I find that label
offensive since 'illegal' = 'criminal' and 'alien' = 'not a person'.
A great way to dehumanize someone who most likely is just trying to
improve their standard of living for themselves or their family. Why
does prosperity end at the U.S. - Mexico border? How can an imaginary
line/border separate such wealth and such poverty? Possibly Mexico is
in need of some 'Nation Improving' as opposed to 'Nation Building'.

If Mexico provided a higher standard of living for it's people there
wouldn't be a need for 'posses' roaming the border and idiotic GOP-
Talk of a fence -- 'Cage them in!!!'

Anyhow ... that's for another day.

Cheers!

-- Marvin

On Jan 1, 12:00 am, Pers3id <pers...@anti-spam.comcast.net> wrote:

Werewolfy <Werewol...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in news:23afd1e5-1b45-466b-815c-
fd32ccb38...@v32g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:

On 31 Dec, 15:45, Marvin The Paranoid Android
<marvinparanoidandr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Just a quick post to wish you *all* a safe and happy evening and a
prosperous, healthy and happy 2008!

Why, thanks Marv. Actually, I don't much care for safe evenings, and
haven't been happy for years...but the sentiment is nice...;)

All the best to you...It's always nice to hear from you, nice to hear
from one of nature's gentlemen.

I think Marv's just too smart to get involved in some of our petty
bickering. It's an admirable feat if you can manage to stay out of the
fray.

Actually to be honest I *was* reading thru the 'Bastards!' thread on
healthcare.

I think 'for profit' healthcare is a non-argument. Why would it be
any different then providing policing and fire services?

911 Operator:"911 -- Is there an emergency?"
Caller:"YES! MY HOUSE IS BEING BROKEN INTO! I NEED THE POLICE!'
911 Operator:"Can we have your policy number please."
Caller:"WHAT???"
911 Operator:"We have to be sure your policy covers Immediate Response
Service as well as Break Ins"

My wife was hospitalized for almost 2 months two years ago. If we had
'for profit' healthcare here, some shmuck at the insurance company
would have a new swimming pool and his kid would be driving a new
Mercedes while I'd have lost my home.

I find it beyond offensive that the richest country in the world does
not provide healthcare as a right to it's citizens. Something's wrong
with a society when it balances your well-being with the 'bottom
line.'

But that's just my opinion ... I was born in the early 60's in
Canuckistan. The social safety net was pretty well established at
that time. I've never known anything else but this.

AND -- waiting times aren't that bad. Everyone's prioritized ... if
someone comes in in cardiac arrest he will get ahead of the kid with
the ear infection. But I've never had to endure anything too bad.
Doctor's appts are same day or next day. MRI's and CATScans we've
managed to get in next day or same week, in my wife's case ... but the
MRI's are run almost 24-7 so it's possible you will be scheduled for a
3 AM appt. Such is Life.

Anyhow -- there ya go! I'm in!

I'm working on a 'illegal alien' rant too ... I find that label
offensive since 'illegal' = 'criminal' and 'alien' = 'not a person'.
A great way to dehumanize someone who most likely is just trying to
improve their standard oflivingfor themselves or their family. Why
does prosperity end at the U.S. -Mexicoborder? How can an imaginary
line/border separate such wealth and such poverty? PossiblyMexicois
in need of some 'Nation Improving' as opposed to 'Nation Building'.
IfMexicoprovided a higher standard oflivingfor it's people there
wouldn't be a need for 'posses' roaming the border and idiotic GOP-
Talk of a fence -- 'Cage them in!!!'

Anyhow ... that's for another day.

Cheers!

-- Marvin

On Jan 2, 10:29 am, Marvin The Paranoid Android



<marvinparanoidandr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

On Dec 31 2007, 10:51 am, Steven Douglas <dste...@flashmail.com>
wrote:

On Dec 31, 7:45 am, Marvin The Paranoid Android

<marvinparanoidandr...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Just a quick post to wish you *all* a safe and happy evening and a
prosperous, healthy and happy 2008!

Cheers!

-- Marvin

Cheers, and Happy New Year to you too, Marvin. How many years, months,=
days, and cigarettes not smoked since you quit?

Thank you!

I've been Free of the Addiction for almost 3 and half years -- very
proud of that one!

You have every reason to be! I remember when you announced you were
quitting. How could that much time have flown by so fast? Time flies
when you're having fun!

I noticed a couple of points you made in your reply to Randy, and I
have a comment or two -- first, on your comparison of US medical care
to police and fire services -- in an emergency medical situation, no
one asks for your policy number before providing emergency medical
care. They take care of you first, and ask questions later.

I remember when your wife was in the hospital. How is she doing now? I
have a close family friend who had an emergency medical situation
arise, and she went through several tests to determine she needed a
surgical procedure. She was admitted to the hospital, received the
surgery, and spent another two weeks in the hospital recovering. After
that, she needed six more weeks of home health care, where a nurse
stopped by practically every day to make sure she was getting proper
levels of medication, etc. Other than a small co-pay, everything was
covered by insurance. She has fully recovered, and she did not lose
her house.

But just so you know, I'd be happy to see the US adopt a system
similar to the one they have in France. As it is now, Massachusetts
just instituted a plan that will require everyone to be covered by
insurance. And California is working on a similar plan.

As for your remark about "illegal aliens" -- the word "alien" means
someone from another country who is not native to the United States.
It is not a derogatory term. And "illegal" simply means the person is
not here legally. Should just anyone be allowed into Canada, where
they would do your job for several dollars less per hour than you'd do
it? How would feel if your boss hired a person not in your country
legally, and then paid the person several dollars less per hour than
he paid you?

I'd like to see the government of Mexico improve conditions for their
own people. But they have no incentive to do that as long as millions
of their people can come here and work for wages that require them to
live ten or twelve in a cramped apartment. And that causes wages (for
people in an underclass who are already hurting) to stay low, due to
competition from an overabundance of laborers.

Anyway, I'll look forward to your rant, and I'm sure I'll have some
comments.

Cheers!