wildfires and politics
POSTED BY: mal4prez
UPDATED: Sunday, August 9, 2026 14:08
VIEWED: 27581
PAGE 13 of 15
Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
You're reading it wrong (blast you) - maybe because you worded the question oddly: "Do you believe the govt has had no hand in creating and supporting the internet?" NO, I don't believe the Internet has had NO hand in creating the Internet... it created Arpanet. It's like you are hoping for a negative answer....
OK, my mistake. I read it as:
"No. Arpanet..."
I'm relieved that you did not mean it this way!
You know, piz, after following the PO discussion, I think disagreements come up around you just because you relate words and concepts a little different than other people. This is not criticism, it's empathy. I have a long history of doing the same. I think your concepts agree with other posters here, including me, but your words don't express your ideas quite clearly.
Like with the post office thing: you meant that the rules governing the PO should be broken so the PO can do better. But what came off (and I got this impression quite strongly) was that you believe govt employees are idiots and only if private enterprise took over could the PO do better.
I would ask this: please be aware that your ideas do not come through clearly, and give the rest of us a chance to sort things out as you explain in more detail.
Quote:Before I misunderstand: you will only believe in govt innovation if you are fed an article about it? You, whose livelihood and passion is the internet? Created by the govt?
Sure, it exists where people exist. I've just never read any articles about "Government Efficiency & Innovation."
Quote:Do tell. And if I have an afternoon free I could make quite a list of DOD and DOE funded research that has changed the world. Funded me for quite some time.
Universities yes, funded by gov no - I've not seen the figures.
Quote:I recall it well. And you clearly implied, though maybe you didn't mean to, that Problem Solvers will only step up when their own money is at stake.
Thanks for the negative presumption. I think innovation in and of itself is the greatest reward. Do you remember the part where I posted about being a shameless worshipper of Problem Solvers? Not financial geniuses. I can't stop you from trying to read something else into what I type - so have a field day.
Again, this may be a communication thing, but the message I got from your earlier posts was that true Problem Solving come from for-profit enterprises. Correct me, and correct your interpretation of my posts, if this is not what you meant.
Quote:I have sold my blood in a deep freeze in February so I could buy gas. Really, the needle was on E when I pulled in the lot, and if my blood iron had been too low I would not have made it home. I have suffered pangs of guilt for buying a second bag of $.35 cent Fritos from a vending machine. I have lived on Taco Bell.
Have you ever been really, really broke? For years? If you haven't been then maybe money won't mean as much. Maybe you have so many negative associations with money that you find it ugly? For me it is freedom, the kind of freedom many people who post here mourn the loss of. I'm not a greedy bastard. I think I want what almost every human wants: to be left alone and not have to worry about paying rent, taking care of my family, simple stuff.
I gave up a lucrative career in the oil industry because I prefer to have 3 months of the year free to take dance classes in a style that will never be popular and will never, even if I was 20 again and more talented than I will ever dream of being, lead me to financial prosperity.
Quote:How do you know me so well? Were you there in the early 90s when I discovered the internet?
Gah - please stop typing if you are going to say such overly simplistic and sentimental things like; "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." It really isn't. It doesn't even sound like you!
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"You have a lack of imagination, you embody the Can't Do spirit, which funny enough, is the hallmark of a lot of ***gov agencies***. That's why I suggested entrepreneurs (does that word scare or anger you?) ... and they would either go around or find a way to change the funding issues."
Now, here is more knee-JERK scapegoating of government and adulation of 'the private sector'. (You know, that thing you claim you NEVER do. Right here as a matter of fact: "I never once blamed the PO.") Along with your usual condescending snark. So, you would 'go around rules'? As much as I despise the rules put in place for the PO, when you get a government group determined to creatively go around their rules like you repeatedly advocate you get Iran-Contra. Don't know what that is? Look it up. Not that you will, of course.
"... Medicare (which I take care of for my mom) is mind numbingly frustrating and backward and dull and evil ..."
Have you fucking EVER dealt with private insurance? Ever have to think about your mom hitting her private insurance life-time cap and being completely out of insurance? And uninsurable? So EVERY bill comes out of her pocket or she doesn't fucking get any care at all? Or is private health insurance too fucking expensive b/c those for-profit BRILLIANT INNOVATIVE entrepreneur minds couldn’t fucking FIND a way to insure your mom and make all the money they want to at the same time?
Oh, BTW, the reason medicare is the nightmare it is is due to good ole' Ronnie Raygun who commanded that things called DRGs (look it up, or stay ignorant, your choice) be set in place to make it far, far harder to get government-supported health care. Yes, you and your right-wing asshole buddies have been trying to starve every government service out of existence for that long. Taking away funds, setting limits, hobbling agencies. And hypocritically complaining that those agencies can't do the job for just as long. Yes, that very SAME group that very creatively went WAAAaaayyy out of its way to go around every funding rule put in place for them to give us - TA DAA! - Iran-Contra. You should be so proud of them. They really embodied that CAN DO! spirit you horn-dog after so much.
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Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:How do you know me so well? Were you there in the early 90s when I discovered the internet?
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Gah - please stop typing if you are going to say such overly simplistic and sentimental things like; "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." It really isn't. It doesn't even sound like you!
Pizmo, if you reply to nothing else, can you please explain how you got to know me so well that you know my opinions better than I do? As far as I can recall, I haven't had any kind of in-depth exchange with you in recent times. We've both been around FFF a while, so maybe we talked when I was posting more. That would be a good five years ago, long enough that I don't recall any personal or personality details about you.
So do tell, how do you know me so well?
BTW, "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." is EXACTLY what I meant.
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Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:How do you know me so well? Were you there in the early 90s when I discovered the internet?
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Gah - please stop typing if you are going to say such overly simplistic and sentimental things like; "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." It really isn't. It doesn't even sound like you!
Pizmo, if you reply to nothing else, can you please explain how you got to know me so well that you know my opinions better than I do? As far as I can recall, I haven't had any kind of in-depth exchange with you in recent times. We've both been around FFF a while, so maybe we talked when I was posting more. That would be a good five years ago, long enough that I don't recall any personal or personality details about you.
So do tell, how do you know me so well?
BTW, "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." is EXACTLY what I meant.
Hey. I was actually just starting a PM for you with answers to you last post - give me a few and I'll ship it over (does your PM work?).
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com
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Quote:
Originally posted by pizmobeach:Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:
Originally posted by mal4prez:Quote:How do you know me so well? Were you there in the early 90s when I discovered the internet?
Originally posted by pizmobeach:
Gah - please stop typing if you are going to say such overly simplistic and sentimental things like; "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." It really isn't. It doesn't even sound like you!
Pizmo, if you reply to nothing else, can you please explain how you got to know me so well that you know my opinions better than I do? As far as I can recall, I haven't had any kind of in-depth exchange with you in recent times. We've both been around FFF a while, so maybe we talked when I was posting more. That would be a good five years ago, long enough that I don't recall any personal or personality details about you.
So do tell, how do you know me so well?
BTW, "Now being online is all about admiring shiny corporate sports-car webpages." is EXACTLY what I meant.
Hey. I was actually just starting a PM for you with answers to you last post - give me a few and I'll ship it over (does your PM work?).
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com
PMs should work. I am just about to run out the door though, so won't be able to reply for some time.
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Gonna chime in with KIKI here on Medicare versus private insurance, altho minus some of the anger: Having dealt with both, I would FAR PREFER Medicare to private, particularly as my daughter would not even be eligble for private insurance due to a pre-existing condition.
And, if you have ever talked to hospital/ doctor/ laboratory/ pharmacy billing departments, they will be more than happy to tell you what a clusterfuck private insurances represent.
Sure, there are better ways to manage government-run healthcare. But even hobbled as it is by Ronnie Raygun's restrictions, it far surpasses private health insurances in availability of coverage and efficiency of delivery. Because all the private healthcare insurances have managed to do is use all of their massive "creativity" is figuring out how to screw people over, write in really tiny print (kinda like banks), and "creatively" cook their books.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Gonna chime in with KIKI here on Medicare versus private insurance, altho minus some of the anger: Having dealt with both, I would FAR PREFER Medicare to private, particularly as my daughter would not even be eligble for private insurance due to a pre-existing condition.
And, if you have ever talked to hospital/ doctor/ laboratory/ pharmacy billing departments, they will be more than happy to tell you what a clusterfuck private insurances represent.
Sure, there are better ways to manage government-run healthcare. But even hobbled as it is by Ronnie Raygun's restrictions, it far surpasses private health insurances in availability of coverage and efficiency of delivery. Because all the private healthcare insurances have managed to do is use all of their massive "creativity" is figuring out how to screw people over, write in really tiny print (kinda like banks), and "creatively" cook their books.
I never said Private insurance was better. I never said All Private is better than All Public, or that gov employees are idiots and devoid of creativity... I spend more time saying, "I never said..." People want to distort and make shit up or draw the worst assumptions from simple comments so they can rant and bluster - fuck 'em.
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com
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Looking at the US Post Office it's easy to imagine that if some of today's smartest and hungriest entrepreneurs were put in charge how much better and more profitable it could be run. With so much more retail now being done online with the associated increase in shipping... there should be a windfall.
I think some of the for profit folks would say it's even worse if it's a gov employee running things because they don't have profit motive to move things along - no carrot, all stick. That's where my imagined Resolution for Dummies comes in :)
(now this comes after two people went to lenghts to explain the LEGAL constarints the PO operates under)
You have a lack of imagination, you embody the Can't Do spirit, which funny enough, is the hallmark of a lot of gov agencies. That's why I suggested entrepreneurs (does that word scare or anger you?).
Here's a list of some of the kinds of problem solvers that are out there:
http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2012/full-list
They would love the challenge, they'd probably line up to "fix" the post office, and they would either go around or find a way to change the funding issues. Creative people find solutions, they don't stop at the first road block, they enjoy the challenge.
(and this comes after a number of explanations about the difference between incapability of action and illegality of action)
I do think competition is a great way to spur innovation. As we see almost every day on this board people think gov agencies are terrible, and poorly run in general. I think that's a fairly widely held belief too, whether it's right or wrong, it's still out there. ... More to the point for me, the creative people I see that speak to me are not in gov.
I never once blamed the PO. They've actually done some pretty innovative things recently. I tried to order their latest direct mail marketing kit... took 3 times before I got it. I use their nifty self-serve kiosk once a week. There's plenty of room for improvement, but I don't blame them - what's their motivation?
Meanwhile politicians argue, Medicare (which I take care of for my mom) is mind numbingly frustrating and backward and dull and evil - one of these days I will scan her monthly documents (6-8 pages, double sided text, for an aging senior - f*cksake) and post them so everyone can have their minds fried. So I guess I'm prejudice. ... I see gov agencies and I see the worst kind of problem solving.
1. No, Arpanet of course. Defense funding has had a hand in a number of off shoot innovations, but they are not primary to their goal.
2. Regulations, party gridlock, working with other people's money is not the same as working with your own, lack of a system that rewards and fosters innovation?
(now, this is after it was pointed out that government actually invented the structure of the internet and made its backbone available to the public)
I've just never read any articles about "Government Efficiency & Innovation."
I never said Private insurance was better. I never said All Private is better than All Public, or that gov employees are idiots and devoid of creativity...
(well, as a matter of fact you did repeat this part 'gov employees are idiots and devoid of creativity...' a number of different times and ways)
SignyM: I swear, if we really knew what was being decided about us in our absence, and how hosed the government is prepared to let us be, we would string them up.
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Quote:PIZMO, maybe your positions didn't come out as you intended, or maybe there were things you didn't say that would have moderated your comments. In any case, I'll accept your word that's not what you intended to say, so I hope we can agree to agree on that point?
I never said Private insurance was better. I never said All Private is better than All Public, or that gov employees are idiots and devoid of creativity... I spend more time saying, "I never said..." People want to distort and make shit up or draw the worst assumptions from simple comments so they can rant and bluster - fuck 'em.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:Quote:PIZMO, maybe your positions didn't come out as you intended, or maybe there were things you didn't say that would have moderated your comments. In any case, I'll accept your word that's not what you intended to say, so I hope we can agree to agree on that point?
I never said Private insurance was better. I never said All Private is better than All Public, or that gov employees are idiots and devoid of creativity... I spend more time saying, "I never said..." People want to distort and make shit up or draw the worst assumptions from simple comments so they can rant and bluster - fuck 'em.
Sure, we can agree. What's frustrating and a just a bit funny, is to see people try and tell me what I meant, or what I think, or the real funny one: who I am. "Right wing" is the most absurd comment I've seen considering how much I loathe the Right.
Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com
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