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Human Fighter for simplicity sake
str 15
dex 13
con 14
int 12
wis 08
char 10
+1 to all for human ability score?
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@Swagnarok
how does one support a family of 5 doing seasonal work picking apples under the table? The kids are going to school, perhaps tax payer funded food, yet no income taxes are being paid. What about the use of other public works, like roads, heathcare etc, also paid by taxes. I guess the pro side thinks this stuff just comes from the tooth fairy.Any economic benefits to mass immigration are temporary. After a certain point they'll be numerous to tip elections in the favor of the Democratic Party, and after that they'll just start siphoning off all our national resources for themselves.
bubububbbut they spend their money in the community, ok how about I stop paying taxes and do the same thing?
to say they are a net benefit is b.s. over all.
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@TwoMan
well, one day a year, it happens I suppose.
Prime: FNC: 501 | CNN: 454 | MSNBC: 530 | HLN: 103
Prime: FNC: 2.678 | CNN: 1.329 | MSNBC: 2.759 | HLN: 284
3rd place you say?
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@Stronn
The question wasn't entirely hypothetical. We had eight years of seeing how Fox News covered Obama. Contrast that to how they cover Trump. That is the point.Calling the question hypothetical then adding a few ad homs is just a way to sidestep the real point.
what if we basically reverse it, How did Obama treat Fox news and how did all the other medias treat Obama compared to how they now treat Trump? So basically you are condemning what you think Fox news did to Obama for the very same things all the other networks are doing to Trump. No shame like down playing destroying subpoenaed emails and devices, you mean stuff like that?
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@ravensjt
I would say both, a vicious circle. One that's difficult to escape to be sure, if you aren't in, you are an outcast, like a conservative Person of color. It's a supply and demand kind of thing. If you can supply something more extreme and there's a huge demand for it, not only will you provide it, but you will work on the next level of extreme when the initial becomes common place and boring and the demand for it wanes. Imo Society is addicted to entertainment and attention. Children will seek attention even if it's negative.I suppose my internal debate comes from whether gangsta rap is a cause of the degradation of parts of our society or if gangsta rap is the result of the same....
If you consider who is popular and some consider influential, not all of them are good people. Family values, honor and respect are all but a thing of the past and I believe all these negative things are intertwined and pure poison.
back to your point Why is it "cool" for us to rap about killing each other? I could be they are embracing victim-hood, though it's not clear why you'd take that out on your fellow person.
I'll have to think on that some more. It's possible the rap is actually about the cultural struggle and they are just misinterpreting the message but I don't know as I'm not familiar with Rap.
Is there one specific song you think is the best representation of what you are talking about, and what exactly are the words at issue?
Seems I recall there was a 17 year old, recently who shot it out with the cops saying he wasn't going back to jail. For an alarming number (imo) life has little to no meaning for them, their's or others.
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@ravensjt
so, much like tattoos and body mutilation is getting more extreme, there's a cultural shift to the more extreme (even violence). Now as to your question "killing Jews, Politicians etc" it makes Jews, Politicians etc the victim and gives them the attention. They want the attention for themselves/kind or community. You see they are victims and it is giving them the attention and a commonality, so it does work, i'm sure it's much more complex and much deeper than that, but it is a start when analyzing the problem.
Many of us can recall the embarrassment and the giggles of hearing a profane word, now it mostly goes unnoticed and not reacted to. So what once got you attention now no longer does you must up your game, escalate.
Rap music videos use to get a lot of attention because they depicted drug use, sex and some violence. The drug use and sex are passé. What's more extreme than killing and death? I can't think of anything.
this is our society now
consider what is glorified now and I think that can help you find some answers, trying to figure out how and why we got here, well that's a life long undertaking I think.
While I can understand your focus on this specific topic, it affects the whole of society. Society that includes us all is going morally bankrupt at an alarming rate. You are seeing symptoms of a much large disease, probably a fatal one.
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@Greyparrot
If the left can confiscate guns to save one child...then the right can confiscate illegal aliens for the exact same purpose.
the right doesn't have to do anything other than demand the current laws be enforced, imagine that.
Obama: "If there's even one thing we can do, if there's just one life we can save—we've got an obligation to try.”
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@Stronn
so if we are strictly talking about which story would gain more audience for each network, they "played to their base" game I can agree why they focused on the trials instead of the murder.
though I don't question their choices since the numbers speak for themselves.
Top 10 for July 2018 – Prime Time
- Fox News (2,406,000)
- MSNBC (1,663,000) 10. CNN (891,000)
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@Greyparrot
We need illegals to do the farm work citizens won't do....... but I digress
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@Greyparrot
priorities, infotainment is all about what they think will get the most viewers, murdered girl < TDS
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pull up the interview of Bob Woodson by Tucker Carlson if you didn't catch it already.
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@Stronn
No, I don't think the murder of a college student is a more important news story than the lawyer for the most powerful man in the world pleading guilty to crimes and implicating the President in those crimes.
huh guess that's we would strongly disagree, someone's life or murder > some accusations and arrests for non violent crimes.
I assumed people could go to Fox News and see for themselves. But here is the story. And yes, the headline is about the suspect being an alien, not about him being captured or leading them to the body. The headline is "Mollie Tibbetts murder suspect Cristhian Rivera originally from Mexico, living in US illegally."
did you read the article or just read the headlines? It's obviously about her murder and the confessed killer who is a criminal alien. Your disapproval is grossly misplaced, you may have a touch of syndrome.
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@Zarroette
"racial hatred"
that does seem more accurate and specific. Though I would say any impact these words and labels might have had are minimal at best due to the over and misuse making them fairly inoffensive, much like the prolific use of profanity. The boy who cried racist.
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@sadolite
awe poor guy didn't get to see his kid born, though whom ever he killed, that person's loved ones and family will never see that person again, but who cares about that right? One less democrat voter :(
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@ravensjt
Who benefits from the deaths and incarceration of Black and Brown youth?
the music writers apparently, gives them something to write about. there is a demand for this music, so they are supplying it.
I'm not sure how or why this would be entertaining.
don't you think there must be some kind of entertainment value to those who listen to it? Finding out why could help you understand better right?
Everyone isn't my target audience (see the title of the thread)
and? not sure where you got any such idea or how you made that assumption.
so you don't think this music might make them feel powerful, special, unique or different from the average?
let me ask you this, this type of music, is it getting more popular, is it getting more extreme?
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@DBlaze
ok that was actually funny
with these issues one must ask, what's in it for them, what are they getting out of it.
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@Stronn
So you don't think the murder of a young woman should be prioritized over some tax cheats and yet to be proven true accusation? You have a warped sense of priority.Today was a perfect example of how Fox has become nothing more than Trump cheerleaders.In two bombshell stories, Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was found guilty of 8 charges, and Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pled guilty in federal court to eight counts, implicating Trump in the process.So what is the top story on the Fox News website? A story about a murder suspect being an illegal immigrant. Classic.
I noticed no link or screen shot of your claim.
Was the top story on Fox actually about the murder suspect being a criminal alien?
Or was it that they think they found the body of the missing murdered girl and that a criminal alien lead them to the body? Because that is what I saw
are you trying to get a job at CNN?
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@sadolite
it depends, was he on the way to the hospital with his pregnant wife? And how many people is he accused of killing cause if ti's just a couple of accusations we can probably just let that slide, until he votes anyway and votes Democrat.
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@ravensjt
I'm not sure how or why this would be entertaining.
When I think back to the way things were compared to now, with regards to how people look and portray themselves, there's been some stark changes. Though people do things for personal reasons I believe the end result is actually the same. For example tattoos use to be mostly military people and bikers, no longer. When you ask some people as to why, often the answer is "it's who I am" as if that has any meaning or explanation. It's a bit hypocritical when we don't want to be judged by our looks and yet get tattooed for everyone to see. The main point of tattoos and most piercings is that is their only way to differentiate themselves from everyone else, to feel unique and special. I got my ear pierced way back when, before it was mainstream and I did it for the sole reason to be different, and stopped it when it because too common imo. This strong desire to be unique and different has lead to scaring, branding, gauges, horns,skin implants and some very extreme things. We do want to be judged on how we look, we just don't want to be judged negatively, ironic.
I like music that makes me feel, otherwise it's just noise. This is why certain songs are popular while others are not. Music servers no other purpose other than to provoke some kind of emotion/feeling.
what kind of emotion or feeling doe this music that glorifies black death bring? That's what you have to figure out imo.
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@ravensjt
"intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself."
I suppose we have all been guilty of that a time or 2.
But I think your post is the most honest and accurate, well said.
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@Buddamoose
interesting, not much we are going to do about that right? Hasn't the U.S. recognized or not disputed that Taiwan is a Chinese territory? I'm not sure what the U.S. could or should do about it, if it happens.
Develop a Chinese godzirra? Oh no! there goes Tokyo...ops wrong country.
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@Polytheist-Witch
sure that's all true, but that is the history and reason for marriage by in large. just because modern society has changed it doesn't remove the original intent or meaning. Many vows are a formal solemn commitment There was also a time a man's word was his bond, promises were kept, people had honor and spoke the truth......Marriage is largely trivialized and bastardized to what it once was in meaning and purpose. I believe the divorce rate reflects that.
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@Polytheist-Witch
examine the history of marriage (a contract) and the divorce rate and purpose of arranged marriages, none of which are for love. Generally marriage is about being committed to the marriage and not divorcing. While some may get married out of love (even though there's little reason to) those who are committed to maintaining the marriage can still do so absent of love feelings.
back in the ole days divorce was rare, especially compared to now, why? because you just didn't get divorced, it was taboo, had nothing to do with love.
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@XLAV
that's awesome. Relationship and marriage is about commitment more so than love.
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@XLAV
that's awesome. Relationship and marriage is about commitment more so than love.
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@Castin
first I would urge you to not label yourself and put yourself into a box, secondly if you really want to do so, you should probably pick a different label as what the general public accepts and calls progressiveness, is probably something you are actually not, if you identify with that video. In fact I think he does a good job of defining progressives as they are talked about and displayed on the media.
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@Greyparrot
dude you didn't know he's the real scarecrow from Oz?because the answer is obvious to anyone with a functioning brain.
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@Polytheist-Witch
I agree I don't want to rely on other countries and I don't want them to rely on the U.S., which they do and one reason their costs are less. I want as even a playing field as possible.We benefit from our taxes and money. I don't complain about taxes when I have roads and water and a toilet. I don't complain about drug prices when I get state of the art treatment and not lines. I don't want to rely on the interest of other nations to do research OR NOT. Which would be the case.
Yes citizens should benefit from taxes and money, not other nations or non citizens.
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@Polytheist-Witch
no not at all, I think the U.S. shouldn't be paying the lions share so all the other countries can benefit from our taxes and citizen's money.
in other words this "negotiating and enforcing trade deals to prevent other countries from freeloading off of American researchers."
"If U.S. companies earned more revenue from foreign nations, then the American companies could spend more on R&D. This ultimately would result in new treatments and inject more competition into the U.S. drug market, leading to lower prices for American patients."
it makes the point that the U.S. pays more for healthcare and yet other countries benefit because of it.
Other countries are "screwing the research of medical treatment" with their price controls, lack of patent controls.
"Mexico provides no data protection at all unless innovators undergo a substantial legal process. That means Mexican drug firms can immediately startusing innovators’ data to test the effectiveness of knockoff “biosimilars,”
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@Polytheist-Witch
so with one link you said what took me paragraphs to say, thanks a lot!!! LOL
the U.S. is the great welfare providing nation of the world, time to stop that.
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@linate
What I don't think that is generally being understood by the public is this is a socialist system in many ways (healthcare) Like robbing Peter to pay Paul or Robin Hood. Those who can are paying more to make up for the shortfalls caused by those who can't or don't pay. I have yet to see any real evidence of all this profit making, money hording system or entity that is to blame for the way things are. I don't believe in ghosts but if I ever see one I will!
I'm not claiming to have all the answers or even the right ones, however I also think I know a bad idea when I hear one not proven by facts and evidence, and that is the idea the government can do a better job running the whole thing even when they don't do the best job just running part of it.
We agree in that we want people to receive the care that they need
Shortages can cause increase costs
Usage can increase costs
These are the only things I can think of right now that could cause increase costs of any substantial degree. Apparently malpractice doesn't add that much even though I thought it did.
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@linate
thanks for the hospital profit margin information. i wasnt aware of that. but you aren't making the case that people should remain uninsured.
good, i'm not making a case for people remaining unisured or not receive the medical treatment they need, in fact we could and should do a better job of helping people get the care they need. Giving it all to the government isn't the way, hence my arguments to try and prove that.
if we give them something to pay with, someone is going to take the money and give them service. if the current rate is two thousand patients per doctor, we can give them a patient per day more, or a ten percent increase to match the ten percent uninsured rate, and someone is going to take the money. this sort of maneouver might not work out so well for some business models, but the bottom line point is that we give people access first and ask questions later. they will still have the same profit margins albeit with just seeing more patients to pull it off. that sector will adjust to accomodate, even if there are some losers in the process. also, alternatively, we could give the uninsured and poor medicaid, and some doctor will take the bait. these paitents might have to wait in line, but it's not like they have no access.
I'm not sure you fully understand the current state of things. Look around locally, are there practices that are not accepting new patients? There certainly are several here. Why do you think that is? How can you ask them to take more and work even longer hours than they already do? Many have to do hospital rounds, charting etc when not seeing patients. Things they can't bill for, and you want them to take more? Doesn't sound very realistic. If an area already has limited access because the doctors are full, what good is giving people insurance or paying more if it's just not possible to accept anymore, given a finite number of hours in a day?
i actually strongly support this, but i know it wouldn't be politically popular. alternatively, we could just spend a little more for healthcare. if that means we spend twenty percent of our GDP on healthcare instead of 18 percent, so be it. at least people have healthcare. if we have the money, someone will take it, bottom line. i dont know what point was served by you pointing to a bunch of articles showing that the uninsured run up costs on medical providers. this is irrelevant. and if anything, it just shows that if we reimbursed at around the going rate for these guys, it wouldn't be a problem for providers.
the point of the articles was to show what isn't causing increased prices in healthcare, no substantial increases anyway. This whole topic, whether here or on the news is looking for someone to blame, a scapegoat. Perhaps there's nothing really to blame, except people are living longer and are getting fatter?
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@TwoMan
is suicide legal? I don't believe it is. So if you help, encourage or otherwise engage in an illegal activity, what difference does it make what the illegal activity is?
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We are at season 8 on Naked and Afraid, could I do it, maybe if I had to. I really like this stuff but would never intentionally put myself in that situation unless it was for millions of dollars. I heard they get 5k if they make it 21 days, not even close enough for me. For me the skills is what I like and their success with fishing, traps etc. One I recall the guy just basically didn't do much of anything and waited out the 21 days, boring.
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the murder would not have happened had there not been a call to action
this kind of mirrors Dr. Kevorkian and his assisted suicide.
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@linate
that is a choice isn't it, you can choose to not receive treatment as well, perhaps instead of an MRI you could opt for a plain old x-ray, it's cheaper, not as good, but hey it's a choice right? Much like the luxury car example you gave, if you want the best, you have to pay for it, it costs more. why would you think healthcare is any different?or another example. you buy name brand stuff. does the manufacturing justify the cost? not always, probably not usually i'd guess. there might be some incremental cost factors making it more expensive, but everyone knows a lot of times you are just paying for the brand. they charge more because they can.
so you want saks fifth avenue level of healthcare or goodwill level?
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@linate
if a hospital uses the mri machien twice a day, in a year they have seven hundred thousand dollars. that pays for the machine and costs, with plenty of profit as the years roll by. how does that help the mri machine people innovate? yes, if we give the manufacturer the profit they need, that helps innovation, but anything beyond that is just the hospital taking everything for all it's worth. you guys act like there must be some complex cost factors causing us to cost so much in the usa, but i'd liken it to luxory cars. it doesn't cost a lot to make these cars relative to other cars.... it's just that there's a big demand. basic supply and demand. you asked for numbers. i'd say my above hypothetical is sufficient to show there's plenty going on that wouldn't justify what they charge. i'd also point out that we can look at this from the process of elimination. you guys keep saying things are adding to the cost to justify the price, but everytime you contend something, i show it to be small fries. as i said in the last post, a doctor shortage doesn't explain why we cost twice as much, nor does research and development, nor does malpractice law suits. so where are your numbers? i see you guys throwing around a lot of theories but not using much in way of numbers. if you have another theory for why it costs so much i'm sure i can show those to not stick too as to why we cost twice as much as everyone else.
ok so your issue is that hospitals make too much money, not the companies making the drugs or equipment.
Costs are not just one thing, but a number of, and I have given many links to show that.
Seven of the top 10 most profitable hospitals in the United States are nonprofit facilities
“Most hospitals lose money, but there are a few very profitable ones and we need to pay attention to why they are making so much” and how it affects consumers, said lead author Gerard Anderson, a Hopkins health policy professor.
Hospital profitability sinks to levels not seen since the financial crisis
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/24/hospital-profitability-sinks-to-levels-not-seen-since-financial-crisis.html
also your assumption is the hospitals get paid or reimbursed for everything that is billed out
While hospitals average 7% profit margins, uncompensated care costs can be more than 5% of revenue.
Hospitals’ operating margins in all states would decline. And hospitals in most of the 31 states which expanded Medicaid under the ACA would have negative operating margins by 2026, according to the analysis.
studies have estimated that the bills for all types of health care that the uninsured cannot pay – the uncompensated cost of care – is up to $73 billion a year, a significant portion of which is shifted into higher costs for Americans with insurance and their employers, according to HHS.
TransUnion found just under half of patients did not pay off hospital bills of $500 or less two years ago. The company attributed the increase to higher deductibles and patient responsibility growing from 10 percent to 30 percent over the last few years.The Affordable Care Act has given more people access to health care, but it has driven deductibles up, in some cases, making it harder for patients to pay,
Since 2010, 79 rural hospitals have closed, according to the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program.
hardly seems hospitals are raking in the profits you claim does it. There's a few that do very well, perhaps we should learn from their model if possible.
From previous posts we have all but eliminated the following as a cause of increased healthcare
Drug Companies
Equipment Manufacturers
And now Hospitals
where would you like to point the cross hairs next?
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@Polytheist-Witch
from what I know, I agree with you. it's scary how many are so unaware.Mansanto is a criminal enterprise as far as I am concerned. I know my son's diet can completely effect how he functions being autistic. He can't do Red Dye or dairy. He doesn't seem to have the gluten issue. He has major skin sensitivity too. So we make most of our skin products like lotion, soaps and after shave.
Making your own stuff is awesome very admirable, I'm a bit envious :)
This is one of the reasons I'm mostly anti-government, people who try to be self sufficient and independent are blocked needlessly by government. There's some places it's illegal to collect rain water as an example. And for no logical reason, hemp is illegal and has been for a long time, though there's no good science as to why.
With that said I think I've changed my mind about this growing meat thing, as I believe it will be almost 100% government controlled and manipulated. There will little or no way to make a good informed decision about if it's good for you or not, what it might contained and potential unintended consequences.
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@linate
how does an MRI in the usa costing a thousand dollars but in other countries only two hundred, help innovation? sure they have the cost of the MRI machine, but after that, it's just the hospital milking the situation for all they can.
simple really. Let's just make some business generalities and assumptions to see how the money might work. Let's suppose the MRI is sold to other countries at cost, $200 they are making no profit from that. In the U.S. they are sold for $1000 and probably sell many more of them which is how they make their profit essentially subsidizing other countries who can only pay the cost price. What does the company do with these profits? Do they put them in a vault and swim in them like Scrooge McDuck? Machines don't last forever, require maintenance etc. Let's examine the automobile it's far different than what it use to be, more reliable more efficient, safer etc. Why don't you think they would continue to make the MRI machine more reliable, more efficient, better. New technology is happening all the time, but that costs money. First MRI was invented in 1977 do you think it has remained the same in all that time or has it gotten better? If it's gotten better how did that happen and why?
"MRI is likely to become even more important in the medical world in the near future. Medical researchers are working on combining MRI machines with other imaging equipment in order to make it easier and faster to diagnose a patient. For example, cancer centers across the U.S. are investing in new technology that combines an MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) machine into one."
what is going to make that possible? Money, where is that money going to come from? Profits
You espouse greed and corruption in these companies often, I'm going to ask for some actual evidence that is the major cause of increasing healthcare costs.
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@1harderthanyouthink
it's probably funded by tax dollars anyway.
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@Polytheist-Witch
you are spot on about that. So now the new thing is giving babies peanut butter early on so they don't develop an allergy to it. Not sure if you ever watched the soybean documentary about monsanto, think it was on prime, don't remember the name, sorry, but it was informative and crazy imo. We are so ill informed when it comes to food. They talk about a disease that will end humanity, if it does it was man made.I have some issues with genetically modified food and subbing soy for everything animal based. There are already unethical companies operating in the food industry that are not meat related. I also feel, not science to it, that there is a reason that there are now sensitivities to gluten and dairy, especially in those with autism. And Red dye 40 drives some kids crazy. We sometimes don't think about what we ingest just assuming it's ok but I think nature or natural is always better.
there's a reason why farm steads and "prep" have become popular, if my circumstances would allow for it, I'd do it too.
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@Buddamoose
you have me confused are we talking about refugees or progressives?
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@Polytheist-Witch
there's already egg substitutes, they can probably do the same thing with those that they can with tissue, someday, in a Star Trek kind of future. i'm just saying many of the food animals only exist because of humans who want to eat them, if that no longer exists those animals will probably not exist any longer.. Not a judgement thing, just the possibility, probability I see.
but to your point, while I think this technology is interesting etc, I'd prefer more attention to promoting good animal welfare, local farmers and the best ethical standards that we can implement.
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@Polytheist-Witch
agreed, and good for you, I'm envious
Imagine if you will no need for chickens because of the process, wouldn't chickens eventually cease to exist? There is a need for them and a purpose w/o that other than in books there would be no need for them, it's not like are wild animals.
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