Photos, vids, etc ....

[sear]

"If "God" does exists and wants people to believe in him (let alone worship him) you'd think that he'd at least provide some verifiable proof of his existence." #1,480

Indeed!
Perhaps paradoxically, the poseurs that pretend to authority on it focus the attentions of the agnostics, providing persuasive justification to disbelieve.

But such poseurs may not define god, but religion. They are not the same.

"If "God" does exists and wants people to believe in him (let alone worship him) you'd think that he'd at least provide some verifiable proof of his existence." #1,480

"A god that does not manifest in reality is indistinguishable from a god that does not exist." Matt Dillahunty

And allowing superstition to define reality can result in false ideology.

"Manifest in reality"? "verifiable proof of his existence"?

Stroll through the shopping mall, that's a man-made environment. Detecting god there more difficult for the less discerning.
Stumble through the forest, that's not a man-made environment. And if man didn't make it, who did?

It's called "Creation". If there is a Creation there must be a Creator.

Those that seek proof in the form Bible-thumpers favor, have succumbed to thumper kool-aid.

"The fact that somebody over-sells an idea doesn't make it a bad idea. It makes them a bad salesman." Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA ret)

SO WHAT ?!

Appreciation is its own reward.
To deny Nature is to deny reality.
And if man did not create Nature, who / what else?

The self-proclaimed authorities on it call the creator "god". Shall we forfeit our appreciation over a trivial quibble about terminology? They may use the English language. The don't own it.

Merry Christmas

 

[Shiftless2]

 

[sear]

"... you thieving Christian bastards" mug 1,482

They stole the solstice?
From the Druids?

Is that why when not at the State House, but at the steak house, Christians don't order the rib-eye rare, but Salisbury Plain ?

Oh what a wonderful world we die in !

Off-topic (inspired by Stone Henge):

Earth's moon is the largest in proportion to planet size of any in our solar system.
But the other large moons in our solar system orbit their host planet's equator.
Earth's moon does not. Earth's moon orbits Earth in the ecliptic *. For this reason, the other large moons appear directly overhead only at the equator.
But because Earth's moon orbits Earth in the ecliptic, and Earth's rotation is tilted, Earth's moon can appear overhead even for those far North or South of Earth's equator.
paraphrase of Astronomer / Author / Professor Bob Berman
*The plane of Earth's yearly orbit around the sun, not the equatorial plane of its daily rotation upon its own axis.

The gradual cycling of Earth's moon Northward & Southward takes over 18 years to complete.
Tonight's full moon is that 18 year cycle's most Northern.

 

[Shiftless2]

Things you didn't know ...

 

[sear]

Not an accusation, but an observation:

"... your FATHER ..." @alexandrafishr #1,484

Seems petty, mean-spirited. "Subtlety is an over-sold virtue." psychologist Joy Browne

My issues with Musk are consequential.
"Stepsister" is an issue, but you're OK w/ Musk's $million $dollar incentives to vote Trump?

 

[Shiftless2]

 

[Shiftless2]

After reading this I'd suggest that any company that currently provides it's employees with healthcare thru UHC should seriously consider changing providers.

 

[sear]

"After reading this I'd suggest that any company that currently provides it's employees with healthcare thru UHC should seriously consider changing providers." S2 1,487

Indeed. Dumping UHC would seem the obvious course of action in this case. BUT,
is there any alternate healthcare provider that's better?

Some stats indicate some Western European countries have both lower per capita healthcare costs, and better healthcare outcomes, longer life expectancy. True?
Some say the U.S. should change to "single-payer".

But #1,487 seems to be what we can expect from our current system. Also worth noting, #1,487 is an anecdote, apparently selected for agenda-driven purpose. U.S. national stats on this may tell a more accurate story.

note:
Once a year or so I find in my snail-mail box a healthcare publication, perhaps systemically mailed to seniors.
I've seen telephone books that are not as thick.
What % of recipients of this annual publication read it enough to make informed, constructive decisions based on it? The current system is absurdly complicated, perhaps helping to keep the unemployment statistics low.

 

[Shiftless2]

Some stats indicate some Western European countries have both lower per capita healthcare costs, and better healthcare outcomes, longer life expectancy. True?

Just look north of the border - Canada provides insurance to everybody with a per capita cost that's roughly half of that in the US.

List of countries by total health expenditure per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[sear]

I know of no status quo that doesn't have a constituency.

"Canada provides insurance to everybody with a per capita cost that's roughly half of that in the US." S2 #1,489

That may help demonstrate lowering healthcare costs in the U.S. isn't a will-o'-the-wisp. It CAN be done.

That suggests those benefiting from the current U.S. healthcare system are guarding their $cash $cow. - but -

We should exercise some discretion in drawing conclusions from statistics. In this case:

"Canada provides insurance to everybody" S2 #1,489

One alternate interpretation of this per capita statistic:
in the U.S., healthcare plan participants are self-selected for needing healthcare. Healthy U.S. citizens that would have low or no healthcare costs are removed from the per capita stat.
thereby raising the per capita U.S. healthcare statistic.

 

[Shiftless2]

Healthy U.S. citizens that would have low or no healthcare costs are removed from the per capita stat. thereby raising the per capita U.S. healthcare statistic.

So you're saying that the definition of "per capita" varies from country to country?

 

[sear]

"So you're saying that the definition of "per capita" varies from country to country?" S2 #1,491

Per capita means "by heads", regardless of which side of the border ... .
But we must be mindful of whether the per capita standard is applied to the entire national population, or only the insured subset (though either method produces a "per capita" stat). [I haven't read the methodology of the reports ... ]

Example:
Nation "A" and nation "C" have exactly equal populations, equal in number, and identical in healthcare need.
And
each of these two nations $spent exactly the same amount on healthcare. BUT !
In nation "A" only half the population has healthcare insurance coverage, while
nation "C" has 100% healthcare insurance enrollment.

In that artificially contrived scenario nation "C" may be reported to have a per capita healthcare cost $half as high as nation "A" even though each nation spends the same.

Thus:
is "per capita" in this case of the insured subset of the population? Or of the entire national population, including new-borns, death-bedders, death row inmates, ... ?

 

[Shiftless2]

The numbers in that report include both public and private healthcare costs so it doesn't just include people with insurance. It includes Medicare and Medicaid expenditures as well.

 

[sear]

"The numbers in that report include both public and private healthcare costs so it doesn't just include people with insurance. It includes Medicare and Medicaid expenditures as well." S2 #1,493

a) Thanks for confirming S2.
b) I deduce the members in the U.S. congress that have looked at this know that.

And yet the U.S. retains the inferior, more costly $system. hmmm ... $Wonder $Why ...

 

[Shiftless2]

 

[Shiftless2]

 

[Shiftless2]

 

[sear]

Trump: "Professional Liar, Professional Conman, Professional Fraudster, Professional Deadbeat, Professional ---hole, Professional Mooch, Professional Felon" #1,495

Not sure this qualifies as a "meme".
What are the behavioral parameters of "Professional ---hole"? Not to question Trump's mastery, but it's not illogical to consider Trump an amateur ---hole.

"... only 32 of" 33 #1,496

The implication, the United States of America is #33?

"the world's richest man" HC #1,497

Earth is soooo flush with $cash, we not only have a "the world's richest man". We've got several of them,
including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, & Warren Buffet.

None the less HC, your embellished assertion still has merit. Resign yourself to this. Trump's next 4 year reign of terrible hasn't even started yet.

 

[sear]

#1,495

5 Ancient Chinese Virtues / Confucian Fundamentals:
- Benevolence
- Righteousness
- Propriety
- Wisdom
- Trustworthiness

POTUSe perfect score
cannot be disimproved upon

 

[sear]

Nice lookin' gal, but she has a dubious background.