airdvr

Hmmm...how conservative of you. You don't like someone getting something for free that you had to work for. Irony meter off the scale. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Agreed. We use it at home, in the car, on the boat. It's not the value it once was because of the commercials on some fo the channels, but the music channels I listen to most are commercial free. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

My issue is with the percentages. Average home prices in my area are ~$200K. In order for me to live in that area I would need my income to increase by a factor of 4. That's not going to happen. And if the median is $800K you have to save $160K as a down payment to avoid PMI? Wow. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

it's going to be difficult if you can't get past the "things cost more here" mentality. Actually, it's the 'you must be fucking stupid' mentality I have difficulty with. When the average home price is double the state's median why would I want to buy a home for 100% more than I can anywhere else? Add to that a state & local tax burden that means I get to take home less than 50% of what I earned and I can think of 49 other states I'd rather live in. Don't get me wrong, you guys live there might enjoy that but I'd just as soon have someone give me a stick so I can beat myself with it. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Estimated median house or condo value in 2011: $719,800 (it was $422,700 in 2000) San Francisco: $719,800 California: $355,600 Mean prices in 2011: All housing units: $800,192; Detached houses: $832,462; Townhouses or other attached units: $757,494; In 2-unit structures: $890,423; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $844,601; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $691,612; Mobile homes: $296,924; Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $539,744 http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Francisco-California.html#ixzz2gPjFC6KG You guys need to get a dose of reality. $300,000 mobile homes? Yea...that's middle class. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

wonder who is buying all the housing then. Your sources are pretty bad. http://www.realestate.com/results/CA/Mountain+View/ I wouldn't call the average home price of $864K to be middle class. Who do you think is buying all the housing? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

A jump out of one of those would be amazing. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Interesting. The trend continues even today. When a Democrat POTUS shut down the gov't it was about wanting to spend more. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

False hyperbole rarely helps an argument. and the Bay Area is one of the strongest examples where people can earn their success, and the reason why people from all over the country flock here. It's much less about who you know or where you went to school, but what can you deliver, particularly at the startups. And there is a thriving middle class - albeit at definitions that seem astronomical to national averages. In contrast, I know quite a few that have earned their lack of success by spending more time drinking and smoking (their medical pot) and just punching the clock. When we get hit by recessions (dot bomb, 2008), these people get filtered from employment in a hurry. I'll be in the bay area next week. From what information I've been able to find there is no middle class. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Don't be so hard on the Dems. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

What happened to being able to keep your current coverage? People are free to keep their current coverage as long as it conforms to the ACA requirements, they're willing to cover the entire tab themselves, and their insurer doesn't decide to discontinue it. Well that's mighty white of 'em. What you describe is another gouge of the people responsible enough to carry health insurance. The folks this is designed to help don't pay income tax. What incentive do they have? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

New meaning to phone sex. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

I've been engrossed in a biography of Neil Armstrong http://www.amazon.com/First-Man-Life-Neil-Armstrong/dp/074325631X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379734750&sr=8-1&keywords=first+man . Interesting enough but I'm struck by what I believe is the failure of mankind to live up to those most famous words 44 years ago. I wonder how it stalled, because the feeling of the time, even readily obvious to this 11 year old boy was this was the beginning of something wonderful. The world would change for the better. Sadly, I don't think it has. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Sorry you didn't get your AGW Peter Pan. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

This^ Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Currently, federal law does not place any limits on the ways that insurers set their premium rates. However, beginning January 1, 2014, insurance companies must meet minimum premium rating rules for health plans for individuals and small businesses. Health plans will be allowed to adjust premiums based only on the following factors: Individual vs. family enrollment (i.e., individual + spouse, individual + dependent(s), etc.) Geographic area Age (but cannot vary by more than three times among adults) Tobacco use (the rate cannot vary by more than 1.5 to 1) Other factors that insurers traditionally use to charge higher premiums, such as health status, use of health services and gender, will no longer be allowed under the ACA. The rating rules in the ACA set a floor, so states can retain or enact a tougher standard than federal law. All of the things the insurance company used to do to rate a bad risk higher they are not able to do anymore. They are in effect telling the insurance companies how much they will allow them to make. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

What are new federal requirements for insurers to set premiums? Currently, federal law does not place any limits on the ways that insurers set their premium rates. However, beginning January 1, 2014, insurance companies must meet minimum premium rating rules for health plans for individuals and small businesses. Health plans will be allowed to adjust premiums based only on the following factors: Individual vs. family enrollment (i.e., individual + spouse, individual + dependent(s), etc.) Geographic area Age (but cannot vary by more than three times among adults) Tobacco use (the rate cannot vary by more than 1.5 to 1) Other factors that insurers traditionally use to charge higher premiums, such as health status, use of health services and gender, will no longer be allowed under the ACA. The rating rules in the ACA set a floor, so states can retain or enact a tougher standard than federal law. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Agreed. My step-daughter just finished her fellowship in hand surgery and is now practicing in Mountain View CA. She has been in school for 14 years. Little does she realize Obamacare will be taking her down a couple of notches soon. But she worked really hard. I don't know if I would have been able to do it. She deserves to make some bank now. Why would Obamacare take her down a notch? Hmm...let's see. Health insurers as we know them BCBS, Kaiser etc... will be gone in less than a decade. ACA mandated coverages and the requirement to take all comers regardless of pre-existing conditions will drive them out of business. Have fun purchasing insurance from the markets when no one is offering anything. The next phase will be a single payer system much like Canada's. Do you think docs will make more or less? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Both have drop top options so you can feel the wind blowing through your vagina. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Agreed. My step-daughter just finished her fellowship in hand surgery and is now practicing in Mountain View CA. She has been in school for 14 years. Little does she realize Obamacare will be taking her down a couple of notches soon. But she worked really hard. I don't know if I would have been able to do it. She deserves to make some bank now. So do newly tenured associate professors of (History/English/Anthropology/Archeology/Music...) who also spend 14 years in school and work really hard to get tenure. Should they make as much as MDs? Or is you sympathy reserved for family members? I know you'd like to believe understanding Shakespeare is a life or death situation... As for ACA...I haven't broached that subject with her. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Agreed. My step-daughter just finished her fellowship in hand surgery and is now practicing in Mountain View CA. She has been in school for 14 years. Little does she realize Obamacare will be taking her down a couple of notches soon. But she worked really hard. I don't know if I would have been able to do it. She deserves to make some bank now. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

This subject has been discussed ad nauseum. Tiring. I am certain our new way of doing hc will be so much better than how we do it now. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Who did you vote for in the last presidential election? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

U.S., Russia agree to framework on Syria chemical weapons http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/14/politics/us-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 Under the resolution, progress on eliminating Syria's chemical weapons will be kept under review and, "in the event of non-compliance ... the UN Security Council should impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter." Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter leaves open the possibility for the Security Council to consider the use of force if Syria fails to comply, but Russia, which has veto power on the council, is unlikely to agree to that. Other options include the use of sanctions. Hmmm...this sounds so familiar. Where have I heard this before? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne

Interesting. 10 years or so agaon, when that primary concern was raised the answer tended to be: Fuck the rest of the world and what they think. That's only because you want to revise history. 2 years after 911 the mood was very different. Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne