TomAiello

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Everything posted by TomAiello

  1. TomAiello
    So you're in favor of racism as long as it benefits you?
  2. TomAiello
    Who was forced? Sales people can't "make" someone buy something. It was a spoof on how Dreamdancer takes other people's words and then makes up some random accusation to throw at them, followed by a smiley, and usually then a parenthetical aside. Let me try another one...hang on a second. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  3. TomAiello
    I think it's pathetic and juvenile that people on both sides of this issue are trying to seize hold of it for partisan point scoring. The obvious MO for this nonsense is: a) One side claims that it was an innocent joke about an 18 year old and that therefore the other side is crying "rape" solely for shock value. b) The other side claims that the joke was about a 14 year old, that Letterman knew that, and that he's wiggling around trying to justify it without apologizing. Regardless of which side you're on, I think it's petty and juvenile. This is not an important issue. There are much more important things to worry about (trillions of them, actually), and people (like you) who keep rehashing the same lame arguments are just preventing real discussion of actual issues. That's lame. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  4. TomAiello
    I am paying attention. You're having an artificial agreement about whether "rape" was involved in this joke. You are sticking to your "she's 18" while others are sticking to their "she's 14." Then, both sides are yelling about "it is/isn't rape" while ignoring the underlying issue (which child was the intended target). It's petty and juvenile to ignore the underlying point of the opposing argument in an effort to paint the other side as either (a) supporting rape, or (b) calling "rape" for shock value. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  5. TomAiello

    T4 to L4

    TomAiello replied to squirrel's topic in The Bonfire

    I'm fused from T1-L2, with some other hardware stuck in there just above and below, and a cage replacing L1. My spine surgery was a lot less expensive (around 50k), but my total hospital bill was about 750k (I spent almost two months there, and this wasn't the only thing they had to deal with). My insurance covered almost everything--total cost to me was $25 ER copay. On the plus side, I'm now married to my rehab doctor. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  6. TomAiello
    Well, it takes a while for things to reach alternet,org. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  7. TomAiello
    In most of the US, by definition, sex with a 14 year old is statutory rape. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  8. TomAiello
    Which was lame. So is this. I don't care if both sides are doing it. It's still lame. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  9. TomAiello
    I was actually wondering if banning assisted opening knives might not be illegally discriminatory under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some disabled people need the assistance in order to use a knife at all. Eliminating them would unfairly penalize those least able to compensate in other ways. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  10. TomAiello
    Do you need some pre-defined set of elements to make a joke? Is that somewhere in Strunk and White, and I missed it? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  11. TomAiello
    Forcing poor people to take loans to support the greedy capitalist machine is ok with you? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  12. TomAiello
    Not just America. If I recall correctly, Karl Marx used such a slur to describe a candidate for office in Paris , who had some (I think it was about a quarter) african ancestry. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  13. TomAiello
    Do you have any good sources for real time information? The stuff in the press is probably too old to really reflect the situation (which appears to be moving fast), as well as being very patchy (since western reporters aren't exactly having an easy time getting information or getting it out). If I lived in Iran (or were an Iranian living abroad), I'd be pretty concerned and/or taking some action. As an American, my tendency is to think this isn't really any of my business, but rather something the people of Iran need to take up with their government. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  14. TomAiello
    Which party has used economic crisis as a justification to rush through years worth of pork filled pet spending projects with minimal review? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  15. TomAiello
    Yet another stunning example of government competence and trustworthiness. Hey, I've got an idea--let's put those guys in charge of healthcare, too! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  16. TomAiello
    Government officials who are corrupt and wield their power for personal gain? Who'd believe it? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  17. TomAiello
    Availability of what, exactly? Basic treatment? State of the art care? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  18. TomAiello
    As long as the SEC keeps beating the Big 10, I see no need for any investigation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  19. TomAiello
    Have I got a bridge for you. I don't know. The system has been looked at by outside experts, who all thought it was pretty fair. The franchise is limited, and candidates must be approved, but the actual voting hasn't seemed to be rigged, when examined by non-Iranians. Just because the results aren't something we like doesn't mean they're rigged. It may just be that the Iranian voters have a different view of what's "good" for their country than you or I might. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  20. TomAiello
    Really good article. Here's an excerpt that speaks directly to the discussion about Canadian style care: Dogs get better health care than humans? Sign me up! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  21. TomAiello
    I haven't read the article, but I'm familiar with the author. It's especially telling that he's a Canadian doctor. I strongly recommend his book. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  22. TomAiello
    then demonstrate it, please. I suspect you are being intentionally obtuse, however: You stated that "NO ONE in Canada is willing to give that up and go to a private system." (emphasis yours). You also stated that "Those that can afford it already go to the USA, write a check and pay for it." Your statement that some in Canada (those who can afford it) opt to go to a private system (in the USA) for care, demonstrates that your other statement (that NO ONE (emphasis yours) would trade) is untrue. Some Canadians (those with the ability to do so, according to you), have chosen to give up their Canadian care by opting to travel for care in a private system. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  23. TomAiello
    Dreamdancer won't actually discuss anything. He just posts links to other sites, with occasional parenthetical fragments. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  24. TomAiello
    That's demonstrably untrue. If healthcare there is decent, people wouldn't go to the USA for care. Those who travel to the USA for care have given up their "decent" Canadian care and opted for a private system in the USA. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
  25. TomAiello
    Nothing's stopping them from buying wal-mart stock, and last I heard they do have some sort of profit sharing program for employees. You want profits to go to the share-holders? What kind of heartless, evil baby killer are you? Or even to the employees? They don't know what's best for them, and need the UAW to direct their lives if they are not to lapse into poverty. We all know that any profits not given directly to a union are evil. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com