patrick.net

That's because there isn't any.

Obamacare information booklet reads...

Please consult your insurance polity from your insurance agent for details?

Page 2 reads...

"Well go on then, what in the hell are you waiting for?"

I'd be happy with a condom that dosen't make a guy feel like he just lubed up with novocaine.

The one that gets me, was the "NEW" lending guidelines, that described the mortgage process I went though in 2010 to the letter.

Yawn.

The cost of keeping each each soldier in Afghanistan for a year is $2.1 million.

Meanwhile, the cost of rearing a middle-class kid and putting it through college is $250,000.

This study sounds cheap.

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says

I like the snug fit of a Hefty lawn and leave bag.

You DO know you re not supposed to crawl inside the condom, right? Its not a sleeping bag.

Here, perhaps this will help:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/pmIGXO1TFWw

New Renter says

You DO know you re not supposed to crawl inside the condom, right? Its not a sleeping bag.

Not to mention the splash back. That could be fatal.

Condoms are incredibly effective (albeit not perfect) at reducing unwanted pregnancy and STD transmission. If we the taxpayers can spend some money to develop more comfortable condoms, and therefore condoms that people are more likely to use then yes I think its money VERY well spent. And if we can do it for a quarter million then I think its a bargain and we'd be idiots not to do it.

That's just the lab testing. The field testing is going to run into the millions.

It is going to cost millions just to pay the hordes of male volunteers to go away (and, of course, to pay the females to participate).

Call it Crazy says

Most uninsured Americans lack knowledge about Obamacare

Most insured Americans lack knowledge about insurance. How many people even have a copy of their policies, let alone read them? The Obamacare websites are mainly advertising, literally propaganda to induce you to buy policies that you're not even allowed to read first. You have to buy it to find out what's in it, if you can even find out then. I kept clicking on links that led nowhere, then phoned and am still waiting for a copy. I predict the 2014 midterms will be a battle of anecdotes: Republicans will find anecdotes from people who suffered because of Obamacare, while Democrats will find anecdotes from people who claim to have benefited. The aggregate data will show more spending, higher costs, and net zero benefit (possibly even negative).

curious2 says

Most insured Americans lack knowledge about insurance.

A lot of people find out about the intricacies of their "health" insurance only when the serious illness, and subsequent bankruptcy, happens.
curious2 says

You have to buy it to find out what's in it

This is called getting "Pelosi'ed" I believe.

Ceffer says

That's just the lab testing. The field testing is going to run into the millions.

It is going to cost millions just to pay the hordes of male volunteers to go away (and, of course, to pay the females to participate).

You can get paid to go away?

Where do I sign?

thomaswong.1986 says

bob2356 says

Uh, you claimed you were vp of finance for a major multi national software company. You're too small to have a SS # mismatch?

Thats right not one to speak of... we dont have that many employees.

We are not a " major" company, what ever that means... we are a start up with international operations.

So the answer to my question is ????????????????????? Where did 500+ billion in suspense file money come from if illegals didn't pay it in along with billions in income taxes? Still waiting, probably forever.

Yup, if he can't "indirectly" order a hit, he has no right to high office.

Fat guys have feelings, too, gang.

I'm not saying it's a crappy idea, I'm just suggesting, why give them money if they just have to pay it back to the FDA, or is that already part of the "DEAL"?

It seems to me, money should be spent on developing something, not giving people money so they can up their website SEO.

We only know bubbles after the fact. In Southern California there has been a seven year cycle. But today many external factors invade.

Just treat your house as a place to live and not as an investment.

Your house is a depreciating "asset" it is only your lot that appreciates if at all.

CaptainShuddup says

I'm not saying it's a crappy idea, I'm just suggesting, why give them money if they just have to pay it back to the FDA, or is that already part of the "DEAL"?

I'm pretty sure it's one of those sweetheart deals. Sure reminds me why I pay taxes in this country.

Call it Crazy says

In 2009, the NIH financed a $423,500 study to find out why condom usage is so low in the United States.

not to mention the infamous. $2.6Million spent on drunk Chinese hookers...

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jul/29/judson-phillips/founder-tea-party-nation-claims-us-government-has-/

In November 2008, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health awarded a 5-year, $2.6 million grant to Wayne State University in Detroit to allow Dr. Xiaoming Li, professor and director of the university's Prevention Research Center, to "establish and evaluate whether an alcohol and HIV intervention center can assist in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS among sex workers in China," according to a university press release announcing the grant.

I wonder how costly should it be for the Govt to spend on contraceptives...
more than $2Billion a year... should be easier to teach to say no...

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/01/government-spends-12-on-safe-sex-and-contraceptives-for-every-1-spent-on-abstinence

In fact, programs promoting contraceptive use already receive very large amounts of government funding. In 2002, the federal and state governments spent an estimated $1.73 billion on a wide variety of contraception promotion and pregnancy prevention programs.

1 More than a third of that money ($653 million) was spent specifically to fund contraceptive programs for teens.

2 By contrast, programs teaching teens to abstain from sexual activity received only an estimated $144.1 million in the same year. Overall, government spent $12 to promote contraception for every dollar spent to encourage abstinence. In addition, most contraceptive promotion or comprehensive sex-ed curricula contain material that is alarming and offensive to most parents.

Homeboy says

thomaswong.1986 says

homeboy = short on memory !

Also non sequitur. Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack. If you believe otherwise, you are an IDIOT.

And who said they did ? Iraq, WMD were an issue before and after 9/11...
Can you provide the source that stated Iraq was connected to 9/11 or had connections to AQ, as everyone already agreed did exist.

http://www.rightwingnews.com/column-2/debunking-8-anti-war-myths-about-the-conflict-in-iraq/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddam_Hussein_and_al-Qaeda_link_allegations

The Bush administration view, as defined by the Colin Powell speech before the UN, postulated that there might have been a cooperative relationship, but that Saddam was not supportive of the 9/11 attacks.

Powell presented several credible intelligence reports vetted by the Intelligence Community showing contacts between Iraq's Intelligence Service and al-Qaeda. Powell pointed out that Saddam had already supported Islamic Jihad, a radical Islamist group, and that there was no reason for him not to support al-Qaeda.

Powell discussed concerns that Saddam may provide al-Qaeda with chemical or biological weapons.

In the same Meet the Press interviews, Cheney implied a connection between Iraq and Mohamed Atta; "The Czech interior minister said today that an Iraqi intelligence officer met with Mohammed Atta, one of the ringleaders of the September 11 terrorists attacks on the United States, just five months before the synchronized hijackings and mass killings were carried out." and

"With respect to 9/11, of course, we’ve had the story that’s been public out there. The Czechs alleged that Mohamed Atta, the lead attacker, met in Prague with a senior Iraqi intelligence official five months before the attack, but we’ve never been able to develop any more of that yet either in terms of confirming it or discrediting it. We just don’t know."

bob2356 says

So the answer to my question is ????????????????????? Where did 500+ billion in suspense file money come from if illegals didn't pay it in along with billions in income taxes? Still waiting, probably forever.

you reconcile it... perhaps unlike the private industry you double counted it and its really not there. And that is your answer ... Reconcile it and confirm it. If the banks can do it across all its account holders every month, it should be a snap for the Govt to do it as well...

jazz music says

thomaswong.1986 says

you rather keep those jobs in China,

... because they have less restrictive environment laws and less restrictive child labor and on and on ... they are there because our government let the jobs go there, not because businesses have the god given right to poison and exploit unfairly

So how do you figure Silicon Valley exploited Children and created Poison for several decades.... People here should all be dead by now if true.

thomaswong.1986 says

lattitude says

I went to Homestead in Cupertino. I think most in my class haven't done huge things, but as a percentage, most seem to have found solid and educated jobs. In fact, I think 98% of all grads in my class went on to college in one way or another.

compare that when home prices in Cupertino, Sunnyvale

WERE NOT as expensive... people still went on to careers/jobs.

not all that different...

however, if your paying upward of a $1M for a 60s rancher, you

better be a Nuclear scientist... or something huge!

But thats not the case, so more bang for the money just isnt there.

One of my youngest staffers went to UCSD grad from Cupertino High 2006,

ok earned a Business Degree and now working as AP clerk... no more than a

HS diploma job... a common theme i am seeing..there is something wrong here.

Thomas,

I see your point, but I think you're missing what I'm trying to say. As a father you want to give every opportunity to your child. By sending him to a better school in a better neighborhood you're giving him/her the best possible opportunity at success. This doesn't mean becoming president or a rocket scientist, but rather a solid foundation for a prosperous future.

The fact that you're arguing that the RE prices in these areas were much lower with similar results is a moot point. These were still better schools even then and comparatively they were pricier areas as well (just not as much as now).

You say going to a private school is the answer... do you really feel that a private school is that much better of an education over a great public school? The results are comparable. Therefore, it makes much more sense (if you can afford it) to purchase in the better public school district as you'll not only skip private tuition, but also reap the benefits of a more stable RE market given your location.

BTW, I wonder if Homestead is still playing their football games at Fremont?

bgamall4 says

Boy are you a piece of work, Wong. The laws of the American tax system allow bad things. They allow Romney to park millions in the Cayman Islands and pay a lower tax rate when that should NOT BE ALLOWED. Even ABC News reported on this flaw in the system that is engineered by the rich, for the rich. It may be legal but it is killing America and was one of the reason that dickhead lost the election.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/romney-parks-millions-offshore-tax-haven/story?id=15378566 "His personal finances are a poster child of what's wrong with the American tax system," said Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who is an authority on tax enforcement and offshore banking.

it is remarkable how much misinformation was created over so called "overseas accounts".... and yet many of you still dont get the IRS rules.

"The tax consequences to the Romneys are the very same whether the fund is domiciled here or another country," a campaign official said in response to questions. "Gov. and Mrs. Romney have money invested in funds that the trustee has determined to be attractive investment opportunities, and those funds are domiciled wherever the fund sponsors happen to organize the funds."

You want to so call open a Bank Account, with a foreign bank (off shore).. go right ahead.. there are US Branches of International Banks in all major US cities.

You will find you are not hiding any amounts of income overseas or such.

Bain was organized as a partnership entity with global operations, and as such Romney's share from his partnership was parked in the Cayman Island as are many Corporations also organized their Non US HQ in Ireland, or Singapore.. This of course has nothing to do with US based earnings. So its false to claim anyone "shifting incomes offshore".

Cayman like Ireland wanted to attract the business and generate massive revenues. as they have down. The same is true with Delaware which took business away from New York as well back in the 1800s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_haven#North_America

This is all non issues in the long run... but you will spread the ignorance
as do the media and journalist. Do they even bother to ask the IRS or big 4 accounting firms how this all works...the real criminals hiding millions in offshore accounts are drug gangs and immigrants to the USA (before they enter the USA.) Thats the only way you can skip and hid the criminal assets and loot. By all means go after them and confiscate their funds.

thomaswong.1986 says

lattitude says

Have you spent much time analyzing the accomplishments of kids in the worse neighborhoods of the bay area?

as Bacus would say... Jerry Yang who founded Yahoo. Frankly I would

add good chunk of the Viet community who are from San Jose... they

did a pretty good job over the decades past. The idea of higher home

prices, better schools isnt a very good measure ... especially since many

didnt exist in decades past.

I don't think cherry picking success stories is a fair assessment. Okay, so you mention the Viet community from SJ... I could be wrong here, but I'd be very surprised if a comparatively inexpensive area has comparable success statistics to a more affluent and expensive area (SAT, college attendance, etc.). Remember, we are specifically talking the fortress areas or areas with equally easy access to major job opportunities.

bob2356 says

So the question stands, not that you will ever answer it, where did all these funds come from if illegals didn't put them in, along with income taxes, using phony ss #'s.

you have 20 Million Criminals in the USA who are infact Foreign Citizens
earning unreported income back home... not only to the USA but also to their home nations tax authority which they are still lawful residents ... be it Mexico, India, China, Canada, Europe and any other Latin American nation. And of course much of it is tied to organized crime, drugs and human trafficking.

Of course you and dingbat BGAMAL all like to gloss over those criminal activities...

jazz music says

thomaswong.1986 says

What a fucking joke your side has become...

Right back at you buttercup.

You of course come off no better either...

lattitude says

The fact that you're arguing that the RE prices in these areas were much lower with similar results is a moot point. These were still better schools even then and comparatively they were pricier areas as well (just not as much as now).

it is THE point of the matter... as was the case decade before as prices were equally lower in Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Cupertino and other cities.

whats changed.... but irrational heard mentality ...

lattitude says

I see your point, but I think you're missing what I'm trying to say. As a father you want to give every opportunity to your child. By sending him to a better school in a better neighborhood you're giving him/her the best possible opportunity at success. This doesn't mean becoming president or a rocket scientist, but rather a solid foundation for a prosperous future.

No you are NOT giving him or your family any change of normal stable life, considering many employers are unable and unwilling to bank role your expensive life style. Given the nature of the Global competition inthe Tech market .. and as we painly discovered with the Japanese int the late 80s...... You, I and all of us are at risk of losing our jobs...

such careless, emotional buying is self-destructive FOR ALL in the long run.

http://www.sfgate.com/business/ontherecord/article/ON-THE-RECORD-CARL-GUARDINO-2574540.php#ixzz1v6EFUJaI

Carl Guardino, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (2007)

" Hewlett-Packard and Dell are the top two computer-makers in the world. Corporate headquarters for HP are located in Palo Alto and Dell is in Round Rock, Texas. Obviously, they both have people and facilities around the globe.

In those two communities where their corporate headquarters are and where a lot of research and development takes place, the median resale price for a home in Palo Alto is about $1.6 million. In Round Rock, Texas, it's about $180,000, except the home and property are bigger.

We hear from HP all the time that a huge deterrent to the ability to recruit and retain people anywhere near Silicon Valley is the housing issue. We don't hear that from Dell, which is also a member company, about their operations in Round Rock. It does continue to plague us and we will continue to sound the alarm."

and this is what you get... chances are high it will be more in SFBA than lower home priced states/cities where HP has operations. Many others have already moved their operations elsewhere.

HP Confirms Even More Layoffs By End of 2014

Dec 31, 2013 - Hewlett-Packard will lay off 34,000 employees as part of its years-long restructuring plan under CEO Meg Whitman, the last major downsizing at

APOCALYPSEFUCKisShostikovitch says

anonymous says

My Fellow Americans, Look At Me: Do I Look Like A Corrupt, Vengeful Bully?

Yes. But you need to shave you head and paint a swastika on your face to be taken seriously as a GOP candidate for 2016.

I'm going to piggyback my last comments... It's all supply and demand. The bay area is a powerhouse of wealth for the top 5 to 10%. They want the absolute best for their children so will do whatever it takes to plant their lives in the best locations for schools and commute. Couple that with the education focused Asians (typically wealthy), Chinese investors, prop 13 (limited supply), and the fact that investing in these neighborhoods is blue chip investing through and through. Hence, the outrageous prices. It doesn't matter how much it costs, because if you can afford it, you're looking at all of these facts (momentum) to justify it.

Does it make sense from a dollar standpoint? No! In fact it's ridiculous. Will it come crashing down again at some point? Probably. But that doesn't matter since history proves it always finds a way to go back up again. Just look at the previous crash!

thomaswong.1986 says

lattitude says

The fact that you're arguing that the RE prices in these areas were much lower with similar results is a moot point. These were still better schools even then and comparatively they were pricier areas as well (just not as much as now).

it is THE point of the matter... as was the case decade before as prices were equally lower in Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Cupertino and other cities.

whats changed.... but irrational heard mentality ...

Agreed on herd mentality... but that's called supply and demand. The nature of the market has made this happen because people CAN afford it!

lattitude says

I'm going to piggyback my last comments... It's all supply and demand. The bay area is a powerhouse of wealth for the top 5 to 10%.

not is ... "WAS"... your baseing that on the late 90s IPO + High Valuations + Stock Options. It was when some companies like Yahoo were trading at $300/share in Q4 1999 someone else wealth and anothers "Cash"... The fool who paid $300 saw his wealth sink to $10/share... Have we forgotten this...

Things have changed since than...

lattitude says

Does it make sense from a dollar standpoint? No! In fact it's ridiculous. Will it come crashing down again at some point? Probably. But that doesn't matter since history proves it always finds a way to go back up again. Just look at the previous crash!

As we already learned by late 80s as jobs vanished.. it will take you out before you see RE prices crash... I wouldnt count on getting back up,
thats more of myth, since global Tech Spending has peaked some 10 years ago...

The only "Next Big Thing" is natural gas deposits which are making families millions/billions
in middle america... Natural Gas and Fracking.. Energy to fuel the next century...!!

All we have here is Facebook and Selfies of our weiners hanging out ...

lattitude says

prop 13 (limited supply),

prop 13 does not constrain supply nor prevent crashes...

as you can see we had a boom in new development across much

of the Bay Area and California in general.

thomaswong.1986 says

No you are NOT giving him or your family any change of normal stable life, considering many employers are unable and unwilling to bank role your expensive life style. Given the nature of the Global competition inthe Tech market .. and as we painly discovered with the Japanese int the late 80s...... You, I and all of us are at risk of losing our jobs...

such careless, emotional buying is self-destructive FOR ALL in the long run.

I don't get what you're trying to prove here? Once again, cherry picking... So you're basically implying that the house prices (thus cost of living) are killing off companies success here in the bay area or in general? Wouldn't you think that by now we'd be seeing more of an effect of this? Last I checked this area seems to be doing alright (even with these house prices). How does one explain that?

The only people getting over today are the lower income and upper income groups. That's because they don't have a middle income job (50-200k/yr) that is taxed to insanity.

Sounds great for people who own rental property in the area!

Christie stayed out of the 2012 election because he knew he didn't have a chance against the re-election of the first black president. However, he doesn't stand a chance against Hilary either. I would not be surprised at all if the voters decided that now that a black president has been elected, we need a woman president. Voters rarely vote on the issues.

The only reason Hilary didn't win in 2012 is that Harry Reid picked Obama as the Democrat's primary candidate. If Obama hadn't won, Hillary would have. And she's up next for the Democratic Party unless something major happens. And no, Benghazi doesn't count.

lattitude says

thomaswong.1986 says

No you are NOT giving him or your family any change of normal stable life, considering many employers are unable and unwilling to bank role your expensive life style. Given the nature of the Global competition inthe Tech market .. and as we painly discovered with the Japanese int the late 80s...... You, I and all of us are at risk of losing our jobs...

such careless, emotional buying is self-destructive FOR ALL in the long run.

I don't get what you're trying to prove here? Once again, cherry picking... So you're basically implying that the house prices (thus cost of living) are killing off companies success here in the bay area or in general? Wouldn't you think that by now we'd be seeing more of an effect of this? Last I checked this area seems to be doing alright (even with these house prices). How does one explain that?

Glad you have picked up on the soft underbelly of Thomas' argument. Its essentially the old Yogi Berra quote: "That place is so crowded - nobody goes there anymore". Goran K noted the same thing last year:

Goran_K says

That's nice Thomas. But if the fleeing of companies was so drastic, why is SV experiencing the exact opposite of Detroit in their housing market?

Thomas couldn't explain it then, and I suspect he cannot explain it now. Still, don't be surprised when he posts the same thing next year too...

thomaswong.1986 says

Carl Guardino, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (2007)

" Hewlett-Packard and Dell are the top two computer-makers in the world. Corporate headquarters for HP are located in Palo Alto and Dell is in Round Rock, Texas. Obviously, they both have people and facilities around the globe.

In those two communities where their corporate headquarters are and where a lot of research and development takes place, the median resale price for a home in Palo Alto is about $1.6 million. In Round Rock, Texas, it's about $180,000, except the home and property are bigger.

We hear from HP all the time that a huge deterrent to the ability to recruit and retain people anywhere near Silicon Valley is the housing issue. We don't hear that from Dell, which is also a member company, about their operations in Round Rock. It does continue to plague us and we will continue to sound the alarm."

This sums up Thomas totally. This is a quote from 2007. Then, he'll give you charts from 2011.

He refuses to understand that the tech industry is about Google, Facebook, Apple, and the rest of the internet companies now. And, that's what is different about now.