Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
Thanks zabber. Stay well.
Again, I am not here for anyone's sentiments, I came here when Zeev had the room, and I was always amazed on his trading, and wondered why I couldn't trade like he did.
The one thing I will always take from him, was his first position, his second position, third and fourth position, and then watch him sell those psoitions during the day as those stocks came back up.
He would play very few stocks, and he was consistent, at that time I was still all over the place in finding stocks to trade, but not Zeev, he would stick to his stocks and trade them like a good book, one chapter at a time, most days he would make more in a day then I would make in a month.
I am just tired of other issues that come during the day, I do admit some days like we all experienced last week, they can over shadown the trading day, but thats the exception, not the rule.
I also saw Lee's comment this morning, and want to assure him that he has the support of most on this forum to restore it to stock trading, and stock selection.
I wish you all a good July 4th holiday, thou I would hope that fireworks would be reduced due to heat and high tempertures through america.
I am holding my positions this morning, all of them long, and might even add one or two more.
I'll be 'knockin on your door shortly. I like my coffee black, my eggs scrambled. Snap to it zabber.
Major U.S. stock markets will close early at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday July 3, for the Independence Day holiday. The Extended Hours session will be available from 1 - 4 p.m. ET.
All major stock markets will be closed on Wednesday July 4.
To preserve Zeev's.. refrain from anymore on obama care.
We are able to find our own info. The corruption , the debt, the worthlessness of paper currency are real issues relevant to making money here. Information on these topics is meaningful.
Other chit chat is exceedingly tedious.
Finally I still do not like Finacials or Coal stocks, I occassionly go through the New high list each day, always trying to find something that I could take a chance on. Most days many stocks make a very small move, and like Lee or other traders I sell it toward the end of the day.
There are stocks I like holding for a day, maybe two or three, and there have been occassions where I have held them for a week, but when you get to Friday and the weekend, then thats a new decision to make. It depends on the time of year, or how the market has been performing.
I have traded stocks online since 1993, and this is my third trading room, the other two were with Crazyman 25, and JDTRADE. I have never hyped a stock, and expect anyone who plays or trades stocks to do there own DD, and risk funds that they can afford to lose. There are no guarantees in the stock market, and any day any of us can wake up and get blind sided buy some news event that none of us were expecting.
When it comes to politics, at this stage of my life, I could care less, to me they are all crooks and whores.
Lastly I am an American, and proud of it, and would kick anybody's ass who came on my property or my home.
I come here for information, and ideas on stocks, in the last year I have found Twitter, and there are many people I follow, and two sites that I monitor all day long. I suggest anyone who trades visit it and see for themselves the many stocks that are sometimes being touted, but also see how many good stocks that have been researched.
the Tyranny of Obamacare
"A government with the power to force us to buy health insurance can also force restaurants to serve black people."
(sarcasm alert)
- Reagan and Bush I adviser Bruce Bartlett, on Facebook
brightnes: That's a shot across zab's bow. I think you should say you're sorry.
WTI chart looks interesting, there are many in this sector, PTEN, BAS, WFT others I follow, but if oil turns around maybe some of these will pick themselves back up.
WTI chart looks interesting, there are many in this sector, PTEN, BAS, WFT others I follow, but if oil turns around maybe some of these will pick themselves back up.
The refiners have also been doing well of late, oil stocks catching a bid, WLL, CLR, KOG
One penny stock, and thats only cause it supposedly reported an increase of 50% in sales due to becoming a Facebook preferred advertiser, when was the last time you ever offered any stocks.
I have listed the Mututal Funds that I put Mary back into, and her account is always a more long term account, as for me, I trade constantly, except for those few weeks I was dealing with some medical issues.
Besides attacking, why don't you just offer some stocks, or a sector you follow, when was the last post on anything on stocks.
At least some put forth stocks to either look at, or check out.
ARNA is interesting.
MMR has been a fovorite of mine for some time, along with XCO, which has been a dog mover for awhile.
Housing stocks have been doing well, BLDR, SPF, KBH, PHM, TOL, USG.
So here''s your chance to get back on topic of stocks and the market. Otherwise to quote a nice old term, " BITE ME. !!!!
Major U.S. stock markets will close early at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday July 3, for the Independence Day holiday. The Extended Hours session will be available from 1 - 4 p.m. ET.
All major stock markets will be closed on Wednesday July 4.
Appreciation for Lee's control would have been much more sincere if you had not tried to put in one more shot this morning when everyone else kept quiet.
As for your tout of the day, nah, you need to tout more penny stocks (under $5) to get paid today.
You could have said the same right after the Dred Scott decision, coudn't you?
Tuesday morning federal headlines - July 3, 2012
Tuesday - 7/3/2012, 8:22am ET
The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.
• The federal government is on its second day of a modified work schedule. Hundreds of thousands of people in greater Washington are still without electricity. Utilities say it will be Friday night before everyone is turned back on. Non emergency workers are asked to notify supervisors if they plan to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Emergency employees must report on time. The Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade in Maryland is open today. The same policies apply. All DISA employees must let their supervisors know if they plan to telework. (Federal News Radio)
• The Government Accountability Office has turned back a protest over a multibillion dollar TRICARE contract. TriWest HealthCare Alliance lost a bid in March to United Health Military and Veterans Services. TriWest protested, and said it would consider its options now that GAO has rejected its claim. The six-year contract was worth more than $20 billion and covered service members and families in the western region. TriWest still has the option to appeal to the to the court of federal claims. The Defense Department awarded three major contracts starting in 2009 for TRICARE. Losing bidders protested in all three cases. (Federal News Radio)
• The new Stock Act meant to prevent insider-trading among lawmakers will hurt science. That's the claim that federal researchers are making in a letter to lawmakers. The Assembly of Scientists represents National Institutes of Health researchers. It asked senators to repeal a section of the law that requires the government to post top career feds' financial information online. It said the provision left employees open to cyber crimes and fraud. It said it discouraged scientists at universities from joining national labs. This letter followed a white paper from The Senior Executives Association that claimed the law unfairly snared government executives in a net meant for lawmakers and political appointees. (Federal News Radio)
• Two powerful lawmakers think the Justice Department is intimidating whistleblowers. They want it to stop. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) asked the Justice inspector general to investigate. They wanted to know whether the department has effective whistleblower protections in place. Issa and Grassley referred to comments made earlier this year by Scott Thomasson, a public affairs official at Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They said Thomasson made negative comments about employees he supervises. They spoke publicly about the gun-walking operation known as Fast and Furious. (Federal News Radio)
• Federal employees who use mass-transit to get to work will have to dig a little deeper. The Transportation Bill Congress passed last week does not extend a tax deduction for users of public transportation. The deduction was worth $230 a month until the end of last year. It then dropped to $125 a month. The new bill, which the president is expected to sign this week, keeps the lower subsidy level. But a spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee said it was possible Congress would reconsider raising it. One union estimated tens of thousands of federal workers are affected by the lower subsidy. (Federal News Radio)
• Agencies are gearing up for another round of SAVE Awards. It will be the fourth year and the White House wants to make sure it doesn't hear the same penny- pinching ideas over and over. It is encouraging agencies to use a three-star rating system to evaluate employees' plans to save the government money. The Office of Management and Budget told agency chief financial officers that only compelling, practical and specific ideas should merit that top rating. OMB said it would announce deadlines for submissions later this month. Then the public will choose a winning idea from among the finalists. (Federal News Radio)
• The White House's campaign to cut government waste could move a bit faster, according to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) He pointed to the proliferation of government websites. A year ago, President Barack Obama told agencies to slash the more-than-1,700 sites by half. But they have shut down just 300 sites, falling well short of that goal. In response, the White House told Government Executive that 600 more websites are on the chopping block. It also said the campaign has cut billions of dollars in contracting costs, data consolidation, fraud prevention and real-estate sales. Coburn asked the Congressional Research Service for an update on the other aspects of the waste-cutting initiative, but researchers found much of the data is only available to executive branch employees. (Sen. Tom Coburn)
• If you're headed to the Grand Canyon this summer, you might want to bring ear plugs. Not because of the roar of the water but because of the hum of the tourist planes and helicopters above. The National Park Service wants to restore tranquility, but it's not getting help from Congress. Arizona and Nevada lawmakers have crafted legislation to stop the Park Service from imposing tougher noise standards. The agency had planned to issue final rules this month that would have limited "audible" aircraft to flying in just a third of the park most of the time. But USA Today reported the agency's proposal could cost the tourism industry $120 million a year. The lawmakers' bill would maintain the current, more lenient rules. (USA Today)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LIBOR Rate Upset
There's an interbank market in London
To set rates where one's fellows will fund one,
But if dubious sorts
Give phony reports,
Then faith in the market is undone.
-Dr Goose
http://tinyurl.com/clf3nso
Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News
July 3, 2012
Libor claims Diamond's scalp. Bob Diamond today bowed to intense political pressure and resigned as CEO of Barclays (BCS) following the Libor-manipulation scandal. Marcus Agius, who was supposed to be quitting as Chairman, will stay and lead the search for a new CEO. Investors might be wondering what happened since yesterday, when Diamond was reportedly ready to "fight back" and reveal potentially embarrassing details about regulators. Barclays shares were +1.95% premarket.
Microsoft's Internet black hole swallows $6.3B acquisition. Microsoft's (MSFT) perennial loss-making Online Services division will take a $6.2B non-cash charge, primarily to write down its $6.3B acquisition of Internet ad agency aQuantive in 2007. With analysts expecting Microsoft to make a net profit of $5.25B in FQ4, the charge means the company will now probably make a loss for the period.
J.C. Penney reverting back to old strategy. J.C. Penney (JCP) has sent an e-mail to shoppers advertising thousands of discounts for the holiday week. Though the company hasn't officially moved off of its new pricing strategy, it's increasingly relapsing into offering promotions and discounts.
BlackRock buys P-E unit from Swiss Re. BlackRock (BLK) has agreed to acquire Swiss Re's $7.5B private equity arm, taking advantage as the insurer streamlines its business in the face of new regulations on risk-asset holdings. Terms of the all-cash deal were not disclosed, but BlackRock expects it to close in Q3, and for it to be neutral or modestly accretive to 2012 earnings.
Samsung, Google work closely in battle against Apple. Samsung (SSNLF.PK), scrambling to respond to a U.S. Galaxy Nexus injunction, is "working closely" with Google (GOOG) to create a common legal front against Apple (AAPL), The Korea Times reports. The patents Google acquired from Motorola Mobility might help Samsung's cause. Meanwhile, a judge has rejected Samsung's request to lift her ban on U.S. sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
Potash firms could face billions in damages in cartel suit. Critics have long accused the potash industry of operating like a cartel to keep prices artificially high. Those critics are now closer to having their day in court, as a U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that an antitrust suit against potash producers can proceed. Potash Corp. (POT), Agrium (AGU) and Mosaic (MOS) could face total damages of $2B-$6.5B if they lose.
Groupon chairman cuts down duties. Groupon (GRPN) Chairman and co-founder Eric Lefkofsky is reducing his role at the daily deals giant, and will spend more time working with VC firm Lightbank. The news, in addition to a note from Susquehanna, probably contributed to Groupon's 10.5% selloff yesterday, particularly given the Street's lingering concerns about CEO Andrew Mason.
Universal's EMI acquisition in danger of EU veto. The EU has warned Universal Music (VIVHY.PK) that its $1.9B acquisition of EMI's (C) recorded music arm will significantly hurt competition in the region, Reuters reports, indicating that regulators could block the deal in the absence of significant concessions from Universal. The company has until today to respond.
Eurozone producer prices weaken to 27-month low. Eurozone PPI fell to +2.3% in May, the lowest for over two years, from +2.6% in April as inflationary pressures continued to weaken amid the eurozone's slowing economy and falling energy prices. The PPI reading, which also dropped 0.5% on month, has raised hopes for an interest rate cut when the ECB meets on Thursday.
GOP states lead opposition to Medicaid expansion. Several Republican-led states, including Texas and Iowa, are considering opting out of the expansion of Medicaid under the Healthcare Act following last week's Supreme Court decision. Florida Governor Rick Scott has already pledged to not take part. Still, former White House budget director Peter Orszag thinks most states will opt in because of the attractive subsidy.
Mammoth Lakes set to join Stockton in bankruptcy. Mammoth Lakes in California will file for bankruptcy, just days after Stockton filed for Chapter 9 protection. The ski resort of around 8,000 residents said it saw no other choice after its largest creditor refused to negotiate concessions on a $43M legal judgement against the town.
Gasoline on three-month losing streak. Gasoline prices have notched their 13th straight weekly decline, which hasn’t happened since a 15-week streak that ended in December 2008. However, gasoline generally has been on an upward trend since then, and it’ll take a lot more before prices aren't a weight around consumers' necks. Moreover, analysts think the slide will end soon.
Today's Markets:
* In Asia, Japan +0.7%. Hong Kong +1.5%. China +0.1%. India +0.1%.
* In Europe, at midday, London +0.3%. Paris +0.3%. Frankfurt +0.6%.
* Futures at 7:00: Dow -0.05%. S&P flat. Nasdaq -0.1%. Crude +2% to $85.39. Gold +0.7% to $1609.10.
Today's economic calendar:
Auto sales
7:45 ICSC Retail Store Sales
8:55 Redbook Chain Store Sales
10:00 Factory Orders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LIBOR Rate Upset
There's an interbank market in London
To set rates where one's fellows will fund one,
But if dubious sorts
Give phony reports,
Then faith in the market is undone.
-Dr Goose
http://tinyurl.com/clf3nso
ANIK, STAA, IPG, AVD MON, stock market feels like its going to explode higher, as I look through my charts this morning, there are so many that are above there 200 day moving average, some are moving well, others are just staying above.
All this market needs is some more positive news from Europe, or this Friday's unemployment numbers.
The market is always looking ahead six months, its probably already factoring in an Obama win in Novemeber and a continuation of his policies, which would be even more certainties.
Stock selection, and sector still key, and not being blindsided, GBX had negavtive news yesterday and got nailed.
Thanks Lee for exercising control.
The market looks primed for another solid day ahead, after checking the Mutual Funds yesterday, they all moved up quite well, and that was on a rather dull day.
The underlying strength is sometimes shown by the many Mutual Funds I watch and follow each day.
Very hard to always pick out individual stocks, but a basket of stocks is usually a better indicator.
MMR is my tout of the day.
So many on this board are not interested in the real facts, but instead want keep hammerring away at an issue that is now written in stone, time to move on to more important things.
Most American's are starting to come around to the Afforadabke Health Care Act, and not listenting to the Conservative point of view, something to think about, as you keep spinning this latest issue, time to move on to much more important things, like the economy, the stock market, and trading individudal stocks.
Most posters here respond well to the gentle pressure of moral suasion Shelley. Banning is a bit draconian but always possible if necessary.
<<<"Fascism is the combining of government power and corporations. How does a government that requires you to buy an insurance policy from a pre-approved list of big corporations sound in that context?">>
It sound's to me like Fascism is now Constitutional???
Ughhhh the horraaaa to come....
<<"With guaranteed issue requirement under ACA driving up insurance premium by 30-50% annually in the coming years, how many people will continue to carry insurance before they are sick? especially the penalty is lower than the cost of any insurance that would meet the legal mandate (as it is currently designed)
It's like if there were a legal requirement that a house already on fire or burned down has to be accepted for insurance underwriting as an undamaged house . . . many people would wait for the fire before buying insurance; then the insurance company would have to raise premium, making more and more people drop buying insurance until there is fire.
Soon enough, the mandate becomes a tax on the bulk of the population indeed, as most would choose to pay the tax most years and buy insurance only after they are sick. That's how the ACA is designed. It's a backdoor tax plan that will hit the typical middle class American family.">>
It is easy to see how this system will completely fail and the quality of health care will deteriorate as well as the US "standard of living" for all.
We need real critical thought and change in the heath care mess of the USA.
<<"Since you are so worked up about medical industry seeking profit, when was the last time you volunteered at a hospital or a pharmaceutical company? What makes you think Europeans and Canadians are the Socialist Newman donating their lives to "the Greater Good"? Why do you think the typical biotech and pharma company in the US is full of young interns from Europe? Since you don't volunteer yourself, but demand others to provide voluntary service (using government coercion if necessary), you are essentially advocating slavery.
There were indeed many problems in the American medical system, most of which were the result of earlier government meddling, especially that of LBJ. Obamacare is a step in the wrong direction, and will make it even worse.">>
Well said.
Why I'm afraid of the Supreme Court's ruling on ObamaCare
By John Stossel
Published June 27, 2012http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/27/why-im-afraid-supreme-court-ruling-on-obamacare/
I’m scared.
I fear that even if the Supreme Court overrules most of ObamaCare, Republicans will join Democrats in restoring “good” parts of the law, like the requirement that insurance companies cover kids up to age 26 and every American with a pre-existing condition.
Those parts of ObamaCare are popular. People like getting what they think is free stuff. But requiring coverage to age 26 makes policies cost more.
Even "Factor" host Bill O’Reilly lectures me that government should ban discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions. Most Americans agree with him.
Who likes discrimination?
Racial discrimination was one of the ugliest parts of American history. None of us wants to be discriminated against. But discrimination is part of freedom. We discriminate when we choose our friends or our spouse, or when we choose what we do with our time.
Above all, discrimination is what makes insurance work. An insurance regime where everyone pays the same amount is called “community rating.” That sounds fair. No more cruel discrimination against the obese or people with cancer. But community rating is as destructive as ordering flood insurance companies to charge me nothing extra to insure my very vulnerable beach house, or ordering car insurance companies to charge Lindsay Lohan no more than they charge you. Such one-size-fits-all rules take away insurance companies’ best tool: risk-based pricing. Risk-based pricing encourages us to take better care of ourselves.
Car insurance works because companies reward good drivers and charge the Lindsay Lohans more. If the state forces insurance companies to stop discriminating, that kills the business model.
No-discrimination insurance isn’t insurance. It’s welfare. If the politicians’ plan was to create another government welfare program, they ought to own up to that instead of hiding the cost.
Obama -- and the Clintons before him -- expressed outrage that insurance companies charged people different rates based on their risk profiles. They want everyone covered for the same “fair” price.
As I write in “No, They Can’t: Why Government Fails -- but Individuals Succeed,” the health insurance industry was happy to play along. They even offered to give up on gender differences.
Women go to the doctor more often than men and spend more on medicines. Their lifetime medical costs are much higher, and so it makes all the sense in the world to charge women higher premiums. But Massachusetts Democrat Sen. John Kerry pandered, saying, “The disparity between women and men in the individual insurance market is just plain wrong, and it has to change!” The industry caved. The president of its trade group, Karen M. Ignagni, said that disparities “should be eliminated.”
Caving was safer than fighting the president and Congress, and caving seemed to provide the industry with benefits. Insurance companies wouldn’t have to work as hard. They wouldn’t have to carefully analyze risk. They’d be partners with government -- fat and lazy, another sleepy bureaucracy feeding off the welfare state. Alcoholics, drug addicts and the obese won’t have to pay any more than the rest of us.
But this just kills off a useful part of insurance: encouraging healthy behavior. Charging heavy drinkers more for insurance gives them one more incentive to quit. “No-discrimination” pricing makes health care costs rise even faster. Is it too much to expect our rulers to understand this?
Of course, the average citizen doesn’t understand either. When I argue that medical insurance makes people indifferent to costs, I get online comments like: “I guess the 47 million people who don’t have health care should just die, right, John?”
The truth is, almost all people do get health care, even if they don’t have health insurance. Hospitals rarely turn people away; Medicaid and charities pay for care; some individuals pay cash; some doctors forgive bills.
I wish people would stop conflating the terms “health care,” “health insurance” and “ObamaCare.” Reporters ask guests things like: “Should Congress repeal health care?” I sure don’t want anyone’s health care repealed.
Reporters also routinely called ObamaCare health “reform.” But the definition of reform is: making something better. More government control won’t do that. We should call politicians’ insurance demands “big intrusive complex government micromanagement.”
Let the private sector work. Let it discriminate.
To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2012 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS, INC. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM.
John Stossel is host of "Stossel" on the Fox Business Network. He's the author of "No, They Can't: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed," "Give Me a Break" and of "Myth, Lies, and Downright Stupidity." To find out more about John Stossel, visit his website at johnstossel.com.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/27/why-im-afraid-supreme-court-ruling-on-obamacare/#ixzz1zXEdvkCK
Well said! Agreed. eom
Lee, we're seeing complaints about this as well. Please let us know if anyone doesn't heed your request and needs to be banned here.
10 Things You Get Now That Obamacare Survived
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/06/obamacare-supreme-court-regular-americans
1) Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime coverage limits on your insurance. Never again will you face the risk of getting really sick and then, a few months in, having your insurer tell you, "Sorry, you've 'run out' of coverage." Almost everyone I've met knows someone who had insurance but got really, really sick (or had a kid get really sick) and ran into a lifetime cap.
2) If you don't know someone who has run into a lifetime cap, you probably know someone who has run into an annual cap. The use of these will be sharply limited. (They'll be eliminated entirely in 2014.)
3) Insurers can no longer tell kids with preexisting conditions that they'll insure them "except for" the preexisting condition. That's called preexisting condition exclusion, and it's out the window.
4) A special, temporary program will help adults with preexisting conditions get coverage. It expires in 2014, when the health insurance exchanges—basically big "pools" of businesses and individuals—come on-line. That's when all insurers will have to cover everyone, preexisting condition or not.
5) Insurance companies can't drop you when you get sick, either—this plan means the end of "rescissions."
6) You can stay on your parents' insurance until you're 26.
7) Seniors get $250 towards closing the "doughnut hole" in their prescription drug coverage. Currently, prescription drug coverage ends once you've spent $2,700 on drugs and it doesn't kick in again until you've spent nearly $6,200. James Ridgeway wrote about the problems with the doughnut hole for Mother Jones in the September/October 2008 issue. Eventually, the health care reform bill will close the donut hole entirely. The AARP has more on immediate health care benefits for seniors. Next year (i.e., in nine months), 50 percent of the doughnut hole will be covered.
8) Medicare's preventive benefits now come with a free visit with your primary care doctor every year to plan out your prevention services. And there are no more co-pays for preventative services in Medicare.
9) This is a big one: Small businesses get big tax credits—up to 50 percent of premium costs—for offering health insurance to their workers.
10) Insurers with unusually high administrative costs have to offer rebates to their customers, and every insurance company has to reveal how much it spends on overhead.
UPDATE: Here's one more big benefit we've found out about since the ACA passed:
11) Free birth control and other preventative services for women, unless you work for a faith-based organization that opposes birth control.
The facts are out there for anyone to see that wants to. Don't try and pin me to any standard you have arbitrarily set as I don't play other people's games.
We are about four months from the next election. Politics will likely be on your minds, and the desire to post your thoughts will intensify. It ain't gonna happen, 'cause I'll be watching like a hawk. This is Zeev'e thread, and it's a NO POLITICS thread. Let's honor Zeev's notion. If you don't I'll have Guido whack you. Thanks, Lee.
When the facts are on your side, pound the facts.
When the facts are not on your side, pound the table.
Fairly obvious where the facts are in this case gt!
Because I won't be held to a higher standard than the other person actually displays on a daily basis. Get it?
Now, if you REALLY want to know, simply Google what happened to health premiums in Mass. Pretty easy if you actually want to find out.
You know gt it was a legitimate request.
Why not just provide the link?
Of course you aren't pulling that stuff out of your ass!
What does the rising of the sun in the morning have to do with your demand to commit human sacrifice every afternoon?
The American economy grew at an even quicker pace in the century before the post-FDR mega-state.
National Socialists were the first ones who brought national healthcare to an industrialized country.
Fascism is the combining of government power and corporations. How does a government that requires you to buy an insurance policy from a pre-approved list of big corporations sound in that context?
Alex now wants to deal in facts. LMAO.
"what it basically comes down to is some people are very very selfish and ideological boneheads"
Speak of yourself and ZAB. When was the last time you volunteered at a hospital? heck, when was the last time you donated to either a hospital or a doctor/nurse/medical researcher's education?
Never. Yet you are screaming to press-gang other people into paying for the consequences of your own past actions. You guys are advocates for a new slave system.
yes, it's not perfect but it's the best that could get passed
Most intelligent and morally responsible people agree single payer was the best option, but it was politically not possible with the republican filibustering. Then the next best option was a "public option" which was not free healthcare but simply another option one could pay for... yet again it was sabotaged by the selfish obstructionist crowd... so at least we have some positive changes and hopefully we will work to improve it
what it basically comes down to is some people are very very selfish and ideological boneheads... and for some reason we keep electing these people... oh that's right, now that corporations are people all that counts is MONEY
With guaranteed issue requirement under ACA driving up insurance premium by 30-50% annually in the coming years, how many people will continue to carry insurance before they are sick? especially the penalty is lower than the cost of any insurance that would meet the legal mandate (as it is currently designed)
It's like if there were a legal requirement that a house already on fire or burned down has to be accepted for insurance underwriting as an undamaged house . . . many people would wait for the fire before buying insurance; then the insurance company would have to raise premium, making more and more people drop buying insurance until there is fire.
Soon enough, the mandate becomes a tax on the bulk of the population indeed, as most would choose to pay the tax most years and buy insurance only after they are sick. That's how the ACA is designed. It's a backdoor tax plan that will hit the typical middle class American family.
Would you have advocated "slavery now and slavery forever" after the Dredd Scott decision?
"most of the industrialized world already has"? Is that why so many Europeans and Canadians seek medical service abroad despite having to pay out of pocket?
The top destinations for American "medical tourists" are Mexico, Thailand and India, where the Americans seeking medical services on those trips would be paying cash.
People in those "socialistic" healthcare systems of Western Europe and Canada that you love so much constitute the majority of medical tourists visiting the US.
What Michael Moore did not tell you in his Potempkin Village documentary of the Cuban medical system is that the typical Cubans go to squalid local hospitals not shown in the movie. Since Moore's crew and patients were not paying the Cuban government for the medical services that they received, unlike the typical American medical tourists going to Mexico, Thailand and India (where the payment help the local economy even more than the service itself), what Moor was doing was something between Genocide and taking candy from the proverbial baby.
Pharmaceuticals are cheaper overseas only because drug research is subsidized by Americans. The hospital you are using overseas are located in areas where expats concentrate; i.e. the better parts of the country (like the equivalent of Upper East Side or Upper West Side of Manhatten). Of course they are better than the average hospital of the country. You were not experiencing the months of waiting that is typical of local hospitals in Western Europe and Canada. Why do you think so many Western Europeans and Canadians come to the US for medical services?
Since you are so worked up about medical industry seeking profit, when was the last time you volunteered at a hospital or a pharmaceutical company? What makes you think Europeans and Canadians are the Socialist Newman donating their lives to "the Greater Good"? Why do you think the typical biotech and pharma company in the US is full of young interns from Europe? Since you don't volunteer yourself, but demand others to provide voluntary service (using government coercion if necessary), you are essentially advocating slavery.
There were indeed many problems in the American medical system, most of which were the result of earlier government meddling, especially that of LBJ. Obamacare is a step in the wrong direction, and will make it even worse.
Amazed to keep reading this crap, the Affordable Health Care Act, was passed in 2010, and now the Supreme Court has concluded that it is the law of the land, and still the Republicans want to keep arguing about what to call it.
Its Healthcare, its about the average America finding a way to have something that most of the industrialized world already has.
The issue is in the history books, if you want to look ahead to the 2012 elections, thats fine, but I thought the Republicans cared about the economy and jobs for Americans.
I wish some on this board would put more of an effort into these issues.
To compare Healthcare to slavery, thats insane !!
Classy, as always.
Romneycare is hardly fiscally responsible. And you're rewriting history when you say it was pushed by Republicans. It was a Dem House that passed it in Mass.
Not that facts were ever important.
Of course, this is the essence of the whole thing isn't it? As Romney has said, it was right for Mass. and it should be up to the individual States to decide. Oh, except this is about power, and that's why Alex will march in lock-step.
RepubliCON, wingnut, brats, hissy fit, blah, blah, blah.......
Although I now live in Arizona, the Shenandoah Valley is where I was born & raised. It is a very special place. Just got back from 3 months in the motorhome there.
I'd like to recommend a song by The Seldom Scene called "Blue Ridge". It captures that feeling perfectly, IMO.
My folks are laid to rest in Thornrose Cemetary in Staunton, VA. A stroll through that Cemetary is fascinating ... A lot of Civil War soldiers were buried there.
Lots of crazy stuff on the airwaves re the SCOTUS’s upholding of the ACA.
http://jaredbernsteinblog.com/health-care-reform-leftovers/
The Inane “Is It a Tax?” Debate: R’s are viciously attacking the ruling because it introduces a new “tax” on people who don’t have coverage. As I and many others have stressed, this tax is a free-rider penalty. It is a PRF—a personal responsibility fee for not saddling the rest of us with your health care costs, thereby imposing an implicit tax on the rest of us. And it hits 1-2% of the population.
You thought personal responsibility was supposed to be a conservative value? Not, apparently, when the dreaded tax word is invoked.
I get it: silliness pervades in an election year…but really? Seriously?!? Taxes happen in societies— according to a Supreme Court justice from a saner time, they’re “the price we pay for a civilized society.” And in this case, they’re the price we pay to offset a negative externality by which the behavior of a small minority of citizens imposes a cost on everyone else.
To be ashamed to make that case is to cede the field to Norquist and co.
You just described Obamacare as well.
could be a headfake also, but Swenlin is always one to read and to be respected
here's Sy Harding's take on it, but only your hairdresser knows for sure ;^)
EU Rescues Markets Just in Time - Again!
BEING STREET SMART
by Sy Harding
June 29, 2012.
At their 19th summit meeting since the eurozone crisis began two years ago European officials once again demonstrated their willingness to take markets to the very brink before taking action.
And once again it worked, with markets rallying in hopes that the actions just announced will be more lasting and meaningful than the previous rescue efforts.
From the timing, one could get the impression EU officials spent much of their meeting on Thursday watching markets before feeling forced to reach an agreement. Markets in Europe had already closed down again on Thursday. Yields on Spanish and Italian bonds had risen to levels where bailouts of Greece, Portugal, and Ireland had previously become necessary. And in the U.S. on Thursday the Dow was down 175 points and looking like the bottom was about to drop out further, with an hour left to the close.
Out of the blue word suddenly crossed the tape that German Chancellor Merkel had cancelled her scheduled news conference, which was expected to report lack of progress, and word leaked that a major compromise and agreement had indeed been reached.
The U.S. market plunge reversed on a dime, and the Dow closed down only 24 points.
Then after an all-night EU session, a further announcement was made giving more information on the EU agreement just before European markets opened. And they surged up from the open, with the U.S. market also surging up on Friday.
The question now becomes whether the actions promised will be enough this time to finally contain the eurozone debt crisis. They seem to be significant. But then, each previous action had to be greater than the one before, as each failed to work.
Details are still missing, but the agreement being hammered out over the weekend is apparently one of immediate short-term actions, and an outline for a long-term plan that will be delayed until a study is completed for their October meeting. Short-term actions include allowing European banks to borrow money directly from the euro-zone bailout programs, rather than the funds going first to the country’s government and then to the banks, which was adding to government debts. And the bailout funds can also now be used to buy the bonds of individual euro-zone countries having difficulty selling their bonds, with the European Central Bank given more power to oversee the bailout funds.
Like the previous emergency actions of the last two years, this one seems to be another short-term fix that will hopefully buy enough time to come up with a longer-term solution.
The problem each time in the past has been that as soon as the markets seemed relieved by the short-term fix, officials returned to bickering and dysfunction that pushed off the formation of the promised long-term plans and allowed the crisis to come back in a more drastic form.
But we shall see. Maybe this time will be different.
Meanwhile, it does have a spooky similarity to last summer.
Last summer the market topped out on May 1, as it did this year. Last year the summer correction seemed to end at its low on June 29, when it spiked up in reaction to the euro-zone debt crisis easing overnight, accompanied by Fed Chairman Bernanke’s statement that the Fed was ready to act “if needed”.
But the rally early last July lasted only until July 7, when the market topped out into its much more severe second leg down to the October low. It had run into the reality that the easing of the eurozone debt crisis and Bernanke’s promise, did not change the fact that the U.S. economic slowdown was still worsening. And indeed the economy continued to deteriorate, as did the stock market, until the S&P 500 was down 21%, and the Fed did finally step in with ‘operation twist’.
And here we are with markets spiking on the same day this year as we end a dismal 2nd quarter and enter July, and on a similar catalyst of a promised easing of the eurozone crisis, and the U.S. Fed standing aside but promising to come to the rescue “if needed”.
And just as was the case with that one week spike-up from June 29 last year, the latest efforts to solve the eurozone debt crisis do not change the fact that the U.S. economic slowdown continues to worsen. And unlike last year, this year the worsening U.S. economy is accompanied by slowing economies around the world, with many major global markets in bear markets as a result.
Am I excited by the EU actions and the market’s sudden upside reversal? Not yet. Let’s wait and see what happens after the July 4th holiday when the next monthly jobs reports is released on July 6.
One thing we can be fairly sure of. The market’s recovery, even if it turns out to be only brief, and the actions being taken by European officials, will take the pressure off an already reluctant Fed and have it even more reluctant to come to the rescue anytime soon.
Followers
|
1811
|
Posters
|
|
Posts (Today)
|
0
|
Posts (Total)
|
704019
|
Created
|
05/12/02
|
Type
|
Free
|
Moderator Zeev Hed | |||
Assistants lee kramer gtober Bruce A Thompson |
Posts Today
|
0
|
Posts (Total)
|
704019
|
Posters
|
|
Moderator
|
|
Assistants
|
Volume | |
Day Range: | |
Bid Price | |
Ask Price | |
Last Trade Time: |