Rebane's Ruminations
March 2019
S M T W T F S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  

ARCHIVES


OUR LINKS


YubaNet
White House Blog
Watts Up With That?
The Union
Sierra Thread
RL “Bob” Crabb
Barry Pruett Blog

[Well, the Dems are looking to an approach to 'Medicare for All' designed by a couple of Univ of Mass economists that promises "You'd be able to keep your doctor with no premiums or copays, and overall spending would decline."  Now where have we heard all that before?  The many holes in this plan (here) also recommend its alternative use as a sieve.  gjr]

Posted in

326 responses to “Sandbox – 29mar19”

  1. Ozz Avatar
    Ozz

    George 11:50
    My Sacbee C&P work fine when adblock is off. When it is enabled, the links and text paste blank.

    Like

  2. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    “Ozz”, I’d suggest leaving your adblock on and living with not being able to copy and paste here. Most if not all folks who are not you would like that best.

    Like

  3. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    WATER FOR THE PEOPLE!
    SACRAMENTO, Calif. April 2, 2019 – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the fourth Phillips Station snow survey of 2019. The manual survey recorded 106.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent (SWE) of 51 inches, which is 200 percent of average for this location.
    Statewide, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is 162 percent of average. California has experienced more than 30 atmospheric rivers since the start of the water year, with six in February alone, and statewide snow water equivalent has nearly tripled since February 1. Snow water equivalent is the depth of water that theoretically would result if the entire snowpack melted instantaneously. It is an important tool used by water managers across the state to estimate anticipated spring runoff.
    😉

    Like

  4. Walt Avatar

    I good birthday present for your friendly neighborhood gun lover.
    Well.. If you don’t keep it for yourself.
    https://www.xproducts.com/product/50-round-sr25-high-capacity-magazine-ar-308-sr-25/
    50 rounds of 30 cal. Just put wheels on the bi-pod.

    Like

  5. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    HAHA!
    Comedian Tracy Morgan voiced his extreme skepticism over Jussie Smollett’s alleged Chicago attack this week by cracking a few jokes at the “Empire” actor’s expense.
    “Racist people don’t be jumping nobody in the polar vortex,” Morgan said during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday night. “It’s too cold. They’ll be racist in the spring.”
    At the beginning of the segment, host Jimmy Fallon had asked the “30 Rock” star about a new job.
    “They gave me a role on ‘Empire,’” Morgan told the late-night host, as the audience applauded. “They gave me millions of dollars. Contractually, all I got to do is not fake a hate crime … Jussie. That’s all I have to do.”
    Fallon then asked Morgan if he “buys” Smollett’s story.
    “No, man! Come on …racists don’t be watching Empire, man,” the actor-comedian replied.
    https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/tracy-morgan-jabs-jussie-smollett-over-alleged-attack-racists-dont-watch-empire
    😉

    Like

  6. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    The 2020 Socialcrats are something else. Beto, the 4th generation Texan of Irish decent wants to be a Latinx. Elizabeth Warren, who looks she landed at Plymouth Rock, wants to be a Native American. Kamala Harris, who is Black and Indian, wants to be an African American. Corey Booker, an African-American wants to be a Thracian named Spartacus.
    And if you think that is confusing, you should see who they have chairing the Select Kntelligencecommittee
    https://www.facebook.com/PatriotPost/photos/a.82108390913/10156294500220914/?type=3&theater

    Like

  7. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Trump says the Repubs will win back the House-good luck on that. History shows that around 90% of incumbents are re-elected. One of the reasons the Dems won in ’18 is that there were so many Repubs that did not run for re-election. Trump is delusional which is nothing new. The percentage of incumbents who win reelection after seeking it in the U.S. House of Representatives has been over 80% for more than 50 years, and is often over 90%.

    Like

  8. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Walt writes “Trump has put his healthcare plan on hold.”
    Another Trump lie. Here’s a Trump promise made during the last campaign:
    “The GOP nominee called Obamacare a “disastrous law” and told supporters his first presidential act would be to repeal. “You’re going to have such great healthcare at a tiny fraction of the cost, and it is going to be so easy,”
    does that qualify as a Trump lie George?
    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/10/25/trump_repealing_obamacare_is_going_to_be_so_easy.html

    Like

  9. Walt Avatar

    Yet Emery can’t tell us what his LIBS are running on, or just what they plan to do. Oh.. Raise taxes, and fuck up health care worse than they did before. Let every illegal in that wants to come?
    Who pays for the free stuff Emery?
    The crickets will tell all.

    Like

  10. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    Paul Emery | 02 April 2019 at 02:57 PM
    So you once again admit you are a democrat and a partisan one too. Democrats are your gig. Trump might just get the support he needs. If 40 plus R’s had not retired, the House might still be in the R hands. But it is all “what ifs”

    Like

  11. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    It looks like Trumps little winning streak didn’t amount to much. Here’s the latest from Nate Silver
    “The completion of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election was widely portrayed as a turning point in Trump’s presidency. But so far it’s had little effect on his approval rating.
    As of Monday night, Trump’s approval rating was 42.1 percent and his disapproval rating was 52.8 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight’s approval rating tracker, which is based on data all publicly-available polls. Those numbers are little changed from where they were – 41.9 percent approval and 52.9 percent disapproval – on Saturday, March 23, the day before Attorney General William Barr issued a four-page letter on the Mueller report to Congress. (The Mueller report itself has not yet been released to the public or to Congress, although Barr has pledged to release a redacted version of it by mid-April.)
    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-end-of-the-mueller-probe-hasnt-been-a-game-changer-for-trump/

    Like

  12. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Do you have a wake for a dead campaign if you never really announced a campaign?
    https://www.mediaite.com/tv/tina-brown-i-suspect-time-is-up-for-joe-biden/
    😉

    Like

  13. Walt Avatar

    Emery has to go to another “never heard of” site to find his “needs”.
    The report will be out when it’s ready.
    Like your going to find the dirt that sinks Trump.. Now isn’t that what you hoped from Muller? You were SURE he had indictments in hand.

    Like

  14. Walt Avatar

    More on “Dirty Joe”
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/02/nolte-dont-forget-joe-biden-exposed-himself-female-secret-service-agents/
    It’s not okay that Harvey Weinstein did it. It’s not okay that Charlie Rose did it. But when we learned in 2014 that then-Vice President Joe Biden exposed his naked body to women in the Secret Service, the media didn’t care. And the media still don’t care because Orange Man Bad.

    Like

  15. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    I want to thank the democrat party for presenting America with a clown car full of clowns. Atar Wars bar scene was nothing compared to these nutcases of the left. And they are all in on 97 trillion in the Green New Deal. Thank you thank you thank you as the little babe on Two and a half men used to say.

    Like

  16. Walt Avatar

    Hey Emery.. Not looking good for your LIB news.
    https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/rachel-maddow-ratings-mueller-conclusion/
    “Maddow’s MSNBC show has long used the Russian collusion narrative to criticize the Trump administration. Last July, the MSNBC host accused Trump of serving the “interests of another country” following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (RELATED: Fake News: Rachel Maddow Falsely Claims White House Edited Putin Tape)
    She also released a list of 15 questions that were bothering her about the summary Barr provided to Congress.
    By comparison, Fox News primetime hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham had record weeks for 2019. Carlson averaged 3.5 million viewers and 625,000 in the demo (both record-breaking), while Ingraham got nearly 3 million viewers and the second highest-rated demo for the year (504,000). Sean Hannity had higher ratings than his Fox News colleagues but he did not best previous records for the week.

    Like

  17. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Prime minister mcdreamy is imploding, sounds like its a year for conservatives up north –
    Canada’s prime minister has kicked two MPs from his party’s caucus after they accused him of meddling in a criminal case involving an influential company.
    Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott had already resigned from PM Justin Trudeau’s cabinet citing their concerns over the SNC-Lavalin affair.
    Now they have been expelled from Mr Trudeau’s Liberal Party, months before a general election.
    The SNC-Lavalin controversy has cast a shadow over Mr Trudeau’s leadership.
    Andrew Scheer, the leader of the opposition Conservatives, said on Tuesday that the prime minister had betrayed justice by removing two corruption whistleblowers.
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47754193
    😉

    Like

  18. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Walt
    If you look at the graphic George recommended you will see that the % of GDP for Healthcare rose dramatically more under Bush than Obama. You go find it. If you would have followed our hosts link you would have seen that fact.

    Like

  19. George Rebane Avatar

    Obamacare, the speedbump on the road to nationalized healthcare. The US Census Bureau reports that today almost 198M Americans remain on private health insurance, only 12.2M had signed up for Obamacare from which now 2.5M have dropped it because it was too expensive, and 28.5M Americans remain without health insurance, either because they don’t want health insurance or find it too expensive. Not exactly a sterling record for the first attempt at comprehensive socialized medicine. Now the Dems want to do it again, and simply outlaw private health insurance with the government gun so the incompetents will be in charge of over one-sixth of our economy. Can any progressive understand why, after 9 years, only about 1 in 32 Americans are on Obamacare?
    PaulE 459pm – And what in hell did healthcare costs have to with Bush, especially with a Democrat Congress? Obama is easy to blame because his signature legislation has been overwhelmingly rejected by Americans for business as usual.

    Like

  20. Paul Emery Avatar

    Where is Trumps replacement plan George that he promised. He had control of the House and Senate and couldn’t get the job done. He said it would be easy and was his first priority,
    George, in the first 4 years of Bush he had control of the House and Senate and the GDP % for healthcare rose dramatically. How do you explain it leveling out after Obamacare?

    Like

  21. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    The great pony tail of ignorance shows he is giving the littlest commiecongress-critter a run for her money as the dumbest leftie. How many votes does it take in the senate? Who torpedoed Trumps reconciliation health bill in the senate that the housed had passed? What a maroon.
    “Where is Trumps replacement plan George that he promised. He had control of the House and Senate and couldn’t get the job done”
    😉

    Like

  22. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 523pm – 1) Trump doesn’t have to advertise a plan until he is ready. Obama didn’t until his Congress passed it at midnight – do you remember Pelosi’s ‘We have to pass it before we can see what’s in it’? 2) You need to polish up your graph reading skills. Obama’s healthcare costs (graph ends in 2015) replicate Bush2’s.
    You are a good progressive soldier though; none of this has a chance of making a dent in your made up mind – Keynes’ admonition is lost on you.

    Like

  23. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “…only 12.2M had signed up for Obamacare from which now 2.5M have dropped it because it was too expensive, and 28.5M Americans remain without health insurance, either because they don’t want health insurance or find it too expensive”
    A strange system. Basically insurance rates went up due to rules changes but were basically invisible to employees. People with private insurance either got a serious hit on their rates or get a smoking deal depending on their income level. As usual, the poor go to the emergency room who passes on the bill to the paying folks’ insurance companies and the tiny number of people who actually pay for it themselves.
    I never could see a bit of cost reduction built into the whole deal. What a mess.
    Most people here got healthcare through an employer, but it would be interesting to hear who actually dealt with it themselves. I (naturally) assume that Paul simply never bought private insurance, assuming the public would foot the bill, but perhaps I’m not giving him enough credit.

    Like

  24. Walt Avatar

    As I pointed out to Emery the Greek, (he refuses to read anything)
    I guess I need to put in large print.
    EMERY!!! NO MATTER WHAT TRUMP PUTS FORTH, NO MATTER HOW GOOD, YOUR QUEEN WON’T ALLOW A VOTE.. SO WHY THE HELL EVEN BRING IT UP?
    YOU AND YOURS ONLY WANT GOV. RUN HEALTH CARE…
    Who pays for the free stuff EMERY!!!!!!?????

    Like

  25. Paul Emery Avatar

    George
    Trump promised repealing and replacing was his top priority and that it was going to be easy. What happened? Now it’s pushed into his second term. was that a lie? Also he says he’s going to win back the house. wishful thinking. History isn’t kind to that notion.

    Like

  26. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    With such a small number on ObamaCare, I don’t think it will impact the election anyway. The 198 million are the one’s Trump will help. And all those seniors paying outrageous amounts for meds. The democrats can have all those OCare people since most don’t vote anyway. The mess created by Obama and the democrats will bring free markets back sooner than later.

    Like

  27. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    This dem is as bright as our po’ ol’ fakenewsman –
    A judge in Texas recently resigned by accident after he publicized his intention to run for the state’s Supreme Court.
    Democrat William “Bill” McLeod has served as a judge in Harris County Civil Court at Law Number Four since January. Thinking of the future, McLeod posted online his plans to run for the state’s highest court.
    He told KHOU that soon after, someone showed him the Texas Constitution, specifically Article 16, Section 65, which applies to district and county clerks, county judges, and judges of county courts at law, among other positions.
    The law states that if any of those holding the aforementioned offices announce their candidacy for another office or become an actual candidate, “such announcement or such candidacy shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held.”
    https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-judge-accidentally-resigns-after-posting-future-political-plans-online
    😉

    Like

  28. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Hey you can find chicks at church and sexual assault seminars! Cool says creepy grampa joe.
    Caruso, 22, told the Times that Biden rested his hand on her thigh even as she attempted to show her discomfort by squirming in her seat during a sexual assault event at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Caruso, who was 19 at the time, added that Biden hugged her “just a little bit too long.”
    She told the newspaper that the interaction was uncomfortable because she had just discussed a time she was sexually assaulted and expected Biden to be aware of physical boundaries.
    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/437069-two-more-women-accuse-biden-of-inappropriate-touching
    😉

    Like

  29. Walt Avatar

    Poor Emery. Lost his ass and any creds with the Muller investigation. Now refuses to read any facts.(again).
    Well, REMOVE “O”bummercare is just about complete.
    Sorry old geezer, Trump can’t waive a pen like your boy “O” did and subvert the laws, and “deem” a law gone.(or write laws like “O” did)
    He let the courts do their work. Miss the news? “O”care deemed UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Got rid of the mandate a LONG time ago.
    The rest is dying on the vine.
    No lies Emery.
    So keep up the sputtttering.. It’s fun to watch.
    As a Greek, you should know all about Trojan horses.. That’s what your Proggys are going to try with the “free” health care scam 2.0.

    Like

  30. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    The Prez at the fundraiser tonight –
    President Donald Trump ridiculed Joe Biden on Tuesday after the former Vice President received scrutiny for inappropriately touching women and children.
    “It looks like the only non-sort of heavy socialist, he’s being taken care of pretty well by the socialists. They got to him,” Trump said.
    “I was going to call him, I don’t know him well, and say, ‘Welcome to the world, Joe. Are you having a good time?’” Trump continued.
    Trump predicted that he would be facing a socialist in his re-election campaign.
    “We’re going into the war with some socialist,” he said.
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/02/donald-trump-mocks-joe-biden-for-media-scrutiny-welcome-to-the-world-joe/
    😉

    Like

  31. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    No bazookas or anti tank guns, isn’t that already illegal federally? So do they have a tank to enforce the anti tank gun and bazooka ban? But at least they dealt with the bb gun massacres! –
    NBC News reports that the legislation “[makes] it illegal to ‘use’ an assault weapon in a public place.” And YourErie reports that the gun controls also prohibit the public discharge of long bows, compound bows, recurve bows, and crossbows. The laws also prohibit the public discharge of BB guns.
    The legislation sets an outright prohibition on the possession of certain weapons within the city. Those include:
    Anti-tank guns
    Bazookas
    Bomb
    Booby traps
    Flamethrowers
    Grenades
    Mines
    Mortar shells
    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/02/pittsburgh-city-council-passes-prohibitions-longbows-ar-15s-bb-guns/
    😉

    Like

  32. Walt Avatar

    Actually Don,, you CAN own an anti tank gun, and even tanks!
    The gun can even be live if you have the proper license .
    Suppressors are legal in most states.(again with a FFL) It just takes about six months to get it.
    But everything fun and good is illegal in Ca.

    Like

  33. Walt Avatar

    How much money you have to burn Don?
    http://mgshooters.com/
    The BIG Sandy gun shoot.
    A twice a year, three day weekend of friends, weapons, targets and gear in Arizona’s high, western desert. With a quarter mile long firing range, populated by hundreds of shooters, The Big Sandy is the largest machine-gun shoot in the United States. This NFA shooting range will test yourself, your weapon and your sights. Held in Northwestern Arizona, approximately 10 miles northeast of the town Wikieup, where you can get some distance on your targets. Some targets fly the length of the range at high speeds, some explode. If you’re up to it, please come visit this uniquely American event.
    All privately owned weapons of mass destruction.

    Like

  34. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    But the BB guns! The horror! LOL
    😉

    Like

  35. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 550pm – “what happened?” McCain happened, remember? Since everything about Trump is to you a ‘lie’, do you also call your friends liars if they don’t arrive at the prearranged time, or had some other unforeseen thing prevent them from attending to something agreed on.

    Like

  36. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Check out the NY Post cover that leads ‘No more liberties’ , its the visual that really has impact.
    https://drudgereport.com/
    😉

    Like

  37. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Justice Thomas makes it clear his is just getting ready to party!
    Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas denied any interest in retirement this weekend, telling a friendly audience in Beverly Hills, California, that he has no plans to leave judicial service in the near future.
    Speaking at Pepperdine University School of Law’s annual dinner, the 70-year-old Thomas emphatically denied speculation that he will leave the Supreme Court, amid speculation that he may wish to leave the bench under President Donald Trump.
    Professor James Allan Gash, Pepperdine’s incoming president and moderator of the Saturday evening talk, asked Thomas who he would like to speak at his retirement party 20 years hence, according to Law360.
    “I’m not retiring,” Thomas replied.
    Gash pressed the justice and extended the time horizon to 30 years, but Thomas did not give any ground.
    https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/02/clarence-thomas-retirement/
    😉

    Like

  38. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Oh jeez, here we go:
    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-02/forget-creepy-biden-has-major-ukraine-problem
    GeorgeR: “Since everything about Trump is to you a ‘lie’, do you also call your friends liars if they don’t arrive at the prearranged time, or had some other unforeseen thing prevent them from attending to something agreed on.”
    Hey, maybe he does. He does appear pretty free with the word. May it’s just an attempt to look edgy.
    In terms of Trump’s ‘lies’ about healthcare, I really love the problem because I simply don’t have any good ideas on how to fix the thing, even given dictatorial powers. I still don’t see why California can’t simply institute some new and no doubt wonderful way of doing things.
    Some general links to show that ya just can’t trust nobody.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/03/one-in-three-heart-surgeons-refuse-difficult-operations-to-avoid/
    “The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer, and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess: Inside a digital revolution gone wrong. ”
    http://fortune.com/longform/medical-records/
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-09/finland-government-falls-after-attempts-to-reduce-healthcare/10885712

    Like

  39. Paul Emery Avatar

    “McCain happened” George ?
    Yes McCain and enough others that caused it to fail in the Senate. That’s what happens when you sponsor unpopular legislation. It will be far worse if he happens, unlikely as it seems , to win another term because it’s almost impossible that the Pubs will win the 40 seats they lost in the house. there is no modern example of that happening in a Presidential year. The Pubs won big in Obama’s off election as they did in Clintons. Gotta go back over 40 years to find an example of that big a gain in a Presidential election cycle.
    this chart clearly shows that there were no “wave” House elections during a Presidential election since Hoover in 1932 and it was he an seated President who lost (Hoover) 97 seats to the Dems,
    So it looks hike it will be virtually impossible for Trump to win back the House and it makes him look really stupid for him to assume he will win. So thenit’s safe to assume the Pubs have no viable plan to replace Obamacare. Goodness this guy is ignorant.
    Here’s the chart look for wave elections:
    https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2020

    Like

  40. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 916pm – In the event this is news to you, for at least the last 15 years EVERY piece of legislation has been “unpopular” with almost half of Congress – how do you think Obamacare passed? Hot Flash – the country is terminally polarized.

    Like

  41. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Come on folks, everyone get your best one handed clap going for the comic stylings @916. Was that a team playing with the device thing? Adam Schifty wants to know, he as an eye on you!
    😉

    Like

  42. Ozz Avatar
    Ozz

    Rebane 7:56
    “McCain happened”. Pure horseshoe*t. All by himself, George?? Childish retort at best.
    Just like sporting events; take for instance baseball in the 9th score tied at 9 to 9. Someone hits a homer and gets the adulation and credit for stacking a point on the 9 runs that came before. Unless he made the previous 9 runs he didn’t “win the game”. I’ve never figured that out, and now you are giving McCain entire credit (blame) for whipping Trump.

    Like

  43. Todd Juvinall Avatar

    McCain told fellow R’s the night before the vote he would vote for repeal. Then he did his drama with a thumbs down. All because he was mad at Trump. And he screwed the country for that pettiness.

    Like

  44. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Glad you agree with me Todd that it took more than McCain for Trump to lose on healthcare

    Like

  45. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    There were three Pubs that voted against it Todd.

    Like

  46. Scott O Avatar

    While some in our nation worry about straws at McDonalds:
    https://www.wired.co.uk/article/russia-gps-spoofing
    and
    https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/04/newest-ai-enabled-weapon-deep-faking-photos-earth/155962/
    Even India can destroy a satellite. If a few key satellites go ‘missing’ and we have an EMP ‘event’ we won’t fear China, we’ll invite them in to save us.
    Won’t they be just too happy to oblige.
    https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/04/02/39793672/if-you-are-not-paying-attention-the-world-ending-storm-of-a-third-world-war-is-gathering-in-venezuela
    Things could get interesting – or not.
    In 1939 the Germans were developing jet aircraft and we still had biplanes. Geography was our friend, but we can no longer count on that.
    Of course, our newer generation is woke – so I’m sure our enemies are really impressed with that.

    Like