Political Discussion

Dtknuckles said:
I wish all news outlets reported on statistics and science like 538.

fivethirtyeight.com

Can We Prevent Mass Shootings By Preventing Suicide?

Imagine a doctor who wanted to treat a broken leg with chemotherapy. Or treat cancer with a cast. Just because cancer and broken legs are both things that happe…
fivethirtyeight.com fivethirtyeight.com
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That is a fairly well written article. I think it overstated the support amongst gun owners for ERPOs, but it does touch upon something that my friends and I have long ago concluded in that the big mass shootings are essentially angry suicides in want of company. I believe that the same contagion effect that is the reason why news outlets don’t publicize details of suicides is at play with these types of mass shootings as well.

Going after guns isn’t going to be that effective for this issue. Especially not without violating the rights of millions of people. Chalking them up to a nebulous explanation of “mental illness” doesn’t cut it either. Mass shootings are a symptom of the greater sickness in our society. Until we start addressing the increasing isolation of people and the incentives like media attention that make them alluring, I don’t think we’re going to reverse the course that was set with Columbine.
 
Chucktshoes said:
That is a fairly well written article. I think it overstated the support amongst gun owners for ERPOs, but it does touch upon something that my friends and I have long ago concluded in that the big mass shootings are essentially angry suicides in want of company. I believe that the same contagion effect that is the reason why news outlets don’t publicize details of suicides is at play with these types of mass shootings as well.

Going after guns isn’t going to be that effective for this issue. Especially not without violating the rights of millions of people. Chalking them up to a nebulous explanation of “mental illness” doesn’t cut it either. Mass shootings are a symptom of the greater sickness in our society. Until we start addressing the increasing isolation of people and the incentives like media attention that make them alluring, I don’t think we’re going to reverse the course that was set with Columbine.
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I have no ideas how to solve the mass shooting crisis. I agree that just relying on gun control will not cut it. I don't own guns and don't ever want to. I think you own guns, if I remember correctly. So we kinda come at this from different points of view. Do you have any ideas how to fix this? I feel like it is going to take a huge amount of work. Not just legislation, but a focus on mental health which is something that our country has not been keen to do. How do we come up with a solution that almost everyone (because we aren't going to get everyone on board) can agree with? It can't be BAN ALL GUNS and it can't be EVERYONE BUY A GUN. But what is it? I'm not arguing, I'm genuinely curious what it is gonna take and what your thoughts are.
 
Like everyone else, I wish I had an solution. I don’t. Then again, I don’t think there is A solution. I do think there are lots of small ways we can address the issue. It will take a lot of action from lots of different folks.

One of them is that the media needs to start treating mass shootings like they do suicides. Stop making the fuckers famous. It would also be nice if they were honest about how they presented data like “there have been over 250 mass shootings in 2019”. They make it sound like they were all the kind of stories they like to splash across the news, but they are multiple different kinds of murders. The vast majority were related to gang violence. The methods to address those are very different than the methods to address workplace killings or the bowl cut adorned school killers.

I also think that our current method of dealing with the mentally ill in this country over the last 30-40 years has been a failure. I know it may sound odd coming from me, but I think we need to fund state asylums and make it easier to institutionalize the mentally ill again. As of now our streets and our prisons are our asylums and that state of affairs is unconscionable.

There are some very serious cultural issues at work here as well. Parents need to land the fucking helicopters and let kids learn how to solve problems for themselves, and by themselves. Stop it with the scheduled and supervised play dates and throw them out of the house and tell them to go make friends and to be home for dinner. Let them free range a bit, it’s good for them. We keep children infantilized for so long that they never learn how to fail or even take on challenges where that’s an option. Then as they age and face failure because life doesn’t care about their feelings, they can’t cope. Most just end up in their parents basements with $100k in student loan debt whining on the internet, but some lash out violently.

Speaking of the internet, I think greatly restricting access to it by children and young teens would be a positive action as well. The internet doesn’t bring folks together, it isolates them. Real life human interaction in meatspace is invaluable in the growth and development of a functional person. The interaction provided by the web on that front is a lie and I believe it’s feeding into the growing insanity that surrounds us.

Our society and culture is growing increasingly disconnected from who the human animal is and it’s making us crazy. Spree killings are simply one symptom of that.
 
Chucktshoes said:
I also think that our current method of dealing with the mentally ill in this country over the last 30-40 years has been a failure. I know it may sound odd coming from me, but I think we need to fund state asylums and make it easier to institutionalize the mentally ill again. As of now our streets and our prisons are our asylums and that state of affairs is unconscionable.
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Totally agree with you here. It's sad. Actually recently in LA a group of activists pressured the board of supervisors to stop a contract with a MH facility builder to not build a new prison/mental health building. They are looking for other ways of rehabilitating people with MH problem that commit the crimes. I was excited to see this. A lot more resources need to be sunk into providing care and treatment for people. I worry about over institutionalizing though. There is not a good track record there.

Chucktshoes said:
There are some very serious cultural issues at work here as well. Parents need to land the fucking helicopters and let kids learn how to solve problems for themselves, and by themselves. Stop it with the scheduled and supervised play dates and throw them out of the house and tell them to go make friends and to be home for dinner. Let them free range a bit, it’s good for them. We keep children infantilized for so long that they never learn how to fail or even take on challenges where that’s an option. Then as they age and face failure because life doesn’t care about their feelings, they can’t cope. Most just end up in their parents basements with $100k in student loan debt whining on the internet, but some lash out violently.
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While I'm not saying that this type of parenting is not a problem. I wonder how pervasive this problem is. I work with kids and parents and don't see it that often. Yea I think kids should be allowed to fail and understand the consequences. Play dates depress me. We haven't had to schedule any yet. I am excited about the nature center across the freeway from us. Lots of hiking trails and water 2 seasons out of the year. I plan on spending a lot of time with my son and hopefully with his friends over there. When I was a kid I just walked to my friend's house and knocked on their door.

The last statement about how most end up with 100k in student loan debt wining on the internet I would disagree with. I have seen data that most college students from middle to lower class families choose their degrees pragmatically and may end up with debt but don't wine on the internet. I wouldn't pin this narrative on the right or left. I think its just old people wanting to complain about how things are different.
 
Dtknuckles said:
I think its just old people wanting to complain about how things are different.
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More like they are completely detached from the realities facing younger generations (and are thus unsympathetic).

Case in point- people over 50 tend to measure the economy based off their property value, stocks and unemployment reports.

But none of that measures the fact that wages have stayed stagnant for 30+ years while things like rent, college tuition, food, insurance and the such have DRASTICALLY escalated in cost.

I mean, the price of rent has gone up 60% in LA just in the past 5 years. Unsurprisingly, homelessness has gone up at the exact same rate. Yet the "liberals" who achieved financial stability in a different era, don't feel the impact of rising rent. They only see the rise in homelessness... and then they fight any attempts at problem solving. They don't want affordable housing for young professionals or bridge housing for the newly homeless (which has shown to be the best way to prevent those people from becoming a part of the cycle of permanent homelessness). Why? Because they are worried about their property value and little else.... And affordable housing and homeless shelters might impact that.

Meanwhile, conservatives in rural areas are more likely to see the same problems as people under 40 but usually have very different understandings of the root causes. Where as somebody like me sees economic inequality or unchecked climate change and blames deregulation/privatization (see the monopolization of nearly every industry or the gutting of financial regulations) or money in politics (see the backroom deals cut with big development here in LA that have resulted in estimated 100k vacant luxury based apartment buildings while nothing for the middle class gets built) or flaws of capitalism (the emphasis on share holders and infinite growth over the well being of workers or the health of this planet), the more unhinged portions of the GOP blame illegal immigrants or the little remaining government oversight we have left for their economic suffering.
 
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Dtknuckles said:
Totally agree with you here. It's sad. Actually recently in LA a group of activists pressured the board of supervisors to stop a contract with a MH facility builder to not build a new prison/mental health building. They are looking for other ways of rehabilitating people with MH problem that commit the crimes. I was excited to see this. A lot more resources need to be sunk into providing care and treatment for people. I worry about over institutionalizing though. There is not a good track record there.




While I'm not saying that this type of parenting is not a problem. I wonder how pervasive this problem is. I work with kids and parents and don't see it that often. Yea I think kids should be allowed to fail and understand the consequences. Play dates depress me. We haven't had to schedule any yet. I am excited about the nature center across the freeway from us. Lots of hiking trails and water 2 seasons out of the year. I plan on spending a lot of time with my son and hopefully with his friends over there. When I was a kid I just walked to my friend's house and knocked on their door.

The last statement about how most end up with 100k in student loan debt wining on the internet I would disagree with. I have seen data that most college students from middle to lower class families choose their degrees pragmatically and may end up with debt but don't wine on the internet. I wouldn't pin this narrative on the right or left. I think its just old people wanting to complain about how things are different.
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It’s best to take my more hyperbolic statements and read them with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek as they were definitely written that way.
 
www.cnn.com

Donald Trump's story on skipping the G7 climate meeting makes no sense

On Monday, before the close of the G7 meetings in France, the heads of those nations gathered to talk about climate change and what could be done to address the warming of our planet. Donald Trump didn't go.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com

The White House is lying about why Trump skipped the G7 Climate Change Meeting.
 
20/20/19 (Biden) + 8 for Harris + 4 for Pete/Booker. Data from one of the two pollsters with a A+ from 587. Oh and Biden had 40% to their 15 in the previous one.

thehill.com

New poll shows Biden falling badly, three-way tie for Democratic lead

Joe Biden’s support in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is slipping, according to a new survey from Monmouth University Poll that shows the former vice president dropping be…
thehill.com thehill.com
 
Another strong sign we are heading towards a recession is being reported in the news tonight.

CEOs are selling stocks at the highest rate since 2007 favoring other more stable forms of investments.

This is a strong indicator they expect turbulences or losses in the stock market lasting a year or longer.

While Insider Trading is Illegal, CEOs through their network of well connected people have a much better idea what way the market will go compared to the average Joe.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Another strong sign we are heading towards a recession is being reported in the news tonight.

CEOs are selling stocks at the highest rate since 2007 favoring other more stable forms of investments.

This is a strong indicator they expect turbulences or losses in the stock market lasting a year or longer.

While Insider Trading is Illegal, CEOs through their network of well connected people have a much better idea what way the market will go compared to the average Joe.
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This isn't making my 401K feel any better.
 
Brazilian government rejects G7 aid with a burn hotter than the one going on in the Amazon right now.

Commenting on the G7 offer of aid, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's chief of staff, Onyx Lorenzoni, told the Globo news website: "Thanks, but maybe those resources are more relevant to reforest Europe. Macron cannot even avoid a predictable fire in a church that is part of the world's heritage, and he wants to give us lessons for our country?"

Brazil to reject G7 money to fight Amazon fires
 
Sighs, more headaches and unexpected bills related to routine labs during my physical this past spring.

As I ranted earlier in the year, $300 for a cholesterol test went towards my deductible.

But apparently there is now an additional $97 that went to collections.

My insurance denied a claim for $97 and some change because the lab sent the tests to a different facility to run the test results and my insurance can't reimburse them separately. The $97 was for the other facility to process the labs.

The insurance statement that states why this was denied also states that should I receive a bill from a third party or an out-of-network facility, do not pay it and call the number on the back of my insurance card.

I never received a bill for so I thought I had nothing to worry about / sort out. Until yesterday when a letter came in the mail from a collection agency trying to collect upon that $97.

I called my insurance company and they said they would look into it and follow up with my within 90 days and not to pay the bill. However, they said if the debt has been sold already there is nothing further they can do and it's up to me whether or not I want to pay it to clear it off my credit record.


Would you pay this debt just to get rid of it?
 
RenegadeMonster said:
Sighs, more headaches and unexpected bills related to routine labs during my physical this past spring.

As I ranted earlier in the year, $300 for a cholesterol test went towards my deductible.

But apparently there is now an additional $97 that went to collections.

My insurance denied a claim for $97 and some change because the lab sent the tests to a different facility to run the test results and my insurance can't reimburse them separately. The $97 was for the other facility to process the labs.

The insurance statement that states why this was denied also states that should I receive a bill from a third party or an out-of-network facility, do not pay it and call the number on the back of my insurance card.

I never received a bill for so I thought I had nothing to worry about / sort out. Until yesterday when a letter came in the mail from a collection agency trying to collect upon that $97.

I called my insurance company and they said they would look into it and follow up with my within 90 days and not to pay the bill. However, they said if the debt has been sold already there is nothing further they can do and it's up to me whether or not I want to pay it to clear it off my credit record.


Would you pay this debt just to get rid of it?
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Based on my own experiences, I'd have little confidence in an insurance company to investigate a $97 charge on your behalf. If you have the money, I'd pay the debt and have the creditors confirm that they are submitting it as 'paid in full' or whatever the proper designation is and confirm that they will request that the credit agencies remove the item from your record. Sometimes they will put weird notes or submit it under a different categorization that can hurt your credit score or leave it on your record longer than it should be. It's been 7-8 years since I had to research that stuff for my own debt so I'd google around a little.
 
In reference to my last post regarding Brazil telling the G7 to piss off, Here is a story from the NYT about the on the ground reality. The majority of the fires are on previously cleared agricultural land. This is a standard ag land clearing practice.

The debate about the agricultural land use issues in Brazil is a longstanding one and not the immediate panic inducing crisis it’s being made to be right now.
 
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