Hurlshort

Well if you like the game, the DLC is solid. Although I think it is a better deal to just subscribe.

Every time the FBI director has to refer to a 'tweet', I fear we grow weaker as a nation.

That's what I used to think, but then I found out we are actually paying more than all of those countries in taxes towards healthcare costs.

No, they were well on their way with or without ACA. Also, in addition to all of our costs, estimates are about 25% of our federal taxes are going to healthcare programs. We pay like 5 times more than other countries, and I am pretty sure we aren't getting 5 times better healthcare for that.

Just to give a real world example from my perspective, I buy the best insurance I have available from my employer. The family plan deducts $693 dollars a month from my paycheck every month, and my school district kicks in an additional $2187 dollars every month to the insurance company. This plan gives us access to a pretty large network of providers. My family of four is pretty dang healthy. We are all active and we stick to a pretty good diet. My wife recently had her gall bladder out, which is a pretty standard procedure. I just received the breakdown in the mail, so lets go over it. The original charge from the hospital was $21,619. Now because the hospital is in our network, they work out a discount with the insurance company that shaves off $14,413. My insurance company paid $6,236 of that, and I am left with a $970 bill. So basically we give the insurance company nearly $3000 every month and we still get hit with a nearly $1000 bill when we have a fairly standard operation done. Imagine how crazy that bill is going to look when someone gets hospitalized for a period of time. And I say WHEN because the vast majority of us are going to end up needing this. Unless you get lucky and keel over without any warning signs, you are going to need some major medical care at some point in your life.

Well, costs have doubled since then, so I'd imagine that is a factor.

If you get bored of FFXV, pick up Horizon: Zero Dawn. It's good. I loved FFXV though, I still haven't finished it but my road trips with the boy band were super charming.

I'm completely over medical insurance as a thing. It is a failed experiment.

Just reached Meridian for the first time. It is pretty dang impressive. I also love shooting components off the robots. I was fighting a really big guy with some guards and I kept running for cover, popping up and aiming for these big missile launchers he had. It was super satisfying when I knocked them off.

To be fair, the Trump Budget Chief has done an absolute horrific job explaining any of that.

I've got a new episode up on Oskar Blues Brewing, enjoy!

That's exciting! How old is he? He is six. He did great, I had no reaon to worry. I have been taking him skating for weeks and he was hesitant to skate without me holding his hand, but once he got out with other kids he had no problem. He got off the ice with a big smile after a good hour of work. He also was following directions from the coaches, which is more than I can say for half the kids.

My son has his first hockey class today. I've been working with him on skating since the summer, so hopefully he is ready. I may be more nervous than him.

So we are cutting meals for the elderly and the free school lunch programs? The school lunch program is quite possibly the most important thing that some schools are doing. I've worked at a number of tough schools, and the fact that these kids can get a warm meal and some time away from tragic situations at home is invaluable. I'm confident that in California the state will pick up the slack, but I imagine all the states who already rely heavily on federal dollars to get by will be in trouble.

It's a good response, but it isn't an either or proposition. We can have diplomacy and military readiness.

I take it you trust the military generals to keep us out of war, instead?

It is hard to take the readiness argument at face value when we are cutting the State department budgets. If we are really worried about going to war with China and Russia, that would seem to be as important as military readiness.

You really think they will act on it? I am blaming him because he is in a position to act on it, and yet only seems to be throwing more money at the problem instead of actual reform. Those are taxpayer dollars being wasted. You seem mighty quick to assume they will do the right thing.

I posted this earlier, but it probably bears repeating. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/pentagon-buries-evidence-of-125-billion-in-bureaucratic-waste/2016/12/05/e0668c76-9af6-11e6-a0ed-ab0774c1eaa5_story.html?utm_term=.f5c75f8dfea4 My confidence wasn't super high in this administration, but it's pretty much below sea level at this point. Wasteful spending, baseless fearmongering, and bad tweets seem to be the trend for the next 4 years.

Why is the voice of The Witcher a selling point? I can swallow a mouthful of gravel and do my own voice overs.

I am pretty excited about the move for the Warriors, but I only go to a game once a season or so, and that area by the water is simply beautiful and one of my favorite places in the world. I will probably make a couple days of it when I go to a game and stay in a hotel. The rise in ticket prices has a lot more to do with them being winners though. The Giants had cheap ticket prices as well before they won a title.

I admire the size and scale that the big brewers operate on, and the fact they can produces a light American Lager that tastes the same in every can is impressive. But I only get to drink so many beers in this lifetime, and I don't want to waste it on flavorless stuff. Thankfully you can find a decent alternative almost everywhere nowadays. I read that the A's are getting Strike Brewery on tap, which is just down the street from me, so that's neat.

Awesome! I actually use a pothole analogy to explain how bureaucracy works to my students.

I loved Lands of Lore!

Still going to be $10 for a decent beer. I wonder what craft beer they will have, they've got a number of solid craft breweries in the neighborhood.