Hurlshort

Uh oh, let's hope this doesn't lead to a curse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat

I go into every series expecting an implosion, so you will get no argument for me. I am shocked at their record right now. The pen has actually blown 3 games too. I still think they are a .500 team at the end of this, but it has been fun so far. I love the Buster Posey renaissance. The way he is throwing out runners is just as big as the homers.

Damn. My son spent a week in the NICU too. It was not anywhere near that and that would have been very difficult to deal with on top of all the other new child expenses. I am sorry to hear that.

Yeah, I was double covered at the time, so it was super cheap to have kids too. That has changed tremendously over the last decade. Premium costs have skyrocketed, so paying for double coverage is no longer very viable.

I heard a good interview this morning on Howard Stern with Jon Stewart. I'm pretty sure it was a re-run, but I thought it was well thought out: https://people.com/tv/jon-stewart-on-daily-show-improvements-diversity-inclusion/ Basically, it talks about the importance of systematic change. The Chauvin verdict is good because it hold an officer accountable for use of force that resulted in death, but what we really need is systematic change. That is what the guy was trying to get at in the Tucker Carlson interview as well.

Oof, Tucker Carlson is an amazing interviewer.

My wife requires a enzyme to help her pancreas continue working. She takes them with every meal. When she first started taking them, it was $90 a month to buy them at our pharmacy. Without insurance, it would be about $300. After a few months of that, I called the insurance company to complain about the cost. They told me to use a different pharmacy that they have a better rate with. Now we pay $15 a month. That is great, but this is still a stupid system.

I'm not sure. I guess it is like porn, you know it when you see it.

I know that is tongue and cheek, but I do wonder how people would react to restrictions on the aesthetics of guns. Packaging does matter. We restrict the way tobacco products are marketed, we don't let people put a bunch of spikes on their cars, so could we restrict the look of guns without running afoul of the 2nd amendment?

The whole debate around the AR-15 is a little crazy. This is the weapon that has seemed to consistently show up in mass shootings time and time again. Gun activists love to argue that it is not really an assault rifle. But you know what? It looks like one. So you get all sorts of crazy people gravitating towards it because it looks scary and not like something you'd go deer hunting with. Which should be a giant red flag right there. Honestly I have no problem with hunters, sport clay shooters, pistol range shooters, or even those looking to defend their homes. It's the clowns that dress up in military garb and think they are GI Joe that scare me.

I have been pretty shocked at how the housing market has continued to get further and further out of reach where I live. I can't actually save enough to keep up with it, so I have resigned myself to the idea we will buy out of the area when we are close to retirement. But this was an interesting watch and reinforcement of what I see happening:

As was pointed out, every situation varies drastically depending on a tremendous amount of factors. Which is just one of the incredibly stupid aspects of the healthcare system in the US. But Gfted1 lives a charmed life, so he doesn't need to worry about hismelf and his own. *shrug*

I feel you. I can't eat anything with soy or nuts anymore. I do try and find decent replacements for this stuff. Sunbutter cups from Trader Joes is a pretty good replacement for peanut butter cups, and they have a decent toaster pastry (although it still has a ton of sugar.)

Fabricated? I mean, the guy died. Does he die if things stay quiet and he has a normal day at his post? He seems to have underlying health conditions, and that will mean it is unlikely anyone will be fully prosecuted for his death. Hardly means the story was fabricated.

I think a lot of sporting events are requiring you to show proof of vaccination, or at least are planning to as they open up.

I remember this one: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/11/08/when-a-bystander-fired-on-the-texas-church-shooter-the-nra-found-its-hero/

Resurrection time I know we discuss guns in the political thread regularly, but that is busy with a lot of other stuff, and I found this gem of a thread that was more specific. Mass shootings are back in the news after a relatively quiet year. The FedEx shooting is terrible and tragic, and was committed by an individual that exhibited all of the warning signs you would expect. His mother had reported him to law enforcement and he went through an investigation. He was active on white supremacism websites. Despite that, he was still able to legally purchase two "assault rifles" (that is how the police department characterized them.) Indiana actually has a law on the books to try and stop this, which can be seen as a gun control law. But is it effective? It clearly failed here. So how do we prevent these type of things?

Very excited to watch Marleau break the record tonight. What a career! He's never had the massive seasons and awards, but at the end of the day he has had a tremendous impact on my home town and my hockey club. I basically grew up watching him score big goals for the Sharks. I was a senior in high school his rookie year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/goldman-asks-is-curing-patients-a-sustainable-business-model.html

It sounds like a simple question. How much does an x-ray cost? But this is what the answer looks like: https://affordablescan.com/x-ray/cost/california Which is kind of a dark humor, I suppose.

Irresponsible is an understatement when it comes to the health care system in the US.

Hah, you say that like Americans go in for regular checkups and the doctors look for conditions. In the US, you develop the condition, and then if you feel up for paying the deductibles and co-pays, you go in to get treated. Duh. 😝 Liberals are much more likely to go to a doctor for mental stuff, is what that graph shows.

I cleared some sort of goblin dungeon on the Isle of Siptah in Conan Exiles. It was scary. I'm enjoying the Isle a ton. It's fun just to have a whole new area to explore, but I also feel like funcom has come along way with the engine and their world building, and it resulted in a pretty focused expansion with great effects. I am building my fortress on a large rock outcropping in the middle of the maelstrom.