tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post7020025351279786041..comments2023-06-21T00:36:40.840-07:00Comments on Plead Ignorance: Death By A Thousand CutsRobert the Skeptichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-908061987125243082012-03-08T14:22:28.072-08:002012-03-08T14:22:28.072-08:00Heidrun No, surviving the loss of a home through f...<b>Heidrun</b> No, surviving the loss of a home through fire is traumatic enough without having to brave more adversity just trying to retrieve what is due to you.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-90559473134886841462012-03-08T12:42:41.216-08:002012-03-08T12:42:41.216-08:00Burn a house? Build a new one?
Really? OUCH!!
It&#...Burn a house? Build a new one?<br />Really? OUCH!!<br />It's been 4 years since our house fire and we still have no insurance settlement.<br />We had no debt on the home. We were forced to sell the place as is for 1/4 of it's value because we were not in any position to reconstruct. STRESS was way too high for us to manage it.<br />Now the poor agent who rebuilt it is stuck selling it at a fair price because the internet point out that there was a fire at that location.<br />Today we were to meet with our lawyer again as we struggle to get some closure but the app't was cancelled just as we were ready to go. And that continues. <br />Nothing fair in any of this.Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-15658143382800517752012-03-08T12:32:49.343-08:002012-03-08T12:32:49.343-08:00Robert I hope the part about burning down a house ...Robert I hope the part about burning down a house was not intended to be hurtful. Our house that burned down was fully paid for and we lost a lot because the insurance company lawyers and ares are still fighting.<br />The stress of that has been with us for 4 years this March.<br />We sold the place as is for 1/4 of it's value because we could not go through the stress of reconstruction.<br />To date the house fixed and up for sale but the agent who rebuilt now has the internet pointing to a fire at that location and that is slowing his resale.<br />The world has changed a lot.Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-54951469010960147452012-02-27T10:35:22.912-08:002012-02-27T10:35:22.912-08:00Yotu really nailed it, Robert!!! Count a standing...Yotu really nailed it, Robert!!! Count a standing ovation from Ohio!!!Kay Dennisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02646717192332313215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-53855630808236251982012-02-27T10:18:36.344-08:002012-02-27T10:18:36.344-08:00Paul Bouahhhaaaaaaaaaaa, be afraid, be very afraid...<b>Paul</b> Bouahhhaaaaaaaaaaa, be afraid, be very afraid... Lock up your women, hide your children, the GOVERNMENT is coming to get you with nasty big pointy teeth....<br /><br />So it's true what I have read, Conservative ideology is based primarily on fear. But you know what your biggest fear is, the one that keeps you guys gnashing your teeth and rummaging for your torches and pitchforks? You are terrified <a href="http://pleadignorance.blogspot.com/2010/05/undeserving.html" rel="nofollow"> that somebody will get something they don't deserve</a>, that they haven't earned in your eyes. If that happens it brings us one more step closer to the brink of Socialism.... oh god help us!<br /><br />Give me a list of all the "freedoms" you have had taken away from you. Tell me you all aren't accepting social security, that you are refusing Medicare and self-paying your medical. Rail on about the Government while private business, unfettered by any rules, picks our pockets incessently. Oh yes, wait a minute, I forgot... you are angry about the taxes you have to pay, or as I call them, the "dues" we all pay to live in a free society. <br /><br />I'll stop here before this comment turns into a blog entry itself.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-25650113289689594472012-02-27T08:16:38.389-08:002012-02-27T08:16:38.389-08:00Silly ? I may be, but I still have my doubts about...Silly ? I may be, but I still have my doubts about the government's "good" intentions on my behalf. I do not trust blindly. Corporations aren't people I agree, but shareholders in their stock are people. I think Big Government and Corporations basically run the country and dictate to the populi. The Constitution mentions "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, For the life of me I cannot fin where it says it will take care of me from the cradle to the grave. I always remember what a wise old lady - my Grandmother - once told me. "the hand that feeds you can take it away."Paulhttp://shadowofdiogenes.blogs.com/shadow/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-26548902679572836472012-02-26T10:57:24.168-08:002012-02-26T10:57:24.168-08:00Paul You are being silly when you said: "...t...<b>Paul</b> You are being silly when you said: <i>"...the government hasn't asked me about what regulations I may want or may not want"</i>. What I said was <i>"...the PEOPLE to ask their government to intercede in their/our behalf when businesses favor their self-interests"...</i>, which is the way it is supposed to work. And actually the government DOES come to you regularly to specifically ask your opinion on regulations in the form of ballot initiatives. <br /><br />The point of my post was that, it's not the government that is picking our pockets, it's corporations... who have too much influence on our government. So you should therefore be totally on board with signing the <a href="http://movetoamend.org/" rel="nofollow">petition to amend the Constitution</a> to change the Supreme Court ruling declaring corporations as having the same rights as individuals.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-10219113523715711522012-02-26T10:53:09.885-08:002012-02-26T10:53:09.885-08:00Murr Donno about you but a majority of my cognitiv...<b>Murr</b> Donno about you but a majority of my cognitive abilities shut down when I am confronted with ice cream.<br /><br /><b>Entre Nois</b> This trend is EVERYWHERE, sell us less for more. It is insidious and, frankly, it requires too much effort to inspect every product to see if you are getting ripped off. The Corporations have clearly won this one.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-69204509498923938102012-02-26T07:20:06.988-08:002012-02-26T07:20:06.988-08:00Robert, the government hasn'i asked me about w...Robert, the government hasn'i asked me about what regulations I may want or may not want. It's too big to really care about the little guy. Spme bureaucrat in Washington doesn't know me from Adam's house cat ! <br /><br />And the average citizen doesn't have much power compared to the power of the federal government. However, I am glad that John Q. Public is beginning to wake up and not just folks on the Right. Some Lefties are getting pissed too with the way government is trying to dictate our that we live our lives. <br /><br />There is a book entitled "Three Felonies a Day" by a Liberal Lawyer named Harvey Silverglate that documents how Big Brother - oops our federal government finds legal ways to dance to their tune. I doubt that you will read it, but at least you cannot call Silverglate a Tea Partyer or Right wing nut !Paulhttp://shadowofdiogenes.blogs.com/shadpw/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-38965015629413769512012-02-26T02:26:57.254-08:002012-02-26T02:26:57.254-08:00Anyone else noticed the oz. in plastic containers ...Anyone else noticed the oz. in plastic containers is retreating? Evidently the plastic bottles are made with drastically recessed finger grips, hence less product.Entre Noushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00186796216462041421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-29227754045704045762012-02-26T00:21:42.987-08:002012-02-26T00:21:42.987-08:00A few years ago everyone quit selling half-gallons...A few years ago everyone quit selling half-gallons of ice cream and substituted quart-and-a-halfs. You think we wouldn't notice something like that? It's ICE CREAM!Murr Brewsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03422638986410813520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-25334102578849944842012-02-25T17:15:04.838-08:002012-02-25T17:15:04.838-08:00Cryptos There is significantly less stress associa...<b>Cryptos</b> There is significantly less stress associated with that strategy.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-53388311925973264342012-02-25T16:45:59.253-08:002012-02-25T16:45:59.253-08:00I'm looking into the advantages of living in d...I'm looking into the advantages of living in denial.;)Antares Cryptoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12197876328401157462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-83832628010575478572012-02-25T08:36:26.344-08:002012-02-25T08:36:26.344-08:00Paul Yeah, I know. People are already blaming Obam...<b>Paul</b> Yeah, I know. People are already blaming Obama for gas prices rising, and Newt has promised to lower them to back to $2.50 a gallon. The truth is that petroleum prices at the barrel is 100% controlled by private commodity traders, government has NO input into fuel prices beyond assessing taxes at the pump. These markets are completely unregulated.<br /><br />Regulations are not generated out of thin air by Government bureaucrats, they are demanded by the PEOPLE to ask their government to intercede in their/our behalf when businesses favor their self-interests and profits over the health, welfare and safety of the public. Regulations are the traffic signs and the "rules" set in place to ensure businesses do no run roughshod over the rights of individuals AND other businesses. Yes... regulations protect business interests also from unfair competition! Hey, how about we get government regulation out of the Patent and Trade Mark business? That would generate some exciting "free markets" wouldn't it!<br /><br />People demand their government step in when corporate interests pollute our water and air, their products make us ill or exploit their market at the expense of consumers. Regulations are the laws and rules that keep greed from harming those do not have the power to individually protect themselves.<br /><br />I worked in Banking during a time when it began being deregulated. I personally witnessed The lifting of regulations which allowed the previous rules and standards to be bent. Usury laws became obsolete, reserve requirements and lending rules were gutted or outright eliminated. People who would not have ordinarily qualified for credit had it advanced to them. Look at the nightmare legacy we are suffering from that today.<br /><br />People are always decrying that government is usurping our "freedoms"... freedom to do what? To gut working people of their declining incomes, freedom to make unfathomable profits with no responsibility for the systems and structure that ALLOWS them to make those profits? Freedom to pollute and damage and harm with impunity for profit? I don't think those "freedoms" are among the core values that most Americans hold dear. In my opinion current businesses don't have enough regulation imposed on them, and until they drop the greed position of profit over people, they should be regulated back to the Stone Age.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-18247856190350120682012-02-25T08:01:30.685-08:002012-02-25T08:01:30.685-08:00Obama is the President and who else can citizens h...Obama is the President and who else can citizens hold to account .Corporate interests don't care what the public says unless it impacts their bottom line - making money. I would say the same thing if a Republican were President. <br />While we are at it Robert and you probably don't want to hear it - there is too damn much government regulation. That with corporate greed, a bad economy and store bought politicians it's no wonder people are starting to get upset. It's about damn time !<br />And I say to the people who want the federal government to usurp more of our freedoms - you are getting what you want !Paulhttp://shadowofdiogenes.blogs.com/shadow/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-6876255247743395082012-02-24T13:42:11.746-08:002012-02-24T13:42:11.746-08:00Awkward Precisely, or you could also ...<b>Awkward</b> Precisely, or you could also ...Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-55983993900807229632012-02-24T11:45:11.986-08:002012-02-24T11:45:11.986-08:00Sweet. So I can change my advertising services to...Sweet. So I can change my advertising services to offer less and charge more?Brettheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09962592571393908971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-51249333548935876982012-02-23T09:46:35.722-08:002012-02-23T09:46:35.722-08:00Kitten Well the fuel charge could be considered a ...<b>Kitten</b> Well the fuel charge could be considered a "tax" but it was imposed by private industry, not government. Corporate taxes were actually reduced in 1979, again in 1987 and yet again in 1993. Individual income tax rates have never gone above the 22% rate in the 1950's and are down to 10% today. Sales taxes, property taxes, etc. have probably have gone up depending on location, but then the costs of goods, services, labor, rise accordingly. We would all like our salaries to go up and the costs of everything else to go down, but is that practical or realistic?Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-71617665645576093662012-02-22T23:54:54.924-08:002012-02-22T23:54:54.924-08:00Robert, re: your response to Kay...In the past as ...Robert, re: your response to Kay...In the past as taxes have gone up and up, my comment has been, "Once they get their hand in your pocket, they never take it out."TravelBug-Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01974719934652737928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-8694598631202468922012-02-22T18:12:15.753-08:002012-02-22T18:12:15.753-08:00SecretAgent A agree, I hate it when I purchase som...<b>SecretAgent</b> A agree, I hate it when I purchase some small part and have to use sizzors or a knife to extract it from it's packaging.<br /><br /><b>BackRow</b> Actually, I noticed that it is easier to get the roll on the holder now... so a benefit maybe??!!<br /><br /><b>KleinstMotte</b> I just found out that our hazard insurance company applies an "automatic increase" in property values of 8% each year. Maybe people "under water" would be better off buring their houses down and having a new one built? <br /><br /><b>Cryptos</b> I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it ain't gonna end in a decade. The lifestyle the Baby Boomers enjoyed will pass into history. I didn't believe that a decade ago myself, but now I am convinced. It's why I keep saying over and over that I believe our generation has lived in the best times man has ever had, and ever will have, on this planet.<br /><br /><b>Billy</b> I think frugal living is going to be imposed on us as we enter the "new Depression".Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-13602689083976512432012-02-22T15:42:32.867-08:002012-02-22T15:42:32.867-08:00downsizing products has been going on for decades....downsizing products has been going on for decades. maybe we should become as frugal as our parents who lived through the depression.billy pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00128876723713271131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-66555220140816226392012-02-22T15:26:30.810-08:002012-02-22T15:26:30.810-08:00We're on the same page. While usually optimist...We're on the same page. While usually optimistic, my generation will is facing a tough decade.Antares Cryptoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12197876328401157462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-25255147935246519632012-02-22T08:27:30.616-08:002012-02-22T08:27:30.616-08:00That we are being tricked has been noticed by me f...That we are being tricked has been noticed by me for years now. And gradually we are being guided by advertisers and the media to try new products that cost more but are good for our health.<br />The insurance issue is not only in health care. We are also seeing large annual increases in car and house insurance for no apparent reason. <br />The bottom line will turn red in time because eventually the current system will no longer function. To have sales consumers are needed. Consumers need capital to spend. <br />Greed is altering the the pendulum too much to one side and the profit end will collapse. But that may not do anything to help the consumer.Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-83090038289922473962012-02-21T19:28:04.736-08:002012-02-21T19:28:04.736-08:00How does a shorter roll fit in the dispenser? I kn...How does a shorter roll fit in the dispenser? I know---that is just how my brain works.<br />But I have seen this same trend. It makes me wonder even more how many people seem to think that business and corporations need fewer (or no) regulation because the "market forces" will keep them on good behavior. B.S.<br />BTW-word id won't recognize me....without my google account. So, I am f/k/a "alwaysinthebackrow"chlosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10476371332873753350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095807065479059898.post-79543269936910703892012-02-21T05:13:46.475-08:002012-02-21T05:13:46.475-08:00Consumer Reports often features articles on this v...Consumer Reports often features articles on this very issue. The same-size packaging for less product bothers me mostly for environmental reasons.Secret Agent Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07564690116156754219noreply@blogger.com