I know and I've supported it ever since. I'm just desperately hoping that it gains traction.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
PoliGAF 2013 |OT2| Worth 77% of OT1
- Thread starter The Librarian
- Start date
- Status
I know and I've supported it ever since. I'm just desperately hoping that it gains traction.
No, not all that information is in private companies hands, not even close, not to mention that even if you look only at data collected by private companies (which again, it's not close to the totallity of the NSA collection, you think they just didn't do anything until Al Gore invented the internet?) none of those players have a complete picture that can come from cross referencing everything, and going by pure computational power, none of those players has the capacity to analyze it like the NSA (be forewarned, if you say "big data" I'm going to punch you in the face).
But yeah, private companies have way too much information on consumers and that's a problem that need to be addressed.
Right after we charge Snowden under the espionage act and throw him in jail, because that's the most important thing in this story.
Did you heard he dropped out of high school?
Also he's a coward and lost is samurai honor when he broke his NSA oath.
So I do customer service for the IRS and I got an interesting call yesterday.
When you apply for an Employer Identification number, it's free of charge. But a lot of people don't know that the official IRS website is www.irs.gov. Some people make the mistake of typing in www.irs.com, which is not related to the IRS in anyway. When you use irs.com to apply for an Employer Identification Number they charge you a ridiculous fee of $100 or so and you have to wait for the number.
Anyway this guy calls me and asks if the number has been assigned yet. I find out he applied through irs.com, I explained the different between the two sites and explained that its free to apply and you get your number right away. He then says "damn Obamacare, I can't believe this!"
Before I could explain that this had nothing to do with Obama or Obamacare, he hung up on me. I was in complete shock but couldn't stop laughing... How can anyone be this ignorant?
Edit: I wasn't laughing at him on the phone. I laughed after he hung up.
When you apply for an Employer Identification number, it's free of charge. But a lot of people don't know that the official IRS website is www.irs.gov. Some people make the mistake of typing in www.irs.com, which is not related to the IRS in anyway. When you use irs.com to apply for an Employer Identification Number they charge you a ridiculous fee of $100 or so and you have to wait for the number.
Anyway this guy calls me and asks if the number has been assigned yet. I find out he applied through irs.com, I explained the different between the two sites and explained that its free to apply and you get your number right away. He then says "damn Obamacare, I can't believe this!"
Before I could explain that this had nothing to do with Obama or Obamacare, he hung up on me. I was in complete shock but couldn't stop laughing... How can anyone be this ignorant?
Edit: I wasn't laughing at him on the phone. I laughed after he hung up.
Manmademan
Member
eh, to be fair, that private entity parking itself at IRS.com is REALLY shady and possibly predatory for low information customers. The IRS really should buy out or block domains like that. It's not like the old "whitehouse.com" site that was porn and clearly not the government.
edit: checked whitehouse.com- its a standard issue spam site now.
Agree'd I feel bad for anyone who falls for that. I usually tell them to dispute the charge. They'll still be able to keep the number too. Once it's assigned, it's a done deal. irs.com has been around a lot longer than the Obama administration too.
Edit: I don't think it's funny he was charged. I just thought it was funny that he blamed Obamacare for the charge of all things.
PhoenixDark
Banned
Well, there goes embedding tweets.
Obama's going to make a major speech on climate change on Tuesday. Also, Anthony Weiner is making the mayor race about single-payer.
Climate change now. What a puzzling last few months
"Hey guys, gun control! NM how about pre-k education? Well guess I'll do some climate change stuff then."
Aaron Strife
Banned
Yeah why does he even bother really ;(
also everything related to climate change is going to be through the executive branch. and outside of the background checks bill, everything he's pushed for in gun control has been executive orders as well
Black Mamba
Member
Stop harassing conservatives!
eBay Huckster
Member
If the House goes to the Dems I can't see them losing more than one Senate seat and that's being pessimistic at that point
Aaron Strife
Banned
Well, WV and SD seem to be lost causes at this point. Though I think Georgia has a chance of being very competitive and if Grimes runs in Kentucky she could give Yertle a run for his money.
eBay Huckster
Member
Well, at this point the Dems aren't likely to retake the House; a wave that changes that likely also changes the status of SD and definitively puts Georgia and Kentucky into play
The Librarian
Banned
Not your best troll post. Do better.
Aaron Strife
Banned
True, true.
I'd predict at the very least Hagan (NC), Landrieu (LA), and Schweitzer (MT) will win, as well as all the blue state Democrats. That leaves Pryor (AR) and Begich (AK) as tossups and WV and SD as GOP pickups. So 51-53 seats for the Democrats, assuming no pickups.
As for the House, if the elections were held tomorrow, Democrats wouldn't win a majority. However, I do think the majority's obstruction will be its undoing. The media has salivated over the idea of Gang of 8 (and other similar bipartisan dealmaking). So what's going to happen after it passes with 70+ votes in the Senate and goes to the House? Boehner's not going to be able to count on Democrats to prop up a more conservative bill, and he'd have to break the Hastert rule to pass the Senate bill. There's also enough right-wingers in the GOP caucus who won't vote for any immigration plan to the left of strapping immigrants to a rocket and aiming it for the sun. Any scenario where he brings up a bill and it passes probably results in that bill being the Gang of 8 compromise, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he lost his speakership for it.
So he'll just stonewall the legislation to keep his caucus happy at the expense of literally everyone else. And the media, who usually pins the blame for deals failing on Obama for not showing "leadership" or whatever, might actually hold the House majority accountable. If not lazy journos, then certainly voters, as Obama will be able to go out every day and point to what the Senate has passed and demand action from a do-nothing House. He has his legacy to preserve, after all.
Maybe that's too optimistic, but I really think the House leadership has dug itself in a hole, and don't know what else to do besides keep digging. Eventually, they'll become unpopular enough that even Romney districts start flipping to the Democrats. Like I've said before, Boehner and Cantor would probably be happier being in the minority again so they could just sit back and bitch while Pelosi does all the work. They're certainly acting like they are.
E: Some good ether for Democrats at least making gains if not winning a majority outright. I'm wary of internals generally, but this is a broader survey and has had good predicative value in the past.
Angry Fork
Member
Well, there goes embedding tweets.
Obama's going to make a major speech on climate change on Tuesday. Also, Anthony Weiner is making the mayor race about single-payer.
Haven't been paying much attention to the mayoral race or the options. All I know is Christine Quinn has been thumbs upped by Bloomberg which means I'm not interested in her. I don't know about the other candidates though, need to get on that soon.
No one is really paying attention to anyone but Quinn and Wiener at this point. Quinn wouldn't be a bad mayor, but she's better where she is. I don't even know who the Republicans are running in their primary yet, I should look it up. They had gotten in trouble for trying to fix it a few weeks ago though.
jamesinclair
Banned
I will ban anyone who votes for weiner. The guy would be a worse mayor for nyc than Bush.
T
thepotatoman
Unconfirmed Member
Well no one knows for sure, but Steve Gibson from TWiT's Security Now podcast made a well evidenced theory that it's really coming from the service providers, citing the known top secret NSA room in the ATT building, the fact that companies like google were denying they gave NSA api type access, and the use of the name PRISM because of routing a fiber optic connection = the splitting of light.
In that case, the NSA only has information going into or out of google, but not anything google themselves has stored. They would have to process the data themselves if they want that type of information, but I guess that is why they have those crazy huge data storage facilities being built.
But on the plus (or minus depending on viewpoint) side, that would mean a gmail to gmail encrypted email still cannot be seen by the NSA.
I DON'T SEE RED IN YOUR USERNAME SIR
Pshh, they hand out RED like obamaphones in here now. Jamesinclair is a real post creator, they just moderate posts we already made (cause they can't make them on their own).
RustyNails
Member
Even though IRS was a complete non-story, it gave the teabaggers the ammo they desperately needed. I think that's the worst part of the entire story.
btw, congrats GhaleonEB and Gotchaye!
btw, congrats GhaleonEB and Gotchaye!
Frank the Great
Banned
Lol @ "Read Atlas Shrugged" from an ultra conservative Christian movement.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
Even though IRS was a complete non-story, it gave the teabaggers the ammo they desperately needed. I think that's the worst part of the entire story.
btw, congrats GhaleonEB and Gotchaye!
Christ, it's like a cult. READ ATLAS SHRUGGED!!! Don't tread on me!
In the doorway, of course.
Particle Physicist
between a quark and a baryon
It is one thing to read it, even analyze it, discuss it. It's quite another to make it your bible.
It did help me prop up a table for a few weeks once...
So, in America there are two major parties: Democrats and Republicans. Both agree on capitalism and on a limited government influence (heritage of the Revolution) about civil liberties and economy (Adam Smith).
The difference would be that Republicans are more conservative religiously and tend to preserve in all case liberalism; and that Democrats would be more progressive (in a neutral definition) and aware of social difficulties (tax, healthcare etc...). Am I correct? I would be curious to know in which side gaffers stand here.
Also what do you think about the recent talking about a new trade partenership between USA and Europe? Is there a debate in your medias? Safe investment?
The difference would be that Republicans are more conservative religiously and tend to preserve in all case liberalism; and that Democrats would be more progressive (in a neutral definition) and aware of social difficulties (tax, healthcare etc...). Am I correct? I would be curious to know in which side gaffers stand here.
Also what do you think about the recent talking about a new trade partenership between USA and Europe? Is there a debate in your medias? Safe investment?
Frenchie: Since there are only two major parties in American politics, the coalitions of parties you see making up governments in other countries are instead represented by the two parties themselves. Republicans represent multiple distinct groups just as how Democrats represent multiple distinct groups. In general what you describe holds true, but it's just a summary.
Lately, though, the range of interests represented by the Republican party has become increasingly narrow and fringe, leading many to affiliate with Democrats or simply describe themselves as Independent, belonging to neither.
In general, PoliGAF is left of center and predominantly Democrat or Independent.
Lately, though, the range of interests represented by the Republican party has become increasingly narrow and fringe, leading many to affiliate with Democrats or simply describe themselves as Independent, belonging to neither.
In general, PoliGAF is left of center and predominantly Democrat or Independent.
This is a little bit lobbying no? But didn't know it worked like it.
Lobbying plays a part, but it's more like blocks of voters that are all under the same roof. For example, both the religious right wing and pro-business people are represented by the Republican party, despite the pro-business people not really caring about religious views. Over time the coalitions both parties represent change, which is why you see Abraham Lincoln being a Republican in 1860 and then Richard Nixon courting southern racists in 1970's.
speculawyer
Member
Even though IRS was a complete non-story, it gave the teabaggers the ammo they desperately needed. I think that's the worst part of the entire story.
btw, congrats GhaleonEB and Gotchaye!
But the really hilarious thing about this story is that, if testimony that Elijah Cummings released is correct, IT WAS A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN THAT DID THIS! They are protesting against one of their own. And all the guy did was work hard to enforce a confusing law that is clearly being abused.
speculawyer
Member
Politics suck so much these days that instead of discussing issues we discuss one small special election which isn't even a contest.
I gave him a chance and don't like it. I never liked his personality and I can't put that aside and enjoy the show.
MSNBC had the best discussion show on television when Chris had those 2-hour blocks on the weekend. Now Chris is doing just another nightly show and nothing special. The good news is that I don't need to watch MSNBC anymore.
Aaron Strife
Banned
Lindsey Graham:
Can't wait for him to double back and blame Obama when the House sinks it by adding right-wing bullshit.McCain #2 said:
The Librarian
Banned
This is a very good response. To add to this, I remember reading a very good analogy. On a scale of 1 - 10, 1 being the most leftist policies and 10 being the most right, the Democrats have expanded the amount of policies they'd implement to achieve their goals from 1 - 7.5, while Republicans have shrank from 7.5 - 10.
A a good example of the "tent" parties our two parties represent is the Congressional Progressive Caucus in the House.
Nice avatar.
Black Mamba
Member
So Rand Paul won't back immigration because his amendment failed. It would have said Congress declares when the border is secure (lol).
Curious, has anyone asked Rand Paul if he supports drones monitoring the border???
Curious, has anyone asked Rand Paul if he supports drones monitoring the border???
They don't need to add right wing stuff to sink it.
A good description I read was house GOP will collectively oppose anything "left of loading all immigrants into a rocket and launching it directly into the sun"
PhoenixDark
Banned
Rand Paul was never going to vote for immigration reform, come on. He'll be beating Rubio over the head with this issue in 2015/2016.
Not going to happen unless something changes. So far Graham, McCain, and even Rubio have handled this quite well and deserve some basic props. And I tend to agree with Shumer's strategy instead of Reid/Durbin: getting 70 votes in the senate might be enough to shame Boehner into action. And if not, Obama/democrats get to run against the GOP House again. Personally I don't believe this will pass, and it might not pass as long as Obama is president, but who knows. I'd rather bet on Shumer's plan than anyone elses.
Not going to happen unless something changes. So far Graham, McCain, and even Rubio have handled this quite well and deserve some basic props. And I tend to agree with Shumer's strategy instead of Reid/Durbin: getting 70 votes in the senate might be enough to shame Boehner into action. And if not, Obama/democrats get to run against the GOP House again. Personally I don't believe this will pass, and it might not pass as long as Obama is president, but who knows. I'd rather bet on Shumer's plan than anyone elses.
It goes to another state who will accept it. South Carolina is throwing their portion of the money away because lol govment in our lives, so it just goes to a state that isn't run by fucking braindead idiots.
Edit: It's kind of like what happened in Florida with money they were getting for high speed transit. They rejected it, and didn't other states say they would use the money instead?
Black Mamba
Member
Doesn't it go into the federal exchanges? If not, then I assume it just isn't part of the budget.
Yeah, I believe a portion of the HSR funds were then diverted to California and some other states. I just wasn't sure if Obamacare was written in the same fashion. Would be hilarious if that's the case.
I ask this cause Matt Yglesias made a good point yesterday. Red states that refuse the medicaid expansion have already paid taxes to fund it, but will not be receiving any of the benefits. If these funds are in fact transferable, that would essentially mean that the red states would be subsidizing health care for blue states.
NYCmetsfan
Banned
I thought it gets reallocated to other states.
Black Mamba
Member
If the money simply goes to fund the blue states and lowers their max 10% contribution, that is pretty fucking hilarious.
Not for the unfortunate people, of course, but just the general idiocy of the governor or legislature of the state.
Still pretty sure some of it goes to set up the federal exchanges because otherwise they wouldn't need to exist if the states did it all on their own ala Cali.
Not for the unfortunate people, of course, but just the general idiocy of the governor or legislature of the state.
Still pretty sure some of it goes to set up the federal exchanges because otherwise they wouldn't need to exist if the states did it all on their own ala Cali.
Link
The Autumn Wind
About time they start paying their share.
cooljeanius
Member
Don't make assumptions; I live in a bluish-purple state that somehow has a slim Republican majority in the state senate that wants to "study" Medicaid expansion instead of just taking the money.
speculawyer
Member
I read a really disturbing comment on a Yahoo news story:
122 users liked this comment, 36 users disliked this comment Non Partisan 3 hrs ago
I did not realize we had so many closet military authoritarians. :-(
122 users liked this comment, 36 users disliked this comment Non Partisan 3 hrs ago
http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-army-says-ready-save-nation-154511490.html
I did not realize we had so many closet military authoritarians. :-(
- Status