Quote by seeker4
Safe hook-ups means no hook-ups, really. I am not engaging in any such behaviour of late anyhow so it's not affecting me that way, but I cannot see how you can safely "hook up" until we can demonstrate either herd immunity or a working vaccine.

Somewhat related, most of the escorts on the local escort board I still inhabit (not that i actually see the ladies these days but that's another story) either packed it in for the past couple months or else went to doing cam work and selling self-produced videos. A few are coming back to in-person but are being very cautious (cutting down the number they see a day so they have more time for cleaning, reducing services, only seeing past regulars).

Quote by PhilU


I haven't spent enough time in the US to know exactly how large the islands are. But I have seen a number of reports suggesting that the US performs poorly on a large number of measures of health outcomes. Some of that is probably due to lifestyle factors such as consuming enormous amounts of high fructose corn syrup, but this report puts the US last of 11 countries in 'healthcare outcomes' and 'mortality amenable to healthcare' (ie people dying from things that could have been prevented if they'd received adequate healthcare). And, of course, the US is miles above all the rest in terms of percentage of GDP spent on healthcare...

But, ultimately, I agree with you - the system needs to be changed. And you might be right on the ultimate reason... although a related issue is that the most important things to do well (preventative and first-line healthcare) don't earn enough money. Much more financially rewarding to treat late-stage cancer in a big hospital than to prevent it occurring or catch it early...

Quote by sprite


maybe the prize should be a box, then, for you to get into? ;)

Quote by Buz


You're right. It was, in reality, the Obama Bailout as much as it was the Bush Recession. The Recession's overwhelming root cause was the lending system that had been building up for decades. Bush actually warned Congress to do something about the lending laws and practice, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2004. But it was Bush's team that actually put together the 08 Bailout. Basically, all Obama did, was to erase Red States from any stimulus by making corporate stimulus money only available to companies that had contracts with large labor unions, and of course large banking corporations. The large banks just sat on the money, giving bonuses to the top execs and earning interest. Then the banks foreclose on homes anyhow, sat on them until the real estate market bounced back and made even more profit. All the decisions made by the government under Bush and Obama in this were for the benefit of politics and power, not the people.

The 2008 Bailout should've started at the bottom by bailing out mortgage holders. The government could've given the people checks payable only toward paying off their mortgage. That way the banks and the people would both benefit and stay above financially sound. Remember how immoral and criminal the banking giants like Wells Fargo and Bank of America handled it, eventually earning huge fines for their transgressions, but growing even larger and stronger, nonetheless.

Another disaster was the enormous decline of independent small banks. And notice now, small mom and pop, and independent businesses struggled to get stimulus money during the Covid-19 shut down. More and more small businesses, independent contractors, and self employed people are the ones going under, adding to America being taken over by the mega-corporations. We are ruled by big government and big corporations. It is just too convenient that the 2008 Great Recession and the Covid-19 Economic Crisis, so close together in history, add up to destroying small independent business, adding to government control over individualism, and in general only benefitting huge corporations and politicians.

All in all, average people are having less voice and choice over their own lives.

Quote by WellMadeMale


You know, I find it funny how it's been come to be known as The Obama 2008 Bailout.

It was going to happen, whether John McCain won the presidential election of Nov 2008 or Obama won it. The bailout started in November that year - after Obama won the election...but it started during the last months of the previous worst presidency in modern times...

The W Bailout is what it should be known as. Obama continued it just like he continued using the same group of economic advisors who got us all into that mess - as his primary economic advisors.

Republican economic advisors - in a Democratic Presidential administration - just one of Obama's many gaffes as he made overtures to the Republicans in congress - attempting to act bi-partisan, when he had the political advantage to enact what the people who voted for him - believed him during his campaign - claim he wanted to do.

Hope & Change my ass. We hoped shit would change, but we got more of the same old yellow dog democrat - repubilican-light/corporate-heavy bullshit.

Quote by PhilU


You might need to define "best". I've seen the US healthcare system described as "islands of excellence in a sea of mediocrity". Fine as long as you're on an island...

Quote by wicked_jocelyn
Canceled a date at the last minute. Yes, that was passive aggressive and not the right way to do it.

I've also snuck out on a date. I don't feel about that one because the guy misrepresented himself in a way that my dating profile made clear would be a deal breaker.

Quote by sprite
just a note, people. it's microfiction and it should be written like a story. a very short story, obviously, but a story nonetheless. it's not a poem and it needs to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. thanks

Quote by sprite


you want $40, you gotta earn it the old fashioned way. ;)