IronLionZion
IronLionZion's JournalNothing is free my friend
Can you even begin to understand the unholy shit that we go through over each and every treatment through Medicare, Medicaid, and the disability programs? It's unreal how much the Republican party fights over each one, because they don't want to pay for patients to get lifesaving treatments.
SSA and CMS have a list for "Compassion Allowance" that allows patients to go through the application process faster if they have a condition where they may die soon before getting through the normal way. Lots of cancers are on this list. Know what's not? HIV! GOP is content to let people die alone in their apartments than get taxpayer funded public health benefits. Those folks can now buy a plan through the ACA, at community rated prices, and their treatments have to be covered. They can not be denied coverage because of their very expensive pre-existing condition.
It's amazing that some people assume single payer is some utopia where conservative parties like our Koch-funded GOP won't screw it up purely out of spite.
Look, I support Jon Conyers' Medicare for all plan HR 676. Go ahead and tell me how many votes you have rounded up in Congress to pass it and let me know how it goes buddy. Complaining on DU is not going to get you single payer but good luck with that.
Also invent a time machine where you go back and convince the Dems to pass it back in 2009. Also use the time machine to help Al Franken's senate campaign and Ted Kennedy's health while you're at it because you need both their votes in the Senate.
Why traders may be overconfident about the safety of Iraq’s oil exports
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2014/06/17/why-traders-may-be-overconfident-about-the-safety-of-iraqs-oil-exports/
Oil prices are consolidating some of the gains scored last week on worries over Iraq, reflecting confidence that the violence that’s swept the northern part of the country will leave crucial southern oil facilities unscathed. Don’t be so sure.
“As a rough estimate, we put the probability of an actual disruption, partial or full, at 20%. A disruption to southern flows is not probable, but it’s certainly possible, and it is more than a 5% tail risk,” said Societe Generale oil analyst Michael Wittner in a note.
Any sort of disruption could be problematic. Around 2.5 million barrels of oil a day is exported from Basra, Iraq’s main port. That’s a not-insignificant amount of oil in a world that consumes around 92 million barrels a day. Moreover, the raging violence poses a threat to Iraq’s role as the world’s fastest-growing exporter.
Oil futures jumped last week, with both Brent and WTI crude, the U.S. benchmark, rising by around 4% and trading at levels last seen in September. The jump attracted attention, but was viewed as relatively restrained, analysts noted. Brent has been trading around $110 a barrel since the advent of the Arab Spring, while bears have been repeatedly unable to press WTI crude below triple digits.
If Iraqi oil goes off line, $200 oil is next
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/if-iraqi-oil-goes-off-line-200-oil-is-next-2014-06-17?dist=countdown
The ISIS rebels have carved out an impressive swath of territory in northern Iraq. This has enormous implications and risks to the world’s oil supplies.
Months before the ISIS rebels began their threatening move into Iraq’s southern regions, the International Energy Agency was imploring OEPC to produce and export an additional 1.2 million barrels per day (mbd) more oil by the end of 2014.
The sad fact is that out of 12 OPEC members, eight of them are collectively in decline. When summed together Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar and Venezuela were producing just over 14.5 million barrels per day in early 2005; but are now producing just 11.25 mbd.
These countries are losing nearly 500 thousand barrels per day of production per year.
Of the other four OPEC members not in decline, only Iraq has managed to add significant production. It increased its output from 1.75 mbd in 2005 to 3.25 mbd currently.
The nearly 2 mbd of incremental Iraqi production were essential to keeping Brent oil within the price range of $100 to $110 per barrel over the past couple of years.
Yes, I posted from Marketwatch because its free. Mainly for the image. Nobody except Republicans want high oil/gas prices the summer before elections. They would just love to have high health insurance rates too, and maybe get their buddies to speculate up the prices for food and other commodities while they're at it to achieve the trifecta.
Factories Boost U.S. Output as Builders Gain Confidence: Economy
American manufacturers are churning out more goods and homebuilders are regaining confidence as evidence mounts that the world’s largest economy is making a comeback after a slow start to 2014.
Output at factories, mines and utilities rose 0.6 percent in May, reflecting gains at makers of automobiles, business equipment and construction supplies, according to Federal Reserve data today in Washington. Builder sentiment this month jumped by the most in almost a year, another report showed.
Improving consumer and business spending means assembly lines will probably remain busy in the second half of the year, giving growth a boost after the expansion sputtered in the first quarter. The reports, which came as the International Monetary Fund cut its 2014 forecast for the U.S., give Fed policy makers meeting this week reason to continue trimming stimulus at a measured pace to ensure the rebound is sustained.
“We’re back on track,” said Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York, and the second-best production forecaster over the last two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “Everything is growing at a pretty good clip.”
Looking good, I hope there will be lots more jobs to go with this.
Anyone have strong opinions on Montgomery County local election candidates?
I don't know who any of these people are for county council, house of delegates, central committee, judge, etc. and I can be easily persuaded to vote for them. I'm filling out my sample ballot before I go vote.
Also, any strong opinions on county exec? I'm tempted for vote against Ike Leggett since Doug Duncan has those ads claiming he can finally finish the transit center in my neighborhood. Its frustrating trying to find where some of these bus stops are on the streets since they changed some of them and decided not to update the signs. A transit center would be better. And Mont Co needs more jobs and schools and stuff obviously.
For the statewide elections, Heather Mizeur has my vote for governor. Not sure about attorney general.
Chris Van Hollen has my vote I guess, no serious opposition. And how come no one ever runs against Peter Franchot?
Anyway, if you have strong opinions let me know. I'll take the word of my fellow evilDUers. A lot of these candidates don't even have a web presence.
Those of you not at work now, what do you do for a living? NSFW!
Yesterday was a strange day here in GD. It seems that those who don't work in office jobs have very extreme notions of what it must be like, and it sounds like a grim nightmare. Those fascist overlords are just cracking the whip down at the plantation while plotting to destroy the world for profit, I guess. No exceptions for nonprofits or government or associations or small businesses or self-employed.
I'll choose not to heap too much snarky self righteous judgment down upon you. But I am curious about those who don't work in office jobs. It seems like a lot of DUers manage to live pretty well and still have lots of free time to enjoy life. So how did you do it? How did you achieve your liberal dream life?
Are you all independently wealthy? Are you hippies living in intentional communities? I suppose some of you may be writers or artists or something bohemian. Or do you have more of a "Breaking Bad" situation? You can't all be retirees and/or students.
The most obnoxious anti-office people on facebook are generally the ones involved in pyramid selling like Amway. They're not fooling anyone, I hope.
And of course a beautiful baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph for all of you!
PS: I always thought the plural of Jesus was Jesuses, not Jesi.
Senate passes bill on private veterans care
Source: USA Today
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would allow veterans to seek care from private providers if they face long wait times at Veterans Affairs facilities.
The bill passed the House Tuesday. Both Republicans and Democrats praised Congress's fast action on the issue.
The legislation would allow veterans to go to civilian doctors for the next two years if they live more than 40 miles from a VA treatment center or if they have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment. It also provides funding for more health providers in the VA system.
It also allows those who do their jobs badly to be fired immediately, as well as an expedited appeals process.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/06/11/senate-passes-veterans-bill/10330951/
Hoping something good will come of this.
Hiring hits fastest pace in almost 6 years
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. employers recently hiked their hiring to the fastest monthly pace in almost six years, a healthy sign for the U.S. labor market, according to government data released Tuesday morning.
There were 4.71 million hires in April -- the most since June 2008 – and up 6% from a year earlier and, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s most recent monthly look at labor-market churn. When the recession started at the end of 2007, there were about 5.04 million hires per month.
Tuesday’s data followed a promising labor-market report last week showing that the economy’s jobs growth this year has been faster than a year earlier.
And workers’ opportunities look to be improving, too. There were 4.46 million job openings in April – the most since September 2007 – up 17% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed dropped 17%, so workers face less competition for available spots.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/hiring-hits-fastest-pace-in-almost-6-years-2014-06-10?link=MW_pulse
Hopefully things are getting better. It looks good.
U.S. wholesale inventories rise solidly, may boost second-quarter GDP
(Reuters) - U.S. wholesale inventories rose more than expected in April, which bolsters views of a sharp acceleration in economic growth in the second quarter.
The Commerce Department said on Tuesday wholesale inventories increased 1.1 percent after advancing by the same margin in March. The rise outstripped economists' expectations for only a 0.5 percent gain.
Inventories are a key component of gross domestic product changes. The component that goes into the calculation of GDP - wholesale stocks excluding autos - increased 1.1 percent.
A sharp slowdown in the pace of restocking by businesses helped to sink economic growth in the first quarter, but a swing in inventories is expected in the April-June period.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/06/10/idINLNSAHEAHC20140610
Hopefully things are improving.
In boost for jobs, small business optimism is growing
Small business owners are more optimistic about their prospects than at any time since the before the Great Recession, a new survey shows.
The National Federation of Independent Businesses' Optimism Index rose 1.4 points in May to 96.6, the third straight monthly gain and its highest reading since September 2007. "This is one of the best readings since mid-2007, with the exception of a few months in early 2012 when the economy made an attempt to pick up the pace of economic growth," the trade group said.
Several trends point to better days ahead for small businesses, according to the NFIB. Although rising labor costs are keeping pressure on earnings, profit trends are improving. That is persuading at least some small business owners, who saw revenue plunge following the 2008 financial crisis, to start hiring again.
Seasonally adjusted employment increased by an average 0.11 workers per firm in May, according to the survey, the eighth consecutive positive reading and the longest string of monthly gains since 2006. The percentage of small businesses planning to add workers rose 2 points to 10 percent in May.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/small-business-optimism-up-to-pre-recession-levels/
We're starting to see improvements in credit and sales. As usual, uncertaintly and is holding back investments in growth.
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Gender: MaleHometown: Southwestern PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Washington, DC
Member since: Mon Nov 10, 2003, 07:36 PM
Number of posts: 45,427
