text:
Town Square
Obamacare's disastrous effects, from it's biggest supporters
Original post made by jimf01, another community, on Sep 29, 2013
These same folks made this law happen, raised millions for campaigns, ran phone banks to gin up support, these same groups spell out the disastrous details of Obamacare, how it is and will negatively affect millions of Americans.
If you support Obamacare as it stands today, you should read this letter. The absolutists in this fight are the Democrats who will shut down the federal government if they do not get 100% of what they want in this debate. As Mrs Pelosi said, we had to pass the bill to find out what is in the bill. The unions who lent major support took her at her word, and the bill was passed.
Unemployed people cannot find full-time work because of this law. All types of businesses are holding off on growth and hiring because of this law. It is damaging to this economy in many ways.
The union members stood toe-to-toe against the Tea Party protestors, sometimes physically attacking (I was personally challenged to a fistfight in a protest her e in Pleasanton) those in opposition while we remained peaceful. They took Mrs Pelosi at her word, and now look at what the biggest supporters of the law say about it.
- the ACA will...destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.
- the law creates an incentive for employers to keep employees' work hours below 30 hours a week. Numerous employers have begun to cut workers' hours
- millions of Americans are covered by non-profit health insurance plans ... will be treated differently and not be eligible for subsidies afforded other citizens (14th amendment, anyone?)
- non-profit plans won't receive subsidies, but they'll be taxed to pay for those subsidies. Taken together, these restrictions will make non-profit plans like ours unsustainable
The American people will recall that this legislation was put together by Democrats and their lobbyists as President Obama entered office and the Democrats took a majority in the House and the Senate in 2009. Over the protest of minority Republicans, the law was passed, without a single Republican vote. Compromise was impossible then, as now.
Oh yes, people should also remember that our country was in the grips of a deep recession, the effects of which we still feel, even as we are in an alleged recovery. Obama and Pelosi expended a great amount of political capital to get red state Democrats to go along with them. This proved costly to many who lost their seats in 2010.
So now we know why the Democrats will not negotiate at this time. This cannot be a campaign issue for 2014. The progressives in Congress are also eager to build on the passage of Obamacare, they do not really want Obamacare, they want single-payer, aka socialized medicine, aka a complete federal government takeover of your medical care.
Web Link
Comments (77)
a resident of Avignon
on Sep 29, 2013 at 10:48 am
Republicans are digging a deeper hole for themselves playing these childish games. Thanks to veto power Obama will keep us on track.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 29, 2013 at 12:18 pm
:...they want single-payer, aka socialized medicine, aka a complete federal government takeover of your medical care."
Utter nonsense, Jimbo. Same was said when Medicare was enacted in 1965.
We are self-employed and are planning to purchase Kaiser coverage from the exchange as it will be less than the amount we currently pay directly to Kaiser for similar coverage, and we will be able to keep our doctors. What could be more simple? Enough already with the sky-is-falling hyperbole.
a resident of another community
on Sep 29, 2013 at 12:35 pm
jimf01 is a registered user.
Nonsense? Utter nonsense? Hardly
Web Link
"My biggest fight has been between those who wanted to do something incremental and those who wanted to do something comprehensive," Nancy Pelosi said in a meeting with reporters this morning (3/15/10). "We won that fight, and once we kick through this door, there'll be more legislation to follow."
Tom Harkin, Senate Leader:
Web Link
"What this bill does is we finally take that step. As our leader said earlier, we take that step from healthcare as a privilege to healthcare as an inalienable right of every single American citizen."
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 29, 2013 at 1:15 pm
As brrr mentioned above, the GOP is digging itself a deeper hole here. You cannot possibly know what the future of healthcare looks like, Jimbo, but please, if you like the holes being dug by fellow extremists like Ted Cruz, by all means, jump right in.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 29, 2013 at 4:20 pm
Yep just as the GOP were told in 2009 that opposing Obamacare was a losing strategy for the next election, right Neighbor? Neighbor, you profess to know the future of the GOP if they oppose Obamacare, but we hear the utterances of leading Democrats in Congress, and can have NO idea what their plans are for the "future of healthcare"? Hmm, neighbor, your logic, not so solid.
a resident of Avignon
on Sep 29, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Yes, well the antiObamacare strategy certainly worked well for the Republicans in 2012. Romney-Ryan in 2012! Cruz-Palin in 2016!
Hey, eds, you're big fat bozos. You're shutting down more sites than you're allowing to stay open. Keep those Republican values alive and breathing!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 29, 2013 at 8:13 pm
Obamacare is working for me. I can now get coverage for pre-existing conditions (was denied before), and my kid who is in graduate school can get coverage up till age 26.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 12:08 am
Steve, NO biggie! ! ! ! For TWO+ years the ONLY two things I've ever heard about is pre-existing and kids up to age 26. Every show, every hour, every Dem, these seem to be the ONLY two things, which could have been handled in TWO days, on TWO pages, and would have passed with BI-partisan support, unanimously, immediately, NOT earth shaking. Certainly didn't need to be the ONLY project for year and half Pelosi and her DEM congress to write the EXTRA 2000 pages of horrors teams are NOW trying to explain to the public.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Sep 30, 2013 at 1:53 am
I just ran some numbers at the website and found that I can get a tax credit that pays nearly all of my insurance premium. I am paying $1200 per month now and will only need to pay $236 per month after Obamacare goes into effect. Thank you, Obama! He's a Saint!
a resident of Bordeaux Estates
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:30 am
Jim, If you want people to take you seriously, get a proofreader. I couldn't make it past your error-riddled headline and first sentence.
Slovenly language corrodes the mind. — John Q. Adams.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:35 am
He's a saint or satan?
Admit that this is all about money and power and you'll understand the devil in the details. The IRS (proven to be corrupt and hardly impartial) is in charge of collecting money to support the dems that pushed for this.
The govt picks winners and losers (denying coverage, delaying procedures, offering poor care, less options) and the govt bureaucracy gets fat and happy. More overhead, distribution of income from the successful to those who don't contribute, and attempting to balance the books (not) on the backs of the young.
Let's hope that the one benfit is that the left can finally get the psychiatric care they have long required.
a resident of Danville
on Sep 30, 2013 at 9:08 am
I had to watch Faux News this AM -- only treadmill available. They had a four-person frowning split screen, and one-by-one they first soberly mis-characterized the ACA as a government take-over, then lumped every other, utterly irrelevant Bad Thing about healthcare into it (high costs, doc paperwork, defensive medicine, etc.), all the while nodding their dismay.
Then they dredged-up an over-matched liberal commentator on one screen (African American, natch) all-the-while looking properly skeptical about the poor fool who been duped by his racial kinsman.
And THEN, in ironic triumph, after sowing all this derisive disinformation, they showed a poll that indicated that the public is Still Confused about ObamaCare! Now, why do you suppose that is, Faux Snooze? It would be hilarious, except that they are screwing with people's very lives here. They are really, very good at what they do, and what they do is plainly evil. Purely evil propaganda.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 9:14 am
I can't wait for this health insurance to go into effect! I can pay for my coverage fully and I expect my premium to decrease by a little bit. One of my relatives will now have to pay *something* - either a fine or for coverage - after he has had surgery for a compound leg fracture and two babies delivered courtesy of the hospital because he had no coverage and not enough money to pay his bill - but enough to buy a new Apple laptop. The same year I had a $3200 ER bill for 6 stitches ( and a $2500 deductible that I had to pay!)
So I'm annoyed at the Republican shenanigans and if they shut down the government and make the economy falter, my investments will be hurt too. What are they thinking?
a resident of Downtown
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:35 am
If the ACA is so affordable, why does Congress want me to pay their premiums?
If the ACA is so wonderful, why do the unions want to be exempted?
If the ACA is going to lower costs, why does my insurance agent tell me to brace myself for the "unbelievable" cost increases that will hit in 2014 - unless changes are delayed.
If the ACA is working so well why do it's previous supporters call it a "train wreck".
I'm sure that there will be winners and losers in the short term: many will lose jobs or hours, others will get insurance they were previously unable to get. However, the cost of this program is going to be astronomical, and even if it turns out to be good for a lot of people, it will be shown to be the Unaffordable Care Act in the long run.
a resident of another community
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:39 am
jimf01 is a registered user.
Cmon, let us hear from some previously uninsured young people who are signing up for coverage in the exchange. Steve & Blessed will surely want to extend their gratitude, since it is your premiums which will be going to their subsidies.
Those of you young people who haven't yet signed up, you do have an option, #OptOut Web Link
a resident of Birdland
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:48 am
jim you and the tea party anarchist, just wont go away. Put the country first and keep our government open.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:50 am
My sons fiancé will be signing up the first day! She has a blood disorder and can't get insurance. She's 27 and unable to stay on her parents' plan. My son's employer-based coverage only offers coverage for the employee - not family members so even if they were married already, she could not get coverage with him. She's been on pins and needles and she also can't wait until January 1st when her coverage will go into effect. They can't get married before then because if she got sick/injured, her medical expenses could wipe out *both* of their savings - not just hers. Bankruptcy is always looming for middle class people who can't get health insurance and that takes a toll on the economy too.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Sep 30, 2013 at 11:02 am
There is a company in North San Jose off of HWY 237, that had to inform their employees that they would need to pay $150 a month in extra medical coverage. The company stated that the coverage they offered to their employees was beyond the maximum allowed by Obamacare and if they did not reduce the coverage the company would be on the hook for millions of dollars in penalties.
Looking at the Cover California exchanges, it appears that if you are poor you can afford the premiums but not the copays. If you are middle class you can afford the copays but not the premiums. This isn't universal healthcare, its just everyone is universally screwed.
a resident of Castlewood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 11:22 am
Great! I am 30 and on Medicare, food stamps and now I can get the best medical at no cost! Thanks, BO, the unions and democrates!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 11:29 am
No... There are premiums or fines set up for the former freeloaders who didn't pay anything. We currently pay $986. monthly just for me and $674. For my husband. The new coverage will be about the same. Sorry if some people have been getting a great deal all along. Welcome to my world.
a resident of Castlewood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 11:36 am
When I was working before, my premium was $354/month for a family of four. My company health plan was pretty good. $20 co-pay and $1500 max deductible. Glad I'm not working now! Part time pays less now than "unemployed"!
a resident of Highland Oaks
on Sep 30, 2013 at 1:29 pm
Steve wrote: "I can now get coverage for pre-existing conditions (was denied before)"
Cant Wait wrote: "My sons fiancé will be signing up the first day! She has a blood disorder and can't get insurance"
Nobody has ever argued that there is a small percentage of Americans that need help getting health insurance. And nobody has ever argued that we should not help them. What we have argued is that something could've been done for these folks without a monstrosity like Obamacare, and without the government getting involved in the health insurance of ALL Americans. I don't need and I don't want government-mandated health insurance.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 1:34 pm
An interesting phenomenon, according to the government's own website, the most popular question answered there is:
How do I get an exemption from the fee for not having health coverage?
Web Link
a resident of Dublin
on Sep 30, 2013 at 5:02 pm
The ill-informed and truely uninformed in these posts are absolutely stunning. For example: "The company stated that the coverage they offered to their employees was beyond the maximum allowed by Obamacare and if they did not reduce the coverage the company would be on the hook for millions of dollars in penalties. " Did you get sucked in?? You can OVER-COVER you simply can not UNDER-COVER from the 10 essential health care benefits.
" What we have argued is that something could've been done for these folks without a monstrosity like Obamacare" okay, so will do this?? Hasn't happened through private sources and, in spite of the conservative Heritage Foundation's recommendation for a mandate, it won't happen through Republican sponsorship.
a resident of Birdland
on Sep 30, 2013 at 5:08 pm
The only people exempted from using ObamaCare are our politicians and their cronies who helped push it through. Why that doesn't make everyone suspicious is beyond me. I realize many of you think this is what we need but don't you think we'd get something much better if Congress and the President were required to use it? Why do you defend these elitists and act like they have handed you some great gift out of their benevolence?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I think everyone here who supports the status-quo assumes that their employer/union will continue the status-quo and provide health insurance.
Big mistake.
You too, could be without employer-based health insurance at any time.
Any time.
a resident of Danville
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:06 pm
The foes of ObamaCare are all holed-up in their own private Alamo, firing-off errant rounds with all they've got. They know that once it goes into effect, it will be a non-event for 80% of Americans -- and immensely popular with we who insure ourselves.
Then folks will wonder what all the fuss was about, and remember who told them all these lies. Buh-bye, Davey Crockett.
a resident of Birdland
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:09 pm
Can't wait stated they paid $3200.00 for 6 stitches plus a $2500.00 deductable all on a plan she contibutes $986 per month on. I call BS...or you have or had no idea how to purchase insurance. Then she stated her son couldn't get married because his fiance might get sick and it would wipe out both their savings. What? That comment makes no sense at all. So if she gets sick now, her son wouldn't help his 'fiancé' out anyway? Wow, what a great guy.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:13 pm
This is the Affordable insurance via tax subsidies Act. The cost of care continues to rise. The $30 Billion medical device tax that started this year further increases costs. These funds go to pay for the ACA that helps Blessed and others. Wealth redistribution has expanded, and personal responsibility has degraded. Tell me Blessed, do you have a cell phone? Cable tv? Are you enjoying taking someone else's money to reduce your insurance costs?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:22 pm
No, Jerry. The 6 stitches generated a hospital bill from O'Connor Hospital for $3200. + some change. Of which we had to pay our $2500. deductible. Plus pharmacy charges bc that is a separate deductible.
Is $2500 OK to pay for 6 stitches? Is that OK with YOU?
It costs that much because the hospitals are treating people in the ER who can buy cars, computers, TVs, vacations - you name it - but they refuse to save any money so they are worth nothing and the hospitals can't get any money from them - they spend everything they ever make. But now at least there will be a fine that will be up to several hundred dollars in 3 years and we will at least get a few hundred dollars from people who have contributed absolutely nothing until now, all while enjoying their new TV or laptop.
It is not BS. It really happened. And I can only wish the same benefits for you.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 8:30 pm
And Jerry, it turns out that my 28 year old son doesn't have an extra $250,000 in his bank account to pay for a young wife's medical bills if she is terribly injured or ill.
That, my friend, is what INSURANCE is for. The few pay for the many in order to protect themselves in the event they are the ones to face calamity.
Karma. That's all I can say.
There but for the grace of God go I.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:02 pm
I thought insurance was designed so that the many (risk pool) pay for the few.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Sep 30, 2013 at 10:06 pm
Yet another move toward a more socialist society. And a long time coming. The Republicans know the American public will like Obama's Affordable Care Act, and that's why they're so rabidly opposing it. I mean, really, how transparent are their tactics. And for them to whine about principle. Gawd!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 12:47 am
Shouldn't each Congress member and all their staff members have to have insurance back home from the same insurance pools WE taxpayers have to use ??? WHY should they keep their super duper plan just for themselves ?? So wrong.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 9:26 am
Here is the 1 thing that bothers me 'most':
If you don't buy the insurance, you pay some small fine. BUT, if you come down with cancer, have a heart attack, or hit by a car, etc., all you have to do is sign up THEN. No preexisting conditions can exclude you from getting health care.
So, why sign up until you need it?
So many things wrong with the process, and it sure doesn't seem unreasonable to me for it to be delayed 1 more year while issues are figured out. Allowing SOME to be exempt because they are union, big business or whoever is wrong. The 'little guy' does not get exemptions.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 9:39 am
"Can't wait" is one amazing individual, may be the individual MOST affected by Obamacare and the government shutdown.
Between two comment threads we learned she is:
- on vacation and hiked in Yosemite today and remarked that we might not be able to come back into the park tomorrow.
- has a son with a fiancé with a pre-existing condition who will be signing up today She has a blood disorder and can't get insurance, just happens to be 27 and unable to stay on her parents' plan.
- whose son's employer-based coverage only offers coverage for the employee
- is also in a pickle bc Aetna is no longer offering individual coverage and, as of January 1st, and will ALSO have no coverage since she ALSO has a preexisting condition
- also has a best friend was just in the hospital with peritonitis and in ICU for 8 days with 2 surgeries and many tests to literally save her life
- posting comments here every few hours (while hiking in Yosemite?) detailing her medical treatments and insurance rates and husband and family members insurance rates.
- gets No subsidy. NO SUBSIDY
But we can be assured none of this is BS. It really happened!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 9:46 am
ALL Repubs and many congressional Dems want CONGRESS (& ALL in Capitol) MANDATED to get common insurance like all other Americans are being required to do!!! What is wrong with our electeds & staff employees being made to live with horrors we are REQUIRED to suffer through for the rest of our lives. Write your DEM congressman, and IF that one thing happened, I think all would go smoothly.
BTW Blessed, your drop in premium is thanks to US taxpayers SUBSIDIZING you !!! So kiss my axx...as we watch our TAXES SKYROCKET FROM THIS DAY FORWARD !!! also, btw, I am not a teapartier.
a resident of Country Fair
on Oct 1, 2013 at 10:28 am
One our country's biggest faults is the lack of healthcare for all. The best solution would be to tax Americans making Medicare available to all. It would change the fee for service problems with healthcare and cut medical costs by hundreds of billions of dollars. The reason we have the Affordable Care Act is because it was a right wing proposal adopted by Democrats to get something started. If we, truly, want to be competitive economically, we need to provide healthcare to our citizens. To do anything less is, simply,cruel.
a resident of Oak Tree Acres
on Oct 1, 2013 at 11:57 am
What we are seeing from Republicans or any other representative entity: they are actually representing what their constituents asked them to do!! Millions of people (mostly achievers who will be paying for this Marxist mess) have signed millions of petitions over the past few years stating that they do not want Obamacare funded. And what do you know, they listened, just like a democratic society is supposed to work isn't it? The dictator says he will not negotiate about this "affordable health care act", that's not the way this society is supposed to work. And the argument that shutting down the government will hurt Republicans is laughable. Those people that choose not to work and live generation after generation off the backs of others, will never vote for a Republican anyway. If the Democrats shut it down for 3 years, they will still get the freeloader vote.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 2:09 pm
Just heard a Congressman saying it's not fair that some things are closed or not happening today. But over the months Obama has "exempted" certain groups FROM participated in the forced Obamacare program. How and WHY should any 'group' be EXEMPTED from this nightmare. If I have to suffer, everybody should have to suffer too. With these exemptions there will not be any 'verifications' to medical benefits. Middle-class will suffer and have to foot the bill. Since every healthy 28, 29,& 30 year old will be forced to buy a complete policy (instead of a house)to 'fund' the subsidized program, it seems CONGRESS should be "ALL-IN" too. When Pelosi & Obama team 'wrote Obamacare' that DEM PELOSI Congress didn't want her congress to LOSE their SPECIAL plan goodies. WE should demand Obama allow that REwrite.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 3:01 pm
The biggest winners in Obamacare are the INSURANCE COMPANIES !!! followed by those bragging about their LOW premiums....ONLY BECAUSE of the REST of US ARE PAYING FOR THEM BY SUPPLUMENTING WITH SUBSIDIES.
Insurance CO will rake it in. Rich will not suffer. Working Middle-class in HIGH INCOME areas like Bay Area will suffer greatly, paying their own premiums (employers will stop), and paying the subsidies for those deemed 'eligible' on the 'NATIONAL" income chart...very punitive to BayArea workers.
Bay Area workers will also be paying for the richest in Arkansas and Oklahoma, who fall lower on the "IRS CHART" than the hard-working Bay Area commuter who WILL appear on one-size-fit all national charts as higher income than LOW cost areas. Houses/cost of living sucks up Bay Area earnings, while house/cost of living allows the COMFORTABLE in Arkansas & Oklahoma to 'appear' as pitiful poor LOW INCOME, who must be SUBSIDIZED by that Bay Area commuter sucker working his tail off !!! BIG BROTHER should collect subsidy tax funding by ZIP codes COST OF LIVING equilance charts...NOT by income, which creates false inpressions.
Obamacare will put a drain on high-cost CA areas. BYE unions...nobody left here to pay your retirements. Just the richest(NOT Hollywood since they are all Dem talk, but have tax addresses ELSEWHERE!!). Welfare folks will still be here with you unions. BUT, the working middle-class will be outta-here!!!!
Pelosi's Dem congress & Obama were so cruel to the rest of us, to create this payback plan to his Chicago ghetto, stick it to us, and EXEMPTE Pelosi's congress !
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 3:41 pm
Well, Stinky. I was posting in the evening. And it is all true. Good luck to you and good health. Enjoy your employer based plan.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Bill Carman - I like ideas that would lower the cost of X-rays, prescriptions, hospital day rates, anesthesia, stents and more.
I'm having difficulty understanding how 'taxing Americans to make Medicare available for all' would lower the cost of medical care. Can you explain?
a resident of Del Prado
on Oct 1, 2013 at 9:17 pm
The mis-information about this healthcare change is shocking. Costs were skyrocketing and impossible to contain, THAT is why there was 100% agreement that something had to be done. That was back when congress only did something to avert a crisis, unlike now, when they can't do anything even in the event of a crisis.
FACT: the insured and taxpayers were ALREADY paying for treatment for the un-insured. In America we don't let citizens die in the street. Paying for emergency healthcare for the uninsured was costing taxpayers and insured Americans bigtime, only INDIRECTLY. Don't make me laugh by claiming strangling Obamacare has anything to do with fairness. Denying insurance to people born with a defect or uncurable condition? So THAT's fair?? Boehner defines "unfair" like my 3 year old - any situation where she doesn't think she's winning. The right-wing outrage creators have pounded the message that Affordable healthcare for all Americans is a horrible thing - it's going to cost somebody money!!!! It doesn't get more terrifying than that for Tea party extremists. The fact that the overall cost structure SAVES everyone in the country money and the people who will benefit most from this law demographically are Republicans, that seems to get overlooked.
Healthcare law needs to get inacted and refined as time goes on. Hard-right talk show blowhards who preach doom & gloom about the future with Obamacare are simply making @#$% up. They don't know what the future of healthcare looks like, they don't care. They just need to tell you an outrageously unfair anecdote, scare you, make you mad, and keep you listening. If 98% of Americans benefit, and they can tell you a horror story about one or two people, that's what they need to do. If they told you things are good, they'd have to go out and work for a living.
Healthcare has already changed and NOT because of Obamacare! - People who dream that they want their healthcare to be "the same" as it was 5-10 years ago simply know nothing about the health insurance industry or health provider costs. The earthquake has already happened, and the ground is shifting still. You cannot get "the same" healthcare as you could 10 years ago! Want to have the latest tests and procedures if you become seriously ill or injured? How do you imagine that will be available to you?? If you want to be a candidate for care, you need to wake up to the huge cost involved. The ONLY way you will be able to take advantage of the best help is with insurance. Want your young adult child or elderly family member to have help if they are hurt or seriously ill? SO DOES EVERYBODY ELSE. Don't worry, people who can afford it will still get the best care! But ANYONE can need health care, and EVERYONE should have a chance to buy it. Averting dissability and illness is actually MORE cost effective. Not to mention the moral and right thing to do.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2013 at 11:58 pm
DoWhatsRight, ZiegHeil !! YOU SAY "EVERYONE should have a chance to buy insurance"... BUY being the key word. IF ONLY that were the case! Many have NO medical problems, but CHOOSE to NOT work, so fall LOW on the National IRS $$ CHARTS, so appearing unable to afford, I am forced to contribute to their SUBSIDIES, to BUY FOR THEM !!!!! PLUS, PAY for my own.
Remember this is about 'insurance coverage'. IT has nothing to do with finding GOOD doctors, or quality CARE being AVAILABLE in my area. Many Doctors, CLinics, and hospitals will NOT BE IN some insurance plans !!
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 2, 2013 at 1:10 pm
What I love the most about this whole fiasco is when I saw Jimmy Kimmel,I believe,interviewing people on the street.Do you like Obamacare....no......Do you like the Affordable Care Act?.....Yes.
You would think people could behave like grow ups and let the law which was passed by congress and ruled on by the Supreme Court with the president being elected for a 2nd term with it as a main issue.....take effect and see how it works in the real world.The congress could then keep all the good parts which are many,change the parts that are not working and in the end actually have something that is good for the country.Too much to ask I guess.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 2, 2013 at 1:22 pm
I forgot to mention....With the blatant disregard the far right has shown for the country in general and the intense hatred of Obama which fuels them,one would think that if the ACA was really as bad as they profess,they would welcome it and the disasters that it will cause which would destroy Obama's legacy.It is rather transparent that they are so desperate to stop it before it can implemented that the truth is they know it will be accepted and liked in the long run.I am certain it will have its problems but a congress with grow ups could fix them.
a resident of Downtown
on Oct 2, 2013 at 2:02 pm
Most of us who pay for insurance will be paying more in order to subsidize those who don't pay. There are a lot of ways to look at that; maybe good, maybe not. But one thing is for certain: when the government runs the show you'd better hope you don't get sick.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 2, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Chemist.....I always love hearing the people cry about he gov getting involved in healthcare and the same people saying how much they like Medicare.Kind of ironic,huh?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 2, 2013 at 3:10 pm
Keep your government hands off my Medicare!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 2, 2013 at 5:25 pm
I was thinking the same thing Hoops- "if the ACA was really as bad as they profess,they would welcome it and the disasters that it will cause which would destroy Obama's legacy"
The best was when Cruz read Green Eggs and Ham during his little filibuster show- a story about not liking something, then actually trying it and finding that they really did like it!
Sen Cruz is not able to understand the moral of a Dr Seuss book he purposely used to mislead the American people about ACA, and yet so many here on these posts continue to stand behind the message the GOP is sending. As if we cant see through this little game that they are playing. I love the "they wont negotiate with us" line..... for being such strict followers of the Constitution, they certainly forget what a law is, especially one upheld by the Supreme Court.
a resident of Foothill Farms
on Oct 2, 2013 at 11:02 pm
If the ACA is so good, why are all of our elected officials exempt from it?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 8:09 am
In LA, Obamacare was so popular, no one could sign up Web Link
In CA, the website was so busy they couldn't figure out how many hits they had. First they told media they had 5 million. After everyone went off and reported that, they admitted it was 645 thousand Web Link
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 3, 2013 at 10:06 am
People.....it is a law passed by congress and confirmed by the Supreme Court.Give it a chance and let's see if it is good or not.IT CAN BE AMENDED.Is your hatred of Obama so blinding that you have no common sense.Lets destroy the economy and put the world economy into chaos because of some self serving yahoos in the house who do not care about anything but their hatred of Obama and the fact that their districts are gerrymandered so they have no fear of losing their seat.
a resident of another community
on Oct 3, 2013 at 10:36 am
jimf01 is a registered user.
"Give it a chance and let's see if it is good or not"
- we have already seen how this law is and will damage the economy of the US, we are in the midst of the slowest economic recovery we have ever seen
- A survey published last month found that 15% of large employers (50 or more employees) and 20% of smaller employers had plans to adjust hours so that fewer employees qualify for full-time medical insurance under the ACA. Web Link
- other businesses are simply choosing to avoid the 2015 requirement that any company with more than 50 such employees, including full-time equivalent employees will have to offer health benefits by limiting growth of their payroll Web Link
- 2000 pages of legislation that nobody read, that has over 700 occurrences of the phrase 'the secretary shall'... so the HHS Secretary has almost complete free reign to say what is in there and what isn't as this is implemented Web Link
- the first law in the history of the US that mandates that you MUST purchase something, whether you want it or not, or pay a fine Web Link
- this mandate has an impact on people, the most popular question on the healthcare website? How to get an exemption from paying the fine for not having health insurance
- President Barack Obama famously promised, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan err, NOPE -- talk about unintended consequences, imagine this: a law intended to help more people get insured causing people to lose the insurance they already had Web Link
- medical-device manufacturers are laying employees off due to a new tax, this tax will not only cost jobs, but it will necessarily reduce innovation in this country, more manufacturing moved offshore
All this, in addition to the disastrous effects on union employees all across the US, as I explained in my OP. Not enough? Want more? How many bad effects does it take before people realize this is, plain and simple, bad legislation
a resident of Danbury Park
on Oct 3, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Did it ever occur to you that itt makes no sense for Obama and the dems to put such a disasterous law into effect.If it s as you proclaim why would they push it forward as it is.I think you are very biased and are looking for anything that could possibly be negative and carrying out every aspect to the worst case scenario while choosing to ignore the positives.It is a law,it was passed,it was adjudicated,Obama was re-elected with it in play.If it is as you say,it will be a huge win for the repubs and it will be amended either way.
a resident of another community
on Oct 3, 2013 at 1:39 pm
jimf01 is a registered user.
It makes no sense for Obama and the dems to put such a law into effect, but they did it. It is not 'as I proclaim', it is backed up by the facts.
I have said many times, as the leaders of the GOP have said many times, there are many good reasons to have everyone insured. But this is a very bad law which had many disastrous effects on people, and the Democrats will hear none of it, what part of the law, may I ask, has been amended since it was passed almost 4 years ago? Nothing. Why would the Democrats not be amenable to fixing these problems, even the problems the greatest supporters of the law are complaining about?
a resident of another community
on Oct 3, 2013 at 1:42 pm
jimf01 is a registered user.
Here is another big problem, an insured, healthy person becomes a medicaid recipient under the ACA Web Link
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 1:43 pm
Most of those insurance companies that opt out will come back. Those that don't will be admitting that their rates are not competitive. They'll die on the vine, because people will pursue the most competitive plans.
Just a few multi-billionaires, chafing at the idea of having their taxes raised to help subsidize a program meant to uplift the entire populace, have funneled tens of millions into causes to defeat ACA. So many in Congress and the media are doing all they can -- lie, distort, block kids from getting adequate nutrition -- to please their obscenely wealthy masters. Seeing the lemmings all trip over themselves on the way to a cliff of doom, trying to convince the public that USA can't do what every other developed country has accomplished for decades, is more than a little hilarious. They think the public is dumb. Well, as some of the above comments suggest, there are a few -- well, probably only one using multiple monikers -- who are/is willing to swallow the swill. See you guys in 2014! And remember: It's Obamacare, a law passed largely by Democrats and resisted by most Republicans. Obamacare.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Speaking of the lemmings, here's the multi-named Jim citing an author who maintains that Justice Roberts caved on the ACA ruling on account of public pressure. Stopped laughing yet? Next, the same author claims that Obama's 2012 election is invalid because the IRS smuggled him into office. As for his views about ACA, the author relies on an unverified tale of one applicant who went from being a law student who took advantage of an insurance plan to a free-loading, socialist welfare recipient -- and all because he got a good deal on his health insurance.
Please continue, Jim/.../.../.../..., your posts just get funnier and funnier. This is why the Repubs are going to lose big time come 2014. Like Jim/.../.../.../.../, they are a joke.
BTW, Obamacare is now the law of the land. You and the other losers can only whine and forecast doom. Have fun.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 3, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Jim,they are facts.YOUR facts.As I said before,what is pushing this obsession is fear that the law will eventually work,which it will with time and any needed changes.You see,some people actually want this country to work while others only care about destroying Obama.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Nicely stated, Hoops. It is important to continue saying this.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 5:51 pm
Jim states-' A survey published last month found that 15% of large employers (50 or more employees) and 20% of smaller employers had plans to adjust hours so that fewer employees qualify for full-time medical insurance under the ACA'
This is disturbing Jim and continues to point out the fleecing the private sector/big business continues to do to the middle class- find loopholes and screw the blue collar workers. I love that you chose to post that as your 'defense'. Sounds just like the attitude that sent this country into the recession- then the GOP continues to call these same workers 'takers'.
The GOP has made their platform very clear- its one of greed, self preservation, and win at all costs....its time they now face the realities of that platform and take responsibility for it.
Instead we get to witness senators standing today in front of doctors saying they want to restore NIH, because they are starting to look bad? And they were the ones that cut NIH funding to begin with, with Boehner refusing to restore that funding last January. Stunts.
And we are to believe you and your talking points Jim? Laughable, the party gets more hilarious daily.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 3, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Really? -
'fleecing' ?
What an incredibly myopic cherry picking claim. Until the ACA, companies freely chose (or not) to provide medical insurance and other benefits to its employees. Emphasis on 'freely chose'.
Then the ACA declares medical insurance a mandate for employers. Dictates the rules for such mandate. Forces states to provide a marketplace for individuals to acquire medical insurance including new forms of lower cost (and lower value) insurance. Taxes the wealthy, insurance companies, employers, and medical device manufacturers to provide subsidies to individuals.
With the ACA, the government has created a new mandated environment, and imposed burdensome and costly rules, regulations, taxes and penalties on companies and individuals alike.
Seems to me it is the government that is doing the bullying, fleecing and confiscation of wealth here. And has created perverse incentives for companies to change their compensation and benefit structures.
a resident of Bonde Ranch
on Oct 4, 2013 at 5:25 pm
Jim just doesn't get it, and probably never will. When rich persons and companies spend ungodly amounts to influence lawmakers who then ensure loopholes so that the rich don't have to pay their fair share but rather the public ends up paying more than it should this does indeed amount to fleecing.
Jim, on the other hand, sees the wealthy as being bullied and fleeced. The poor little wealthy things. Jim, you're a laugh a minute. Please continue with your hilarious claims.
a resident of another community
on Oct 4, 2013 at 6:05 pm
jimf01 is a registered user.
The one who doesn't get it is one who claims only the epublicans are bought and paid for.
Let's be serious. The Democratic platform is no more about 'the rich paying their fair share' than the GOP. Both parties spread 'corporate welfare' equally. The progressives thought they would get something different with Barack Obama, but nothing has changed in DC.
The wealthy, and you, and I and your gramma know the wealthy aren't being bullied, they are running the show.
And read my previous postings in this space if you think this is the first time I am saying this.
a resident of Bonde Ranch
on Oct 4, 2013 at 8:56 pm
Oh, Jim, so Obamacare indicates that nothing has changed, eh? So why have the Republicans done nothing other than try to shut it down for the past 3 years? Additional millions will have affordable health care, but you say this shows that nothing has changed? Such a feeble-minded claim doesn't even measure up to joke status.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 4, 2013 at 10:29 pm
No, what Jim is saying is that if you think the elected democrats are high and mighty and not influenced by incoming dollars, than you are delusional. Obamacare shows that our current structure allows us to do nothing right. If we want public healthcare, this is not it. We have to bite the bullet and just do it. It might actually mean more financial pain for everyone including the poor, which apparently we can't have so we go about this in a half-assed manner. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but most Americans put themselves pretty close to the middle politically, yet the government is run mostly by people who live at the extremes of either end. So we really don't get governed by people who represent the American people as a majority.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 4, 2013 at 10:31 pm
"Additional millions will have affordable health care" - gee, great we can extend health care to 26 year old who don't feel like getting a job and call it an accomplishment. Way to go!
a resident of Bonde Ranch
on Oct 5, 2013 at 2:29 am
Don't quite know what you mean, Jim. Do nothing right? And this isn't the right way to do public health care? And Obama is an extremist? And you want people who are poor to feel yet even more pain? Because the poor just don't have enough pain in their lives already, eh? Sounds to me like someone is pretty seriously unhinged, Jim.
a resident of another community
on Oct 5, 2013 at 8:35 am
Thomas Sowell today: There is really nothing complicated about the facts. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going -- except for ObamaCare. This is not a matter of opinion. You can check the Congressional Record.
As for the House of Representatives' right to grant or withhold money, that is not a matter of opinion either. You can check the Constitution of the United States. All spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, which means that Congressmen there have a right to decide whether or not they want to spend money on a particular government activity.
Whether ObamaCare is good, bad or indifferent is a matter of opinion. But it is a matter of fact that members of the House of Representatives have a right to make spending decisions based on their opinion.
ObamaCare is indeed "the law of the land," as its supporters keep saying, and the Supreme Court has upheld its Constitutionality.
But the whole point of having a division of powers within the federal government is that each branch can decide independently what it wants to do or not do, regardless of what the other branches do, when exercising the powers specifically granted to that branch by the Constitution.
The Senate chose not to vote to authorize that money to be spent, because it did not include money for ObamaCare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he wants a "clean" bill from the House of Representatives, and some in the media keep repeating the word "clean" like a mantra. But what is unclean about not giving Harry Reid everything he wants?
If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government, because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. But that is also their responsibility.
When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie. You can check the history of other examples of "legislation by appropriation" as it used to be called.
Whether legislation by appropriation is a good idea or a bad idea is a matter of opinion. But whether it is both legal and not unprecedented is a matter of fact.
Web Link
a resident of Bonde Ranch
on Oct 5, 2013 at 9:12 am
Fact: ACA was voted into law by BOTH houses of Congress. President Obama signed the law. The Supreme Court, despite continued remonstrations from Republicans, upheld the law's constitutionality. Republicans in the House of Representatives have done nothing for the past 4+ years accept attempt to derail the law of the land. Now they've effectively shut down government as part of their prolonged temper tantrum. Fact: Thomas Sowell is an Uncle Tom who hates his own racial identity and begrudges Obama his success.
Oh, and WHY this Republican temper tantrum? Is the law violating a people's rights? No. Is it causing people to die? No. Or is it because it has worked so well for many years in Massachusetts and they're scared to death that it will work in the larger USA and that, especially, Obama will get the credit he deserves?
If one or the other House chose to shut down government every time it didn't get its way, we'd have nothing but turmoil and chaos. Oh, but this IS the Republicans' desire, is it not? Because a country in turmoil and chaos can then be blamed on Obama. Well, we'll see what happens at the polls in 2014.
a resident of Mohr Park
on Oct 5, 2013 at 10:18 am
The ONLY reason they are trying to allow all of the funding in minus the ACA is to save themselves from the political suicide.It is a reaction to a disasterous plan that is making hem look like selfish idiots.If the Repubs mess with the debt ceiling there will be hell to pay and they know it.They will try to save face but in light of their extortion the damage is already done in the view of most Americans.The Dems are not saints either but at least they are not blithering idiots like the tea party fanatics that are clueless about anything except their narrow view of the world.
a resident of another community
on Oct 6, 2013 at 9:46 am
jimf01 is a registered user.
And the hits just keep on comin', as Kasey Kasem said. But this one won't get you tapping your toes and hummin.
Another disastrous effect of Obamacare, a marriage penalty of $10,000
Web Link
a resident of another community
on Oct 6, 2013 at 9:59 am
jimf01 is a registered user.
60 yr old retired teacher a little shocked she now has higher premiums, in part because she now has maternity coverage! Mandated by Obamacare!
Web Link
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 6, 2013 at 10:43 am
Small business owner finally can get affordable health care with ACA! Web Link
a resident of Ridgeview Commons
on Apr 26, 2017 at 8:41 pm
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Discussion in 'Pistons and NBA' started by himat, Jun 25, 2010.
Pistons get an A- 2010 NBA Draft Grades -- NBA FanHouse
They gave us a D last year: Eastern Conference Draft Grades -- NBA FanHouse
Would have to agree with that when the draft occurred. Daye looked like another Tayshaun and we didn't know Jerebko and Summers would be solid second rounders. I'll give that draft a B- as of right now. This year we got an A- and who knows maybe Monroe is the next Darko and we should actually get a lower grade (hopefully not). Those grades don't mean jack b/c none of those guys have laced them up on the NBA hardwood floor yet.
Still envious of the Kings draft.
Right now it looks like they did the best. Cousins and Whiteside playing with Tyreke! And they also have Jason Thompson! They also have Casspi, Landry, Beno, Hawes, Udoka, and Nocioni as role players. If they can get some good shooters they will be legit.
Me too. At one point I was kinda hoping we could land Whiteside in the first round alone. They got Cousins AND Whiteside. Gotdayum!
I'd settle for a small dose of IQ.
Traded to the Sixers for Dalembert. Anyway, it's an intriguing, young team. I might catch some of their games this season.
Joe "D" may have not called glass, but he definitely banked in a "3" at the 2010 NBA Draft. A resplendent effort indeed, and nothing short of a humble beginning to future endeavors including, but not limited to, the one "Free Agency Period" which shall commence on July 1st.
HaHa good one!Draft Grade - B+, and I'm talking about last years draft. How and the world do you get grade guys who haven't even played?
Hey, KG, you wanna know how? Check this out: ESPN.com - 2003 NBA Draft: Draft grades
SI.com - 2003 NBA Draft - Marty Burns grades the NBA Draft - Friday June 27, 2003 03:25 PM [/FONT]
There will be a changing of playas in the western conference post season the next couple of years as the Spurs slip out and the Kings and Clippers move in.....
Yep and don't forget about OKC. I think they are the Lakers biggest threat in the West as of right now.
Oh yeah...well you can never have too many seven footers. Either way they look like a playoff team next year.
Don't be so sure....still don't have good guard play, Evans is a scorer, not a facilitator and they still don't have that really good consistency that comes with experience. Maybe not this season, but defnitely next season. The thing that sets OKC apart is their buy in to defense, extremely rare for that young of a team, don't know if Sac has that yet.
but for my eyes sactown after webber era has become more and more sacramento clippers - once your contract has expired - runnnn!
It looks like the Pistons did well, IMO, but that has nothing to do with the draft grades from these jokers. If you look closely, these graders gave almost everyone a "B+" or higher unless they didn't have a pick for one reason or another. The 2003 grades are pretty funny (sad), but it once again reminds us that most people thought what Joe D.thought. (I, however, wasn't one of them. I wanted Mello all along).
The more I read about White, the more excited I'm getting about this draft. If Monroe is a guy who won't back down, given his Walton-esque passing skills, the Pistons really have some great pieces to build around. Stuckey, Daye, JJ, Gordon, Monroe, Bynum and I think Summers. But White really opens up some intriguing possibilities. I'm imagining him being in the same back court as Stuckey - two super athletic (White is super fast and has a 40" vertical. He's a bigger version and just as athletic as Rose). That would be a potentially fantastic pair of defenders in the backcourt. One of my issues with Bynum is that he has trouble defending anyone with size. White supposedly is working hard to convince people that he's a PG - he came to workouts with other PG's. Stuckey has been quoted last season as "I'll play PG if they need me to" which makes me think his heart is as a SG with great handle. Gordon off the bench with those two guys as starters makes a lot more sense than Gordon in a 3 guard rotation with Stuckey and Bynum. White is a key guy to watch over the next couple of seasons. Unless we don't resign Bynum - which is a real possibility now - White will be our 5th or 6th guard this season, with Daye in the mix for SG minutes. In fact, if Daye is the SG I've been saying he is in posts in the last few months, Gordon will become a prime guy to consider trading in a couple seasons.
His heart may be there, but he doesn't have great handles. He shields the ball as he power drives in a straight line. He won't break anyone's ankles, split defenders etc. Guys with great handles are guys like AI, Zeke, Jordan, Kobe, Steve Nash. Those are guys with great handles, almost all of whom are lights out shooters as well.
Separate names with a comma.

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Re: [Yahoo! Sports] Vikings 30, Lions 20 (AP) This is a mess. Fire everybody. This team is worse than it ever has been. Marinelli can not coach and can't manage a game. Millen can't draft the right players or hire the right coaches. The fans are lemmings for going week after week supporting this crap!!


text: One of my apiaries is on a farm that also has two rather large hog houses. They smell bad enough but some days when they are speading the manure on the outlying fields, it really stinks. It usually stinks on some level standing at my hives. I'm asking if anyone has ever had an experience with honey that stinks, or honey that absorbed some odor from the enviroment?


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Swords into Plowshares is the blog of the Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations of the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Seeking peace. Striving for justice. Together.
by Deborah Wright
United Nations Day took on a new sense of meaning for me starting back in the late 90's when I was first invited by Elana Rozeman, an American born Orthodox Jew who had emigrated to Israel 20 years before, put out the word that a group of interfaith women were going to have a meditative walk through Marin County's Muir Woods to the place where, in May of 1945, original charter of the United Nations had been signed.
Elana, coincidentally also the sister of the man in my life, had, in 1997, lived through a ...


text:
It'd be easy to understand a resistance to "ambient" music — beyond all of its unfortunate Enya and dusty Eno connotations. After all, its docile disinterest in the listener could easily be mistaken for aloofness. Whereas pop provides a solicitously directed journey from A to B, ambient typically radiates from an indifferently glowing center.
Rarely outside of Kompakt's esteemed Pop Ambient series do we find a judicious blend of each — the linear sonic narrative of pop channeled through the happenstance of ambient. It's like the musical equivalent to weather: less a vessel of time than a factor of it. When the Pop Ambient series is at its best (as here, on the 10th installment), listeners receive less a set of tracks than a set of conditions. The structural premise of most of the work here is gradually corrupting repetition (think William Basinki minus the vérité disintegration). And though it's hard to imagine a motif that sounds more synthetic, the highlights aspire toward the organic, and many succeed.
The Orb's "Glen Coe" sets astral twinkles atop a low, blinking bass line before being shot through with dashes of bright tremolo light. Triola's "Schildergasse" sounds like daybreak passed through an oscillator, its measured bed of bass absently teetering between its two perfect notes, Jan Jelinek–style. DJ Koze's "Bodenweich" elongates disembodied vocal harmonies over dry expanses before haunting his own halls with pianos lifted from an old Herbert track. Wolfgang Voigt's "Zither und Horn" could be one of the prettiest specimens in the series were it not for its unforgivable (and seemingly unintentional) high-frequency wheeze. Worth the purchase alone are the two companion pieces from Brock Van Wey: "Lest You Forget," a watery meditation of guitars, stray phonemes, and reverb, reverb, reverb, and "Will You Know Where To Find Me," a slowly diffusing vista of voices, chords, and downy static that does more to justify itself in 17 minutes than I possibly could in 325 words.
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When someone is comfortable showing off their booty because they are wearing tights. This occurs regularly in yoga class and for those women who wear short skirts.
OH WOW that is a short skirt, but it's ok because she was tighted and so there was no naked buttcheek.
by Stoolie February 04, 2014


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Hi all
Just to let you know that I will be away from posts from 16-26 Sept as we will be in Greenville Alabama for the 21-22 Sept meeting for the 105th Anniv of the State Beekeepers Assoc there.
I will be speaking along with Dr Tew from Ohio State at the annual meeting to be held at Beeland Park in Greenville.
For more information please call Bill Gafford at: 1-334-382-6878
Topic I will be covering will be of course:
Biological/organic beekeeping as pertains to environment/breeding/diet etc.
Dee A. Lusby


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January 2009 BEE CULTURE 33
Bees And
An unhealthy, untidy mix
Jennifer Berry
This past Spring our lab, along with Clemson University,
received a critical issues grant from the USDA
to study the sub-lethal effects of miticides on honey bee
colony health and performance, (bee population, brood
production, honey production, and colony foraging rates),
brood survivorship and adult longevity, and fi nally worker
learning and responsiveness to queen pheromone. It is
a two year study with our fi rst seasons data collection
almost completed.
The study consists of six treatments with eight colonies
per treatment for a total of 48 colonies. The treatments
are Apistan, CheckMite+, MavrikR, TakticR,
copper napthenate and a control (no chemicals). Treatments
were inserted in the spring and fall. The chemicals
used for the miticides are as follows: fl uvalinate (Apistan
and MavrikR), coumaphos (CheckMite+), and amitraz
(TakticR). All three chemicals control mites; however
MavrikR and TakticR are not labeled for use in honey bee
colonies but are used by beekeepers.


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very interesting.
isolated 'em after you measured more than 3 per 100 eh?
and only one if four years, sounds like you have some pretty good bees there.
in that one hive with the bigger load, did you notice any other problems? was it weaker in numbers than your others, not drawing as much comb, not storing as much honey? any sick brood?
i have a lot of 'feral' unmanaged colonies all around my area, (my county is 68% wooded), so i don't have any place i would feel comfortable removing an infested colony to.
that is why i'm leaning toward killing the queen, letting most of the brood emerge, dusting them off, and starting them over.


text: Barring an unforeseen draft-day miracle, Kuechly won't be there when we pick. Usually I love how we build through the draft and for the most part stay put in our spot and let the cards fall where they may. With that being said I'm starting to think that if Kuechly makes it into the late teens or beyond we need to seriously think of moving up. Now I wouldn't mortgage the whole draft on him, but if we could move up and lose a few mid and late round picks, or future picks then this seriously needs to be considered. I think he is going to be a stud for years to come and probably the most sound LB prospect since my man Patrick Willis, though admittedly not quite the prospect, but Willis is a freak. We have all been clamoring for a stud LB for years now and I think he may be our best shot. Not to mention he is a class act, leader, and great locker-room presence. Anyway, would you guys be willing to trade a few of our picks to move say... 10 spots or so up to snag him.


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5 Things to Do Before You Kick the Bucket
Another year, another predicted apocalypse. Everyone says the world's ending, so it's time to sit down and figure out everything you need to do before it actually happens.
It seems to be getting a little dire around these parts. With so many filmmakers, writers and musicians releasing apocalyptic material foretelling our untimely demise, it's an apt, if not obvious, observation that the end of days has taken up a considerable portion of the cultural zeitgeist. That's it people! We're all gonna die!
Okay, so we're being a little alarmist. But really, with so much brainpower being focused on our end, it feels like there's no time at all to focus on the present. What'll we do in the now to make sure these last moments were worth it should the end of time unexpectedly come to pass? Always ready for a good time, the crack Playboy.com team threw together something of an itinerary for you.
Berghain, Berlin, Germany
Courtesy of angermann on Flickr It's not just a nightclub. It's the nightclub. Which is saying a lot, since partying is a part-time job in Berlin. Set in a labyrinthine old East Berlin power station, Berghain is the coolest, weirdest and, we won't lie, freakiest place to throw down, where anything and, seriously, everything happens all weekend. The party starts at midnight on Friday and ends sometime around dawn the following Monday. Don't miss sunrise in Panoramabar, where the light pours in before the party goes on and on and on.
Road Trip the PCH, California, USA
Courtesy of Bill Bouton on Flickr For anyone with a taste for Beat literature and hazy, lazy days in the sun, the Pacific Coast Highway occupies a romantic little corner in the back of the mind. Starting in Mendocino County, the PCH follows some of the most beautiful parts of the American coastline south through San Fran and Los Angeles. Along the way, the winding seaside highway passes through Big Sur, whose isolated grounds have served as inspiration for many great American artists, including Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. From cityscape to nature-bound haven, the PCH allows for arty days and party nights.
View the Aurora Borealis from the Arctic
Courtesy of nick_russill on Flickr It'd be an awfully long hike for such a simple pleasure, but few earthly phenomena have the impact of the aurora borealis. Amazing even in simplified scientific terms—charged particles interacting with the earth's magnetic field make pretty lights upon entering our atmosphere!—a true northerly view of the aurora is nothing short of spellbinding, like the most epic display of fireworks you'll ever see. And if the world's ending, we'd say it's a one-night stand worth traveling for.
Rio Carnival, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Courtesy of SeLuSaVa on Flickr When 2 million people per day come out to play, you know it's a worthy party. In the week leading up to Lent, people from near and far flood the streets to observe the parades—vibrant displays of Brazilian culture—but also to drink and be merry with the masses. There's a time and place for dark discos, and we're sure Carnival serves up its fair share of that, but there's nothing like a rowdy street party to bring on good vibes (and a little south-of-the-equator trouble).
Nightclubs, adventure travel and street parties have nothing on a good house party, where the intimate setting makes for spontaneous debauchery limited only by the imagination of those selected to attend. And the best house party in the world takes that formula and amplifies it to maximum volume. Playboy Mansion parties are known for being over the top in every way, from the exclusive guest list to the sheer number of nude or otherwise scantily clad women milling about the grounds. They only happen a few times a year, so you know it'll always be good. And with such a long list of wannabe attendees, who knows who you'll see in the grotto, and doing what.
Got plans for Halloween? How about attending the Playboy Mansion Halloween Party? Enter now for your chance to win a trip for two to party with Playmates at the Mansion.


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Town Square
Pension Reform -- at last!
Original post made by taxpayer, Downtown, on Jun 6, 2012
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There will be required payments into the pension by employees, no more free medical benefits for life and no more abuse of the disability retirements. Until now, cops and firefighters could retire on a disability if they were unable to do their CURRENT job. Now they have to actually be disabled to get the benefit. These scam disability retirements not only cost taxpayers up front, but under CA law the pension remains tax free for life. They retire at age 50, get 90% of their final earnings plus 3% raises for life, and they pay no taxes on it. Yup, that had to go.
We need major reform to all public pensions. The taxpayers have paid enough. These people no longer work for less wages than private industry, they work for significantly more. They cannot expect the public to pay for huge pensions on top of that. 3% at 50 has to go! 2% at 65, if and only if, the employees make their own pension contributions. And don't cry that we will not have anyone wanting to be cops or firefighters. Announce a test under the new rules then stand back while they stampede to get the jobs.
Comments (6)
a resident of Amador Estates
on Jun 7, 2012 at 12:31 am
When is Pleasanton going to start reforming their pension system? How can we continue to fund outrageous pensions of $150K+ per year? Do you know how much $$ it takes to build up a nest egg capable of paying you $150K in retirement income? For a 30 year career, it's over $45K/year you must save with a 5% return per year. I'm sure these city employees are putting nothing close to that in as their contribution.
This needs to be reformed like San Jose - if folks want these Cadillac pensions, they need to contribute signficantly more.
a resident of Parkside
on Jun 7, 2012 at 6:53 am
I work much harder for my 32K than any of our incompitant union public school teachers who work half daze and half year's for there 125K. And what do we get for it? More unfounded liabilities and unsustainable futures. If they want a pension paid for by real Americans, let them work for them, stand up to being fired, and pay for them themselves.
a resident of Parkside
on Jun 7, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Unfounded liabilities? Really, is that what they teach you in union controlled schools?
a resident of Parkside
on Jun 7, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Steve can only correct grammer errers. He never attacks the issues. But he's my hero just the same.
They had union controled schools in Nebraska when I was growing up. But my pappy took me out and home schooled me. He hated the incompitent teachers who tried to turn us all into Stalinesques.
a resident of Old Towne
on Jun 7, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Unions caused manufacturing companies to move overseas.
Unions have dramatically cut into the ability for states to fund education because pensions are costing the states far too much.
Unions in the public sector means many people retire at around age 50. This means governments (meaning taxpayers) must fund a position, plus simultaneously pay massive pensions of 4-6 people who held that particular position before they retired.
Union wages in the public sector are greater than comparable jobs in the private sector.
It is time to end this insanity.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Jun 7, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Let's just say there are improvements around the edges in some places. Pleasanton is a LONG way from fixing excesses.
Slowing the revolving door at the top would be good for starters....ending the contrived promotions with tier boosting which ups the forever pay scale for retirement 'calculations'. It does seem our officials would have the knowledge of the practice.....,making them complicit in the conspiracy against us taxpayers. Then a realistic retirement age, in line with 21st century lifespans. Throw in honest realistic 'contributions' to medical vs the tiny token last time the only served to insult taxpayers.
Then we can start working down the list of excesses.
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Livermore trustees demonstrating wisdom
By Tim Hunt | 12 comments | 1,439 views
2017 guide to summer camps
Looking for something for the kids to do this summer, learn something new and have fun? The 2017 Summer Camp Guide features local camps for all ages and interests.


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Last Modified: Thursday, May 02, 2013 6:30 PM
By Johnathan Manning / American Press
A Lake Charles man who spent nearly a decade on the lam pleaded guilty in 14th Judicial Court on Monday to cruelty to a juvenile.
Prosecutor Bobby Holmes said Joshua Banks, 32, was accused of scalding a baby's right leg in hot water in a pot on the stove in 2001.
Banks, who lived with the child's mother, was charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, but left for California shortly after, Holmes said.
He returned to Lake Charles in 2011 and turned himself in, the prosecutor said.
Banks was sentenced to three years in prison — eight total with five suspended.
Holmes said the plea deal was done "in consultation with the family. It was taken to bring closure to the family after 12 years."
Banks is to report to Calcasieu Correctional Center on Monday.


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SLC baseball champs -- UTSA Roadrunners
Roadrunners win SLC title with extra-inning victory
By Brian Hernandez
UTSA Associate Sports Information Director
(May 21, 2007)--Sophomore James Keithley raced home from third base on a two-out passed ball by Texas State catcher Gerry Cervantez and UTSA rallied for a heart-stopping 7-6 victory in 10 innings Friday night at Roadrunner Field. The win clinched the outright Southland Conference Regular Season Championship, its first in school history.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
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In a back-and-forth contest that saw two ties and four lead changes, the Roadrunners also set the SLC record for league wins with their 23rd of the season and improved to 33-20 overall. The victory also was UTSA's 14th in its last 15 games at the Bird Bath.
After Texas State scored a run in the top of the 10th to take a 6-5 lead, senior Mitch Ponza got the game-winning rally started with a lead-off single to center field off Bobcats closer Eric Weaver (5-1). Junior Phillip Allen followed with a perfectly-executed sacrifice bunt in front of the plate and junior Marshal Davis then was hit by Weaver's next offering.
After Keithley grounded into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with two down, redshirt Tim Palincsar looped Weaver's 1-2 pitch to right center to bring home Ponza with the tying run and move Keithley to third base. Cervantez could not handle Weaver's 1-0 pitch to the next batter, sophomore Michael Rockett, and Keithley came down the line with the game-winning run and the celebration was on.
"This title is ours," head coach Sherman Corbett said after the post-game celebration. "I told the guys today that this was the time to be a little selfish and it was time to get it done tonight. This feels outstanding and it's an exclamation mark on a great season. Even though we had already clinched a tie, this is what we wanted."
Junior Trent Lockwood, who tied the school's single-season record with his 22nd double of the year to lead-off the fifth, sent the game into extra frames with his 13th long ball of the season (T-No. 4 on UTSA's single-season chart), a mammoth shot to right center off Jason Baca with one down in the ninth. It was the second time this season that he sent a contest into overtime with a ninth-inning homer (March 17 at McNeese State).
Freshman Zach Calhoon (4-2), who entered the game with one a runner on second and one out in the 10th, picked up the win despite hitting a pair of batters and walking one in two-thirds of an inning.
Rockett, who was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, put the Roadrunners up 2-0 with a two-run homer in the first, his eighth of the season. UTSA extended the advantage to three two innings later when Rockett brought home Palincsar, who tripled to lead off the frame, with a base hit up the middle.
Three unanswered runs by Texas State -- two in the fifth and one more in the sixth -- tied the game up, but the Roadrunners retook the lead in the seventh when Rockett came home on second baseman Casey Guest's fielding error with one out.
However, the Bobcats would not go away, as they put up a two-spot in the eighth and retook the lead at 5-4 to set the stage for Lockwood's late-inning heroics.


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i am useing jodo kasts templates that i got from him, size large and i cant seem to form the back plate to set close to my back and to line up with the kneck plate.
Hi, I have included the following drawing to help you out. The red lines mark the curve points. (generally)
Here's the break down.
1) Bend the side fins - most likely need a heat gun for that
2) Lay the back over a large pot of boiling water. Let the steam heat the plate and holding the fins push the plate down while moving backwards to get a gentle curve from the fins up to the top of the back. (hoe that makes sense)
3) Dip each "shoulder" in the water as far as you can and then hand mold the shoulder piece to a curve that will match your shoulder.
4) Give the piece a quick lateral fold to get some curve to hug your shoulders.
5) Bend the outside tips of the shopulders a few degrees to match the slope of the shoulders.
** When doing the collar armor, heat it up and bend it gently over your stomach bottom point down. Then heat the shoulder tips and give them a nice bend to meet up with the back plate "shoulders".
Hope this helps.
Edit: Ooops, I skipped the part where I strip naked, dance around the boiling pot while sprinkling chicken blood and singing to the sintra gods.
thank you jodo, i will try this out and tell u how it goes
ok i did it and the back plate is fitting much better but now matter how i bend it the kneck does no line up with the back plates kneck, both peices are large. the kneck peice seems to be too big : /


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Does anyone here have any pros and cons on hauling bees with a flatbed gooseneck trailer?
If I'm successful with my spring splits this year I'm going to need to be able to move those hives to a location in late summer that is approximate 500 miles away. I keep double deeps and guess at an average weight of 100 lbs each (what's the recommended weight going into a TX winter?). I'm hoping to end the spring flow with 200 double deep hives completely drawn out and with honey stores. I expect that hive quantity plus creating some late summer splits for spring replacement hives to be the size of my operation going into the future.
The only time I'd move all 200 would be January, March, July, and September. My plan is to buy a loader, trailer, net, straps, and vehicle to handle that capacity. I'm wondering if a flatbed gooseneck trailer and truck would suffice for just handling the hives? Am I better off hiring trucking to handle the hives always and just handle the loader myself?
I currently have no problem handling 30 hives at a time with just a truck and utility trailer. I move my hives and/or supers by myself with just a dolly and I'm able to do everything in a few hours. However, I could not handle 200 hives that way in one day (and still be ok the next if I did). Also, I've never moved hives into a place like the almonds where they would have to be placed over a large area and in places I couldn't get the truck up to (my utility trailer has a ramp). I've never had to haul around a loader either which presents the problem of two trucks requiring two people or more.
The other option was partnering with other beeks around here who want to get together for economy of scale. But, I've been warned that partnerships don't always perform as expected.
If the recommendation is to go with the gooseneck trailer, truck, and loader? Any recommendations on what to get? And where do I get a net to fit the trailer? Even though I always move my hives with a hive cover that allows ventilation for the bees I don't think I'd have the time to do that with 200 hives and I am concerned about someone who is allergic getting stung when I have to stop for fuel, etc. Also, what about licensing? is a CDL required? Once a year I'd be going out of state and then coming back.


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Disney Channel's Jessie is kicking off its third season with a Halloween-themed tribute to Ghostbusters. The season premiere, called "Ghost Bummers," finds nanny Jessie and the Ross family kids throwing a Halloween party that is invaded by ghosts. With the help of Ravi and Zuri, Jessie must defeat the ghosts. The new episode airs Saturday, October 5, along with spooky episodes of Phineas and Ferb and Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man, as part of Disney Channel's month-long "Monstober" Halloween celebration.
Actress Debby Ryan, 20, plays Jessie on the hit show. TFK spoke with Ryan about filming the episode and getting in the Halloween spirit.
Can you tell me about this year's Halloween episode of Jessie?
It's a crazy episode. We do kind of a parody of Ghostbusters, which is so fun. We love homages. In this one, it's Halloween, so it's fun, but it's also a little bit spooky at times. The kids totally see ghosts. This evil spirit has come and used the building they live in as a conductor to open a realm to the spirit world. In the meantime, the daemons actually possess some characters: Mrs. Chesterfield, Luke, and Emma. It's us fighting them while we're in costumes. Jessie dresses like Marilyn Monroe.
Have you ever stayed someplace that felt haunted?
No, but when I lived in Germany, I lived in this massive, old, creaky house. It was so cool to move to Germany when I was 7 and live in this beautiful, luxurious, wooden estate. It had a bit of a creep factor because everything in Germany is old, and when you walk on the wood floors, [they] creak. And because it's wintertime and it's cold, things squeak, and you hear things. Those things make for really great stories.
You filmed the new Halloween episode a while ago. Did everyone get in the Halloween spirit on set?
Totally. Our director has, I think, the world's largest private collection of horror movie and suspense memorabilia, like Heath Ledger's Joker suit and [items from] Jurassic Park, just the craziest things, so he brought a lot of his collection. When you are watching the Halloween party scene, a lot of those decorations are his personal collection. We definitely all got in the spirit.
As a kid, what were some of your most memorable costumes?
I was a hippie twice. And the funny thing about Kim Possible, which I was last year, is that I also was Kim Possible when I was 11.
What was your favorite candy to receive while trick-or-treating?
Everyone once in awhile, they would have Fruit Roll Ups or Sour Patch Kids. I also love a good Hot Tamale. It was never about the chocolate with me. It was about the sour ones.
What else can kids look forward to on this season of Jessie?
Jessie and Tony have broken up, so she's navigating him working in the same place she's living. They see each other every day but are growing and trying to be different people. Jessie is doing more acting and getting different kinds of job opportunities, really what she moved to New York to do. What's cool is that, as the kids grow up, they become more of a family to her and less like a job. But they keep her completely busy with crazy shenanigans, starting with busting ghosts.
What other projects are you working on? I heard there is an album in the mix...
There is an album in the mix. I was working in kind of crunched time to record the album before going back to Season 3 because I knew I wouldn't have a voice [while filming]. I think we cranked out four or five songs, but unfortunately, we were no match for the impending third season. So this record is going to be out next year.
You also filmed a small role for the new Muppet movie. What was it like working with the Muppets?
It was amazing, so legendary. You can go into any country and talk to any person of any age and they'll know the Muppets. That is a phenomenon. The scene that we shot was like a royal wedding scene. I liked being a part of that.
You sound busy! What do you like to do to relax?
Somebody asked me that yesterday, and I'm like "Sleep?" But working kind of relaxes me. Getting done the things I want to get done, conquering mountains, and doing things that people said were not possible, that makes my mind feel at peace. It makes me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I guess that's how you know you are a workaholic.


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After getting head the guy dick slaps the girl (from right to Left) and then follows up with a right hook. Upon the girl being knocked out you can do another move such as a shoeless joe.
Hey dude do you wanna know why your mom has a black eye? Its because i gave her the babe ruth last night.
by 2nd period pandora class May 18, 2010


text: I have been lurking here for a long time. Long enough to have read most of the suggested books and I have even built my first hive, (Top Bar). I am hoping to start next spring with my first batch of bees. I have also registered in the OSU extension program for apprentice beekeeping. 2014 can not come soon enough!


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Top: "Some Waves Spark Stone" by Roger Colombik
Bottom: "Black Moonscape" by Jesus Moroles
UTSA co-sponsors Botanical Garden sculpture shows
(July 12, 2006)--The San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio Botanical Society, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center and UTSA present "Art in the Garden: Sculpture/Escultura," featuring solo exhibitions of work by two of Texas' most important sculptors, Jesus Moroles and Roger Colombik.
Explore how art and nature come together in the third annual Contemporary Art Month exhibition at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. On opening day, Saturday, July 15, there will be a variety of art-related family activities.
Today's headlines
- La Prensa Foundation is newest member of UTSA Lone Star Society
- UTSA alumna Jordan Kaufmann wins $50K for new stent-graft start-up
- UTSA begins new way-finding sign installation this summer at Main Campus
- USA Today: UTSA long jumper Tyler Williamson rescues three-year-old boy
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The contemporary sculptures can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston. Preliminary plans are for the exhibitions to remain in the garden for a year.
The exhibits were curated by Arturo Almeida, UTSA art collection curator, and Bill FitzGibbons, Blue Star Contemporary Art Center director.
The San Antonio Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful areas in South Texas, and it's a premier setting for any sculptor to show his pieces," said FitzGibbons. "Just picture Moroles' native granite pieces and the bronze and aluminum castings of Colombik against the colorful, natural environment of the garden."
"'Art in the Garden' is becoming a wonderful tradition at the Botanical Garden," said Candace Andrews, San Antonio Botanical Society managing director. "Each year we look forward to showcasing Texas artists in our beautiful setting. Sculpture is a natural for us."
The exhibit is supported by the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts, the Brown Foundation and J.P. Morgan Chase.
The San Antonio Botanical Garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. "Art in the Garden" is free with paid admission to the garden: $6 for adults; $4 for students, military and seniors; $3 for children. Group rates for 15 or more are available.
For more information, call (210) 829-5100.
About the artists
Jesus Moroles has established himself as one of the premier sculptors of his generation. He has more than 2,000 works in place in China, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, United States and in esteemed private, museum, corporate and public collections. Moroles' sculptures have been included in more than 300 museum and gallery exhibitions worldwide.
Some of his works include the site sculpture, "Houston Police Officers Memorial," in Houston; "Sculpture Plaza," for the Edwin A. Ulrich Museum, Wichita, Kan.; and his most visible work, "Lapstrake," for E.F. Hutton, CBS Plaza, New York City. Moroles also created the Moroles Cultural Center in Cerrillos, N.M., to serve as a multipurpose exhibition space to showcase artists from around the world. He is one of the few artists to be invited to the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Moroles received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of North Texas, Denton, in 1978. In 1979 and 1980 he worked in Pietrasanta, Italy. Moroles is a board member of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. He lives and works in Rockport, Texas.
Roger Colombik is a respected sculptor in Texas, as well as an internationally known lecturer and artist. His large-scale public sculptures, DVD-based installations and oral history transcriptions attempt to create visual environments that soften the flight of time for the viewer.
Colombik's first book, "A Quiet Divide," published this year, examines the fragile social milieu of post-Berlin wall Eastern Europe. He is currently working on a book of photographs and essays based on his experiences in the Republic of Georgia.
His sculpture exhibitions include shows at the Navy Pier in Chicago, the B'nai Brith Klutznick National Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., and a sculpture installation at the San Angelo Museum of Art. His work is in private and public collections in the Republic of Georgia, Poland, Macedonia, as well as in the United States.
Colombik received a master of fine arts degree from Southern Illinois University with an emphasis in sculpture/foundry and a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Illinois. He is a founding member of the Texas Sculpture Network and a recent Fulbright Scholar. He currently teaches 3-D design and sculpture in the Department of Art and Design at Texas State University in San Marcos.
Colombik lives in the Texas Hill Country with his wife Jerolyn, two dogs and approximately 30 chickens, depending on the appetite of the hawks, foxes and raccoons.


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Eleventh Hour - Season 1 Episodes
Eleventh Hour - Season 1
Rufus Sewell stars as Dr. Jacob Hood, an elite science advisor to the government who investigates scientific crises. Called in at the eleventh hour, he represents the last line of defense against those who misuse science for nefarious motives.
Special Scientist Advisor to the FBI, Jacob Hood and his FBI partner, Rachel Young travel to Seattle to solve the case of nineteen genetically identical human fetuses that have been discarded. For years, Hood has been tracking a mysterious geneticist, Geppetto, whom he knows has been unsuccessfully trying to clone humans. He surmises the illusive Geppetto has a client in the Seattle area who is trying to clone a lost child. We also follow an unwitting young mother who believes she is a surrogate for a childless couple; in fact, she is carrying a cloned embryo and she's having life threatening problems with her pregnancy. Hood and Rachel must figure out who hired Geppetto, in order to find and save the young mother before her troubled pregnancy kills her.
Dr. Jacob Hood and Rachel Young go to Pooler, Georgia where three otherwise healthy eleven-year-old boys have died from heart attacks.
Jacob Hood and Rachel go to northern California to investigate why almost an entire family ended up paralyzed and near death after eating breakfast.
When three autistic teenagers who had gone missing for a month return with Savant abilities, Hood and Rachel investigate what might have happened to them.
Cal Rigdon, an old friend of Hood's asks him to come to Philadelphia to help out with an outbreak of a mysterious infectious disease.
Hood gets called in to help solve the mystery of a college co-ed who was frozen to death and will not thaw, despite blistering heat of the Los Angeles sun.
Col. Henry Brooks, with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), asks Hood and Rachel to investigate an experiment funded by his agency that appears to have gone horribly wrong.
Hood and Rachel head to a college campus in Oklahoma where two students have died of "the bends" but neither one was even in the water, much less diving.
Hood and Rachel travel to Daytona Beach, Florida where two young men appear to have died after a wild night of partying.
When a number of people with no criminal history have bizarre violent episodes, Hood and Rachel travel to White Tail Hills, Texas to investigate. They pursue a number of leads, but when Hood has his break with reality, he realizes the source is the city water. However, since not everyone is affected, they must determine what causes the water to be contaminated. Their investigation leads them to a drug smuggling group who laced plumbing pipes with PCP, but a shipping discrepancy sent the pipes to someone who installed them in people's homes.
After seeing a national news report that a boy's kidney tumor miraculously disappeared after the child drank from a natural spring in Minnesota, Dr. Jacob Hood rushes to the scene to debunk what he believes to be a fraudulent miracle cure.
When it's discovered during a routine autopsy, that the dead man had two hearts, Hood and Rachel travel to Southern California to investigate the medical anomaly.
Three genetically identical babies are discovered during an ICE raid at the Texas/Mexico border and when they discover a fourth passport revealing a fourth baby who was taken by a couple who escaped the raid, the search is on to find the missing baby and solve the mystery of how these babies came to be on a truck smuggling people over the border.
When a Milwaukee helicopter pilot/traffic reporter goes blind suddenly in the middle of a broadcast and crashes his helicopter, Hood and Rachel are called in to investigate this high profile mystery.
When thirty people are killed on one night after being hit by lightening, Hood, Rachel and Felix travel to Massachusetts to investigate.
When several people in Philadelphia fall victim to a what seems to be a nerve-agent, Hood, Rachel and Felix get called in.
Hood, Rachel and Felix are in New York during Fashion Week because of a series of murders in the fashion industry.
Hood gets inadvertently drawn into a case when a woman accuses an FBI Deputy Director of having fathered a child with her.