Wow Stellar, I'm not sure what kind of a magical land you live in where you pay $16 a month for insurance but let's say you're telling the truth:

Do you ride to work in the rain? Because nobody I know rides their bike in the rain. So what then, call in sick every time it rains? That wouldn't fly at my job.

By the way, don't you have to pay for the bike? Even assuming you're all paid off, you'd have to account for it in your budget at some point in your life. 600cc bikes aren't exactly cheap. And what about maintenance? Tires, plugs, oil, brakes, etc? I know, I know... you maintain it yourself right? Because you're so self sufficient. Well then who pays for the tools? Who pays for the replacement parts? Well, we'll have to figure that into your budget as well. (Unless of course you got them from www.wegiveawayfreetoolsandbikeparts.com)

So, now that we've figured in the cost of your bike and the maintenance, what about everything else you already own? I'm assuming that you cook your $10-a-day food supply in pots and pans? And then you eat it on plates? With silverware? Do you use oil to cook your meat and vegetables in? Well at what point in your life do you figure all of that stuff into your budget? Let's move on:

You can't work anywhere without keeping yourself clean (arguably anyway ) So you'll have to buy soap, which doesn't last forever. And shampoo. And razors; I can't think of many minimum wage jobs that let you have a beard. Then you'll need towels to dry yourself and of course all the other basic toiletries: toothbrush/paste, nail clippers, toilet paper (unless of course you use a bidet which would add to your water costs).

Now I hope you don't have any sort of health problems at all. Otherwise you're looking at pretty high costs for medication: asthma inhaler, insulin, etc. Speaking of insulin, I hope you're not a diabetic, because that's gonna throw that whole menu you listed right out the window.

OK, I have to get back to work but I just need to point out one more thing:

I checked th math you did for your yearly budget. It's correct, but you seemed to have left out one major thing in your budget: TAXES.


Let me guess, where you live there are no taxes right?

I sleep my toothbrush sometimes.

Since you invited me to, I decided to read this dreck.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:
...weigh every possible angle, and carefully - cautiously deliberate...(1) ...zombie-libs. (2) On one side of the mouth they are demanding action now now now now now instantly without question and without debate of any kind. (3) The other issue they want to stonewall so as to avoid fallout from their kook anti-military partisan factions. (4) So - frankly - there's no reason to listen to Obama's request to grab a mop when he won't so much as pick up a toothbrush. (5)

1. Are you saying that careful planning and getting things done right the first time are bad ways of working out problems?
2. Didn't you say something to me about ad hominem and non sequitur? First, you're a hypocrite to expect no one to respond to your ad hominem with ad hominem, and second, the process of solving one problem does not necessarily logically follow from the process of solving a different problem, therefore your argument is non sequitur. Familiarize yourself with logic and the terms you are throwing around.
3. The issue has been debated since May or possibly sooner. How many months is enough for you? Most of our country has had enough debate. Look at the polls.
4. Do you have proof that Obama's process for addressing military issues is more political than deliberative, or are you just vomiting your impressed opinion?
5. Let them continue acting the way they do. If health care doesn't pass this year, it will pass in two years after Republicans lose even more seats in congress for acting like spoiled rotten infants.

Happy now? Go forth and waste our time.

Hmm - perhaps the people who are objecting to health care reform are simply following the President's example for dealing with Afghanistan. After all, isn't it the President and his administration that are saying they must hold constant meetings, weigh every possible angle, and carefully - cautiously deliberate on the minutea of every issue before taking any action, or even before commenting?

See - this is why Obama & his flacks are so full of crap and why they have zero credibility except with mind-numbed zombie-libs. On one side of the mouth they are demanding action now now now now now instantly without question and without debate of any kind. We "must" pass his stupid version of 'reform' when the bill hasn't even been written yet and we are just supposed to trust that they will get it right. But on the other side of the mouth with a different issue they are recommending slowness, circumspection, delay, and debate to the nth degree over a concrete, specific military goal recommended by his own top general. The difference? Politics of course. One issue they feverently want to ramrod through quickly before the people get wind of the real costs & the actual outcomes. The other issue they want to stonewall so as to avoid fallout from their kook anti-military partisan factions.

So - frankly - there's no reason to listen to Obama's request to grab a mop when he won't so much as pick up a toothbrush. Anyone who thinks he scored a point with his stupid comment is an idiot. He had no point. He was slinging bull#$%* and counting on the fact that there were people out there stupid enough to think he made any sense.

Ahh ok, you are at least being reasonable and putting forth arguments, I will continue this thread.

First, we are confusing language here I believe. Let us try it a different way.

Making something a law OBLIGATES you do to it. That obligation has to come from something, some kind of reasonable position. In the US, it was understood from the start that the powers not spelled out in the constitution were reserved for the people. Some people didn't trust the government with that, and the bill or rights came to being. All of that is just to say that there was a real concern from the start about the government sticking their nose in where it didn't belong.

So, to make a law promising health care is out of place. It has no foundational presence in the federal charter of the land, it is merely something a large group of people want. As such, there is no place for it as a federal system. Just because a bunch of people want something doesn't mean that is should be so, if it violates the main tenants of the land, it should not be. So one has to ask, what are those main tenants? What are those core, foundational rights that we signed up for when we accepted this social charter. Simple, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Any law that isn't trying to uphold those tenants is invalid.

However, as a legislative body, what you are trying to do is not promote those things, merely stop others from robing people of them. For instance, murder violates those core ideals, slavery violates those ideals. Any arrangement made that violates those shall be void or not enforced.

In other words, laws are for negative rights. The right from something, as has always been their nature for thousands of years. However, in recent moments, we have moved away from preventative, to causative laws. So, instead of you having a right of something not done to you, now it is a right TO something...a very drastic shift. Now, people are owed things. This type of right systems is not something the US was setup for...it violates the idea of freedom.

How so? Well, if you have the right to something, it has to be provided somehow, and as we don't yet have robot slaves doing our every bidding, those things have to be provided at the cost of others. This basic notion undermines liberty and freedom. This is so because there is no real prove of natural rights; of what you are entitled to. The list grows as your own personal convictions change, and they change from person to person; they are completely subjective.

What you end up is in an argument over 60% vs 40% with both having only subjective reasons to back their side up. One side wants prayer in schools, or one side wants free toothbrushes proved for all, or one side wants TV's as a minimum standard of living for all, the list of personal moral convictions is endless. And moreover, all those come at the cost of someone else's personal moral convictions. If I am forced to pay for federal health care you, me and everyone else, then I am forced not to give to a selection of charitable organizations that I find to be better. Maybe I don't believe that the body is all there is to a person, so healing it without some spiritual message is futile to me...however, I am unable to practice that as the state can't have anything to do with religion. So I am forced to do something in a way I don't do it.

However, with voluntarism, people can choose to do what they want, both the 60% AND the 40% are free to do with their monies as the see fit. It is free, it is fair, and it isn't morally dubious.

THAT is the problem I see with ALL social legislation's, they only cater to a portion of the populations moral convictions at the cost of the others. It violates the ideas of freedom...and hell, of charity. As a person, I believe in Universal truths, however, I don't think they can be shown in a logical way as to what they are...is it life, is it justice, is it freedom, who is to say? One thing is for sure, I don't want the government, and visa vi, you telling me what is the most important thing in life. (and by telling, I mean forcing me to pay taxes to fund things of the sort)

Sorry this is long winded, I just think we were chasing each other around in circles Thanks for the reasonable conversation, they are harder to get now a days, if you would however, like me to address directly what you mentioned in your comment, I can, just ask

(up-voted your comments for peacefulness

edit: I would like to add I don't believe in perfect systems. People suck, it is one of my core ideals in viewing a system that is the most free of government as the better of systems you can choose from. People who expound about "greater goods" are the utopia builders, I am trying to say those ideals are foolish (I means this as a form of ignorance, not stupidity) and come at the price of peoples own personal utopias they want to build for themselves, or/and their families. When considering a system, I want it to enforce fairness (lets call it justice) and consistent. As such, it can't cater to the whims of the majority...no matter how "Good" it may be. The realm of "the good" has to be a personal affair and not a government one; it is what it means to be free to determine what it means to be good.

my toothbrush already does this.

Some (1500) families are being let back into their homes today, but Alas, we are not among the lucky few. First to evacuated, so I expect to be last back in. Our accomodations has been extended 3 more days. Our food allowance runs out today, so we need to try to get that extended as well. We were able to get some clothes yesterday and some incidentals like toothbrushes and paste etc. Still keeping the spirits up. The kids are being brave through it all.

I'm getting sick of line-ups and handouts but at the time VERY THANKFUL for them. Thanks to everyone...!!!!

Update: Stopped in at work this morning (mon), don't know how long I'll stay. This might be my only access to a computer for the next while. Haven't slept or ate much all weekend. As of last night I got evacuation vouchers for a hotel and some food. Still can't get back into the area, it's still considered a "hot zone" or "Active fire" and is still not contained.

I'm safe and my family has been staying in Kamloops (a town close by). They will be home this morning now that I have a hotel.

I haven't seen or heard any news since I left the area about 5:00 Sunday night.
I'll work for a bit this morning and then leave early. I need to go buy some clothes and a toothbrush etc.

Cheers!
Thanks for all your wishes, You just realize how traumatized your brain gets when face the stress and you don't get food or sleep for days!

Oh the revolution! It's so new! I always thought my electric toothbrush was charged with magic. Or maybe could it be? Yes, we already have had that for years. And the power loss is so significant, no one uses it for anything else than small devices that are only in use for a few minutes or with a very, very low power consumption. And to all you super-hipsters: there's also one available for your superfancy iphone, comes in form of a mat where you put your ipaytonsofmoneyforoldjunkandbelieveitsnew-phone on and it charges the phone without a cable. ...besides that one which goes into the mat ;-)

useless, useless, useless.

I am a bit negative today i guess :-)

She probably used the chimp´s toothbrush. Can´t mess with dude´s tools...

Your video, Angry Kitty vs. SuperSonic Toothbrush, has made it into your personal Highest Rated Videos listing. Congratulations on a job well done. For you contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

That explains why I sleep with my toothbrushes sometimes.

this gives me a great idea for a new toothbrush design.

>> ^Retroboy:
"Cooking"???
Some people will do anything to get on YouTube, I guess.


Whoops... fixed. Meant to be comedy channel.

Not bad a sleeping with a toothbrush.