Posts by SWTarget

  • Random Randoms

    When I have the window seat, the window is always shaded . . .


    . . . by my big head as I pretend I might be able to follow where we are in the flight by picking out landmarks on the ground.

  • Is China's Economy on the Ropes?

    Customs duties go off of country of origin. So you would have to repack.


    If CBP is on their game (but what .gov is on their game?) and it is discovered you are repacking specifically to avoid tariffs, it's called Circumvention and you are now also subject to penalties on top of paying all back tariffs.


    But good luck on your endeavor. :)

  • Random Pics

    The National Park Service always has helpful signage:


    No warnings needed for this critter, though. He hasn't moved in a while:


    (Dinosaur National Monument, Utah)

  • Canada's government likely to fall today, thanks to Trump

    Quote from TheDolt

    Avoid all contact with .gov


    Quote from El Sluggo Loco

    They're not going to accept that answer. When Obama ruined the health insurance business my buddy who owns a auto parts store got his family policy cancelled (they discontinued it because it wasn't compliant). He figured he might as well see what healthcare.gov was offering and the FIRST THING they wanted to know, before they asked him who he was or what he wanted, was his gross annual income. For some reason.

    I should have quoted Gman - I was referring to his specific concern that he might not be able to get coverage for pre-existing conditions.


    I've been blessed to have always had employment with companies offering reasonable-to-good insurance in the benefit package. If that's not an option for Gman, there is the .gov stuff -- I have no idea how good or horrid or expensive it would be, but it would be there.


    I will share this anecdote, though. When ACA was first rolled out, my employer of the time also jacked up the employee contribution portion of the monthly healthcare premiums, offering as the excuse oft used at the time that health care costs generally were soaring. In our annual benefits rollout meetings, a lot of our rank-and-file workers became irate at our HR folks, and said .gov was going to take care of them and screw the company benefit plan. Strangely enough, after all the belly-aching, we saw no noticeable change in the participation rate of the company-offered health plans. I can only assume they had a wake-up call as to how expensive medical insurance really is.

  • Canada's government likely to fall today, thanks to Trump

    If you buy through Healthcare.gov, they can't deny coverage for preexisting conditions. At least according to Mr. AI.


    AI Overview Learn more

    Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance plans must cover pre-existing conditions from the moment your coverage begins and cannot deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on a pre-existing condition.

    Here's a more detailed explanation:

    • No Waiting Periods or Denials: The ACA prohibits insurance companies from excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions, meaning plans must cover treatment for conditions you had before your coverage started.

    Coverage Starts Immediately: Once you enroll in a plan, coverage for pre-existing conditions is effective from the start date of your policy, with no waiting periods. No Higher Premiums: Insurance companies cannot charge you more or deny you coverage simply because you have a pre-existing condition. Medicaid and CHIP: Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) also cannot refuse to cover you or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition. Exceptions: While the ACA generally prohibits pre-existing condition exclusions, some types of coverage, like Medigap and short-term health insurance, may still have limitations or exclusions. Open Enrollment and Special Enrollment Periods: You typically need to enroll during the open enrollment period, but special enrollment periods may allow you to sign up outside the usual timeframe due to life events. HIPAA and ACA: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the ACA work together to protect consumers from discrimination based on health status.

  • Delta Flight 4819 Prelim Report

    "At 1412:43.6, the right main landing gear (MLG) contacted the runway. The aircraft was in a 7.5° bank

    to the right with 1° of nose-up pitch and 3g vertical acceleration, at a rate of descent of approximately

    1098 fpm (18.3 fps)."


    Further down:


    "The MLG shock struts on this aircraft are designed to absorb the energy of a 720 fpm (12 fps) descent

    velocity at the maximum landing weight."


    So seems to have landed on one gear at too high a rate of descent.



    Also noticed this. Perhaps keep it in mind before you make your DEI comments.


    "The captain has worked for Endeavor Air since October 2007. He holds an airline transport pilot

    certificate issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He is employed as a flight crew

    member and a simulator instructor. At the time of the occurrence, he had accumulated about

    3570 hours total flight time, including 764 hours on the aircraft type.

  • Random Pics

    We got snowed on when hiking at Bryce Canyon. I wasn't happy with most of the pictures that day. Sun came out the next day and got the bottom one. Doesn't really seem to matter . . . the quality of the photo never matches up to what it looked like in person.

  • Arizona Stolen Elections.

    Quote from Danneskjold

    Basically, the hacking you see in movies doesn't happen. 99 times out of 100, real hacking happens because the secretary tells the "hacker" what your password is. Or your password is on a post it attached to your computer monitor. That's called "Social Engineering."



    It's big corporate business to get uncaring employees to be careful with security.

    Many years ago someone in AP got an e-mail from someone claiming to be one of our company officers telling her that a recent payment she made to an affiliate didn't go through, and so try it again and make it to the following bank account . . . .


    Of course, turns out a customer of one of our overseas affiliates had their e-mail penetrated. After a couple e-mails to our overseas affiliate, that bad actor then had access to all their e-mails, too. That bad actor then was able to find an e-mail detailing a financial transaction and laid the trap for our employee.


    Grand scheme of things, a six figure loss isn't going to kill a company our size, but it lit a fire under somebody, and we've had quarterly trainings ever since on ways to spot phishing, smishing, and other "social engineering" techniques hackers use to commit fraud.

  • SpaceX Starship blows up in flight

    "Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn."


    They must use the same spokespeople as the Russians, who routinely successfully intercept all incoming projectiles yet falling debris causes minor difficulties to certain targeted structures.


    It's all nuance.

  • Random Pics

    Cleared out the attic recently for a long overdue and way too expensive 'refresh' of the insulation. Among the many boxes were several filled with old World War II magazines. (Side note, I finally stopped renewing the subscription this year, and finding/reading these older magazines just confirmed for me I wasn't imagining how far down their quality had gone.)


    At any rate, March 2000 edition with the cover story "Top 10 Fighters", I come across this gem . . .


    And inside the top 10 article was this insert. And to the right (mostly cut off) was my lousy handwriting with my Brauno call sign and password for registering.



    Seems a lifetime ago.

  • the law (biblical) requesting opinions please

    The Law Covenant with the nation of Israel was to keep them separate (Holy) from the nations around them and to establish their special relationship with God. In turn the nation also kept the genealogy (seed) that would lead to the one who would reconcile mankind with God. So, once on the scene, Jesus fulfilled the Law. Once fulfilled, the Law Covenant itself no longer has any purpose.


    Which isn't the same as being discarded. The Law is still instructive as it provides insight into God's mindset and his standards. For this reason it should still be read and understood in it's proper context.


    Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. He said in Matthew 22:37-40 "You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.” Jesus identified the essence of the Law is Love. The one who loves God and loves his neighbor will act in a way that pleases God naturally.


    Even if he likes bacon.

  • WW3-Ukraine, Iran, China is asshoe thread.

    Quote from Toad

    VERY modern! Almost as good as US apartments…….in 1930.

    The technology seems to be older than that . . .


    New York City steam system - Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org


    |The New York City steam system includes Con Edison's Steam Operations, which provides steam to large parts of Manhattan. Other smaller systems provide steam to New York University and Columbia University, and many individual buildings in New York City also have their own steam systems. The steam is used to heat and cool buildings and for cleaning and disinfecting. It is the largest such system in the world and has been in operation since 1882."

  • John 14:6

    John 5:28.29 "Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, and those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."


    Revelation 20:13 "And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds."


    Acts 24:15 "And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."


    These three sample scriptures indicate that most humans will be resurrected. The judgement referred to is during Christ's 1000 year reign after Armageddon. Revelation 20:12 says they are judged according to their deeds. What deeds? Romans 6:7 says "For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin." Logically, then, the unrighteous who are resurrected will be given the opportunity to live by God's standards, which include accepting Jesus as their Sovereign and his way as the correct way of life.


    Important also to consider the context of Jesus' words as recorded in John 14:6. He's talking to people whose religious leaders have told them the way to become reconciled to God is through strict adherence to the Mosaic Law. The Law had a lot of "Dos" and "Don'ts", and the Scribes and Pharisees spent a lot of effort twisting Law into a way that suited them. This is why Jesus called them hypocrites so many times in Matthew 23. So in Jesus stating he himself is the way, the truth and the life, he is pointing out again that he is the fulfillment of the Law, and following him and his way is the true way to reconciling with God. See how Jesus treats you? See how Jesus loves you? See how Jesus comforts you? See how Jesus heals you? John 14:7 "If you men had known me, you would have known my Father also; from this moment on you know him and have seen him." Follow the example set, the example God has provided to you, and you will please your heavenly Father.


    Quote from Toad

    Are all of these condemned to hell?

    In the context of a judgement coming during Christ's 1000 year reign, and the judgement upon people being their deeds after their resurrection and after the chance they've been given to live by God's righteous standards, we get to the result if they remain disobedient: Their names will not be found written in the book of life.


    Revelation 20:14,15 "And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire."