"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
Steve Robeson K4YZ wrote:
Subject: Problem for boaters and APRS?
From: "JAMES HAMPTON"
Date: 12/16/2004 7:24 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:


"Steve Robeson K4YZ" wrote in message
...


Folks have become so dependent upon modern conveniences. Many times
I've
handed money to some kid at a cash register and he/she punches in the
exact
purchase price and *not* the amount of money I forked over. Now the
machine
says zero change. I've seen them resort to calculators and one had to
get a
manager (no calculator and she couldn't subtract $12.35 from $20.00).


You're preaching to the choir here, Jim.


Come to think of it, if they shut the communications satellites off,
that
will severely limit communications overseas and make any terrorist cells
less able to act.


Dunno about you, Jim, but I am pretty much able to communicate
world wide
on a semi-reliable basis without Internet capability.

If I were a combatant in a remote area without satellite, I betchya
I
could get a message to where I wanted it to go, and get instructions in
return.
(And for Lennie and Brian's benefit, that's even withOUT a code key at
hand...)


No Internet from overseas and telephone calls will
probably be in the neighborhood of $15.00 per minute. Sounds good to
you,
right? Or are you pro terrorist?


Hardly. But the terrorists are pretty well funded...certainly a
lot
better than my own personal budget! But I can still communicate without
the
Internet...Wanna bet they can


Better get a letter off to the White House now! We can *really* be safe
if
we shut down the communications satellites! No overseas Internet for
terrorists to communicate over.


How much MORE ya wanna bet that we can do exactly that if we
thought it
was in our best interests to do so?


Ooops ... I forgot. Russia has made many more launches than we have.
Some
10 times in a couple of years. Europe, Japan .... say, believe it or
not,
we don't have the exclusive anymore. In fact, we might be in danger of
becoming a bit player. Maybe that is why Bush wants to push for Mars.
Make
his place in history.

I see some real good research on diabetes. Why am I not surprised that
it
is coming out of Great Britain, rather than the U.S.


Mostly because their version of the FDA is more liberal in drug
trial
testing, among other things. Also, the government controls healthcare.


I note that one medication I had was $120.00 for a 30 day supply. They
raised my co-pay to $48.00 (40%). They told me to get a generic. I
did.
Now I only pay $8.00. It works just great! I was really surprised to
find
that the cost of the generic was $98.00!!! The insurance company pays
far
more now for me to use "generic" ($90.00) than the "brand" ($72.00)
name.
LOL. Bush has sure covered the drug companies so well that they are
raising
the generic prices up close to the brand name prices.

How's your health insurance? Nice and cheap? Low deductibles? Why am
I
not surprised?


Less than $3000 a year for a family of four, no deductibles (unless
I go
"out of plan").


Our biggest danger is likely not external; I suspect that we may simply
self-destruct like the U.S.S.R. did.


You're almost absolutely right...Until we demand tort law reform,
cap
damages limits and demand that health care conglomerates like HCA,
Tenet, and
others put the public ahead of profits, we very well may..at least as
far as
healthcare goes.

Our economic deficits are due MOSTLY to OUR gluttonous consumerism,
and
unless WE decide that we want to put the good of the Nation ahead of the
good
of our selves, then you are again correct...we may very well implode.

Implode is the right word, Steve. Our almost inconcievable national
debt is being propped up by foreign money propping up the dollar.
Problem is that as the dollar gets weaker, at some point two things are
going to happen:

1. Other countries, including the one that is pumping the most money
into the US, are going to look elsewhere for the place to put their money

2. The dollar will cease to be the worlds preferred currency.

At that point, we will be hurting. No amount of blaming the "other"
party is going to make a bit of difference. This is some pretty basic
economic truth, no conspiracy theories or whackiness needed. Just check
out who the biggest investor in the US is at this time.

Anyone that isn't scared ****less is not paying proper attention.

- Mike KB3EIA -


Hello, Mike

Your observation that no amount of blame placing is going to help anything
is well taken.

Both the budget deficit and the totally out of whack foreign trade balance
(or lack thereof) is more than worrisome.

Anyone got a spray can of "whack"?


Best regards from Rochester, NY
Jim AA2QA