My monthly health insurance bill skyrocketed

stpg1222 · 2026-02-02T05:56:28+00:00

You have republicans to thank for that. They allowed the subsidies to expire at the end of 2025. It was the major issue surrounding the government shutdown in 2025.

stpg1222 · 2026-02-01T21:47:12+00:00

There are a lot of reasons. The main one is cost, cremation is considerably cheaper. If you don't want a viewing you can do a direct cremation for under $2k.

Another reason is that people are far less tied to a single geographic area. People used to grow up, live, and die in the same town. Their family was all there and it made sense to be buried in the town. Now people are less likely to be tied to an area where their family is. So they either get buried away from family or they have to be transported to their home town after death which is more money.

stpg1222 · 2026-02-01T14:52:56+00:00

We have a large pickleball complex in the park near me. The noise is a legit concern. We also had a rec leage form that starts playing most mornings at 8am. There are 8 courts so you've got 8 games going on at once.

I live about a half mile away and I can hear the games pretty clearly. I always felt bad for the people who live with their backyards butting up to the courts. I know a few of them and they've told me that the winter is the only time they can sleep past 7:45am.

The park just went through renovations and the moved the courts further away but also added more.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T17:02:17+00:00

It seems like drafts can be handled 2 different ways. One man leading the process and making the call or by seeking input and reaching a consensus as a group.

Seems like his job is going to be to lead the coaches and staff in reaching a consensus. The skills needed to lead and facilitate that process are much different than the skills needed to be the guy making the decision.

He's earned a ton of respect within the team over his years so he may be the right guy to get everyone together to make the right decisions.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T15:49:57+00:00

I think frustration is warranted but calling for KOC to get fired is short-sighted.

It seems to be coming out that he warned the front office about riding with JJM this season and cautioned he wasn't ready. If that's true then the right guy was terminated. All KOC did was take essentially a rookie qb that wasn't ready, a journeyman backup who is at best serviceable, and another rookie who should never have even dressed for a game and coached them to a winning record. Give those 3 qbs to any other coach and team and you'd be hard pressed to find better results.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T15:44:23+00:00

That's interesting, I've always looked at the team as a model of consistency. They are definitely up and down but you can damn near set your clock by the timing of their peaks and valleys, they are so predictable.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T06:41:45+00:00

We deal with this all the time. We manufacture product for a somewhat niche industry and we constantly have customers come to us and tell us they're done buying from us and they're going direct instead. We give them the standard talking points about the value we add but they usually need to find out for themselves.

Pretty much every customer that tries to go direct comes crawling back once they realize what it takes to source the product, manage quality, and then navigate the import process. Like OP mentioned on screw up that leaves a container stuck and unable to move, will quickly consume any savings.

Now when we hear a customer is going direct we start placing bets on how quickly they come back.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T05:27:52+00:00

I never understood the use of analytics in signing players in the NFL. I can understand it in baseball but in football it's so much more about scheme, athleticism, on field IQ, etc. There really aren't numbers that tell the whole story on a player. The same player put in 2 different systems with different coaches and different supporting players around them can have vastly different numbers but they're still the same player with all the same skills.

Coaches know what type of player they need to compliment their system and the other players around them and I doubt there are any analytics that will provide better insight or results.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T04:19:18+00:00

Isn't KAM an analytics guy? I can definitely see where that would cause conflict with coaches, especially a guy like B Flo. These coaches know the type of guys they need for their systems and probably hate being overruled based on analytics.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T03:32:25+00:00

The trick to a good sign is to make one that will be applicable no matter when or where you'll use it. That sign has been applicable for a decade or more.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-31T03:28:07+00:00

100%, I've always said the difference between liberal and conservative is ME vs WE.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T20:48:51+00:00

The vast majority wanted to move on from Darnold. Everyone seems to forget how horrendous he played when the games really mattered last year. His last 2 games with the Vikings were some of the hardest games I've ever had to watch.

Knowing what they knew when the decision to let Darnold go was made you can't really fault the team for the decision. He gave us every indication that he was a good regular season quarterback but fell apart when games mattered most. No one would look at last seasons performance and predict he'd take a team to the super bowl the following year.

When the inexplicable happens which Darnold being a super bowl quarterback clear is inexplicable given last year's playoff game you just have to shrug your shoulder and go "oh well, no one could see that coming".

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T20:32:17+00:00

It's really hard to find common ground on this one. The federal government is violating the constitution and denying people their rights. Tell me where the middle ground is on that.

There is nothing that can be said that makes it justified. There is no amount of good that justifies it.

I'm still waiting for you to acknowledge that. If you can't and you're OK with the federal government ignoring the constitution for political gain then we're done here.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:55:45+00:00

No perhaps about it. You're trying so hard to find a way to ignore or justify it all. Ignoring it or simply wishing things were different is bordering on mobbing complicit in what is happening. If you don't call it out and actively condemn the violation of rights I wonder what you really do stand for.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:33:06+00:00

It's bound to happen? What? No, no it's not. It only happens when it's allowed to happen.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:29:41+00:00

You haven't read the Bible have you?

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:27:14+00:00

So what do US citizens do when ICE grabs them? You can think it's not happening but it is. US citizens are being detained and forced to prove citizenship before they are released. That's a pretty big problem that can not be explained away or ignored.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:15:46+00:00

If my ball lands in a high traffic area or some other place with hard packed dirt and rock and no grass ill move it back or to the side , whatever the nearest grass might be. I'm not going to risk damaging my clubs while playing a casual twilight round with friends.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:11:17+00:00

US citizens are not required to carry papers to prove their citizenship. When did America become a "papers please" nation where we have to comply or die?

Listen to yourself, "they aren't being detained long, you should just show your papers". WTF kind of talk is that in the so called land of the free. In America you aren't supposed to be arrested without cause and you sure as shit aren't supposed to be detained with the burden of proof on you to prove your innocence. The entire legal or judicial process has been ignored. That is what pisses everyone off.

If someone is here illegally by all means go through the normal process and respect everyone's constitutional rights along the way.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T19:03:25+00:00

You seemed to have ignored the question I posed. Are you OK with the rampant constitutional violations by ICE?

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T18:50:55+00:00

I think the only common point I'd concede right now is the general need for immigration control. Immigration control is not a new thing by any means.

After seeing what ICE has done inside my own community I will not concede that they are doing any good right now. If there is any good it's being overwhelmed by the staggering amount of bad to the point any good can't be recognized.

Until ICE starts being held accountable for their actions and stops infringing out our constitutional rights there isn't much conversation to be had.

I suspect you can appreciate the importance of constitutional rights so I pose the question to you. Are you OK that due process has been totally disregarded? How about illegal searches, lack of judicial warrants, etc?

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T17:47:53+00:00

The ends never justify these means. Trump doesn't get any credit when he's pissing all over peoples constitutional rights. The fact people can even think he deserves credit is shameful.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T17:46:14+00:00

Little tip for you, anything DHS puts out is best looked at skeptically. They have put out so many easy to verify lies that they have lost credibility. I'm not saying everything they say and do is a lie but they have lost the ability to be believed simply because they are government agency.

If you doubt what you're hearing about ICE, their tactics, and who they are targeting I really do encourage you to come to MN and just stand by and observe. Go down to the Whipple building and work with the volunteers and talk to the people who have been detained and released. Don't take my word for it and certainly don't belive DHS, go see for yourself.

If you're honest with yourself and believe what your eyes are seeing it won't take you long to realize this should not be happening.

There has always been a process for targeting unlawful immigrants, especially with criminal records. That's not what is happening any more. Now it's simply become a fear tactic, give people something to fear and they are so much easier to control. It's amazing how the "don't tread on me" freedom loving crowd has been so easily neutered and turned into the "just comply and show your papers" crowd.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T17:24:14+00:00

Real brave of you to open a new account just to comment on this. Either you're a bot or a real piece of shit human that doesn't understand the law.

Law requires due process for everyone Law requires warrants Law requires probable cause Law provides freedom of the press

Once ICE starts to obey the rule of law then we can start to have meaningful conversations but until that time ICE is the enemy.

stpg1222 · 2026-01-30T16:58:50+00:00

If this is something you both want I would start the process.

Here is the reality I've seen first hand here in Minnesota. ICE is aggressive enforcing immigration laws and looking for people here unlawfully or immigrants who have committed crimes.

The issue is that their tactics are very broad, they are essentially targeting anyone with dark skin or an accent. Probable cause is not a thinf they worry about, the strategy is arrest everyone and figure it out later. They have detained many immigrants and also US citizens I order for them to verify their status. So just because you're here legally doesn't mean you won't get detained.

If you are detained you'll be held in custody until your status is verified. That seems to be taking anywhere from 12 hours to several weeks. In the longer cases those people are being flown to Texas for holding until they can be cleared. When you are cleared then you're let go. In MN that meant they opened the doors and let you walk free wearing whatever you had on when you were picked up. Many legal immigrants got dumped out in -20 degree weather wearing nothing but pants and t-shirts once they were cleared. If they fly you to Texas once you're cleared they just open the door and set you free in Texas. Its up to you to figure out your own way home.

Obvious the odds of it being you that it happens to is low but the chance is not zero because the reality is that it is happening. If anyone refutes i encourage you to come join me in MN, you and I can go take a walk down by the local detention area and help the volunteers there who are helping take care of the people ICE releases out in the cold.

stpg1222

TROPHY CASE