Seriously New York?!?-Page 3| Off-Topic Discussion forum |

Salanis PowerDork
6/1/12 2:52 p.m.

mguar wrote: In most of the rest of the world people walk a lot more than Americans do.. ... Yes there are suburbs outside of Paris..London etc.. but they are all on the underground. A extremely efficient and cheap way to get around. So almost everything is close by in much of the rest of the world. . they don't have to get into a car to go to a restaurant there is one downstairs.. or at the end of the block.. The Bar/pub is right around the corner..Walking distance..

I am really loving that about Berlin. People here are thin too. It boggles my mind that pretty much all the mothers are completely thin and fit like they didn't just push that kid out 4 months ago. I've last about 2" off my waist since coming here (down from 34" to ~32"), and most of the other Americans in my program are in a similar boat. My girlfriend came out to visit and she could not keep up with the amount I walking I was doing.

The food people eat out here probably also factors into it too. "Fast Food" as it exists in the U.S. is actually not convenient. Cheap convenient street food is not massively processed in the same way to make it a uniform offering everywhere you go. If I want a quick, cheap bite, I go to a little stand and get Doner Kebap (which is a lot like a gyro), or a brat, or some show mein noodles. My cheap, convenient breakfast is a baguette (with minimal meat and/or cheese, good lettuce, tomato, and cucumber) from the little bakery next to the underground station. Soda fountains are almost non-existent here too. Soda almost always comes in bottles, unless you are at a cafeteria, in which case the glasses are usually only something like 0.4l (a bit more than 12oz.).

z31maniac UberDork
6/1/12 2:52 p.m.

Salanis wrote:
z31maniac wrote:
Salanis wrote: And yet it is not legal for insurance companies to charge higher premiums to people who are obese. Not sure what I think about it all. No wait. Yes I do. It's just all stupid. All of it.
I agree, but then, I'll bet (even though being a healthy young guy) you drink more than a "healthy" amount of alcohol per week, month. Should you be charged for that too?
Which is why I said "It's all stupid. All of it." Doesn't matter much, and I suspect the actually variation in costs associated with bad behaviors is pretty minor. (e.g. I've heard that statistically smokers cost *less* for medical care, because they tend to die younger from quicker causes rather than developing chronic, age-related illnesses.) And in my own defense. I'm pretty sure I do not drink an unhealthy amount. I do not binge drink and probably average about 2-3 drinks/day that is considered pretty healthy for a man. I might be above the ideal, but not into the danger zone. Sort of like the difference between carrying an extra 20 pounds, and carrying an extra 100.

Calm down, it wasn't meant as a personal attack.

I remember reading through the literature when my friend got a DUI, apparently if you have more than 2-3 drinks per WEEK you are an alcoholic.

I was just pointing out what the insurance companies would likely try to do.

Salanis PowerDork
6/1/12 2:55 p.m.

mguar wrote: they don't have to get into a car to go to a restaurant there is one downstairs.. or at the end of the block.. The Bar/pub is right around the corner..Walking distance..

Another great advantage of that is you never have to worry about if you're above the legal limit for driving. Drink however much you feel like and just hop on the train to go home. The station is only a few blocks away.

Salanis PowerDork
6/1/12 2:59 p.m.

z31maniac wrote: Calm down, it wasn't meant as a personal attack. I remember reading through the literature when my friend got a DUI, apparently if you have more than 2-3 drinks per WEEK you are an alcoholic. I was just pointing out what the insurance companies would likely try to do.

I actually was not getting upset or trying to get defensive. I did not think you were making an attack.

I was actually trying to agree with you in that you can find something wrong with pretty much everyone.

If you're not drinking, smoking, eating, or doing whatever... you're probably engaging in a sport that puts you at increased risk of injury, or you don't have a stress release and suffer from hypertension.

It's all stupid, all of it. Having unhealthy habits is stupid. Trying to micro-manage the specific additional costs of those unhealthy habits is stupid too.

edit: And I've actually read a lot more studies saying moderate alcohol use (~2 servings/day, 5 days/week for men; 1-2 servings/day 4-5 days/week for women) actually improves health.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker UltimaDork
6/1/12 2:59 p.m.

z31maniac wrote: I remember reading through the literature when my friend got a DUI, apparently if you have more than 2-3 drinks per WEEK you are an alcoholic.

It reads a lot better for me without the hyphen between the 2 and 3... even still, they need to be 23 fairly large drinks.

93EXCivic UltimaDork
6/1/12 3:04 p.m.

mguar wrote: In reply to 93EXCivic: Self control? Oh, !!! another version of JUST SAY NO.. Does that make the problem go away? Or should we do something about the problem? If it's my tax dollars on the line I'd like to try whatever and if that doesn't work try something else until we find something that does work..

I don't understand how soda equals OMG THE TAXES ARE SO HIGH. I just would rather live in a country where people are allowed to make their own decisions up until some point.I am just tired of the attitude in this country of some and some made me do it so lets ban it or regulate it. No one made you smoke, eat trans fat, drink massive sodas, etc. That was the choice of the person doing that stuff and it is their responsible for their own damn decisions. Don't punish me because of someone else's stupidity!!!!

z31maniac UberDork
6/1/12 3:10 p.m.

Salanis wrote:
z31maniac wrote: Calm down, it wasn't meant as a personal attack. I remember reading through the literature when my friend got a DUI, apparently if you have more than 2-3 drinks per WEEK you are an alcoholic. I was just pointing out what the insurance companies would likely try to do.
I actually was not getting upset or trying to get defensive. I did not think you were making an attack. I was actually trying to agree with you in that you can find something wrong with pretty much everyone. If you're not drinking, smoking, eating, or doing whatever... you're probably engaging in a sport that puts you at increased risk of injury, or you don't have a stress release and suffer from hypertension. It's all stupid, all of it. Having unhealthy habits is stupid. Trying to micro-manage the specific additional costs of those unhealthy habits is stupid too. edit: And I've actually read a lot more studies saying moderate alcohol use (~2 servings/day, 5 days/week for men; 1-2 servings/day 4-5 days/week for women) actually improves health.

Agree 100%.

Anti-stance HalfDork
6/1/12 3:21 p.m.

93EXCivic wrote:
mguar wrote: In reply to 93EXCivic: Self control? Oh, !!! another version of JUST SAY NO.. Does that make the problem go away? Or should we do something about the problem? If it's my tax dollars on the line I'd like to try whatever and if that doesn't work try something else until we find something that does work..
I don't understand how soda equals OMG THE TAXES ARE SO HIGH. I just would rather live in a country where people are allowed to make their own decisions up until some point.I am just tired of the attitude in this country of some and some made me do it so lets ban it or regulate it. No one made you smoke, eat trans fat, drink massive sodas, etc. That was the choice of the person doing that stuff and it is their responsible for their own damn decisions. Don't punish me because of someone else's stupidity!!!!

Welcome to the libertarian party. Glad to have you aboard.

Tom Suddard GRM+ Memberand SonDork
6/1/12 3:28 p.m.

I'm close to locking this. Why does every thread turn into personal attacks and hurt feelings?

Salanis PowerDork
6/1/12 3:30 p.m.

We should really consider the most important effect this law will have... The Daily Show is going to turn this into a GREAT report.

ThePhranc Dork
6/1/12 4:10 p.m.

mguar wrote: In reply to ThePhranc: Since when is it right to pay someone less than a fair wage? That's not a feel good question, it's a practical economic question.. Looking at the big picture again.. If a living wage was paid then children who work could earn enough so they aren't paying off a big student loan for the rest of their life or ... They can buy a car and become really independent or anything else that would stir the economy... In addition working children would have insurance so mom and dads family insurance would be lower. Best of all marginalized employees would have an incentive to work hard and save towards a better future.. They would also increase the tax base and thus lower the tax on the middle class.. FINALLY corporate welfare.. Anything where one business gets an advantage over another business because of their size or economic clout etc.. is CORPORATE WELFARE.. Now maybe it's tax free land to build a factory or roads etc.. Lower than a living wage minimum wages. or Any incentive the tax payers wind up footing so the corporate profit margins are increased.. Remember, a rising tide floats all boats.. so if wages go up and then prices go up.. That is a very good thing because the best way to pay off debt is to earn more money..

It is a fair wage. Those are the wages the market dictates. Low skill jobs get low wages because they are low skill. Thats why they are considered entry level. Not every one gets a high paying job. Its basic economics.

Or kids could work these low paying entry level jobs in high school and save money to go to university. That would mitigate costs. Or they could skip wasting that time in "higher" education and just go get a job. It's not impossible to buy a car on an entry level wage. A wage by the way you shouldn't be in for more than a year or two before you move up in pay grade with accrued skills.

I'll skip the rest of your claptrap and focus on this bit of "wisdom":

" Remember, a rising tide floats all boats.. so if wages go up and then prices go up.. That is a very good thing because the best way to pay off debt is to earn more money.."

Thats called inflation and isn't a good thing. Stop talking about the big picture because you really don't understand it if you can't even grasp inflation. Forest, tress and all that jazz.

Anti-stance HalfDork
6/1/12 4:35 p.m.