Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1

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Hello; It may be there is nuance to the fraud in MN. Saw a description of such this morning. It is alleged to work like this. The foreign person goes to the doctor on the taxpayers dime. At the doctor's office the claim is they need an interpreter. So, someone from their community gets to act as an interpreter and gets paid from government funds for an 8-hour day.
Of course, part of the scam being the patient may be able to speak English just fine all along.

I keep thinking of the point Ulu made some days ago that the fraud is part of the plan to begin with. My take being the loopholes written into legislation is not simply poor bill writing penmanship on the part of our legislative overlords.

I begin to suspect the why behind the hundreds and thousands of protesters on TV just now in Mn and other places. It may be more about preserving someone's cut of the fraud rather than a "do-gooder" motive.

I have been suspect of many social programs for decades after seeing the quest to get on a check first hand in some cases. I also had a friend fresh out of college as I was who got a job in one of the county welfare agencies. He described a big part of his job was to recruit folks into the program. The more he signed up the better.
I picture social programs as a parasite on a healthy economy. Justifiable for those truly in need such as the disabled. Add more and more parasites such as able-bodied folk and criminal fraud then the economy is no longer healthy.
 

Hello; funny how the world sometimes drops a relevant example when needed. The link is very likely click-bait but it makes the point well. The split the check scam among friends. I started calling for a separate check long ago.

Back in 1965 I attended a small community college extension of the University Of Kentucky in Cumberland KY, SECC. I had to rent a room and began to eat at a local drive-in. When parked in my car with the food tray positioned on my door glass around four or five very dirty kids would walk up to my window. The oldest, maybe 11 or 12, was called Willy. He would say "gimeanickle" which translated to give me a nickel. I called him give me a nickel Willie and he has stuck in my mind for decades So, for some time I did give him some change. One day I was out of change and told him so. He unleashed a vulgar spew of words which would shock a marine.

Matches the story in the link well in terms of reaction. Might also match the reactions of the mobs in Minnesota as the fraud money may be in danger.
 
I stole that from Scott Adams. He used to talk about “weasel words”.

(RIP Scott . . . )
I didn't know he had passed. Sad. A master of two different and difficult arts: the art of the comic strip and the art of being a conservative pundit.
 

Hello; Unfortunately, I have gained some experience with concrete the last few years. To the video procedures I would add a few steps. Just before trowling new concrete mix into the hole I would either wet the existing cured concrete or even better use a polymer liquid bonding agent. After the new concrete is spread and smoothed, I would either cover the job with a tarp or something similar right away or after an hour or so spray some water on the new patch from time to time. The idea is to keep it moist for a while.
 
The masons on the ground call that polymer "concrete glue". ;-)
Several companies make it under different names.

40 years ago, an old structural engineer told me to keep new concrete damp 30 days. Legally we required a 28 day test if we engineered it, but that's also the code here for big $ jobs.
 
I didn't know he had passed. Sad. A master of two different and difficult arts: the art of the comic strip and the art of being a conservative pundit.
Prostate cancer.

His first wife is running the "Scott Adams School" as his executor. That was his wish.

His second wife was a cheater who left him for her flight instructor when he started getting sick.
Didn't get the dough either. I can't imagine the look on his 2nd wife's face when she found out wife #1 was in control.

Bwahhahaha indeed!
 
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