8 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

  It's part of the checks and balances system.  It helps prevent "mob rule/group think".  The United States isn't a direct democracy, it's a Representative Republic.  The amount of electors a state has is in direct correlation with the amount of representatives they have in the House.  The "checks and balances" system is what makes/has made the U.S. system of government among the strongest in the world; among the strongest in history.  Smaller states have fewer congresspeople..they barely have a voice in the House.   The electoral college is a small part of the "checks and balances" system but it helps rural/smaller states have a voice in the executive branch as well. 

And it's not as if the electoral college gives smaller states a big advantage...it is still based off of population....so states like New York, California, Texas, Illinois. Florida, Pennsylvania, etc still have the most power when electing the president... It's not a perfect system but it has sustained the test of time as being among the best in the world. 

 

Yeah, tell that to Trump who has disregarded completely the notion of Judicial or Congressional oversight.

23 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Masks, guys. 

Everywhere I go, i'm lucky to see 30% of people wearing masks

1 hour ago, Ace Nova said:

Lots of good points here.  I think what will eventually happen is that insurance companies will set their own guidelines on what the league/teams need to do.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they have fans agree to some sort of mandatory mediation/arbitration (In states where those agreements are legal).  Maybe even print the waivers on the back of the tickets, etc.   

Most people don’t realize what insurers do for personal risks and corporate risks.  For personal risks it isn’t possible to send a risk engineer/loss control person to every home or automobile. So they have organizations like the National Highway Safety Institute that evaluates and rates car safety or Underwriters Laboratory that tests consumer appliances, lights, etc.  If a lamp is safe as a fire hazard, good for the customer and the insurer because the light is unlikely to burn down the house.  If the vehicle is highly rated for safety, the better chance the occupants walk away from a crash with less serious, minor or no injuries. Good for the insurer, good for the customer. Frankly, lower costs of claims tends to work out for the insured in lower prices. The insurance industry is hyper competitive.  Look how many insurers there are that sell homeowners and auto coverage.  Next time you are in the grocery store, look at the back of the paper goods.  Realize how few companies are really selling all those brands of toilet paper, paper towels and tissue. Walk down the soap aisle, same thing. 

Now when it comes to insurance for companies, except the smallest businesses, the insurers are sending out loss control/risk engineers to work with the companies to make the workplace safer and also evaluate the exposure to the general public.  They typically interacting with the safety unit for the company.  They are not always successful in identifying all risks.  But insurers will walk away from a risk too.   I cannot imagine a meeting after the reopening spikes or after spikes from the protests or if they come, spikes from either the rallies or the Republican convention. I would not be surprised in the slightest if those venues aren’t having discussions with their liability insurers about pandemic exclusions. The hygienist risk engineers I know are very concerned about the risk.  I just don’t see full stadiums this season for the reason JR alluded to.  With the reopening people are not practicing social distancing, are abandoning masks etc.  

I cannot imagine doing a sporting event without a signed waiver.  Law varies on this.  Most pre-event or pre-loss waiver law involves athletic activities where there is a degree of assumption of risk. I have done some research (lay person not advising anyone) on the states where the NFL plays games.  I saw only two states the absolutely invalidate such waivers but I also saw that most states said a parent cannot waive a child’s rights or there is no case law.  I can see a barring of children this year.

Some states have specific law as to how the wording needs to appear and how the execution must occur. It is not a one size fits all scenario. What works in PA might not work in NJ.  So, for example, if the Eagles, their lawyers and their insurers feel safe with their approach at the Linc in PA, how would they feel about playing in Texas and the protections there.  Then there is the whole choice of law issue.  That is, what states law applies. (Choice of law clauses in contracts have a state by state assessment as well). What happens when the Eagles sell a ticket to the Linc to a customer that clearly from his mailing address has a delivery address in NY, or NJ, MD, DE etc.  I think that almost requires a notice on the ticket that a waiver will be required to attend and then the waiver done at the venue.  What a nightmare.  Tulsa should be an interesting test for that.  Finally, in some states, electronic signatures aren’t accepted yet so that is paper and pen. Yikes.

We’ll see but the more I think about this the more I question if the 2020 seasons (all sports) happen and if they happen with fans in the stands. 

13 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

If I was allowed to grow my own meat stock in the backyard I'd do it.  I've talked to my wife about moving out to Chester or Lancaster County when we retire and set-up a little homestead... nothing fancy, just enough to keep me busy while I can still be busy like that.  And she's unequivocally told me that's not happening.   (But, I've got another 15-20 years to work on her.   This coronavirus outbreak opened her up to me getting to do pretty much whatever I wanted garden wise in the backyard.  So... who knows what the future will bring?  If this thing lingers, I just might get my wish on that.)

 

I could do that I have 3 1/2 acres that I mostly own (banks owns about 5 years worth) I have shot deer off of it, but I think I'll leave the raising of livestock to someone else.

Just now, ManuManu said:

Masks, guys. 

Well the acceptance speech should be interesting. 

Spoiler

 

The Electoral College was created because the Founders did not trust the judgement of the average American to select a President. They were worried that the masses could be hoodwinked by a lying, narcissistic, egomaniacal con-man.

Oh, wait...

17 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Masks, guys. 

Agreed.  
 

DeSantis has stated he will not lockdown the state again, which I’m "ok” with at this point.  But mandating that people wear masks in public places is common sense.  
 

If the state continues to see spikes in the spread, it won’t help the tourism industry because people from other states won’t come here to vacation.  I’ve been furloughed for 3 months now and I’m starting to question whether our tentative July 1st return date will remain in effect if we continue to see rises in positive tests.  (I work for a very large hotel/resort company and unless we get to over 20% capacity, my department will most likely remain furloughed) 

9 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

Agreed.  
 

DeSantis has stated he will not lockdown the state again, which I’m "ok” with at this point.  But mandating that people wear masks in public places is common sense.  
 

If the state continues to see spikes in the spread, it won’t help the tourism industry because people from other states won’t come here to vacation.  I’ve been furloughed for 3 months now and I’m starting to question whether our tentative July 1st return date will remain in effect if we continue to see rises in positive tests.  (I work for a very large hotel/resort company and unless we get to over 20% capacity, my department will most likely remain furloughed) 

I work at a hospital and have had my furlough extended twice now. A former classmate of mine who works at a different hospital in the same system had his furlough extended through AUGUST 22. Meanwhile our therapists are running at 100 percent productivity but refuse to bring people back to work despite a long waiting list for patients wanting physical/occupational therapy. I understand slow playing it because of the money lost during a shut down, but they’re burning people out and not treating their patients with care. It’s frustrating. 

2 hours ago, Boogyman said:

I disagree about Brees. If he thought about it, changed his perspective then he definitely should have apologized, if that's how he really feels. Since none of us know him I will take his words as truth

True....none of us know what goes on in his head or how he really feels.  

I just think if he really feels that kneeling is offensive then fine....feel that way.  He's not saying players cant do it just he doesnt agree with the method. He shouldn't have to say he's sorry but nowadays everyone is offended over something.  

Like I said, I dont agree with him about kneeling and that's OK.  People can kneel if they want.  

Apparently the governor misspoke or was confused on the numbers, thank goodness. 

8 minutes ago, 315Eagles said:

True....none of us know what goes on in his head or how he really feels.  

I just think if he really feels that kneeling is offensive then fine....feel that way.  He's not saying players cant do it just he doesnt agree with the method. He shouldn't have to say he's sorry but nowadays everyone is offended over something.  

Like I said, I dont agree with him about kneeling and that's OK.  People can kneel if they want.  

I hear you. Like I said, I have to take his word that he changed his stance. And in that case an apology makes sense.

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

Attorney's fees are going to be less than what any individual plaintiff receives.  If there's a class action, then the class action attorney fees will be set a judge out of the common fund for the plaintiffs.  It's typically much lower than a 1/3 type fee that is used in litigation.  Keep in mind that it's not like PG&E will likely just roll over and pay.  You may have situations where PG&E wants to establish a common fund to compensate plaintiffs but individual plaintiffs may want to opt out and sue as individuals.  It really becomes quite complex.  While these cases can be lucrative, they tend to be long-term plays and require law firms to fund the suits heavily on the front end.  In a wrongful death suit, it's not unusual to front costs of 6 figures to obtain appropriate expert testimony.  This is in addition to the cost of just running a practice while the litigation is ongoing.  

My experience, which is extensive, is that these bigger cases tended to settle quicker than other cases.  I agree that the fees in class actions tend to be less, usually averaging around 24%.  The firms that make it on the  plaintiff committee in the bankruptcy tend to get more than the firms that don’t. I imagine in the case of the Paradise fire, there isn’t a lot of expert work at this point and there probably won’t be a lot of discovery.  There was an agreement in principle in April that seemed to fall apart because PG&E stock was part of the deal for a $13.5 billion fund. I imagine this plea was part of the demand to push through the deal.  I am sure there is an opt out provision. The biggest cost will probably be fund administration.  I imagine the deal is all of the insurance money PG&E may be able to get (issues abound with that that might interest you or me but unlikely any others) plus a payout from PG&E that allows it to emerge from bankruptcy.  It is in the interest of CA for PG&E to emerge.   Frankly being an electric utility in the western states would be a nightmare. At some point the risk will be uninsurable and we will see something like Price Anderson that brought us nuclear power.  I can understand why they cut power when facing Santa Ana winds last year.  

1 hour ago, NCiggles said:

If I was going to make a Constitutional Amendment, it would be to get rid of the electoral college.  

I suspect the majority of Americans would support that too but not the politicians at the state level necessary for ratification. 

49 minutes ago, Iggles_Phan said:

If I was allowed to grow my own meat stock in the backyard I'd do it.  I've talked to my wife about moving out to Chester or Lancaster County when we retire and set-up a little homestead... nothing fancy, just enough to keep me busy while I can still be busy like that.  And she's unequivocally told me that's not happening.   (But, I've got another 15-20 years to work on her.   This coronavirus outbreak opened her up to me getting to do pretty much whatever I wanted garden wise in the backyard.  So... who knows what the future will bring?  If this thing lingers, I just might get my wish on that.)

 

Land is expensive in both Chester and Lancaster. Has the Amish spreading to York.  

1 hour ago, Iggles_Phan said:

Sounds like too much nitrogen.  Are you using Miracle Gro?  That's not good for fruit, just green.  Need more phosphorus and potassium in the soil.  Try a fertilizer with low first number but high second and third.  Like a 5-10-10, 0-5-5 or the like.  That's (N-P-K). Added calcium is nice too to combat blossom end rot.   Did you plant indeterminate or determinate?  If planting indeterminate, pruning is very helpful to push out more fruit and less leaves.  I'll see if I can find you a youtube video on pruning tomato plants.  Lower leaf branches and even most just leaf branches can be pruned away safely.  Also pruning back suckers will force the plant to put more energy into the remaining stems, which includes more flowers, and therefore more fruit.

I thought they loved me.  Got them all flowering and fruiting.

Its odd we've grown tomatoes for years in raised beds  using Miracle grow garden soil in the beds and have always gotten more than we could use. This year not so much. I noticed this morning we're finally getting quite a few flowers. We did have a late spring here that could have something to do with  the late blooming.

On a better note my Asparagus and green beans are going crazy

40 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

Yeah, tell that to Trump who has disregarded completely the notion of Judicial or Congressional oversight.

If that's the issue, then the people should support an amendment limiting what the president is capable of via executive order.  Getting rid of the electoral college won't do anything in regards to what the president can or cannot do via executive order. 

38 minutes ago, Desertbirds said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

The Electoral College was created because the Founders did not trust the judgement of the average American to select a President. They were worried that the masses could be hoodwinked by a lying, narcissistic, egomaniacal con-man.

Oh, wait...

The electoral college was created because small states were worried about being dominated by large states and because communication and transportation were no where as fast as what we have today.  The states would then send their electors to DC or NY to cast the decision for their state.

I for one don't want NY and California deciding national elections.

48 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Everywhere I go, i'm lucky to see 30% of people wearing masks

More like about 10% where I live

44 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Everywhere I go, i'm lucky to see 30% of people wearing masks

It's getting pretty bad here too now.  Up until about 2 weeks ago, I would guess that at least 80-90% of the people around here (Central Florida) would wear masks at grocery stores, etc.  Now it's at best 50-70%....more or less, depending on the neighborhood, area, etc. 

What's infuriating is that it's become political now.  Between the absurd conspiracy theories and the right blaming hypocrisy in the media, it's as if some people either don't believe it, don't care to or a combination of both.  If they see their leaders not bothered to wear masks, why should they?

 

2 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

If that's the issue, then the people should support an amendment limiting what the president is capable of via executive order.  Getting rid of the electoral college won't do anything in regards to what the president can or cannot do via executive order. 

Just curious, how would you feel about an amendment that the states apportion the electoral votes in proportion to the popular vote in the state?  Your argument about mob rule could be made at a state level.  Popular vote wins all the state’s electoral college votes. 

25 minutes ago, ManuManu said:

Apparently the governor misspoke or was confused on the numbers, thank goodness. 

Or he was just intentionally misleading, again 

6 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

Or he was just intentionally misleading, again 

Could be. I can’t say I’ve followed him closely at all. 

53 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

Agreed.  
 

DeSantis has stated he will not lockdown the state again, which I’m "ok” with at this point.  But mandating that people wear masks in public places is common sense.  
 

If the state continues to see spikes in the spread, it won’t help the tourism industry because people from other states won’t come here to vacation.  I’ve been furloughed for 3 months now and I’m starting to question whether our tentative July 1st return date will remain in effect if we continue to see rises in positive tests.  (I work for a very large hotel/resort company and unless we get to over 20% capacity, my department will most likely remain furloughed) 

I'm not sure people realize the destruction this is doing to tourism and hospitality.  I work for a DMO and our hotels here were hovering around 5-10% for 3 months.  Thankfully we are in a logistics hub to fill that small amount of rooms.

I'm headed down to FLA in a few weeks and can't wait.  

48 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

Just curious, how would you feel about an amendment that the states apportion the electoral votes in proportion to the popular vote in the state?  Your argument about mob rule could be made at a state level.  Popular vote wins all the state’s electoral college votes. 

I think it could be a good idea, wouldn't be against it if it were done properly. I believe a couple of states already split their votes when necessary (Maine/Nebraska).  I think it would need to be controlled.  If you decide to split electorates based entirely on popular vote, then a state like Pennsylvania would be dominated by Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.   If you decide to split it by congressional districts, then just about everyone between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would dominate.  

Maybe one way to do it would be split the electorates in half.  So in a state like Pennsylvania with 20 electoral votes would split them 10 + 10.  The first 10 electoral votes would be based off of the popular vote of the state and the entire 10 would go to the winner.  The other 10 would be based off of congressional districts and split up accordingly.  This would prevent mob rule while preserving the popular vote.  

27 minutes ago, BigEFly said:

Just curious, how would you feel about an amendment that the states apportion the electoral votes in proportion to the popular vote in the state?  Your argument about mob rule could be made at a state level.  Popular vote wins all the state’s electoral college votes. 

Are you suggesting that if a candidate wins a state 60% to 40% the winner gets 60% of the electoral votes?

That seems quite reasonable to me.