'How Much Will Obamacare Cost Me?' Try Our Calculator : Shots - Health News : NPR

'How Much Will Obamacare Cost Me?' Try Our Calculator : Shots - Health News : NPR:

Read both of the articles linked above to learn more about the calculator tool.  Afterwards, use the calculator tool to find the answers to the following questions:

• How much will the new health care plan cost you as an individual?  

• How much will it cost your whole family?  

• How does that compare to what you or your family are currently paying, under your existing insurance plan?

Share your answers and thoughts on the matter in a fact-based, grammatically correct comment below.  

NB:  Feel free to include links to websites or resources which may support your statements.  Refrain from basing your comments on irrational emotion.  Do not repeat word of mouth / chatter / opinions you may have heard from other people - to count your comment must be supported by actual facts or information obtained from established sources.  Do not attack others solely on the basis of a differing of opinion...   

...That said, feel free to reply however you deem appropriate to comments which have no basis in fact, or are otherwise not abiding by these guidelines.

GoLocalProv | Lifestyle | College Admissions: America’s High School Cheating Epidemic

GoLocalProv | Lifestyle | College Admissions: America’s High School Cheating Epidemic:

'via Blog this'

• How widespread do you think cheating is within your class/grade/school?
• What are your own personal beliefs about cheating in school?  
• What are some of the more severe consequences of cheating listed in the article?
• What do you think should be done about this epidemic?

Being Poor Lowers Your IQ - Study suggests a 13-point drop for those in poverty

Poor concentration: Poverty reduces brainpower needed for navigating other areas of lifeor those in poverty:

"Research based at Princeton University found that poverty and all its related concerns require so much mental energy that the poor have less remaining brainpower to devote to other areas of life. Experiments showed that the impact of financial concerns on the cognitive function of low-income individuals was similar to a 13-point dip in IQ, or the loss of an entire night's sleep. To gauge the influence of poverty in natural contexts, the researchers tested 464 sugarcane farmers in India who rely on the annual harvest for at least 60 percent of their income. Each farmer performed better on common fluid-intelligence and cognition tests post-harvest compared to pre-harvest."

• How do you feel about this study?   

• What does this suggest are the possible implications of poverty, both short term and long term?

• What can be done to address this issue?

Internet backbone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Internet backbone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "The Internet backbone refers to the principal data routes between large, strategically interconnected networks and core routers on the Internet. These data routes are hosted by commercial, government, academic and other high-capacity network centers, the Internet exchange points and network access points, that interchange Internet traffic between the countries, continents and across the oceans of the world. Internet service providers (often Tier 1 networks) participate in Internet backbone exchange traffic by privately negotiated interconnection agreements, primarily governed by the principle of settlement-free peering."

'via Blog this'

• What, exactly, is the "backbone" of the internet? 
• How long has it existed? 
• Why is this structure so important, and what impact does it have on our way of life?

USC - Viterbi School of Engineering - Caterpillar Inc. Funds Viterbi 'Print-a-House' Construction Technology

USC - Viterbi School of Engineering - Caterpillar Inc. Funds Viterbi 'Print-a-House' Construction Technology:

'via Blog this'

What are the implications of this technology?

The Crimson White | The Final Barrier: 50 years later, segregation still exists

The Crimson White | The Final Barrier: 50 years later, segregation still exists:

'via Blog this'

1. What are your thoughts on this article?  
2. Do you think the Crimson White did a good job reporting this story?  Why or why not?

The Government Lied About Being Able To Read Your Email Without A Warrant | TechCrunch

The Government Lied About Being Able To Read Your Email Without A Warrant | TechCrunch:

'via Blog this'

What is digital privacy?  According to this article, does digital privacy exist?

Facebook Reports Government Data Requests, US Leads With 12K During The First Half Of 2013 | TechCrunch

Facebook Reports Government Data Requests, US Leads With 12K During The First Half Of 2013 | TechCrunch:

'via Blog this'

Why would the government have programs such as PRISM and make requests for user data from Facebook, if it can tap the Internet and see your data as you use your computer?

Cyber-bullying can't be stopped by changing ask.fm's safety settings

• Cyber-bullying can't be stopped by changing ask.fm's safety settings:

• Ask.fm and you shall receive

After reading the two articles linked above, respond with your thoughts about the authors' views on Ask.fm by answering the following questions:
 

1. Do you think the solutions proposed in each article (for addressing the problems plaguing Ask.fm) will work?  
2. What have been your personal experiences on Ask.fm?  
3. Have you ever been bullied or been witness to bullying on the app?
4. Why do you think some people act so horrible to others?  Does anything justify this type of behavior?
5. Do you believe you are ever truly "anonymous" on the internet?