I haven't written in a while because I can't seem to find the pithy answers. Or even a topic worth writing on that I can summarize sufficiently in a simple blog.
I have figured out some of the healthcare problem. Clearly, we are in the process of getting thoroughly ripped off, lied to, and painted into a corner by our governement. I haven't said anything about it sooner because I didn't understand it well enough as yet.
On the topic of what is wrong with healthcare.
The costs are growing much faster than the income of individuals. There are three key causes to this. First of all, the body is complicated and sophisticated beyond belief. This means that it takes a lot to train doctors and learn more about the body, which equates to high cost. Second, it is a high liability profession. If a doctor or pharmaceutical company does cause some harm, then the fiscal consequences for them can be atrocious. This works with the other two causes in a synergistic fashion to increase health care costs. The third cause is that we have an infinite immediate value on life. By this I mean that when faced with a life threatening situation we are willing to do anything and pay anything. So, the price can go up to meet our full fiscal capacity. Not just the capacity of an individual or family, but of a whole society. (The truth is that we aren't. People drive recklessly, eat all kinds of garbage, and engage in dangerous sports, sex ... etc. It helps define our lives and ... well that is another topic about which I am not entirely ready to discourse.)
The last part of the health care problem is that we have a contradiction between the basic doctrines of our society. We cannot value all life essentially equally and still maintain a strictly competitive free-market. Really some people have to be worth more in a competitve free market. It is the whole profit motive thing. I am not a fan of the competitive free market theory that we have created, but I think that is another topic for another blog.
Well, that is enough for me for what is wrong. Now for potential solutions, without going through the obviously disasterous and deliberately deceptive plans of our government.
First, open up insurance to interstate sales. Auto insurance already is, so why not health insurance.
Second, change the liability laws for doctors and lawyers. There are two big changes that come to mind. Lawyers should not be awarded on the win-amount of the lawsuit, but only on the paid amount. Lawyers should also be liable to a certain percentage of the sue amount and a fixed cost for legal fees in a frivolous or even failed suit. I understand the the fiscal liability of lawyers will only serve to reduce the number of lawsuits and make the individuals more vulnerable. So, there needs to be some discretionary aspects to the application of the liabilities of the lawyers. Clearly, not a simple solution. And, one that would face a lot of opposition.
Third, also not a simple solution, require health insurance at some minimal level for everybody. We are already requiring insurance to drive a car, so why not breath? It is not the same since we cannot revoke a breathing liscence, but it is also not the same since we are currently required to treat everybody regardless of how expensive and their ability to pay for it. Obviously, there are massive complications with this, how to enforce it, how to regulate it, and what exclusions to allow.
Fourth, create an information net. Doctors would be required to disclose anonimous patient histories. (the patient is anonimous, not the doctor) These histories would be published by cases and not by patient. This information would be AVAILABLE for all with a nominal access fee to support the network costs. There would be a minimum delay of 3 months and maximum delay of 1 year before information is added. The information can then be google-mined by everybody. Very expensive. Very difficult. But also very valuable. It would allow people to make real decisions, as well as pushing doctors in their development. Too often diagnostic tests cloud the problems more than resolve them. With correlated statistical information of symptoms, tests, diagnosis, treatment, and results it would be amazing what we could save.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
how to make a paper wallet
Project: I hate how big wallets are and my nylon-trifold is dying. So, I did a lot of shopping around and decided to make my own wallet, out of PAPER. I am still trying to find a more appropriate paper, but this one is just normal 8.5 x 11 inch printer paper. I started with the wallet found on www.instructables.com, and made some of my own changes.
Disclaimer: there is some discrepancy between the images and the instructions, but I will try to point them out as we go.
Step 1: crease the page in all the right places.
the picture shows these creases with measurements in one direction or another. A 1/2" strip has already been cut from the top even though this is listed as part of step 2. It also has some other cuts already made in the page.
Horizontal creases
from top down: from bottom up:
2 9
5 1/16 5 15/16
8 1/16 2 15/16
Vertical creases
from left to right: from right to left:
1/2 8
4 1/4 4 1/4
8 1/2
note: the picture shows vertical creases at 5/8 and 7 7/8 inches. But when I went to load the wallet, I found this was a bit tights with 6 cards and 8 bills. So I changed the dimensions here to 1/2 and 8. This allows more space in the wallet for all your junk.
Step 2: Cut Cut Cut
a: take the 1/2 inch off the top, which is never shown in any pictures
b: snip out the tabs on the sides and top. The boundaries of the tabs line up with the creases made previously. The exact shape is unimportant. While I make the creases very precisely, I just went to town with a pair of scissors for the tabs.
c: fold the page vertically and cut a hole in the middle, between two creases. This is the card access. I used my wife's 1 3/4" circle punch from her Stampin' Up supplies.
Step 3: Fold up the bottom, glue the bottom two side tabs in place
Step 4: fold up the bottom again
In this picture, I have traced where the glued tabs sit so that you can see them easily.
step 5: glue in the remaining side tabs, not the top.
The top flap just hides the money so that it is not as obvious that you have something or nothing inside.
Step 6: load the wallet.
You should do this before the glue dries so that the tabs can move that little bit and allow the wallet to shape better.
step 7: admire
Here is a side by side comparison of my old wallet to my paper wallet. The old wallet is completely empty. The paper wallet is filled with everything that was in my old wallet. Even so, the paper wallet is noticeably thinner.
Disclaimer: there is some discrepancy between the images and the instructions, but I will try to point them out as we go.
Step 1: crease the page in all the right places.
the picture shows these creases with measurements in one direction or another. A 1/2" strip has already been cut from the top even though this is listed as part of step 2. It also has some other cuts already made in the page.
Horizontal creasesfrom top down: from bottom up:
2 9
5 1/16 5 15/16
8 1/16 2 15/16
Vertical creases
from left to right: from right to left:
1/2 8
4 1/4 4 1/4
8 1/2
note: the picture shows vertical creases at 5/8 and 7 7/8 inches. But when I went to load the wallet, I found this was a bit tights with 6 cards and 8 bills. So I changed the dimensions here to 1/2 and 8. This allows more space in the wallet for all your junk.
Step 2: Cut Cut Cut
a: take the 1/2 inch off the top, which is never shown in any pictures
b: snip out the tabs on the sides and top. The boundaries of the tabs line up with the creases made previously. The exact shape is unimportant. While I make the creases very precisely, I just went to town with a pair of scissors for the tabs.
c: fold the page vertically and cut a hole in the middle, between two creases. This is the card access. I used my wife's 1 3/4" circle punch from her Stampin' Up supplies.
Step 3: Fold up the bottom, glue the bottom two side tabs in place
Step 4: fold up the bottom again
In this picture, I have traced where the glued tabs sit so that you can see them easily.
step 5: glue in the remaining side tabs, not the top.
The top flap just hides the money so that it is not as obvious that you have something or nothing inside.
Step 6: load the wallet.
You should do this before the glue dries so that the tabs can move that little bit and allow the wallet to shape better.
step 7: admire
Here is a side by side comparison of my old wallet to my paper wallet. The old wallet is completely empty. The paper wallet is filled with everything that was in my old wallet. Even so, the paper wallet is noticeably thinner.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Some good movies with good male rolemodels
I just spoke with a coworker who says that he has completed 1 movie in the last year+ with his wife. Part of the problem is that it is hard to find a good movie. By my estimates, in the mainstream, there are probably a 12 bad movies made for my market segment for every movie that is worth while. So, here is a quick plug for a few movies that are for adults (not perverts) who would like to see a good male role model on the screen.
"Rocky Balboa" Drama. If you have seen other Rocky films it will help you appreciate this one because you will know somethng about his life, especially if you see the first one where he meets his wife, "Adriannnnne." And although it features an under-dog Rocky fight it is not like the other films. It is a very touching and transparent look at a man dealing with life as a retired athlete and widower in a world that has changed for the worse. It is deeply emotional and touching. It is also believable in every aspect.
"A Beautiful Mind" Drama. 2001. Russel Crowe and Ron Howard team up to present the Holly-real story of paranoid-schizophrenic Nobel-Prize winning mathematician John Nash. This version omits the real-life divorce and second marriage among other details to create characters that have more ... character. It makes the story strongly inspiring and more simple, which is good because it took all 135 minutes to tell the story right as it is. And they definitely told it right, at least the portion they were trying to tell.
"Cinderella Man" Drama. 2005. Russel Crowe and Ron Howard team up to make a boxing film! Inspite of what you might think, this is not just a hybrid of the other two movies ... really its not. Okay, so it sort of is. But it is realllllly goooood. This is the real story of James J. Braddock the great-depression-era fighter that inspired a desperate nation. If you see only one movie from ths list, make it this one.
"Remember the Titans" Drama. A football film featuring the Holly-real story of the first integrated (black and white players) highschool football team in the south. It is more of a football movie than it is about racism and oddly focuses more on the white characters than on the black ones. But pretty well told and acted. Very mainstream with good appeal to a wide audience demographic, if you are white. Does a great job with the natural conflicts between two very good men in a situation made difficult by a lot of not-so-good people. Very light film considering the topics involved.
"On a Clear Day". Drama. This is the story of 55-year old blue-collar worker who is laid off and how he deals with it. Not mainstream, not hollywood, not fast. But I loooved the characters in this. The main character is quiet and leaves a lot to conjecture by his wife, friends and the audience. But he does decide to deal with life's stresses by swimming the English Channel. It really is a remarkable character film in which nothing very remarkable happens.
"Up". Drama / comedy / animation. This also has broad audience appeal with a very improbable story that only a child can really appreciate and relationships and characters that it takes a parent or grandparent to really understand. It starts out with a silent montage that only lasts a couple minutes but will take adults through a wide gambit of emotions. Bring a hanky. Most of the film is lighter and the villans are traditional one dimensional movie villans.
"Rocky Balboa" Drama. If you have seen other Rocky films it will help you appreciate this one because you will know somethng about his life, especially if you see the first one where he meets his wife, "Adriannnnne." And although it features an under-dog Rocky fight it is not like the other films. It is a very touching and transparent look at a man dealing with life as a retired athlete and widower in a world that has changed for the worse. It is deeply emotional and touching. It is also believable in every aspect.
"A Beautiful Mind" Drama. 2001. Russel Crowe and Ron Howard team up to present the Holly-real story of paranoid-schizophrenic Nobel-Prize winning mathematician John Nash. This version omits the real-life divorce and second marriage among other details to create characters that have more ... character. It makes the story strongly inspiring and more simple, which is good because it took all 135 minutes to tell the story right as it is. And they definitely told it right, at least the portion they were trying to tell.
"Cinderella Man" Drama. 2005. Russel Crowe and Ron Howard team up to make a boxing film! Inspite of what you might think, this is not just a hybrid of the other two movies ... really its not. Okay, so it sort of is. But it is realllllly goooood. This is the real story of James J. Braddock the great-depression-era fighter that inspired a desperate nation. If you see only one movie from ths list, make it this one.
"Remember the Titans" Drama. A football film featuring the Holly-real story of the first integrated (black and white players) highschool football team in the south. It is more of a football movie than it is about racism and oddly focuses more on the white characters than on the black ones. But pretty well told and acted. Very mainstream with good appeal to a wide audience demographic, if you are white. Does a great job with the natural conflicts between two very good men in a situation made difficult by a lot of not-so-good people. Very light film considering the topics involved.
"On a Clear Day". Drama. This is the story of 55-year old blue-collar worker who is laid off and how he deals with it. Not mainstream, not hollywood, not fast. But I loooved the characters in this. The main character is quiet and leaves a lot to conjecture by his wife, friends and the audience. But he does decide to deal with life's stresses by swimming the English Channel. It really is a remarkable character film in which nothing very remarkable happens.
"Up". Drama / comedy / animation. This also has broad audience appeal with a very improbable story that only a child can really appreciate and relationships and characters that it takes a parent or grandparent to really understand. It starts out with a silent montage that only lasts a couple minutes but will take adults through a wide gambit of emotions. Bring a hanky. Most of the film is lighter and the villans are traditional one dimensional movie villans.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Terorists do not want to destroy us
Throughout history, even modern history, there have been many examples of individuals or groups who truly hated and wanted to eradicate another individual or group. However, even considering the population difference and distance between population centers ... we are still far more vulnerable than the damage that has been inflicted. The conclusion this leads me to is that they really don't hate us as much as we think they do.
Perhaps they are just more in love with our money or some other thing that they purport to despise from our culture. Perhaps the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, and everybody else are just better at their jobs than I give them credit for. I prefer to think that deep down, most people are inherently good; that the good in people far outweighs the bad. Or at least that they are smart enough to understand the oft unspoken social contract of mutual group protection.
No, I really just prefer to think that people are basically good, even the jerks.
Perhaps they are just more in love with our money or some other thing that they purport to despise from our culture. Perhaps the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, and everybody else are just better at their jobs than I give them credit for. I prefer to think that deep down, most people are inherently good; that the good in people far outweighs the bad. Or at least that they are smart enough to understand the oft unspoken social contract of mutual group protection.
No, I really just prefer to think that people are basically good, even the jerks.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Adam = God
To limit any misunderstanding, I am of the opinion that ...
Adam is NOT God
and
LDS (Mormons) as a church NEVER taught that.
It is commonly cited by anti-mormons as clear evidence of the falseness of their religion.
It is also occasionally believed by an odd Mormon.
The problem is that the evidence is weak. There are several "quotes" from Brigham Young (second president / prophet of the church) that are construed to mean just that. I call them "quotes" because really they are notes from somebodies journal about what they heard Brigham Young say, and most often the ones that are cited are taken out of context to be more easily misconstrued and hence misquoted.
There are two simple pieces of evidence that for me are sufficient to debunk this. First, in the same discourse (journal entry describing the discourse) there are also various clear references to Adam and God as distinct individuals. Second, some years later this was denounced in print by an Apostle John A. Widtsoe (Improvement Era in December 1943, republished in 1960 Evidences and Reconciliations) and later by the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball (general conference edition of the Ensign, November 1976). These denouncements of this theory are very strong and clear. Being in print approved by the sources at the time of printing and never denounced by the authors or other church leadership.
So, despite the vast volumes published by others. To para-quote Widtsoe
The only people who believe the adam-god theory are "Enemies of the Church, or stupid people..."
Enough said.
Adam is NOT God
and
LDS (Mormons) as a church NEVER taught that.
It is commonly cited by anti-mormons as clear evidence of the falseness of their religion.
It is also occasionally believed by an odd Mormon.
The problem is that the evidence is weak. There are several "quotes" from Brigham Young (second president / prophet of the church) that are construed to mean just that. I call them "quotes" because really they are notes from somebodies journal about what they heard Brigham Young say, and most often the ones that are cited are taken out of context to be more easily misconstrued and hence misquoted.
There are two simple pieces of evidence that for me are sufficient to debunk this. First, in the same discourse (journal entry describing the discourse) there are also various clear references to Adam and God as distinct individuals. Second, some years later this was denounced in print by an Apostle John A. Widtsoe (Improvement Era in December 1943, republished in 1960 Evidences and Reconciliations) and later by the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball (general conference edition of the Ensign, November 1976). These denouncements of this theory are very strong and clear. Being in print approved by the sources at the time of printing and never denounced by the authors or other church leadership.
So, despite the vast volumes published by others. To para-quote Widtsoe
The only people who believe the adam-god theory are "Enemies of the Church, or stupid people..."
Enough said.
Can I just pick a flower?
Can I pick a flower
without destroying the ozone
without warming the planet
or ruining the view
for strangers
for neighbors
for my children's
children's
children?
Can I just pick a flower?
My lawn is a tribute
to green living
to biodiversity
to environmental preservation
My trash is rich with easy-to-digest nutrients
supporting indigenous life
Can I pick a flower?
Can I enjoy it guilt-free?
I reuse plastic bottles and bags
carrying them like money
I use fluorescent lights
that flicker and glower
during my short cold shower
So, can I pick ...
sorry
MAY I pick a flower?
May I enjoy its succulent power
with my eyes closed
ignoring the island of trash
bigger than Texas
the mountainous landfills
all seeking redress
the dying and drying
of all land into desert
What could picking this one flower hurt?
Can I just pick a flower?
without destroying the ozone
without warming the planet
or ruining the view
for strangers
for neighbors
for my children's
children's
children?
Can I just pick a flower?
My lawn is a tribute
to green living
to biodiversity
to environmental preservation
My trash is rich with easy-to-digest nutrients
supporting indigenous life
Can I pick a flower?
Can I enjoy it guilt-free?
I reuse plastic bottles and bags
carrying them like money
I use fluorescent lights
that flicker and glower
during my short cold shower
So, can I pick ...
sorry
MAY I pick a flower?
May I enjoy its succulent power
with my eyes closed
ignoring the island of trash
bigger than Texas
the mountainous landfills
all seeking redress
the dying and drying
of all land into desert
What could picking this one flower hurt?
Can I just pick a flower?
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