Life is complicated

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.

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.