Living alone, I like some noise in the house, so I have the TV on. And set to Fox news. Around lunchtime every day they carry the president's news conference, Sean Spicer, press secretary, presiding, live. For an hour or more. Spicer is fairly good, he is seldom at a loss for words, he is glib, he forth rightly defends the administration. He even occasionally says "Gee I don't know, can I get back to you?"
The newsies are less impressive. Their questions are mostly worthless, of the "what does so-and-so think about thus and such?" sort. I don't care much about what people think, I want to know what happened. What, Where, When, Who, and Why are news questions, the five big W's. What someone thinks ain't news, it's gossip. And the newsies all wear big "Lefty Greenie" buttons on their lapels. I think less of newsies who announce which side they have taken. Makes me doubt their impartiality and their honesty.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
4 out of 5 heroin addicts started with presciptions
Dr. Marc Siegel, in an op-ed in today's Wall St Journal, and on Fox news where he is the medical expert, states that 4 our 5 heroin addicts got started on their addiction with opioids prescribed by their doctor. Things like Percoset, Oxycontin, Vicodin, prescribed for pain, often back pain. The Oxycontin situation is so bad that many pharmacies refuse to stock it, citing the risk of robberies by addicts.
There has been a lot of talk about the opioid crisis, the over dose deaths from heroin and fentanyl and the need for "programs" (what ever that might mean) to "do something" about it.
Maybe we need the medical profession to tight up their prescribing habits. I haven't heard any talk about that.
There has been a lot of talk about the opioid crisis, the over dose deaths from heroin and fentanyl and the need for "programs" (what ever that might mean) to "do something" about it.
Maybe we need the medical profession to tight up their prescribing habits. I haven't heard any talk about that.
Monday, March 27, 2017
200 US paratroopers to Iraq.
That's maybe two companies of soldiers. The TV news has been talking about it all day. To listen to the TV will make you think a couple of hundred US troops is like D-Day in 1944. Our troops are good, everyone agrees on that, but I don't think a mere 200 troops, no matter how good, is going to turn the war around.
The hunt for Win 10 crapware
Take a look at Task Manager in Win 10. Good old XP used to run with 25-30 processes active. Win 10 has nearly 100, at least out of the box. A lot of 'em are un necessary and can be shut down for good, freeing up RAM and CPU time. The trick is to tell the useless ones from the essential windows-will-crash-without-them processes. Win 10 Task Manager has a "search on-line" feature that googles on the process name and serves you up 10 or more opinions off the Internet about the process. A lot of 'em are worthless boiler plate, but sometimes you catch a post by Black Viper or Bleeping Computer, or even Wikipedia which are very useful useful.
Many, perhaps even most are "services" which Windows loads and runs behind your back. There is a services manager program, buried only medium deep in the Win 10 menu scheme. Right click on the Windows Logo button in the screen. Pick "Settings" which will show a zillion options. Click on "Administrative Services" which comes up at the beginning since it begins with "A". Slide down and click on "Services". This will display every service known to Win 10 whether it's running or not. Find the service you want to kill. If it is running, click to stop it, just the see if the service manager is working and nothing drastic happens to Windows when you stop it.
Then to make the kill permanent, you want of modify the "start up option". Automatic means start it at boot time every time. Manual means don't start it until some program asks for it. Setting to manual is usually enough to prevent the service from running. And it's safe. Stronger is disable which means never run the service no matter how badly programs whine and cry for it. Disable can be dangerous if you disable one of those windows-will-die-without-it services.
Many, perhaps even most are "services" which Windows loads and runs behind your back. There is a services manager program, buried only medium deep in the Win 10 menu scheme. Right click on the Windows Logo button in the screen. Pick "Settings" which will show a zillion options. Click on "Administrative Services" which comes up at the beginning since it begins with "A". Slide down and click on "Services". This will display every service known to Win 10 whether it's running or not. Find the service you want to kill. If it is running, click to stop it, just the see if the service manager is working and nothing drastic happens to Windows when you stop it.
Then to make the kill permanent, you want of modify the "start up option". Automatic means start it at boot time every time. Manual means don't start it until some program asks for it. Setting to manual is usually enough to prevent the service from running. And it's safe. Stronger is disable which means never run the service no matter how badly programs whine and cry for it. Disable can be dangerous if you disable one of those windows-will-die-without-it services.
USAF wants to upgrade both B52s AND KC-135s
Both aircraft were built during the Eisenhower administration, which makes them both fifty years old. USAF was talking about flying them another fifty years to justify the expense of the upgrades. For the KC135 tankers, they want to replace the entire cockpit instrument panel with a new liquid crystal display. Then they want to add defensive systems, jammers, flare dispensers, maybe even defensive air-to-air missile systems, to allow the KC-135's to enter defended enemy airspace, or at least get closer to it. Somehow this doesn't seem worthwhile. A great big four engine tanker makes a fine radar or IR target, and it is never going to outrun a missile or a fighter. I don't see how jammers or IR lures, or missiles are going to help much when SAM is closing on you at Mach 3. To say nothing of liquid crystal displays which are probably not sunlight readable.
For the B52s, USAF is still talking about new engines. They are thinking about staying with 8 engines, just to avoid the paperwork hassle of new pylons to hold just 4 engines. Pratt & Whitney, makers of the existing B52 engines, is talking up an upgrade to the existing engines. New hot section parts, made from higher temperature alloys, would allow the engines to run hotter, which improves both thrust and fuel burn. On the other hand, with the B52 fleet down to 76 aircraft, all of which are fifty years old, I think we ought to fly 'em as they are and replace them with something newer ASAP. B52 is a good airplane, but a fifty year service life is plenty.
For the B52s, USAF is still talking about new engines. They are thinking about staying with 8 engines, just to avoid the paperwork hassle of new pylons to hold just 4 engines. Pratt & Whitney, makers of the existing B52 engines, is talking up an upgrade to the existing engines. New hot section parts, made from higher temperature alloys, would allow the engines to run hotter, which improves both thrust and fuel burn. On the other hand, with the B52 fleet down to 76 aircraft, all of which are fifty years old, I think we ought to fly 'em as they are and replace them with something newer ASAP. B52 is a good airplane, but a fifty year service life is plenty.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
NASA missions
In a country that plays "Star Trek" on TV for fifty years, and flocks to "Star Wars" movies, there are probably votes to be had from space exploration. Perhaps as many votes as the greenies have for shutting stuff down. As long as we are funding NASA we ought to ask them to do something for the money. The last eight years under Obama have been uninspiring. NASA got it's funding every year and produced little to nothing. They did manage to spend all the money though.
Four NASA missions for the future occur to me.
1. The Obama mission, draw your pay and do nothing.
2. The return to the Moon mission. This is clearly doable, we did it back in the '70s. Question: What could we accomplish? Setting up a permanent moonbase is surely possible, but what would it do? Mining, manufacturing, hydroponic farming? Astronomical observatory? I read as much science fiction as anyone, but I think a permanent moonbase might turn out like the International Space Station, cool, but what does it do?
3. The Mars mission. This could be a toughie. The flight to the Moon is a matter of days, round trip to Mars is a couple of years. The lunar mission can carry enough air, water, food, and fuel to last the trip. A two year Mars mission would have to recycle air and everything else, and grow food in flight. This means a bigger ship, more equipment and gear, much higher standards of air tightness. Plus make a jet landing on Mars, a blastoff back to orbit, and have enough fuel for the return to earth. None of this is impossible, but it's harder. The payoff? It's a first, it will go down in the history books, and we might discover life on Mars. Even some fossil bacteria would be exciting.
4. The asteroid mission. Fly to the asteroid belt and match orbits with a medium size asteroid. This is actually easier than the Mars mission. It doesn't have to land and blast off again which simplifies things a lot. The time to fly out and back is a little longer than going to Mars, but not that much longer. Scientific payoff might be high, examination of the asteroid might give important clues to the origin of the Solar system. And it would be a first, go into the history books.
It would pay Trump politically to pick one and get cracking on it. Long as we are funding NASA we might as well have 'em do something to earn their pay.
Four NASA missions for the future occur to me.
1. The Obama mission, draw your pay and do nothing.
2. The return to the Moon mission. This is clearly doable, we did it back in the '70s. Question: What could we accomplish? Setting up a permanent moonbase is surely possible, but what would it do? Mining, manufacturing, hydroponic farming? Astronomical observatory? I read as much science fiction as anyone, but I think a permanent moonbase might turn out like the International Space Station, cool, but what does it do?
3. The Mars mission. This could be a toughie. The flight to the Moon is a matter of days, round trip to Mars is a couple of years. The lunar mission can carry enough air, water, food, and fuel to last the trip. A two year Mars mission would have to recycle air and everything else, and grow food in flight. This means a bigger ship, more equipment and gear, much higher standards of air tightness. Plus make a jet landing on Mars, a blastoff back to orbit, and have enough fuel for the return to earth. None of this is impossible, but it's harder. The payoff? It's a first, it will go down in the history books, and we might discover life on Mars. Even some fossil bacteria would be exciting.
4. The asteroid mission. Fly to the asteroid belt and match orbits with a medium size asteroid. This is actually easier than the Mars mission. It doesn't have to land and blast off again which simplifies things a lot. The time to fly out and back is a little longer than going to Mars, but not that much longer. Scientific payoff might be high, examination of the asteroid might give important clues to the origin of the Solar system. And it would be a first, go into the history books.
It would pay Trump politically to pick one and get cracking on it. Long as we are funding NASA we might as well have 'em do something to earn their pay.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
So what does Trump and the GOP do now?
Should they try another Obamacare repeal and replace? Maybe this time telling us who gets gov'mint subsidies and how much? What will it take to get the "Freedom Caucus" on board? Are they actually responsible legislators or do they just enjoy gumming things up? We never did hear just what they wanted that they were not getting.
Should they press on to a tax reform bill? And just what will get reformed? Lower top bracket rates? Lower all rates, close some loopholes? Simplify the 1040 so it doesn't take a week to fill out? Make health insurance payments deductible? Some thing else? Is there anything the Republicans can agree on?
How about a federal law to allow any insurance company, located in any state, to sell health insurance policies in every state, without requiring they file paperwork with the state regulators. Could they even get some Democrats on board with this one?
How about a law allowing duty free import of medicine from any reasonable first world country, e.g. Canada. Big Pharma hates the idea, but it would lower medicine prices, a lot.
How about a law limiting FDA medicine approval to a safety check only. Any medicine that doesn't harm patients gets approved. Let the doctors and the insurance companies decide if the medicine is effective. Insurance companies can refuse to pay for quack remedies, and doctors will refuse to prescribe them. We don't need years and years of FDA paperwork proving whether the medicine works or not.
How about a law declaring that manufacture, sale, or prescription of and FDA approved medicine is NEVER malpractice. The lawyers hate this, but it would do a small bit to reduce the malpractice problem.
Should they press on to a tax reform bill? And just what will get reformed? Lower top bracket rates? Lower all rates, close some loopholes? Simplify the 1040 so it doesn't take a week to fill out? Make health insurance payments deductible? Some thing else? Is there anything the Republicans can agree on?
How about a federal law to allow any insurance company, located in any state, to sell health insurance policies in every state, without requiring they file paperwork with the state regulators. Could they even get some Democrats on board with this one?
How about a law allowing duty free import of medicine from any reasonable first world country, e.g. Canada. Big Pharma hates the idea, but it would lower medicine prices, a lot.
How about a law limiting FDA medicine approval to a safety check only. Any medicine that doesn't harm patients gets approved. Let the doctors and the insurance companies decide if the medicine is effective. Insurance companies can refuse to pay for quack remedies, and doctors will refuse to prescribe them. We don't need years and years of FDA paperwork proving whether the medicine works or not.
How about a law declaring that manufacture, sale, or prescription of and FDA approved medicine is NEVER malpractice. The lawyers hate this, but it would do a small bit to reduce the malpractice problem.
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