Monday, May 11, 2009
New Star Trek Movie
Just got back from seeing it. Pretty good. whole new crew of actors, most of them pretty good. Lots of action, explosions, starships ramming each other, car chases, etc No real love interest. We have Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Chekhov, and Scotty from classic Trek. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are plausible as younger versions of the classic Trek characters. Uhura, Chekhov and Scotty are less convincing. The over all plot is the standard save the universe one. If you are any kind of Trekkie or have children, you (and they) will enjoy it.
Health Care is expensive 'cause of crooked bills
Last year I was buying my prescription drugs at Walmart. Cost $48 for three months. This year they added a prescription drug benefit to my medicare advantage plan. According to the plan my prescriptions had an Average Retail price of $1002.50 for three months. Plan discounts brought that down to $119.31, which the plan paid.
In short, the plan claims an astronomical average retail price, twenty times the actual retail price. Then they claim to have achieved discounts (kickbacks) bringing the drug cost down to $119.31, only twice retail price, and then "paid" for it all. Right.
Imagine the billing scams possible under Obama's yet to be announced, health care plan.
In short, the plan claims an astronomical average retail price, twenty times the actual retail price. Then they claim to have achieved discounts (kickbacks) bringing the drug cost down to $119.31, only twice retail price, and then "paid" for it all. Right.
Imagine the billing scams possible under Obama's yet to be announced, health care plan.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Weep for the Chevy Impala SS
Rumor has it that Chevy is going to drop the "SS" trim level on the Impala sedan for 2010. Currently Chevy offers the Impala in 4 different trim levels (LS, LT, LTZ and SS) There is little to no difference between the 4 trim levels, they all have same standard equipment, same engine, same transmission. The top of the line models get a few frills like leather seats and a fancier radio, excuse me "audio system". Cruising the Chevy website shows no visible external differences, no extra chrome strips, no two tone paint, no bigger grill, nada, zip.
Chevy marketing asks $24K for the bottom of the line LS and $32K for the top of the line SS.
And marketing expects customers to pay up to $8K more for just a badge on the trunk lid? I don't think so. In actual fact, customers are going to pay the same price for all four trim levels, cause they all look the same. Customers will walk into the dealer and ask for the bottom of the line LS cause it's cheapest. If the dealer doesn't have one, he is going to sell them the "higher priced" LT, LTZ, or SS models at bottom of the line LS prices. Especially this year when the dealers are so desparate they will do anything to make a sale.
What any sensible marketing department ought to do is simplify things for production. An Impala is an Impala, with one list price. Deal with the frills as options.
Unfortunately Chevy marketing is stuck in a time warp going back to the 1950's. Back then they offered Chevy's as 110, 210, and Bel Air. 110 was the plainest model, sold to fleets, 210 got some extra chrome trim, and Bel Air got a lot of extra chrome trim. In those days you could tell the difference between the cheap body 110 and the flossy Bel Air from 200 feet away. Not any longer, the 2009 Impala's four trim levels look exactly the same from 200 inches away. But marketing still wants to charge extra for invisible non-differences.
Well, the enthusiasts are all crying 'cause Chevy is dropping the SS trim level for 2010. Somehow I don't think those enthusiasts have ever tried to sell a real car to a real customer.
Chevy marketing asks $24K for the bottom of the line LS and $32K for the top of the line SS.
And marketing expects customers to pay up to $8K more for just a badge on the trunk lid? I don't think so. In actual fact, customers are going to pay the same price for all four trim levels, cause they all look the same. Customers will walk into the dealer and ask for the bottom of the line LS cause it's cheapest. If the dealer doesn't have one, he is going to sell them the "higher priced" LT, LTZ, or SS models at bottom of the line LS prices. Especially this year when the dealers are so desparate they will do anything to make a sale.
What any sensible marketing department ought to do is simplify things for production. An Impala is an Impala, with one list price. Deal with the frills as options.
Unfortunately Chevy marketing is stuck in a time warp going back to the 1950's. Back then they offered Chevy's as 110, 210, and Bel Air. 110 was the plainest model, sold to fleets, 210 got some extra chrome trim, and Bel Air got a lot of extra chrome trim. In those days you could tell the difference between the cheap body 110 and the flossy Bel Air from 200 feet away. Not any longer, the 2009 Impala's four trim levels look exactly the same from 200 inches away. But marketing still wants to charge extra for invisible non-differences.
Well, the enthusiasts are all crying 'cause Chevy is dropping the SS trim level for 2010. Somehow I don't think those enthusiasts have ever tried to sell a real car to a real customer.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Torture IAW written legal opinions?
I don't think so. The CIA agents were interrogating important sources in accordance with written legal opinions. That's not torture, that's legal. Now that Obama foolishly published John Yoo's memos, the CIA agents are off the hook. Can't prosecute a man for complying with written policy.
The author, John Yoo, was trying to be a useful lawyer at the time. He provided a readable and understandable guide to what was legal and what was not. He answered the question "How far can we go?" (Useless lawyers, of which there are many, furnish bafflegab that can be read both ways) They are after John Yoo, but probably can't get to him 'cause his superiors OK'd it (at least they didn't trash can it). Plus there is a small matter of statute of limitations. John Yoo apparently doesn't think it's illegal torture unless blood is drawn, marks are left, or the subject's health is impared by the interrogation.
Personally, I have no problems with making Al Quada terrorists hurt a little bit.
Some NPR talking head kept raving on and on about "Torture is illegal." So it is. But CIA wasn't torturing, they were interrogating terrorists in accordance with written legal advice.
The author, John Yoo, was trying to be a useful lawyer at the time. He provided a readable and understandable guide to what was legal and what was not. He answered the question "How far can we go?" (Useless lawyers, of which there are many, furnish bafflegab that can be read both ways) They are after John Yoo, but probably can't get to him 'cause his superiors OK'd it (at least they didn't trash can it). Plus there is a small matter of statute of limitations. John Yoo apparently doesn't think it's illegal torture unless blood is drawn, marks are left, or the subject's health is impared by the interrogation.
Personally, I have no problems with making Al Quada terrorists hurt a little bit.
Some NPR talking head kept raving on and on about "Torture is illegal." So it is. But CIA wasn't torturing, they were interrogating terrorists in accordance with written legal advice.
HP Boot Optimizer HPBootOp, Infests HP Computers
Those of you with HP or Compaq computers may find a curious piece of software with the name HPBootOp living happily in your RAM. What is this fellow and what does he do? Well, he loads various services and drivers at boot time. He makes the computer boot appear faster by waiting until after the login screen appears. Most of us measure boot time from pressing the power on button until the login screen appears. Sluggishness after the login screen doesn't count.
Why do we care? Simple, hpbootop was loading a couple of drivers/ram_eaters that I didn't want loaded. In particular it was loading ctfmon, a plump Microsoft slower-downer that supports voice entry, Braille, and pareplegics tapping on the keyboard with a stick taped to their foreheads. And it eats up megs and megs of scarce RAM. There is a Microsoft documented procedure to prevent ctfmon from loading. I executed the procedure a couple of times with no luck. Ctfmon popped right back into RAM. That was a while ago, and I let the matter drop.
Yesterday, on the track of something else, I stumbled across an HPBootOp key in the registry. It had subkeys Delay1 and Delay2. Those subkeys had names of programs, including my old buddy ctfmon. Ah hah.
A bit of web surfing turned up this and this from HP explaining how to get rid of HPBootOp and how to restore him if you might want him back.
HPBootOp is persistant, and when you kill him he plants keys in the registry to start all the things he used to start. I used the StartManager program to turn off all the ones I didn't want, starting with ctfmon. This time ctfmon stayed dead.
Did HPBootOp speed up my boot? Not much, if at all. Timing with a plain wrist watch, boot time with the optomizer was 46-48 seconds. Without it I get 49-51 seconds. And without Ctfmon and his other sluggish friends, the computer runs faster.
Why do we care? Simple, hpbootop was loading a couple of drivers/ram_eaters that I didn't want loaded. In particular it was loading ctfmon, a plump Microsoft slower-downer that supports voice entry, Braille, and pareplegics tapping on the keyboard with a stick taped to their foreheads. And it eats up megs and megs of scarce RAM. There is a Microsoft documented procedure to prevent ctfmon from loading. I executed the procedure a couple of times with no luck. Ctfmon popped right back into RAM. That was a while ago, and I let the matter drop.
Yesterday, on the track of something else, I stumbled across an HPBootOp key in the registry. It had subkeys Delay1 and Delay2. Those subkeys had names of programs, including my old buddy ctfmon. Ah hah.
A bit of web surfing turned up this and this from HP explaining how to get rid of HPBootOp and how to restore him if you might want him back.
HPBootOp is persistant, and when you kill him he plants keys in the registry to start all the things he used to start. I used the StartManager program to turn off all the ones I didn't want, starting with ctfmon. This time ctfmon stayed dead.
Did HPBootOp speed up my boot? Not much, if at all. Timing with a plain wrist watch, boot time with the optomizer was 46-48 seconds. Without it I get 49-51 seconds. And without Ctfmon and his other sluggish friends, the computer runs faster.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Health Care is expensive because it's free
Health care is sucking up 16% of GNP. That makes everything we buy, cars, food, fuel, clothes, houses, cost 16% more just to pay the workers health care. It makes American exports cost 16% more than our international competitors. It makes imports cheaper because no other country in the world pours 16% of GNP into health care. The rest of the world spends no more than 8% on health care. Public health in the other industrialized nations is every bit as good, and in many cases better, than in the US.
Why is US health care so expensive? Because health care providers charge as much as they want, and the patient never complains, because he has insurance. And the the health care providers do charge like crazy. A straight forward gall bladder removal cost as much as the house I had just bought. Which is ridiculous, an hour or two in the operating room and a few days in a hospital bed does not cost anywhere as much as a three story house. No problem, Blue Cross Blue Shield paid it all.
Most of us have insurance that pays for everything. So everything gets done, whether it needs to or not, and the bills go up and up and the insurance company pays them.
If we had to pay for health care out of our own pockets, a lot less money would go to health care.
Suppose nobody had health insurance? That would reduce the number of doctor visits, hospital stays, and the total share of GNP going to health care. Everything would cost less, and the average citizen would stay even.
Trouble with this is the catastrophic illness. Some things cost so much that no one can afford the bill. Even the unpadded bill. Suppose we buy insurance to cover real unpredictable catastrophes and pay the ordinary stuff out of pocket?
That would stimulate the economy far more than having Uncle Sam pay health insurance premiums for everyone.
Why is US health care so expensive? Because health care providers charge as much as they want, and the patient never complains, because he has insurance. And the the health care providers do charge like crazy. A straight forward gall bladder removal cost as much as the house I had just bought. Which is ridiculous, an hour or two in the operating room and a few days in a hospital bed does not cost anywhere as much as a three story house. No problem, Blue Cross Blue Shield paid it all.
Most of us have insurance that pays for everything. So everything gets done, whether it needs to or not, and the bills go up and up and the insurance company pays them.
If we had to pay for health care out of our own pockets, a lot less money would go to health care.
Suppose nobody had health insurance? That would reduce the number of doctor visits, hospital stays, and the total share of GNP going to health care. Everything would cost less, and the average citizen would stay even.
Trouble with this is the catastrophic illness. Some things cost so much that no one can afford the bill. Even the unpadded bill. Suppose we buy insurance to cover real unpredictable catastrophes and pay the ordinary stuff out of pocket?
That would stimulate the economy far more than having Uncle Sam pay health insurance premiums for everyone.
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