Monday, December 08, 2003
What is this guy doing? Who drank all of his SOBE energy drink? What does he think is so funny? Isn't wearing a hat in a building considered rude, or is that not applicable since the North won the Civil War? Why am I asking you? Shouldn't I be working? Is my boss behind me right now reading as I type?
Ok, here is my answer b***h.
To preserve natural resources and maintain environmental health, we need to halt climate change, protect our forests from insensible foresting policies, clean up and maintain a healthy ocean, abandon nuclear power, no more dumping toxic chemicals into the environment, halt genetic engineering of food including cloning, take power away from the WTO, and end war.
How's zat sound? Ask a stupid question...
To preserve natural resources and maintain environmental health, we need to halt climate change, protect our forests from insensible foresting policies, clean up and maintain a healthy ocean, abandon nuclear power, no more dumping toxic chemicals into the environment, halt genetic engineering of food including cloning, take power away from the WTO, and end war.
How's zat sound? Ask a stupid question...
Is Greenpeace a terrorist organization? I ask because I have to write about "five changes that will have to occur if natural resources are to be preserved and environmental health maintained," and I copied and pasted all my arguments off the Greenpeace website.
I'll go to jail for terrorism, but not for plagerism. I have morals, you know.
Walrus on ice floe
I'll go to jail for terrorism, but not for plagerism. I have morals, you know.
Walrus on ice floe
Friday, December 05, 2003
Tough Turkey
In the most famous picture from his trip to Baghdad, President Bush had
himself artfully photographed to look like he was serving turkey to the
troops. The image was emblazoned on front pages throughout the country - and
now appears to be an entirely false depiction.
According to the Washington Post, Bush was actually holding "a decoration,
not a serving plate." In other words, he was holding a prop, not real food,
and thus only pretending for the cameras to be serving up the holiday meal.
In the most famous picture from his trip to Baghdad, President Bush had
himself artfully photographed to look like he was serving turkey to the
troops. The image was emblazoned on front pages throughout the country - and
now appears to be an entirely false depiction.
According to the Washington Post, Bush was actually holding "a decoration,
not a serving plate." In other words, he was holding a prop, not real food,
and thus only pretending for the cameras to be serving up the holiday meal.
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Time to get into the Christmas spirit, Assholes. I saw these guys on MTV, there video for 'I believe in a thing called love' was Rock-larious. It is a MUST see. But check out this Christmas video too, because its that time of year.
The boys from The Darkness are back. “Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)” is released through Must Destroy/Atlantic Records on December 15th.
Windows: modem broadband
Real: modem broadband
'In honour of the marvellous support bestowed upon us by the sweet people of the British Isles, we giveth unto thee the gift that keeps on giving. It might be a Christmas song but it still rocks in the unique Darkness fashion," says frontman Justin. http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/the_darkness/
The boys from The Darkness are back. “Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)” is released through Must Destroy/Atlantic Records on December 15th.
Windows: modem broadband
Real: modem broadband
'In honour of the marvellous support bestowed upon us by the sweet people of the British Isles, we giveth unto thee the gift that keeps on giving. It might be a Christmas song but it still rocks in the unique Darkness fashion," says frontman Justin. http://www.virginradio.co.uk/music/artists/the_darkness/
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
So this is a joke.
Baby polar bear is walking around and he sees his older brother. Baby bear asks Older Brother bear, "Am I really a polar bear?"
Brother bear says, "Of course you are, dork."
Baby bear leaves Older Bear and finds his mom. Again he asks the same question. Mama bear says, "Of course you are, honey."
Well Baby Polar bear keeps this up for awhile. He asks his sister, his grandma, his grandpa, and his Aunt Bernice, and they all reassure his that he is a polar bear.
Finally he sees Father Polar Bear. Father Bear looks a little peterbed, and sits baby bear down for a talk. "What's all this fuss about you wondering whether you're a polar bear or not," he asks baby bear, "Your mom is a polar bear, your sister is, your brother is. Why wouldn't you be?"
"Well," explains Baby Bear, "I'm Freeeeeeeeeezing."
That's so funny to me.
Baby polar bear is walking around and he sees his older brother. Baby bear asks Older Brother bear, "Am I really a polar bear?"
Brother bear says, "Of course you are, dork."
Baby bear leaves Older Bear and finds his mom. Again he asks the same question. Mama bear says, "Of course you are, honey."
Well Baby Polar bear keeps this up for awhile. He asks his sister, his grandma, his grandpa, and his Aunt Bernice, and they all reassure his that he is a polar bear.
Finally he sees Father Polar Bear. Father Bear looks a little peterbed, and sits baby bear down for a talk. "What's all this fuss about you wondering whether you're a polar bear or not," he asks baby bear, "Your mom is a polar bear, your sister is, your brother is. Why wouldn't you be?"
"Well," explains Baby Bear, "I'm Freeeeeeeeeezing."
That's so funny to me.
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Monday, December 01, 2003
Saturday, November 29, 2003
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Monday, November 24, 2003
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Thursday, November 20, 2003
To Tingle or Knob Twiddle, That is the Question
In honor of Eric's stimulating paper on the purpose and function of art in society (By the way Eric, post that paper to the blog for peer review, analysis, and discussion.), and considering the Marshall Macluhan post below, I wanted to ask "What do you think is the best purpose, function, and goal of electronic music?"
I'm listening to my favorite electonic Internet radio program right now, Mobius, and it makes me tingley with sweet buzzing joy. The experimental sounds, the abstract scapes and soundscapes, the hypnotic and pulsing beats: What is not to love?
In honor of Eric's stimulating paper on the purpose and function of art in society (By the way Eric, post that paper to the blog for peer review, analysis, and discussion.), and considering the Marshall Macluhan post below, I wanted to ask "What do you think is the best purpose, function, and goal of electronic music?"
I'm listening to my favorite electonic Internet radio program right now, Mobius, and it makes me tingley with sweet buzzing joy. The experimental sounds, the abstract scapes and soundscapes, the hypnotic and pulsing beats: What is not to love?
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
"With the electronic music instrument, any tone can be made available in any intensity and for any length of time. Note that the older symphony orchestra was, by comparison, a machine of separate instruments that gave the effect of organic unity. With the electronic instrument, one starts with organic unity as an immediate fact of perfect synchronization. This makes the attempt to create the effect of organic unity quite pointless. Electronic music must seek other goals."
Marshall McLuhan,
Understanding Media, 1964, p.309
Marshall McLuhan,
Understanding Media, 1964, p.309
Monday, November 17, 2003
What to do if your Mom discovers your blog...
By Blogger Support
By Blogger Support
"With the raw materials in my blog, [my mom] could actually construct an accurate picture of who I am. This is f***ing serious." –The Onion
Friday, November 14, 2003
Thursday, November 13, 2003
One of my goals was to increase my MOVEMENT. I wanted to get more active. You see, I have this belief that I consistently reinforce with self-talk that if I move now, it costs me energy and pain later. This is a false belief. It has been proven over and over again that exercise and movement actually leads to more energy and a decrease in pain, in general.
This morning I listened to an episode on a radio talk-show called "Future Talk" entitled "Meir Schneider, Ph.D.-
Self Healing Through Movement." In this show I found more confirmation that movement is not only necessary, it heals.
Meir Schneider, author of "Yoga for Your Eyes," has developed a program that increases visual acuity. Sounds like miraculous voodoo, right? Yes. But suspend your judgement until you hear the logic and science behind it. None of us are ever going to buy his books or do his program, but we can benefit from his information, if only for intellectual stimulation.
So this guy was born with cataracts. Ninety percent of his eye was covered with scar tissue. Through the exercises he outlines in his workshops, individual sessions with hundreds of clients and at conferences throughout the world, he says he was able to heal himself and regain 50 percent of his vision.
Big deal. I hear miraculous healing stories every day. How does that benefit me?
He claims that far-sightedness and near-sightedness can be prevented and reduced. Since we live in an age where we wallow in media - books, computers, and television screens - our eyes adjust accordingly.
Think about our ancestors in pre-literate times, they did not have near-sightedness problems. Near-sightedness is a condition where the eyeball grows long. It grows long in the way in which we use it.
He says to correct this, we need to train our eyes to look away, at least twenty minutes a day twice a day. Look into the distance, look at the stars.
Hey, that is doable. And it makes sense. But I need more science to break out of the mindset that I have been bombarded with that "alternative" medicine is quackery and to be immediately mistrusted.
Accordding to research done in Hong Kong, children who learned to read starting at age 4, between ages 6-19, 62 percent of the children became near-sighted. In the same study of rural Tibet, 3 percent of the kids are near-sighted.
For a guy like me whose vision deteriorates each year I spend at the computer monitor intensely staring at the screen (I work hard, dammit! I'm trying for a master's degree in computer science and I have two jobs!), this is having direct relevance to my existence. You have my attention, Mr. Schneider.
I'm going to be staring a lot more out the window from now on at work. It is for my own health, I'll say. But the idea behind this is movement, which corresponds to my goals of getting healthier. My experience with my chiropractor suggest the same thing: move the ligaments and joints to keep them healthy and lubricated and to keep your spine healthy. Everywhere I look, movement seems to be the solution.
In the first phases of Early man's life, most of his waking moments were spent in the pursuit of food. Only after they were able to solve this food problem was man able to begin the transition to laziness, philosophy, and drunkeness that characterizes the age we live in today.
By now, some of you are saying to yourselves, "This isn't cynical enough for me. I'm going to listen to Rush Limbaugh." Wait! Give me your attention for one more anecdote.
From the San Francisco Chronicle article, "EXERCISING YOUR EYES" by Joshunda Sanders, Chronicle Staff Writer:
"But if all it took for people to make their eyes stronger was breathing deeply and spending more time outdoors, why wouldn't more people do it?
"Because they don't see an alternative (to glasses or contacts)," was Schneider's only answer. The idea that poor eyesight can be corrected through a few simple exercises and relaxation techniques is not new: In 1920, Dr. William H. Bates, M.D., created the Bates Method, which emphasized rotating the eyes and changing the focal point of one's vision to give the eyes a good workout. Optometrists in the Bay Area caution that this method of improving eyesight is a trend that seems to go in and out of style, like meditation or clogs.
Dr. Pia Hoenig, O.D., chief of the Binocular Vision Clinic at UC Berkeley, says the methods themselves are not faulty; they simply "go against" everything that optometrists stand for. She stopped short of calling visual exercises a farce but would not say whether they have proved, during the 30 years she has practiced medicine, to be successful.
According to Jobson Publishing LLC, a firm that compiles optometry industry statistics, vision is big business: The Web site allaboutvision.com, says about 170 million people in the United States wear glasses or contacts. In 1998, the optical industry made about $30 billion in sales from eyewear, exams, fees and the rest. "
So there is a vested interest to keep people with bad eyesight! Fucking bastards.
If anything, I learned today to walk away from my computer or TV more often. We can at least all agree that that is a great action to take.
This morning I listened to an episode on a radio talk-show called "Future Talk" entitled "Meir Schneider, Ph.D.-
Self Healing Through Movement." In this show I found more confirmation that movement is not only necessary, it heals.
Meir Schneider, author of "Yoga for Your Eyes," has developed a program that increases visual acuity. Sounds like miraculous voodoo, right? Yes. But suspend your judgement until you hear the logic and science behind it. None of us are ever going to buy his books or do his program, but we can benefit from his information, if only for intellectual stimulation.
So this guy was born with cataracts. Ninety percent of his eye was covered with scar tissue. Through the exercises he outlines in his workshops, individual sessions with hundreds of clients and at conferences throughout the world, he says he was able to heal himself and regain 50 percent of his vision.
Big deal. I hear miraculous healing stories every day. How does that benefit me?
He claims that far-sightedness and near-sightedness can be prevented and reduced. Since we live in an age where we wallow in media - books, computers, and television screens - our eyes adjust accordingly.
Think about our ancestors in pre-literate times, they did not have near-sightedness problems. Near-sightedness is a condition where the eyeball grows long. It grows long in the way in which we use it.
He says to correct this, we need to train our eyes to look away, at least twenty minutes a day twice a day. Look into the distance, look at the stars.
Hey, that is doable. And it makes sense. But I need more science to break out of the mindset that I have been bombarded with that "alternative" medicine is quackery and to be immediately mistrusted.
Accordding to research done in Hong Kong, children who learned to read starting at age 4, between ages 6-19, 62 percent of the children became near-sighted. In the same study of rural Tibet, 3 percent of the kids are near-sighted.
For a guy like me whose vision deteriorates each year I spend at the computer monitor intensely staring at the screen (I work hard, dammit! I'm trying for a master's degree in computer science and I have two jobs!), this is having direct relevance to my existence. You have my attention, Mr. Schneider.
I'm going to be staring a lot more out the window from now on at work. It is for my own health, I'll say. But the idea behind this is movement, which corresponds to my goals of getting healthier. My experience with my chiropractor suggest the same thing: move the ligaments and joints to keep them healthy and lubricated and to keep your spine healthy. Everywhere I look, movement seems to be the solution.
In the first phases of Early man's life, most of his waking moments were spent in the pursuit of food. Only after they were able to solve this food problem was man able to begin the transition to laziness, philosophy, and drunkeness that characterizes the age we live in today.
By now, some of you are saying to yourselves, "This isn't cynical enough for me. I'm going to listen to Rush Limbaugh." Wait! Give me your attention for one more anecdote.
From the San Francisco Chronicle article, "EXERCISING YOUR EYES" by Joshunda Sanders, Chronicle Staff Writer:
"But if all it took for people to make their eyes stronger was breathing deeply and spending more time outdoors, why wouldn't more people do it?
"Because they don't see an alternative (to glasses or contacts)," was Schneider's only answer. The idea that poor eyesight can be corrected through a few simple exercises and relaxation techniques is not new: In 1920, Dr. William H. Bates, M.D., created the Bates Method, which emphasized rotating the eyes and changing the focal point of one's vision to give the eyes a good workout. Optometrists in the Bay Area caution that this method of improving eyesight is a trend that seems to go in and out of style, like meditation or clogs.
Dr. Pia Hoenig, O.D., chief of the Binocular Vision Clinic at UC Berkeley, says the methods themselves are not faulty; they simply "go against" everything that optometrists stand for. She stopped short of calling visual exercises a farce but would not say whether they have proved, during the 30 years she has practiced medicine, to be successful.
According to Jobson Publishing LLC, a firm that compiles optometry industry statistics, vision is big business: The Web site allaboutvision.com, says about 170 million people in the United States wear glasses or contacts. In 1998, the optical industry made about $30 billion in sales from eyewear, exams, fees and the rest. "
So there is a vested interest to keep people with bad eyesight! Fucking bastards.
If anything, I learned today to walk away from my computer or TV more often. We can at least all agree that that is a great action to take.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Sorry folks, If you want to read any more of my posts, you'll have to search the hard-core science-fiction message boards.
I'll be posting topics exclusively about Star Trek, the Matrix, Star Wars, Hip hop, and Scientology, along with dense material about the composition of the universe.
Oh, and in my spare time, I'll be researching Christian Mysticism, the Heirachy and Administrative Levels of the Angels, and Evolutionary History.
I was reading the Bible last night, Revelations, and it seemed to me that Paul was having one serious acid trip. Seven burning candles, a man with fire eyes with a sword in his mouth, bottomless pits, and talking lions and lambs.
And how could I forget the four and twenty Elders and God with feet like polished brass.
Paul found some of that Mescalito.
Later puny mortals,
God is the Father, and all men are our brothers.
I'll be posting topics exclusively about Star Trek, the Matrix, Star Wars, Hip hop, and Scientology, along with dense material about the composition of the universe.
Oh, and in my spare time, I'll be researching Christian Mysticism, the Heirachy and Administrative Levels of the Angels, and Evolutionary History.
I was reading the Bible last night, Revelations, and it seemed to me that Paul was having one serious acid trip. Seven burning candles, a man with fire eyes with a sword in his mouth, bottomless pits, and talking lions and lambs.
And how could I forget the four and twenty Elders and God with feet like polished brass.
Paul found some of that Mescalito.
Later puny mortals,
God is the Father, and all men are our brothers.
Sunday, November 09, 2003
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Ahrg, here be a puzzling pirate game for ye to play:
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
Tell em Spanku sent ya
You're all a bunch of butt pirates anyway so thar be fittin in well.
http://www.puzzlepirates.com/
Tell em Spanku sent ya
You're all a bunch of butt pirates anyway so thar be fittin in well.
Friday, October 31, 2003
I've heard of quite a few people are dressing up like the foul ball cub kid with the earphones circa game six. His image will be forever immortalized.
Moni. Quit bitchin at us beavers. We get tired of coming up with real funny things to say everyday.
Also, I got on your blog. I would like to be cute boy of the week if that's all right. Basically I just want my pic to come up when someone types in "cute" and "boy" into google.
Here's some information about me that you should include.
my favorite things
favorite movie: Sound of Music
favorite singer: Sarah Mclauglan
favorite book: tie between The Horse Whisperer and The Bridges of Madison County
Yeah, that should help me get some ass.
Thanks Moni.
Moni. Quit bitchin at us beavers. We get tired of coming up with real funny things to say everyday.
Also, I got on your blog. I would like to be cute boy of the week if that's all right. Basically I just want my pic to come up when someone types in "cute" and "boy" into google.
Here's some information about me that you should include.
my favorite things
favorite movie: Sound of Music
favorite singer: Sarah Mclauglan
favorite book: tie between The Horse Whisperer and The Bridges of Madison County
Yeah, that should help me get some ass.
Thanks Moni.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
What is the url for the boy of the week blog, and can I apply? I'd like to be the administrator.
That would be raunchy.
Fall is killing everything.
A Story:
These was this kid I worked with in Bloomington. He was a Guatamalan Loverboy. One day he was making a creamy batch of alfredo, and the pan slipped out of his hands and spilled down his belly and upper legs.
He got burnt pretty bad and had to go to the hospital which was just across the street. There was hardly anybody in the emergency room so a nurse got to take a look at him pretty quickly.
She asked him to take off his shirt and pants and underpants, and gasped when she saw the how hot the alfredo was.
"You poor boy," she said. She started to lick the Alfredo off his belly and then went down and sucked him off. After she cleaned all the alfredo off of him she asked if she could get the recipe for the alfredo sauce.
That's an Olive Garden urban legend.
That would be raunchy.
Fall is killing everything.
A Story:
These was this kid I worked with in Bloomington. He was a Guatamalan Loverboy. One day he was making a creamy batch of alfredo, and the pan slipped out of his hands and spilled down his belly and upper legs.
He got burnt pretty bad and had to go to the hospital which was just across the street. There was hardly anybody in the emergency room so a nurse got to take a look at him pretty quickly.
She asked him to take off his shirt and pants and underpants, and gasped when she saw the how hot the alfredo was.
"You poor boy," she said. She started to lick the Alfredo off his belly and then went down and sucked him off. After she cleaned all the alfredo off of him she asked if she could get the recipe for the alfredo sauce.
That's an Olive Garden urban legend.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Monday, October 27, 2003
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Friday, October 24, 2003
This is my Homework, not a post that you need to read. I'm just going to be adding to it until I need to turn it in next Friday.
PAC 431
Access to Health Care Discussion Questions
Please come prepared to discuss the following questions in class on Thursday, October 30th. Following the class discussion, I will ask that you submit your personal responses to these questions.
1. Is it possible to have socialized health in the U.S.? Why or why not?
Definitely. According to a recent Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation poll, "Public Opinion on the Uninsured, January/February 2003 Edition," a majority of Americans agree that everyone should have access to health care. Around two thirds agree that the federal government should guarantee health insurance coverage.
The impetus - or the will of most Americans - is there, but the difficult part is agreeing on a solution. Primarily, who pays and how.
2. Health promotion and health education have traditionally stressed individual responsibility for health. What are your reflections regarding this point of view?
Left on their own, an individual may or may not take good care of their health. But when more people talk about what it takes to be healthy and the means to get there, more people are likely to reflect on their own health. I know just from taking this health class and being forced to think about health, wellness, and disease, my attitudes and actions concerning my own health have changed. Social awareness of health issues makes it more likely that an individual would at least consider their own choices regarding their health, and thinking about it is the first step toward prevention.
Ultimately, it is the individual who has the final choice about their level of health, but to quote Hillary Clinton, "It takes a village." I suggest community responsibility for the individual's health. Each person's sickness effects us all anyway, why not take an interest?
Be responsible for your own health, for you are the only one who can be. My motto is, "If you want to change the world, change yourself." When you better your own health and well-being, other people will notice and may take action upon their health too.
3. What should the role of government (if any) be in the provision of health care?
This question is at the center of the debate. Again, according to KFF research, Americans are split on this question. Half the people would agree to an increase in insurance premiums or taxes in order to increase the number of insured Americans, and the other half would not.
4. Are physician?’s overpaid? Why or why not?
No. Can anyone really be overpaid? Clearly, we need our healers. But then again, maybe they are.
According to the Commonwealth Fund 2002 International Health Policy Survey, U.S. adults who have health problems are experiencing medical errors, care coordination problems, and cost-related access difficulties at high rates.
More than a quarter surveyed said that a medical mistake or medication error had occurred in their care in the past two years, a rate higher than that seen for the four other countries surveyed —Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Nearly one of five U.S. respondents reported an error had caused serious health problems.
Are we are paying doctors such high fees so that when we sue them, they be able to hire a good attorney? Maybe if we paid doctors less they would use more common sense in treatment options instead of giving their patients the treatment that is least likely to come back and bite them in the ass.
5. Do people have the ?“right to die?” when current medical technology has the ability to prolong and sustain life? How does one measure ?“quality of life??”
The Right to Die
Do people have the right to die? Of course. A person determined not to live will die. Living is a choice made by each individual, whether they are conscious of it or not. Do we want to encourage that right? No. We want to focus on life's inate ability towards health and vitality, and the exuberance and wonder of being alive. I agree with the Catholic position that life should be where we concentrate our energy, not in suicide, and especially if you have children or family. Most people underestimate the importance their life has on their family members, and if they removed themselves from this world, the sorrow that would cause.
Longer life - fantastic. More time to make yourself better and grow. Prolonging life with technology is great, but it comes back to the individual. Do they want to live? There are circumstances where life becomes unbearable to live and quality of life is so poor that physical death is an acceptable choice.
I don't feel that death is something to be feared, which to me is at the heart of this "right to die" debate. Also, an individual's social responsibility factors in.
Quality of Life
To measure quality of life, first we have to define it. Quality of life is a measure of an individual's physical, functional, emotional, and social well being. From there we can break it down further. There are questionnaires available designed to take inventory of a person's quality of life. These things are relative to the individual, and any sort of measuring tool must be take into account the person being measured.
In Davis S. Tulsky's June 2001 article, "The State of Quality of Life Measurement in Rehabilitation Research," he makes note of the fact that certain tools developed to measure general quality of life, would miss quality of life indicators in other populations, such as people with disabilities.
Tulsky mentions a specific example of spinal cord injury quality of life measurement and the fact that it is poorly defined. "Rather than focusing on a multidimensional construct, attention has focused on the assessment of a limited domain like functional status." He says that the main measures of functional independence are activity levels, level of handicap, and environmental factors, which does not include an entire range of other important measures.
Quality of life is a difficult thing to measure, because it is so relative to the individual, and cannot be measured generally across large populations. Not only does attitude play a big part, but a persons ideas about there self-worth and purpose factor into quality of life, along with the other physical, functional, emotional, and social well being factors.
6. Do all U.S. citizens have a "right" to health care? Why or why not? If you feel they do, then who pays for that right?
You know, health is mainly in the hands of the individual. Does an individual have a "right" to see the local witch doctor or make an appointment with a doctor in man-made medical system? No. We all have choices. As the administator of a hospital in America I have the right to charge outrageous costs and limit access to people without health insurance and the poor.
Should health be encouraged? Yes, it is in our best interests to make as many people health as possible. Isn't it?
I like to call it the sickness industry, instead of the Health Care industry. They do more to promote sickness and quick fixes than healthy living. But to answer your question, "who pays for that right" to access health care, currently, we all do.
7. Why does health care cost keep rising while the health status of specific segments within the population grow continually worst off?
According to the University of Pennsylvania Almanac's report The Rising Cost of Health Care
(Tuesday, March 5, 2002 Volume 48 Number 25 www.upenn.edu/almanac/), there are five main reasons for increasing health care costs:
* Prescription drugs. This is the fastest growing health care expense, and it is projected to grow at 20 to 30 percent each year over the next several years. There are many newer, more expensive drugs on the market, and the use of these prescriptions is exploding. In addition, with so much television advertising, many consumers ask their doctors for expensive, brand name drugs when there may actually be a generic drug that works just as well.
* Cost of developing new technologies and treatments. Over the past decade, scientists have made significant advancements in the treatment of certain diseases. Unfortunately, just like any new product, the cost of developing these new technologies and treatments is extremely high. Plus, unlike other technology, health technology generally doesn't decrease in price over time.
* Increased demand for health care. More and more people with medical insurance are relying on the health care system as new technologies and treatments become available. This leads to a greater number of claims for payment by insurance companies, the costs of which are passed back to health care consumers.
* America's aging population. The "baby-boom" generation is entering its peak health-care-using period. In fact, over eighty million Americans will turn 50 in the next 10 years. The cost of providing health care to them will be staggering.
* Increase in uncompensated care. There are an estimated 44 million Americans who don't have health care insurance, and the cost of providing care to this group is borne indirectly by the insured consumers.
* New legislation. Proposed government mandates--such as the Patients' Bill of Rights, Medicare reform, and health care tax changes--will continue to drive health care costs up.
I'm going to have to agree with them.
8. How does one measure "quality of care?"
Very carefully. Ha!
*sigh*
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) apply quality and safety of care standards and evaluate the compliance of health care organizations to those standards. They have been doing this for more than 50 years, and are considered the "gold standard" for hospital quality review, so I will defer to some of the quality control standards that they have developed.
According to their website, www.jcaho.org, their standards address quality and safety of care performance areas such as infection control, emergency management, patient rights, human resources and performance improvement.
Billing, insurance, payment disputes, individual personnel or labor relations issues are not within JCAHO's scope.
PAC 431
Access to Health Care Discussion Questions
Please come prepared to discuss the following questions in class on Thursday, October 30th. Following the class discussion, I will ask that you submit your personal responses to these questions.
1. Is it possible to have socialized health in the U.S.? Why or why not?
Definitely. According to a recent Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation poll, "Public Opinion on the Uninsured, January/February 2003 Edition," a majority of Americans agree that everyone should have access to health care. Around two thirds agree that the federal government should guarantee health insurance coverage.
The impetus - or the will of most Americans - is there, but the difficult part is agreeing on a solution. Primarily, who pays and how.
2. Health promotion and health education have traditionally stressed individual responsibility for health. What are your reflections regarding this point of view?
Left on their own, an individual may or may not take good care of their health. But when more people talk about what it takes to be healthy and the means to get there, more people are likely to reflect on their own health. I know just from taking this health class and being forced to think about health, wellness, and disease, my attitudes and actions concerning my own health have changed. Social awareness of health issues makes it more likely that an individual would at least consider their own choices regarding their health, and thinking about it is the first step toward prevention.
Ultimately, it is the individual who has the final choice about their level of health, but to quote Hillary Clinton, "It takes a village." I suggest community responsibility for the individual's health. Each person's sickness effects us all anyway, why not take an interest?
Be responsible for your own health, for you are the only one who can be. My motto is, "If you want to change the world, change yourself." When you better your own health and well-being, other people will notice and may take action upon their health too.
3. What should the role of government (if any) be in the provision of health care?
This question is at the center of the debate. Again, according to KFF research, Americans are split on this question. Half the people would agree to an increase in insurance premiums or taxes in order to increase the number of insured Americans, and the other half would not.
4. Are physician?’s overpaid? Why or why not?
No. Can anyone really be overpaid? Clearly, we need our healers. But then again, maybe they are.
According to the Commonwealth Fund 2002 International Health Policy Survey, U.S. adults who have health problems are experiencing medical errors, care coordination problems, and cost-related access difficulties at high rates.
More than a quarter surveyed said that a medical mistake or medication error had occurred in their care in the past two years, a rate higher than that seen for the four other countries surveyed —Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Nearly one of five U.S. respondents reported an error had caused serious health problems.
Are we are paying doctors such high fees so that when we sue them, they be able to hire a good attorney? Maybe if we paid doctors less they would use more common sense in treatment options instead of giving their patients the treatment that is least likely to come back and bite them in the ass.
5. Do people have the ?“right to die?” when current medical technology has the ability to prolong and sustain life? How does one measure ?“quality of life??”
The Right to Die
Do people have the right to die? Of course. A person determined not to live will die. Living is a choice made by each individual, whether they are conscious of it or not. Do we want to encourage that right? No. We want to focus on life's inate ability towards health and vitality, and the exuberance and wonder of being alive. I agree with the Catholic position that life should be where we concentrate our energy, not in suicide, and especially if you have children or family. Most people underestimate the importance their life has on their family members, and if they removed themselves from this world, the sorrow that would cause.
Longer life - fantastic. More time to make yourself better and grow. Prolonging life with technology is great, but it comes back to the individual. Do they want to live? There are circumstances where life becomes unbearable to live and quality of life is so poor that physical death is an acceptable choice.
I don't feel that death is something to be feared, which to me is at the heart of this "right to die" debate. Also, an individual's social responsibility factors in.
Quality of Life
To measure quality of life, first we have to define it. Quality of life is a measure of an individual's physical, functional, emotional, and social well being. From there we can break it down further. There are questionnaires available designed to take inventory of a person's quality of life. These things are relative to the individual, and any sort of measuring tool must be take into account the person being measured.
In Davis S. Tulsky's June 2001 article, "The State of Quality of Life Measurement in Rehabilitation Research," he makes note of the fact that certain tools developed to measure general quality of life, would miss quality of life indicators in other populations, such as people with disabilities.
Tulsky mentions a specific example of spinal cord injury quality of life measurement and the fact that it is poorly defined. "Rather than focusing on a multidimensional construct, attention has focused on the assessment of a limited domain like functional status." He says that the main measures of functional independence are activity levels, level of handicap, and environmental factors, which does not include an entire range of other important measures.
Quality of life is a difficult thing to measure, because it is so relative to the individual, and cannot be measured generally across large populations. Not only does attitude play a big part, but a persons ideas about there self-worth and purpose factor into quality of life, along with the other physical, functional, emotional, and social well being factors.
6. Do all U.S. citizens have a "right" to health care? Why or why not? If you feel they do, then who pays for that right?
You know, health is mainly in the hands of the individual. Does an individual have a "right" to see the local witch doctor or make an appointment with a doctor in man-made medical system? No. We all have choices. As the administator of a hospital in America I have the right to charge outrageous costs and limit access to people without health insurance and the poor.
Should health be encouraged? Yes, it is in our best interests to make as many people health as possible. Isn't it?
I like to call it the sickness industry, instead of the Health Care industry. They do more to promote sickness and quick fixes than healthy living. But to answer your question, "who pays for that right" to access health care, currently, we all do.
7. Why does health care cost keep rising while the health status of specific segments within the population grow continually worst off?
According to the University of Pennsylvania Almanac's report The Rising Cost of Health Care
(Tuesday, March 5, 2002 Volume 48 Number 25 www.upenn.edu/almanac/), there are five main reasons for increasing health care costs:
* Prescription drugs. This is the fastest growing health care expense, and it is projected to grow at 20 to 30 percent each year over the next several years. There are many newer, more expensive drugs on the market, and the use of these prescriptions is exploding. In addition, with so much television advertising, many consumers ask their doctors for expensive, brand name drugs when there may actually be a generic drug that works just as well.
* Cost of developing new technologies and treatments. Over the past decade, scientists have made significant advancements in the treatment of certain diseases. Unfortunately, just like any new product, the cost of developing these new technologies and treatments is extremely high. Plus, unlike other technology, health technology generally doesn't decrease in price over time.
* Increased demand for health care. More and more people with medical insurance are relying on the health care system as new technologies and treatments become available. This leads to a greater number of claims for payment by insurance companies, the costs of which are passed back to health care consumers.
* America's aging population. The "baby-boom" generation is entering its peak health-care-using period. In fact, over eighty million Americans will turn 50 in the next 10 years. The cost of providing health care to them will be staggering.
* Increase in uncompensated care. There are an estimated 44 million Americans who don't have health care insurance, and the cost of providing care to this group is borne indirectly by the insured consumers.
* New legislation. Proposed government mandates--such as the Patients' Bill of Rights, Medicare reform, and health care tax changes--will continue to drive health care costs up.
I'm going to have to agree with them.
8. How does one measure "quality of care?"
Very carefully. Ha!
*sigh*
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) apply quality and safety of care standards and evaluate the compliance of health care organizations to those standards. They have been doing this for more than 50 years, and are considered the "gold standard" for hospital quality review, so I will defer to some of the quality control standards that they have developed.
According to their website, www.jcaho.org, their standards address quality and safety of care performance areas such as infection control, emergency management, patient rights, human resources and performance improvement.
Billing, insurance, payment disputes, individual personnel or labor relations issues are not within JCAHO's scope.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Why do you ask Matt? You coming down? I'm probably going to take my nephew Trick or Treating. I know of a few things that are going on, nothing spectacular. you have to make your own fun here in Springfield.
I'm considering throwing on a sheet and a mask and walking around as a ghoulish freak. Remember, halloween is about the dead and the dark spirits, the mysterious and the frightening.
I just want to dress up like a ghost.
I'm considering throwing on a sheet and a mask and walking around as a ghoulish freak. Remember, halloween is about the dead and the dark spirits, the mysterious and the frightening.
I just want to dress up like a ghost.
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they
were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the
drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied,
"They will in a minute."
were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the
drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied,
"They will in a minute."
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Did you guys know I have my own fan-obsessed site? I ran across it today. Check out some of these posts.
some girls say they love mike the administaor because he does put himself into his posts and as you read you begin to feel as if you know him as a person, because he is telling you things in his posts and when you hear it all you can do is think wow! this guy is amazing. he is the most incredible blogger ive ever read and his posts help me through so much!
hes a genius and i love him he is fascinating and id love just to talk to him for 5 minutes <3<3<3<3<3
Posted by: kelley at July 12, 2003 06:53 PM
what he rights proves he's a genius
and no other blogger apart from exceptions ever write about both appalling and/or stupefying issues in life.... padriac my prince makes me cry
Posted by: monique at August 6, 2003 11:40 AM
Mike the Administrator of the Wily Beaver is brilliant,his posts are the best,they're so meaningful...all his blogs are so beautiful..
Posted by: Alice at August 8, 2003 03:03 AM
the wily beaver is the most Amazing blog.. And Mike Mann is by far the most beautiful human being Administrator I've ever laid my eyes on. <3 I heart him.
Posted by: Kait. at August 20, 2003 09:07 AM
Well Well Well. Did you guys think I could get any cooler?
Popularity City! population: the Administrator.
some girls say they love mike the administaor because he does put himself into his posts and as you read you begin to feel as if you know him as a person, because he is telling you things in his posts and when you hear it all you can do is think wow! this guy is amazing. he is the most incredible blogger ive ever read and his posts help me through so much!
hes a genius and i love him he is fascinating and id love just to talk to him for 5 minutes <3<3<3<3<3
Posted by: kelley at July 12, 2003 06:53 PM
what he rights proves he's a genius
and no other blogger apart from exceptions ever write about both appalling and/or stupefying issues in life.... padriac my prince makes me cry
Posted by: monique at August 6, 2003 11:40 AM
Mike the Administrator of the Wily Beaver is brilliant,his posts are the best,they're so meaningful...all his blogs are so beautiful..
Posted by: Alice at August 8, 2003 03:03 AM
the wily beaver is the most Amazing blog.. And Mike Mann is by far the most beautiful human being Administrator I've ever laid my eyes on. <3 I heart him.
Posted by: Kait. at August 20, 2003 09:07 AM
Well Well Well. Did you guys think I could get any cooler?
Popularity City! population: the Administrator.
Good Afternoon Lesser-Thans.
Time to start administrating. I'd like to start out by saying I had an exquisite conversation with one of our better bloggers Monica Maher, and she wanted me to pass on a message to Matt K, and you can quote me on this.
She said: tell matt k he is an ass. We talked for a little while longer and shared a couple laughs before agreeing that Matt K has girl hair too. So that happened.
Hail the Administator.
Time to start administrating. I'd like to start out by saying I had an exquisite conversation with one of our better bloggers Monica Maher, and she wanted me to pass on a message to Matt K, and you can quote me on this.
She said: tell matt k he is an ass. We talked for a little while longer and shared a couple laughs before agreeing that Matt K has girl hair too. So that happened.
Hail the Administator.
Monday, October 20, 2003
FYI peons: I've stopped reading everybody else's posts; they are unimportant to me.
Today was a wonderful day. I bought a bag of sunflower seeds this morning, and had a stimulating conversation with some mexicans who named their dog "tiger" in the afternoon. If you beavers want you can draw a picture of my day and send it to me.
That would be super. Thanks! :) :) :) :)
Hail the administrator.
ps... professer murder, can I see you in my office?
Today was a wonderful day. I bought a bag of sunflower seeds this morning, and had a stimulating conversation with some mexicans who named their dog "tiger" in the afternoon. If you beavers want you can draw a picture of my day and send it to me.
That would be super. Thanks! :) :) :) :)
Hail the administrator.
ps... professer murder, can I see you in my office?
Sunday, October 19, 2003
All Hail the Administrator, for he is powerful.
(Do we have to start out every post like that?)
On to business:
Fox's coverage of Thursday's American League Championship game between the Yankee's and the Red Sox drew more than 27 million viewers, making it the season's most-watched program.
(Do we have to start out every post like that?)
On to business:
Fox's coverage of Thursday's American League Championship game between the Yankee's and the Red Sox drew more than 27 million viewers, making it the season's most-watched program.
Altering another's posts is immoral and wrong. As administrator of this blog I admonish that type of behavior.
Professor Murder (as stupid as that name might be) has every right to be pissed off and start a war with a bitch.
Also, Mr. Murder. If you could refrain from name calling that would be super. Thanks! :)
Hail the Administrator!
Professor Murder (as stupid as that name might be) has every right to be pissed off and start a war with a bitch.
Also, Mr. Murder. If you could refrain from name calling that would be super. Thanks! :)
Hail the Administrator!
Friday, October 17, 2003
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
bang bang
he shot me down
bang bang
down to the ground
bang bang
Kill Bill was so fun. I'm with Eric now, in the Matrix-hater's club. I tried to defend that peice of monochrome crap for awhile, but I've realized how futile and pretentious those sequals are. Right up there with the Star Wars prequels.
he shot me down
bang bang
down to the ground
bang bang
Kill Bill was so fun. I'm with Eric now, in the Matrix-hater's club. I tried to defend that peice of monochrome crap for awhile, but I've realized how futile and pretentious those sequals are. Right up there with the Star Wars prequels.
Monday, October 13, 2003
Matt: You..are...a sod?
Mark Clotfelter: arhhh?
Mark Clotfelter: you need to replace the 's' with a small 'g'
Matt: Main Entry: sod
Function: noun
Etymology: short for sodomite
Date: 1818
chiefly British : BUGGER
Mark Clotfelter: lol
Mark Clotfelter: wow! not good
Mark Clotfelter: you Bugger
Matt: Bugger off
Mark Clotfelter: right-o chap
Matt: The British love sodomy humor.
Matt: Don't we all.
Mark Clotfelter: arhhh?
Mark Clotfelter: you need to replace the 's' with a small 'g'
Matt: Main Entry: sod
Function: noun
Etymology: short for sodomite
Date: 1818
chiefly British : BUGGER
Mark Clotfelter: lol
Mark Clotfelter: wow! not good
Mark Clotfelter: you Bugger
Matt: Bugger off
Mark Clotfelter: right-o chap
Matt: The British love sodomy humor.
Matt: Don't we all.
Mongolian Hordes technique
[poss. from the Sixties counterculture expression `Mongolian clusterfuck' for a public orgy] Development by gang bang. Implies that large numbers of inexperienced programmers are being put on a job better performed by a few skilled ones (but see bazaar). Also called `Chinese Army technique'; see also Brooks's Law.
[poss. from the Sixties counterculture expression `Mongolian clusterfuck' for a public orgy] Development by gang bang. Implies that large numbers of inexperienced programmers are being put on a job better performed by a few skilled ones (but see bazaar). Also called `Chinese Army technique'; see also Brooks's Law.
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