The refrigerator is one of my favorite vacation spots by the end of the week. Yeah after spaghetti on Sunday, kraut n’ brats on Tuesday, and tacos on Thursday, I pretty much have the world tour of leftovers by Friday. I try to find new ways to serve up remainders but invariably I will miss a container or two. Never fear, eventually the abandoned chow will send up an olfactory billboard as a not-so gentle reminder of their presence.
The freezer has it share of lost souls on board as well. No matter how well I wrap meats, if I don’t cycle through them in a couple of months, the frost bitten parts become pretty tough and flavorless. Mmmm now that’s what I call good eatin’ in a Donner party kind of way. Occasionally I come upon an ice cream bar or fruit bar that got separated from the rest of the platoon. It is a sad sight indeed to see the shrunken dehydrated remains of a once able-bodied ice box confection.
Some of the best action takes place out in the open and right under my nose. The bananas pungently spot up quickly in just days and get so sweet that they require peanut butter or a blender of milk and cream to temper the flavor. Potatoes are great for a month, but after that, they grow spiny prehistoric looking roots all over their little spudly bodies. If you let the Russets rest much longer than that, they will begin to weep putrid stinkwater and hatch tiny flys to give your kitchen that genuine 3rd world feel.
Halloween leftovers, as well as random hard candy collected during the year are always loads of fun. I remember when I was a kid, my Great Aunt would offer me up the same dish of Christmas ribbon candy every year. I would remember the exact placement and pattern of each chunk, but it never would change. In later years though my memory was worse, the task was far easier because you could actually see the Mesozoic dust layers on the candy – YUM!
So never fear if you find an interesting tub of rainbow sherbet in the fridge that never started out life as sherbet at all. Don’t get discouraged if you go to scoop the brown sugar and you find an adobe block instead. We’ve all had our passports stamped in that same vacation spot at one point or another. Just smile, don your wet-suit and industrial nose plugs, and dive on in – the STINKWATER is fine. Now where did I put my flyswatter?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Daylight Savings Syndrome
I admit it, I have a clock problem. I know I’m a bit bi-polar when it comes to clocks and their maintenance. It is imperative that all of my daily clocks be accurate and run within seconds of each other. That’s my logical Jekyll side which values precision and hates being late, as it is one of the few things in life that I should be able to completely control. On the ‘Hyde’ side of my clock thoughts, I am a brazenly irresponsible, laissez-faire loving, certified tick-tock scoff-law.
It is not just Daylight Savings time, but any kind of time change function which haunts me. When the power goes out, our microwave clocks will simply flash dots and continually taunt me while I heat up a cup of tea. Our answering machine flashes ‘CL’ and is particularly irritating because I know I am not REALLY receiving messages at 3 o’clock in the morning – I am not that heavy of a sleeper.
I still have a wall and a desk clock in the office that will startle me once in awhile when I’m lost in thought and magically think, ”I’m an hour ahead of schedule”. Yes, these clocks may NOT have jumped forward appropriately for Spring. But they are off by EXACTLY 1 hour - to the second, so I hesitate to mess with them. Most recently, I got into my car to find I had well over an hour until my appointment. It was relaxing until I remembered that this was one of those EVIL clocks that required a manual and a PHD in car maintenance for updating. Why can’t clocks just be set once and never messed with again?
To help with my problem, my wife and family routinely will give me ‘bomb’ clocks (Oops – I mean ATOMIC) for gifts on special occasions. Those are the battery clocks that compare their time accuracy daily against that of a local radio station. Since the fundamental requirement for radio broadcasts is to be synchronized all across the nation, all radio stations receive their time standard from the nation’s official clock-vault in Washington D.C. It is the job of the U.S. Naval Observatory (linked here) to monitor and maintain some 45 atomic clocks - 33 Cesium based and a dozen state of the art Hydrogen masers, to ensure precise timing for the military, GPS array, and U.S. standard time applications. Hence if the USNO has done their job, then the radio stations will follow, and ultimately my clocks will too! Problem SOLVED!
So now you know how I’ve learned to deal with Daylight Savings Syndrome. It’s a burden that Jekyll and I have unfairly had to deal with our entire lives. In fact in time, we hope to raise community awareness of this horrible affliction through telethons or group sing-a-longs with uber-famous music celebrities. The only obstacle to my dream is I’m not sure if I’ll ever find the time, or more likely if those ‘Hollywood types’ will ever give me the ‘time of day’!
It is not just Daylight Savings time, but any kind of time change function which haunts me. When the power goes out, our microwave clocks will simply flash dots and continually taunt me while I heat up a cup of tea. Our answering machine flashes ‘CL’ and is particularly irritating because I know I am not REALLY receiving messages at 3 o’clock in the morning – I am not that heavy of a sleeper.
I still have a wall and a desk clock in the office that will startle me once in awhile when I’m lost in thought and magically think, ”I’m an hour ahead of schedule”. Yes, these clocks may NOT have jumped forward appropriately for Spring. But they are off by EXACTLY 1 hour - to the second, so I hesitate to mess with them. Most recently, I got into my car to find I had well over an hour until my appointment. It was relaxing until I remembered that this was one of those EVIL clocks that required a manual and a PHD in car maintenance for updating. Why can’t clocks just be set once and never messed with again?
To help with my problem, my wife and family routinely will give me ‘bomb’ clocks (Oops – I mean ATOMIC) for gifts on special occasions. Those are the battery clocks that compare their time accuracy daily against that of a local radio station. Since the fundamental requirement for radio broadcasts is to be synchronized all across the nation, all radio stations receive their time standard from the nation’s official clock-vault in Washington D.C. It is the job of the U.S. Naval Observatory (linked here) to monitor and maintain some 45 atomic clocks - 33 Cesium based and a dozen state of the art Hydrogen masers, to ensure precise timing for the military, GPS array, and U.S. standard time applications. Hence if the USNO has done their job, then the radio stations will follow, and ultimately my clocks will too! Problem SOLVED!
So now you know how I’ve learned to deal with Daylight Savings Syndrome. It’s a burden that Jekyll and I have unfairly had to deal with our entire lives. In fact in time, we hope to raise community awareness of this horrible affliction through telethons or group sing-a-longs with uber-famous music celebrities. The only obstacle to my dream is I’m not sure if I’ll ever find the time, or more likely if those ‘Hollywood types’ will ever give me the ‘time of day’!
Captcha’s & Word Verification
I am still fairly new to the blogosphere. While I understand the need for those anti-spam word verification boxes on web pages, I often wonder if they have to be so hard to read? I mean the letters and nonsensical words will wrap, twist and run into each other like they are under water; or worse, written on a wilting stick of butter. It’s enough to drive you mad – or at least to drink!
These popular little goodies are known officially as “Captchas”. They are designed as a quick ‘challenge test’ so a website or form knows it is being accessed by a live person rather than a computer program or spam-laden ‘crawler’. These webmasters however, have to be sensitive to oldsters in training like myself though. I can barely spell REAL words much less these made up consonant and vowel pairings of letters that are generated willy nilly. That is the problem you see, if the verification query would at least randomize real words, then I might have a chance.
Last week, I was happily perusing a Spanish website and they offered up a genuine Spanish word for verification when I wanted to leave a comment. See I don’t even write 'en Espanol' very well but I can sure as heck recognize the difference between ‘tostados’ and ‘txlwnze’. Another site had the audacity to challenge me with a math problem Captcha? This was not something like ‘2+4’ either, it was a long series of addition, multiplication and subtraction. Who thinks this is a smart way to get followers back to their site, by proving immediately, that your readers are truly, DUMBER than a 5th grader?
I know things are changing for the better though. I ran into a website with word verification that asked me to answer a common question instead of requiring a transcription of letters. The question was “What color is snow?” Boy this site was lucky that I had not finished off that 64 ounce Big Gulp of Mountain Dew. My answer might have been WRONG if I had dropped that drink and made an off-colored mess.
Happily technology keeps advancing and continues to become easier all of the time. Today I came upon a British company with a Captcha that had a little audio button by the challenge word. When you push the icon, your computer reads aloud the ‘single’ word that is required to verify your entry into the website. Sadly the system is STILL not yet foolproof - I never did get into this site. Apparently over there, they’re still working out a few ‘Captcha kinks’ on their software? Hmmmm, where’s my double Mountain Dew on the rocks when I REALLY need it?
These popular little goodies are known officially as “Captchas”. They are designed as a quick ‘challenge test’ so a website or form knows it is being accessed by a live person rather than a computer program or spam-laden ‘crawler’. These webmasters however, have to be sensitive to oldsters in training like myself though. I can barely spell REAL words much less these made up consonant and vowel pairings of letters that are generated willy nilly. That is the problem you see, if the verification query would at least randomize real words, then I might have a chance.
Last week, I was happily perusing a Spanish website and they offered up a genuine Spanish word for verification when I wanted to leave a comment. See I don’t even write 'en Espanol' very well but I can sure as heck recognize the difference between ‘tostados’ and ‘txlwnze’. Another site had the audacity to challenge me with a math problem Captcha? This was not something like ‘2+4’ either, it was a long series of addition, multiplication and subtraction. Who thinks this is a smart way to get followers back to their site, by proving immediately, that your readers are truly, DUMBER than a 5th grader?
I know things are changing for the better though. I ran into a website with word verification that asked me to answer a common question instead of requiring a transcription of letters. The question was “What color is snow?” Boy this site was lucky that I had not finished off that 64 ounce Big Gulp of Mountain Dew. My answer might have been WRONG if I had dropped that drink and made an off-colored mess.
Happily technology keeps advancing and continues to become easier all of the time. Today I came upon a British company with a Captcha that had a little audio button by the challenge word. When you push the icon, your computer reads aloud the ‘single’ word that is required to verify your entry into the website. Sadly the system is STILL not yet foolproof - I never did get into this site. Apparently over there, they’re still working out a few ‘Captcha kinks’ on their software? Hmmmm, where’s my double Mountain Dew on the rocks when I REALLY need it?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Raccoon tails
Of all my nature encounters, Raccoons are one of my favorite beasts that grace the suburban landscape. I know the popular sentiment in the world is to leave nature alone but can you honestly look a raccoon in the eyes and ignore him? Well the obvious answer is that if you are in that close with a raccoon then believe me you won’t BE ABLE to ignore him.
A lot of suburbanites have had trouble with raccoons because they turn over trash cans and get into mischief inside, out, and under homes. The internet is rife with hidden camera vids of nature’s bandit breaking into people’s houses through cat doors and wreaking havoc when cornered by homeowners. I have linked our video from 2005 here.
My daughter, while growing up, seemed to have an unusual gift to ‘connect’ with raccoons both young and old. Over the years, she literally came to know by name, dozens upon dozens of these interesting creatures. Yes, initially the relationships were started with food conditioning, specifically CAT food conditioning. At the height of our raccoon healthcare distribution, we were burning through 20 pounds of cat food per month and we only had one cat (but 20 raccoons).
As nature takes its course the raccoon’s grew up and moved on as so did my daughter. Our family also unexpectedly and abruptly moved away from our home, so it sat empty and lifeless for a couple of years. Our time as a raccoon soup kitchen had ended and though it was a relief to save money on the cat food, it was a little sad too. We had enjoyed many memories with the raccoons and had more than a few tall tales to tell.
Eventually we moved back to our home and within a few weeks, a knock came at the back patio door. There was a raccoon I had never met, but it was waiting patiently and respectfully for me to come to the door. I offered up a few stale tortilla chips but not the full buffet of the golden era. He seemed satisfied and proceeded to finish his meal unhurried and unconcerned with a human standing less than a foot away. Now many years later, occasionally still, such as this week, a new masked face will come by and tap on the back door just as his ancestors had done before him. I opened the door and placed an apple in his out-stretched hands. He said not a word, but as I looked him straight in the eyes, just for a moment, I could have sworn, he blinked in morse code “T H A N K … Y O U”!
A lot of suburbanites have had trouble with raccoons because they turn over trash cans and get into mischief inside, out, and under homes. The internet is rife with hidden camera vids of nature’s bandit breaking into people’s houses through cat doors and wreaking havoc when cornered by homeowners. I have linked our video from 2005 here.
My daughter, while growing up, seemed to have an unusual gift to ‘connect’ with raccoons both young and old. Over the years, she literally came to know by name, dozens upon dozens of these interesting creatures. Yes, initially the relationships were started with food conditioning, specifically CAT food conditioning. At the height of our raccoon healthcare distribution, we were burning through 20 pounds of cat food per month and we only had one cat (but 20 raccoons).
As nature takes its course the raccoon’s grew up and moved on as so did my daughter. Our family also unexpectedly and abruptly moved away from our home, so it sat empty and lifeless for a couple of years. Our time as a raccoon soup kitchen had ended and though it was a relief to save money on the cat food, it was a little sad too. We had enjoyed many memories with the raccoons and had more than a few tall tales to tell.
Eventually we moved back to our home and within a few weeks, a knock came at the back patio door. There was a raccoon I had never met, but it was waiting patiently and respectfully for me to come to the door. I offered up a few stale tortilla chips but not the full buffet of the golden era. He seemed satisfied and proceeded to finish his meal unhurried and unconcerned with a human standing less than a foot away. Now many years later, occasionally still, such as this week, a new masked face will come by and tap on the back door just as his ancestors had done before him. I opened the door and placed an apple in his out-stretched hands. He said not a word, but as I looked him straight in the eyes, just for a moment, I could have sworn, he blinked in morse code “T H A N K … Y O U”!
No Waste Tort Reform
On occasion I get a question or comment which requires far more than a single sentence or ‘witty’ explanation and gratuitous wink, to adequately answer. By in large, these posts are meant to entertain rather than deliver hard news, so rarely will I run back to back ‘sourced’ essays on the same, (particularly serious), topic. However this will be one of those rare exceptions so bear with me. I typically post twice per day, so if political/economic/legal theory and debate is not your cup of tea, then be sure to check back in twelve hours. I’ll brew you up a tall, cup of smooth chamomile to make up for my transgressions. Now THAT’S what I really call a ‘tea party’!
-------- Begin Post . . . --------
I believe that TORT reform as popularly defined, is related to malpractice and Doctor liability. I concede that many sources will cap savings from such reform at about 2% of the current national healthcare expenditure. While that is low, it is a SAVINGS nonetheless, approaching $55 billion annually rather than an expenditure. I will never understand why the current legislation (now law) refused to address this AT ALL and pretend the healthcare bill was a COMPLETE legislative effort?
Further, as noted in the Beacon source linked here, in Missouri, the State saw insurers profits increase as much as a 20% when liability claim caps were imposed by law. These same firms were constantly losing money in malpractice payouts just before legislation was passed. So what is a REASONABLE expectation of savings if malpractice liability is controlled? I, nor anyone else can definitively say? However by NOT addressing the issue at all, Congress in all certainty has left significant money on the table.
I personally also feel that malpractice is but ONE factor in TRUE tort reform. Using Social Security disability claims as an example, current law allows UNLIMITED appeals to claim denials. Consider that for a moment. Regardless if your disability is legitimate or NOT, a cadre of highly trained Social Security researchers, medical specialists, U.S. attorneys, and civil service personnel will review your entire case history. Your alleged disability, expert testimony, you, and your counsel will receive a private hearing before a Federal judge, adjudication officer, and other Federal civil service support staff.
Once a legal opinion is rendered, if positive, you begin collecting your claim from the Social Security pool (rapidly closing in on bankruptcy). If your claim is DENIED, your attorney simply goes down the hall and files an appeal, and the case begins a NEW file and starts through the process again. Eventually If that appeal isn’t going well, your attorney obtains a new expert or some other evidence and YES, files yet AGAIN even while the current appeal is STILL pending? It is simply a numbers game in hopes of eventually finding ANY judge who might interpret the claimant's evidence in their favor to secure payment on their disability request.
Imagine the cost to the taxpayer for a SINGLE cycle in this process regardless of legitimacy of the claim. Also imagine the disheartening reality that no matter how hard those highly skilled civil servants work, they will NEVER get ahead, much less dream of ‘catching-up’. Just in this SINGLE U.S. BUREAU, the result has been a five-fold explosion or more in repeat legal claims over the past decade.
Now mind you, I am not arguing the particular NEED for this program or the validity of the government adjudication process itself. The system was designed with high ideals as a safety net for truly disabled workers with few options. However, in reality this department has become reflective of the problems encountered across the whole of big government. The out of control costs of processing endless legal claims, counter claims, appeals, and resultant payouts cannot be sustained forever. Despite good intentions and its effort to be a all things to all people, at some point, if continually burdened, even the most powerful economic engine, will eventually fail to move forward on track and stop working.
Tort reform in the TRUEST sense, is far more than taking the myopic view of simply addressing malpractice liability. Effective cost savings and system-wide service improvements, can be realized with a comprehensive plan to reign in ALL legal waste and claim redundancy. Only then can a complete legislative solution be crafted to protect the long term health of not only our citizenry, but our bloated and obese government as well.
-------- Begin Post . . . --------
I believe that TORT reform as popularly defined, is related to malpractice and Doctor liability. I concede that many sources will cap savings from such reform at about 2% of the current national healthcare expenditure. While that is low, it is a SAVINGS nonetheless, approaching $55 billion annually rather than an expenditure. I will never understand why the current legislation (now law) refused to address this AT ALL and pretend the healthcare bill was a COMPLETE legislative effort?
Further, as noted in the Beacon source linked here, in Missouri, the State saw insurers profits increase as much as a 20% when liability claim caps were imposed by law. These same firms were constantly losing money in malpractice payouts just before legislation was passed. So what is a REASONABLE expectation of savings if malpractice liability is controlled? I, nor anyone else can definitively say? However by NOT addressing the issue at all, Congress in all certainty has left significant money on the table.
I personally also feel that malpractice is but ONE factor in TRUE tort reform. Using Social Security disability claims as an example, current law allows UNLIMITED appeals to claim denials. Consider that for a moment. Regardless if your disability is legitimate or NOT, a cadre of highly trained Social Security researchers, medical specialists, U.S. attorneys, and civil service personnel will review your entire case history. Your alleged disability, expert testimony, you, and your counsel will receive a private hearing before a Federal judge, adjudication officer, and other Federal civil service support staff.
Once a legal opinion is rendered, if positive, you begin collecting your claim from the Social Security pool (rapidly closing in on bankruptcy). If your claim is DENIED, your attorney simply goes down the hall and files an appeal, and the case begins a NEW file and starts through the process again. Eventually If that appeal isn’t going well, your attorney obtains a new expert or some other evidence and YES, files yet AGAIN even while the current appeal is STILL pending? It is simply a numbers game in hopes of eventually finding ANY judge who might interpret the claimant's evidence in their favor to secure payment on their disability request.
Imagine the cost to the taxpayer for a SINGLE cycle in this process regardless of legitimacy of the claim. Also imagine the disheartening reality that no matter how hard those highly skilled civil servants work, they will NEVER get ahead, much less dream of ‘catching-up’. Just in this SINGLE U.S. BUREAU, the result has been a five-fold explosion or more in repeat legal claims over the past decade.
Now mind you, I am not arguing the particular NEED for this program or the validity of the government adjudication process itself. The system was designed with high ideals as a safety net for truly disabled workers with few options. However, in reality this department has become reflective of the problems encountered across the whole of big government. The out of control costs of processing endless legal claims, counter claims, appeals, and resultant payouts cannot be sustained forever. Despite good intentions and its effort to be a all things to all people, at some point, if continually burdened, even the most powerful economic engine, will eventually fail to move forward on track and stop working.
Tort reform in the TRUEST sense, is far more than taking the myopic view of simply addressing malpractice liability. Effective cost savings and system-wide service improvements, can be realized with a comprehensive plan to reign in ALL legal waste and claim redundancy. Only then can a complete legislative solution be crafted to protect the long term health of not only our citizenry, but our bloated and obese government as well.
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