From Twitter 08-30-2010

06:46:51: Bone-fusion protein raises questions about doctors' financial stakes. http://bit.ly/95Phvv

06:51:31: Healthcare reform’s hidden booby traps http://bit.ly/cQg6Kb

06:56:33: RT @bjacobson: RT @jonfernquest Japan resort draws men with virtual girlfriends http://bit.ly/9Ygg7X

07:01:49: RT @SteveHynd: In Jun & Jul 2010, USAF flew 5,500 “close air support” sorties, fired during 900 http://trunc.it/apjvm 2009, was 4,600/809

08:54:08: Getting ready to board a metal tube that will hurtle through the air to MCI http://twitpic.com/2jnm0t

08:55:44: RT @igeldard: ACLU: Spying on Citizens At Nearly Cold War Level - http://bit.ly/9c5rOU #privacy

08:59:51: RT @ISN_Zurich: Is the Afghan government an ally or a client? http://bit.ly/bKYYaM | US treats as client, Afghans think ally, problems...

11:52:56: RT @IntlSecurity: These sentiments are real, not well understood-or even perceived-in the west. "Putin slams West for deceiving Russia" ...

17:55:31: RT @igeldard: RT @danmike1: Saudis amass U.S. weapons to confront Iran http://bit.ly/btHCHg | Ha, ha... Comedy

18:44:00: RT @ggreenwald: Obama: It was repugnant for Bush to imprison or even merely eavesdrop on Americans w/o due process - it's fine for me t ...

18:46:33: RT @HumanSecurityRP IN Police Kill Maoist Leader Wanted for Train Crash http://bit.ly/czciEW | "Encounter" x (x a large and growing number)

19:04:31: Raphael Hotel, listed on National Trust for Historic preservation http://twitpic.com/2jscqf

19:13:13: RT @SubMedina Not guilty: Israeli captain who emptied his rifle into a Palestinian schoolgirl http://gu.com/p/gc3t/tw @remroum @basharhamad

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Mental health break

From Twitter 08-29-2010

08:29:41: RT @jeromestarkey NATO pulls in opposite directions: High ideals dropped for SpecialForces expediency (& warlords) http://bit.ly/a1zYxy

08:32:35: RT @TiagoDF: Ali Abunimah in the NYT: Hamas, the I.R.A. and Us http://nyti.ms/bVBWjg

08:43:24: RT @Pazuzu_hsp Sexual Abuse Plagues US Prisons & Jails http://ow.ly/2wkrk "more likely to be abused by corrections staff than other inmates"

08:46:58: RT @vali_nasr RT @camanpour Next wk, exclusive intv w/Tony Blair. Watch ABC thru the wk & #ThisWeek next Sun http://bit.ly/dnQTfi | No thanx

09:04:15: RT @intelwire: For Obama, Steep Learning Curve as Chief in Time of War http://nyti.ms/bJlQzJ | B.S.: TOW, reluctant

09:18:58: RT @Eclectopedic: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking i ...

10:27:57: National Debt Poses Security Threat, Mullen Says http://bit.ly/9Nfiq9 ¶ Umm, because it might constrain future defense spending?

11:05:18: Blasphemous posters hit New Zealand http://bit.ly/arvtro

11:44:41: For a bit of levity: Horse Race: My Wife Knows Everything vs. My Wife Doesn't Know http://bit.ly/dCEhue

11:48:47: It’s time to flick the switch http://bit.ly/dp0DDM (geothermal in Djibouti)

12:03:00: Muslim Indians Struggle for Inclusion http://bit.ly/c5oj7a (85-pg PDF)

13:20:10: Heh! http://bit.ly/dp3PX0

19:11:54: RT @ghazalairshad: Nasrallah outclasses Newt. RT @shahed Synagogue being built in Beirut's "ground zero" with Hezbollah's blessing http: ...

22:26:22: Obama admin intensifies efforts in Sudan http://bit.ly/aAPlcO | Did the US 'have' Sudan to 'lose'? N-S resolution prob since Garang died

23:02:21: RT @ibnkafka RT @mattduss: Netanyahu refuses to condemn rabbi inciting genocide against Palestinians http://bit.ly/acdYs4

23:06:48: RT @inteldaily Obama Resists Pressure for Red Line on Iran’s Nuclear Capability http://url4.eu/74wvM ¶ One thing he's doing right

23:11:21: RT @dcagle: In last 10 years, more Americans have died from extreme weather than U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq http://bit.ly/b2J ...

23:14:00: RT @EmergentOrder RT @AnarchoGirl 10 Ways Your Taxes Pay For Environmental Devastation http://bit.ly/9b9SEn ¶ Only 10? Expect it's 100s

23:28:59: Asked if the United States had made the country's divisions worse, General Odierno said, "I don't know." http://bit.ly/d5Als6

23:34:04: Is this real or just "pie in the sky"? http://bit.ly/b9B6uD Sounds too good to be true...

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Twitter status

Random charts

Source: Federal Contracting: Opportunities Exist to Increase Competition and Assess Reasons When Only One Offer Is Received. Related article: Agencies are getting too attached to incumbent contractors, watchdog finds

From Twitter 08-28-2010

00:18:42: Acrimony Behind the Scenes of Gulf Oil Spill http://nyti.ms/aKNtYx

00:25:50: (If this is true) Israel gives gift to Hezbollah - backs up its case for maintaining its arms http://bit.ly/cHNdn0

01:01:02: Extent of PK floods "unprecedented"? http://bit.ly/9UBwUV Significantly larger, yes. But millions have been effected with some frequency

01:02:04: Source of (previous tweet) chart: http://bit.ly/dhgIqc

01:13:38: RT @mitsmr: 132 graduate level management courses from MIT Sloan available on OpenCourseWare (+19 undergraduate) http://mitsmr.com/dzA4ww

08:55:04: RT @trixl: "La barbarie ne doit pas l'emporter sur la démocratie" Sarkozy, à propos de la présence française en Afghanistan... No comment

09:10:37: RT @PekingReview Legacy of JP's biowar vs. the CN people http://icio.us/m0hcn2 | Atrocities by 'Epidemic Prevention & Water Supply Unit' 1/2

09:12:03: 2/2 ... and the US helped cover up to get bioweapons data

09:46:13: Among the Flutterers http://bit.ly/8Xpgty and 'The Pope is Not Gay'

09:56:04: Parents, do you know what these texts mean? http://bit.ly/dh9Nw2 One of many internet slang translators: http://bit.ly/oGNs4

10:06:39: Thank You, Glenn Beck! http://bit.ly/9oxeuO

10:08:27: RT @igeldard Blair home number nine: £1m house for student daughter - paid for in cash http://bit.ly/aowmMu Doing well while 'doing good'

10:18:20: A Report from the Study on Educing Information (Intelligence Science Board) http://bit.ly/c5qDZP (221-pg PDF)

10:24:27: Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain http://bit.ly/aUlJBR (17-pg CRS PDF) US 100% reliant on imports, CN 97% of production

10:35:12: Miss. school drops race-based rules for student elections http://bit.ly/cEcEjR Eh?

10:36:50: The Dangers of Germany's Dependence on China http://bit.ly/91Gcg7 Ah, the yellow peril...

10:41:06: Toward Smaller Nuclear Forces http://bit.ly/dnqjc8 US should lean on FR and UK to eliminate theirs *first*

10:43:37: Judge orders man to join military http://bit.ly/ccpLYO Eh? Read his misdemeanor charge... you want to put this in the military?

10:45:03: Military: Where are PCs bought for Iraqi kids? http://bit.ly/caMZWh What a deal: $1.9M of computers for $45.7K

10:51:26: China Hits Bottom, Plants Flag http://bit.ly/c9AAys (bottom of the South China Sea that is, 3,759m deep)

10:52:54: Deposed president sentenced to forced labour (Madagascar, Ravalomanana, for life, in absentia) http://bit.ly/dDgLnm

10:59:34: RT @igeldard: Chemical Ali Criticizes Iraqi Baathist Leadership from Beyond the Grave - http://bit.ly/dvrPtQ #Iraq

11:05:30: La qualité des doctorats chinois mise en cause par une étude http://bit.ly/9z3wOp (quantity over quality?)
11:11:17: Pluie de tomates sur les Espagnols (15 pics) http://bit.ly/dsUsT0 100 tons of tomatoes in annual 1 hr food fight http://bit.ly/3RSHSE

11:13:06: Chine : l'embouteillage monstre s'est évaporé http://bit.ly/cPXDME So much for mid-September

11:19:11: Katy Perry to voice over Smurfette (Schtroumpfette, that is) http://bit.ly/cUvjAG

11:20:27: Eh? WTH? http://bit.ly/cBfyoy

12:18:58: RT@singularityhub Trailer for Endhiran - India's Biggest Movie Ever Features Singing, Dancing, and Robots! http://bit.ly/dANeiy 1/2

12:19:40: 2/2 ... well, as long as the robots are middle-aged, chubby, and have bad hair! Re: http://bit.ly/dANeiy

12:21:46: All this fussing re Glenn Beck just raises his profile, I'm ignoring...

12:38:09: US to IL massive military fuel stocks worth $2B http://bit.ly/9GMJTA Against all evidence to contrary, critics say admin not supporting IL

12:39:44: "... preparations to attack Israel gathering momentum in Tehran, Damascus, Beirut and Ramallah..." http://bit.ly/9p6ec4 What comedy!

12:48:21: http://bit.ly/9OED6Y Maybe "projection" rather than comedy!

12:51:41: A different perspective: RT @alvedaking Read why I am speaking at Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally. http://ow.ly/2vstk

12:53:20: RT @igeldard: Nine Years Later, Afghanistan Looks Much the Same: A Mess http://bit.ly/cGDUhA #Afghanistan

22:51:42: "Comment va la banque ? La banque surnage, Pour les grands requins y a pas de naufrage" Lavillier's Faits Divers (90's), equally valid today

23:00:57: RT @warisboring Somali Child Soldier http://is.gd/eJ7Pj ¶ Lavilliers- Petit: http://bit.ly/anRKu4 YouTube: http://bit.ly/aJFkhP

23:47:24: Japan Reveals Its Execution Room For The First Time http://gizmo.do/diCGDp

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Great quotes

"Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world. God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians."

"I must announce that the Zionist regime, with a 60-year record of genocide, plunder, invasion and betrayal is about to die and will soon be erased from the geographical scene"

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (during his weekly sermon), and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad (on the anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini), respectively.

Twitter thought process

Click graphic above for a larger version...

Inspired by this blog entry - A Guide to Following People on Twitter - which has a very nice flow chart showing the process that @JohnAntonios uses to determine whether to follow people on Twitter, I flow-charted my own process (see above).

On becoming aware of a "possible " (be that via a new follower of my own, via Twitters 'who to follow' suggestions, through #FF suggestions, the original authors of tweets that show up in my timeline as retweets, or even by trolling through the followers of Tweeps that I follow), the first step is to review their tweets, bios, avatars, links, favorites, how many others they are following, and the numbers of their followers. A quick determination of their "signal-to-noise" ratio and a decision can be made - a correspondence of interests, not a good match, or (every so often) a 'perhaps'.

• If not a good match, then I won't follow. Additionally, if the reason that the person came to my attention was because they followed me, I will often block... for example if a bot, if unknown but the avatar is of a skimpily clad woman, or if clearly flogging something e.g. new start-up ready to come out of stealth mode, someone listing jobs or real estate, all those with get-in-shape and/or "healthy" living tweets, etc., etc.
  
• If it looks promising I check their output using follow cost. If zero to twenty I will follow, if 20 to 50 I add to one of my "hi volume" lists, and if over 50 I will add to a "super hi volume" list. (Note: clearly a person's output can change over time, so occasionally I "move" them around...) I explained the reason for this approach earlier...
  
• Sometimes it looks promising, but I'm not particularly sure. In this case I list them, and then over the next few weeks read their tweets. Then the decision process is as above...

So, that's one way of doing it, neither "right" nor "wrong", but what works for me. YMMV.

Previous entries referencing Twitter:
Random charts - Jul 26th, 2010
They're back - Jul 24th, 2010
Daily tweets no more - Jul 18th, 2010
SCOTUS two twitanalysis - May 18th, 2010
Twitter timing - April 20th, 2010
RIM BB Twitter client - Feb 14th, 2010
Update - Feb 13th, 2010
Random charts - Feb 8th, 2010
Uber upgrade - Jan 5th, 2010
Using Twitter favorites - Jan 2nd, 2010
Another Twitter client for BB - Dec 13th, 2009
Twistory - Dec 5th, 2009
Twitter lists - Nov 21st, 2009
Seesmic BB - Nov 20th, 2009
Twitter - a mile long - Oct 8th, 2009
Twitter add on - Sep 19th, 2009
Twitter follows - Jul 29th, 2009
MIA - Jun 30th, 2009
Leverage... - Jun 25th, 2009
Consistency - Jun 20th, 2009
Come on now - Jun 20th, 2009
Credibility - Jun 15th, 2009
Twitter followers II - Jun 7th, 2009
Another BB Twitter client - Apr 25th, 2009
Portwiture - Apr 10th, 2009
Followers - Mar 30th, 2009
Twitter followers... - Mar 1st, 2009
Some Twitter fun - Jan 17th, 2009
An issue with Twitter - Dec 25th, 2008
Further Twitter - Dec 15th, 2008
Twitter on BB - Nov 16th, 2008
All atwitter about something - Nov 3rd, 2008

Random picture

h/t Uskowi on Iran: Iran to exploit uranium

Random charts

Source: Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain

From Twitter 08-27-2010

06:22:23: RT @igeldard: US Dodges Obligation to Help Iraqi Women Trafficked into Sexual Slavery http://bit.ly/ag5mJL #Iraq

07:24:34: TweetDeck delivers tweets in real time http://bit.ly/9iMB81

12:52:16: RT @Beirutspring: IL Has A Plan To Destroy The LB Army In 4 Hrs http://goo.gl/fb/vJ7si | IL butressing Hezb's case re keeping its arms?

13:02:04: RT @igeldard: Taliban have spies everywhere: UK army expert after PM almost shot down by insurgent rocket - http://bit.ly/b2oCaT

15:05:01: RT @Batteriechef: Elephants fear humans more than dynamite - New Scientist http://j.mp/b9vZ6H | As they should. Smart.

17:37:28: RT @HumanSecurityRP Iraq: 1/4 of US Deaths Caused by IR-backed Groups: US Envoy http://bit.ly/9W3oGJ | "based just upon a gut feeling"? WTH?

17:47:27: RT @TiagoDF Wired: Study shows clean people feel morally superior http://bit.ly/bfSOd9 | (Practically) evryne feels superior to someone else

17:58:33: RT @igeldard: Massive solar storm to hit Earth in 2012 with 'force of 100 million H-bombs' http://bit.ly/ciI3n2 | Some dumb stuff in this art

19:33:41: Radioactive material goes missing at Walter Reed http://bit.ly/9S5M2l Well not exactly missing, just mispaced a few days

19:54:06: RT @SteveHynd: just up - Why Does The US Ambassador To Iraq Still Have A Job? http://trunc.it/aknnv

20:12:04: RT @jranck: How to Build a Better Vital Signs Monitor | Blog | design mind http://bit.ly/a86p0W Intereting...

20:39:49: RT @NYkrinDC ‘Sinner’ singer given 39 lashes by rabbis http://j.mp/dAgGHX His crime: performing in front of mixed audience. | Eh? WTH?

20:46:02: RT @legalnomads: Love. RT @AndreaRenee: Comic Sans: "I'm not going anywhere, biatch!" http://bit.ly/bhwug6

22:27:11: Ah, good grief! http://bit.ly/dDhuWP Amateur NC ghost hunter looking for 'ghost train' hit and killed by real train

23:39:57: Robotic Nation http://bit.ly/A39Ml The robots are taking over... (our jobs) :)

23:49:53: Hospital cuts staff, hires robots to save costs http://bit.ly/aJ9YkJ (though not the direct link the headline suggests)

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Random charts

Source: UN Pakistan Floods Emergency Response Plan August 2010

Random chart

Source: FDA and ISMP Lists of Look-Alike Drug Name Sets With Recommended Tall Man Letters For an explanation see Use of tall man letters is gaining wide acceptance.

From Twitter 08-26-2010

06:40:51: RT @disinfo: Japan Senior Lawmaker Calls Americans “Monocellular” And “Simple-Minded” http://bit.ly/d1cb4X |Eh?? Monocellular??

06:43:27: RT @disinfo: Apple Patenting Technology To Spy On Device Users http://t.co/tYCv54N |Sigh, people will prob still line up to buy...

06:49:59: RT @niubi Govt's New Right to Track Your Every Move http://bit.ly/dw1h8p |No doubt new APPL 'features' will be pressed into svc (prev tweet)

10:35:51: Music tech guru says Web is not the enemy http://bit.ly/9zpe5e

10:51:07: RT @crusademedia IR has material for 1-2 atombombs Ex-IAEA aide http://bit.ly/d0dAXP | This is new (LEU amnt)? Hasn't Iran boasted re this?

10:53:57: RT @disruptivewomen: The Medical Loss Ratio Requirements Are Being Carefully Crafted - Kaiser Health News http://bit.ly/dwf6RE

12:53:13: RT @laicie Mullen confident in Iraqi forces, "concerned about nexus of loose nucs & terrorists" http://bit.ly/diNOZK | Weird headline nexus

13:01:03: RT @AsiaSociety RT @etribune Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates $700,000 for PK flood victims http://bit.ly/flo0dgates | That's all?

13:43:28: Glad I'm not going in the opposite direction... http://twitpic.com/2ie026

15:34:05: RT @factlets Registrar Karl Woodgett gave out fake (Bath) Univ degrees in exchange for spanking sessions http://t.co/7MYzq4r |Hanky (s)panky

21:38:55: How Many People Die From Flu Each Year? Depends How You Slice The Data http://n.pr/c8mNrA

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Random chart

Source: Religion-switching in the UK and USA

From Twitter 08-25-2010

06:34:23: RT @NYkrinDC VA's murder rate higher than Iraq's, naturally President Chavez accuses media of trying to make him look bad http://j.mp/aGGb6U

22:17:51: And now... "weapons of mass infection" http://bit.ly/dc8zIZ

22:42:07: Real Reason for Ousting H.P.’s Chief http://nyti.ms/byOL53

23:03:26: (Former) Senator Alan Simpson: Social Security is "like a milk cow with 310 million tits" http://huff.to/b9xsoF

23:04:28: RT @Zeitnik RT @sickjew: RT @Kllgg A prayer room makes #Park51 a mosque in the way my freezer makes my apartment Antarctica

23:06:26: RT @micknugent Dalai Lama says his successor could be a woman, but she should be an attractive women http://bit.ly/bM78IO ¶ Eh?

23:08:28: Another "threat" fizzles.... http://bit.ly/aRwn6b

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Say what II?

10.4 errors per patient-day? Improved to 5.6 errors per patient-day? Wow! This study (1995) suggests a rate of 0.3 medical errors per patient-day, this one (2002) 2 per patient-day, this one (also 1995, or is it 2008) 1.7 errors per patient-day in the ICU, etc.

Weapon of mass infection

"Weapon of mass infection", see here.

Say what?

"We're dealing with human lives here, and if they could do anything to make their products safer, they ought to." - Henry Chanin.

"... the pharmaceutical companies were responsible for providing 50 ml vials of propofol to ambulatory centers that would require no more than 10ml to 20 ml bottles because profit dictated the decision to do so. The larger size vials encouraged multi-dosing becoming weapons of mass infection. The result is nearly immeasurable.” - Henry Chanin's lawyer.

"... They gave no warning to doctors, gave no warning to nurses, and that’s why we have all these outbreaks in eight different countries, 11 different institutions around the world..." - The lawyer for Henry Chanin's wife. Also "... What this jury has done may be the most important thing any jury anywhere has ever done for drug safety in the history of the United States ...”

By golly, apparently those greedy pharmaceutical companies continue to put out defective product... And this courageous couple has struck a decisive blow for the safety of all patients everywhere! Well, perhaps not. The facts of the case:

• It was discovered that the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center in Las Vegas (Dr. Deepak Desai et. al) had infected a very large number of their patients with Hepatitis C. Apparently, in a racket to make as much money as possible, this 'doctor' had his employees a) Reuse single-use vials of the anesthetic propofol on multiple patients, b) Reuse syringes and other single-use instruments, c) Rush procedures to speed up throughput, and d) Neglect to ensure that his employees were trained on how to clean endoscopes between cases.
• One of Dr. Desai's victims, Henry Chanin, decided to sue... the drug companies that manufacture the propofol used.
• Why? Well, his lawyer argued that they "... endangered public safety by producing vials that were much larger than necessary for typical endoscopic procedures, which enticed nurse anesthetists to reuse the vials among patients instead of throwing away leftover sedative..." And the complaint against the companies "... alleged product liability, negligence and disregard of known and accepted medical procedures, resulting in Henry Chanin contracting hepatitis C from exposure to contaminated vials of the anesthetic propofol. Baxter was the distributor and Teva the manufacturer of the drug..."
• The jury found in Chanin's favor and awarded him and his wife $5.1 million in compensatory damages....
• Never mind that the drug is dispensed in single-dose vials and that Teva pointed out that "the label for its propofol product clearly states that it is for single patient use only and that aseptic procedures should be used at all times ..."
• Good grief! But wait, as they say in the infomercials, there's more...
• The jury went on to award Chanin $500 million in punitive damages ($356 million for Teva, and $144 million for Baxter)!
  
• Apparently the jury was so generous because they felt badly for Chanin. The school headmaster now suffers from lingering joint pain, and "... he and his wife had stopped having sexual relations, for fear that he would spread the disease to her..." Oh, well, in that case...
  

What a crock! Meet Henry Chanin, poster boy for tort reform. Best of all they trotted out that perennial chestnut: it wasn't about the money, but about getting two giant companies to change, and "... if we didn’t come forward and we didn’t pursue some kind of action, we weren’t doing all we could to make sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to anybody else”

Drugmakers Lose Hepatitis C Trial
Patient says hepatitis lawsuit just start of public safety battle
Jury Orders Baxter, Teva to Pay $500 Million In Largest Award in Nevada’s History

First addendum:
Ran across this insta-poll on a local Las Vegas news outlet. Apparently seven percent of the people who took this poll feel that the award was "not enough"!

Second addendum:

Others injured in the same way by the same clinic are watching, Hep C Victims Watched Court Case Closely Another victim is "... glad Henry Chanin has justice, but wonders if he'll still be around to ever have justice of his own..." And "... with years of court appeals ahead, the 70-year-old may never see any large sums of money from the propfol drug companies he believes are partly to blame for the constant pain he faces..." Very unfortunate for this gentleman, who deserves justice. Unfortunately he's looking in the wrong place! This decision is "justice"? Teva and Baxter are "partly to blame"? What absolute nonsense.

Third addendum:
Apparently a number of the jurors wanted a higher award. According to reports "... "It was difficult to assess an amount to make someone wake up and make a change," (jury forewoman) Williams said. She said some jurors feared an award of $1 billion might be appealed.

Random chart

Source: Plastic to oil fantastic. "A Japanese company called Blest created a small, very safe and easy to use machine that can convert several types of plastic back into oil."

Damn! (updated 08/25/10)

August 25th update:

Random chart

Source: Top Counterfeit Drugs Report

From Twitter 08-24-2010

05:42:55: RT @JimmySky: RT @ndubaz Army has 4,017 Enlisted band member positions and 102 Warrant Officer bandmaster positions. About 1 Infantry Br ...

05:52:28: RT @ISN_Zurich: Excellent study on leadership in the UN, w/best practices from Sadako Ogata, Louise Arbour and others http://bit.ly/bsUPnu

05:53:23: RT @jeanlucr: Statusphere.fr : Les liens qui buzzent sur Twitter en français http://j.mp/9YH2xg

06:03:33: Brad Pitt is 'willing to look at the death penalty' in bizarre rant against BP http://bit.ly/dufbLG | Eh?

06:07:36: Judge Halts Obama's Expansion of Stem Cell Research. http://bit.ly/bJH4Xf

06:14:58: RT @jranck: 100 Global Health Blogs That Will Open Your Eyes | U.S. PharmD http://bit.ly/bNQYWF

06:18:59: RT @avinunu: Why does Guardian use Muslim Dome of the Rock to illustrate article about Jewish segregation of men & women? http://j.mp/aI9DnG

06:38:32: RT @legalnomads: Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's stores: http://bit.ly/d0AERi

06:40:36: RT @oli2be: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Urges Clemency for Iranian Mother Sentenced to Stoning http://goo.gl/ERHo | Well, in that case...

06:43:57: RT @plutoniumpage: RT @afpakchannel: Captain Obvious is writing headlines again http://ow.ly/2tHcl | Heh!

06:47:25: RT @BrkingWorldNews: CIA's 'Spider' Has Key Role With Karzai http://bit.ly/aJomvA

06:52:08: RT @igeldard: Lyon: 'Allah Akbar' gargoyle on the Lyon Cathedral http://bit.ly/9ouSWU

14:26:58: Sebelius could face health-reg fight http://politi.co/dvEeVB Could? It's practically guaranteed! Free opportunity for pol grandstanding

14:29:20: Does Healthcare Pricing Matter? http://bit.ly/cI3479

16:47:18: RT @GlobalPost: Warning: This Korean fad may kill you. http://ht.ly/2u2dW | Ah, good grief!

16:50:21: RT @CunningDC: Japanese company's portable unit converts plastic back into oil http://bit.ly/6fqR3U @inhabitat @treehugger @PlanetGreen

17:09:22: RT @Kawdess Erik Prince moved to Abu Dhabi because for "no out of control trial lawyers or labour unions" http://bit.ly/9PCw7a And a church!

17:21:49: RT @aderitus: RT @plutoniumpage: Uranium smuggling? Moldova? What? http://bit.ly/cPrlPq || You bet! 4 pounds to be exact | HEU? LEU? Ore?

17:29:55: 'Hand Hygiene Among Doctors Exposed' http://tinyurl.com/3xx943j | Ick!

17:37:53: RT @aderitus: First commercial-sized shipment of LEU-Produced medical #isotopes to the U.S. http://ow.ly/2ueQI | Excellent!

18:00:18: RT @igeldard Pre-Crime Tech To Be Used In Washington D.C. http://bit.ly/b8XnuX | Hmm, more like "pre-post-crime" ;) Or perhaps "re-crime"

18:06:30: RT @nirrosen: Driving through Diyala today. Pulled off the road to let 3 Strykers and 3 MRAPs go by. No Iraqi escorts. What withdrawal o ...

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MLR redux

The August 29th, 2009 blog entry, 'Health care re-form VIII (More nonsense)', discussed the medical loss ratio in some detail, how it is being 'misused', and also touched upon some of the demagoguery surrounding this subject...

Fast forward a year - health care reform legislation has passed and minimums have been set for insurance company MLRs (80 percent for individual and small business plans, 85% for large employers). Of course, having read the earlier blog entry the reader knows there is no standard definition and a lot of "wiggle room" in the calculation of MLR. Thus it has become necessary to develop a standard definition and calculation methodology.

Meeting in Seattle, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) Executive Committee has developed a recommendation (see suggested template) that is being forwarded to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius. The recommendations in theory should form the basis for regulations that will be issued by HHS. However, Democratic legislators, advocacy groups, and other will no doubt be soon weighing in, see 'Sebelius could face health-reg fight'. Let the simplification and demagoguery begin!

Transcript: Health On The Hill - August 16, 2010

Figuring Out How Much Insurers Spend On Care Takes New Math
Insurers Defend Less Generous Policies, Medical Loss Ratio Definitions; Obama To Talk With Insurance Commissioners
NAIC Approves Medical Loss Ratio Template
Texas Hospital Association recommendations on MLR
Medical Loss Ratio Rules For Insurers Could Bring Controversy To Sebelius' Office

Random chart

Source: Un ancien officiel révèle les règles cachées de la corruption

From Twitter 08-22-2010

09:57:46: Wind energy is a bad bargain (editorial) http://bit.ly/9rFrk5

10:01:49: Sun Blasts, Another Potential Disaster http://bit.ly/bseUbq

10:06:31: Rich Country, Poor People? (China)http://bit.ly/aKrNUY

10:16:55: University Head's Housing Raises Ire http://bit.ly/9kBU5B "Landlord from hell" or "Tenant from hell"?

10:19:47: RT @SubMedina RT @jimrhiz Damaged Ecosystems Amplify Killer Floods http://j.mp/cOilId Deforestation, wetlands conversions, garbage blockage

10:23:39: RT @1D4TW @BristleKRS I have viewed *every single* photograph in the ISAF & various US armed svcs photo streams from Afghanistan... 1/3

10:23:54: RT @1D4TW: @BristleKRS what I have seen amounts to many hundreds of Afghan civilians shown in various forms of collaboration 2/3

10:24:37: RT @1D4TW: @BristleKRS --far surpassing Wikileaks records, which sometimes are ambiguous, referring to persons by a single name 3/3

10:27:59: RT @disinfo: 1 In 3 Adults In Britain Take A Teddy To Bed http://bit.ly/aundi0 | Aww...

10:38:05: RT @intelwire Russia's Long (& Brutal) War on Terror http://bit.ly/bJsM3R |Ooh, blew up house w/2 inside (vs.arrest), we would never.. Oops!

10:45:47: RT @intelwire RT @azelin Houston Airport Weapon Arrest Reveals Jihadist Books http://bit.ly/b7KhD4 | Big deal, or BS (reeks of the latter)?

10:50:21: RT @EmergentOrder RT @ShutThyTrap RT @TelegraphNews Computers that read minds being developed http://bit.ly/apgEcZ | Crap

11:02:38: RT @AlecJRoss: On this date in 1864, twelve nations signed the First Geneva Convention, forming the Red Cross.

11:11:23: RT @PatientSafety01 Study Finds Bar Codes Reduce Med Errors http://bit.ly/b8BwHT ¶ Huh, filed under 'Crime' w/helpful attorney blurb?

11:15:41: RT @vali_nasr: 5 Myths about leaving #Iraq: http://bit.ly/aaatLX

11:24:34: RT @igeldard RT @hrw Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan http://bit.ly/a1ApJy Hey, don't muddy the "we're in AF for the women" msg

11:25:19: RT @SubMedina: If I hear "Moderate Islam" instead of just plain "Islam" one more time, you're getting the pogrom middle finger from me. ...

11:29:03: RT @vali_nasr How Fox Betrayed Petraeus http://nyti.ms/91lJzU #Islam #Afghanistan #ground-zero mosque

13:45:16: If they only found out by seeing it in YouTube how "disruptive" could it have been? http://bit.ly/bvgE65 Shakira photo shoot in Barcelona

13:56:37: Mall (55,000 square feet of retail space) part of planned "hallowed ground" construction... http://huff.to/bxfO8Z

14:41:02: Are children today really going through puberty earlier? http://bit.ly/b8DZsy Argues "no"

15:09:47: Net numbers of adults who would like to move permanently out of their country if the opportunity arose http://bit.ly/b2vKb7

15:38:06: RT @Livableworld Great story on how women rule on arms control & natl security positions http://bit.ly/9Vewyo ¶ And this has changed what?

15:58:47: RT @mnt_bioterror: Rice Lab Developing Rapid Test For Cultivated Pathogens - Telltale Signs Of Bioterror http://mnt.to/3Ht8 #bioterrorism

16:04:55: Knew it's tough to get hold of old tweets e.g. they "scroll off' search if too old, didn't realize same w/favorites (my older ones "gone")

16:22:45: RT @haaretzonline Ahmadinejad: Israel is too weak to attack Iran's nuc facilities http://bit.ly/dBJGjv He really doesn't know when to STFU

16:53:23: Assassinat Hariri : une étude allemande écarte l’implication du Hezbollah http://bit.ly/bqapRL Sources to Al-Manar (cough), can't find orig

16:55:22: Budget surplus... in Iraq? http://bit.ly/aYDOON

17:13:48: Notorious Special Groups Commander Returns To Iraq http://bit.ly/cwukYa

17:17:42: Twitter says: "Users you may be interested in: Tom Friedman" I say: "no thanks"

17:34:23: Mau-Mauing the Mosque http://bit.ly/cYLgwk

17:37:20: La Lune rétrécit lentement mais irrémédiablement http://bit.ly/9Kldww

22:09:31: 50% of Haitians would emigrate if they could... http://bit.ly/b2vKb7

22:42:57: Protesters For & Against Mosque Near Ground Zero Face Off. http://bit.ly/ahS9fs | Steve Ayling, stupid f*ck, and proud of it

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Random charts

Source: Migration Could Triple Populations in Some Wealthy Nations. Gallup asks adults around the world what countries they would migrate to if they had the opportunity...

From Twitter 08-21-2010

09:42:10: Where's my 4G? http://bit.ly/bQxIkO

09:58:54: “Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science” Videos http://bit.ly/buIRDs

10:08:58: Africans text message to check if drugs are real http://bit.ly/9vI9og

10:13:03: RT @SteveHynd: comment on the blog this a.m.: "Is Petraeus the anglicized version of Phyrrus?" | Heh!

10:23:59: Ricks: U.S. ‘combat troops’ have not left Iraq http://bit.ly/9XRwIE

10:29:09: RT @normative New GOP talking point "Why is Obama wasting time talking about mosques vs. real issues?" Whaaa? http://j.mp/b6I4D3 | Priceless

10:34:35: RT @mparent77772: Avoid Getting an Unwanted Surprise on Twitter http://bit.ly/aQORB8

10:38:45: RT @mparent77772: US denies permission for the Pakistan air strips to be used for relief operations http://bit.ly/9j0GEI | WTF?

10:41:55: RT @mparent77772: Meet the Leaders of the Anti-Mosque Movement: You are Going to Have to Kill Folks… There Are No Innocent Muslims”

10:45:21: RT @EurAlmanac: FRANCE: Sarközi criticises Sarkozy over Roms http://bit.ly/c5Wr6j [@rfi_english] | Nice last paragraph ;)

11:07:10: Freaking idiots: http://bit.ly/9D8auG Vandals cause oil spill at RG&E’s Russell Station property

11:08:35: RT @craigconsidine: Racism, religious intolerance, ethnic discrimination as American as apple pie. Muslims now are just weathering the storm

17:14:58: RT @JURISTnews: Obama administration urges return to prison for Lockerbie bomber http://bit.ly/d0HxVU | Yeah, right, really going to happen

20:49:07: RT @igeldard: Pakistan: Airbase saved at the cost of the displacement of thousands http://bit.ly/dxq8lb | WTH?

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From Twitter 08-20-2010

20:27:03: Trident and its infamous past http://bit.ly/9jB07C Britain's "independent" deterrent

20:27:48: RT @KurzweilAINews: Iris Scanners Create the Most Secure City in the World. Welcome, Big Brother: Biometrics R&D firm Global Rainmaker.. ...

20:34:42: RT @igeldard: 'Patriot' Paranoia: A Look at the Top Ten Conspiracy Theories | Southern Poverty Law Center - http://bit.ly/a3gep8

20:37:17: RT @MParekh: Pros and cons of a "Legislator in Chief" vs. a Commander in Chief. http://nyti.ms/cQPkfq

21:04:06: Doctorates in nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, etc., a proliferation of "doctors" http://bit.ly/azEbvb

21:21:12: Combat brigades in Iraq under different name (ArmyTimes) http://bit.ly/b6xIuz

21:23:02: Aww, how cute... http://huff.to/c2L86a Muslim Miss USA, Questions 'Ground Zero Mosque' Location

22:26:46: RT @truthout: US Soldiers Punished For Refusing To Attend Christian Concert: http://digg.com/d31a29k?t | WTH?

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Uh, really?

From Twitter 08-19-2010

05:50:03: RT @igeldard: Online dictatorship in the Islamic Republic of Iran http://bit.ly/dAF5L1

05:55:32: RT @igeldard: At what point does an airport search step over the line?: An infuriating search at Philadelphia Intl http://bit.ly/cGInXu

05:57:48: RT @igeldard: DHS scrambles to cover up FOIA scandal - http://bit.ly/bpgnTp | Nice

06:51:53: RT @JimmySky: RT @nirrosen: combat troops pull out of iraq. Remaining fifty thousand are armed only with sticks, fly swatters, pepper spray

06:57:52: RT @SteveHynd: RT @derrickcrowe: New post: Petraeus’ Oily Spin about Progress in Afghanistan http://bit.ly/9vqiuV

10:23:54: Study: Advanced Cancer Pts Receiving Early Palliative Care Lived Longer http://bit.ly/aqPOMq viz. Baset al-Megrahi? http://bit.ly/9VsW7B

10:45:46: RT @SubMedina RT@Mondoweiss RT @dimireider: Eden Abergil gets meme treatment; says would be glad to massacre Arabs http://wp.me/pedo5-bV

10:47:52: RT @NationalDefense: TV networks prematurely declare the war in Iraq is over. Pentagon spokesman Morrell says there are still 6000 US combat troops in Iraq

12:52:06: RT @JamalDajani Park51 Opponents Linked to Admirer of Terror Group Founder http://ow.ly/2rYb8

12:55:23: Pamela Geller: The Looniest Blogger Ever http://bit.ly/Y6RR6 Eek!

17:46:58: RT @JimmySky: RT @Max_Fisher @thegoldfarb hilarious screencap: http://yfrog.com/g0pywsj CNN chyron right now; "New Development: WH: Obama not a Muslim

18:37:21: Still somewhere out there: 2 kings, 3 jacks, a nine, a five, a four, and a two... http://bit.ly/9R2lyf

18:41:16: A Homeowners' Rebellion http://bit.ly/b5euEG So, what's the argument? That no one owns the loan? Free, mortgage-free houses?

18:57:00: So, the pols jumped the gun... Is that a reason to kick the scientists in the head (Markey)? This is a BP coverup how? http://bit.ly/aht2w9

19:28:49: (SPIEGEL Interview with Craig Venter) 'We Have Learned Nothing from the Genome' http://bit.ly/d94gIi

22:34:13: Senators rebuke Obama admin. on full-body scans http://bit.ly/bxRREO | What earthly value could this have? Just being packrats?

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Great quotes...

“I don’t know what the big deal is, it’s freedom of religion, you know?”

- Cassandra, anonymous stripper at New York Dolls, Murray Street, mere blocks from "hallowed ground."

Random charts

Source: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2010

Ground zero

Source: Hiroshima Peace Memorial

The Manhattan Project: An Interactive History

From Twitter 08-18-2010

17:02:18: Top Counterfeit Drugs Report http://bit.ly/aKHOHP

19:00:44: RT @trixl: How dare they! RT @disinfo Asterix – French Comics Hero – Endorses McDonald’s http://bit.ly/anTnX0

19:03:52: RT @TehranBureau: Khamenei: No Talks w/ #US unless sanctions dropped http://to.pbs.org/cnK9f6

19:06:51: Check proves Ceglia paid Zuckerberg--what now? http://bit.ly/cTDK6g

19:07:29: RT @JamalDajani: Poll shows US public support for #Israel is in decline, from 63% in 2009 to 51% in 2010 http://ow.ly/2rzOR via @ASLANmedia

20:24:39: Roadside crosses for fallen Utah police unconstitutional, court rules http://bit.ly/bgRxLV 12 feet tall??

20:26:46: RT @DTSYVR Who's the deadliest Expendable? "Expendables Body Count" http://bit.ly/c3YOiS Hah, ha...

20:32:23: Ten killed in Sindh tribal fighting http://bit.ly/97HXlZ Violence over "irrigation of paddy crops"? When so much of the country under water?

20:36:11: The Craziest Thing I've Read In A Very Long Time http://bit.ly/9tylQR

20:40:19: Video cartoon: Sen. Harry Reid wants NYC mosque 'somewhere else' http://bit.ly/aRpZdz

20:48:11: Eh?? http://bit.ly/cE7qLB 10-pg PDF Smudge Attacks on Smartphone Touch Screens

21:20:16: Au Cameroun, les cours de chinois font le plein http://bit.ly/bQeEuI

21:28:29: John Mellencamp calls the internet the most dangerous invention since the atomic bomb http://bit.ly/bOqEKH

23:21:12: RT @1D4TW RT @Antiwar2 Dem Leaders Join in Condemnation of ‘Ground Zero Mosque’ http://bit.ly/dzfuWJ | They've abdicated title of "leaders"

23:24:10: RT @NYkrinDC Fmr Bush Solicitor Gen, who lost wife 9/11 attacks says President is right on Cordoba House http://j.mp/aTDAsq | Is? Or "was"

23:44:01: Investment losses again impact nonprofit hospitals' bottom lines. http://bit.ly/cvYDIF

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Random charts

Source: Smudge Attacks on Smartphone Touch Screens. Interesting... "... Touch screens are an increasingly common feature on personal computing devices, especially smartphones, where size and user interface advantages accrue from consolidating multiple hardware components (keyboard, number pad, etc.) into a single software definable user interface. Oily residues, or smudges, on the touch screen surface, are one side effect of touches from which frequently used patterns such as a graphical password might be inferred. In this paper we examine the feasibility of such smudge attacks on touch screens for smartphones, and focus our analysis on the Android password pattern..."

Repeat... remix...

Trying to find either an online manual for, or an actual user review of, the Coolbphone in order to be able to use it has been an exercise in frustration. Google searches on the terms "Coolbphone" along with "user review" (or other likely combinations of search terms) bring up many, many sites. However, after looking at perhaps eighty or ninety sites they have all either been sites in China selling the Coolbphone, or gadget sites with "reviews" of the phone.

The term "reviews" here is placed, advisedly, in quotes. The content of these many, many "review" sites is remarkably similar. A few clearly credit/reference the (same) source material, but many simply re-use the same picture(s) and a paragraph or two of text (either verbatim or slightly tweaked), surrounded by ads, etc. Most clearly have not had their hands on the actual product and/or item, nor have anything original to say.

There are a few sites e.g. Akihabara that tend to be mostly original material, but the vast majority seem to be "recyclers" with no value added! As an example, consider a new Chinese gadget, the G6Touch. Above is a screen capture of the 'review' on the Akihabara site, while below are screen captures from the following randomly selected dot coms - gadgetblipsredirect, gadgetmix, gayakuman, globalgadgetnews, goodereader, lejournaldegeek, mp4nation, newsdeliver, nextgadgets, and techfresh... Clearly a case of recycle... remix...