Health care "costs", a comparison

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Saturday May 22, 2010 · 4:41 AM PDT

2010/05/22 · 04:41

So let's suppose we have single-payer or a public option, or even the "high-risk" pool we are getting. The costs are still out of control, and we ought to look at why.

Five years ago I tore the skin on my leg, jumping on a city bus a bit fast and tripping on the edge of a step. Was just bad enough that I wasn't sure if it needed more than a 4x4 and tape. Went to ER to get doc to look at it.

Was cleaned, 4x4 applied, tape. Cost: 2,320.00

A few days ago I fell hard on some uneven ground, and tore the skin on my leg. Definitely needed to be stitched. Went to ER.

Wound cleaned, doc and nurse spend 30 minutes stitching and dressing. Cost: 3,570.00

But one little thing: the first was in dollars, the second in Kenya shilling. The exchange rate is seventy-five to one.

Robert Ullmann

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Sunday March 21, 2010 · 7:01 AM PDT

2010/03/21 · 07:01

From our new constitution. It has not been passed and ratified yet, as some of the government structure is still being debated; but what follows is not controversial.

(1) Every person has the right —

(a) to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care;

(b) to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation;

(c) to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality;

(d) to clean and safe water in adequate quantities;

(e) to social security; and

(f) to education.

Every person. Not every person who can prove they aren't "illegal", or are from the right tribe, or whatever. This is very important as we have a lot of refugees and people who may technically be citizens of adjacent countries, but aren't "documented" by any government. It is not un-common for people born and living near international borders to have no idea where the border is.)

Right to health care. Not "insurance".

Including reproductive health care.

Robert Ullmann

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Wednesday July 08, 2009 · 10:37 AM PDT

2009/07/08 · 10:37

Update: I had erroneously assumed that this offensive nonsense was being pushed by Serbian Nationalists, e.g. the people like the JUL party, which is where I had previously encountered it. (And of course there is nothing wrong with Serbian nationalism per se, it is mostly positive, just as there is nothing wrong with American patriotism for the most part. ;-) It turns out to be one extremely misguided individual, in fact a Croatian student at the Univ. of Zagreb, being disruptive; he has a history of doing this on other wiki projects. The others involved do not seem to hold his extreme political POV, but pile on for the chance to be vicious and abusive, much like Freepers. I have not edited the following, as, unlike a wiki, readers would not be able to refer to the previous version; please read it with this update in mind. Thank you.

A small number of Serbian nationalists have apparently decided to continue the attempt to create "Greater Serbia" by trying to suppress Croatian and Bosnian on the English Wiktionary (the companion dictionary to the Wikipedia).

Robert Ullmann

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Wednesday January 21, 2009 · 3:00 AM PST

2009/01/21 · 03:00

I live in Nairobi. I'm a US citizen; I left the US in large part because I could not stand what Bush was doing, and even more that something like half of the other people in the US seemingly approved.

I live in a flat in a block owned and managed by a hotel. Last night they had an Obama party (of course, everyone in Kenya was at an Obama party!)

The best moment of the evening? Not Obama taking the oath. Not the speech. Not the cheering during the walk on Pennsylvania Avenue. But later.

Robert Ullmann

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Tuesday October 07, 2008 · 7:31 AM PDT

2008/10/07 · 07:31

The notorious author of a book smearing Obama was arrested this morning in Nairobi, and swiftly deported.

report from Reuters

He was here to promote the book, The Obama Nation, and planning an event at The New Stanley hotel.

Apparently he was also planning on finding Obama's brother, and using him in some way. [Hussein Onyango Obama has been interviewed by the international press, and said he was very happy Barack was running, but that it didn't have much to do with him. He was happily eating roast goat during the interview.]

Robert Ullmann

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Monday February 04, 2008 · 2:08 AM PST

2008/02/04 · 02:08

In the last weeks, we have had to close and move a small business, to be reopened at some unknown date, leaving 6 people unemployed. We've also had to relocate several family members. The areas that they were in, east of Nairobi, are being purged of non-Kikuyu by armed gangs.

There are about half a million internally displaced people in Kenya now, and more every day. To explain why I'll follow a timeline through Kenya's history. It is not—cannot be—the entire complex story, but no news program I have seen has even tried this much; I will follow one particular thread.

Robert Ullmann

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Thursday January 31, 2008 · 6:10 AM PST

2008/01/31 · 06:10

The ODM (Orange Democratic Movement) member, Hon. Kimutai David Too was shot in Eldoret by a policeman. Some reports (e.g. London Times) say he was shot at a roadblock. The official police spokesman has been saying that it was a love triangle, that he was having an affair with the policeman's wife. (The story seems to be changing, but note that is not atypical of a newly breaking story.)

On Tuesday, Hon. Melitus Mugabe Were was murdered outside his home. The Mungiki, a criminal gang composed of members of the Kikuyu tribe, claimed credit, and promised that there would be more.

ODM has stated that they consider it to be an assassination.

Robert Ullmann

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Thursday January 03, 2008 · 4:41 PM PST

2008/01/03 · 16:41

I spent the morning listening to gunfire.

ODM and Raila wanted to hold a demonstration in Uhuru Park. They were blocked by a massive police force. They will try again tomorrow.

The guns were apparently fired in the air, and no one killed directly; there was a man electrocuted on Thika Road by a falling cable. It was attributed to a police bullet severing the cable, as no other explanation seemed as likely.

All the news and government statements are calling for "peace" and "negotiation". (Don't get me started on Rice's "spirit of compromise".) Kibaki has had himself sworn in. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Electoral Commission (ECK) has publicly admitted that he does not know who won.

So how about counting the votes?

Robert Ullmann

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Monday December 31, 2007 · 5:49 AM PST

2007/12/31 · 05:49

(sent to my sister in the United States, a bit redacted here)

background: Kenya has elections every 5 years for President, Parliament, and some local offices. In 2002, Mwai Kibaki ran on a coalition ticket against the entrenched party, and won, and there was much celebration. The Kibaki administration didn't live up to its promise (who does?) but the last 5 years have been very good.

This year, Raila Odinga, and the Orange Democratic Movement (Kossacks should appreciate that), ran against the Kibaki administration.

Everything was going well; it was generally accepted that either outcome would be fine if it was legitimate; voters were enthusiastic. But then Raila took a lead in the counting ...

Robert Ullmann

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Friday May 12, 2006 · 11:45 AM PDT

2006/05/12 · 11:45

Inspired by this diary I did the math. (in a comment there)

It isn't just the phone numbers they are recording.

Suppose you were to record the phone calls to and from all people in the USA.

Each record is about 24 bytes. 10 + 10 + 4 for the time.

330 million people, an average of (say) thirty a day? (remember I'm counting 2 year olds in this). Think about how many calls are on your monthly statement if you get call detail.

10 billion calls a day? By 24 bytes.

240 billion bytes a day.

I HAVE 1/20 OF THAT ON THE LAPTOP I'M TYPING THIS COMMENT ON

20 hard drives a day... is that a bleeding edge database?

They aren't recording the numbers.

They are recording the calls.
Read More

Goss and Foggo broke the law

Robert Ullmann

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Sunday May 07, 2006 · 9:09 AM PDT

2006/05/07 · 09:09

So we've heard the CIA state on the record that Foggo was at the Wilkes parties, but he was only playing poker.

And from other sources that Goss also went to the parties, presumably also just to play poker.

The parties were at the Watergate.

The Watergate is in the District of Columbia.

According to the DC Code, section 22-1501 et seq (sorry I don't have an on-line link, maybe someone can find one for us):

Gambling is illegal in the District of Columbia

When can we expect the arrests?

Our Top Story Tonight - Yasser Arafat is STILL DEAD

Robert Ullmann

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Wednesday November 10, 2004 · 10:33 PM PST

2004/11/10 · 22:33

Seriously, Reuters reports that Al Jazeera says that he has died in a Paris hospital.

Arafat worked tirelessly for decades to help the Palestinian people fight the Israeli Crusade which is stealing the land and systematically exterminating the people in a slow, steady genocide.

Like all other attempts by the British Empire at colonization, it will fail. We (Massachusetts) beat them in 1776, the Irish fought them for 900 years. The Palestinians will prevail over the crime named "Israel" and live on their own land again someday.

Your comments on Yasser Arafat?

(and the flip headline is respect)

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Health care "costs", a comparison

Kenya: Health care is a right

linguistic genocide: suppression of Croatian and Bosnian

the best moment

Corsi arrested in Kenya, deported

Kenyans believed we could vote

Second Kenyan MP murdered this week

Will Kenya count the votes?

letter from Nairobi

What is NSA recording?

Goss and Foggo broke the law

Our Top Story Tonight - Yasser Arafat is STILL DEAD