Infinity and Stuff

A deep concept that I took away from attempting to understand calculus is the idea of approaching a limit. A limit on my mind recently is the concept of a fact/reflection on fact continuum that collapses into a lonely singularity, opinion. In physics, a singularity would be a black hole. In politics ... pretty much the same thing.

Better idea?

Often, the rationalization for oppression and even war is the illusion that the invader's version of civilization is superior thus justifying even those means that cause harm to see it replicated. This logic fails on several levels but is seldom seen before a destructive commitment is made. The organic solution is to let natural selection weed out the less fit. Free will has the danger of promoting the powerful over the wise. Better to discover this in simulation. By predicting through simulation that which can cause suffering we are better able to avoid the suffering.

From Where I Sit

Doctors are not by training or motivation able to understand the organic opportunity to dramatically and simultaneously increase the quality and cost effectiveness of health care in the US.

It is a calibration problem. We (and they) expect to much from their training. That fact is exploited by the usual greedy suspects.

For purposes of discussion, let us consider the AMA. The AMA famously, for decades, has promoted the idea that people going into the profession are from an exclusive and exalted class and therefore deserving of as much money as the market will bare. With the notable exception of PCPs (as a PCP and administrator has pointed out) they are the most highly compensated MDs on the planet. This while the delivery system is a disgrace to free markets.

I pick on the AMA because I have had an extraordinary exposure to their methods and biases spanning half a century. Nevertheless, they are a force to be reckoned with. Given the violent nature of the Tea Party extremists it is downright dangerous to correct this major flaw in our economy overnight.

The approach that has brought unprecedented hope for meaningful reform to this breakdown in commerce American style is successful precisely because it seeks to calibrate these enormous and, far too often, highly destructive forces.

Afghanistan can be Switzerland 2.0?

Thought experiment: Budget a 5 year plan that is, say, 80% of our projected military expenditure in Afghanistan. Identify through electronic social networking the people best able to transition the country from an unsuccessfully occupied one dependent on heroin trade and religious extremists to a country that leverages its positive values. Two positive values that come to mind, invincability (even to two super powers) and geographically strategic influence.

Offer more security and viability than Taliban/Al Qaeda coupled with a hands off influence on their culture (at least insofar as its power is not projected beyond its borders). US, do this because it is a smart thing to do and not at all because it 'enhances' the image of the US as powerful. Show, by example as our president aspires to do, that powerful nations have responsibility to the world they inhabit.

What, then, might the elements of such a plan be?

Open Source - Public Domain?

Using a personal vehicle as a wireless, mobile local area network. Connected to the cloud with advantages of fixed (almost) wireless. Connected locally by wi-fi. Personal vehicles tend to be where people are even when they are not at work or home. The have a large battery for electrical power (to start or, in some cases, even run the car). And they have more than enough physical space for 'edge resources' like memory and disk space.

NOTE: This part of BuzzTheHill is not fictional. Consider this post a public disclosure and as such, to the degree something inventive has been addressed in it, the specific intent was to put it in the PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Dog

Operating Manual for a Spaceship full of old Boomer's: Peter Docter's - Up. When people who love each other work on something for five years, good things happen. I have only seen it twice so far. There are probably are quite a few nuggets I have yet to discover.

I watched it last night and thought deeply about humans' best friend from a much larger number of perspectives. Dreams to match before awakening this morning.

Planting gardens at the right time of year must be great fun.  I'll have to give it a try.

Deep Question

How do we compassionately eradicate the American Taliban?

Land of the free, soon again.

Right Wing Minority + Health Care Ecosystem > Everybody Else. But not for long. Both elements of the current majority are losing constituents at a prodigious pace. Can Everybody Else save civilization before it is too late? Stay tuned.

On Your Mark ...

A great symbol.

If anyone is really worried about our competitive position vis-a-vis China, I suggest a competition based on open, intelligent and inter-cultural communications is one we can win and soon. Further, it will come to be the hub of addressing all of the major issues of our world and this time. Even if we are to lose, we will have raised the bar high for the winner and virtually all will benefit.

Higgs Boson

Future fundamental fact will be emergent. Not provable because any phenomenon in the future, by definition, is never present to be observed?

-- a pattern that will repeat. Questions from the soup.  What is that, you may ask? Read on and find out.

Five Questions

What is our responsibility to each other?

Who decides who We are?

We, if We are friends, should?

We, if We are enemies, should not?

And what of all that lies between?

Tea Party Anyone

Sabotaging government gave us the Great Recession. We should do more of that? What is in that tea those party animals are drinking?

HC Matrix 101

The Medical-Industrial Matrix:

left-in | right-in

-------------------------

left-out | right-out

left/right axis - tradition political spectrum from conservative to liberal

in/out axis - inside the 'health-care' system or not.

right-in: those who are benefiting from the current medical/industrial complex (have money and subsidized highly advanced medical care) and wanting to preserve (conserve) it.

left-out: the undeserving people foolish enough to think their life has meaning beyond being sacrificed for the right-in.

right-out: nobody pays attention to these mamby-pamby principled people who believe in the silly notion of liberty, especially the kind that gets in the way of the right-in.

left-in: well paid people paying lip-service to the notion that fixing health problems is noble even if we have to make people sick to accomplish it.

Good Profit?

Ford's billion dollar profit this quarter is no accident, and well worth studying. Stark illustration that not all of capitalism is greed. Like America itself it can be a foundation of hope.

In these times, people that have or steal money lose, people that grow money win. Earning follows contribution, eventually. As I understand it, some time ago Ford sold or monetized nearly all its assets to generate new products and reward deserving people. They went from owning nothing to creating something and owning what was created - in effect, recycling ingenuity.

Owning life by accumulating assets is not contributing. Creating for life is.