Saturday, June 28, 2008

Mastectomies: Insurance Companies Only Know What is Best For Their Bottom Line

If you haven't already, go to Lifetime's website and sign the petition supporting the prevention of "drive-through" mastectomies.

The only people who should be involved in deciding how long a post-op hospital stay should be is the patient, or their representatives and the caregiver. Anyone else will bring with them motives not related to what is best for the patient.

If the idea of "drive-through" mastectomies is troubling to you, Nationalized Health Care (socialized medicine) must scare the bejeezus out of you.

Not everyone thinks highly of the petition, like whoever does Fast Company's weblog, who seems to forget the maxim: 'perfect' is the enemy of 'good enough'. (I think the article at the link is caviling). I'm not a big fan of estrogen-laden Lifetime, and think far to little attention is paid to other cancers (like prostate) because of breast cancer's prominance in the fund-raising parade, but I CAN get behind this petition.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Air Force's KC-45 Legal Brief

The GAO's role in the tanker protest is still suspect. With what I'm reading, the GAO doesn't look any better or seem any more credible.

I'm reading the redacted-for-public-consumption version of the Air Force's legal brief (.PDF file at link) submitted after the GAO 'hearing'. The link to the brief was sent to me and who knows how many others on a mailing list by NG, but the AF would have had to give its imprimatur and make the release. This link was sent just before the GAO dropped the turd in the punchbowl, and I imagine NG is marshalling its forces to respond.

Interesting stuff, with very few surprises -- and very few holes we can't fill in ourselves or get the gist of from the surrounding test.

I like what I'm reading so far. I especially enjoy how the AF cites past GAO rulings and other precedents supporting their decision.

Update 2215 Hrs Central: First bombshell in the brief (to me anyway) comes around pages 86-90. In this part the AF shows how it in fact DID accept Boeing cost data, but also how Boeing did not provide other data that was requested of it, and how the AF made it clear all along that Boeing was NOT complying with the data requirement.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

I Agree

When people watch a man stomp an infant/toddler to death, it is beyond disheartening.

I agree with Blackfive. (link probably not worksafe)

Pussies!

(I believe our PC society and twisted legal system contributes more to this than the innuring effects of video games or bad movie fare, BTW)

I am offended by the implication I or most people wouldn't have done better in the same situation. Sounds like Pussy-talk to me.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

So Does the GAO Also Dance To Boeing's Tune?

.....Or to just the noisiest of those in Congress?

CNN just reported that the GAO recommended reopening the KC-X competition. If this is true (or just twisting of the news by the MSM?), and barring some heretofore unknown irregularity, I don't see how this can be seen as anything other than Boeing's strategy of winning via political machinations paying off.

Without details I won't jump to any final conclusions, but I smell a politically safe 'punt' by the GAO.

Update: Defense Tech has some info from a "pro Boeing" source. What I see is the same lame argumentum ad nauseum that Boeing has been trotting out for months. I REALLY smell a GAO 'punt' now. Watch Boeing's backer's in Congress enter phase II of trying to "Harumph!" (link is audio) their way to victory!

Monday, June 09, 2008

Still Remarkable

At Former Spook's "In From the Cold" blog: Happy Birthday Mr. Allingham.

See also my post two years ago.

More and more remarkable.