Medicaid, a sign of what's to come with socialized medicine

I was watching Good Morning America (due to the fact that my wife likes the show) today and they were doing a piece on this little kid in New York who was dying from a heart condition. The condition (that I didn't pick the name up) has three different causes and there is a test that is administered by one single laboratory in the US. This laboratory had not applied "properly" for New York's medicaid program, however, and the kiddo couldn't get the test because, due to the paperwork hangups, New York wouldn't pay for it and his parents couldn't afford it. This was, according to GMA, due to the beurocracy in NY's medicaid program and according to NY due to the bureaucracy of the lab. Of course, since the media got into the picture, the problem has been solved, but my problem is that once this "holy" socialized medicine kicks in and this kind of crap becomes common place, will the media cover it or since it becomes common place will the media not care anymore?

New question for the Bethletard

To answer Clark’s question, as far as I know, no, there are no other physicists who read my blog. You are correct in noting the misnaming of my blog by calling it “a question for the physicists." I should have rightfully called it “a question for the physicist."

Before I get started I have a disclaimer. I just have to get these questions out before my head explodes and this is actually probably a lot easier to answer.

First question:

Does nuclear fusion in itself cause radioactive waste? My thoughts are that it doesn’t, but that it creates a great deal of radiation (e.g. the sun’s radiation).

Second question:

How much energy is required to cause fusion of lets say, hydrogen and what’s the marginal payoff (i.e. energy produced – energy used)? Is that marginal payoff greater than nuclear fission?

Third question:

How necessary is it to use nuclear fission in order to cause nuclear fusion? Is there any alternative to using fission, or is that what the particle accelerators are for?

A question to the physicists

If the big bang theory was the beginning of all, why scientists claim that the only producers of heavy metals are super massive stars?

I’m no physicist; however, I do have an interest in physics. I’ve learned recently that science shows that through supernovae from super massive stars, we get heavy metals (iron, lead, etc.). This is due to the extreme mass which creates enough gravitational force to continue fusion after the “fuel” (hydrogen and helium) is burned and contain the stars intact during the process since fusing heavier elements creates more energy therefore more outward force. Since scientists claim that the big bang created all, why is there no evidence, or debate for that matter as to why heavy metals didn’t exist before super massive stars could form and create those metals. Or even more so, why aren’t all the elements out there heavy metals? My question, though possibly flawed, is spawned from my recent knowledge and also from when I was in Junior High. At that time, I “learned” that the combined mass of the universe before the big bang was so compressed that it was as small as the period at the end of this sentence. If that’s the case why do they say that when this incredible “explosion” occurred that the only elements in existence after the big bang were “light” elements like helium and hydrogen? Am I crazy for asking that kind of question, or are they all wrong?

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae

Walking pneumonia (a.k.a. mycoplasma pneumonia or atypical pneumonia) is a term used to describe a mild case of pneumonia. It is a lung infection that is caused by the mycoplasma pneumoniae organism. Walking pneumonia is different from other types of pneumonia in that, even if untreated, walking pneumonia would not cause a person to be confined to a bed or require a hospital stay.

Yeah, that's what I have and that's what I've had for 6 weeks. Fun, eh?

Ricardo Montalban

Remember this Taco Bell commercial?


Fact:

The voice who does the end of the commercial is, in fact, Ricardo Montalban, not only the actor in the TV series, Fantasy Island and Kim Possible, but he was also this guy:

Don't recognize him? How about now?

Yeah, that's Khan, as in The wrath of Khan. Pretty funny if you ask me.

Yes...

I'm still sick. I've had a lingering cough that turned into a sore throat. I'm really really tired of it. I got put on Azithromiacin (sp? and I don't care to check it).

Today, we moved a family of elderly people. We went out of our ward boundaries and unloaded their house. This would have to be the first time I've been asked to move rocks. I won't go any further, but it was the worst move that I've ever been involved in.

I sure asked for it

Here's a pretty funny email conversation that my wife & I had today.
For those of you who don't know, we live in a condo association with monthly dues.

From me:

Alex,

Can you go pay the ho dues?

Thanks,

Ben

From Alex:

the Ho dues? since when do we owe anything to hos?

Executive Pay

I just looked at the sec.gov filing form supplemental to form 10-k called the "proxy statement". This venture brought me to an astounding discovery. The ceo of my company received in 2006 a complete compensation package of over $17 million. Too bad we don't get a free company party like all the other corporations out there on the gounds that it's wasteful spending.

Happy Birthday Alex

Alex, my wife puts up with a lot. I'm glad to report that she didn't have much to put up with this weekend. I'm glad that everything went relatively well for her birthday. The good news is that we were able to attend church and go to the doggie park today.

As you can tell, she's a bit sad today also. Always happens. I feel bad that I can't do more than love her. She's a really sweet woman and deserves better. I hope that she doesn't lose her good cheer. She means a lot to me. Well, 27 is now. Happy birthday love.

Farewell January and Hello Taxes

I just sent my tax return and it was pretty delicious. I'm looking forward to getting a few bills paid off (namely my wife's surgery which was a doozy). The good thing about tax returns is that they are money that has already been taxed and I was able to file with itemized deductions which helped our state taxes immensly.

The first month of the year is over, and I'm (believe it or not) joining a gym. We were able to get a sweet deal at work for about $14 a month which I'm paying for with part of my tax return. If you've heard of it, I joined "this city is going on a diet" and I'm on a goal to lose 85 or so pounds. I'm starting right now, so wish me luck.

Saturday Night bonus

I know that there's this crazy writers strike going on and most of you have probably seen Jay Leno and David Letterman since they've been back and strapped for content. What's funny is that if you stay up a bit later (which I have on occasion) you will see Conan O'Brien on the tube. Actually, I would say that the reason why I've been up late at all recently is because of my sickness that I've been dealing with. Anyway, Conan has gone as far as hooking up a zip line in his studio among other things to waste time (since he has nothing better to do). To get to the point, there's a game on his website that I thought you should check out. Enjoy!

just so you know..

what I was talking about yesterday. This is the commercial. I was at work when I posted which has youtube blocked (for obvious reasons).

Stupid Kia Commercial

Bet you didn't know that there's a no-fail way to know which side of the car the gas goes in. The next time you get into your car, look at the gas gauge. Notice that there's an arrow. Yeah, that arrow is pointing to the side of you should position your car when you fill up. That's why the Kia commercial about forgetting what side of the car the gas tank is on is stupid.

Funniest commercial ever!!

There are some commercials that are pretty funny. This is one of them.

Pseudoephedrine and Tissues

Remember this post on January 6th how I was complaining about being sick. For the past 3 weeks I have continued to be sick week after week. Not continuously, but I have been sick on a regular basis. Good times.

Absolute insanity!

I don't know if you noticed the Ariticle VI Blog link, or if you ever visited that website, but to give you an overview, it's about Article VI of the Constitution, which reads:

"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification
to any office or public trust under the United States."

A bit more information about that blog is that it is effectively Pro-Romney, who is a Mormon and who's Mormonism has been brought up repeatedly ever since his announcement of his candidacy of the race for President. I haven't completely decided who I'm going to vote for, but I agree with Article VI blog's premise that our forefathers set the precedent and example that our government should not qualify/disqualify someone based on their religion. And from the example of our forefathers, men greater than I'll ever hope to be, we should try to rule out religion as a test for ourselves. To me, it's one of the building blocks of being American. Being able to coexist. What a novel idea. I reserve the right to allow others to have their own opinion even if they're wrong and allow others to do the same to me. How NOVEL!!

Anyhow, I was reading on that blog about the controversial "push polls" in New Hampshire and gave a link to some of the things from those phone calls they are as follows:

Here are some statements about John McCain. After hearing each, please tell me if you are more likely or less liely to vote for McCain for President. IF MORE/LESS LIKELY: Is that much more/less likely or somewhat more/less likely?


Q9: McCain is a decorated navy fighter pilot who spent six years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. While a prisoner of war, McCain was tortured on a regular basis.


Q14: McCain's sons have followed his footsteps in serving our country. His oldest son was an A Six pilot in the Navy with 256 carrier landings. Another son is a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and his youngest son is a Marine serving in Iraq.


Q16: McCain was the first member of the U.S. Senate to recognize our Iraq strategy was not working. In 2003, he called for an aggressive counter-insurgency campaign similar to the surge now being successfully implemented by General Petraeus. He was also one of the first to criticize Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's lack of aggressive action in Iraq. Defense experts said McCain's early call for stronger action was "the very picture of courageous political leadership." If McCain had been President we may have already won the war in Iraq.

Okay so they're pulling for uh, McCain, perhaps?

Then this crap happens:

Q20: Next, Mitt Romney is a member of the Mormon Church. Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible. Mormons claim the Book of Mormon was given to a prophet in the 1800's by the Angel Moroni. On any given day, the Mormon Church is working to baptize thousands of people who have already passed away so they can be converted to Mormonism and join in the Glory of God.


Based on this, would you agree or disagree with those who say the Mormon Church is a cult religion not in the American tradition? IF AGREE/DISAGREE: and would that be strongly or just somewhat agree/disagree?

Uh, what does that have to do with the presidency. I still don't know.


Here are some statements about Mitt Romney. After hearing each, please tell me if you are more likely or less likely to vote for Romney for President. IF MORE/LESS LIKELY: Is that much more/less likely or somewhat more/less likely?

Q30: Romney is a member of the Mormon Church. The Church did not allow African Americans to be priests before 1978.

Q32: Romney's five sons have never served in the military. During a recent campaign event, Romney was quoted as saying that working in his presidential campaign is the same as serving in the military.

Q35: Romney is a member of the Mormon Church. Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible.

I cut a few out, but I think you get the picture. But the real fun starts next. The company that did this poll calls it, you guessed it, research? From their own "defensive" statement:

American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) has good definitional information on what is push polling and what isn't push polling. "Negative or disturbing information about a candidate does not automatically make a survey a push poll,” said AAPOR President Nancy Mathiowetz. “Message testing, when campaigns test the effectiveness of possible messages about opponents and even themselves, is very different; and it is a legitimate form of surveying.”

Good thing their president is such a genius that she could make up her own authoritative definition of what a push poll is. Sounds all good and convenient to me, or bovine fecal matter. You decide.

The Newspaper

I was deep in thought in my congested head today and I thought about something that one of my colleagues, Mark, told me. I’m one of the few of my demographic that receives the newspaper. I guess that I am an oddity in that respect except for that I noticed a while back that Clark (as seen here) received the paper. The one good thing about the newspaper is that it includes the funnies and the one here prints my opinion. My reasoning as to why they did publish me is due to the fact that they don’t have any other 28 year olds who write in all that often anymore.

On that note, my family’s reaction to my printed “opinion” was that they were afraid that I took after my namesake, Grandpa Young. He’s the opinionated one of the family and has a history of getting things printed in the paper. By the way, his name is Charles Young (my middle name is Charles).

Off of that randomness. I think that the paper is a lost cause. The internet is going nowhere and the paper is always a day later and an opinion slower, so it’s going to go the way of the dodo. I just hope that they figure out how to get me my funnies.

a la comical part II

Deuteronomy 23:12-14

12Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover athat which cometh from thee:
14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

Nothing like a bathroom - biblical style

biblical verses a la comical

Something for your Tuesday morning:

Judges 3:20-22

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

Yummy.

New years a coming

So, I haven't taken the time to make a blog for the new year as of yet. I guess it's more or less due to the fact that nothing of import has happened yet. The only thing that's happened to me so far is that I've gotten my first head cold of the winter and I was miserable all day today. Good start, eh. By the way, happy new year!