ktizo

156 ms·

1381.
by ktizo 15y ago
Was probably found from the same source that I used when researching the worrying fact that, as it turns out, 78.2% of statistics are made up on the spot.
1382.
by ktizo 15y ago
We have had such comparisons for MRIs posted on this thread already, given as examples of prices being much less at facilities that do not deal with insurers at all. While I would agree that having buying power should bring down prices, thi
1383.
by ktizo 15y ago
And then ignoring most of the others, like the truly colossal difference in money spent per capita and the fact that the public health system, while so chronically underfunded that it is unable to do it's job, is at least nominally charged
1384.
by ktizo 15y ago
Insured middle classes competing directly with the super-rich over a limited pool of medical professionals is probably the biggest culprit.
1385.
by ktizo 15y ago
So if they have been lowering prices for 30 years, why do the prices keep going up? I know there are increased costs due to medical advances, but this only accounts for half the increase in costs according to studies, so the rise from 5% of
1386.
by ktizo 15y ago
Fair point. I still doubt that it is the extra cost of caring for elderly people really well that is the major factor that is keeping the other costs high though. Especially since there are less very elderly people, as a percentage of popul
1387.
by ktizo 15y ago
So you are saying that US insurance companies are dramatically lowering the prices. If so, then compared to what exactly? The US has some of the highest costs per treatment of just about anywhere in the world, so if the insurance companies
1388.
by ktizo 15y ago
If you combine the money spent on state and federal health programs, the US government spends more per person on what people label 'socialised healthcare' than the UK does as well. Also, last time I checked the numbers on this was towards t
1389.
by ktizo 15y ago
If the US has the leading healthcare for the elderly in the world, how come it comes 36th in terms of life expectancy?
1390.
by ktizo 15y ago
Have been writing swf with haXe ever since AS2, I use it with jedit, it is awesome and Nicolas Cannasse is a god.
1391.
by ktizo 15y ago
If there were an expensive nightclub which had a cheaper bar round the corner that only admitted people with the first name of "Dan", who then get full access to the nightclub and cheaper drinks all night, would it be criminal fraud to lie
1392.
by ktizo 15y ago
If you give an interview you cannot pass, how do you distinguish between the quality of different correct responses?
1393.
by ktizo 15y ago
I only said that total apathy would be a precursor to appointed government in states that would normally be holding elections. Also, not all appointed government figures are despots, there have been some relatively benevolent kingdoms in hi
1394.
by ktizo 15y ago
All the ones without elections. They just appoint people instead, which is what you'd eventually be forced to do in an elective society if everybody was apathetic. Although, if everybody was that apathetic in this fictional society they mig
1395.
by ktizo 15y ago
well, the effect seems real enough, looking to other references; http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/physics/research/groups/optics/...
1396.
by ktizo 15y ago
you just reminded me of one of those confusing stories from Godel Esher Bach.
1397.
by ktizo 15y ago
surely apathy would result in nobody being elected?
1398.
by ktizo 15y ago
Perhaps if you don't have the capability to deal with a territory, try and find locals who do and franchise to them before you get copied there.
1399.
by ktizo 15y ago
..first, let me point out, I do mean to be cynical. ;p
1400.
by ktizo 15y ago
Here is the latest AAA release by the studios on this theme, and I for one am impressed by it's authenticity. It is only available in certain territories at the moment, but will soon go global; http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/reaper-3.jpg I'
1401.
by ktizo 15y ago
I can hear the ghost of Robert Heinlein sniggering right now.
1402.
by ktizo 15y ago
is certainly an incredibly expensive problem, even in single cases; http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Boeing_Patent_Shuts_Down... And I am pretty sure, even ignoring broadness as a factor and just sticking to patents granted despite pri
1403.
by ktizo 15y ago
Do you really believe that there are only a few dozen bad computer/systems/process patents? That sounds wildly optimistic.
1404.
by ktizo 15y ago
Could you automate a patent troll using a variation on the SCIgen software and effectively ddos the entire patent office with nonsensical gibberish? Am I bad for thinking of such things? ;)
1405.
by ktizo 15y ago
Was thinking that you treat a patent as a bug, then submit it through the bug tracker and the result ends up on the wiki.
1406.
by ktizo 15y ago
Well, priorart.org is available for purchase. All it really needs is a wiki and a bug tracker on there... [edit]...oops, available by broker. :(