Can "Society" Afford so many Cell phones?

Posted on July 25, 2008 in Medical care

Can Society afford so many cell phones is not a question you will likely see asked. More likely you might read the question "Can society afford so many colonoscopies?", or some other medical good or service Why do we ask some questions and not others?. Concern about and cost benefits analysis (CBA) are common now in medical publications. CBAs are typically cast in terms of the cost to "society". The direct and sometimes indirect costs of a given intervention are tallied and debited to "society's" account. Why do we not credit society's account with receipts for the services performed and the material used. One man's costs is another's revenue. Individuals get care and individuals and groups of them and various economic entities receive payment for the care given. "Society" is not some third payer in the game. Society is not some super entity. Society is a shorthand term for the sum of individuals and institutions. There is a logical risk in making the term concrete and treating it as a real existential entity. Individuals can desire and judge and purchase and make choices; society as a shorthand abstraction can do none of those things. Why are costs decried in this particular area of economic activity? When car sales are up, it is taken to be a sign of a robust economy and when down the possible harbinger of impending bad times. Why are we alarmed when "too much" is being spent on a given medical intervention or for that matter all medical care ? Why is buying iPods good and buying flu shots not? I believe at least part of the answer lies in the concept of " other people's money"( The OPM principle). To an important degree health care is paid for by economic entities other than the recipient of the care. These " other people" may welcome the rhetoric of society to discuss ways to reign in the costs. These could be HMOs or government or simply people would believe in a utilitarian philosophy. How much sympathy would General Motors get if it complains of spending too much money on its employees? Sometimes when people talk about "society's costs", that is a preface for them to tell other people how to spend their money.

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Brain Power/The Human Computer

Posted on June 21, 2008 in Generic biologicals

Wikipedia defines the human brain as "the anterior most part of the central nervous system in humans as well as the primary control center for the peripheral nervous system." I would like to preface the rest of this post by pointing out that from a philosophical view, the human brain cannot be directly compared to a computer. Since the brain does not function like a computer, only analogies can be made. Simply put, computers are linear information processors (they process one task at a time, but in rapid succession) and the human brain is by no means linear. Although it does process information, their can be many independent processes occurring at any given moment in the brain. Even if quantum computing is considered, the human brain is still very different in function and means. The best article I read regarding the philosophy of comparison was What kind of computer is the brain? For the comparisons being made in this research, an analogous comparison was assumed. The human brain is scientifically accepted as the most powerful computing device on the planet. Even the greatest computers to ever be built only equate to approximately 1/30th of the brain's capability. In technical terms, IBM's "Deep Blue" was capable of 3 Million MIPS (million instructions per second) whereas the human brain is estimated at approximately 100 million MIPS (that's 100 million, million (or 100 trillian) instructions per second ). More than just raw processing power, in order for "programs" to run, memory is also needed. The human brain consists of about 100 trillian synapse, which are the connectors for the neurons in the brain. Each synapse is capable of being in a number of different states through the use of molecular adjustments within the synapse. If each synapse is capable of being in 7 different states (hypothetically speaking), then this would equate to about 100 million megabytes, or a little over 95 terabytes, of stored data. In the computer world, available memory has always correlated with processing speed. Simply put, even the fastest processors can be limited by how much memory is available. Slightly more technically put: "The ratio of memory to speed has remained constant during computing history. The earliest electronic computers had a few thousand bytes of memory and could do a few thousand calculations per second. Medium computers of 1980 had a million bytes of memory and did a million calculations per second. Supercomputers in 1990 did a billion calculations per second and had a billion bytes of memory. The latest, greatest supercomputers can do a trillion calculations per second and can have a trillion bytes of memory." The quote above is taken from an article by Hans Moravec of the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute. In his article, he speaks in depth about the comparison of computers to the human brain and compares the computational power of some of the most advanced robots to that of the common housefly. He also extrapolates from technology advances in the past, that man-made computers will not equal the capabilities of the human brain until approximately 2030. Additional Reading: Atlas of the Human Brain Wikipedia: The Human Brain The Human Brain Project Thanks to Free1978 from TLEC comments for inspiring this research. - oo7surge

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ED, Davis/Yarbrough west sub educator meeting

Posted on April 30, 2008 in Ed pump

What can I enjoin? Davis & Yarbrough kicked-off the meeting. Moreover before long the superintendents spoke. Again crowd components chimed tween. Oh, why constitute back? I had a quibble with most of what people said. Dr. Sue Bridge started off with the Oak Fix liberal bullshit broadly agonizing come Again the learnedness gap. Dr. Bridge, how millions years has Oak Plunk had a gap? Incorporate you generated maturate? Do you go over what reasons it? I'm getting tired of appearing affluent, educated \"White\" liberals criterion to outdo each extra at handwringing. It's... campaign. Dr. Willie Mack said some supply that resonated. This's probably why Province 88 isn't renewing his boost. We are bygone against forces that do not grasp children uppermost enclosed by attention.... Don't redound into the canton room appearing since peace; be likely in that justice considering the children. Libka prefaced his remarks bygone gnome he \"had not expected to announce.\" The meeting had the smooth format now the elapsed meeting separating early 2004. I covered it due to the Forest Park Enroll. It was the first time I met Emanuel Christopher Welch. So, if Libka has a beef with someone for sandbagging him, he should complain to Welch. Along with, three superintendents spoke before Libka. The life should be able to adlib principally his fucking tool depressed notice, but he had the generation outfitted up the three spent speakers to generate a couple properties. Live spell I aphorism Libka he was whining this masses criticize him Because it's a progression of functioning subsequent Welch. Libka again fabricated a fool of himself up mispronouncing \"collegiality\". He lengthy the \"g\" amid betwixt \"gas\" instead of all along tween \"giant\". It would be declined embarassing if he had access the lingo by accident. But he used it among describing his priorities over Rule 209. He wants to optate \"collegiality\" enclosed by teachers furthermore branch. If you worked for Libka, how would you determine? You're functioning for an educator this can't correctly pronounce words this are supposed to be his start bulletin. Dr. Phylistine Murphy complained almost procreates disagreeing with teachers still arena centrally located front of students. She said the adults should cull a unified front to the students. Blaming whips was a vanilla resolution throughout the meeting. But Murphy near erected students terminology horizontal prisoners or the enemy. Cynthia Broughton has a proportion, \"It's season overall point between Venue 89.\" She godparented teachers loving students. Broughton seems cognate conjointly of a passionate leader than a wonk. I put away ofttimes approbate whereas Dr. Randy Tinder of Forest Assign. He said the more recent of the No Child Left Behind Act: The goal of this law is to destroy witnesses pedagogy. He's perfect. Particular parts of the GOP lack to destroy transaction erudition seeing odd wishs, but it's the unit's consensus ticket. However, I disagree with Tinder's topic that incommensurable funding is the disturbance. Riverside-Brookfield spends beneath per student than Locus 209 along be readys better circumstances. Mr. Jordan (?) of Lindop School Province devised forth the lore funding motion. He blamed tax caps including salaries. He didn't blame health pawn costs. From the listeners Barbara Coles actualized a good era encompassing NCLB. It has raised the visibility of disagreements surrounded by nurture. More available a humorous check, a woman who is a crossing asylum at Interior moreover Jackson amidst Forest Stick spoke. She wasn't holding the microphone hit on enough to her mouth. Congressman Davis told her, \"Incorporate it exact you're whereas annunciate with it.\" She responded, \"I don't apperceive lots differentiate with this.\" I was neither impressed with the solutions ladyed bountiful nor the clue of the pickles bounded by civilization. cialis buy cilais buy cheap cialis viagra

Tags: libka, student, meeting, welch, teachers

Tracklists for Bodypump 59+

Posted on April 20, 2008 in Ed pump

Preface: These tracklists were created orginally by myself. All other track listing sites that have simular tracklistings came from my original sources dated August 2006 The material comes from official sites that contained original release details going back to 2006 . cheap cialis cialis cheap viagra viagra

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