Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Postscript: A few emails say that smoking cessation is not covered under health insurance because most programs and treatments don't work. A few emails say that health insurance generally doesn't cover birth control either. And smokers are a better deal for insurance companies because they die a decade or two earlier than non-smokers, on average. That's a good point. Death is generally expensive. If it happens sooner that's a savings for the insurance company.   [Scripting News] Consider what that means for the anti-smoking zealots in the government who sue tobacco companies claiming that smokers costs society more money than non-smokers. If the claims of the zealots were true, then smokers would be a worse deal for insurance companies, not a better one. I never thought of that before. comment () trackback ()  3:03:15 PM     Arafat Splits U.N., U.S. Leaders [AP World News] The Europeans seem to be missing the point. They insist that Arafat is the legitimate leader of the Palestinians, while the US government says that Arafat has to be replaced. The US is not disputing that he is currently the legitimate leader, they're pointing out that peace is impossible as long as that remains the case. comment () trackback ()  2:59:17 PM     Saddam: U.S. Threatening All Arabs [AP World News] I'd say we're not threatening enough Arabs, myself--Saudi Arabia comes to mind. Still, there's a very easy way for Arabs to keep from being threatened by the US, and it's so obvious that even an Islamic fundamentalist should be able to figure it out. comment () trackback ()  10:18:19 AM     It Ain't Rocket Science Anymore: Thirty-three Years After Neil Armstrong. Bill Walker at Laissez Faire Electronic Times - It Ain't Rocket Science Anymore: Thirty-three Years After Neil Armstrong - NASA had a working nuclear-powered rocket back in 1965, but it was scrapped along with most of the rest of the US space program. We have the technology to colonize at least the solar system. If government would get out of the way, individuals would do it. [smith2004] [End the War on Freedom] There's a comparison between NASA's space program and Zheng He which I'd never considered before, but it really fits. Zheng was a Chinese admiral in the early fifteenth century who made several voyages of trade and exploration with fleets containing dozens of enormous sailing ships, far beyond anything Europeans were capable of at the time. After fifteen years, the Chinese government destroyed his fleets, made it a crime to build new ships, and turned its back on the rest of the world. comment () trackback ()  9:10:16 AM     Arundel grand jury identifies real culprits in FBI shooting. Gregory Kane at SunSpot - Arundel grand jury identifies real culprits in FBI shooting - neglect to follow conflicting police orders, expect to be shot. Seems to me that we get closer every day to a country where the only proper response to seeing a man in uniform is to shoot to kill. Wish it weren't so. [smith2004] We should be grateful to White and the grand jury for clarifying this matter. Now we know that when we venture from the safety of our homes onto our streets and highways, the folks charged with protecting us may now kill us if we don't raise our hands. The fact that they give conflicting orders will be considered our fault, not theirs. [End the War on Freedom] It's sad that the members of that grand jury have been successfully convinced that Feds are above the law. comment () trackback ()  8:58:37 AM

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