i'm using the quotes in the "so-called" sense since the phrase "catastrophic insurance," for example, is vague (ill-defined) and nothing more than a concept.

i.e. if you saw me write the post, you'd see my fingers flapping like bats as I was "quote/unquoting."

i.e. even the term "health insurance" is vague since low wage employees, for example, might "have insurance" techically but-- due to their incomes, can't use it because of the required copays and deductibles.

To boldly go...

Posted at January 30, 2008 5:16 PM in response to Hitting the Cap, Exposing the Gaps

So, as you ask, what is it that we're buying when we buy health insurance?

well, "health insurance" isn't enough since most folks would also need "income protection" as well. i.e. if you get really sick, you could lose your job and current health insurance plans don't help those who have income disruptions.

the main disadvantage to "catastrophic insurance" is "lack of preventive care."

i.e. "catastrophic insurance savings" won't materialize if preventable problems turn into nightmeres.

To boldly go...

Posted at January 29, 2008 10:32 AM in response to Hitting the Cap, Exposing the Gaps

here is one commentary about the crumbling of academia that I found interesting:

Eighty years ago American institutes of higher learning offered the very best available by way of economic and banking knowledge. Today they are a sorry shadow of their former self. They are subject to bribe and blackmail. They are stooges of the banks. There is a gigantic cover-up and distortion of truth, as a consequence of our way of financing advanced studies through grants from the banks, including the twelve Federal Reserve banks, with a hidden agenda to perpetuate the regime of the irredeemable dollar.

If academia is the tamed lion of the banks, then financial journalism is their lapdog.

[SOURCE]

and I tend to agree;

Now, while I was never a finance student, all of us saw that Columbia University's Bollinger was stupider than a dead corpse when Ahmadinejad came to town, Brandeis lost its marbels when Jimmy Carter came to town, and-- in Minneapolis, Father Dease-- a supposedly religious man, told Tutu to "stay away" since Tutu didn't spout Israeli talking points.

i.e. if truth is dead-- at American Universities, how much is an American Education worth?

To boldly go...

Posted at January 29, 2008 12:08 AM in response to Burning the Consumer

I guess that "time will tell" if america has the monoply on educational institutions or not...

To boldly go...

Posted at January 28, 2008 10:25 PM in response to Burning the Consumer

to gain economic clout and raise the bar. the question is: are americans arrogant or are they really that good? i.e. empires do fall.

To boldly go...

Posted at January 28, 2008 10:26 AM in response to Burning the Consumer

you're right about OPM; I understand that the banks sold mortages to wallstreet; wallstreet packaged them up as bonds; and then the banks got their capital back to lend out again.

the current "credit crisis", I understand, is partly due to the banks having problems with "buying back bad bonds"-- because they are leveraged to the hilt.

Since the "bond insurers" are gun shy, I think the US government-- as part of the stimulus bill, is going to buy up the "bad mortgages" to recapitalize banks and allow lending to restart.

so the banks will make a profit since their losses will be added to our deficiet.

thus, in the end, everyone loses-- both liberals and conservatives, because these games don't clean up the environement, create better education products or produce health care. i.e. all we get is more dollar bills when the Fed inflates the money supply.

To boldly go...

Posted at January 27, 2008 8:41 PM in response to Burning the Consumer

You can see why the guys running Citigroup and Chase are worth hundreds of millions per year, right?

the "conventional wisdom" is that you don't make money off loaning people money; I haven't checked to see how the CITI or Chase executives are paid, but at least CITI has a stock and the CITI CEO's probably make a boatload of cash off their stocks which are widely held in 401ks.

i.e. My Vanguard portfolio invests 21% in financial; the next biggest investment is "industrial materials" at 14%!

To boldly go...

Posted at January 27, 2008 2:53 PM in response to Burning the Consumer

Nor do I think that the teachers themselves are part of this scheme (at least knowingly);

the reason why NCLB became so "politically popular," my opinion-- besides money, was because people wanted to know what impact their teachers were having on them and their communities.

college teachers have historically been satisfied with "using bell curves" under the assumption that students have different abilities.

I was comfortable with that analysis until I started playing the piano and saw my math abilities take a fantastic leap!

since then, I've read "research papers" which claim that "music enhances the spatial and temporal abilities which are used in math."

so, at this point, I don't claim that "teachers" are guilty but, based on my experience-- and the research, there's a lot more to "cognitive development" than just a series of lectures, problem sets and tests-- the default experience for most college students!

i.e. as Tony Little the "Fitness Guru" says: "it's about the technique" and I believe him since I lost 80 lbs and can run almost 8 miles an hour! that's big news coming from someone with asthma! i.e. as a kid, I had to suffer through a "gym program" that wanted to put "every boy" on the football team instead of giving each guy his own exercise program which made sense.

in general, I hope that we've moved past "affirmative action and scholarships" and have enough courage to "guarantee a learning process".

for example, I bought a blood pressure monitor and decreased my blood pressure from 140/90 to 110/70 because the monitor provided feedback that reinforced good eating and exercise habits.

another example: I go to concept2.com (rowing machines) and have set a goal of becoming a "third quartile" performer; I've already made it into the "second quartile."

But they and their children will not pose any competition to the ruling class for at least 3 generations

and some, including myself, believe that colleges should embrace NCLB type testing which shows how effective their "learning programs" are relative to other universities!

I'd also separate the testing from the teaching so students could easily retake tests or find a "different teaching environment" if the default offering of their university didn't meet their needs.

Posted at January 27, 2008 2:43 PM in response to Burning the Consumer

FWIW I have run this theory past several friends in academia. They have told me that it is unlikely to be a deliberate plan - but they can't tell me why.

it's probably not a conspiracy; americans like the idea of giving less fortunate folks some opportunity because it seems fair-- a mind is a precious thing to waste, etc...

as a student teacher, a black student told me: "my grades don't matter, the negro college fund has money and I'll get into college since I'm black." I asked him: "would you hire someone like that to build your first house?" thankfully, he started to put more effort into his work.

In general, I don't really see any conspiracy but academics are used to "grading on a curve" and "let students be responsible for themselves." i.e. they don't try to develop character and good habits.

In particular, I took a "linear control systems course" with undergraduates this spring and not a single one of them did any work; the TA, however, gave them all A's and B's.

However, having been an undergrad, I understand the plight of those undergrads since I too took 18 credits a semester and didn't have time to "think" either.

The rude awakening for students and professors will be when Indian and Chinese schools and companies start to rival those in the US. at that point, professors will actually have to "develop talent" rather than simply let the gifted students in the class set the pace.

i.e. American companies literally have to hire foreigners to find employees with strong enough math skills.

To boldly go...

Posted at January 26, 2008 7:01 PM in response to Burning the Consumer

That's a pretty scary thought, really. But I don't think that "living beyond your means" takes into account the cost of heating oil.

it sure does because of the "supply and demand curve." i.e. America is stressing itself out, as a whole, by "living beyond it's means."

for example, the local mall, sporting venues, airports, al gore's house, etc... all want the same oil and other forms of energy which you use.

in my case, I live in an apartment and pay about $450 a month and that includes heat and garage. so maybe you could "downsize" to something more affordable? and figure out new ways to be happy without having a house to heat? my apartment manager keeps the heat here at a comfy 70 degrees!

Who could predict the increase? A lot of careful budgets blown no doubt.

those with a sense of history! modern history gives us argentina, asia, germany and russia as examples of economies that crashed.

unfortunately, the "america's the richest country in the world" slogan misinforms people about the true nature of wealth.

the sad but true lesson is: "rich people demand more than their fair share and get it!"

To boldly go...

Posted at January 26, 2008 12:41 PM in response to Burning the Consumer