More Nails For Windows Vista's Coffin

Another person has added to the list of reasons that Windows Vista is now looking more like the infamous Windows ME than the future of Microsoft's. I have many posts about Windows Vista (see the tags below) but this is the most important one of them all. Microsoft has turned on itself.

And Dave Jewell in his article Vista-End of the Dream says it's got a simple reason: unmaintainability. I agree with the conclusion, but before reading the article, I have to admit I was highly sceptical about his claim. But, being a code geek myself, I think he may have a point. There are many reasons as I've said before -- even many of the people in Microsoft are opposed to Windows Vista and the disaster it represents.

I want to throw out something in support of Mr. Jewell which he missed upon, and it's important. He mentioned Apple and their multiple releases of new versions of operating systems. That's great. However, he got the logic wrong and that logic supports his arguments. Over the years Apple has totally and completely abandoned their old operating systems and re-written them from the ground up: the biggest and most famous was ditching OS-9 in favour of OS-X -- however it happened when they went from ProDOS to GS/OS which introduced resource-forked files and it also happened between OS-6 and OS-7 when they introduced colour (wow) and multi-tasking where more than one application was actually running at once (multi-finder). This is an oversimplification, but it gives you something to look at.

Apple isn't afraid to throw everything away, tell developers "here's our new path" and then they boldly (and sometimes stupidly, I shall admit) go marching down that path without ever looking to see if anyone is following. Apple has a fantastic success rate with this sort of thing. It's coming soon to the iPod line if you want to know my opinion on the matter. And Apple isn't stupidly building DRM into their entire operating system -- it is built into specific applications which requirement and not shoving it down everyone's throat regardless of the conditions.

Why Cal Still Rocks

I am no apologist when it comes to homerism and the University of California at Berkeley. It is widely regarded as one of the best schools in the world, and on many of those lists it is declared the best university in the world beating out the rest, so says even the London Times. I blogged this previously.

It bears saying again: Berkeley is better than your school. First, with sixty (60_ Nobel laureates and counting, no other university comes close, not to mention a small collection of Turing Award laureates. The list of distinguished Cal alumni is absurdly long and Wikipedia has an entire article listing a small selection. If you want the best education you can get, then Cal is your school. Good luck getting in because it's not easy. But Cal is special inspiring fierce loyalty, giving an unparalleled education, and teaching beyond education by giving a special sense of community found nowhere else on earth. Not to mention, it's near San Francisco, one of the best cities there is.

Here is a small list of Berkeley Alumni (or attendees in a few instances) to give you an idea of what Cal can produce:

Technology amd Science: Nine (9) astronauts, and so many people in the computer industry it’s impossible to calculate. But Cal grads are responsible for Xerox, Intel, Apple, Atari, Rambus, Sybase, and others. Dozens of mathematicians and physicists. Douglas C. Engelbart (inventor of the computer mouse), Steve Wozniak (Apple Computer) are some of the more recognizable names.

Fiction: Philip K. Dick, Robert Baer, Jack London, Terry McMillan, Vikram Chandra, and Amy Tan.

Music: Stewart Copland (drummer for the Police), Susanna Hoffs (Bangles), Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind), and Adam Durtiz (Counting Crows).

Journalism: Scott Adams (Dilbert), Pauline Esther Friedman (Dear Abby), Jann Wenner (Rolling Stone), Peter Chernin (CEO Fox and President of News Corporation), and William Randolph Hearst, Jr. Conservative talk show hos Michael Savage was a Berkeley liberal hanging out with his former friend Alan Ginsberg before his brains were scrambled and he went further right than Bush.

Actors: Bill Bixby, Jeff Cohen (Chunk in the cult classic film The Goonies), William Hung (sorry), Stacy Keach, Jerry Mathers (The Beaver), Gregory Peck, George Takei, and John Cho.

Business and Finance: Stephen D. Bechtel (Founder Bechtel), Jean Paul Getty, Donald Fisher (founder The Gap), Walter A. Haas (Co-founder Levi Strauss & Co), Edgar F. Kaiser (founder Kaiser Permanente), Howard Lincoln (chairman Nintendo America, retired), Thomas J. Long (fonder Longs Drugs), Sanjay Mehrotra (co-founder SanDisk), Michael Milken (rogue trader), Paul Otellini (CEO Intel), John Riccitiello (CEO Electronic Arts), Arun Sarin (CEO Vodafone UK), John Scharffenberger (dounder of world famous chocolatier), Ralph Warner (founder Nolo Press), and Dean Witter himself. Cal’s first master’s degree was awarded in 1865 to Gardner F. Williams, the first manager of DeBeers Consolidated Mines.

Heads of State and Government and Politics: At least seven (7) presidents, prime ministers, princes, princesses, prime ministers, and at least nine (9) governors. The crown prince of Norway is currently in attendance. Over a dozen secretaries of various governmental departments including Dean Rusk former Secretary of State were loyal Bears. Legislators and mayors (including Ron Dellums) too numerous to list belong to this elite club. As of today there are eight Cal grads in Congress. Jerry Brown is a Cal grad but that may count as a negative. Even historical figures such as Hiram Johnson are Cal grads -- he in 1888, for Cal is historic if nothing else.

Judiciary: Earl Warren, chief justice of the US Supreme Court. Lance Ito of OJ Simpson fame, and others many others far more distinguished but not as famous.

Athletes: Again so many including Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson (with whom I attended classes), Kyle Boller, Steve Bartkowski, Joe Kapp, Joe Roth, Joe Rose, Russell White, and Chuck Muncie. There are over two dozen Cal Olympians as well, of which Matt Biondi is perhaps the best known. The Cal Rugby team is the best in the NCAA winning 22 out of the past 27 titles including 12 in a row from 1991.

And More: Alice Waters (Chef), Timothy Leary (counter-culture icon), Ted Kazcynski (the Unabomber), and the universally famous Rube Goldberg. And let us not forget Jay Ward, creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, and others. In an interesting side-note many fictional characters are Cal grads too from Jack Bauer on 24, to Monk, to Mrs. Robinson in the legendary film the Graduate.

GO BEARS!

Another Blow To Vista

In another blow to Microsoft's latest version of Windows, "Vista", Dell has been forced to backtrack its Windows Vista only decision (news article), and is now shipping XP based systems due to overwhelming demand from its customers. While I am torn at whether or not to blog this because I hate Dell more than almost any other company in the USA except for, perhaps, Aetna Insurance, my distaste for Windows compels me to report this.

I am also shocked that Dell has bothered to listen to its customers, because quite frankly, based on the feedback in my other post on Dell, they haven't got very many fans. Apparently, Microsoft can't be quite as happy with Windows Vista's rollout as they have been claiming.

For more on Dell, Vista, Microsoft, please click on one of the tag links and you'll see all my posts on that particular subject.

Eric with Tube In Nose

Eric with Tube In Nose
Originally uploaded by darsys.

This morning I had an esophageal manometry, and then that was followed with the hook-up for the 24 hour pH test. So, here I am with the ever-so-exciting medical device. This is yet another step in the research to prevent my hopefully unlikely and untimely demise. It was done this morning, and I didn't enjoy the procedure, though it didn't really hurt. It just tormented my gag-reflex. It doesn't hurt but it's terribly uncomfortable. Like the idiot I am, I went from the doctor's office straight to work. I have to wear this device for 24 hours (no showering allowed) then return to the doctor to have this removed.

As the day goes on this is becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. I can tell my throat will be a mess tomorrow because it's hurting in places it didn't hurt before. The damn tube is rubbing everywhere and I hates it. (Please say the last bit like Gollum).

Vermont Senate: Impeach the President

Excerpts from an AP story posted today.

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Vermont senators voted Friday to call for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, saying their actions have raised "serious questions of constitutionality."

The nonbinding resolution was approved 16-9 without debate - all six Republicans in the chamber at the time and three Democrats voted against it.

Bush and Cheney's actions in the U.S. and abroad, including in Iraq, "raise serious questions of constitutionality, statutory legality, and abuse of the public trust," the resolution reads.

The Vermont Senate is believed to be the first state chamber in the country to pass such a resolution, said Bill Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "Many chambers passed resolutions about the war in Iraq, but none that we are aware have called for impeachment," he said. Advocates were thrilled with the vote.

"I think it's going to have a tremendous political effect, a tremendous political effect on public discourse about what to do about this president," said James Leas, a vocal advocate of withdrawing troops from Iraq and impeaching Bush and Cheney.

Democratic House Speaker Gaye Symington has kept a similar resolution from reaching the floor in her chamber. She argued that an impeachment resolution would be partisan and divisive and that it would distract Washington from efforts to get the United States out of Iraq, which she says is more important. Forty towns voted in favor of similar nonbinding impeachment resolutions at their annual town meetings in March. State lawmakers in Wisconsin and Washington have pushed for similar resolutions.

This thrills me to no-end. I realize it has little to no chance of gaining serious momentum, but it's far from a distraction. It's a signal that the American people are fed up with the lying shits that are running our country. At least people will get the message that not all Americans are represented by the divisive, evil, arselicks that are in office. They stole the first election and subsequent reports have even the second election in doubt. Our current administration is completely and utterly illegitimate and they rule only because they have subverted the democratic process and the will of the people. It's shameful beyond all belief.

The cutest polar bear cub in the universe, Knut

The cutest polar bear cub in the universe, Knut, is sick today, but more on that after I share his story. First here's a short 1 minute flash video on the Berlin Zoo's website (english). What's shocking is that animal rights activists wanted him killed. Even star photographer Annie Leibovitz has photographed this adorable baby bear. But, as I said, not everyone loves the cute little polar bear.

Animal rights activists want him put to sleep because he has been raised on a bottle. "Raising him by hand is not appropriate to the species but rather a blatant violation of animal welfare laws," animal rights activist Frank Albrecht told the German mass circulation newspaper Bild. The idea isn't as outlandish as it may at first seem. Baby zoo animals have been killed for the same reason in the past. When it comes to Knut, it is likely that clearer heads will prevail. Wolfgang Apel, head of the German Animal Protection League, called for Knut to be saved. "Making bears into humans has to stop as soon as possible, but we cannot put him to sleep. He has a right to live."

The zoo reports that adorable little Knut is starting to become a bit of a handful as he gets bigger -- suggesting that the bear is maybe not as human as people fear. "The many bruises that his keeper has show that Knut has discovered he is a bear," said Heiner Klös, the zoo's manager. Keeper Thomas Dörflein has raised Knut, on a bottle since the cub was rejected by his mother at birth.

The Berlin zoo on Monday said Knut, the cuddly polar bear cub that has become a media superstar, had fallen ill and was being treated with antibiotics, and as a result, the four-month-old bear's first public appearance of the day was cut short because he was not feeling well. Klös said the ailment was not serious, adding that Knut had taken a nap after the drugs were administered.

You may also view Knut's photo gallery. Here's a Reuter's video of Knut. I'd kidnap him and take him home, but Florida's too hot for a bear and Scooter would probably object anyway. Lastly, Knut has a blog in German but you'll be able to figure it out, so surf over anyway.

Post 300: Microsoft's Arrogance And Stupidity

An interesting article (here) about Windows Vista by Andrew Grygus. It's fitting that my 300th post is yet another tirade against Windows. Actually, it's more my commentary on someone else's tirade. This guy is vehemently anti-Mac and I'm still going to talk about what he had to say because he gets it. Microsoft has gone from bad to worse.

He recounts a famous story where, James Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's Platform Products and Services Group wrote an internal memo saying that Microsoft had lost touch with customer needs and if he didn't work there he'd buy an Apple Macintosh. Allchin retired the day Vista shipped but his memo lives on.

There are many issues with Vista's DRM components and by using them you waive your right to privacy. If you use Vista, Microsoft knows who you are, where you are, and where you computer is physically located. And they can disable your computer. Yes, they can render your computer non-functional if they find it not in compliance. No joke. If you install a driver program and they do not feel it meets the current DRM specification, they can cause Vista to cease to function. You just sold your soul to Microsoft -- aren't you glad? I'm not making this up. Spend some time on Google. I am not anti-PC (yay Linux) but I am vehemently anti-Microsoft and even more anti-Windows. I just don't understand why anyone in his/her right mind would use it.

The answer is often, "we use it at work" -- and that is a reason for you, personally, to use it at work. However, the question is: why would your company allow it? At my office we run an IBM branded AIX based p-series server. Almost our entire company functions using dumb terminals (IBM 3153) connected to this. Do we have some PCs? Yes. Our voice mail system is on an isolated e-machines PC, UPS Worldship runs on another, another that runs QuickBooks (which I am working to make go away), and the Internet station so people can look up stuff on the Internet and run Word and Excel. The last unit will be replaced with a Mac when it expires, but why obsolete something that works. I have a PC laptop but that was for budgetary reasons and it gets maybe 14 or so days of use a year, mostly when I am sent places like China. I won't even go in to the security issues with Windows.

I will, however, ask again why any sane person anywhere on the planet would use a computer when the company that made the operating system can disable your machine? Do you want a company to have that much power over you? Especially when that company is Microsoft?

Seriously, read Andrew Grygus's article here and then James Allchin's internal memo from Microsoft (internal memo) and ask yourself what the hell you think you're doing? There's nothing inherently wrong with an Intel based system* but stick OS-X on it or AIX or Linux, or something that is not Windows. Stop the insanity.

* I prefer PowerPC myself, but that's just me. Geek that I am.


(And that concludes my 300th post. I want to thank my regular readers who subscribe via RSS feed as well as my thousands of itinerant visitors who pass through. Thanks for the e-mails and comments. I like comments.)

Post 299: More on Aetna and other unrelated stuff

Let's see, this is the 299th post in my blog so the next post will be a milestone of sorts. I will be sure and either commemorate it or perhaps entirely ignore it.


Aetna Sucks Worse Than A Two-Bit Whore

Today, I sent a formal complaint to the State of Florida department of insurance regulation about the crap Aetna has put me through. More importantly, I sent a copy of that complaint to Ronald A. Williams, Aetna's CEO. I doubt I'll get an answer, because as you've seen in my previous posts (especially this one) you have by now realized Aetna cares not one whit and not one iota about its clients and would prefer they all drop dead rather than actually try and help them -- think of all the money they'd save!

I realize some Aetna employees may be reading this, and I believe some of you may actually care about your clients, but I maintain that your company as a whole and your company's policies are grossly negligent towards the care and well-being of your patients. When you become so arrogant that you feel your policies are more important than those of a licensed medical practitioner, then there is something horribly wrong with your company. I deeply resent a computer and a clerk telling me they want to question my doctor over my prescription, and as much as I resent, I can assure you my doctor resents it more, because he told me so. You have forgotten that your patients are human beings, if you haven't forgotten then you just don't care. I'm not sure which is worse. Repulsively disgusting.


Product Recalls

In other news, there has been yet another product recall (today: mouthwash) which has been contaminated. In recent months there's been cat food, dog food, mouthwash, spinach, lettuce, peanut butter, and so forth. A slew of recalls in recent months. There are forces at work here, mostly the government letting companies get away with murder, perhaps? I almost am ready to agree with conspiracy theorists on this one and we all know how much I loathe conspiracy theory. But there's just too many in too short a time. And what's worse, if it's as easy as a farm worker crapping in a field to cause massive outbreak of e-coli, just think how easy it would be for a terrorist to drop something far, far, far worse into the food supply. Or, perhaps, it's best if you don't think about it -- especially if you have Aetna because you'll probably die.


My Photo & Home Movie Library

I've also decided to digitize my entire photo library. I should thank Rangeek for this because he and I were talking (ie: e-mail) and I thought it would be cool to see old photos but I bemoaned the lack of patience to do the job and thought it would be a good business idea. Of course, with Google, you can find anything. And, indeed a search found any number of companies that do this -- not all of them reputable.

I plan to have my entire photo collection (photos, negatives, slides, everything) put on CDs and my home movies including the infamous New Year's Eve parties put on DVD. I will make them available to my friends who attended. I will slowly post some of the photos to my Flikr page. This project will cost me at least a grand and take two months, but it's worth it. I have photos of some good memories that are irreplaceable (such as this one). And I'd like to have a set of CDs to put in a safe-deposit box somewhere after I make copies to share. I can also clean up some of the older, grimy photos with Photoshop. I plan to ship off three cases of material to the company within two weeks.

I have photos from my Boy Scout days, college days, childhood, and such. I have photos of relatives, pets, places, vacations. There's so much there. 90% of it is meaningless to anyone but me. But people are funny about photos. Survey after survey asks people what they would save first if their house would burn down (excluding people and pets) and the answer is overwhelmingly photos.

I may post some of the videos on a secure password protected web-page on my site one day for your download amusement. But it's really boring if you weren't there in many cases. Parties, trips to the zoo, a road trip. Then again there are some very interesting things on there that, perhaps, I may not want to share. I'll watch 'em first. But the video of Paul counting shoes on the bridge to Tomorrow land is pretty damned priceless. Maybe I'll charge him $50,000 not to post it. Of course on that same tape I'm terribly hung-over the next morning, so I won't win any prizes either. Heh. Seriously, once it's done (updates posted here) I will report what is and isn't available.

Another Pundit, Another Kudos for Apple

Why is the Mac crowd often called zealots? Well, I do have to agree, the answer is because we are. But more importantly, it's because Apple rocks. This is not a case of blind loyalty by minions with the IQ of a cinder-block* but rather a loyalty based on years of trust and (mostly) mutual understanding.

Carl Howe of Blackfriars Communications writes this piece, which sums it up nicely using the iPod v Zune and Dell/HP vs Mac product lines as a basis for discussion.

I've made many posts on this here (see my Apple tag). As Mr Howe points out, "Apple's loyalists are no more than very happy, deeply satisfied customers, and their competitors should learn from that." (Emphasis mine).






* Windows Users

Today's Medical Report

Today was my appoint with Dr. V. Alin Bottoman, who I saw because a friend highly recommended him. If you haven’t read my insurance saga, it might be appropriate reading. You may read that at: April 2007. My previous medical update is at March 2007 – and lastly if you don’t remember when it started there’s this blog post September 2006 and this post August 2006. That will get you up to date. Done reading? Good. Now, I can start where we left off. This bit will take you from the March 2007 post to today.

As you’ve seen, I spoke with Doctor Newman a few days later and he said the results were excellent. There were no tumours, ulcers, or any sign of any problem whatsoever. He said I had a very small hiatal hernia, which is normal in people my age and it was nothing to worry about and wouldn’t be the cause of the reflux. As you can also see, as evidenced by my anti-insurance posts, I went back to Doctor for my follow up visit. He used the camera through the nose device, said nothing was wrong, and referred me back to Doctor Newman who he said was my doctor for everything except the granuloma. Not overly happy with being shunted off, I called Doctor Newman who said to continue the twice per day Nexium and add a Zantac mid-day. I’m doing that, but I don’t want to take drugs long-term. Something caused this, and if we can find the cause we can fix it.

The simple fact is my acid reflux is not getting better despite all these medications. I can taste it in my mouth on-and-off on some days – a sour taste in the mouth. I have embarrassing large quantities of gas all day and all night. My throat is very sore, especially on my left side near the top and swallowing is a chore -- if I press the spot with my finger, I can swallow with almost no pain. I find that odd. My voice sounds terrible. The problem is worse in the morning, especially when I first wake up.

My stomach has a constant dull ache that has only started since the Endoscopy (though I don’t think that it’s related) – I suspect it’s the gas build-up. I am also getting sharp-stabby pains in a few very specific spots of my stomach, also which started since the Endoscopy. They don’t last long (2 or 3 seconds) but I sure as hell can notice them. One spot is worse than the other two. It happens 3 or 4 times per day, randomly and in varying degrees. And now, you’re up to today before Doctor Botoman. Aren’t you glad I had all this free time to type this for your reading pleasure?

The doctor’s office gave me a ream of paperwork to fill out: questionnaires, surveys, and the usual health crap. Then, of course, I waited. There’s nothing like a doctor’s office to wait in for the sheer boredom effect. Then they called me in and the nurse came in with a laptop and asked me many detailed questions, and typed them into the computer. Prior to my visit, I had faxed a two-page report on everything that happened to date (which, happily, was already in my folder). I also vented about my Aetna problem and she laughed (friendly) and said they’re all bad so I shouldn’t be too mad. Then she said the doctor would be with me shortly. She also informed me I look like him (I disagree) and I’d see when he came in.

A good 35 minutes later, he appeared. And he immediately apologized for the delay. I liked him already. No doctor has ever apologized for the wait. He explained the network went down and he needed all the stuff the nurse typed in so he had to wait for it to come up. He asked me lots more questions.

First, he agreed that there’s obviously something wrong despite the fact there was nothing on the Endoscopy. Second, he believes Nexium doesn’t always work in some cases and I may be one of them. He is postulating that my body is metabolizing the Nexium faster than it’s released from the capsules though he recommends I continue to take it 2x per day for at least 3 more months. He also said the morning dose is far more important than the evening dose which is against conventional wisdom.

(The part from here to the end of the post is heavily edited for on-line viewing. I've left most of it out; lots of gory details, and the bulk of the results. The report is available to friends and family by inquiring via e-mail.)

First up for me is a poop test. Once I pass that I get my first pH test which is done by inserting several electrodes into my nose and down into my esophagus which stay there for 24 hours. I then wear what looks like a purse for 24 hours (it contains the recording devices and such).

He feels there are several outcomes. If I do nothing, I have an extraordinarily high-risk of esophageal cancer, and can die from it. Associated with that, I run a higher risk of many other severe and possibly fatal medical conditions. As such, this is a very Bad Option, though some days it looks pretty good :)

There are several options: all of which involve surgery, none of it minor. There’s actually an even worst-case option, and that is the source is not found. Since the drugs aren’t working, this would present Big Problems.

However, he’s confident we’ll figure it out. My Acid Reflux suddenly changed and there has to be a cause. It’s a matter of systematically finding that cause. He doesn’t want to operate unless there is absolutely no other choice, and I whole-heartedly agree.

And if you’re not a doctor, please don’t offer advice. Some of the helpful advice I’ve received so far has seriously worsened my condition, so if you’re not a Gastrointestinologist, your advice is appreciated deeply but entirely unwelcome.

Aetna Blows More than Monica Lewinsky

I fucking HATE insurance companies. Today, I think I shall rip Aetna a new asshole in my blog because they so richly deserve it. They probably have plenty ripped assholes already, so one more ought not bother them. Aetna is comprised of incompetent, idiotic assholes. I think they hope I die before they call back so they don't have to pay anything.
I have an Open Access POS plan through Aetna. No big deal. It's basically an HMO with an open access option (for which I pay extra). It means you don't need a referral to see a specialist. You pay a double co-pay, so you don't save any money. What you do save is time because you don't have to go see your primary, pay a co-pay, and then go see the specialist.

I'm an adult. I know what part of me is broken, so I if I need an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat) because my throat is having troubles, I can go. I pay a double co-pay because he's a specialist, hence I've not saved any money, but I have saved at least a week in time, which is priceless.

They insist I'm on an HMO even though I'm on a POS. The billing computer has it right, my card is right, but the service-provider's computer (where they check if your coverage is active) doesn't. So when my doctor calls, it tells them I am on the basic HMO plan. So my doctors all want referrals even though I don't need one. If I don't have a referral, I am not covered. That might not sound so bad except when you don't have a referral the insurance doesn't cover the visit and you're looking at $400 instead of $30.

This bit has been ongoing. I have spoken to people at Aetna (as well as my independent insurance agent) all of whom have promised to call me back. Some have asked for faxes, for details, and my contact information. Aetna is comprised of incompetent, idiotic assholes. Like I said before, I think they hope I die before they call back so they don't have to pay anything.

The people I've spoken with all assure me their computer shows I am covered. However, from what the doctors say, I am not covered. One of my doctors even had the information faxed over to me which quite clearly shows I am not covered. I have faxed this to them, my agent, anyone who wants to see it. It matters not to them. I am a human and Aetna cares not one iota for humanity. If I were a dollar bill they would be fawning over me like a lecher over a sixteen-year-old cheer leader.

But wait, there's more!

But that's not all. So I'm on these drugs that the otolaryngologist prescribed and I have two days left. Last time I checked my doctor is a licensed professional. The drug (if you care) is Nexium 40 which is to treat my severe acid reflux, the cause still being under investigation. I am supposed to take two per day which is 60 per month. First time I went to get them, Aetna gave me a hard time and said this drug needed pre-certification. I couldn't get them and had to call the doctor's office who had to argue with Aetna. The prescription was issued and the label clearly says "take twice per day" -- okay, boys and girls how many pills is that per month? If you got "60" you win. If you got "30" you work for Aetna. So after two weeks with 30 pills, it's time to renew. I always renew online because it's easy. I go to pick them up. Apparently Aetna feels they know better than my doctor.

So the pharmacist at Walgreens – a very nice man – let me use his phone so I could call Aetna. I went through dozens of voice-activated automated menus. Everyone around me laughed because none of the menu prompts would recognize my group ID. After much aggravation, I finally got to the part where you say “operator” to get a human and I said "operator." It hung up on me with no explanation. I started about 4:55pm and got hung up on a little after 5pm. When I called back and went through the same hell again, it said, I had to call back between 8am and 5pm (what happened to 24 hour service for medical issues)? The pharmacist, being the masochist he is, thought he'd give it a try. That failed spectacularly as I found when I called him an hour later.

My pills will run out Saturday. Of course, I can buy them at $188.90 per bottle of 30 and I need two of them. What do you think the chances Aetna will pay are? I've had a number of insurance plans, but Aetna is near the bottom -- only inHumana was worse.

The worst part is, stress greatly aggravates my acid reflux condition. So Aetna's behaviour is actually harming me. I'm sure that's ironic or something. I wonder if I can sue them for attempted murder?

On Tueday, I will file a complaint with the State of Florida Insurance Commissioner. It won't do much good because I have little faith in that office based on what I see of our entire insurance crisis in the state, but if it makes Aetna suffer a little, it'll make me happy.

I am trying to reduce my Carbon Footprint

Another green step by me today. I've been meaning to do this for over a year and I'm embarrassed it's taken me this long. Florida Pillage And Loot (FPL, our local Power company*) has a program called Sunshine Energy where you pay $10 per month and it goes to buy green power (solar, wind, etc).

I have signed up. I've since learned many local power companies offer this option. Since I am a power pig when it comes to my AC unit at night (10pm on when I try and go to bed), I figure I should pay to help offset my sins.

In other Green News, I have replaced my 12+ year old washer and dryer with new High Efficiency units and also replaced my dishwasher as well with a better, though not perfect, unit. And of course, they're Energy Star compliant when available.

My fridge was replaced a few years ago. I also replaced my thermostats with programmable ones to help keep the AC units from running when I am not at home. Most of my lights (bathrooms and bug lights excluded) are being replaced with Compact Fluorescent as they expire -- no need to throw away a perfectly good bulb.

Even most of my newer computer equipment is Energy Star compliant. I am trying to do the right thing and reduce my carbon footprint.



* They claim it stands for Florida Power and Light but I don't believe them.

Eddie the Eagle takes Flight and Dances

Yep, Crazy Eddie is at it again. Eddie Belfour brought the house down with this beautiful performance worthy of an Emmy.



First, the background: Eric Staal was skating in the offensive zone near the boards. Bryan Allen was near him and was called for "tripping" which was dubious. But let's say it was legitimate for arguments sake despite the fact that any contact was questionable. Staal takes a swan dive worthy of an award clearly trying to draw a penalty. The worst call would have been two minutes on each -- two for tripping and two for diving, but to me it should have been two on Stall for diving only. That would have left it even strength. But instead, they just call the phantom trip. Eddie Belfour loses his cool -- as only Eddie The Eagle Can -- and does a mocking dance for the referee trying to show his opinion that it was a dive. Even Potvin was having a blast observing Eddie from the broadcast booth.

The fans were booing the official when his hand went up after Staal went down -- in fact if you listen to the audio of the clip above you can hear our reaction. We all thought it was bogus. Then Eddie got called for unsportsmanlike conduct -- a good call, actually. However we gave Eddie a standing ovation. That left the Panthers in a situation where we were guaranteed to lose the game, which is what happened moments later when the scored, mathematically eliminating us from the playoffs.

Okay, never use a penalty as an excuse for a game. I've said that repeatedly, even here in this blog. We should have won this game in regulation: we were winning 3 to 1 in the third and then we played really crappy for 10 minutes, which is what cost us the game. It should have never gone into overtime, but it did. I am not saying the call cost us the win, but I am saying the call on Allen was wrong and the non-call on Staal was even more wrong. The call on Eddie was warranted, but I've never been a big Eddie fan (nor a hater, just indifferent) until Sunday night. Eddie's dance made me a fan. ED-DIE! ED-DIE! ED-DIE!

You can discuss this with fellow Panther fans on our message board in this thread. You can read, but to post you must be a member. Memberships require moderator activation, and for fastest results e-mail the moderator as soon as you register.

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Apple, Beatles Label Plan Announcement Today

EMI Group PLC (the Beatles' record Label) said Sunday it planned to unveil "an exciting new digital offering" with computer company Apple., raising expectations that The Beatles' music catalog is about to be made available through Apple's iTunes online music store. Apple's attempts to make the Beatles available on iTunes were hampered by a long-running ongoing trademark dispute with The Beatles' company, Apple Corps. Ltd. Recently, Apple Computer and Apple Music finally resolved their legal feud over use of the apple logo and name.

EMI said it would hold a news conference Monday at its London headquarters with its chief executive, Eric Nicoli, and Apple's CEO Steve Jobs "and a special live performance." The company declined to give any further details.

Apple Corps was founded by the Fab Four in 1968 and is still owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison.

(305pm add-on: Okay, so they have announced DRM-free downloads for iTunes starting next month. For me, that's a great announcement. EMI deferred on making a Beatles announcement saying they were still working on it for "soon" whenever that may be. From my POV, this is great news. I will now use the iTunes store, and gladly pay extra for DRM-free music. I really didn't use iTunes because I am opposed to DRM. I hate for people to assume I am a criminal which is what DRM does.)

Free Broadband For Life Courtesy of Google

This is for people who sign-up today and today only. Hurry and see for yourself about this new and wondrous technological marvel. Leave it to the fine folks at Google to come up with TISP! Yes, you can have free lifetime broadband via TISP courtesy of Google.

Being new technology, please make sure you read the installation instructions and FAQ which are linked from the main TISP page. I suggest you pay special heed to the press release. There is a Google Group for support as well which already has nearly 2000 posts, but all seems to be going as planned. There's also a comparison of plans available because the free version is amazing, but there's also the #2 plan and the royal flush plan if you want to pay a little for a lot more power.

For your pleasure, here's the URL: http://www.google.com/tisp

Google will take over the world one day. I'm sure of it.