A Time To Live, And A Time To Die

On Health Care Reform

Any health care system should be restricted in its coverage. There are lots of medical procedures that are ‘nice to have’ but not necessary to be healthy. Cosmetic surgery is just one example. About 20% (German number) of health care costs occur in the last six month of a person’s life because there is some universal aim to prolong peoples live as long as possible. My father, against my protests, was one of those who were treated very expensively even though it was certain that he would die soon. We really need to think about this. Is it justifiable to ‘invest’ so much into a likely soon dying person?

Why Newspapers Are Dying

This is about as succinct as it gets.

Various people say, “the newspaper industry is dying because it’s giving away its content for free online!” But the problem with that notion is that they have no (zero) clue about the business model for every newspaper in existence for the past 200+ years. Newspapers have pretty much *always* given their content away for free. That subscription you pay for? It barely pays for the cost of the newsprint and the paper dude to plop it at your doorstep. At best. …

The whole thing is worth a look. I know rolling a huge graphic out across the front page is killer for dial up, but of course the broadband for everyone will happen RSN, so they can afford to run off nearly half the eyeballs on the tubes. BT nails it.