I hate PDF files for many reasons, but there are times when creating a PDF is useful, such as when you want to have an electronic copy of a document instead of printing out a paper copy. Many programs these days now come with integrated PDF converters, such as Open Office and even Microsoft Office,… Continue reading Computer Utility: CutePDF Writer
Health care: Beware of compromise
In recent days, there seems to be a crescendo in the commentary from people warning the Obama administration and Congress about being too quick to compromise to get some kind of grand “bipartisan” health care reform that will attract Republican votes. This view is dead-on. While there are some things that must be compromised on,… Continue reading Health care: Beware of compromise
Health care: What Nate Silver says
Too tired to write a full post about health care, so just read what Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight says. The comments are a good, if ridiculous, read too. People still don’t seem to get that health care is not a free market. Nate hits all the salient points, but people still don’t get that unlike… Continue reading Health care: What Nate Silver says
Health care: reform requires a public option
In my last post, I talked about how health care is not a free market. In this post, I get into the “public option” in the health care reform debate: the government health insurance plan that will exist alongside current private insurance products, giving people another option when getting insurance. It is no exaggeration to… Continue reading Health care: reform requires a public option
Computer utility: Notepad++
There’s always a need for a good, simple text editor when you need to edit text files or make up a simple document (a blog post, perhaps?). Windows comes with Notepad, but that’s about as bare-bones as you can get. A much more powerful, yet still free, alternative is Notepad++. It’s especially useful for programmers,… Continue reading Computer utility: Notepad++
Health care: it’s not a free market
Health care reform is one of the hottest topics around Washington these days, because it is such a critical issue. That the health care system in the U.S. is broken few people doubt. There are around 50 million uninsured people in this country, we pay far, far more per capita than any other industrialized country… Continue reading Health care: it’s not a free market
Choosing a good password
Few things are as important in personal computer security than choosing a good password. A weak password can have ramifications from the merely annoying (it seems that every week one of my Facebook friends gets their account hacked) to very bad (such as when your bank accounts get hacked). Using the same password for all… Continue reading Choosing a good password
Cat update
It’s been a couple weeks since we brought Sasha home and things are quieting down. Misha was not happy at first, but it only took a couple days for him to accept Sasha. They still fight and wrestle some, but most of the time it’s harmless play. Sasha still has ringworm, so we have to… Continue reading Cat update
Computer Utility: CCleaner
It’s generally acknowledged that Windows slows down with time: as you install and uninstall programs, crap gets left behind on the hard drive and in the registry that can make your computer act like molasses on a cold day. In the old days, pros recommended that every few months you simply reinstall Windows to solve… Continue reading Computer Utility: CCleaner
The real problem with earmarks
Trashing earmarks is a popular pastime on both sides of the political spectrum. Earmarks, or “pork projects” as they are often referred to, are decried as wasteful spending, bribes, slush money, and everything else that is wrong with the democratic process. I am always puzzled by these complaints: there is something wrong with earmarks, but… Continue reading The real problem with earmarks