America has the health care system it deserves

This finally proves Americans are insane.

My thoughts after watching this video is "America has the failing health care system it deserves", if you guys are this opposed to changing the current system then you deserved to get raped by your health insurance companies because they have no competition and lets face it ....what are you going to do as an alternative go with nothing?

People in Australia looked at me weird when i was trying to explain to them last month that we pay $752 per month for health insurance (or an amount equal to 1/3rd of our mortgage).

This video is crazy. The man needs a police escort for supporting the idea that people should be provided health care when they are sick.

I thought America was the land of competition..... what are you guys so scared about from a public option providing competition to the failing private solution being offered now.

If private is so much better then no one will join the public option so you can stop your protesting.

I think 90% of this crowd are pissed off republicans that are using this as an option to protest against Obama. Sore losers, what did you expect would happen 8 years ago when you voted George Bush to lead the republican party - there had to be a back swing coming.


Cheers,
Dean

Live Mesh media player

Want a ghetto way to listen to your audio tracks remotely from your 'home pc' using any browser that you happen to be sitting in front of?

Check out Windows Live Mesh then.

Generally i just use Live Mesh to automatically sync via AT&T any photos i take with my mobile phone to my PC as well as upload ebooks etc.

But i noticed that Live mesh also has a browser file viewer option, basically you can look at all of your files 'in the Live Mesh cloud' from any browser.

In addition there is a MP3 media player, so if you have some mp3's store in your Live Mesh folders these are also available to play using your browser.

I'm not sure what the upper limits of Live Mesh are or how it would handle the 142gb of MP3's i have but you 'could' do it if you wanted to.


Cheers,
Dean
(PS Yes i know there are other better apps to do this eg run stream cast or some other app on your home pc to make mp3's available via the web - was just an example).

CableLabs have opened up their licensing for cablecard interfaces recently and all heaps of innovation are occuring including a 6 tuner cablecard device from Ceton.

Wondering if i should dust off the business plans for CableCard3 (n. Cablecard Cubed)...... nah probably still too early but if i win MegaMillions tomorrow I'd certainly through a few million towards the concept though.


Cheers,
Dean

Hmmm my @LiveNFLchat twitter account just got suspended

It's probably an automatic suspension because the twittersphere went crazy today talking about the Titans V's Steelers game tonight but my @LiveNFLchat twitter account has been suspended this afternoon even though I followed all of the Twitter API rules for 24 hour follow limits.


Like I said it’s probably an automated suspension but it’s hard not to feel that someone singled this account out because of my use of MyTwitterButler for the first time in 2 weeks.

I’m holding off raising hell for 24 hours and hopefully someone at twitter re-activates the account but this yet another example of why twitter needs to get serious about third party involvement now - either you want us adding value or you dont.

Cheers,
Dean

Followup: Well it appears that this was just random that my account got suspended and nothing to do with MyTwitterButler - however yet again a twitter employee is saying that you shouldn't be using the API to follow or unfollow users (see highlighted section below) LOL he even said we shouldn't be using third party apps to Tweet, though i'm sure that was just a typo...... can you imagine what would happen if twitter banned all third party apps from posting messages.

As I've said many times before if you dont want people to do this function via your api then remove this functionality from the api - until then i'm just playing by the rules that you've set.

Well like i said turns out it was just a 'random' speeding ticket and had nothing to do with MyTwitterButler. The account has been re-instated.

Newspaper micropayments to save the day?

Shelly Palmer tipped me off to this article in the NY Times about potential micropayment platforms for newspapers.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/google-plans-tools-to-help-news-media-charge-for-content/

There WAS a link in the article to the 10 RFP responses ...... and now they are not available..... (it's since been put behind a username/password wall
http://www.naa.org/resources/articles/paid-content-platforms/paid-content-platforms.aspx)

I guess the NAA has a lot to learn about securing restricted content and someone screwed up and tried to fix it...... however you can still access the pdf’s directly if you know the url
eg http://www.naa.org/docs/Requests-For-Information/CircLabs.pdf


It's disappointing that none of the responses were from micropayment specialists/startups, but what do you expect it appears the NAA only went to the majors

eg the MS response was a joke though, so either they feel it's not necessary to share their real plans in this public forum - or they think the NAA proposal is a joke and will never get off the ground http://www.naa.org/docs/Requests-For-Information/microsoft.pdf

Google at least seemed to put some thought into it http://www.naa.org/docs/Requests-For-Information/Google.pdf


So what are the hot micropayment startup companies that are out there?

Are you ready to pay for content?

Would you be willing to 'trade' personal information for content in lieu of payment like the http://www.naa.org/docs/Requests-For-Information/CircLabs.pdf browser bar looks to propose (hmm would you trade personal information to your ISP in return for cheaper broadband as was proposed with PHORM)

Will anything save the day for newspapers?


Cheers,
Dean

BTW - Check out slide 8 from the ibm proposal http://www.naa.org/docs/Requests-For-Information/IBM.pdf sounds familiar to what i posted about 45c ad free tv for 1 hour here http://deancollinsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/advertisement-free-tv-well-whats-it.html

Telstra closes down its social media channel

Telstra closes down it's social media channel,
http://mumbrella.com.au/telstra-closes-nowwearetalking-com-au-9274

I guess you either get social media or you dont, wanting to 'control the message' will never work.

I dont get why management think they need to 'control customers', utilised right social networking tools can turn customers into fans and advocates.

Now We Are Talking should be seen as an example of everything done wrong.


Cheers,
Dean

Unlimited cell minute plans

Welcome back to the USA....... the land of the unlimited cell minute rate plans. New Yorkers talk such crap on their cell phones.

Every conversation i heard while walking along the street this morning was worthless oxygen consuming crap.

Drives me nuts considering i just spent 2 weeks telling my friends in Australia one of the reasons I loved the USA was unlimited mobile data plans.


Cheers,
Dean

Straighterline college

Read this today via slashdot http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/college_for_99_a_month.php?page=1

Any thoughts?

Checked out Accounting 101 course structure, looks pretty comprehensive - well worth $99 it would take someone to get through if they spent enough time each day on the course work.


Cheers,
Dean

outlook 2007 urls stop working

Just spent 30 mins trying various alternatives to solve a problem on a relatives computer and want to bump up the 'solution' that worked.


http://www.slipstick.com/problems/link_restrict.htm#reg2

Basically outlook 2007 under Vista Ultimate wasnt allowing you to click on urls or mailto links. Lots of the various 'incorrect solutions' ask you to reset defaults and check ie7 is the default browser. This didn't solve the problem.

Even the regedit for "current_computer" didn't solve the problem. It had to be solved with the .html registry setting as per the slipstick instructions above.


BTW turns out the culprit is an incorrect removal of Chrome browser.

- 1 for microsoft that doesn't give better "reports" on what the problem is..... asking home users to contact the system administrator is hardly a solution.


Cheers,
Dean

Heading home

Looking forward to heading home to NY, this said, Sydney is absurdly picturesque at times.

Cheers,
Dean