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Showing posts from March, 2024

How many water bottles does one need?

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I grew up in Chicago. One of those kids that played outside all day, came in when the street lights came on and drank water from the hose. There were no water bottles when we went to the store, went to the park and not at school. There were water fountains. Was that a good thing? Who knows. Now I'm almost never without a water bottle. I started out with nalgenes. I have lots of them, some with stickers all over them, most all scratched up, wide mouth small mouth, 1 litre, 32 once and on and on. Stuck with those for years. Now, it's a Yeti. She goes everywhere with me. I still love my nalgenes for any hiking or kayaking. What I don't own is a Stanley. I think I'm the only one.  When I think of Stanley, I think of my dad taking his thermos and lunch box to work. I think they are cool looking but I can't see the extreme appeal. I'd say 90% of the people I work with have them. They have multiples, one to match each color of their scrubs. Marketing is extraordinary.

If bleeding out is the end goal, the insurance company wins

In Klines lecture, he talks about Kant's interpretation of utilitarianism, and the "right" what we ought to do is determined by performing a cost benefit analysis. Insurance companies take this deeply to heart. But unfortunately they are dealing with real human lives. Insurance companies are looking for the greatest good, yes, that is their goal, but at what cost? Is the greatest good for their financial sake or for the sake of the members health? We learned in the lecture that there are two moral rules for Kant. In the second rule, never treat someone solely as a means, but also as an end in themselves. To treat someone solely is a means is just to use them. People pay premiums to the insurance companies that is a means. In return the insurance company provides the member with an opportunity to get medical treatment when needed and not to pay the full amount that is billed. This sounds great on paper. The insurance companies make it sound and look like they are always ou