Friday, September 25, 2015

How Can we Reduce Drug Costs?

Recent outrage by a pharmaceutical company that sent the price of an important medication through the roof has sparked debate on everything that is wrong with this industry. "The price of Daraprim, a drug used to treat a life-threatening parasitic infection, increases from $US13.50 per tablet to $US750, after being acquired by a start-up ...". Outraged, many people are asking, how can they get away with this and what can be done to stop it? For starters, lobbyists have successfully blocked most attempts to regulate this industry. To complicate matters more, it costs so much just to develop and test a new drug that the incentive is not there unless consumer prices are raised. According to the California Biomedical Research Association, "On average, it will cost a company $359 million to develop a new drug from the research lab to the patient." Then there is always that sticky little matter of lawyers. With class action lawsuits sometimes costing billions of dollars, high risks demand greater rewards.

Given the situation, how can we actually reduce the costs of pharmaceutical drugs? Certainly some limits should be set on the amounts that can be asked in class action lawsuits but this alone is not enough. Why does it cost so much to develop new drugs? Much of the cost actually occurs during the human testing phase. To even be considered, the drug company must raise hundreds of millions of dollars. For this reason, many good medications never even make it this far even after they have been developed. Fear of litigation has set the bar so high that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has to be strict. Some would argue innovation has been stifled because standards are set too high. In their defense, the FDA has been criticized for being wrong in the past letting some medications with dangerous side effects slip through the cracks. Personally, I think the whole system is at fault. Human drug trial costs are excessively high and could probably be reduced if overzealous mandates were eased. This does not excuse inefficiency, wasteful spending, greedy investors or improper testing but unless a coordinated effort is made to both reduce development costs and corporate liabilities, the likelihood is that no real progress will be made.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Is America's Nuclear Deterrent Obsolete?

During the Cold War, the United States rigorously maintained its nuclear arsenal. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, some have argued the need for such weapons is no longer justified. Recent actions by the Russian Federation call into question this reasoning. Increasingly, Russia has been building up its military at an alarming pace. The United States may still spend more than all other countries combined on military defense but are we really putting that spending into the right areas?







Today, satellite technology makes it possible to target the exact locations of our nuclear missile silos and history has shown that nothing remains secret very long so if any are still hidden, their positions may have already been discovered. Moreover, tactical nuclear weapons can penetrate deep below the surface suggesting that anything stationary is vulnerable. In contrast, Russia moves its ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) regularly to prevent an enemy from taking out its defenses in an attack. With Vladimir Putin recently commenting that he could potentially destroy the United States in a half hour, there would be no time to respond if they waged a preeminent attack on our missile defenses. This leaves only our nuclear submarines, international bases and remnants of undestroyed local capabilities as our only deterrents. Would 12 nuclear powered submarines equipped with multiple warheads on each missile be sufficient against Russia's less updated but vastly superior in number submarines and newer subs capable of attacking even aircrafts? Even more disturbing is that Russia is now building drones to attack our subs. This should be a wake up call to our president and congress but do they really understand how vulnerable we are? Hopefully someone out there reading this could suggest something I'm missing because right now, I'm not feeling very comfortable about our defenses.

See Also: Similar articles listed on http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Household Pesticides Linked to Childhood Cancers

It was a hot summer day back in the 90's when we found large ants invading our home. Our family abandoned ship and headed for the shore house. An exterminator took care of the problem but when we returned, the house had a horrendous pesticide smell for two weeks! Having already lost a sister due to cancer, the safety of my godchild living with us was a great concern. The exterminator assured us though that the insecticide was safe for humans. A new study now calls into question just how safe these indoor pesticides really are.

According to the New York Times blog, "Exposure to indoor, but not outdoor, residential insecticides was associated with a 47 percent increased risk for childhood leukemia and a 43 percent increased risk for childhood lymphomas". In addition, outdoor weed killers resulted in a 26% increased risk of brain tumors. Although the study was limited to a small data set, the research though not fully scientific is alarming. People living with extreme disabilities in particular already have enough problems and do not need anything else working against them. Just how much industry lobbyists are able to bypass medical concerns is not clear but I know spraying anything inside my home deemed poisonous is not something I would ever want around a pet let alone an infant if I felt I had a choice.






Thursday, September 17, 2015

Vitamin D Deficiency Greatly Increases Cognitive Function Decline

Yes your mother was right! Milk really is that important and if you can't bear it, perhaps a product made from milk or other Vitamin D source would be in order. Joint research conducted at the University of California-Davis and Rutgers University found that people with Vitamin D deficiency declined three times faster than people without the deficiency. So what does this mean for people who are lactose intolerant or prefer milk substitutes in their coffee like Silk?

According to Spokeswomen/Author Kathy Freston, an "8-ounce serving [of Silk] contains 45 percent of the daily recommended value of calcium and at least 25 percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin D". Hmm, that still leaves 75 percent of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) unaccounted for. A multivitamin would be cheap insurance provided the body can metabolize it completely. If not, Silk and other alternative Vitamin D sources are probably a good bet. Examples of other sources of Vitamin D include:

  • fish oils and fatty fish
  • egg yolks
  • cheese
  • beef liver
  • some mushrooms
  • sunlight
It should be noted that certain Vitamin D sources like beef liver and mushrooms may not contain sufficient quantities of Vitamin D. If you are lactose intolerant, have food allergies or have other medical conditions or concerns, be sure to speak with your doctor or a qualified nutritionist.

In addition to cognitive decline, Vitamin D has been linked to other serious ailments. According to thehealthyhomeeconomist.com "Vitamin D deficiency is strongly related to the development of diabetes, autism, psoriasis, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease and cancer, even hypertension and psoriasis." While some of this like the autism link might be controversial, it is clear that Vitamin D is certainly a nutrient we cannot live without and any nutritional deficiency has potential for grave consequences.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Lesson that Should be Learned from HP Failure

Once again, Hewlett-Packard has announced plans to cut another 33,300 jobs over the next three years in addition to the previous 55,000 layoffs already taking place. What does this say about the industry and are there any lessons that should be learned?

Both Apple and Microsoft continue to dominate in their respective niches. In addition, Google's Android operating system though free is challenging both companies for market share. In response, Hewlett-Packard has tried multiple strategies including the marketing of its own operating system HP ThinPro. The Linux based OS may lessen HP's dependence on Windows but once again, a tech company missed a crucial point that could have set them apart. Virtually all computing devices have one significant disadvantage; they all rely on bloated operating systems that waste battery life maintaining. While wireless / Bluetooth can make charging less painful, the need to constantly stop and recharge is extremely annoying and inconvenient to say the least.

If most people use only a tiny fraction of the capabilities of an operating system, why are these operating systems overloaded with features that can be downloaded as separate apps? HP's ThinPro may seem less overburdened in this respect but truthfully, anything that relies on Linux is bloatware in my opinion. In the old days, an operating system could fit on a single floppy. If the code is truly optimized, the constant need to defend against attacks on what proportionally amounts to the Great Wall of China would be diminished and users could enjoy their devices longer without interruption. Until someone is able to both develop and successfully market such an OS, consumers will be forced to bear the burden of a vicious cycle of constant security updates and background processes made worse by an enormous operating system that may actually be working more against users than for them.

For ideas on how to create an ergonomic work environment for your business, please visit OfficeSalesUSA.com. We enjoy interacting with our customers and are always just a call or click away.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

So Much for "Climate Change"

First it was "global warming". Then when that didn't pan out "global warming" became "climate change". This safer argument claims man's actions are responsible for more severe whether. Unfortunately for its proponents, now comes this news:

"This is the first September 12 without a major cyclone since 1977, says Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins."

source: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/earth-just-had-its-first-storm-free-hurricane-peak-38-years?tgt=nr

Also interesting to point out is that we now have a lot more storm monitoring sites and more accurate temperature and atmospheric readings. Today, weather extremes tend to be reported much more and few weather anomalies go unreported. That was not always the case in the past. Basically what this means is that older monitoring systems were less accurate and occasionally excluded important data. The result, even if a person is not deliberately trying to skew the data now, the potential for misinterpreting and overestimating various climate factors remains well within the margin of error thus suggesting the real story is that what we are experiencing is actually far more normal than the media typically presents.

Is an Aspirin Regiment Really Advisable?

For years, doctors have been telling us that a daily regiment of Aspirin can reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke. New evidence casts doubt on its effectiveness for some people and the risks may not outweigh the benefits.

It is no secret that Aspirin can cause stomach bleeding and even bleeding in the brain. Yow! Despite these risks, doctors still promote Aspirin as one of the few healthcare supplies that if taken as directed can potentially save your life. While evidence of less chance of having a coronary issue may exist between the ages of 50 to 59, after that, the benefits are reduced. At what point does the reduction in benefits become less worth the risk exactly? This is not clear but I've never been crazy about the idea of taking any medication that can cause internal bleeding. However, these days, they put everything on the label except your last rites!

Cisco Router Attacks

If you own a Cisco router, pay close attention. Implanted software in Cisco routers emulates normal router functions while covertly spying on networks. The effected Cisco made routers are models 1841, 2811 and 3825. Only a handful of countries have the capability to wage such attacks including China, Russia, Britain, Israel and the United States. This is particularly troubling since routers tend to be beyond the threshold of most firewall and virus detection software. Once infected, even routers made by other manufacturers can potentially be infected. Read more at http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/15/us-cybersecurity-routers-cisco-systems-idUSKCN0RF0N420150915

Monday, September 14, 2015

Hazardous Unmarked Speed Bumps

A very disturbing trend occurring in some areas are covert speed bumps. These unmarked protrusions that appear as nothing more than raised asphalt a few inches high with no paint warnings or signs may technically not be speed bumps as they are small but they are extremely dangerous to motorcyclists and hazards to other vehicles. On a road with a 50 mile an hour speed limit like Route 70 in NJ, this could mean death for some and yet the state somehow believes it's okay to place these by traffic lights. Since there is a good chance the vehicle may have a green light, one cannot assume a slow approach. I'd call the town but they always say it's not their road. Calling the state is even more futile. I guess not enough people were seriously injured or killed by the obstacles to warrant more intelligent road planning.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Microsoft Forcing Windows 10 Downloads

Without consent, Microsoft has allegedly been downloading Windows 10 upgrades on many computers. If true, that would take a great deal of audacity especially considering how big the download is. Compressed, Windows 10 is over 3 gigabytes! Although it downloads in the background, the potential for slowing a computer down is certainly there. The claim is that a folder called $Windows.~BT occupying 6 gigabytes of storage has been appearing on many machines even if they chose not to download the update. According to the Inquirer, a Microsoft spokesman was quoted as saying:

"For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they’ll need if they decide to upgrade. When the upgrade is ready, the customer will be prompted to install Windows 10 on the device."

Source: http://betanews.com/2015/09/10/microsoft-forcibly-downloads-windows-10-whether-you-want-it-or-not/

Haskell New York Inc. could not independently verify this claim.

See Also: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/analysis/2425886/windows-10-updategate-microsoft-stays-tightlipped-as-the-world-rages


Donald Trump the Invincible

"The Donald" has done it again calling Ben Carson an "okay doctor" and exclaiming he's so low key that "...frankly, he makes [Jeb Bush] look like the Energizer Bunny". But didn't he attach two heads or something? In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Trump also insinuated that Carly Fiorina was unelectable because of her appearance. So I guess that rules out his beauty pageants also? Despite all this and more, Trump continues to rise in the poles. How could this possibly be? Even getting caught outright contradicting himself  does not seem to slow his progress and if anything, he seems to be gaining in certain key demographics but why?

After remarking that the Bible was his favorite book, some have criticized Donald Trump claiming he could not even site a single collection in the work. In all fairness, they didn't go into all that detail in the Charlton Heston movie. He lies, dances around issues and somehow always seems to come out on top. So what could be driving his success? A large number of republicans, independents and crossover democrats are looking for a strong leader that can't be bought and is shrewd enough to get the job done. People have already factored in the type of person Trump is and they may even get offended at times but at the end of the day, there are always some redeeming qualities about his candidacy that set him apart.

Poles also show an uptick in enthusiasm for Ben Carson's campaign but Washington is tough and being low keyed is probably not an asset. Likewise, Carly Fiorina's time at Hewlett Packard calls into question her business sense. What's different about Trump is that he's unscrupulous, knows how to control people and it may take someone that ruthless in business to break the stalemate in Washington. If something is not done soon about the deficit, this country is going to be in very big trouble and voting for someone just because they are a woman or minority is not going to fix this. Personally, I don't know if anyone could solve a 19 trillion dollar debt even with two terms but with a problem this big, it may take the most brazen of all to stand half a chance.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Unfair Video Depicts Many Pets as Not Good for Security

A recent video depicts three families with pets that disappointed their owners after undercover surveillance showed staged intrusions in which the pets were more friend than foe. What the test failed to consider was that these same pets might react very differently if their owners were around. While it's true some pets might misconstrue the intentions of a burglar, it can be quite a different story if the animal sees the owner in distress. Just the fact that the man who made the video trains guard dogs should be enough to also call into question his bias as well. Dogs can smell fear. Let's see him be so fearless without the bite suite! Since most burglaries actually occur during the daytime, he would be less likely to try wearing that outfit in the middle of summer as it would definitely arouse suspicion. Moreover, many burglars would panic upon hearing let alone seeing a dog on the premises causing a different reaction that would not likely end well for the intruder. Full video here:

http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/10476-how-to-test-if-your-dog-will-wimp-out-during-a-burglary


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Why Are we Still Wasting Money on Russian Built Rockets?

With a cost of around 75 million dollars per mission that the US pays Russia to deploy astronauts to the I.S.S. (International Space Station), you would think by now we would have the sense to stop this non-sense. How much more money do we have to waste building their economy that we could use here? I can understand the space shuttle was nearing the end of its useful lifetime and commitments to the I.S.S. program required us to deliver cargo but how long is this going to continue? Private enterprise was supposed to be NASA's answer which has worked to a certain degree but relying on Russia does not help us and makes the country that has mostly dominated the space industry since the 60's now look pretty ridiculous.

If this is not bad enough, then you have private companies here also utilizing Russian built rocket engines because they are relatively cheap and generally reliable. That may make things convenient for them but does it really help us? Today, businesses are hurting and we're giving a country that is selling missiles to Iran and threatening to build 40 new nuclear weapons 75 million dollars a mission! How many jobs would that of created right here if someone was at least considerate enough to let American companies bid on the rockets? That is not smart business or good for national security.

See Also:

http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/2015/08/is-nasa-making-making-historic-blunder.html
http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/2015/07/americas-contributions-to-space-race.html
http://roberthaskell.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-sputnik-was-not-beginning-of-space.html

Be Careful What You Wish For

An old trick in politics goes something like this; you view a political candidate as too strong so you attack that threat by pumping up the opponent's rival on the same ticket. Despite a successful attempt to brand Hillary Clinton as untrustworthy, many of her supporters don't seem to care and if a legal suit does not bring her campaign down, the likelihood is she will still win her party's nomination. To combat this, some pundits have taken to building up her rival, Bernie Sanders. Considering the fact that Sanders is a self-professed socialist, this strategy could easily backfire.

Like many socialists, Bernie Sanders supports breaking up big companies. Although no one likes a monopoly, I don't think waging war on corporate America is going to substantially improve my life. Likewise, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour may sound great to our youth until you realize what goes around comes around. Increasing the minimum wage would hurt many small businesses already struggling and in all probability, lead to inflation, more failed businesses and higher unemployment. Moreover, if you try to reduce college costs by levying a new tax on Wall Street, will that help the next generation or just lead to more transaction fees that we all end up paying for?

Of course there will always be some causes worthy of more progressive views. The AbilityOne™ program for example, helps people living with extreme disabilities and provides a way to support our veterans. However, even great ideas often go awry when over-regulation makes it nearly impossible for companies that support institutions like AbilityOne™ to maintain compliance with the program. In light of this, maybe the solution should not be to change the system but to improve it. Ergo, virtually all government agencies could use some overhaul to streamline services. The concept of the "emod" (electric modification) request for instance is outdated and could be eliminated entirely by simply adding a field to a GSA (General Services Administrations) schedule that marks with a code the exact change requested on each product. If the changes are all approved, accept the new schedule in SIP (Schedule Input Program), otherwise reject it. Similarly, why force vendors to upload all their graphics in SIP before the new schedule is 100% approved? This makes absolutely no sense and wastes both corporate and government resources that could be put to better use. It is this kind of disorganization and wastefulness that increases the program's costs and makes it hard to support even the best of causes.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

You Don't Have to be a Brain Surgeon

You don't have to be a brain surgeon to see the appeal of non-establishment candidates for the 2016 presidential election. At the end of President Bush's second term, the country owed 12 trillion dollars. Today, under Obama, that debt is nearly at 19 trillion and the interest payments alone are enough to kill us. Regardless of your position politically, one thing is hard to dispute, it is unlikely either party will be able to break the stalemate. Unless the major parties are able to work together to reduce the national deficit, this may be the last generation before America slips into an abyss from which there is no escape.

So how did we get into this mess and is there any possible hope now to eliminate our debt before our credit is completely destroyed? According to Donald Trump, our leaders may be good at winning elections but are unqualified at handling the country's finances. Can a business tycoon not in bed so much with large donors, lobbyists and political PACs actually make a better negotiator? Possibly but what about a brain surgeon? Yes I'd trust him more getting inside my head than Ted Cruz but is he really qualified? The notion of someone with no experience in business running the country is scary but an individual with no political experience is hard to swallow as well. Yet this seems to be the direction the country is going as Dr. Ben Carson now ties or beats Trump in two recent poles and establishment candidates are sinking ever further. People are dissatisfied for a good reason with the status quo and though unconventional, it may actually take an outsider to rescue the country from an almost certain loss of power, prestige and control in worldly affairs.