Vodcast

I'm having some trouble getting Blogger to connect to our web site after all the security updates from when we were hacked. Until then, I have our first vodcast on Google Video.

Blown Away

Many of you who have been following my blog for any time know about my problems with insurance. My doctors have made one recommendation and my insurance company won't let them do it. It has gone through a ton of official channels. They denied coverage for the spinal cord stimulator and the doctors didn't like the reasons so they changed some of the notes around, but insurance would not budge. The next thing was the official appeal process where I wrote a short letter and asked that it be reviewed. They reviewed my appeal and denied it again. The next one was an in-person appeal and I was getting desperate so I wrote a couple of pages for the appeal, my wife got someone to watch the kids and we, along with some close friends, went there in person. We spent 45 minutes going through with them what it is like and what I'm experiencing. There were five of the insurance people in the room and two of them were in tears along with all of us. Then, a few days later, they called to tell me that they continue to deny the procedure. That left me with the last appeal. This one is reviewed by a group of people who are not employed by my insurance company, but I do not have the opportunity to meet them in person. So my wife and I spent nearly a month writing and rewriting the letter to them. My doctor sat down with me for almost an hour to review his notes and get his letter to say what we wanted. So my doctors five pages of notes and my four page letter went to this external review. While I hoped it would go through, I really didn't expect it to go through, so I continued to work with my HR department to see if one of the other insurance offerings would pay for the procedure. So today I received a call from the insurance company...the external review approved me! They are going to put a spinal cord stimulator into my back and see if it makes any difference in my pain!

Nerds and Humans

I have talked quite a few times about humans and nerds and how there are several differences.  I know some folk have thought that I am just nuts and we are all in this thing together.  Just today a nerd friend of mind sent me the birth announcement of his third grandchild.  Let me post it here and then you can tell me if there is a difference or not between nerds and humans.

Grand Munchkikn 3/2.0 shipped!

Specifications
Condition: new
Brand: Penelope, a division of Bateman, LLC. and Back, SARL.
Model name: Anjalie
Second model of series; third model of original Bateman-Back merger.

Processor: genuine bio-intelligent with initially open architecture
Operating system: heuristic operation control, self-programming with low-priority inputs
Processor interfaces: multiple adaptable technologies for early and on-going configuration and update
Processor speed: unclocked (no crystal control), expected increasingly high clock rate with ownership
Memory: unknown, predicted minimal
Language support: English,French, environmental stimuli, text- and GUI-capable
Enclosure: soft, reconfigurable skeletal girders covered in flesh
Form factor: 0.1, will vary considerably over first 20 years of usage as well as thereafter
Color: assortment of panel colors pink, tan, white, red
Asynchronous communications ports:
    2 optical units (color blue)
    2 audio recovery units/mics
    1 audio-out with sound card (programming instruction manual unavailable)
Power requirements: 1800-2200 kCalories per diem
Networking: anticipated initial connection with earlier grand munchkin unit, plus parental controller, later WAN expected
Maintenance plan:
    1 omnivorous input port (shared with audio-out) highly adaptable, expected vegetarian
    2 custom waste output units:
        - solid/viscous
        - aqueous
Initial form height: 18"
Shipping weight: 7 pounds, 8 ounces
Shipping date/time: 9 September 2008 at 1515
Cost: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

This is the nerd's way of saying he now has three grandchildren.  It is really awful even to me and I consider myself a nerd!