On Ferengis and Deep Space 9

I started this post a while ago, and then didn't finish it.   At the time, I had been reminded (I now don't know what reminded me...) of the Ferengi Alliance, the fictional planetary government of the equally fictional planet Ferenginar from Star Trek.  Because of the pleasant feelings brought back by memories of the inhabitants of Deep Space 9 (DS9), I thought a blog post about it would be a nice break from talking about the lousy economy and politics. (This part hasn't changed since I started this post!)

Ferengis were motivated by the pursuit of profit and their fictional universe was a clever reflection of our own capitalist tendencies.  The Ferengi were my favorite species from all the Star Trek shows, especially DS9 (which ran from 1993-1999), and were one of the most creative parts of the entire ST universe (IMHO).   For reasons that have always escaped me, DS9 was NOT the most watched or popular of the Star Trek series.   I found the stories and characters on DS9 to be more engaging and thought-provoking than all but Star Trek: The Next Generation, but that intelligence could be why DS9 didn't generate as big a following.

Quark

The core and foundation of the Ferengi civilization were The Rules of Acquisition, which as it turns out, weren't rules as much as "guidelines."  On the other hand, the DS9 resident Ferengis, Quark (portrayed by Armin Shimerman) and his brother Rom, represented the full range of Ferengi behaviors and the pursuit of profit was generally right out there in front.   At the same time, Quark (pictured here in the year 2375) was known to take only minimal profit on occasion in order to help out someone who couldn't afford to pay his/her way unassisted.

Thanks to the Internet, there's what seems to be a never-ending supply of details and reminisces of all the Star Trek "realities."  I'm going to include several links below to a few web sites that bring a smile to my face, and maybe yours.   They contain a ridiculous amount of information on Quark and his compatriots.  And perhaps not surprisingly, Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia has countless entries pertaining to Star Trek and all its components and characters.

Elim Garak

The seven years of DS9 stories were all entertaining, engaging, and thought-provoking and it was one of the few television series that I would have been happy to continue watching forever.   I miss Commander Sisko, Jadzia Dax, Quark, Odo, and my favorite tailor, Garak (portrayed by Andrew Robinson).

There are a (ridiculously) enormous number of web sites that contain lists of the always entertaining Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.  If commerce was the religion of Ferengi, then the Rules were their Bible.   The Rules are both relentlessly capitalist as well as subtly amusing and I love reading them over from time to time.   There is a lot of wisdom buried in those Rules.   Some of my favorite Rules are at the end of this post.

The next few paragraphs are quotes from several relevant web sites and links to them. 

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"The Rules of Acquisition, in the fictional Star Trek universe, are a set of guidelines intended to ensure the profitability of businesses owned by the ultra-capitalist alien race known as Ferengi. The first rule was made by Gint, the first Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, a role with political, economic, and even quasi-religious duties. The title of "Rules of Acquisition" was chosen as a clever marketing ploy (since the rules are merely guidelines) and Gint numbered his first rule as #162, in order to create a demand for the other 161 Rules that had yet to be written. The Rules were said to be divinely inspired and sacred (thus furthering the original marketing ploy)."

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"The Ferengi believe that the universe is held together by the Great Material Continuum, also known as the Great River. They believe that each part of the universe has too much of one thing, but not enough of another, and it is through the continual flow of the Great River that wants and needs can be fulfilled, if one navigates the River with sufficient entrepreneurial skill. By request and especially for Nicola, here are the complete Ferengi rules of acquisition.   "

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"The Rules of Acquisition were a numbered series of aphorisms, guidelines, and principles that provided the foundation of business philosophy in Ferengi culture. They were first written ten thousand years ago by Gint, the first Grand Nagus. In the mid-22nd century there were 173 rules, but by the 24th century there were 285. Commentaries existed for the Rules. (ENT: "Acquisition", DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")

There was also a short-lived revised edition of the Rules written by Grand Nagus Zek after having his state of mind changed by the Bajoran Prophets. These rules were almost complete opposites of the original rules and promoted honesty and charity. After Zek recovered, he ordered all copies of the new rules to be destroyed. (DS9: "Prophet Motive")"

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The Ferengi were quite honest about their interests.   To make money.   And then make more money.

The Rules are so extensive, I find it impossible to select a favorite, but here are a few I think are noteworthy.

50.  Never bluff a Klingon (because a Klingon will shoot first and ask questions later?)
76.  Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies
92.  Never confuse wisdom with luck (something our politicians should remember)
106.  There is no honor in poverty  (Reminds me of Tevye's line in "Fiddler On The Roof")
125.  A lie isn't a lie until someone else knows the truth (something our politicians seem to remember without being reminded)
208. Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.  
223.  Rich men don't come to buy; they come to take 

Bragging On My Grandson

So it's time to brag on my grandson.   He's in kindergarten and we're all interested in how he's adapting and learning new things.   One of the adaptations is he, like all the other kids, have been taking standardized tests throughout the year to gauge his progress.  Some of these tests adjust to how well the student is doing; if the kid is doing well, the questions get harder.  My daughter discovered he was taking some of these tests this week and has more next week, so she asked him how it was going.   After previous tests, he told her he was concerned because he was pretty sure he'd gotten some of the answers wrong.  His mother assured him that it was OK if he didn't know all the answers and just did his best on the test.   He did very well, but she figures, quite correctly, that at age 6 he doesn't need details about the results.  

Anyway, this time he told her that some of the reading test was hard and he again wasn't sure he got them all right.   In fact, he said, he had to alphabetize some words and he was pretty sure one of them was wrong, because all the words started with S.   As my daughter was contemplating how to respond about more complex alphabetizing, my grandson continued on with something like "I wasn't sure what to do, so I just guessed and went with the second letters..."

As his mother has pointed out on numerous occasions, her eldest son is a problem solver!  And that's another reason, since he's been in kindergarten, that I miss hanging out with him.  It's fascinating watching a young mind develop and grow!

And while I'm reflecting on schools and students, congratulations to Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki, who was honored in Washington, D.C. today.   Her work is our future.

What's Wrong With Free Market Healthcare?

Epinephrine is a medicine used to treat severe allergic reactions, which may be life-threatening.   Analphylactic shock is an allergic reaction which can cause death within minutes.  People with allergies to certain substances, such as wasp venom, are supposed to carry an epinephrine pen with them whenever they are in environments in which they might be exposed to the substance.   These pens enable you to administer an emergency dose of the drug to counteract the allergen, after which you're supposed to get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.  The pens come with an expiration date, so if you haven't used them in a year, you have to throw the pen away and get a new one.   That's not so unusual with medicines and medical devices.  

A few years ago, I had a severe allergic response to two wasp stings within a couple weeks, and as a result, I have been getting allergy shots to desensitize me to the venom, and I'm supposed to carry an epinephrine pen with me when I might be exposed to wasps (like being outside anywhere). 

Having to carry an epinephrine pen around is bad enough, but I recently discovered that these pens (sold under the name Epipen) are made by one company (Dey Pharma) which apparently has found an effective way to pad their bottom line at consumer expense.  Sometime in the past 6 months or so, the company decided to only package these pens in two packs (at twice the cost, of course).  So now, patients who need to carry an Epipen have to buy a two-pack, both of which have the same expiration date.  If all goes well and I avoid any wasp stings, I have to throw away two Epipens, not just one.   Since I try to avoid sharing space with wasps, the odds of me having two severe allergic reactions within the next year are extremely slim.

The packaging/marketing of these devices by Dey Pharma results in waste of both consumer and health insurance resources.   I don't know if the FDA has the authority or even considers trying to halt horrible marketing decisions like this, but it would be nice if the Federal government and/or the insurance industry could do something productive.  I resent being forced to waste limited resources on guaranteed waste. 

This strikes me as an excellent example of what's wrong with our "free market" approach to health care and why we need a good single-payer insurance system (which could conceivably control skyrocketing costs).  

If you know someone who needs an Epipen, I'd be happy to sell him/her one of mine.

What's that smell?

Getting old is tough.   Lots of things you thought you knew turn out to be not quite true anymore and even your senses start misleading you...

Barbara Brotman writes for the Chicago Tribune and her columns are always engaging.  This one is engaging, humorous, and even educational.   Seems that baby boomers can't even trust their sense of smell these days...  That's not a skunk you smell, it's....a doobie?