No, this is not a spam! I read a comparision between VHI and Bupa in the Irish Times Health supplement this morning and it’s worth mentioning here.
It appears that 50% of Irish people have private health insurance, but that only 6% of them ever change their insurance provider. Of those that do, most cite cost-savings as the main reason for the move. I’m one of those 6% and that’s the reason I moved to Bupa too.
A PDF file comparing both services is available from the Health Insurance Authority on this page but it’s not very friendly and hasn’t been editorialised. I’ve no idea where the original article is on the Irish Times website. Check out the dead-tree version for that!
Monthly Archives: February 2004
Ask an Irish woman about drink?
So, TodayFM have a competition to name as many “things” as possible in 15 seconds. Most people don’t get more than 10, some are lucky with 12 or 14.
What happens when you ask an Irish woman to name as many alcoholic drinks as possible in 15 seconds? She gets 30..
Kernel Source Here!
It looks like Microsoft went after Linux kernel downloaders. Unintentionally perhaps, but there was a lot of users looking for the Windows source code, so perhaps Microsoft were desperate. Like the original author, I also wonder why nobody figured out how to break open a partially downloaded tar.bz2 file within 3 to 4 days..
Getting cheap calls in Ireland
On the advice of a friend last December (Thanks Wendy!) I signed up to VarTec, a company offering cheaper phone calls from land lines.
I got the first bill yesterday morning and I’m very impressed.
A 28 minute call to Madrid only cost me €1.85! A 47 minute call to a mobile cost me just over €6! If I made the same mobile call from my mobile, it would have cost me around €14, It looks like EsatBT are reasonably competitive too when it comes to calls within Ireland, but it’s hard to judge the quite different products from each company. On the face of it, Vartec still looks cheaper than either EsatBT or Eircom for mobile charges, but more expensive for local/national at off peak periods. Especially if you go for one of the “flat-rate” packages. Vartec does better at international calls however, as they have the same rate no matter what the time of day.
Digital Camera Support for UN*X
From the ILUG mailing list, this page looks like a very informative paper on general digital camera and computer use as well as driver support for various Unix systems. Worth reading the first few paragraphs even if you don’t use Unix.
Back in Google Ryan!
Yay! I’m on the front page of a search for Ryan Tubridy again! Ooer!
Needless to say, if you’re reading this a week from now it may have changed again, so please ignore this blatant attempt to mention Ryan Tubridy as often as possible. Who? Mr. Tubridy? Ryan you say? Not Gerry Ryan? No? Ryan Tubridy..
Yes, I’ve had my shots, please don’t take me away.. those night vision goggles aren’t mine! They’re not!
Aaaaarrrrrrgh!
What's that in his ear?
What’s that in his ear? Funny sound clip to go along with the post. 🙂
Battlestar Galactica Tonight
Well, I saw the ad on tv last night and I remembered Mark had posted a favourable mini review of the new Battlestar Galactica series. It’s on tonight on Sky Movies 2, at 9pm unfortunately. That time conflicts with Friends and Scrubs. Then again, Scrubs is repeated on Sky 1 on Sundays and I don’t care as much about Friends any more..
How to hypnotise a man
Click and drag this photo with your mouse. Warning.. Not Safe for Work! (Thanks Owen for the link!)
Back from Limerick!
It was a great weekend, except for the tiredness driving home! I need to get some shut eye now!
Limerick is way too small, I was at an ATM and thinking of calling Dot to see if she’s in the city still when who should come up behind me but herself and the boyfriend! Had a great chat over sandwiches in a local cafe later with the two of them.
I met Ruth in a public place, no psycho music please! We went for lunch in a pub I’d gotten drunk in with Brian Dillon so many years ago.. I still remember staggering home after that night out. House warming on Saturday was great fun, my hangover this morning proves that, and it was just like living out Earhart’s blog in real life. All the characters and people she posts about were talked about and some were present!