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One of a number of sources I use to track medical information (much COVID lately, of course) is disclosing a shocking discovery[^].
The actually shocking part is that they didn't assume this to be the case when the bought them.
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I love the way all US systems depend on the lowest bidder for everything ...
Mind you, most UK systems are going much the same way. 
"If you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys".
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Actually, back when I was a federal employee, I not only experienced but learned to love it. I also so the down side, but not what you'd expect (per your post).
Conceptually, a request is made for some services (development, for example) with the criteria for each of several requirements that must be satisfied. This includes the bidders explanation as to how they will fulfill the criteria (their view) and how much the whole thing will cost. This then is given to a group of persons knowledgeable in the field to evaluate (a points system) the fulfillment proposals (no $ amounts given). Highest point value wins.
For a product already produced, then the lowest bid meeting the specs is the winner. There's also lists of certain vendors wherein no bidding is necessary (the GSA list).
Where does it really fail? Aside from cost-plus contracts (a super scam), I was on an evaluation committee and my vote did not agree with the other four evaluators as to the best option (the other's preferred HP - I saw a serious flaw). They next level up, the contracting officer, tried to pressure me to change my evaluation so it would be unanimous and thus couldn't be appealed (or far less likely, at least). I wouldn't. That was the last time I got to look at outside proposals (until a congressional inquiry from Sen John Glenn ended up in my hands - altogether another story.)
So that kind of nonsense can spoil the system.
On the other hand - "no bid contracts" are basic cronyism at its most blatant best. Like Halliburton when we charged headlong into Iraq. Just plain big money for the heavily oil-related company (VP Cheney was from the oil industry - coincidence). Case of Coca-Cola: $400.
Or go to the private sector: where I work now. They hired a new Director in IT - and guess who's "buddies" are working on a major new contract? Worst of all, we've gone this route before. Brother-in-laws, etc. And we always get F***ed. They do have a solution, I'll bet, to get rid of in-house IT and thus no one will tell them how badly they got F***ed.
As it turns out, when you wave a lot of money around, someone will do their best to take it from you. At least monkeys work for peanuts.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I have been fortunate to have never worked in the public sector. I have extensive experience in the bidding process though, usually on the bidding side. I remember a few customers who awarded us the job(s) and then remarked, "you were actually the highest bidder but you were the only ones that demonstrated you knew what was going on." Then they stated they had gone with lowest bidders before and by the time they were done with the change orders and delays they didn't actually save anything, neither money nor time. In the end they were better off going with the best bid and that isn't always the lowest. I get the feeling one does not see that very often when government is involved.
"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"
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At least for this work, which was research, they had a bunch of us chemists and chemical engineers (and one physicist) evaluate the work. The points we gave for the requested criteria were the big deal to the contracting officers. They had a favorite, HP, and I wasn't going along.
The why: There proposal was very good in all aspects, except, one of the criteria was to do a literature search and then go from what is learned therein. They had that done, but when they went to the final criteria, they talked about doing the work on their own version. To me, this made the literature search superfluous and I therefore rated it poorly . . . and said why.
This was the US Dept of Energy. From my experience (a long time back), the only things where low-bid that meets all criteria is the dominant factor is more in the realm of tangible commodities, whether off the shelf or custom built.
One last thing: The expression "Close enough for government work" is true - but not at all for the reasons most people think. It had to do with a court case where the government wanted to reject the results. The company sued. Well, the judge ruled they were in "Substantial Compliance" and the government was forced to take them. That's how it came about: the private sector's the one who's doing a slap-shod job because they know the government will be stuck with it. This is stuff learned at a course I had to take since I might be called upon to be a tech representative at a contractor's site. I learned quite a few horrors that were forced upon the government by the courts. I won't enumerate them because I don't want to give anyone any ideas.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Yep, looks like it. The UK bought 50 million masks and the NHS could not use them, as they were the wrong masks.
Admittedly this might not have been a cost saving measure, but a plain old blunder.
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Tired?
--- Drink some coffee.
Cold?
--- Drink some coffee.
Angry?
--- Throw the cup at somebody's head.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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It lets you do stupid things faster and with more energy. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Richard Deeming wrote: It lets you do stupid things faster and with more energy
Agile?
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No, Java 
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Richard Deeming wrote: It lets you do stupid things faster and with more energy.
Apparently you haven't heard of Tequila.
I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey
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One of an endless stream of my witty observations:
The most effective way to be awakened with a cup of hot coffee is to spill it on your lap.
Edit: fixed typo
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
modified 23-Sep-20 8:33am.
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Unless it's from McDonalds, then you sue the company.
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Regardless of the source (unless it is, of course, a mortician leaning over you in your coffin) it will most assuredly wake you up.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Throw it out the window to water the dirt, then make a good cup o' tea. problem solved.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
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Nah ![Java | [Coffee]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/coffee.gif)
Real programmers use butterflies
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It is obvious that the fluid from the dimension of javajive (Manhattan Transfer is one of their acolytes) has infiltrated the brew in your cauldron. Defenestrate it immediately
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
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Griff, I remember a message from many moons ago, where yourself failed at making coffee because you needed coffee in order to reliably function and actually make coffee.
This is why I buy cans of caffeine and only have to open lid to get my jolt in the morning.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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OriginalGriff wrote: Throw the cup pot at somebody's head
FTFW.
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A threesome - predict the French red wine upset enemies at the prow! (10)
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Don't get the threesome reference. I'll wait for someone else to post the solution to find out!
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I got that reference... trying the rest
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Oh good!
If you got that, you should get the rest.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Under an hour now!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Interesting article in today's Code Project Daily News: "For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Number 42". See For Math Fans: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Number 42 - Scientific American.
Why is 42 such a big deal for the mathematicians and other so called philosophers? This article takes it all in, almost. What is the answer to: "The Great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”.
I have always heard the answer as "to die". Then, someone had the intelligence to "two dice", each having one to six dots on each side. Adding up the dots on both dice gives the sum of 42. Maybe not complex math, but overthinking and recontextualizing the problem to get the magic number.
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