The View from Here

SOPA Internet Hijacking

2011-12-22T10:46:00.001-08:00

A little known story exists about the people behind SOPA and their fight to curtail internet sharing of artist’s work. Here is the true story as reported by Michael Mozart (investigative video journalist) on Google Plus.

SOPA The true Story

If you want more information:

It’s All HERE

The very people initiating SOPA are the ones who encouraged “piracy” marketed the products, such as LimeWire, Kazaa, LuckyWire and other bit torrent platforms to ‘download’ the artist’s intellectual property. Also little known is the fact that LimeWire reportedly paid CBS for the rights to the music files.

C-Net is a subsidiary of CBS Interactive, and supplied the peer-to-peer software such as Kazaa.

CBS and C-Net actually are the ones who ‘threw the music industry under the bus”.

Michael Mozart had documented all of these statements in his video and that of VIACON’s video.

After you have read all of this and have seen the video, and you would like to oppose this proposed law;

Class Action Suit against C-net, CBS interactive

The View From Here hopes you will join this lawsuit to retain freedom on the internet and ban censorship.

While the “Entertainment” and Music Industry

The EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation) is more important than ever.

If you want further information tweet me @glevin1

del.icio.us Tags: electronic freedom foundation,sopa,cnet,cbs interactive

SOPA IS A DISGRACE

2011-12-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

Once Again Congress has been duped !

The real truth as revealed by entertainment insiders.

CBS INTERACTIVE OWNS C-NET AND DOWNLOAD.COM both of whom carried free download sources for ‘file sharing’ software.

Read this and come to your own conclusions.

FILMON

JEEPERSMEDIA

Don’t stop just yet: Read On.

THE EVIDENCE

del.icio.us Tags: file sharing,MPAA,SOPA

Change (If Nothing Else) Is In The Air

2011-12-21T08:51:00.001-08:00

Bob Dylan “The times, they are a changin'”

It was true then and true now and probably will always be so. Yet the enormity of readjustments in the world’s economic base, financial institutions, digitization of most industries, health reform and political unrest around the world effects the United States in ways never before expected.

Political unrest seems to have peaked in the middle east, yet no clear movement is apparent for a recovery plan. As the United States withdraws from Iraq and eventually Afghanistan will the resources put in to those countries pay a dividend, or will matters inevitably revert to past centuries of tribalism.

One thing for certain, wherever American military might has passed we leave a by- product, the American ‘pop-culture’ remnant taken up by the youth of the country attempting to imitate life in America. In this case there is a strong cultural divide which may mute this process..

In American Medicine, nothing could be more true, and if you are interested take a link to my Health Train Express Blog where I publish more often.

del.icio.us Tags: political,healthcare,medicine

Occupy Oakland

2011-11-03T17:01:00.001-07:00

It’s interesting that the peaceful Occupy Wall Street marches are 90% peaceful until we get to Oakland California. Oakland gets the bad rap ever since the days of our ‘Peacekeeping” role in Vietnam when anti-war protestors created furor over the U.S. involvement in East Asia.

Oakland Demonstrators

Yesterday the occupiers disrupted the maritime industry when the port of Oakland had to be shut down, and it was pointed out that Oakland is the fifth busiest port in the United States, and millions of dollars and losses were at stake, and that maritime workers were at risk. (Aren’t those the people for whom the occupiers are demonstrating?) It would seem the maritime workers would throw down their cargo containers and joint the movement in solidarity.

Or is it the management and investors, corporate fat cats who complained. The news seemed to be entirely against the occupy wall street movement as long as they can go on with their game, but if it disrupts their economic gains, the movement becomes intolerable. The shipping industry must be thriving since we ship lot’s of things to China, and they ship lots of things to us since our balance of trade is do imbalanced, to say nothing of how much debt we owe China.

Occupy Protesters Disavow Oakland Violence

Meanwhile the Occupy Wall Street (ers) disavowed any forms of violence in their efforts, following the violence in Oakland and disruption of the Oakland Port.

Let’s hope the next step will not be a march at Kent State in Ohio. Those Ohio National Guardsmen need some more target practice. Oh I forgot times have changed….they can re-task a Predator and the ‘boys’ in Nevada can help our local police forces.

I am certain President Obama would not mind ignoring our constitutional protections to use our defense department against the people.

How stupid of me to talk this way….I must be getting senile. I should never have retired. I have too much time to think and write….my spouse says I should run for the senate. Are you kidding? My columns and blogs are more powerful than any elected position.

Occupy Air Force One !!

del.icio.us Tags: ows,occupy wall street,occupy oakland

Valley of The Dry Bones

2011-10-29T15:34:00.001-07:00

Thank you for joining me here on “The View from Here”.

The fork in the road leads us the choice of which desert landscape we will proceed to from here. In the far distance lies the mountain,

This photograph was taken in 2003 while residing near Palm Springs in Desert Hot Springs. It was a unique time in my life while recovering from a heart surgery and a spine problem.

Disconnected from most concerns of modern times it brought me back to pioneer times. There were several old abandoned miner communities where we lived in a primitive cement block house on a sand dune.

Dry Gulch Road Desert Hot Springs, CA 2003 Lower House

The View From Here

My spouse called this place “The Valley of The Dry Bones” (Ezekiel, 37:1-14)

Has America, become like Israel in the Valley of the Dry Bones ?

No one can quite explain why we are in this place of dysfunction and chaos despite what some of the supposedly brightest men who speak without wisdom tell us.

The problems are deeper than financial balance sheets, or political correctness. The Occupiers on Wall Street seem to know this to be true. So our educational system despite critics must be doing something right, or perhaps they are so ineffective in brainwashing our young people that their common sense can tell them right from wrong.

“Occupy Wall Street” and the events of the past decade leading to our present stagnant economy and our morale, without rendering an opinion of an ‘old physician"’

The opportunity to introduce and give a head start to this blog from Health Train Express is important because regardless of mandates by Obamacare it is doubtful the mandates can or will be implemented in full. Finally the progress toward a fiscally sound America and a physically fit and healthy America are inextricably bound.

Today we are here at the View from Here”, another web site which I reserve for opinion on current events in medicine and in other socio-political controversy. Join me in a different kind of rant.

del.icio.us Tags: ows,occupy wall street,healthtrain express,view from here,valley of dry bones

Health Train’s View from Here.

2010-12-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

My other blog The View From Here has been dormant for over a year, now. You can see it HERE. I would like to invite you to read that once in a while. I discuss topics away from medicine at that blog.

iMAGINATION

2009-10-11T14:55:00.001-07:00

A New Beginning

2009-10-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

It has been almost a year since I posted here. I have been posting almost on a daily basis on my other blog at Health Train Express.

I've decided to use this blog for some innovations in my broadcasting my own opinions in the realm of heath, health reform and health politics.

The podcasts will be available here and also on iTunes as a subscription service.

Eventually the audiopodcasts will covert to videoblogcasts.

Health Train Express Transition

2008-12-12T12:02:00.001-08:00

The gulf between the macrocosm of health policy planners and the microcosm of health care providers, ie physicians, grows wider day by day.

Evidence of this abounds as other participants in the health process compete for a seat at the table of transition teams for the new Obama administration.

What does Tom Daschle really know about providing healthcare to that patient on the exam table?

His choice was as an arbiter for political disagreements and an attempt to create the coalition to pass some type of health care legislation. One cannot even begin to predict the outcome....whether it will call for a universal payor plan or another throwing of the dice in regard to reimbursement plans, or another game of insuring the uninsured by shuffling the deck of poker cards.

Health care unfortunately has become a game of chance.

Will you have a job? Will you become disabled? Will you become uninsurable? Will you be able to find a family physician? Will you, will you , will you?

Medicine and Politics seem to be following a new course of increased transparency of their own process. The internet has led to this development but still lacks user friendly search engines and other health 2.0 applications to find, organize and interpret raw data and commentary. If one visits the Obama Transition Web site, and searches you will find numerous sources and opportunities to participate .

Senator Tom Daschle is now the designated head of Health and Human Services.

The issues are complex and the economy has now complicated it further. A bailout and stimulus package is a false hope. The real problems are systemic. Throwing money at our failed health care system is almost as bad as giving it to the IRS.

del.icio.us Tags: daschle,hhs,bailout,failed health system,obama transition web site,family physician,disabled,unemplloyed

The Awakening of Detroit

2008-12-04T20:58:00.001-08:00

When we say 'Detroit' we think of automobile manufacturers. In actuality the automobile industry has been shifting to other areas of the country. BMW, Toyota, Honda and others have shifted manufacturing to other states. GM builds cars in South America,as well.

The American automobile industry over the last 20 years has contributed less and less to the GDP. This has ocurred for largely two reasons.

1. The shift to technology, including the internet, development of online industry, software, outsourcing to foreign countries,

2. While Detroit has considered itself the core of United States productivity and the heartbeat of the nation, this in reality is no longer true.

Demand for their product has gradually and now precipitously declined due to the economic credit crunch, and other more insidious reasons.

Looking in the mirror will do little to correct the immediate problem.

The history of companies reveals what will happend to General Motors. When companies begin to fail they look for increased efficiency, and more stable revenue sources. The model is clear, those who successfully diversify survive with the ability to increase their business portfolio as the world changes.

General Motors has been asleep at the switch, isolated in Michigan with a feeling of invincibility. This was demonstrated when their executives flew to D.C. in three separate private jets. The expense for that trip was in reality small compared to the enormous challenge they now face.

A mere bailout of 34 billion dollars is a bandaid at this point. Bandaids will not stop the hemorrhage from an artery.

The sequence of events will be:

1. Failure to make payrolls

2. Breach of contracts with their suppliers

3. Lawsuits, followed by liens, seizures,

4. Increased liabilities due to 1,2 and 3.

5..Forced involuntary bankruptcy, and take over by a court appointed trustee.

Some planning and initiative by filing for a Chapter 11 provides some protection for a period of reorganization with oversight by third parties. The success rate for this move overall is questionable. The rate of confirmation for companies filing Chapter 11 is outlined in this report

The success rate of Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, as measured by the percentage of cases confirmed each year, has doubled since the early 1980s, according to a new study of data collected by the United States Trustee Program.
The study showed, on average, a 27 percent annual confirmation rate of Chapter 11 cases filed between 1989 and 1995. Previous statistics indicated that only around 17 percent of Chapter 11 cases were confirmed.
A Chapter 11 debtor, often with participation from creditors, creates a plan to repay part or all of its debts. A case is "confirmed" if the bankruptcy court approves that plan.
The report, published in the February 1998 issue of American Bankruptcy Institute Journal, was prepared by Ed Flynn and Gordon Bermant for the Executive Office for United States Trustees. The EOUST performs administrative and supervisory functions for the United States Trustee Program, a component of the Justice Department that monitors the administration of bankruptcy cases nationwide.

Filing chapter 11 does not mean the end of a business.

Alternatives are available. When attorneys become involved if there is anything left they will get it.

Usually those involved are emotionally and physically drained by the events leading up to the business failure.

It is always wise to have outside professional advice, and not necessarily attorneys. Most will advise Chapter 11 or 7 because of the conflict of interest.....they will profit while all others lose out. They have their fees alloted at the inceptionof the filing by a trustee (who is usually a judge) ie, attorney.

It has been done previously by a number of big industries,the railroads were broken up into smaller companies. They survived in a different format, some with government subsidies. One way or the other we all pay for it, if it is deemed essential to the national interest. The big question is "Is GM essential to our way of life?"

What will supercede it's necessary functions?

Automobiles built in the United States will have a new logo.

GM needs to cut it's payroll, make fewer cars, renegotiate contract with vendors, eliminate some or most of it's legacy costs. Workers are going to have to bite the bullet in the face of all other employed losing health insurance, other perks and benefits. The idea of a job bank, is well intentioned, but in survival mode where there will be fewer if any jobs is very questionable. Government may have to step in with unemployment and social service benefits for some time while industries reorganize to a modern business model.

Sidetrack

2008-12-02T10:42:00.001-08:00

Thanks for stopping by. I will be publishing at this site for the next several weeks. The reasons are clear to me. I have only so much time to write about current events in health care and financial and global economic world events. I've been doing some research on the history of post world war II global economics which I would like to share with all of you, especially Baby Boomers and beyond. American and World history have taken a back seat in public schools

so that no child will be left behind. Reading, Riting, and rythmitic (the three Rs) that were essentials prior to no child left behind are the focus of annual examinations for elementary school and middle school as well as high school young people. With the feds stepping in to mandate federal subsidies the states must produce increasing test score results, or else....Any teacher or administrator with a hair brain knows full well that their students had better improve their scores, which do not reflect true learning or the ability to comprehend information.

Our federal government is now immersed in post election rhetoric, transition planning, minimizing terrorist threats,a global as well as United States financial crisis, and probably many things that are not on the radar.

We have heard a number of causes of the turmoil. Most sources tell us it was the subprime mortgage debacle which led to this crisis. This is a visible scapegoat, but in the overall scheme of things this portion of the financial market is miniscule. The rapidly falling dominoes

of the investment banks, which has still not completely evolved is more than a hint that there have been much more hidden fundamental weaknesses in our system. For some time we have run on empty fumes and the engine has finally coughed it's last, begging for an overhaul, not just a filling of the tank, which will be burned even faster by an engine that has leaky valves, worn out bearings, a leaky cooling system, and a nearly defunct transmission. A healthy financial system would tolerate and absorb this blip, if one cylinder misfired now and then.

So all these experts are not really expert or we have been lied to by more than a few people, acting in their own self-interest.

The automobile industry in the U.S. has been dysfunctional for many years It has had more than 25 years to re-tool and begin building more efficient and better engineered vehicles. The Japanese and Germans have been at this for over 30 years. The U.S.. automakers have dragged their feet, waiting only until government regulations, timetables, and mandates become the law until they move forward. This has been a fundamental disregard for the welfare of the buying public. The very public that Detroit wants to 'bail them out'.

There are many jobs at stake...The UAW wishes to operate like it was 1950 with guarrantees that few Americans enjoy. The automobile industry is bankrupt, buoyed by a recent bailout that is short lived. Most of the public feel the giants should be dealt with accordingly with the current financial mechanism of bankruptcy which work well for other industries allowing old business models to fail , evaporate and be replaced with new models.

Painful as this may seem in the long run this will be a more viable means of insuring a healthy automobile industry for America. We can no longer continue in our present mode. Our current auto industry needs to be deconstructed and remodelled with new owners, management, and workers better led for the benefit of all of us.

Automobiles will always be in high demand in the United States and the global economy. Our present system is non competitive even in the United States.

Yes this will cause huge unemployment which must be dealt with to mitigate real pain, economic losses for auto workers. But this fundamental re-powering of our success engine will more effectively result in a solution that will be enduring.

del.icio.us Tags: automobile,bankruptcy,restructure,engine,unemployment,mitigate,reading,subprime

Bin Laden's Success

2008-11-24T19:02:00.001-08:00

When does our government stop attempting to reduce our angst regarding the state of our country with lies, false truths, and self aggrandizement?

'Everything will be fine' goes the standard message. We are just going through tough times. "we cannot allow to let these 'institutions fail' or it will be disaster."

It is a disaster. No verbal assurance will assuage the public, who awake each morning to hear of another bank failure, automobile industry implosion, and probably much more that does not make the daily news cycle with a 'sound bite'.

We are on the prepuce of a possible financial revolution, that if not fixed will threaten social order, because our country has sadly gradually slipped into two systems. The rich and the poor. The middle class as defined by a range of income, can no longer be defined by assets, wealth, or income. The dollar as we knew it is becoming worthless.

The middle and lower classes have become dependent on social welfare systems....even those who earn good income depend upon government for non necessary items, hidden in budgets, school loan programs, subsidies to colleges, and more programs, grants, loan guarantee programs and more.

The federal bailout is fast approaching 1 trillion dollars. For those of you who did not take calculus that is a 1 with 12 zeroes after it. The choices the feds are making are

1.Having the public buy shares in failed institutions

2. Buying 'toxic' assets that are devalued by 50% to 90% or more.

We have had a long standing legal process called bankruptcy. The mechanism is all there already. Why should we call this anything but a bankruptcy? A federal bailout is not going to rekindle confidence in Detroit, Wall Street, or other financial markets.

I do not want to own Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, WAMU, Wachovia, nor an incompetent Detroit auto manufacturer.

Also we must demand transparency. In the days of the internet it is possible for all these 'numbers' to be public. Trust me has become a meaningless word. Trust is earned by actions, not words. Congress has been duped, for a long time. Do you believe anything that Barney Frank and Chris Dodd say??

In two months time our country has been brought to it's knees. I think it began back on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden accomplished what he set out to do. Make no mistake about it. They don't have to mount another terrorist attack. One did it all.

Bin Laden and El-Qaeda calculated that Bush and our nation would have a knee jerk reaction of indignation and anger to search out and attempt to destroy the agent of devastation. In a highly charged and emotional moment our government failed to estimate what invading Iraq and Afghanistan would mean. They fully calculated our response and the cost to us of carrying out our plan for

Essentially they bankrupted America just as in the Reagan era we bankrupted the Soviet Union it their attempt to keep up with the United States.

Would it have been better to 'lick our wounds' and tighten our borders and security to fight another day at a time to our advantage? For the price of the war(s) we could have built a line of 10 fences from California to Florida.

The United States, despite setbacks, remains a great republic, the strength of which lies in the people, our freedom and the ability to transform our challenges.

A Message for America

2008-11-22T11:21:00.001-08:00

Are you ready??

1. Economy

2. Infrastructure

3. Energy

4 Healthcare

5. Iraq

6. Education

Clowns, Politicians and Financiers

2008-11-15T16:48:00.001-08:00

We can now add politicians, economists, and financial wizards to our list of 'least trusted persons in America."

One of mankind's traits is to entrust others who talk a good story, without making much common sense. Those who have titles and have certificates on their walls from esteemed institutions of higher learning have gained our trust using it to their advantage, and to our disadvantage.

The recent culmination of financial misplanning, or should I say malfeasance and deception have finally effected our economic engine.....never ending credit.

There are many issues to bloviate upon.

1. The mortgage meltdown. I will pass on that one..It is old news, and I doubt if anyone who really needs the bailout will get it. The pirates and predators of the banking world will feast on this new money to devour each other, get bigger, and make the branches even smaller. I knew we were in for a big problem when banks moved into grocery stores...

they could no longer afford to build banks, or rent professional looking business establishments. The whole evolution of getting loans online, ATMs, and any sort of bank service smelled to high heaven. Health pundits are always talking about how banking is fully automated...why isn't healthcare? Duh !?

Now you know.

2. The automobile industry has been a mess for decades. GM and Ford have had 25 years at least to get their sorry a--es out of the toilet. The UAW has been a large part of the problem. They are like the hyenas who bring down their prey with their jaws firmly attached to the gonads of their prey. Their leadership is still ranting and raving about how the UAW has given up enough and will not be persuaded to do more. They are in for a shocker when they are all laid off and their companies liquidated and sold off for their assets. It is my humble opinion that neither GM or Ford should be bailed out by taxpayer largess either with loans or buyouts. GM and Ford have failed us miserably. There are those who argue that they are the foundation of American productivity. That may be true, but the foundation long ago crumpled and the building collapsed into the basement.

The capitalized value of GM and Ford is only about 8 billion dollars. This is far less than the real assett value of either company. The companies are a complex network of suppliers, sub contractors, and production locations and workers. These assets can be sold to others who know and can translate what other car companies have done with their products throughout the world. We have already seen this with BMW and Toyota in South Carolina and other states.

General Motors and Ford have failed us and themselves. I would have no faith that things would change with 10,20 or 100 billion dollars. They have already been bailed out to retool and manufacture the new vehicles of the future. If we have to do that, then the chances of it working in the long run are nil.

Proponents of the bail out say that if GM and FORD are allowed to fail it would be catastrophic and lead to a depression. It's pretty catastrophic right now....Demand for automobiles has dropped as a combined assault of increasing energy prices and tightened consumer belts. This is a normal correction considering people need more spendable income for basic necessities of food, water and clothing. Demand will recover as transportation is a necessity of life in the United States. It seems perhaps too much given the price we pay for it in terms of energy, ecological damage, and poor air quality in most cities where the bulk of our population now reside. Yes there will be some more unemployment through a transition. Perhaps it will never recover, but an industry that cannot serve it's own people and employees is a farce. Admitting failure is the first step in reorganization and turn around.

To those whom I have spoken the general opinion is that there should not be a bailout of auto manufacturers. They are also highly skeptical about how the financial bailout is being supervised. It is obvious to anyone that the monies are not going where it was intended. Let them be transparent and publish the agreements (if there are any) for these funds to be used by the banks, and if we don't like it.....set up new institutions that will act responsibly and in the public's interest.

The Real Barak and Michelle Obama

2008-11-13T13:15:00.001-08:00

So the election is over, now let's get down to fixing our country, the old ways certainly did not work....Democratic or Republican.

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics

• He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball

• His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili

• His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini

• He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father

• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed

• He has read every Harry Potter book

• He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali

• He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream

• His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars

• He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia

• He can speak Spanish

• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead

• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea

• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't

• He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia

• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs

• He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name

• His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

• He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived

• His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy

• He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books

• His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

• He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck

• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.

• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees

• He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date

• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker

• He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol

• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician

• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine

• His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)

• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside

• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal

• His house in Chicago has four fire places

• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita

• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry

• He uses an Apple Mac laptop

• He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300

• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits

• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes

• He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13)

• His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire

• He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers

• He was nicknamed "Bar" by his late grandmother

• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds

• His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso

• His speciality as a cook is chilli

• He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"

• He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life

• His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government

Health Train Transfer

2008-11-05T11:14:00.001-08:00

GREAT QUOTES

The overriding theme of the recent campaign season was and is “CHANGE”. The sea of jubilant Americans, young, older, all races, and backgrounds celebrating this victory of Obama for America demonstrates the power of democracy. Yes, democracy is more powerful than capitalism (run amok) and socialism.

We tend to think of black and white. Either left or right. During the campaign at times it was difficult to analyze the real deep meaning of either candidates proposals. There were many who feared this outcome, however the majority has ruled. It is obvious many of us have been left behind.

The outcome is not the death of capitalism, nor the onset of socialism, it is however the demonstration that capitalism and free markets have exceeded their inherent ability to balance the equation. One can argue that creeping entitlements have led us into this “dead end”. The normal market pressures have become dysfunctional.

George Bush’s policies and decisions ended when we invaded Iraq. We were caught up in a perfect storm of global events and economic turmoil.. and terrorism was the overriding theme for us.

Americans had never been attacked in the underbelly, or the heart of the nation’s highest peak (the World Trade Center). The events of 911 symbolized and unknowingly foreshadowed the events of the past several months. In reality these events were ongoing for considerable time. Our recent financial collapse has been blamed on the supreme mortgage meltdown. This is a smokescreen for what has been ongoing for the past ten or twenty years in real estate, credit markets, the consolidations of enterprises, the greed of the stockmarket, insurance industry, technology whether it was for the good, or for mindless entertainment among increasingly idle Americans, who had lost their direction.

We should have learned that actions should not always be based upon fear. We should also remember not to depend upon one person to lead us and/or save us from ourselves.

At the onset of the crisis I said “look in the mirror, there is the culprit”. Even those of you who are relatively successful depend upon inequality, and greed. How big a house, and how many do you need? How big a vehicle do you want? Is it based upon your life’s needs, or some other motivation. Some families with 2-4 children do need a larger vehicle. Why has the foreign car market exploded? Why have we had to export and/or outsource many of our vital functions?

I am not going to give answers here. I don’t know all of them, But we all, patients, payers, providers, and yes government need to assess what we have done. It has not been done to us. Look in the mirror.

While we have been counting the casualties, worrying about health care financing, the gradual and relentess increases in the cost of energy, and the innumerable eco- disasters the perfect storm arose and devastated capitalism as we knew it.

Our new leader is largely unknown, however he is extremely bright, a brilliant orator and politician. This inexperienced man defeated a powerful political machine, overturning the democratic party, just like a boat in the perfect storm. We must all row the boat together as a team to insure our success. We don’t expect a miracle, but more people now have hope.

No capitalism is not dead, nor is socialism taking over. It is not black and white.

President Obama is the perfect combination for our country, a man of color and white, an immigrant, a man who came out of nowhere, from a very modest background, raised by a single parent and grandparent. How familiar does that sound to you? It is not the American dream, but it is the American Reality.

Hope must come before prosperity. There is no prosperity without hope.

As I drive to work through endless homes

I always wonder, what is going on in each of those homes. Are they healthy? Do they have jobs? How many are living from paycheck to paycheck, unable to save or follow the advice of financial wizards? How many are sad? How many have dysfunctional families? How many alcoholics and drug dependent people are in those homes? How many don’t have insurance? How many live in fear of losing their homes and/or their transportation. How many have latchkey children?

There are many more questions than answers. Statistics don’t tell the real story. They indicate the enormity of our problems, however as I drive through the neighborhood I feel the pain.

We as providers face these situations on a daily basis, unable to respond effectively for our patients, unable to commit sufficient time to analyze problems of poor health based on economics, family structure, anxiety and/or depression, limited income in a country with supposedly unlimited financial resources. In truth it has not been this way for many years.

Democracy gives us Hope

Health Train Express stops at the Voting Booth

2008-11-04T09:53:00.001-08:00

I have to give Barak Obama and John McCain a great deal of credit for their ceaseless energy in campaigning. Whether you agree or disagree with either of them, admit that they have 'charged' the electoral process. For the first time in my memory we have a real choice.

This column does not pretend to be unbiased, either in my pronouncements or opinions. It is the culmination of 65 years on the third rock from the sun, and as a physician for 40 years. There are many of you out there that are older, younger, but few wiser than me. I admire Barak Obama for energizing his "base"

I did not like the way Obama at the last minute decided to waive campaign financing in lieu of fund raising. He obviated the careful thinking about removing finances from the equation. Most of us pay one dollar to fund campaigns. So much for Obama being the voice of the people HYPOCRISY

I admire John McCain for his life and experience. Young politicians can be gifted and wise beyond their years. Obama's lie story is compelling and appeals emotionally to many, but his real world experiences are limited....He is much like the academic who is smart, but has limited real world experience and speaks from two polar opposites....academia and the poor of Chicago. I am suspicious of his origins in Chicago, his affiliations, his glib statements, and his denial of being a very left politician.

He cannot extract a list of accomplishments compared to McCain. He is not even a proven academic. Where is his list of papers. What happened during his college years? Being head of the Harvard Yale Law does not prove much unless he practice law and perhaps it allow him to be in a certain circle of elite friend in the law.

It has been said he will govern from an oligarchy of four associates.

John McCain did not have the 'handlers' nor the organization of Obama...He also started too late. Obama was at this fully committed for two years. McCain all but dropped out a year ago.

Political handlers do not run our country, they stage Roman festivals, go door to door (paid to do that). Tell the candidate where and where not to go. Obama has kept his handlers well hidden. I don't see him as having any original thought...great oratory in a hypnotic manner of delivery.

Yes, I have a bad feeling. There is a great deal of emotion and anger in Obama and his wife. His wife and friends harbor these feelings, which may be justified. He is supported by millions of disenfranchised citizens.

Anyone who would use the phrase, "my program will allow you to buy more of those 'iTune' songs says it all.

For a presidential candidate what cultural and sociologic or even true inspirational aspects are present??

My vote does not depend upon either candidate's proposals for healthcare reform...There are much bigger issues to consider.

I have a MCCAIN-PALIN bumper sticker on my car in a heavily OBAMA neighborhood. My son, age 22 told me I should take it off if I don't want my windows smashed. The fact that he felt some intimidation surprise me. He however is much more in touch with young people. I took it off....he is a very good judge of character.

SO I WILL VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN, AND IF YOU HAVE SOME LOGIC AND REASON YOU WILL SEE THAT OBAMA PLAYS TO OUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS....IF YOU VOTE FOR OBAMA TODAY YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE...LOSS OF FREEDOMS,much higer taxes, more entitlement programs and further movement of businesses to foreign countries.A SLAVE TO THE 'PEOPLE'....SOUNDS LIKE MARXISM, SOCIALISM AND THE DREAD WORD WE HATE TO SAY "COMMUNISM"

YOUR VOTE HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AVERAGED OUT TO 18.75 DOLLARS PER VOTE.

SORRY SID, YOU ARE BEING PLAYED BY SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL BE CAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A GREAT GUY, PHYSICIAN AND CARE SO MUCH FOR PEOPLE.

Forty eight hours and counting....VOTE, VOTE VOTE

2008-11-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

Here is how the last minute polls show the Presidential Race::::How will America go??

McCain brings on The Terminator

2008-10-31T16:34:00.001-07:00

We interrupt this campaign to bring you a special message from the Terminator....he arrived today in Ohio, seeming to materialize from air just as he did in his classic terminator series, to protect John McCain as he did for "John Connor".

Arnold should have also been called " The Communicator". John McCain probably wishes Arnold had been on the campaign trail with him. Arnold however has been busy with financial crises of his own in the largest state in the nation.

Ohio is critical to McCain prevailing. Governor Schwarznegger brought with him the credibility and political persuasion from his background as an immigrant from a 'socialized' Europe. His story of self reliance, success and the freedom to suceed bounced off the crowd with cheers. His very own experience in overturning a failed governor in California in a rare recall election, and then his re-election as Governor tells a vivid story. "John McCain spent more time as a POW in a prison camp than Barak Obama has spent in the senate.

del.icio.us Tags: ohio,republican,democrats,political map,terminator,mccain,campaign

Where Have They Been?

2008-10-30T15:18:00.001-07:00

Are we at the edge?

The bottom line and cut to the chase....

'Yes'

It's amazing what money or the lack thereof does to some's ability to process information.

Obama's proposals sound good, but when one drills down to the meaning and long distance view of his ideas for America, it begins to descend far away from the American Dream. Mr. Obama proposes that the Constitution no longer applies to our world, that the civil rights movement did not redistribute the means for black Americans to suceed, and that further 'stimuli' are necessary.

This is puzzling to me, and others. Mr. Obama seems to have done very well without redistribution of money. Why is that? How about all the other black Americans who have suceeded in just 40 years....Will redistribution accelerate the process? Maybe.

However those black Americans who have made it will tell you it was about inspiration,integrity, fortitude, self reliance, determination, support for education and true grit......and these are not the molecules of 'redistribution of wealth' The false hope (and very short lived) of redistribution runs out quickly when there are no assets left to redistribute. "You can give a man a fish, which will feed him for a day, or teach him to fish and he will eat for a long time"(as long as there are fish)

Obama's promises are like honey to the flies...sticky ...

I am surprised that so many are taken in by his glib and arrogant manner. He is so sure he is correct, taking financial advice from the very people that led us to the precipice. Lemmings!!

My 22, 20 and 18 year old sons who have been home schooled cannot believe this. Where do all these folks come f rom, and where have they been for the past 30 years?

Bailout Farce

2008-10-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

The View from Here

Companies start competing for bailout money. Why would we accept solutions from the very people who have blundered in our financial systems.?

Here is an example of basic flawed thinking.

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

(AP) U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson Jr., speaks during the National Committee on...
Full Image

WASHINGTON (AP) - The bailout is now the hottest lobbying game in town.

Insurers, automakers and American subsidiaries of foreign banks all want the Treasury Department to cut them a piece of the largest government rescue in U.S. history.

Lobbying efforts are intensifying.

The article from the AP goes on to elaborate on who and how the financial pie will be divided amongst large investment entities, mortgage companies, automakers, securities companies,and even foreign subsidaries of American Companies. There is even a group called "The Financial Roundtable" involved in the process

The Financial Services Roundtable wrote Treasury officials on Friday requesting that the initiative to buy $250 billion in bank stock grow to cover insurers, auto companies, securities dealers and U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies, including banks. The Treasury's plan is intended to bolster banks' tattered balance sheets and get them to resume making loans.

Who are these people, running (or should I say, ruining) our financial system(s)??

Executive Biographies:

Member Companies: Roundtable Membership includes the following institutions:

Roundtable membership consists of 100 select companies including Wells Fargo, J. P. Morgan Chase, State Farm, Fidelity Investments, Wachovia, Citigroup, Ford Motor Credit, and Edward Jones

AS YOU CAN SEE THE FOXES ARE GUARDING THE HEN HOUSE.

Saving these 'venerable financial institutions will just compound and prolong the agony....They should be replaced and/or the monies given to the people to reinvest in entitites that are moral, ethical, and make sense.

del.icio.us Tags: investment,bankers,mortgage,bailout,roundtable

gml

Financial and Political Meltdowns

2008-10-25T16:56:00.001-07:00

This year's Presidential campaign points out more than ever the basic flaw in our election process.

Dan Heninger from the WSJ gives these two opinions.

Video 1

Video 2

Post I POST MARKET CRASH

2008-10-25T15:30:00.001-07:00

I have noticed a spike in my spam mailbox. It is coming from all those internet entrepeneurs selling their surefire method of becoming a billionaire to making 200 dollars a day extra. They all are long messages some five or more pages long, with repeated phrases, such as

FROM MY JUNK MAIL-

Hello, I am Robert L. Cox. (My friends and colleagues call me BOB.)

Right about now your head is probably spinning with questions such as "Who are you?"... But more importantly, "How can I be so sure your ‘closely guarded’ wealth attraction methods can work for ME?"

Well, to properly answer that I’d have to tell you about four men
whose lives I helped transform. Make no mistake:
ONLY after I entered into an alliance with these men did
they go onto become billionaires...

Now, you might be thinking: "Sure, it takes money to make money... that’s why these guys became billionaires."

Mind Secrets" That Can Help You
Attract Everlasting Wealth
in just 30 Days...

"Now you can use the exact ‘tractor beam’ money-making strategies that propelled 4 ordinary men into becoming billionaires..."

Mind Secrets" That Can Help You
Attract Everlasting Wealth
in just 30 Days...

"Now you can use the exact ‘tractor beam’ money-making strategies that propelled 4 ordinary men into becoming billionaires..."

And so on and so forth.

II. The second set of messages is from

Investment firms, banks, and mortgage companies.

Newsletters on Money and Markets

Stock Alerts, Investment U. and so on ans so forth.

And of course, I have only 1 hour to respond since there is a limited number of positions, or DVDs in stock....
- III. I have noticed a decrease in the number of credit card offers, both email and snailmail.
It becomes obvious all these people have a lot of time on their hands...They like many of us are scrambling to put food on the table and keep the lights on. Those who are so successful feel compelled to help the rest of the world.....so why are they selling their 'program'?? If their primary success worked, why do they have to recruit more?
Follow the money....if there is any.

By the way I have a bridge in Brooklyn I will sell you for only 100 dollars (times are tough, and with inflation and increased overhead, the one dollar offer has expired....(shipping included by overnight FEDEX. ) HURRY THOUGH, THERE ARE ONLY TEN REMAINING.

We accept VISA, DISCOVER, MASTERCARD,WESTERN UNION, PAYPAL, EUROS, RUBLES,DENARIS,GREEN STAMPS,AND STIMULUS REBATE STAMPS.

Health Train Rest Stop

2008-10-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

Well, frankly I need a break from blogging, healthcare and politics. I am going on a 7 day media fast (not fest).

Interesting news about the powder-laced envelopes showing up at Chase branches...I will have to run over to my local WAMU bank about a block from home.

I think this represents just how pissed off everyone is about all of us bailing out a private company like Goldman-Sachs, let alone Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Frankly I don't give a damn if they cannot balance books or have regulations, because none of it really matters...they will cook up new schemes, print more money, and keep themselves well fed despite the rest of us.To say nothing of the fact that the Sec of Treasury is ex Goldman Sachs executive.....The wolves are watching the hen house.

I don't think it matters much who gets elected...they are all puppets for the money men.

So you all enjoy Health 2.0, don't step on the homeless people, and use protection!!!

See you in a week.

del.icio.us Tags: fraud,banks,freddie mac,fannie mae,money,bailout,goldman sachs,bioterrorism

Brave New Nano-World

2008-10-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

Daniel McCabe | In the classic film, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock, fresh from ending his university studies, is taken aside by Mr. McGuire. "I just want to say one word to you — just one word," McGuire tells him. "Plastics. There's a great future in plastics."

If a worldly medical scientist came upon a contemporary version of Braddock today, he might utter, "Just one word. Bioinformatics. There's a great future in bioinformatics."

This was a statement made in 2000 published in The McGill Reporter during the building of the McGill Center for Bioinformatics..

During the ensuing 8 years their prescience is obvious.

First came plastics, then came genetics, along with the personal computer, then the internet...Today's futurists would say " nanotechnology and the 'buckeyball'.

For those geeks and ubernerds this link will help.

The chemistry and science are well established producing and using this light year advance in composite material. It is already being used in manufacturing smart clothing, food safety, blood sugar sensing contact lenses, appliances, golf balls and golf clubs. Future use will include drug manufacturing, eco cleanups, airplane construction, and automobiles. The material is very light weight, conducts electricity the list paralells and expands on current technology

In Medicine

Diagnostics-lab on a chip - DNA on gold particles

Drug delivery, NEMS ,

Filtration

Electrical - nanobatteries, novel semiconductors, novel optoelectronics, and much more

LiveJournal Tags: nano,buckyball,dna chip,drug delivery,food safety,filtration

Economic Transformation

2008-10-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

The real bad news

Always listen to your elders....the indians knew this.

Colin Powell....Where has he been?

2008-10-18T08:54:00.001-07:00

(click on photo)

Colin Powell rocks at the Hip-Hop Festival

The buzz this weekend was the announcement that Colin Powell would come out of his undisclosed location to make an important announcement...This seems to have created more excitement than the three debates put together and Sarah Palin coming out of her igloo to run for vice-President.

What is Colin going to announce? Here are the questions.

Will he run as a third party candidate?

Will he endorse one of the candidates?

On this Sunday morning I awoke early, my mind whirring about this coming event.

Colin Powell is one of the many that have left George Bush's right side. Mr Bush's plan to leave no child behind didn't factor in the rest of the adult population.

Our economy and perhaps our way of life is and will suffer for the forseeable future.

And it is not all George's fault, some of it belongs to the federal reserve board, and the oversight committee's of the U.S. Congress.

A significant number of Americans judge their worthiness by what others tell them what is worthy. Common sense does not prevail.

A good part of our technology and sophistication is useless in the face of unemployment fueled by outsourcing, and being coming so efficient. The bottom line is what is the sense of being so efficient when so many are unemployed and we allow illegal immigrants to enter the country. What ever happened to public service....young people doing these jobs. We call them menial, why? Because they pay low wages. Why are young people leaving their homes for a 'better life'?

Not only is our economy in the toilet and out of balance, but so is our general way of life and the values that we have accepted.

Financial coercion is a real thing in our country..Although we appear to have a lot of material things and money it has enslaved our thought processes..The candidates do not speak to the germ of the problem.

Look in the mirror....there is the person responsible for some of the mess.

America is looking for 'the hero' to save us from ourselves. The 20 or so candidates that dropped out of the race due to less funding that others speaks a great tale. The only one who ignored those limitations was John McCain. In his prison cell it mattered not a smidgen he had no money or possessions He did not even know if he would survive. Hhis one trump card...his father's high position in the military meant nothing to him in the face of honor, duty, courage, commitment and ETHICS.

PHILADELPHIA — Senator Barack Obama is days away from breaking the advertising spending record set by President Bush in the general election four years ago, having unleashed an advertising campaign of a scale and complexity unrivaled in the television era.

Who is more credible, McCain or Obama.....the record clearly shows. I'm not going to tell you....you figure it out, and if you are wrong...????

Let me say categorically that I am proud that a black American, such as Barak Obama is running for President just 40 years after the events of the civil rights movement. He stands on the shoulders of many great Americans such as Martin Luther King, and John F. Kennedy.

Post Debate Delirium

2008-10-17T12:19:00.001-07:00

In my other life away from the virtual world, I have been an ophthalmologist, however I also did emergency medicine back in the last century. Comatose patients had a differential diagnosis ranging from trauma, stroke, metabolic causes, infectious disease, and probably some others I have forgotten.

Add post-presidential- debate- delirium now to the differential diagnosis.

I also happened to catch the Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner last night where both presidential hopefuls attended as well as

MSNBC's Chris Matthews and Val Jones MD of the blog, Get Better Health

L-R Val Jones, MD , Chris Matthews

The Title is at the End of the Article

2008-10-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

I always wait to do my title until I have finished my writing. I find that often my writing drifts away from my title, and it would be better served until the end.

Following last night's debate I had a severe headache... It is apparent that neither candidate gets the whole problem.

It's hard to believe that people do not see Obama for what he proposes. ie Our IRS and tax system is not designed to provide necessary things, such as roads, infrastructure, defense, or encourage commerce, but to PUNISH those who are successful, and be an "equalizer" to redistribute what some people call wealth.

Why should we allow our government to decide for us where we should allocate our earnings? Originally when our country was founded it was established with the idea of eliminating class warfare and a disparity of rich from poor. It was intended to be an egalitarian society....We have drifted far from that proposition.

At one point in our history Obama's rhetoric would have been considered communist...not even socialistic. Perhaps now that the cold war is supposedly over, this is more politically correct, however look at Cuba, Venezuela and the other remnants of this misguided ideal.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer is a common thought process for the "oppressed". In reality in an egalitarian society the poor should benefit from the 'rich' providing opportunity for those with lower incomes.

Our tax structure interrupts this process...the butterfly effect, or the the law of unintended consequences takes over.

When tax rates are raised for the rich, the rich get smarter...they can afford to hire accountants, attorneys, and manipulate their figures to reduce their taxes. Often when taxes are increased for this group, the actual revenues to the government diminish. These "wealthy" people such as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and thousands of others actually have their money in assets that are not taxable until they are cashed out and then taxed as capital gains. It does not contribute to government revenues as long as it remains sequestered. Yet these rich people are able to capitalize it with loans based on this as an asset.

For the common man a tax increase is more devastating.they have neither the knowledge, nor ability to hire accountants and tax lawyer to defend themselves.

My fundamental belief is the government has the obligation to tax us to run the necessary government, and my obligation is to do everything possible to avoid those taxes. It's a balancing act.

If you remove the balalnce and cannot control who, where, what, or when my income is alloted the system goes bonkers...

The Title is THEY JUST DON'T GET IT

Flickr Tags: rich,taxes,class warfare,egalitarian,irs,plastics,dna chip

Flickr Tags: rich,taxes,class warfare,irs

The Penguin v. Batman (and Robin)

2008-10-15T14:53:00.001-07:00

Tonite is the great debate...It seems like the media has declared the event of extreme importance.

Ezra Klein in his column placed this video ....

God Bless and Help America.....please??

2008-10-14T16:13:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is the last debate between Senator McCain and Senator Obama. The topics and answers are neither Republican nor Democratic issues. Rather they are American issues, and yes this election is an important one. It comes on the heels of a long conflict in Iraq with potential for another long term military commitment in Afghanistan.

It comes immediately upon the worst stock market crash and debt crisis for the United States, as well as other countries....So tied in with the global economy now, other countries reacted swifter than the U.S. in stemming similar problems as they shored up their financial networks with government guarrantees for three years.

With each debate I am less inclined to support either of these candidates. I can sum it up simply....I don't trust either of these people with my children's and grandchildren's lives.

Obama talks a good talk, and is hypnotic...a bit like a german dictator who hypnotizes with oratory and grand social programs to relieve the plight of the downtrodden. (and more of us are produced each day)( I am tired of his 'race' card. ) His rantings and his associates rantings (John Lewis) are the only racial issues in this contest....This is an equal opportunity election.

McCain fails to inspire, in fact he puts me to sleep, (I was expecting much more)which in itself is surprising given his personal tragedies serving our country. He has nothing to gain personally by investing whatever life time he has in leading our country. His party is not credible due to the past six years. McCain does not appeal to the downtrodden.....he does not even speak about them. No grand social programs, nor health programs other than shifting taxes and writing another chapter in the U.S. Tax codes.....

Personally I don't need to analyze this election any further. Our country has depleted it's economic wealth.....

I believe it was Warren Buffet who stated that ....We have spent about 8% more than we made each year during the past twenty years....an economy based upon credit... So we are saving ourselves by borrowing more for the next thirty years. Heaven help the next three American generations.

It doesn't matter who is elected...those are the facts, Republican or Democrat....it is we who screwed up...don't blame it on the politicians.

It is frankly going to be up to Congress, no matter who is President, and judging from the present institutions, it is very scary.

If the Democrats and Obama prevail we will have the perfect storm, a triumvirate of Obama, Pelosi and Reid.

God bless America (and God help us, too)

2008-10-11T17:53:00.001-07:00

Help us Help Them

2008-10-11T17:48:00.001-07:00

How can we help these people?

Real Stories about Real People

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNHNCScYpX8

Nathan Wilkes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2peGqRrjXek

Cynthia Campbell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McGm00Mvakc

In a stunning turn around, insurance giant CIGNA has capitulated to community demands, and protests that the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee helped to generate, and agreed to a critically needed liver transplant for Nataline Sarkisyan, a 17-year-old girl in the intensive care unit at UCLA Medical Center. Unfortunately, Nataline passed away yesterday just after six o'clock the same day of the massive protest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh0mgiwXzGM

Emily Cannon is a young woman in the prime of life, the daughter of a registered nurse, and a former elementary school teacher whose life has ground to a halt since developing a chronic but treatable illness. She is now being denied care she needs to return to the active life she once enjoyed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1uXUgTakk4

Watch this compelling video about a mother and daughter living on a fixed income and having to fight their health insurance provider for coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4xcV4bULRQ

Retiree Juanita Anderson doesn't just fear the rare disease that attacks her organs and sends her to the ER,she also fears the insurance companies who can change her coverage at any time and destroy her finances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqSshZZMHGA

Linda Peeno-Sicko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itKJRq3NU7s

Michael Moore-Sicko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC7zI7VXcCA

Andy Bales: Rescue Mission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqmk3ycTmuY

Deborah Burger—RN

small bits FROM A BLACK HOLE

2008-10-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

Who is Jon Postel ? In French

What happened to Internet 2 ?

Where is Dan Quayle ?

Who is Esther Dyson, and why should I care?

MORE.................later

Zorses are Everywhere

2008-10-11T10:23:00.001-07:00

Most of you, or some of you know me from my other blog, Health Train Express. I may at times cross reference topics germane to both blogs.

I can be thankful that I do not have any of my wealth invested in the stock market...(my Dad used to tell me, "If you like betting or horse races, then the market is for you". When you're hot you're hot, when your not, you're not...

Today I received my first "FREE COPY OF THE INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY" I will be getting it gratis for several weeks. I turned to page two and three to see all the graphic charts, overlayed with the market before and during "the great depression" A quick picture flashed through my mind of the "horse race sheets" my Dad used to study from Belmont.

I'm an 'east coast guy" and the sheets here in California somehow or other just don't seem the same. Where was I?

Oh yes, I was talking about the comparison's to the market crash of 1929. The graphs sure look the same to me...however I am not a financial wizard..my intellectual efforts were tuned to science and medicine. The financial pundits are telling me not to panic. My favorite saying is "if it look like a horse, smells like a horse, and sounds like a horse....it's most likely not a zebra.

Mom was a zebra, Dad was a horse. (A Zorse)

If I had a stock porfolio I would consider moving it to real estate (did I say that?), or T-bills (with our government, is that safe?) Is that why Wachovia was bought by Wells Fargo instead of FDICs guarrantees? How about companies that build armaments? That seems to be a farly sure thing in war and peace. You could ride Warren Buffet's coattails.....Sell your whole portfolio and buy 2-5 shares of Berkshire Hathaway...it

traded yesterday at 113,300 dollars, but it was down 800 by the closing bell Friday. How about an internet startup, Apple, Google, or Yahoo?

Regardless of 'street wisdom" my mattress is looking better and better. I sure am glad I bought a king size.

60th Israeli Anniversary

2008-05-08T12:56:00.001-07:00

Perhaps it is obvious to all but Hammas, Hezbolllah and the Palestinians that Israel is not about to "go away". Israel remains the pre-eminent power in the Middle East. The elimination of Sadaam Hussein and Iraq as a significant military force in the middle east is a strategic blow against those who are obsessed with the destruction of Israel and the Jewish People.

Israel already has signed treaties with other Arab Nations.

Hammas, Hezbollah and the terrorist segment of the Palestinians are their own worst enemies. They haven't quite figured out they are not going to entirely get their way in matters pertaining to Israeli's existence.

Despite what we hear and read about insurgency in Iraq, for all intent and purposes Iraq has been blown back to the 'stone age'.

The war in Iraq was actually a strategic move, about oil and the guarranteed survival of Israel. Needless to say, one wrong move by Iran, be it an aggressive move toward Israel, the acquisition of nuclear power, will result in Iran's destruction as well.

Make no mistake about it, the United States, nor the European Union, nor many other nations will risk the fall of Israel.

If those who oppose Israel cannot see how the United States reacted to an invasion of another Arab country (Kuwait), then they are foolish not to admit what would happen if Israel is seriously threatened.

The presence of a significant "peace-keeping" force in Iraq for years to come is justified given the Iran situtation.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL

Whoever dislikes Israel and Jews can eat their own hearts out.

Pay for what????

2007-09-25T20:48:00.001-07:00

I've already paid for "it" during the past 35 years of my professional career. I paid for it in college as I competed to be at the top of my game to be admitted to a school of medicine. Once t here I paid a little more in tuition, time, sweat, blood and tears and many many sleepless nights as a med student, intern and then resident. Somewhere in there I paid my dues as a citizen soldier in the United States Navy. I actually cried the last day of my internship as I looked forward to two years in the service, away from medical training. (and this was during Vietnam.) My family paid for it too, many hours, days and holidays without "Dad". I paid for it with loss of sleep and a pittance for payment as a trainee. I paid for it with loans, which really were a poor investment and financial choice as it turns out. I would have been far better off if I had gone into business at age 20 and started saving money early on.

My first marriage paid the ultimate price....a divorce.....

And let me not forget the annual dues for medical licensure, medical societies (3) a specialty society or two, malpractice at about 10,000 per annum adds up to about 350,000 dollars.

Well, as physicians I have not paid more or less than my compatriots, so what more can we pay? Except to pay attention to the idiots that come up with these foolish "games".

So they want to pay me for performance....well buddy you have had my performance .....

Health 2.0 Conference Results

2007-09-23T18:37:00.002-07:00

September 23, 2007

Health 2.0 Conference Results
Three years ago I had no idea how blogging would provide a platform for everyone and anyone interested in health care. The spectrum of participants ranges from physicians, payors, patients, political pundits, and others.This forum lies outside the framework of "officialdom"; It has become the water cooler and allows much intercourse. Early on there were some disputes and "retaliation" against employees when their opinions reached "management".....However I believe freedom of speech issues prevailed as long as there was no libel or slander involved.This year's Health 2.0 was planned for 200 participants, and over 400 registered. The introduction piece was very impressive. I am providing the link here. Health 2.0 Intro-http://www.icyou.com/events/health-2-0-conference?folder=AllThe video by scribemedia was truly impressive: http://www.scribemedia.org/2007/09/20/health-20-conference/While most reporters waxed on enthusiastically, the San Jose Mercury News threw some cold water on Health 2.0, most of which was unwarranted. They criticized health 2.0 and the blogs as not being well grounded in 'business models'. While some blogs do generate revenue, most proponents of health 2.0 blogs or health blogs in general did not nor want to have a rigid business model....I am also sure some will develop entrepeneurial motives or at least there blogs will network them into "greener" pastures.I also think that unrecognized is the fact that Web 2.0 applicatons are rapidly being deployed for EMRs, Practice management systems, and other applications for healthcare. These applications do away with the heavy cost of capitalizing for hardware, ie servers, etc. A monthly subscription fee covers maintenance, upgrades, and technical support.Without a doubt the environment of health blogging is one of free speech, enthusiasm, and just plain "glory" at seeing one's words printed on the world wide web. It is a great "equalizer."

Roadmap (Alternate) to Health Information Exchanges

2007-09-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

RHIO and HIE development is a highly complex undertaking and not for the weak of heart. As I was driving into Los Angeles the other morning I encountered one of the routine "sigalerts". For those of you who have never been in California and live in a rural area I will explain this is a system of alerts from the Callifornia Transit Authority whereby notifications are sent out by television, radio and internet about blocks in traffic due to "events" such as accidents, toxic waste, police activities, construction activites, etc. Recently my oldest son, who has rapidly passed me by in the world of high tech (he has smaller thumbs than I do) and I were in the car together and as we bogged down and did not move for several minutes, the GPS asked if we wanted to plot an alternate route, and suggested about five different ways around the thrombosed artery.

I believe that the current roadmap is flawed as designed and hoped for by several agencies with good intent. Our Health Train Express is now in a "sigalert status" The problems with "roadmap" is that requires funding from unknown or difficult and confounding sources such as grant making organizations ranging from county to state and federal and combinations thereof. Often times these grants are tied to the momentary "political expediency" of the moment, ie, Katrina, Homeland Security, Bioterrorism, and even "Global Warming"

Often and most of the time it is totally dependent on the whim of the moment of legislatures both federal and state, impacted by competing budgetary priorities of peace and war. education, immigration issues, and more.

The "road not taken" as Robert Frost so aptly stated requires a minimalist approach with obtainable goals that step through the process. Rather than swallowing the whole cow, we must take small bites, chew an digest each piece individually. This rather graphic and seemingly unrelated metaphor sums up a new roadmap.

It is difficult for providers and hospitals to grasp the RHIO concept because it is rather like dropping an Atom Bomb. It overwhelms most executives who are fully engrossed in just running their institutions on a day to day basis.

Developing one functionality that would maximize a return on investment in one area as a demonstration without disruptive technology gives an HIE a "foot in the door" When a user (provider or hospital) subscribes to this service for a relatively small sum the revenues derived and create cash flow for the HIE as a revenue cycle. The single functionality must demonstrate it's own cost effectiveness and ROI in less than one month. It must be demonstrated as successful in a regional pilot program. It must be self funding, elective and non binding without contractual obligation, and also offered as a 30 day free trial.

I Read Too Much

2007-09-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

The U.K. organizaton, "New Economic Foundation" published a treatise regarding the impact of healthcare organizations on global warming and the balance of carbon credits for the world economy.

The percentage of our own GDP derived from U.S. healthcare is enormous and if one were to analyze energy consumption in our industry it would be a significant percentage of our overall energy consumption.

Federal systems such as the VA's infrastructure would probably benefit from the retro-fitting of industrial light and HVAC systems.

Academic medical centers and newer integrated healthcare systems should be aware of the importance of energy conservation just by examining their monthly utility bills.

There are many alternative energy sources such as biomass, solar, and wind driven systems. While most institutions could not be totally dependent upon these alternative sources, they could signficantly reduce dependence on the 'grid'.

How many healthcare facilities have an ongoing energy saving program? At this time of year when it is hottest we all think about the potential for rotating outages, grey outs, and system overloads. These "catastrophic events" are relatively infrequent, however it is the gradual "creep" that is most significant.

Our increase in utilization of health information systems also will increase the need for power as well as cooling capacity. The heat generated by these systems is very significant and in winter weather actually can be used as a source for heating of buildings.

Newer structures should be designed intellligently for transfer and recycling of energy sources. Attention should be paid to heat transfer and highly efficient server rooms and racks.

These costs become even more significant as payors and CMS reduce reimbursement to hospitals and providers.

Few analysts factor in the cost of energy in providing IT systems designed to reduce costs and increase "efficiency".

The View from Here

2007-09-01T11:49:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the title is borrowed from "As Seen From Here", a wonderful podcast for ophthalmologists. 3 years ago, or more when it was started by Josh Young MD from NYU School of Medicine is was a " pioneer" and alone on the internet.

So, "The View from Here" will serve for the purposes of this blog, and seems aptly descriptive from an ophthalmologist's point of view. Here I will profoundly exfoliate my experiences with patients and other ophtho's who will remain unamed. Suffice it to say I hope they will read my blog and realize "to forgive is divine", however it does not mean I have forgotten.

Fortunately for me my IOP is not effected by emotional schtick .(did I spell that right?)

I know I must be alone, in that none of these things could possibly have happened to anyone else. (it must be me). My spouse is certainly fed up with hearing this, but suffers the outcomes.

Here are the servings which will be served up over the next seveal months.

1. Managed care and how wonderful it was for my practice

2. My friends and colleagues: (competitors)

3. When a contract is really not a contract.

4. I have a really attractive offer for you (you will like it)

5. Here is the envelope, give me your key and the boxes with your personal goods

6. I am sorry your spouse is so ill. Why don't you put her in a convalescent home so you can be here to work over the lunch hour, instead of going home to feed the kids and give her some support while she care for three kids, one of who has cystic fibrosis.

7. Your stuff in the boxes outside the door, give me your key to the office.

8. The waters are rising doc, but I have never seen it go past that telephone pole......gurgle gurgle gurgle

9. I know our agreement is less than two months old, but my laser company just went bankrupt, so I have to give up refractive laser surgery and I need all the patients.