A Wet Mars

The NASA scientists working with the Phoenix lander have made a significant announcement today in confirming that ice is just under the surface at Mars' polar regions. The photo above shows a white area that is clearly changing over four days. Another section of the photo shows several pebbles disappearing - a sign interpreted as melting ice.

This is exciting for a couple of reasons. First is that it raises the prospects of finding life on Mars. Not the Hollywood LGM but something on a microscopic level seems more plausible now that we have found water (especially considering how quickly and pervasive it appears to be at the Phoenix touchdown site).

Second, it improves the odds of eventually having human explorers there. If water is present then an expedition team can use that as a resource (it is a big benefit not having to take water with you). It sparks the imagination of what humanity might achieve later in this century towards creating an outpost.

Of course it's a big question whether the U.S. will be spearheading any such effort. China at this point seems far more focused on accessing space and potentially controlling it, as well as having the financial resources to fund it. But no matter who arrives there one thing is for sure - this discovery will serve as a significant cornerstone on that day.

Be Careful What You Wish For

It's a pretty fair statement to say that I've had an above average familiarity with American healthcare. Worked my way through school as a pulmonary technician at a local hospital, 20+ years a dentist, abstracting hospital charts for HICFA, working for BC/BS of Maryland (CareFirst), helping to create electronic document management for another major mid-Atlantic insurer, and not least being married to Deb whose been a nurse for 20+ years. I'm no expert by any means but I certainly have some experience compared to the average person.

Like just about everyone else I'm quite concerned about our American healthcare system. It is indeed suffering, but the simplistic rhetoric that I'm hearing in this election year is even more troublesome. This is a complex problem that will require reform in many arenas if there is to be any hope in not only maintaining the best health care delivery system but also improving it. Rather than creating the mother of all blog posts I'm going to try to create a series of posts, each addressing some facet of the solution or potential pitfall.

My first comment is one of great caution allowing government, especially at a federal level, to assume the role of gatekeeper. History shows us that we should expect a system that is bureaucratic and authoritarian - two attributes you do not want when you're seeking medical treatment. Many folks rail that we are backwards because we do not have a system of National Healthcare such as England. Yet look at what we see being reported from across the pond - cancer patients threatened with treatment termination should they attempt to acquire an additional anti-cancer drug which they're willing to pay for on their own. It is a classic and expected outcome of a bureaucracy attempting to apply rules. We'd fare no better - and in fact, we already do similar enforcement in Medicare where a physician and patient may not engage in any private contract or else the doctor will be barred from participating in Medicare for two years as a penalty.

So, tenet #1: Keep the gatekeeper keys to your medical care out of the hands of the government

Adieu VJC

We've been waiting, hoping against hope that they'd change their minds, but now they've gone and done it. This week Villa Julie College became a university and with it abandoned their name in favor of the insipid "Stevenson University".

"We" is my family - which includes three VJC students/alumni - as well as lots of other students, alumni, and parents. We supported the institution obtaining university status, but this goofy idea that somehow the name was hurting them because it was feminine - what a bunch of nonsense! If ever there was a solution in search of a problem dreamt up by some high-priced consultants justifying their services, this is it! You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what attracts students to enroll at a college. Do you offer a degree in what interests me? Do you have a solid academic program that will enable me to succeed upon graduation or in my graduate studies? Are the facilities modern? And yes, how's the campus social life? The name of the place is pretty far down the list.

Villa Julie had steadily risen in recognition over the last decade, focusing on a solid education in a small setting with faculty that really cared about their students. The US News & World Report rankings had them 13th for Northern schools offering a baccalaureate. Other online ratings showed an above average opinion of the school. Reputation of graduates in the business community was also increasing thanks to the adherence to a mission statement embodied by their "design your career" motto. And they certainly did not have a problem attracting applicants.

But that's all history now. My diploma, my alumni vanity license plates, my alumni' decal, my VJC tumblers, etc., etc., - all are rendered quaint anachronisms thanks to president Manning. Time will tell just where the university is going in this rush to become something else. The only thing I can do is shake my head and wonder why the school was so uncomfortable in its own skin, while at the same time so many of us who attended it grew to love it and were immensely proud of it- feminine name and all.

Pay to Play

Last week I caught a story about Chicago Little League running afoul of Major League Baseball for using the team names/logos for their kids. The story implied that MLB would only allow them to use the copyrighted material with appropriate fees. At first this makes me angry - for crying out loud, these young boys (and girls) will grow up to fill those stands that help pay those obscene player salaries. How can you possibly be so greedy (and short-sighted) to do this?

But then I read a little bit more - specifically an article by Jim Litke. While it still seems pretty crass I have to admit that the real villain here is probably more the uniform supplier which is trying to skate by the licensing fees for using the MLB logos. You really can not blame the league for protecting their copyright, even if it is being used for a good cause. And as Litke points out in his article, the league does support youth baseball to the tune of 30 million dollars a year.

Despite that logical reasoning it still feels ugly in your gut - sorta like when Disney sues a day-care mom for having painted Mickey Mouse in the play room without paying royalties. Yeah, they're right - but it somehow seems awfully petty.