Cause of Death: Sloppy Doctors

 Time has published an article which links death to poor handwriting.  According to one report 7,000 people are killed annual as the result of prescription mistakes that  can be tied directly to the physician’s poor handwriting.

The article goes on to make the point that many of these errors can be prevented or eliminated through the use of technology.  Obviously if this problem can be solved why hasn’t that happened?  Moreover, where is the outrage? 

As I recall the death of the 3000 men and women in Iraq was at the top of nearly every newscast and political speech in the days leading up to the November election.  Those deaths occurred over a nearly four year period.  Here Time has identified a problem that is killing twice as many people each and every year yet I don’t think I have ever heard anything about it on CNN?  Maybe handwriting is not a sexy enough topic to deserve even a 180 degree look from Anderson let alone a whole 360?!?

I wonder when people will begin to be outraged by this problem?  Especially given that the fix seems so simple to effectuate. Hmmm.

Link to Cause of Death: Sloppy Doctors — Monday, Jan. 15, 2007 — Page 1 — TIME

Rich Karlgaard of Forbes on the Costs of Doing Business in Detroit

Rich Karlgaard makes some good points in his blog today regarding the roles of the union with respect to the cost of doing business in Detroit.  His example clearly points out that the Japanese automakers save thousands of dollars per car over their Detroit counterparts.   

I don’t know how much simpler it can get.  Simply put you’ve got to have some great designs the make up for the difference in cost!

Link to Digital Rules By Rich Karlgaard

Dems promise return to a five-day workweek — sort of (HA)

 

Link to Dems promise return to a five-day workweek – sort of – CNN.com

The Democrats are promising to have a five day work week in the upcoming Congress.  The story points out the fact that they have already broken their promise in that many weeks of the next 2 months are really going to be short weeks.  Seems like more politics than actually getting things done!

I am Person of the Year

Time has announced that I am person of the year.  Wow what an honor.  Who woud have thought that I control the internet!

Seriously, take a look at the article.  It is true that the internet is changing much of what is done on a daily basis.  More on that in an upcoming post!!

What a week !!

Wow what a week it has been.  Between all of the work and personal things as the TTC (Time till Christmas) keeps ticking away, I have been going non-stop.  Thanks to those that have stopped by to read what I have been thinking.  Surprisingly there have been more than 1 or 2!

Oh well, more later.

Greener Pastures in India??

Businessweek.com posted an article by Rachael King about how outsourcing is extending beyond India.  Apparently some developers working in India are becoming frustrated with the ability to get things done there. 

It seems to me that the whole outsourcing debate is simply the latest fad in the global economy.  The first companies to take advantage of the costs associated with an operation in India were able to take advantage of those costs.  As more and more companies enter into India, the number of workers available to do the work is going down and now the workforce is moving from job to job to better their positions and income.  These factors are now raising the cost of doing business in India.  Makes sense to me.

One need only look to Japan of 20 years ago for a similar trend.  I can remember in the 70’s and 80’s when everyone said that Japan was going to be the only economy left.  The pundits predicted that all of the jobs in the United States would leave for Japan because the cost of doing business was so much less there.  Well now we see that the economy is moving beyond Japan to China.  Some of the work previously done in Japan is coming back to the United States! (Toyota Motors now assembles cars in the United States)  The same thing is going to happen to India. 

As time goes on many of the companies that tried India are now moving some of their business operations back to the United States.  It seems that some things do not work so well in India!!  (Ever talked to an account representative in India?? — Seems that they are always named Bob to John??!!)  In short, the customers have complained and the companies have heard the voice.  They are now moving back to the US where the complaints and the overall cost of doing business will be less when one factors in the cost of lost business to the bottom line.  Similarly they are now looking for the next big outsourcing location.  Perhaps Nepal??!

Simply put — this stuff is all cyclical.  Wait 5 years and the jobs that are going to India will be back here.

UCLA Hacked – 800,000 affected

CNN is reporting that UCLA’s computer system containing social security numbers and other vital information was hacked between October 2005 and November 2006.  Some 800,000 people’s records could have been compromised.

What is going on with this picture?  How can it be that someone was trolling around in the system for over a year without being caught.  Apparently they realized there was a problem when they started noticing strange search requests.  Makes me wonder whether they were looking at those requests earlier. 

I thought computer security people would have learned from the blow up about the Veteran’s Administration records etc.  Seems that every week there is another report about a security lapse.  And some people are still concerned about using a credit card online!  That is the least of our worries when it comes to protecting our identity!

Olympic Bomber being driven Insane

CNN has a report that the Olympic bomber has written letters of concern to various media outlets regarding his prison conditions.  He believes that his time in the Supermax prison in Colorado is driving him insane.

Gosh isn’t that a shame.  Does he really expect to generate sympathy from people?  Of course I suppose there will be an element that considers his treatment inhumane.  I consider setting off a bomb with the intent of harming or killing people to be inhumane.  He has gotten what he deserves!

Changing Face of Connectivity

Robert Scoble posted an article on his blog about how he was using his web enabled verizon card to get online and check traffic reports.  His post got me thinking about how the internet has and continues to change our world.

Ten years ago we could not even have thought about how one could use the web to check on current traffic conditions.  For that matter I would imagine that only the most committed wireless user would even be able to do that not.  But then things are changing.

I would immagine that within a few years we will have this type of connectivity wired directly into our cars using the navigation system that is already in many vehicles.  One can only imagine how far this type of thing will go in the future.

Maybe we will be able to dial up our local Starbucks and order our drink before we get to the store so that all we have to do is stop for a second and pick it up!  We will see.

New York Times Reader

For those of you who enjoy reading the NY Times, head over to the web site and download the reader.  It is a standalone program that keeps a copy of the NY Times right on your computer.  I have found it to be very user friendly and is always available even when I do not have a wireless connection.