Right now there are a lot of people upset that several NFL teams rested their starters during the last week of the season. The Houston Texans had their first season winning as many games as they lost when the Jacksonville Jaguars decided not to play their starters. The Colts, Cowboys, and Buccaneers lost winnable games in order to better prepare for the playoffs.
Meanwhile, with the BCS and lack of playoffs, college football did not have that problem. November games in college are for a bowl birth- so a 7 win Indiana team is playing Purdue as if their life depends on it to honor their late coach with a bowl birth. Instead of resting for a sure fire playoff game, top college teams played all of their starters in dramatic fashion. So West Virginia may have lost to Pitt, but they did it at full strength.
Meaningful regular season games mean that the regular season is the playoffs in college.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Benazir Bhutto
A few thoughts on the passing of Benazir Bhutto:
1. The official Pakastani government report says she was killed by a skull fracture and a concussion from the suicide bomber blast. That may be different from the eyewitness reports, but hey, it's the official government report.
2. Do you know why everyone here in the States is so sad about this? She represented hope. Lately, President Musharraf's regime has been presented as the corrupting influence, and anyone running against him would be good for a stabilizing democracy. So, with the enemy of my enemy being my friend, Ms. Bhutto was set up to be a friend of the US. Which is what Mr. Musharraf's regime was in the aftermath of 9/11.....
3. I keep hearing people ask if America is ready for a female president. Pakistan had one in 1988. When I was in second grade, Jimmy Carter met with female heads of state in England and Iceland. Argentina just elected a female head of state. I'm OK with people asking if Hillary Clinton is the best choice for President, but if a fundamentalist Muslim state can have a female head of state, why can't an "open-minded" society like ours have one?
4. Just read this and think about unintended consequences of actions:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080107/truthdig
5. Why does the US keep trying to influence elections in other countries when we don't fully understand those other countries?
1. The official Pakastani government report says she was killed by a skull fracture and a concussion from the suicide bomber blast. That may be different from the eyewitness reports, but hey, it's the official government report.
2. Do you know why everyone here in the States is so sad about this? She represented hope. Lately, President Musharraf's regime has been presented as the corrupting influence, and anyone running against him would be good for a stabilizing democracy. So, with the enemy of my enemy being my friend, Ms. Bhutto was set up to be a friend of the US. Which is what Mr. Musharraf's regime was in the aftermath of 9/11.....
3. I keep hearing people ask if America is ready for a female president. Pakistan had one in 1988. When I was in second grade, Jimmy Carter met with female heads of state in England and Iceland. Argentina just elected a female head of state. I'm OK with people asking if Hillary Clinton is the best choice for President, but if a fundamentalist Muslim state can have a female head of state, why can't an "open-minded" society like ours have one?
4. Just read this and think about unintended consequences of actions:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080107/truthdig
5. Why does the US keep trying to influence elections in other countries when we don't fully understand those other countries?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
cancer
http://blogs.chron.com/cancerdiva/
If you are a doctor, or a person with cancer, this insider's view of cancer is a must read. Sometimes I forget to realize that people with illnesses are people, too
If you are a doctor, or a person with cancer, this insider's view of cancer is a must read. Sometimes I forget to realize that people with illnesses are people, too
A sad day in Pakistan
I don't know much about politics. But I do know that I am very sad that the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, has been assassinated. I'm glad I live in a country where opposition party leaders do not get killed.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/bhutto.obit/index.html
by the way, I'm sure this does not bode well for our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/bhutto.obit/index.html
by the way, I'm sure this does not bode well for our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
17 year old with Leukemia denied payment for treatment
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/12/21/teen.liver.transplant.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
So many issues to bring up, where to start?
1. She had a 65% chance of living 6 months with the transplant. Does that make the transplant mandatory? What if there was another possible recipient with a greater chance of living longer and healthier? 2 out of 3 people live 6 months- I would not take those odds for me, I would for my kids.
2. Everyone is saying the insurance company should pay for every transplant. I think that these should be made on a case by case basis, with some basic criteria as a baseline. Those transplants ain't cheap, and the after care is not easy on the recipient. Remember, a bone marrow transplant from her brother caused the liver failure.
3. CIGNA did not kill the girl, leukemia and liver failure did. Cigna had nothing to do with the leukemia and liver failure.
4. One newspaper editorial said that if a doctor says a procedure is OK, then it should be covered by the insurance company. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but you don't want me to have absolute power to order treatments for you. There is too much new information with new treatments with new benefits and new side effect to just let me run amok. Most doctors, like most people in general, will chose the treatment that pays the doctor best. The pendulum has swung too far in the insurance companies' favor, but physicians still need that check to our authority.
5. The payment for the transplant was refused on December 11th. The family could have given an OK, then sought media attention to pay for it (it probably costs more than a million dollars, so it's not easy to pay for). To say the insurance company stopped the transplant is false- CIGNA decided not to pay for it. When your insurance refuses to pay for your MRI, you can still get one, you just have to pay for it.
6. What was the girl's condition at the time the transplant was denied? Was she in a coma at that time? Why isn't that part of the media story?
7. It's so sad when a kid dies. I hope the family an come to terms with the fact that she died amidst all of the legal battles.
So many issues to bring up, where to start?
1. She had a 65% chance of living 6 months with the transplant. Does that make the transplant mandatory? What if there was another possible recipient with a greater chance of living longer and healthier? 2 out of 3 people live 6 months- I would not take those odds for me, I would for my kids.
2. Everyone is saying the insurance company should pay for every transplant. I think that these should be made on a case by case basis, with some basic criteria as a baseline. Those transplants ain't cheap, and the after care is not easy on the recipient. Remember, a bone marrow transplant from her brother caused the liver failure.
3. CIGNA did not kill the girl, leukemia and liver failure did. Cigna had nothing to do with the leukemia and liver failure.
4. One newspaper editorial said that if a doctor says a procedure is OK, then it should be covered by the insurance company. I appreciate the vote of confidence, but you don't want me to have absolute power to order treatments for you. There is too much new information with new treatments with new benefits and new side effect to just let me run amok. Most doctors, like most people in general, will chose the treatment that pays the doctor best. The pendulum has swung too far in the insurance companies' favor, but physicians still need that check to our authority.
5. The payment for the transplant was refused on December 11th. The family could have given an OK, then sought media attention to pay for it (it probably costs more than a million dollars, so it's not easy to pay for). To say the insurance company stopped the transplant is false- CIGNA decided not to pay for it. When your insurance refuses to pay for your MRI, you can still get one, you just have to pay for it.
6. What was the girl's condition at the time the transplant was denied? Was she in a coma at that time? Why isn't that part of the media story?
7. It's so sad when a kid dies. I hope the family an come to terms with the fact that she died amidst all of the legal battles.
Merry Christmas!!!
May you have peace and joy during the Holiday Season. And for a couple more months, too.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Immigration and business
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5398754.html
This is the best article on immigration issues I've read. It points out all of the relevant issues concisely, and without emotion.
This is the best article on immigration issues I've read. It points out all of the relevant issues concisely, and without emotion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
