“This is what your healthcare is going to look like”

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Last month I was in a post office standing in a particularly long line for that location.  The line eventually extended beyond the lobby and outside the doors.  The delay seemed to stem from the fact that this was between 12 and 1 PM when there were several customers and only 1 staff member during a busy day and time.  The situation was made worse by the fact that the staff person was trying to assist an elderly customer who was asking for an unusual denomination for a particular stamp to go to a particular place somewhere in the world.  And she wanted to write a check and appeared to have a terrible tremor which made writing clearly difficult.  Plus you have to retrieve and show valid photo ID when presenting the check to the post office. 

These things happen.  It was going to cost me an extra 10-15 minutes. 

An equally elderly customer about 5 people behind me yelled out "This is what your healthcare is going to look like". 

I disagree.  We can only hope healthcare reform allows for what I consider a normally efficient service.

For some of the shortcomings of the US mail, with its rigid policies and procedures I can count on 1 finger the number of times an intended delivery or sent item was not received over several decades of using the US mail for pen pals, college applications, med school applications, licensing forms and business transactions.  Of course, e-mail and other electronic services have minimized the necessity for traditional "snail mail" services which has affected the bottom line for the quasi-governmental organization. I find the need for delivery confirmation or certified letters to be negligible given the time and accuracy of mail delivery.

Let's assume some components of the healthcare reform do look governmental or quasi-governmental if you don't have "private insurance".  Having worked and received care in military, VA and large academic institutions, my experience is that quality overall is the same, the speed (meaning wait time from definitive diagnosis to definitive care/management) varies greatly with access issues and beaurocratic inefficiencies sometimes causing delay between getting seen and getting treated.  While commerical hospitals are not immune from their own inefficiencies, generally access is simplified and referrals are timely. 

So, while your health and your mail are not the same, if 42 cents buys you 2-3 day delivery at the expense of a few minutes to get it going, perhaps cost can be controlled with quality outcomes with reasonable wait to get the necessary service particularly for those who would not normally be afforded these services or for whom alternatives are not available. 

Would it be so bad if healthcare ran like the post office? 

Aerospace Corp Responds To Rep. Giffords’ Questions

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Letter From The Aerospace Corporation to Rep. Giffords Regarding The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee

"The Aerospace Corporation is pleased to submit responses to questions from the Committee on Science and Technology regarding our support to the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee (the Committee.) Your letter requested responses related to our analyses performed in support of the Committee, and we have answered in that context. In several areas of questioning, the Committee did not task Aerospace. In some areas, Aerospace has previously performed related studies or analyses for NASA. We are always available to discuss these studies with the committee if desired."

NOLA Update on Oil Spill

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Oil spill news video: Bob Marshall of the Times-Picayune gives the latest update on the Gulf Oil Spill.

May 12–Times-Picayune Outdoors editor Bob Marshall gives the latest update on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in this video. It includes actual video of the leak.

Oil Spill Video: Bob Marshall gives Wednesday update

Evolution in Alabama | The Loom

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Earlier today I noted a weird situation in Alabama, with a teacher-union-funded ad attacking a candidate for governor for believing in evolution, and the candidate declaring himself a defender of creationism in the schools. I wondered who would speak up for science in Alabama. But I’d be remiss not to point out that good research in evolutionary biology does get done there. For example:

Beatrice Hahn studies the evolution of HIV from chimpanzee-infecting viruses.

Marshal Abrams studies the philosophical foundations of fitness.

Phillip Harris studies the evolution of diversity in freshwater fishes.

John Yoder studies the evolution of new organs.

Steven Secor studies the evolution of digestion in reptiles and amphibians, and what they surprisingly say about the evolution of our own species.

Jeannette Doeller and David Kraus have designed an innovative course on integrating evolution and medicine.

I could go on (and please feel free add other scientists in the comment thread). Suffice to say, there’s good stuff going on in Alabama. Too bad it’s not better known there.


Mike Griffin, Master Manipulator

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Keith's update: According eye witnesses, Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan showed up a little early today before their hearing on Capitol Hill. They arrived at the special ante room (waiting room) mentioned by Sen. Rockefeller at one point in the hearings. According to these eye witnesses, Armstrong and Cernan were accompanied by Mike Griffin. This synchs with the widely-held suspicon that not only did Griffin help write Neil Armstrong's prepared comments, but also that Griffin has been spearheading much of the behind the scenes lobbying against the Obama Space policy on Capitol Hill. Gee, I hope he is registered ... Stay tuned.

Cat Training?

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I am told that you can actually train cats to do things but am not sure how to do that.

My wife got a kitten. It's alright and seems smart as far as these animals go. Friend of mine says that cats will not train to any trick or whatever with the use of negatives, and only react well to positive