... because of all the trees right there in front of you.
Yes, this would be the auto industry these days.
If you make a product that nobody wants to buy, or a product that is behind the times, or doesn't meet the needs of the consumer - you either a) change the product, or b) change the approach to your market, or c) watch your business whither away and fail. Please note that there are options a) and b) prior to option c). So when does the auto industry want to acknowledge either of these options?
Thus far, their executives have continued to arrive at meetings in their private jets. They have flaunted their status in this time of financial crisis. It has taken weeks for them to agree to any level of re-structuring. I am still not sure why it should be demanded of them to do so, because it should be pretty #$%?$?# obvious by now that they need to re-structure how they do business and what products they produce and how they produce them. It doesn't require a scientist from NASA to establish this, nor a Wall Street financial wizard. If you head on down to Main Street, Mom and Pop will tell you more about all of this.
I guess there are just too many trees in the way to figure this one out.
We all want to believe that what is being done in our health care world is correct and for the right reasons. It is an issue of trust. For years, there has been a relative reverence for the role of health care providers (physicians in particular) in our community. And we have gone through history believing that health care providers act in our best interests.
If there is one area in which this trust may be betrayed, it is in the health care world.
The conspiracy of silence extends to our health care environment. The “silence” covers a broad scope – from evidence-based practice issues, to self-referral and “referral for profit”, and to over-utilization of services. And yes, these issues exist in virtually all communities in this country.
Let' s start off with the most basic element of health care – that of “evidence-based medicine” (also referred to as “evidence-based practice”). In simple terms, this refers to practice patterns (how patients are actually diagnosed and treated) that are consistent with the scientific literature and/or established clinical guidelines. Why do we care about “evidence”? Because our task as health care providers is quality of care – and science is required to establish what constitutes “effective care”. Clinical practice guidelines don't tell a provider what they can or cannot do - they simply provide the framework for effective clinical practice. We are long past the days of leeches and blood-letting – we now have science to guide us. Without it, long-term health care costs will be higher, and the overall health status of our community will dwindle.
Eight seconds.
It's hard to believe that the Longhorn's season came down to 8 seconds in Lubbock. With eight seconds left, Graham Harrell throws an interception ... almost.
But let's not play "coulda shoulda woulda". It is what it is, and all it does now is highlight the stupidity that is the BCS. There is a good possibility (if you believe the pigskin prognosticators) that Texas will play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Hold on a second - that gives the Big 10, the craptastic Big 10, two teams in the BCS. Ohio State is barely scratching into the top 10. Texas Tech, who has been there all season and is still number 7 or 8 in most polls (and who's only loss was to Oklahoma, lest we have selective attention again) is getting the short end of the BCS stick. And yes, let's not forget that Texas beat OU - regardless of whether it was October or December. They were still number one at the time.
Here's a thought - I think we should send Texas and Texas Tech to Tempe. Better yet, let's just cancel Tempe and have the game in Waco or Dallas. Surely we can line up a decent high school field somewhere between Lubbock and Austin.
I waited to make this post, hoping that I would have something positive to report.
No such luck. Oh, well, yes, there is something to say: everyone on the planet (yes, that includes all of the people involved with the BCS) MUST finally realize that the BCS is an utter failure. It's good to come to that conclusion, once and for all (though for me, it's a recurring-nightmare-of-a-conclusion).
The Longhorns put it out there, beating Texas A&M by 40 points on Thanksgiving night. I was a little concerned when Mack Brown pulled Colt McCoy when we only had 42 points on the board (note to Mack: go back and look at Bob Stoops' "style points" strategy at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech and take notes). But John Chiles rolled us down the field and we had 49 points to show for a total obliteration of the Aggies. As one sign stated at the game, be thankful - that you're not an Aggie. After Baylor's strong showing against Texas Tech, it's safe to say that the doormat of the South division is now - Texas A&M.
But enough of the anti-Aggie sentiments, because I need to reserve my hostility for the sham that is the BCS.
"The inability to challenge our belief systems in the face of good scientific evidence is the primary limiting factor in the advancement of both health care and coaching, as well as human performance and injury prevention" (excerpt taken from "RunSmart" - 2008)
There is a conspiracy of silence in our community. It is evident in our health care, and it is evident in the world of fitness and coaching. It is a powerful undercurrent, a stealthy viral element that attacks us from all sides. Not a day goes by in which I don't witness it's effects. And the first step required to get down to the real issues in health care and fitness on a much broader scale, is to acknowledge and address it.
Much of what we experience in the context of health care and fitness is what I would term "Flat Earth Syndrome". Let me explain. For a great part of world history, civilization thought that the world was flat. It was part of the commonly-held belief system of the ages. It was actually part of the religious beliefs as well.
And then we discovered that - it wasn't. If you sailed a ship, you didn't fall off the edge of the world. You actually just kept on sailing. And suddenly, there was science to prove that the world was, indeed, spherical.
“Shhhhh, don't talk about this. We have empirical evidence – and that's all we have ever needed. We need to be careful with this science stuff, because if it takes hold, we might lose our power and control. So let's just be quiet about it. Maybe if we don't talk about it, it will go away."
Republicans high and low have been heard to make light of a phrase that has been attributed to Obama during the election campaign:
"Redistributing the wealth".
Yep, I heard him say it on the campaign trail. Did you? And there are a lot of people screaming out about socialism. And how "redistributing the wealth" is the virtual end of our democratic world. Oh my, I am sure McCarthyism must be right around the corner.
Why is everyone so up-in-arms over this? Hell, President Bush wanted to make changes to the Constitution on a neo-conservative whim and nobody flinched.
Today just re-affirmed in my mind how big a mess the BCS really is these days.
With a few minutes left in the Texas Tech - Oklahoma game, I have to turn my head away because it's painful to watch. I guess no further comments are necessary, other than my comment last week about Bob Stoops going for the jugular. I love it - he's got 65points on the board and has a 4th down inside the Tech 5 yard line and he calls a time-out. Take note, Mack.
I have to admit though, I do like the smack talk that goes with "what could be in the BCS". Imagine - Alabama loses to Auburn, Alabama beats Florida in the SEC championship, Baylor beats Tech and OU finishes the season tied with Texas. Something like that should have OU and Texas number one and number two after the Big 12 championship - so both would head to Miami for the National Championship game.
I can always dream.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
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