Growth In College Tuition Vs. Growth In Earnings For College Graduates

This is a great chart from Citi (just tweeted by Tracy Alloway) that says a lot about why people are worried about student debt.

Citi

The New York Fed reported yesterday that student debt loads have now hit $956 billion, up $42 billion from last quarter.

But if you still want a degree, check out our pragmatic guide to the 50 best colleges in America >

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 12-4-12

Still Not Spreading the Wealth Around

Obama has always claimed to want to spread the wealth around. Yet, as I stressed this June (and in my first ever blog post way back in July 2011!) that’s the exact opposite of what he has achieved.

And it’s getting worse, not better.

Wages-as-a-proportion-of-GDP just hit another all-time low:

And corporate-profits-as-a-proportion-of-GDP just hit another all-time high:

Obama might throw a lot of rhetoric about fighting for the middle class.

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Military Court Removes Judge From Fort Hood Shooting Trial

The highest military appellate court ordered on Monday the removal of the judge overseeing the trial of Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people at the Fort Hood Army base in 2009.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces wrote in an opinion that Col. Gregory Gross should be removed for the appearance of bias -- in part because he demanded that Hasan's beard be shaved.

“The command, and not the military judge, has the primary responsibility for the enforcement of grooming standards,” the court wrote in a 10-page opinion. “A military judge’s contempt authority is directed toward control of the courtroom. Although the military judge here stated that (Hasan’s) beard was a ‘disruption,’ there was insufficient evidence on this record to demonstration that (his) beard materially interfered with the proceedings.”
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REMINDER: NETWORK OF CARE - HEALTHY COMMUNITIES LAUNCH

REMINDER! 

Wicomico County Health Department will launch the NETWORK OF CARE - HEALTHY COMMUNITIES Web portal tomorrow December 4, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore. There are still spaces available! Be sure to come and join us for an interactive tutorial of this exciting new community health resource! 

The Wicomico County Network of Care is an innovative, local-delivery Web portal to enhance health decision-making by providing community stakeholders, families and individuals with key data and resources in an easy-to-read format. This online community provides a directory of all health services; a leading health library and encyclopedia; social networking; legislative tools; nationwide news; personal health records, and much more. 

There are still spaces available! Join us for an interactive tutorial of this exciting new community health resource! 

Today's Survey Question 12-4-12

Do you prefer books or e-readers?

Nook/Kindle

QUOTE OF THE DAY 12-4-12

“Human beings act in a great variety of irrational ways, but all of them seem to be capable, if given a fair chance, of making a reasonable choice in the light of available evidence. Democratic institutions can be made to work only if all concerned do their best to impart knowledge and to encourage rationality. But today, in the world’s most powerful democracy, the politicians and the propagandists prefer to make nonsense of democratic procedures by appealing almost exclusively to the ignorance and irrationality of the electors.” – Aldous Huxley – Brave New World Revisited

Two Animals Are Now Calling The Maryland Zoo Their Home

Two young animals are now calling the Maryland Zoo their new home.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is welcoming 2-year-old African lioness, Badu, and 2-year-old giraffe, Kesi.

Zoo officials both animals were transferred to Baltimore after the Giraffe and Lion Species Survival Plans recommended that the move would maximize genetic diversity in breeding. Additionally, the move will ensure the long-term survival of each animal's population and health according to officials.

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THE COMPROMISE

Navy Aims For Accredited Cybersecurity Major

The U.S. Naval Academy is aiming to be among the first colleges to have a cybersecurity major accredited by a top professional body, a school official said Monday, and the superintendent said he has been meeting with Navy officials about how to find funding to build a $100 million cybersecurity facility on campus.

Boyd Waite, vice academic dean, told the academy's Board of Visitors that the school would like to have the major in cybersecurity that is now under development accredited by ABET within four years. ABET is a leading nonprofit accrediting agency for the disciplines of applied science, computing and engineering.

"It is the way that the public can be assured that we use accepted practices and policies in the delivery of our programs, so this is a big deal for us," Waite said.
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A Doctor's Story

In this “People Behind the Policies” blog, we hear a doctor talk about his every day experiences and how it’s impacted by this goal: Establish best in the nation statewide health information exchange and electronic health records adoption by the end of 2012.

A Doctor’s Story

Dr. DelVecchio

“Health IT” (Health Information Technology) – we hear the term used often, but does it really make a difference in how patients are cared for? Can it really make it safer for patients? Can it lead to more affordable health care? With confidence I can answer “Yes” to all three of these questions.

As a practicing Emergency Physician, I often do not have access to very relevant clinical data that could help guide patient care.  Nearly 80% of patients presenting to an Emergency Department arrive during hours which most primary care physician offices or clinics are closed.  While an “on call” provider can often be reached, they are often not the primary provider aware of a patient’s condition, and rarely will recall the details of a specific lab test or radiographic study that was ordered.  Similarly, obtaining medical records from other health care facilities is tedious, inefficient, and often not rapid enough when critical decisions need to be made.  CRISP ( ChesapeakeRegional Information System for our Patients) – Maryland’s Health Information Exchange – has dramatically changed this.

For many years I have been fortunate to work in a hospital that has a full integrated Electronic Health Record, allowing almost instant access to the information on patients previously seen in my facility. Now, through CRISP, I have secure access to critical clinical information from otherMaryland hospitals, physician offices, outpatient radiology centers, lab facilities, and pharmacies.

In some cases access to this data has allowed me to care for a patient without repeating previously complete laboratory or radiographic tests (saving time, money, and reducing radiation exposure). In other cases obtaining the discharge summary or operative report quickly from another hospital has redirected management of a critically ill patient.

Is Health IT, and specifically Maryland’s Health Information Exchange (CRISP) , the answer to all healthcare issues – of course not. But there is no question it has had a significant impact on many of our patients already, and with the expansion of Health IT I believe we will continue to  improve care, reduce unnecessary testing, decreasing exposure to radiation, prevent unnecessary admissions, and improving our ability to coordinate follow up care.

Questions Surround SOF Body Armor Recall

U.S. Special Operations Command is recalling thousands of body armor plates after discovering a manufacturer’s defect that could put operators at risk. At the same time defense industry experts are questioning whether SOCOM may have added to the risk by searching for the lightest plates possible.

Throughout the war, elite troops have worn body armor known as the Special Operations Forces Equipment Advanced Requirements, or SPEAR, made by Ceradyne Defense. The lightweight, ceramic plates have proven to be effective at stopping enemy rifle bullets and weigh significantly less than the conventional Army’s Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert, or ESAPI.

A little less than a year ago, government inspectors discovered a defect in Ceradyne’s new SPEAR Gen III plates. The special, metal “crack arrestor” in the back of the plate began separating or “delaminating” from the plate’s ceramic material. The arrestor was designed to reduce the spreading of cracks in the ceramic when dropped – a common characteristic of all ceramic body armor plates.

SOCOM officials did not respond to questions from Military.com by press time and Ceradyne officials said that a clause in the company’s contract with SOCOM prohibits them from talking about the issue.

Identifying these tiny separations is tricky. Right now, a “tap test” is being used to detect the problem, according to industry sources. Apparently, tapping the back of a defective plate sounds very different than a plate that doesn’t have the defect.

SOCOM conducted more tests of its inventory of new Gen IIIs and found the several hundred with the same defect. Ceradyne received a “stop work” order in the early part of this year and was given time to solve the problem, industry sources said.

Before being approved, Ceradyne’s fix to the problem would have to pass “first-article testing” a rigorous battery of tests conducted on all new plate designs.

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Tim Ferriss's '4-Hour Chef' Guide To Learning

Tim Ferriss' new book, "The 4-Hour Chef" is definitely about learning to cook rapidly. But it's also about learning just about any skill.

He writes:

"Whether you want to learn how to speak a new language in three months, how to shoot a three-pointer in one weekend, or how to memorize a deck of cards in less than a minute, the true recipe of this book is exactly that: a process for acquiring any skill. The vehicle I chose is cooking." 

Along with the recipes, there are great insights into learning, and some great tricks you can use every day. We've broken out a few of the best tips. 

Source: The 4-Hour Chef

CDC Says US Flu Season Starts Early, Could Be Bad

Flu season in the U.S. is off to its earliest start in nearly a decade _ and it could be a bad one.

Health officials on Monday said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states, and the primary strain circulating tends to make people sicker than other types. It is particularly hard on the elderly.

"It looks like it's shaping up to be a bad flu season, but only time will tell," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Reality Has Consequences

The world no longer makes sense to most people over forty years of age. Much of what we thought was true is now denied. What to us is obviously false (or at least always was) is now accepted as being true. Here are examples from Frick at Bias Breakdown [7] that show obvious contradictions between popular belief and what we hold as reality:

If every Arab in the Middle East laid down his weapon, there would be peace in the Middle East. If every Israeli laid down his (or her) weapon, Israel would be annihilated.

Likewise, if government stopped all spending, the deficit problem would be solved. If government confiscated the gross annual income of every individual in the country making over $66,193, the deficit would destroy our country.

In a sane world, politicians would cut every last dollar of government spending they could in order to bring financial order back to an entitlement-happy society. After government’s debilitating spending habits were slashed or restructured, only then would the conversation shift to taxes and revenue to make up the gap.

Of course, this isn’t a sane world. It’s the world in which it’s Israel’s fault for every ill in Palestine and Republicans are evil and stupid [8] for wanting to cut spending.

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Salisbury Zoo Director Joel Hamilton Is Leaving

Salisbury Zoo Director Joel Hamilton will be leaving the Salisbury Zoo and moving on to a Zoo in New Orleans.

STATE’S ATTORNEY MEETS WITH 300 SALISBURY UNIVERSITY STUDENT ATHLETES TO DISCUSS THE “REAL COSTS OF A DUI”

Salisbury, Maryland – On Sunday evening, December 2, 2012, State’s Attorney Matthew Maciarello met with approximately three hundred (300) freshman and transfer student athletes to discuss issues related to Driving While Impaired and Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI/DUI”).  Mr. Maciarello presented a program developed by the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office called “The Real Costs of a DUI.”  The program consists of a presentation that drives home the total costs of a DUI including loss of precious lives, paralysis and other bodily injury, costs of probation, attorney’s fees, MVA sanctions, insurance costs, and other opportunities lost, such as loss of employment, reputation and prestige. 

“Our office is trying to not only prevent the loss of life, physical injury to persons, and damage to property, but to also raise student awareness before they commit an act that is going to cost them beyond criminal sanctions and penalties. We are trying to get them to focus on all of the other costs associated with a DUI/DWI conviction. By our calculation, a DUI offender pays over $20,000 in court costs, probation costs, attorney’s fees, and increased insurance premiums, not to mention the potential loss of reputation and other economic costs. We are trying to reach them before they offend because we know that statistically the offense rate for their age rage is high. Also, we are aware that in 67% of all drunk driving fatalities, the driver was between 19-24 years of age.”

The video that the athletes viewed during the presentation can be found by visiting the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymiF-okrdMg.  It is a sports-related drinking and driving video.  Prior to watching the video the students were introduced to a young soccer player who participates in the SU sports camps in the summer.  The presentation is designed to connect the little soccer player in the video with a young soccer player in our community.  “Our young athletes look up to our Salisbury University athletes so we are appealing to their sense of responsibility to those children who are participating in SU youth sports programs.”

The presentation also contained up to date information from a local insurance company on insurance costs for a first time DUI offender.  According to a local insurance company, a DUI first time offender will spend over ten thousand dollars in premiums above and beyond what they would otherwise pay had they not committed a DUI/DWI offense.    The State’s Attorney also broke down costs of probation, attorney’s fees, and MVA sanctions to show the students what would a DUI/DWI would actually cost them monetarily.  Also discussed with the students was the  Maryland Judiciary Website and the fact that DUI/DWI offenses are a public record that employers access to determine if they are getting the best candidate for the job.  The State’s Attorney explained, “individuals have lost employment and other economic opportunities due to being convicted of a DUI/DWI offense.  In this competitive marketplace, athletes—very competitive people—may respond to being shown how they may be damaging their marketability by being convicted of a DUI/DWI .” 

The State’s Attorney also addressed other safety issues that were of concern to the student body, including date rape, abuse of prescription narcotics, and personal awareness when they are attending functions off of the Salisbury University campus.  “Three students were recently robbed at gunpoint off campus.  We want to make sure that we get the word out that they must have their guard up when they are walking off campus at night. Our intention is to create a sense of awareness on the part of the students so that we can keep our student population safe while they are studying at the university.” 

Mr. Maciarello stated, “It was an honor and a privilege to meet so many gifted and talented athletes who are also concerned about their role in our community. I am very grateful that Salisbury University’s athletes and coaches took time out to discuss these important matters of public safety.”

The State’s Attorney reminds all citizens that as the holidays approach, “please keep our roadways safe-Do not drink and drive.” 

Going On A Family Shoplifting Spree Shouldn’t Count As Spending Quality Time Together

Spending quality time with the family is one of the basic tenets of the holidays, although we’re pretty sure it’s not in the spirit of the season to take that family act on a shoplifting spree. Cops say a mom recruited her two kids in a scheme to swipe $4,500 in merchandise from Best Buy, Kohl’s and Target recently. That’s one way to make sure you get everything on your wish list, albeit a very illegal one.

The California woman allegedly worked with her 34-year-old son and 37-year-old daughter to lift the merchandise, says CBS L.A., but she’s not behind bars, due to “her medical condition.”

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Newly Released Photo Shows Bloodied George Zimmerman From Night of Trayvon Martin Incident

A newly-released, graphic photo of George Zimmerman, taken the night of his fateful confrontation with Florida teen Trayvon Martin, shows the accused killer with a bloody face.

Zimmerman’s legal team released the photo, which they believe bolsters their case that Zimmerman, 29, was being beaten when he fatally shot the 17-year-old Martin in the chest. The photo was taken by police and only released to Zimmerman’s team recently, said Zimmerman’s lawyer. Previously, the team only had a black-and-white photocopy of the picture.

“That's really one of my frustrations. They originally submitted a black and white photo so we asked for a color copy. They then submitted a color photo copy that was drab," said Zimmerman's attorney Mark O'Mara to Foxnews.com.
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Man Blinded By Drinking Vodka Regains His Sight After Doctors Administer A Dose Of Whiskey

We’ve all heard of the phrase “blacked out” in relation to drinking alcohol. While that frat bro talking too loudly about his weekend in the coffee shop might be throwing out the phrase to indicate an unhealthy amount of booze consumed, in the case of one man who had a little bit of vodka, the liquor actually made him lose his eyesight. At first, doctors were stumped. Then they came to the rescue with a very odd prescription. More booze!

The New Zealand Herald brings us this very unique tale of booze and redemption, which revolves around a 65-year-old man who had been gifted a bottle of vodka by some of his students. He was celebrating his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary and had taken a few slugs of the stuff when suddenly, he went blind.

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