No Cure now. No cure ever.
Ever wonder why they haven’t announced a cure for cancer, diabetes, or MS along with a slew of other diseases which we deal with everyday. My grandmother sends money every year to the American Cancer Society, because her son, my father, died of cancer at the age of 22. She feels it’s her duty as a mother to help in finding a cure for the disease that took her son. The scary thing about it is not that they haven’t found a cure, but that they haven’t told any one. You may think I am crazy that I think there is a know cure for cancer and other diseases, and you may think that they are still desperately searching for a cure. But think of this, the economic impact of finding a cure for just cancer. The pharmaceutical companies make huge amounts of money in not curing people but in medicating them.
One example of this is a drug by Avastin which helps in the treatment of lung cancer. It’s not a cure. The monthly treatments for a patient averages $8800 per month (according to an ABC report) and about 100,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer every year. That equates to 8.8 billion if they could get all those people to take the one drug. This company made $555 million last year.
Think about the revenue lost by this company never mind all the other pharmaceutical companies if they found a simple cure. Drag it out and make a ton of money. Now think about this, The American Cancer Society, has been in business since 1913. So over 90 years they have been working on a cure! And all the money they are donated they still are looking. Think about it, they too would be out of business. They have over 2 million people working with them. Their income for 2003 was $836.3 Million! (This is according to Hoover business information). And there are a number of other non-profit cancer research institutions. This is big business for many and a cure would end it all. The economic impact on our country would be catastrophic. Especially since the rest of the world is depending on the US less and less (a whole topic in itself).
Cancer along with the other diseases need to continue for our economy to perpetuate. I don’t agree with what I think is being done, but it rather makes sense. Think about it.
So, I almost want to tell my grandmother who donates to the American Cancer Society, that she is donating a hopeless cause, but at the same time I don’t want to break her heart.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Change the world by synchronizing traffic lights
How we can change the world by synchronizing traffic lights.
My first Blog. Ok, this is my first chapter or phase of the world and the lack of common sense.
How we can change the world by synchronizing traffic lights.
In Seattle, WA they are taking the time to synchronize traffic lights to shave off about 23 minutes in an otherwise hour commute. Think about the impact this could have on a global scale. First, we cut down the commute and give that time back to the driver. That computes to about 96 hours a year or 4 days. Now if people could reduce their stress by 23 minutes of aggravating traffic or giving back basically a 4 day vacation from driving stress can be brought down, even marginally. The cut in stress from an already stressful life that many lead, could result in healthier living. The amount of overall stress that could be relieved compounded by the number of drivers on the road during any one time of the day is massive. This could lead to lower medical problems in people and ultimately help in reducing some medical costs. This will happen again when we see the reduction of pollution when cars are on the roads for less time. This also gives people more time to spend with their families which seems to be a problem with families these days. Imagine an extra 20 min a day spending with family or having precious time for yourself.
The next big thing we can reduce is pollution. Imaging taking 100,000 people off the road for 23 min. Think about the reduction of pollution. Now think about that across the country, if all major cities synchronized their traffic signals. The amount of pollution drop would be great. The health impact would also be affected. Think about the medical bills saved on people who have things like asthma, who would be less affected if pollution was reduced. Also the impact on world conditions in nature. Just the tip of the iceberg, with global warming on the rise.
Another impact would be less use of gas. Reduced dependence on oil just by cutting off stop and go traffic. With the increase in gas this would help many if they could reduce spending as much on gas every month. Another economic impact with stop and go traffic is the slow down of goods getting to market and increase in gas consumption for truckers, means higher prices for goods in the store which we pay for everyday. How about the effects that stop and go traffic have on our roadways. Surface streets are degraded mainly by the stopping and starting of traffic. This means more of our tax dollars have to be spent on maintaining our road ways. Another problem is the cost of maintaining individuals automobiles which also get most of the wear and tear in the stop and go of everyday traffic.
These are just a few thoughts on what could be accomplished if we were to synchronize traffic signals to keep traffic moving. So you ask if there are so many benefits to synchronizing traffic why don’t they do it? 1. To keep consumers in check. Spending money on gas, maintenance of vehicles. Also they put on the guise of protecting the public by slowing vehicle movement, but it is also a consumer tactic so people stop and notice the stores on every corner. This is a tactic used in many cities between the city government and merchants to bring in more buying. Capitalism at its greatest by undermining the consumer. It’s scary. If you have any thoughts on this topic and any other things that would be impacted by light synchronization, please post. Sorry about and grammatical errors you may come across in this blog.
-Tony
My first Blog. Ok, this is my first chapter or phase of the world and the lack of common sense.
How we can change the world by synchronizing traffic lights.
In Seattle, WA they are taking the time to synchronize traffic lights to shave off about 23 minutes in an otherwise hour commute. Think about the impact this could have on a global scale. First, we cut down the commute and give that time back to the driver. That computes to about 96 hours a year or 4 days. Now if people could reduce their stress by 23 minutes of aggravating traffic or giving back basically a 4 day vacation from driving stress can be brought down, even marginally. The cut in stress from an already stressful life that many lead, could result in healthier living. The amount of overall stress that could be relieved compounded by the number of drivers on the road during any one time of the day is massive. This could lead to lower medical problems in people and ultimately help in reducing some medical costs. This will happen again when we see the reduction of pollution when cars are on the roads for less time. This also gives people more time to spend with their families which seems to be a problem with families these days. Imagine an extra 20 min a day spending with family or having precious time for yourself.
The next big thing we can reduce is pollution. Imaging taking 100,000 people off the road for 23 min. Think about the reduction of pollution. Now think about that across the country, if all major cities synchronized their traffic signals. The amount of pollution drop would be great. The health impact would also be affected. Think about the medical bills saved on people who have things like asthma, who would be less affected if pollution was reduced. Also the impact on world conditions in nature. Just the tip of the iceberg, with global warming on the rise.
Another impact would be less use of gas. Reduced dependence on oil just by cutting off stop and go traffic. With the increase in gas this would help many if they could reduce spending as much on gas every month. Another economic impact with stop and go traffic is the slow down of goods getting to market and increase in gas consumption for truckers, means higher prices for goods in the store which we pay for everyday. How about the effects that stop and go traffic have on our roadways. Surface streets are degraded mainly by the stopping and starting of traffic. This means more of our tax dollars have to be spent on maintaining our road ways. Another problem is the cost of maintaining individuals automobiles which also get most of the wear and tear in the stop and go of everyday traffic.
These are just a few thoughts on what could be accomplished if we were to synchronize traffic signals to keep traffic moving. So you ask if there are so many benefits to synchronizing traffic why don’t they do it? 1. To keep consumers in check. Spending money on gas, maintenance of vehicles. Also they put on the guise of protecting the public by slowing vehicle movement, but it is also a consumer tactic so people stop and notice the stores on every corner. This is a tactic used in many cities between the city government and merchants to bring in more buying. Capitalism at its greatest by undermining the consumer. It’s scary. If you have any thoughts on this topic and any other things that would be impacted by light synchronization, please post. Sorry about and grammatical errors you may come across in this blog.
-Tony
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
