Custom standards

I've been criticized for over-explaining things. I don't dispute that I do it regularly, but today reminded me of why I do. On my first day on a new job, I was greeted by ambiguity and a lot of assumptions about what had and had not been done. People were nice but assumed I knew a lot more than I did about the position, people, policies and customs of a company undergoing rapid change. This leads to me asking a lot of questions, which is a little uncomfortable. Asking questions can be interpreted by many as a stance of weakness. Does he really know enough to do this job? Isn't that obvious?

Well, asking questions is usually a good idea, especially when you're introduced to something unfamiliar. Standards, however, are an even better thing. This trip would be much harder without standards. Gasoline grades are normalized by octane across the country. The width of interstate highway lanes is set by federal guidelines. Even Starbucks has standards. I really have grown to like their new daily brew, Pike Place (Time Magazine Article), which is a reference to their first location in Seattle. By the way, I have been to that mecca of coffee, although not on this trip.

Don't get me wrong, I like customization too. Nobody wants standard art, poetry or food to put craft industries out of business. That said, something is being lost in the national conversation on healthcare. Most of the waste in healthcare is caused by the wide variation in procedure, diagnostic and therapeutic utilization nationwide. Don't take my word for it; the article from a recent New Yorker, written by a doctor, says it better than I ever could (New Yorker Article). If you could do me a favor, when you talk about healthcare, don't let this fact be forgotten. It isn't republican, democrat, liberal or conservative; it's just the oddity that standardization skipped over modern medicine. Let's focus on fixing healthcare and leave out the nonsense. Ok, enough said about that, since I could go on explaining (and over-explaining) the problems for hours.

I leave for Houston tomorrow and will be home soon. My own bed sounds all too appealing. The below picture is from driving in southern Virginia near the Carolinas (observing standard distance sign). All that is left now is the road.

Miles driven: 8,710

Quote of the day: see below

Poker update: "Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn't play poker." - Amarillo Slim. I am a loser for this trip.