Some seem to think so, as evidenced by this article in the Daily Telegraph, courtesy of our friends across the pond.
It makes a pretty interesting case for speculation as the cause of the runup, as if more evidence was needed, and seems to put the cap on the supply and demand canard, doesn’t it?
Let’s talk about oil. How low do you think it will fall? Will the curiously-timed fall in oil prices short-circuit the demise of the pickup and SUV?
Today is my last day at the Wichita Eagle.
What a strange sound that has.
After 18 years and a lot of topics, I’m leaving the Eagle to become editor of Kansas Farmer magazine, a Farm Progress publication.
I’ll still be in Wichita, working the state from a home office, and my new bosses tell me there will even be blogging in my future, so I won’t be going away, just changing location.
I want to say thanks to all those who have been faithful readers through the years and I hope to see you around at some of the state’s agricultural events _ including the Kansas State Fair just around the corner.
Keep the fences tight and the rows straight.
American Medical News reports on a new trend in the hospital industry: Public apologies over serious mistakes. The report says:
These public mea culpas come on the heels of intense pressure on physicians and hospitals to improve patient safety and transparency, admit mistakes to patients and apologize when things go wrong. While apology and disclosure is still far from the norm, experts say, it is becoming more common as a majority of states now protect expressions of empathy, regret and apology from admissibility in court.
It also follows on the heels of Medicare’s recently updated list of preventable, hospital-based errors it — and, increasingly, insurance companies — will no longer pay for or reimburse at higher levels.
Doctors, however, express concerns that too much disclosure might have the negative effect of making them think twice about reporting errors, the report says.
But most watchdog groups say it’s a big step forward in increasing public trust in our health care institutions and promoting transparency.