Israelis enjoyed their day off as election day is a holiday in Israel. It appears that Israelis would have rather gone to the mall than to the polls to vote today. Voter turnout was the lowest in Israeli history, estimated around 60%, which observers said would help smaller ideologically driven parties. Exit polls showed that the new party Kadima, Ariel Sharon’s creation now under the guidance of acting PM Ehud Olmer gained the most seats (~30), followed by Labor (~20), and then Likud (~10). I think everybody just misses Sharon.

It’s interesting to see how Internet and cell phone technology keeps evolving. Innovations in these two essential communications outlets have always been under scrutiny, and a lot of “bad news” usually emerges about the health risks of phones, or prolonged internet use. Of course these are legitimate concerns, but it’s nice to hear about all the good that comes from cell phones and the Internet.

The Economist had an interesting article highlighting a study that looks at the ways the health industry is using text messaging for medical purposes. The goal is three-fold: “efficiency gains; public-health gains; and direct benefits to patients by incorporating text-messaging into treatment regimes.” Whether its a reminder for your doctor’s appointment, when to take your medication, or when to administer your insulin injection, a simple text message can make a big difference in some people’s busy lives. Other messages have a more preventative approach, seeking to dissmenate public health information, such as reminders for vaccinations.

While I definitely see this as beneficial, how far will these “reminders” go? Are we going to be bombarded with messages about not eating junk food, getting our shots, and having our cavities fixed? Don’t these outlets usually get abused by corporations for advertising purposes? Trust me, the last thing I want to get is a txt telling me to buy this or that kind of aspirin or toothpaste.

England has experimented with this new technology:

Several trials carried out in England have found that the use of text-messaging reminders reduces the number of missed appointments with family doctors by 26-39%, for example, and the number of missed hospital appointments by 33-50%. If such schemes were rolled out nationally, this would translate into annual savings of £256m-364m.

In some developing coutries, where more and more people have access to cell phones, “health” messages have been particularly helpful:

Text messages have been used in India to inform people about the World Health Organisation’s strategy to control tuberculosis, for example, and in Kenya, Nigeria and Mali to provide information about HIV and malaria. In Iraq, text messages were used to support a campaign to vaccinate nearly 5m children against polio.

If this trend spreads, I presume more such reminders, not related to health will pour into my cell phone. “Pay your credit card bill; Take out the trash; Cut the grass; Drink Coke.”

Now THAT would be something!

[technorati tags: news, health, technology, cell phones]

I feel like the usual political theme of my blog has been occupied by the frenzy over Mason’s NCAA joy ride all the way to the Final Four. I hope my readers don’t mind this temporary diversion as I feel it adds some rare “happy news” to my usually much more serious posts.

It’s really a new feeling for me as I have attended the school since 2002 and never felt this sense of unity and pride among the students, alum, faculty, etc. I finished my last semester in December, but I am still connected to the university, and even more so since our recent victories in the NCAA games. Below are excerpts of a few of the thousands of online articles about George Mason University’s Cinderella story. It’s very amusing to read the shock expressed by sports commentators, but I’m also glad to see that they are definitely rooting for us. Enjoy! (by the way, GMU’s colors are green & gold, which explains the recent posts color scheme)

John Smallwood of the Mercury News writes the “Cinderella” title has got to go as Mason advances to the Final Four:

Don’t be fooled.

Don’t look at George Mason University in the Final Four and get duped into seeing Cinderella.

Don’t look at the roster of no-name kids who couldn’t get scholarships to any major program and see 14 pairs of glass slippers.

George Mason is not Cinderella.

Cinderella would not - make that could not - have done what the Patriots just did.

Cinderella might always show up in the NCAA Tournament, but she does not go to the Final Four. That exclusive arena is reserved for truly elite teams.

Tim Sullivan of SingOnSandDiego.com writes about Mason’s shock and awe campaign:

Obscure George Mason won a regional championship game yesterday against overwhelming Connecticut 86-84, was forced into overtime to finish it and earned every single snippet of nylon in its hands, its hats and around its necks.

From afar, it was astonishing. An upset for the ages. People who have watched college basketball for decades kept searching for parallels and kept coming back to a hockey game played in 1980.

Pat Forde at ESPN.com writes that we’re in a whole new ball game thanks to Mason:

Now that everyone’s bracket has been folded, spindled and Masonically mutilated, it’s time for a moment of reckoning. After two of the most stunning, suspenseful and spellbinding weeks in the history of the sport, this is what we have learned:

Everything we believed to be true about this college basketball season has been rendered false.

Up is down. Down is up. The earth is flat. The sun rises in the west. The smartest Patriots coach is not Bill Belichick, it’s Jim Larranaga. And America’s team is George Mason.

The Boston Globe’s Mark Blaudschun writes jokes about Mason’s Cinderella Men: