Humans have always found ways to communicate. It may have started with etched drawings on the wall of a cave, but it has evolved into language, penmanship, and now, the digital world we live in. All forms of expression, be they images, music, and both the spoken and written word, can all be represented digitally now.

The ability to communicate effectively has a direct effect on our capacity to solve problems. That could be at the clinical level – or the personal level. The digital era presents us with countless ways to connect and communicate. But there are times when I think that it has done us more harm than good.

Has the digital era made us more effective in communication?  Or did Led Zeppelin have it right when Robert Plant sang the immortal words to “Communication Breakdown”?

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It’s one of the greatest quotes in movie history: “It goes to eleven”.

If you are a guitar player or rock music aficionado, you would attribute this piece of heavy metal existentialism to none other than Nigel Tufnel, lead guitar player for Spinal Tap. Ah yes, the movie/rockumentary (or perhaps mockumentary) “This Is Spinal Tap” is one of my all time favorites. It follows the day-to-day trials and tribulations of the band Spinal Tap and their history as one of the great heavy metal acts of all time.

If you could ever have one movie that displayed all of the “stereotypes” of the heavy metal and rock guitar genres, it would be this movie. The more you know about music history and the musicians, the more inside jokes you will catch, each and every time you watch this movie.

So why has November 11, 2011 been declared “Nigel Tufnel Day”?

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I think it is fair to say that in just about every trade or profession, there is a desire to be reasonably reimbursed for one’s level of expertise and the ability to provide a good product to the consumer. It’s not any different if you are a mechanic, a plumber, a physician, or a physical therapist. I think that most consumers want to be able to pay someone appropriately for the work they’ve done – at least in principle.

One of the differences is the presence or absence of a third party payer.

It can become highly frustrating and economically challenging as a clinician to receive dwindling reimbursement from third party payers. So many clinicians will opt for a cash-based approach where they feel there is a direct relationship between the customer and the service provided.

Sounds good, right? Not exactly. The incentives are still not conducive to systemic success. The solution lies in the paradigm used, not how the reimbursement occurs.

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Unemployment numbers and slow job growth continue to be an issue for this country. These days, having a job at all is a step in the right direction. People seem to be far less concerned about being over-qualified for a job. Paying the bills takes precedence, doesn’t it?

Of course, you can also be under-qualified (and unprepared) for a certain job. If you don’t meet the job criteria, you will oftentimes have to get more training or experience prior to re-applying for the position.

This seems to be an issue in politics these days. With that said, this episode of the Rhubarb Report takes a look at some seriously ripe political Rhubarb, and ends with a feel-good moment for sports fans everywhere.

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