Best of the blogs: Open source just trimmed its path toward verticals with a deal between McKesson and Red Hat to create an end-to-end healthcare solution. Matt Asay sizes the pact up as “open source (the Red Hat stuff) with a proprietary application running on top of it,” which makes the whole proposition “not as compelling as it could be.” Still, it’s a good start, he writes in Red Hat goes vertical. Careers: “One of the best ways to develop, to learn, or to do anything new is to work closely with someone who already has what you want and who is willing to help you achieve your goals,” explains John West in Why you need mentors. Not everyone in IT has one because mentors are not always easy to find, but West offers suggestions on how to do just that, beginning with the complementary arts of asking and listening. Columnist’s corner: Sun Microsystems this week turns 25 years old. “To the outside observer, there may be little to celebrate,” suggests Neil McAllister in this week’s installment of Open Enterprise. At perhaps one of the most critical points in its history, “Sun has superior technology. In the real-world IT market, however, superior technology doesn’t always win out. But the other card Sun has in its hand is sheer staying power.” Related: Slideshow on 25 years of Sun. Software Development