MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'auto'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:03:03 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069476&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-surprising-life-saving-advantage-of-facebook%2F2011.07.26 “Health is social,” says SPM member Phil Baumann, RN (@PhilBaumann) at HealthIsSocial.com. Slate has a dramatic story of how a mother’s Facebook network helped spot – rapidly – Kawasaki Disease, a rare auto-immune disease that the family’s doctors had initially missed. Her social network contains some medically knowledgeable people. (Do you have any docs, nurses, etc in your Facebook circle?) Note that friends’ availability is sometimes far greater than a doctor’s office. Read how the diagnosis unfolded. And read what her family physician said, when she called from the E.R.: “You know what?” he said, “I was actually just thinking it could be Kawasaki disease. Makes total sense. Bravo, Facebook.” Then this, as the crisis wound down: (more…) *This blog... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069476 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:00:21 +0100 5069476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968490&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffood-allergies-treating-severe-allergic-reactions%2F2011.06.25 An allergic reaction in an outdoor setting can rapidly become a life-threatening emergency. While most of us think of food allergies as annoyances, they can be quite serious or even life threatening. Itchy skin rashes can progress to breathing difficulty, swollen soft tissues (e.g., lips, tongue, throat) that compromise the airway, and low blood pressure or even shock. Therefore, it’s important to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of severe allergy and to be prepared to respond rapidly in the event of an emergency. An EpiPen (an epinephrine auto-injector) The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has released Food Allergy Guidelines for healthcare professionals to help guide the care of patients with life-threatening food allergies. The full guidelines can be found ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968490 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:00:00 +0100 4968490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893396&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaToZGrJjoo0%2F By Daniel IkensonWith his appearance at a Toledo factory today, President Obama seems to want to make the auto bailout a campaign issue. Let’s welcome that. Americans should understand what transpired. Fancying himself “Savior of the Auto Industry,” the president deserves credit only for choosing to insulate two companies (and the UAW) from the consequences of their decisions. But with that credit he must accept responsibility for sluggish U.S. business investment, limited job creation, and the anemic economic recovery, which is due in no small measure to the regime uncertainty that descends from his intervention in the auto industry. The administration suggests that the entire cost of the auto bailout is captured by the outlays that haven’t or won’t be returned. Despite... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893396 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:47:53 +0100 4893396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828850&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZQVsgrpqZaY%2F By Walter OlsonCato scholars have been appropriately scathing about the federal government’s 2009 “cash for clunkers” program, which paid several billion taxpayer dollars to have older cars scrapped and their engines destroyed, with owners getting vouchers toward new vehicles. When Chris Edwards nominated cash-for-clunkers as the “dumbest government program ever,” he listed among its effects: “Low-income families, who tend to buy used cars, were harmed because the clunkers program will push up used car prices.” Guess what’s the newest trouble to hit the car business? As news outlets around the country are reporting, the price of used cars has lately soared to a modern-day record, with some cars commanding more used than they sold for when new... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828850 Mon, 16 May 2011 19:17:26 +0100 4828850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828859&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FO3uaghfl2zE%2F By George Scoville It is false to assume that GM’s earnings report means the auto bailout was a success. It is false that, among other things, failing to raise the debt limit means defaulting on our obligations. It is false that Osama bin Laden’s death means torture is a good idea. It is false that international institutions can deliver what they say they can deliver. It is false that oil speculators are to blame for fluctuating oil prices: Monday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828859 Mon, 16 May 2011 14:01:40 +0100 4828859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4433080&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLxPM9_27Jk4%2F By Jerry TaylorThe other day, The Wall Street Journal provided a public service by lambasting Newt Gingrich for his absurd speech to the ethanol lobby in Des Moines last month (money line:  "Obviously big urban newspapers want to kill it because it's working, and you wonder, 'What are their values?'").  Today, Gingrich and fellow ethanol-maven James Woolsey struck back in those very same pages.  In doing so, Gingrich provided yet more evidence that he's intellectually unfit for office. "It is in this country's long-term best interest," he said, "to stop the flow of $1 billion a day overseas."  Really?  So money sent overseas is gone forever.  News to me.  The only thing you can buy with dollars earned from oil sales to the U.S. is to buy things denominated in dollars or to exc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4433080 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:32:14 +0100 4433080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233166&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fa_QwBH92uOI%2F By Doug BandowThe U.S. and South Korean governments have agreed to changes in the free trade agreement negotiated by the Bush administration. The president rightly lauded the FTA as a good deal for Americans: “This agreement shows the U.S. is willing to lead and compete in the global economy,” the president told reporters at the White House, calling it a triumph for American workers in fields from farming to aerospace.” Approving the FTA has taken on added urgency after the European Union negotiated a similar accord with the South. Once that agreement takes effect, Europeans would have better access than Americans to the world’s 13th largest economy. Protectionism is always foolish, but especially so when one’s competitors are promoting open markets. The accord also offer... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233166 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:29:51 +0100 4233166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4203132&cid=t_129293_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F11%2Ffrostbite-part-3%2F After rewarming and unroofing of blisters, the patient with frostbite should be given tetanus prophylaxis, antibiotics, and extremity elevation to minimize swelling for up to 3-4 months to allow gangrenous tissue to autoamputate. The affected area should be gently cleaned with air drying and avoidance of pressure. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4203132 Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:50:27 +0100 4203132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183281&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPGBb9vLnnD4%2F By Daniel IkensonI don’t particularly relish picking on a president who, on virtually every policy front, is showing all the markings of a man in way over his head.  But the president’s actions and statements are becoming excruciating to watch—like a highly-touted Olympic figure skater who can’t complete a maneuver without falling to the ice.  President Obama’s salutary statement about GM’s IPO yesterday reveals a man so focused on defending his policies that he can no longer conceal the incongruity between his political objectives and the country’s imperatives. American taxpayers are now positioned to recover more than my administration invested in GM, and that’s a good thing. (My emphasis) Besides revealing the president’s preference for LIFO accounting procedure... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183281 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:44:32 +0100 4183281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179303&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYxlU1guvzQA%2F By Daniel IkensonThere seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of GM’s IPO today.  A common narrative in today’s media is that GM’s return to the stock market affirms the wisdom of the auto bailout.  Some tougher customers in the media insist on a higher threshold being met—that taxpayers get back the entirety of their $50 billion investment in GM—before declaring “mission accomplished.” And then there are the rabid partisans who—in their seething animosity toward the Obama administration—reach conclusions devoid of logic and rich only in conspiratorial-mindedness.  For example, yesterday I was contacted by a media outlet vetting this conclusion: “The IPO is evidence of the failure of the bailout because taxpayers were excluded from buyin... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179303 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:59:37 +0100 4179303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175678&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYan9fJhdM_8%2F By Daniel IkensonGM’s long-rumored initial public stock offering will take place Thursday and self-anointed savior of the U.S. auto industry, Steven Rattner, is pretty bullish about the prospect of investors turning out in droves.  I’ve been saying for a while that I thought the government’s exposure [euphemism for taxpayer losses] in the auto bailout was in the $10-billion to $20-billion range. But since investor interest has pushed the initial price up from the $26-to-$29 per share range to the $32-$33 range, Rattner now believes: [T]his exposure is in the single-digit billion range, and arguably potentially better. I won’t argue with Rattner’s numbers.  After all, they affirm one of my many criticisms of the bailout: that taxpayers would never recoup the value of their “i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175678 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:48:59 +0100 4175678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175752&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FV93uiNGcDM0%2Fmy-lucky-13-exam-tips-for-students.html My son and his friends are today heading into their first set of important high school exams, their “mock GCSEs”. They call them mock, but the results they achieve at this stage will determine where they go after they do their GCSEs proper, i.e. their 16+ options. So as a loving dad who has done more exams than I can remember and still has nightmares about turning up to finals in pyjamas without a pen and having done no revision. Here are my lucky 13 tips for those taking exams, finals, SATs, and other academic tests, whether you’re in middle school, high school, college, or at university and beyond. (a) Revision (b) preparation – do lots of it and don’t leave it till the last minute Cramming – do it only if you didn’t fulfil #1 (a) Water (b) sl... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175752 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:58:02 +0100 4175752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155262&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FSGRTPCC6DiI%2Fmaking-the-web-work-for-academia.html The internet has changed fundamentally the way we communicate, the way we work, even the way we live our lives. That much is obvious to anyone who has ever shopped at Amazon, looked up a reference on PubMed, or gone social via Facebook. Those of us who’ve been using email and the wider world tools of web 1.0 and then web 2.0 since the 1990s have seen dot coms come and go, bubble and egos inflate and then burst. There still exist luddites and every scare story about compromised privacy, Trojans, phishing attacks, wardriving (recently, most visible as the Firesheep plugin for Firefox), has those people running for their tinfoil hats and pulling the plug on their modems. Then there are organisations, such as academic institutions, that lack either the savvy or the will to overcome the i... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155262 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:00:02 +0100 4155262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151856&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2FW7sKLXuS_h0%2F6730.html Regular Sciencebase readers may recall that my family and I were recruited and took part in the participation in the 2009/2010 Flu Watch Project. During the whole period of the study we had just one cold or flu-like illness in the family, which was rather unusual for us. Personally, I almost reached the anniversary of not having had a cold until mid-October. Normally, I suffer at least 3 or 4 doses of man-flu during the year. Possibly down to my daily walk with the dog or just not getting out enough to be exposed to the viruses. Who knows? Anyway, the Flu Watch team just sent back their findings from the survey about flu and what happened in the H1N1 pandemic. The survey and swabs we all sent back when we had a cold/flu revealed that 15-20% of the population are infected, children more com... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151856 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:00:25 +0100 4151856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133661&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyTHsTqDHzVg%2F By Daniel IkensonThough it has been relatively successful in the marketplace lately, the Ford Motor Company continues to confound in its public policy commitments. First, the company remained silent for the better part of two years as its chief domestic rivals General Motors and Chrysler were nursed back to viability by a doting government dispensing $65 billion of taxpayer-funded nourishment. Not once (to my knowledge) did Ford publicly complain that the government bailout of its struggling competitors was an affront to its own prospects or that it would deny the company its rightful increase in sales and market share (the so-called spoils of competition). But now Ford is trumpeting its opposition to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. In a full page ad in today’s Washington Post, Ford... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133661 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:43:03 +0100 4133661 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074042&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fem53Rj8AHnc%2F By Daniel IkensonWhen you believe in things that you don’t understand, Then you suffer, Superstition ain’t the way - Stevie Wonder David Ignatius is entitled to this opinion: We have just lived through one of the more notable successes of government intervention in modern times – the auto and bank rescues that almost surely saved the country from another Great Depression. But if his intention is to convince skeptics—and not just to rally the deflated spirits of those who came to Washington with high hopes of teaching Americans how to love their government—he does a lousy job.  A bold assertion like his requires supporting evidence more rigorous than hearsay, superstition, and the opinions of his friend, and former “Car Czar,”  Steven Rattner. Ignatius considers ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074042 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:50:58 +0100 4074042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045138&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Funlocking-nano-secrets.html An open or shut case for nanotechnology secrets Should nanotechnology R&D be more open to allow it to thrive in the commercial world, or should companies working in this field be more secretive? Paradoxically, the answer seems to be that keeping secrets stifles innovation and reduces patent success. According to Associate Professor of Management at Pennsylvania State University Abington, Steven McMillan, companies should adopt an open policy towards publication of their R&D results as is common in research institutes, university research departments and academia in general. McMillan points out that his team’s earlier research has demonstrated that for the pharmaceutical industry, openness is rather important. In that arena, companies are keen to put results into the public ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045138 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:00:54 +0100 4045138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036711&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fnobel-prize-for-chemistry-2010.html Watch the announcement of the 2010 Nobel Prize for Chemistry live: Winners: Heck, Negishi, Suzuki – carbon coupling (real chemistry). Three chemical reactions of major importance. Given that a chemical won the Physics prize this year, perhaps it will be something entirely physical that wins chemistry… Past Nobel chemists Related Posts:K Barry Sharpless LivePeriodic Table of Google ElementsReal chemistry at the periodic table partyParty tricks for scientistsYou Are a MonkeyNobel Prize for Chemistry 2010 is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog (Source: Sciencebase Science Blog) Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036711 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:26:11 +0100 4036711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031294&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fblood-pressure-anxiety.html Is it a sign of hypochondria to get white coat syndrome when measuring your own blood pressure? I asked this question on my personal Facebook page as a little joke with a hint of seriousness. My doctor and I are currently re-evaluating my blood pressure medicine, and I have been instructed to keep tabs on my bp and pulse for a couple of weeks. Now, I am well aware that a visit to the doctor causes anxiety in a lot of people, especially when they have to have their blood pressure taken. Just the site of a sphygmomanometer’s pumping cuff can cause a hypertensive spike. It’s known in the trade as white-coat syndrome, although I don’t think I’ve ever had a doctor in a white coat measure my blood pressure. Anyway, hypertensive or pensive, I am curious as to whether WCS i... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031294 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:00:46 +0100 4031294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027206&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fnew-sciencebase-element.html I’ve updated the Sciencebase tumblr account, for those of you who would like an alternative one-stop shop for science and technology news and views from David Bradley. The site aggregates the Sciencebase, Sciencetext, SciScoop, and Reactive Reports newsfeeds as well as my “likes” in Google Reader. To celebrate, I’ve created a new element icon and based it, this time, on an actual chemical element mashed with the tumblr floral logo. In case you missed it there’s also a sciencebase elemental delicious icon floating around on the site somewhere. The links I bookmark in delicious usually include science and technology posts and news items that catch my eye at random times throughout the week. Related Posts:Science is DeliciousHow to get your fill of Sciencebase go... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027206 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:34:24 +0100 4027206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999035&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcalculating-science-writer.html Fellow science writer and author of Black Bodies and Quantum Cats, Jennifer Ouellette has a new book out – The Calculus Diaries – which she attempts to de-traumatize those of us who were force-fed derivatives and integrals but perhaps never got past pi-r-squared. The marketing blurb explains how mathematics can help you lose weight, win in Vegas and survive a zombie apocalypse. The book itself bridges the gap between one’s mathematical dysfunctionality and the real world. It’s the math(s) of everyday life and Ouelette immersed herself in it for a year in order to conquer and calculate. If De Niro and his ilk “live the life of their characters” in method acting, then this is “method science writing”. There was no single factor that led Ouellet... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999035 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:00:53 +0100 3999035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993992&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fhow-many-stars-can-you-see.html Ask a child how many stars they can see on a clear night, and the answer is likely to be some rather precise and yet strangely diffuse number like 200 and twenty-nine billion million thousand. An adult might suggest millions(?) with an inflection in their tone of voice to suggest that they are uncertain of that number and think it might be much higher. Of course, the real answer is way, way lower. On a really clear night away from city lights and air pollution and with the best eyes in the world you would struggle to count just a couple of thousand visible to the naked eye. With a decent telescope you could see many more and, of course, there are literally (to paraphrase the late, great Carl Sagan) billions upon billions of the astral orbs in the universe as a whole. See “Ask a Scien... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993992 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 08:00:17 +0100 3993992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972940&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fthanking-your-facebook-fans.html In the spirit of exploiting the three principles of uber-link bait titles mentioned over on sciencetext, I wanted to express my thanks to a few people who are fans, or “likers”, of the Sciencebase Facebook page. These diamond people have all been particularly active recently on the fan page, liking, commenting, debating on wall posts. I hope I’ve caught the most active of you, if not let me know. So, in no particular order: Jones Murphy – Caltech Hamada Shingo – STFC Jacob Cox – Green Science Research Foundation Robert Slinn – University of Liverpool Eur van Andel – Fiwihex Alan Crooks – Visiting chemistry lecturer in the UK Arpit Dave – Gujarat University Lisa Shaw – Maine librarian Paul Shin – CSU Northridge Jacque... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972940 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:18 +0100 3972940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954263&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=39260&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvaccineblogs.com%2Fresearch-synthetic-lipoid-compounds-dda%2F Step 1. Read about vaccine ingredient causing delayed-type hypersensitivity. “In 1966 Gall, in a survey of more than 100 chemicals, concluded that aliphatic compounds, containing 12 or more carbons in their chains, have outstanding adjuvant properties…Dimethyl-dioctadecyl ammonium bromide (DDA) is the only lipoid amine that has been extensively tested in many experimental systems and reviewed…In general DDA has proven to be very effective in inducing delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) (a marker for cell-mediated immunity (CMI)), humoral anditbodies and resistance to challenge with virulent viruses.” Stewart-Tull, D. (1995). The Theory and Practical Application of Adjuvants. pp 39-40 Step 2. Go to Toxnet. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov Slap in Dimethyl-dioctadecyl amm... Vaccine Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954263 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:06:00 +0100 3954263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3934474&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpresident-obama-auto-tuned-video-of-the-day%2F Thanks to the digital age, singers no longer actually need to know how to sing, even in singing competitions. Our favorite example of pitch-correcting technology is Auto Tune, which artist T-Pain has used often (and shamelessly) to sound like a rapping robot, like he does here on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Now President Obama can transform his speeches into hip hop using the same technology. Health care reform never sounded so – cutting edge. Post from: BlissTree President Obama, Auto-Tuned: Video of the Day (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3934474 Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:00:12 +0100 3934474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895865&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbIGYk2CC6lQ%2F Our friends at The Economist magazine usually talk good sense about free trade and free markets, which makes their retrospective endorsement of the government bailout of General Motors all the more disappointing. In a leader in the current issue, the editors write that critics of the bailout (count Cato scholars among them) owe President Obama an apology. “His takeover of GM could have gone horribly wrong, but it has not,” they opine. The Economist argues that, in contrast to state coddling of industries in, say, France, President Obama has driven a hard bargain by requiring GM to fire top management, cut jobs, close plants, and reduce its brand names. The magazine grants that the president’s labor-union allies won special concessions that came at the expense of bondholders, but “b... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895865 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:25:48 +0100 3895865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885380&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fwhats-the-point-of-the-semantic-web.html I was scanning journal tables of contents as usual this week and it occurred to me that there must be a better way to find relevant and timely research information that would be of interest to Sciencebase readers…and, of course, out pops the following title: Technically approaching the semantic web bottleneck Sounded, perfect…kind of…but what’s the semantic web, why’s there a bottleneck and what can be done to lube the tube? Tim Berners-Lee’s original vision for the semantic web was that information would be just as readable (and understandable) to a person or to a machine. Digital objects, whether web page, image, video, or some other file, would have embedded within them meta data that would provide context to the content and allow software to extract ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885380 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:26:11 +0100 3885380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885334&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhetA7bgoDSU%2F GM announced yesterday its intention to go sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange, thus officially beginning the process of re-privatizing the company. A GM initial public offering is the right move, and cannot happen soon enough.  Let’s get the government out of the car business now.  But successfully reprivatizing GM should not be seen as a sign that the intervention itself was successful.  The intervention was akin to theft — from Ford, Honda, Toyota, the other automakers and taxpayers — and was highly damaging to crucial longstanding institutions in the United States, like property rights and the rule of law. The costs of GM’s ”turnaround,” if it is to happen, will never be fully appreciated.  The other auto companies were denied t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885334 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:59:04 +0100 3885334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880841&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuA55WNm8Kmk%2F Ronald Brownstein points to the many measures showing Americans have lost confidence in their government and in some private institutions.  He concludes that these signs of distrust “point toward a widely shared conviction that the country’s public and private leadership is protecting its own interest at the expense of average (and even comfortable) Americans.” Maybe. But there is another interpretation. Consider the recent performance of the government and of more than a few businesses. Most Americans do not pay attention to the details of governing. They have other things to occupy their time. They do, however, notice important matters like war and the economy. Since about 2004, Americans have steadily soured on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The economy remains wea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880841 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:25:39 +0100 3880841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854561&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fsocial-impact-of-science.html The social impact of science and knowledge evolution – New research that analyses 500 years of scientific history comes to the perhaps obvious conclusion that those nations that support science and the evolution of knowledge through education, infrastructure and funding, produce stronger societies the members of which have a better standard of living and are healthier. Luiz Miranda of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais of the São José dos Campos and Carlos Lima of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, in São Paulo, Brazil, have looked at five centuries of scientific discoveries and 125 years of patent publications to reveal the evolutionary nature of science and technology and their social impact. The ability to understand Nature (science) and partially dominate it (te... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854561 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:39 +0100 3854561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798745&cid=t_129293_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FWHFzcwyREY4%2Fthe-magic-of-auto-insertion-1.php Full Disclosure: OmniPod is a Diabetes Daily Sponsor. Each month, I share my experiences using the tiny tubeless insulin pump. This week I'd like to talk about one of my favorite features on the OmniPod insulin pump: auto insertion. If you are wondering what the OmniPod is all about, you can watch a video of me putting it on.Auto insertion is something I never thought about much when I was on a tethered pump. I just assumed I would use an insertion device (or my own hands) to connect my infusion set to my body. And I did. For years. And I had many problems.The Manual Insertion Experience on My Old Pump One of the things that that frustrated me most about my last pump was that I had a terrible time with bent cannulas. I'm a very petite person and have little available real estate for i... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798745 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:45:12 +0100 3798745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784297&cid=t_129293_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fsweet-sensors.html Nothing new under the sun, as the bard said, and how true it is sometimes. No sooner had I posted a news article on spectroscopynow.com entitled “Sweet sense of GOD” than Santhosh Challa, a Senior Scientist at Merck & Co in New Jersey, USA, got in touch to tell me that his team had also recently published work on a similar technique using ionic liquids in glucose sensing. In the “GOD” work, researchers had developed a glucose sensor based on a room-temperature ionic liquid rather than a conventional solvent to give it much better acid-resistance than other sensors used in diabetes and blood sugar monitoring. Challa and his team seem to have extended the concept somewhat. “In this particular work, we applied an amino acid based fluorescent ionic liquid, th... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784297 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:16:25 +0100 3784297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655577&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbp-oil-spill-remix-auto-tuned-news%2F We’re not sure what we like more: Matt Lauer’s backing vocals or Obama’s slick rhymes. What could be better? If the oil spill had never happened. via The Daily What Post from: BlissTree BP Oil-Spill Remix: Auto-Tuned News (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655577 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:40:50 +0100 3655577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610321&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQouqVrabNKY%2F By Jim HarperIn my recent testimony before the House Commerce Committee on a proposal to require event data recorders in all new cars sold in the United States, I pointed out that the mandate would go far beyond what is needed to ensure safety. Indeed, the cost of EDRs raises the prices of new cars, marginally reducing the pool of used cars and keeping lower income drivers in older used cars which are less safe. The demand for EDRs in all cars, collecting and transmitting data about all crashes, suggests that something more than statistically relevant safety data is what advocates of this mandate want. I put a finer point on these issues today in answers to questions propounded to me after the hearing. The proposed EDR mandate includes controls on the use of EDR information, a nominal pr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610321 Fri, 28 May 2010 19:13:18 +0100 3610321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607472&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Frheumatoid-arthritis-on-the-rise-in-women%2F photo: Thinkstock Rheumatoid arthritis may sound like something you’ll worry about in your twilight years, but it’s actually an auto-immune disease that’s becoming more and more common in women. It usually affects women between 40-60 years old, and causes joints and their surrounding tissue to become inflamed, leading to pain, stiffness, and a variety of not-fun side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, the number of cases of rheumatoid arthritis had been falling for 40 years, but between 1995 and 2007 they increased by 2.5%. However, in the same time period, cases have fallen among men. Women are three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Since rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disorder, there isn’t much rhyme or reason as to... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607472 Thu, 27 May 2010 19:13:33 +0100 3607472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552222&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5zsLLQTMgPE%2F By Jim HarperI was pleased last week to testify in Congress about a draft bill that would mandate “event data recorders” in all new cars. Automobile black boxes or “EDRs” are an issue that found me a few years ago when I commented on their privacy consequences to a newspaper and heard from concerned drivers across the country. My testimony to the House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection had three main themes: 1) The Constitution doesn’t give Congress authority to design automobiles or their safety features; 2) Only a relevant sample of crash data is needed to improve auto safety—overspending on a 100% EDR mandate will keep the poor in older, more dangerous cars and undermine auto safety for that cohort; an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552222 Mon, 10 May 2010 20:25:46 +0100 3552222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3502794&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAlzMmwO_XM0%2F By David BoazGeneral Motors chairman Ed Whitacre is appearing in ads on all the Sunday morning shows repeating the message of his Wall Street Journal op-ed, titled “The GM Bailout: Paid Back in Full,” and the company’s full-page newspaper ads: We’re proud to announce: We’ve repaid our government loan. In full. With interest. Five years ahead of the original schedule. But wait: In the Wall Street Journal, Whitacre says the company has made a $5.8 billion payment to the governments of the United States and Canada. But don’t I recall that the GM bailout was $50 billion? Shikha Dalmia of the Reason Foundation explains the whole story in Forbes: First, part of the bailout went into an “escrow fund,” and that government money is being used to pay... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3502794 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:18:51 +0100 3502794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283513&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGWP-H_AollQ%2F By Chris Moody A few things you might not know about rail travel: “Automobiles in intercity travel are as energy efficient as Amtrak. Cars are getting more energy efficient, while boosting Amtrak trains to higher speeds will make them less energy efficient.” The list goes on… Quiz Time! Which was the only country in the 27-nation European Union to register economic growth without going through a recession last year? The answer might surprise you. Unionized teachers refuse to work 25 minutes more a day, so Rhode Island town fires all of them. Arnold Kling on Haiti, poverty, and capitalism. Podcast: This is what happens to American jobs when you have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283513 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:42:29 +0100 3283513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239549&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fldxi6CbO7l8%2F By Daniel IkensonIn response to the large recalls affecting several Toyota models, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood yesterday advised Americans to “stop driving” their Toyotas. In testimony before the House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, LaHood said: “My advice to anyone who owns one of these vehicles is stop driving it, and take it to the Toyota dealership because they believe they have the fix for it.” Later in the day, he elaborated: “I want to encourage owners of any recalled Toyota models to contact their local dealer and get their vehicles fixed as soon as possible. NHTSA will continue to hold Toyota’s feet to the fire to make sure that they are doing everything they have promised to make their vehicles safe. We will continue to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239549 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:07:31 +0100 3239549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171890&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrBfejxnclPI%2F By Mark A. CalabriaPerhaps I am a little confused, but didn’t the Obama Administration tell the American public only months ago that TARP was turning a profit?   But now the same administration is proposing to assess a fee on banks to cover losses from the TARP. Maybe President Obama is coming around to the realization that the TARP has indeed been a loser for the taxpayer. He appears, however, to be missing the critical reason why: the bailouts of the auto companies and AIG, all non-banks. This is to say nothing of the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose losses will far exceed those from the TARP. Where is the plan to re-coup losses from Fannie and Freddie? Or a plan to re-coup our rescue of the autos? If the effort is really about deficit reduction, then it completely misses ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171890 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:29:00 +0100 3171890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3156446&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fsuoyds664hs%2F By Tad DeHavenOver at Downsizing Government, we focused on the following issues this week: Central Michigan defeated Troy in the “Bailout Bowl,” but taxpayers are the biggest losers. The 2010 census will pave the way for subsidies to state and local governments. Secure property rights and government support help make U.S. farmland a good investment. But what about the property rights of taxpayers? The federal government’s IT budget increases by $5 billion while Uncle Sam’s private sector counterparts make do with less. New York’s fraud-ridden Medicaid program is a prime example why government involvement in healthcare is part of the problem, not the solution. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3156446 Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:00:11 +0100 3156446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079322&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTGslb_rm3AA%2F By Daniel IkensonAs described in the current Cato Policy Report, one of the “Hard Lessons from the Auto Bailout” is that management at GM is likely to be “highly erratic, as the president and Congress wrestle for decisionmaking primacy at this majority taxpayer-owned entity.”  The “dealerships” issue is Exhibit A. One of GM’s first decisions upon emerging from bankruptcy was to announce closures of a number of dealerships to help reduce costs. Then-nominal-CEO Fritz Henderson explained that the planned closings would save GM about $100 in distribution costs per vehicle–a few hundred million dollars per year when factoring in the millions of units GM expects to produce. But many of GM’s congressional CEOs cried foul, demanding reco... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079322 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:39:39 +0100 3079322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3035924&cid=t_129293_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F27%2Fone-soldiers-suicide-story%2F While we return to our daily lives after the holidays and get into the Christmas spirit, some families will not be celebrating this year. One family is James Weigl’s, a soldier who returned home after deployment, suffered from depression, and ultimately took his own life. Forty-three percent of soldiers who commit suicide do so after returning home from deployment, demonstrating that follow-up care with soldiers after deployment is just as important as mental health treatment while in active duty. The story is an all-too familiar one. The article in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel details the life of James Weigl, his active duty tour, return home, and his decline into depression. It’s a lengthy article, but it gives you an idea of how diverse the problems are that sol... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3035924 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:23 +0100 3035924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943764&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fc_AVM17vP68%2F The bad news this morning on the impact of both the federal stimulus and the Cash for Clunkers program should not come as a surprise to anyone who has paid attention to the history of government intervention in the economy. New data that the jobs created by the stimulus have been overstated by thousands is compelling, but it’s really a secondary issue. The primary issue is that the government cannot “create” anything without hurting something else. To “create” jobs, the government must first extract wealth from the economy via taxation, or raise the money by issuing debt. Regardless of whether the burden is borne by present or future taxpayers, the result is the same: job creation and economic growth are inhibited. At the same time the government is taking und... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943764 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:05:37 +0100 2943764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2930963&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXPn383xWwRI%2F If you worry about the abuse of executive power and declining respect among elected officials for the rule of law, you should watch this eloquent illumination of what really went down in the Chrysler bankruptcy earlier this year. The speaker is Richard Mourdock, Treasurer of the state of Indiana. The setting is a Cato Institute policy forum on October 15 about the “sordid details of the Bush/Obama auto industry intervention.” As state treasurer, Mourdock is the person responsible for investment decisions concerning Indiana’s state employee pension funds, some of which owned a small share of Chrysler’s $6.9 billion in secured debt and some of which opposed the administration’s offer of $.29 on the dollar for that debt. Though these small secured holders were publicly casti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2930963 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:24:22 +0100 2930963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871568&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPfLxrrDOg54%2F The U.S. sustainability standard currently requires ethanol production to emit at least 20% less CO2 than the gasoline it is assumed to replace. In a new study, authors Harry de Gorter and David R. Just argue that sustainability standards for ethanol are, by definition, illogical and ineffective. Moreover, say de Gorter and Just, those standards divert attention from the contradictions and inefficiencies of ethanol import tariffs, tax credits, mandates, and subsidies, all of which exist whether ethanol is sustainable or not. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871568 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:12:38 +0100 2871568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923425&cid=t_129293_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2009%2F09%2F26%2Fmiracle-of-survival%2F Ben had an auto accident last night. It’s amazing that he was able to get out of this car. He might make light of it, but it appears to me to have been a pretty serious accident. He’s finally asleep, so we’re sitting here in the dark in case he wakes up and needs anything. He’s being such a trooper. Possibly Related Posts: North Carolina spider identification Trader Joe’s is worth the trip Piles of stuff to do Kittenocity Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe – No Eggs – No Cooking (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923425 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:48:41 +0100 2923425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788503&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxSQFWdJkSZo%2F Despite the controversy that seems to color all portrayals of U.S. trade with China, the bilateral relationship has held up remarkably well, to the benefit of both countries. But, as I explain in this hot-off-the-presses Free Trade Bulletin, things could go south quickly if President Obama grants the wish of the United Steelworkers union to impose import restrictions on Chinese-produced passenger tires. Under a special U.S. statute that applies only to China, the president can authorize import restrictions in cases where a domestic industry is found to be suffering from “market disruption” on account of increased imports from China. The U.S. International Trade Commission already rendered that conclusion in the tires case and recommended that the president impose duties of 55 p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788503 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:50:21 +0100 2788503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778388&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjerIjbKhW7M%2F Will the President raise taxes on new tires? President Obama will need to decide any day now whether to impose tariffs on lower-end automobile tires imported from China. As my colleague Dan Ikenson has ably argued, the decision will tell us much about whether the president believes trade policy should serve the general interest of all Americans, or whether it is simply a political tool to satisfy key constituencies. Neglected in the news coverage of the pending decision is the impact it could have on consumers. The imported tires targeted by this Section 421 case are of the cheaper variety, the kind that low-income Americans would buy to keep their cars on the road during a recession. If the president decides to impose tariffs, his union supporters will cheer, but “working families’ wi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778388 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:15:35 +0100 2778388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778393&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6j5nOdypIY8%2F Reports the Washington Post: The federal government is unlikely to recoup all of the billions of dollars that it has invested in General Motors and Chrysler, according to a new congressional oversight report assessing the automakers’ rescue. The report said that a $5.4 billion portion of the $10.5 billion owed by Chrysler is “highly unlikely” to be repaid, while full recovery of the $50 billion sunk into GM would require the company’s stock to reach unprecedented heights. “Although taxpayers may recover some portion of their investment in Chrysler and GM, it is unlikely they will recover the entire amount,” according to the report, which is scheduled to be released Wednesday. Well, it’s only money.  And with the taxpayers facing more than $100 tri... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778393 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:45:03 +0100 2778393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630047&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIBK96jTDjOc%2F The First Amendment guarantees our freedom to petition the government, which is one of the reasons why the statists who wants to restrict or even ban lobbying hopefully will not succeed. But that does not mean all lobbying is created equal. If a bunch of small business owners get together to lobby against higher taxes, that is a noble endeavor. If the same group of people get together and lobby for special handouts, by contrast, they are being despicable. And if they get a bailout from the government and use that money to mooch for more handouts, they deserve a reserved seat in a very hot place. This is not just a hypothetical exercise. The Hill reports on the combined $20 million lobbying budget of some of the companies that stuck their snouts in the public trough: Auto companies and eigh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630047 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:37:15 +0100 2630047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605947&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcgC1HzVkYvo%2F The logic in Washington is ineluctable.  If government provides money, then it needs to impose regulations.  If the government takes ownership, then it must provide management. Bail out the banks.  Set bankers’ salaries.  Bail out the insurers.  Decide on corporate bonuses. And if the government takes over the automakers, then it should run the automakers.  That, of course, means deciding who can be dealers.  Reports the Washington Post: Now that the Obama administration has spent billions of dollars on the bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, Congress is considering making its first major management decision at the automakers. Under legislation that has rapidly gained support, GM and Chrysler would have to reinstate more than 2,000 dealerships that the companies had sl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605947 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:03:27 +0100 2605947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588180&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1T4tUy8qlJY%2F Time and again my colleagues and I have warned that the government’s takeover of GM would divorce business decisions from economics and wed them to politics ‘til death do they part. But I won’t gloat. Better to be right and satisfied that government is reasonably restrained than right and house hunting in Galt’s Gulch. We’ve already seen the president insist on the firing of a CEO, design and negotiate a bankruptcy plan devoid of much economic merit, impose preferences about which models to produce, and assure the diabolical, undeserving management of the UAW that GM won’t import small cars from its foreign plants to make space for its U.S.-produced budget-busting green vessels. Now Congress is attempting to legislate its way into the boardroom. Last month, GM/Obama announced p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588180 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:14:27 +0100 2588180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570384&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrGWIX7NUNs0%2F A news story from today in a slightly alternate universe: Jobless Rate at 26-Year High Employers kept slashing jobs at a furious pace in June as the unemployment rate edged ever closer to double-digit levels, undermining signs of progress in the economy, and making clear that the job market remains in terrible shape. The number of jobs on employers’ payrolls fell by 467,000, the Labor Department said. That is many more jobs than were shed in May and far worse than the 350,000 job losses that economists were forecasting. Job losses peaked in January and had declined every month until June. The steep losses show that even as there are signs that total economic activity may level off or begin growing later this year, the nation’s employers are still pulling back. White House pres... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570384 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:34:21 +0100 2570384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556078&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0v7Ww26fJhU%2F As my colleague Doug Bandow pointed out this morning, today’s Washington Post has an analysis about the uncertain prospects of GM ever making taxpayers whole again. It is a very similar analysis to the one I gave in this L.A. Times Dust-Up installment four weeks ago, although I find prospects unlikely, rather than just uncertain. If GM emerges from bankruptcy next month in accordance with the pre-packaged Obama plan (as expected), taxpayers will be on the hook for $50 billion. That $50 billion will buy taxpayers a 60 percent stake in the company, which according to the laws of mathematics means that GM has to be worth $83.33 billion for the taxpayers to get their equity back without making a dime in capital gains or interest.  In the L.A. Times, I asked: How and when will that ever ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556078 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:32:42 +0100 2556078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512402&cid=t_129293_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FAR_efJLZ-IU%2F Indian scientists are on their way to creating a different kind of transgenic fish. This fish, a popular variety of carp known as rohu, matures twice as fast and bears more eggs than the regular carp. Extensive tests need to be conducted on it before scientists can release it for production. Not needed, say the creators because it’s not the the usual kind of transgenic organism. Genetically modified plants or animals are known to have genomes bearing foreign genes. One such example is the GloFish, which has a set of genes from other organisms that have been combined to create a new set of genes that make the fish glow. Another example is the transgenic maize Bt corn, which has a bacterial gene inserted into its genome. Transgenic organisms like these need to be tested for bio-safety a... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512402 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:18:00 +0100 2512402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477535&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYn8JdhViL8Y%2F It has been a good run, but it appears government might finally bring America’s love affair with the car to an untimely end, says Cato Mencken Research Fellow P.J. O’Rourke. The author of the new book Driving Like Crazy, spoke at Cato last week about classic cars, government regulation, the takeover of GM and the forthcoming “Obamamobile.” (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477535 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:59:53 +0100 2477535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473188&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWj0KoQJ1i6c%2F Here’s an idea that should be killed in the crib: scanning automobiles for up-to-date insurance. Says Gizmodo (via ars technica and the Chicago Sun-Times): The system is anticipated to raise yearly earnings “well in excess” of $100 million (possibly even double that figure or more), with InsureNet taking a modest 30% for their services. Of course, all of this cash would be contingent on uninsured drivers actually paying their fines. There will be thousands more reasons like this put forward for mass public surveillance. The answer should almost always be no because of the accumulations of data about law-abiding citizens such programs would collect in government (and government-contractor) databases. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473188 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:19:27 +0100 2473188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473197&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbblJhOh0tG8%2F Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform questioned Ken Lewis about Bank of America’s purchase of Merrill Lynch and the subsequent injection of tens of billions of taxpayer funds into Bank of America. While much of the hearing focused on Lewis’ leadership of Bank of America, the hearing also touched upon the more important questions of government regulators pressuring BoA to purchase Merrill even after BoA realized that Merrill’s losses were greater than expected. One of the basic tenets of sound regulation, exercised in the public interest, is that regulators remain at “arm’s length” from the entities they regulate. As defined by Black’s Law Dictionary, “arm’s length” relates to “dealings between two parties who are not related or not ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473197 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:00:10 +0100 2473197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473204&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fj28OcieqtwE%2F Today Congressman Spencer Bachus, along with several of the Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee, offered a plan for reforming our financial system and ending future government bailouts of the financial sector At the heart of the financial crisis has been the Federal Reserve’s willingness to invoke its powers under Paragraph 13-3 of the Federal Reserve Act to bail out firms like Bear Stearns and AIG — all without a single vote from Congress or any form of public debate. Almost 10 months after the initial AIG bailout by the Fed, there is still no plan for resolving that firm, and no strategy for recovering the taxpayers investment. While some might pretend that the Fed puts no taxpayer funds at risk under the use its 13-3 powers, it is the American taxpayer who u... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473204 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:41:03 +0100 2473204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464092&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCVvwJhEwa5c%2F While the majority of Chrysler’s senior creditors sacrificed their fiduciary duties and caved into political pressure in accepting the Obama Administration’s pre-packaged bankruptcy of Chrysler, a small group of state pension funds in Indiana has challenged the Obama plan and is asking the Supreme Court to review said plan. As in the 1930s, the protection of contractual rights, one of the most basic pillars of a free society, along with the rule of law, is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. As discussed in today’s Washington Post, these pension funds believe their rights were infringed by the Administration’s placing of junior creditors in a preferred situation to senior creditors. It doesn’t take Ms. Manners to remind us that cutting in line, whether in traffic, at the g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464092 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:22:23 +0100 2464092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464095&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpjPfPUU8O18%2F Earlier today, Doug Bandow weighed in with some commentary on the problems that Buy American provisions are creating for both Canadian and American businesses. Let me reinforce his view that such rules are anachronistic and self-defeating with some thoughts from a forthcoming paper of mine about the incongruity between modern commercial reality and trade policies that have failed to keep pace. Even though President Obama implored, “If you are considering buying a car, I hope it will be an American car,” it is nearly impossible to determine objectively what makes an American car. The auto industry provides a famous example, but is really just one of many that transcends national boundaries and renders obsolete the notion of international competition as a contest between “our” pro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464095 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:34:17 +0100 2464095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464101&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjNvnLCy3gRU%2F There are lots of reasons Washington should not bail out the automakers.  Whatever the justification for saving financial institutions — the “lifeblood” of the economy, etc., etc. — saving selected industrial enterprises is lemon socialism at its worst.  The idea that the federal government will be able to engineer an economic turnaround is, well, the sort of economic fantasy that unfortunately dominates Capitol Hill these days. One obvious problem is that legislators now have a great excuse to micromanage the automakers.  And they have already started.  After all, if the taxpayers are providing subsidies, don’t they deserve to have dealerships, lots of dealerships, just down the street?  That’s what our Congresscritters seem to think. Observes St... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464101 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:04:51 +0100 2464101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458040&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUEOvs9puy04%2F Obama Speaks to the Muslim World In Cairo on Thursday, President Obama asked for a “new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world,” and spoke at some length on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Cato scholar Christopher Preble comments, “At times, it sounded like a state of the union address, with a litany of promises intended to appeal to particular interest groups. …That said, I thought the president hit the essential points without overpromising.” Preble goes on to say: He did not ignore that which divides the United States from the world at large, and many Muslims in particular, nor was he afraid to address squarely the lies and distortions — including the implication that 9/11 never happened, or was not... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458040 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:44:16 +0100 2458040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2458375&cid=t_129293_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FRdUHmqA3XeA%2F My heart breaks when I see photos of children suffering from genetic disorders, such as the nine babies from this story. But this story also lauds to the use of genetically modified organisms for producing drugs for treatment. Recently, scientists discovered a new genetic disorder in nine newborn to 2-week old babies. The infants had swollen bone tissues, bone pain and deformity, and rashes that can range in size from small fluid-filled blisters or pustules to blisters that covered the whole body. The researchers immediately realized they were looking at an unrecognized auto-inflammatory syndrome, where recurring episodes of inflammation occur without any pathogens or immune cells triggering the reaction. All nine babies had mutations of IL1RN, a gene involved in the immune response whic... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2458375 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:34:11 +0100 2458375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452389&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFJQ8Fkf3NDQ%2F GM’s restructuring under Chapter 11 includes plans to sell off the Hummer, Saab, and Saturn brands. Well, just one day after GM’s bankruptcy filing, a Chinese firm has come forward with a $500 million offer to purchase Hummer. The prospective buyer is Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co Ltd, a manufacturing company in western China, which hopes to become an automaker. Not only is the Hummer offer the first bid for a GM asset in bankruptcy, but the bidder is foreign. Not only is the bidder foreign, but Chinese. And not only is the bidder Chinese, but the Hummer was first developed by the U.S. military. Thus, this is certain to be characterized as a national security matter, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will have to review the proposal.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452389 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:23:14 +0100 2452389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447456&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjWdgEibyRF8%2F It’s not as if we didn’t know this was going to happen to GM for a long time now. GM’s bankruptcy announcement today is perhaps the least shocking news we’ve heard about the company in more than seven months. It might well be remembered as the company’s last act of capitalism. If GM emerges from bankruptcy organized and governed by the plan created by the Obama administration, it is impossible to see how free markets will have anything to do with the U.S. auto industry. With taxpayers on the hook for $50 billion (at a minimum), the administration will do whatever it has to — including tilting the playing field with policies that induce consumers to buy GM or hamstring GM’s competition or subsidize its costs — in order for GM to succeed. Thus, what’s going to happe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447456 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:24:19 +0100 2447456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424022&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJfYN8jH9l5A%2F If you like driving a big car or SUV, the good news about Obama’s new fuel-economy standards is that they won’t dictate what kind of car you will be able to buy in the future. If you want to buy a 15-mpg SUV, Detroit (or Aichi or Wolfsburg) will be free to make and sell you one. The bad news is that the standards may make your car more expensive. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are actually calculated as the mean of gallons per mile, not miles per gallon. So, as of 2016, for every 15-mpg model made by an auto maker, that company will have to make five models of cars that can go 50 mpg in order for its fleet to meet Obama’s new target. Since bringing each new model to market can cost billions of dollars, if there are not enough people who want to buy those ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424022 Wed, 20 May 2009 13:04:12 +0100 2424022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424039&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzrXkWFEfTOw%2F The Obama Administration has announced new fuel-economy regulations and emissions rules that will boost the cost of new car by at least $1300. This is probably another nail in the coffin of the American automobile industry, but Jerry Taylor is the guy to provide thoughtful analysis. When I read about the new White House scheme, the first thing that came to my mind was this extremely clever video (yes, I am envious that my videos are not this creative) about the type of car we will all be driving if politicians continue to run amok: (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424039 Tue, 19 May 2009 14:14:24 +0100 2424039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414744&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOLJvSspHGGA%2F Bloomberg reports: General Motors Corp., facing a probable bankruptcy filing by June 1, is telling 1,100 “underperforming” U.S. dealers they will be terminated as the automaker starts shrinking its retail network. Most of the closings will occur by October 2010, and none are happening now, Detroit-based GM said today. The targeted outlets will have until the end of the month to appeal the decisions, GM said, without specifying the stores on the list. The shutdowns are the biggest U.S. automaker’s first step toward paring domestic dealers to a range of 3,600 to 4,000 from 5,969 by the end of 2010. To be sure, it is a very sad day for thousands of workers and businesses around the country.  But we’re in the midst of a deep recession, which may be nowhere deeper than in the auto ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414744 Fri, 15 May 2009 21:08:20 +0100 2414744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405031&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb_V7olWczVQ%2F With the Obama administration preferring to rely on politics rather than the law to “fix” the auto industry, bondholders have discovered that the new politics of this administration is quite a bit more brutal than the old politics practiced by the Bush administration. Henry Payne and Richard Burr write of “gangster government” using not just demagogic public attacks on greedy bondholders but apparent threats of regulatory sanction to get its way in bankruptcy court.  They explain: The holdout debtholders sought the refuge of the courts, where decades of bankruptcy law promised that secured lenders would receive just compensation for their investment. But then Obama called in his fixers. In his April 30 news conference, Obama singled out Chrysler’s self-desc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405031 Thu, 14 May 2009 13:00:19 +0100 2405031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2364919&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FL0F5H6IbfSc%2F New Republic editor John Judis has a couple of insights about the Obama administration’s economic and social goals. He points out that, for more than a century, Progressive and free-market forces have gone through cycles of “reform and reaction.” The Progressives — who my friend John Baden calls the “American counterrevolutionaries” — have repeatedly sought to increase the size and scope of government: railroad regulation, public land agencies, and the income tax in the 1900s; Social Security, low-interest home loans, and government ownership of power plants in the 1930s; Medicare, the war on poverty, and environmental laws in the 1960s. In between, friends of free markets tried to roll back those reforms, but were never completely successful. Thus, each... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2364919 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:19:22 +0100 2364919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347774&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3QRyYqc9nh4%2F At the New York Times Economix blog, economist Nancy Folbre of the University of Massachusetts writes: The libertarian Cato Institute often emphasizes the issue of corporate welfare, but it’s remained remarkably quiet so far on the topic of bailouts. Excuse me? Since she linked to one of our papers on corporate welfare, we assume she’s visited our site. How, then, could she get such an impression? Cato scholars have been deploring bailouts since last September. (Actually, since the Chrysler bailout of 1979, but we’ll skip forward to the recent avalanche of Bush-Obama bailouts.) Just recently, for instance, in — ahem — the New York Times, senior fellow William Poole implored, “Stop the Bailouts.” I wonder if our commentaries started with my blog post &#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347774 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:53:14 +0100 2347774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2325066&cid=t_129293_134_f&fid=36985&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fsugarstats%2F%7E3%2FScKnCmJ9eHM%2F Entry event tagging really helps keep things in context when inputting your stats. When you tag entries it helps then aggregate trends and stats for that tag over time. You can then find out trends such as what your average blood sugar was before and after breakfast for example. In order to encourage entry [...] (Source: SugarStats.com - Simple, Online Blood Sugar Tracking for Diabetes Management) SugarStats.com - Simple, Online Blood Sugar Tracking for Diabetes Management blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2325066 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:02:11 +0100 2325066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306729&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F24LVmhFGt18%2F G-20 Summit Agrees to International Spending Plan The Washington Post reports, “Leaders from more than 20 major nations including the United States decided Thursday to make available an additional $1 trillion for the world economy through the International Monetary Fund and other institutions as part of a broad package of measures to overcome the global financial crisis.” Cato scholars Richard W. Rahn, Daniel J. Ikenson and Ian Vásquez commented on the London-based meeting: Rahn: “President Obama of the U.S. and Prime Minister Brown of the U.K. will be pressing for more so-called stimulus spending by other nations, despite the fact that the historical evidence shows that big increases in government spending are more likely to be damaging and slow down recovery than they ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306729 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:32:27 +0100 2306729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2243054&cid=t_129293_113_f&fid=38130&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tempdev.net%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D634 Now that the industry keyword has changed from EMR to EHR, cube dwellers across the country are groaning ever time MS Word auto-corrects EHR to HER. Its pretty easily to end this once and for all. The next time Word auto-correct, quickly hover over HER and select the lightening bolt. From there, you can select “Stop Automatically Correcting ‘EHR’”. Viola! Note: This is for Word 2007. For other versions, your mileage may vary. (Source: Implementing EMRs) Implementing EMRs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2243054 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:14:00 +0100 2243054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195450&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F542652552%2F Earlier this week, the Congress and President Obama authorized a $787 billion borrow-and-spend plan to create “or preserve” 3.5 million American jobs. So, could there be a better time than now for GM and Chrysler to announce they will need billions more taxpayer dollars to avoid having to let go hundreds of thousand of workers? How likely is Washington to cut off the auto producers at this particular juncture? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that GM and Chrysler are asking for a lot more money because, well, the warnings were issued. In fact, Bush’s decision to defy Congress and provide “loans” to GM ($9.4 billion) and Chrysler ($4 billion) back in December wasn’t even intended as a cure all. It was designed to buy time for the producers to come up with detail... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195450 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:32:26 +0100 2195450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074312&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FyeA4IRz_xOw%2F Saw those 4 letters on the license plate of an older SUV while driving around Berkeley on Tuesday—–no kidding! Tags: adhd, asperger syndrome, autism, auto, berkeley, California, car, Health, license plate, pdd-nos, SUV, vanity plateShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074312 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:42:53 +0100 2074312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1829119&cid=t_129293_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F09%2F25%2Fdiscriminating-against-people-with-mental-illness%2F You’d think that as people become more and more educated about the complex biological, social and psychological factors that go to make up mental illness, people would become more understanding and less stigmatizing. As we are on the cusp of having a nationwide ban from discriminating in mental healthcare reimbursements, you’d think government and ordinary people are getting the message. Well, you would be wrong. First, we learn from the Mental Health Blog that Nova Scotia almost began discriminating against drivers renewing their driver’s license because of a mental disorder. Their new renewal form initially had a question regarding one’s prior history of mental disorder diagnoses, as though there were any research to show that people with a mental illness someh... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1829119 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:21:42 +0100 1829119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711780&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FibOiCSSRncs%2F We tried a new Mexican restaurant Saturday night. Charlie was initially game to try the rice and beans and licked up some guacamole, then put his hands over his ears (classic rock soundtrack playing) and moaned. I finished up my burrito and took him back to the black car, which is so much a comforting space. He was hunched over, but calmed. Charlie loves to be in motion (hence, his love of the ocean’s waves) and so we’re often at home in the road, in the car. Maybe we’re not exactly living out of a motor home, but sometimes the black car (often with Charlie’s backpack and my overstuffed bag) feels the equivalent. Small wonder, then, that getting home (with the beach house a surrogate for our actual home; we’ve one more week here) feels like we’ve won som... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711780 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:09:26 +0100 1711780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1560933&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F324169375%2F A 3-year-old girl who has a “form of autism” was treated at a hospital and released after jumping out of her mother’s moving car. KY3 reports that: The mother called 911 to report the girl jumped out of the moving car near the intersection of Farm Road 171 at Farm Road 66, south of Highway KK near Fellow Lake Recreational Area. The child showed up six-tenths of a mile away from where the mother parked her car. Cleo Link heard a scratching at his door at 6986 N. Farm Road 171 and opened it to find the girl about 7:30 a.m. An ambulance took the girl to a hospital. Corcoran says the mother has a proper child seat in the car. He doesn’t expect her to be cited or charged. Yet another argument for child safety locks in the backseat, and on the windows. Tags: asd, asperger, au... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1560933 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:38:58 +0100 1560933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1450245&cid=t_129293_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F17%2Fthe-link-between-video-games-and-violence%2F I have long been skeptical of the direct causation link some professionals pronounce exists between increased violence and playing violent video games (or video games with violence in them). If something smells like a scapegoat, it usually is (think of the Internet in “Internet addiction”). So it wasn’t surprising for me to read that more and more researchers are questioning these links, and suggesting that while there may be a link, it is a complex and nuanced one. It’s not one that easily fits into a 30-second sound bite. I highly recommend the recently published, Grand Theft Childhood (by psychologist Lawrence Kutner and sociologist Cheryl K. Olson) for anyone who wants to understand this link more in-depth. Some of the book’s findings (as related in a Ps... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1450245 Sat, 17 May 2008 18:03:11 +0100 1450245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150707&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F216895740%2F It was just a car. The car was bought at a Subaru dealership in White Bear Lake outside of the Twin Cities in Minnesota in June of 1999. We chose green, same as the Saturn we had driven up from St. Louis, Missouri, the summer before, and said no to heated seats. Charlie was diagnosed with autism in July of 1999. He had just turned two years old on May 15th. It was 90 degrees plus the day we got the report from the Child Development Center of the Children’s Hospital of Minnesota. We lived in a second-floor duplex off Grand Avenue in St. Paul with one air-conditioning unit in Jim’s and my bedroom. The carpet was hot when I woke; my books were hot; the plastic cups that Charlie stacked and knocked down, and stacked and knocked down, and stacked and knocked down over and over... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150707 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:55:02 +0100 1150707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1067758&cid=t_129293_146_f&fid=34960&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepdoctor.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fmore-on-portable-home-testing-and-auto.html In response to a reader who emailed regarding my predictions of cpap vs. auto-cpap useage:I don't think that APAP will entirely replace CPAP, but its marketshare will increase somewhat. This will be good for Respironics/RESmed, and bad for the durable medical equipment companies (DME's are reimbursed the same for cpap/auto-cpap machines and therefore there is a higher profit margin on the regular cpap machines for the DME companies). APAP will be prescribed in certain rural areas of the country by some primary care docs. After diagnosing a patient with portable home testing, they will tend to prescribe an auto-cpap machine rather than refer their patients to a sleep lab for a cpap titration. This will have little economic effect on the primary care doc, they will do this to maintain contro... sleepdoctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1067758 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:35:00 +0100 1067758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894230&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F160550382%2F On our way home from a September swim in the ocean, we stopped at a rest stop on the Garden State Parkway to refuel (and re-soda). As Jim paid the cashier and Charlie checked out the chip selection just in case he could get something else (on top of a burger and fries meal heavy-on-the-ketchup and with a side of rice from his dad’s plate), I looked at a local paper and the words “bus-driver concerns shouted out to me in a front-page article in the Home News Tribune. I only had time to read the first two paragraphs: In one case, a 4-year-old student at Franklin Park Elementary School was left stranded on a school bus last Friday for five hours because the now-fired driver failed to sweep the vehicle to make sure no children remained. In another, a substitute bus driver resigned ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894230 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:43:39 +0100 894230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=713195&cid=t_129293_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F130237611%2F While I was sitting here in New Jersey (not near Northvale, but just up the hill from the New Jersey State Auto Auction on Sip Avenue off of Route 1 & 9, just past the steel-grid shadows of the Pulaski Skyway, the long horizontal line on this Flash Earth map), my fine friend McEwen was away in her native land on the other side of the Atlantic and I eagerly await many a blogpost about the adventures that did ensue. In the meantime, she has given me an assignment—nay, a “mission”—-”to summarize blogs and news items for the last 20 days!” Such a Herculean task—-”all the news in the autism world for the last 20 days, summarized!”—-I am not sure I can do adequate justice to, but I will try, or rather I will anthologize, anthology ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=713195 Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:03:44 +0100 713195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=637955&cid=t_129293_118_f&fid=34852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joepaduda.com%2Farchives%2F000894.html If only it were that easy. I'm talking about the legislation proposed in Michigan to allow motorcyclists to ride without helmets. If they are dumb enough to do that, fine. Except we end up paying their health care bills, which... (Source: Managed Care Matters) Managed Care Matters blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=637955 Thu, 24 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 637955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478738&cid=t_129293_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F17%2Fa-clue-to-the-rise-in-type-1-diabetes%2F Filed under: Type 1, Childhood, Lifestyle, Research, Daily News, OpinionThousands of pre-school age children are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as new figures show a dramatic rise over the past 20 years. Between 1985 and 2004, the study conducted by Bristol University, has seen an increase in cases of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of 5 five times the previous average. Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease in which the body fails to produce insulin or makes only a little. One of the theories leading to the rise in type 1 diabetes is due to infants being exposed to exorbitantly clean households. The researchers found that incidence in all children under 15 had doubled. But the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children under the age of five went from .2 cases per 1,000 to... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478738 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 478738