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 'deficit'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:04:54 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181768&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0FaWo2NWsUM%2F By Sallie JamesLast week I blogged about Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) proposal to devote $20 billion of the Export-Import Bank’s funds to promoting manufacturing exports, and why that was a bad idea. But I realize that my recent call to “X Out the Ex-Im Bank” will be facing some very entrenched interests in Washington, and some well-funded lobby groups. The Bank has historically attracted bipartisan support, and a renewal of its charter sailed through the House Committee on Financial Services earlier this year. The Washington establishment loves this program. My friend and long-time Ex-Im Bank supporter Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics published a critique a few weeks ago of my analysis, and calls for a doubling of Ex-Im’s authorization cap (f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181768 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:03:53 +0100 5181768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158943&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkYybUa_rHFo%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe Congressional Budget Office has just released the update to its Economic and Budget Outlook. There are several things from this new report that probably deserve commentary, including a new estimate that unemployment will “remain above 8 percent until 2014.” This certainly doesn’t reflect well on the Obama White House, which claimed that flushing $800 billion down the Washington rathole would prevent the joblessness rate from ever climbing above 8 percent. Not that I have any faith in CBO estimates. After all, those bureaucrats still embrace Keynesian economics. But this post is not about the backwards economics at CBO. Instead, I want to look at the new budget forecast and see what degree of fiscal discipline is necessary to get rid of red ink. Th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158943 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:34:41 +0100 5158943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158949&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-rwtMJquWYA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellJust last week, I made fun of Paul Krugman after he publicly said that a fake threat from invading aliens would be good for the economy since the earth would waste a bunch of money on pointless defense outlays. Yesterday, there were rumors that Krugman stated that it would have been stimulative if the earthquake had been stronger and done more damage, but he exposed this as a prank (though it is understandable that many people — including me, I’m embarrassed to admit — initially assumed it was true since he did write that the 9-11 terrorist attacks boosted growth).  But while Krugman is owed an apology by whoever pulled that stunt, the real problem is that President Obama and his advisers actually take Keynesian alchemy seriously. And since Presid... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158949 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:44:30 +0100 5158949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159208&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2F11-tips-for-succeeding-in-college-when-you-have-adhd%2F College is a big transition for any student. But when you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there are added challenges to consider. These obstacles concern everything from studying to managing your time to spending impulsively to planning your future post-college. But by being aware of these potential problems and being proactive, students with ADHD can accomplish great things in school. Here’s how, according to Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D, a national certified counselor and licensed mental health counselor and author of Making the Grade with ADD: A Student’s Guide to Succeeding in College with Attention Deficit Disorder. 1. Apply for accommodations. Accommodations are “specific adaptations, including extended time on tests and an assigned note taker, that give yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159208 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:13 +0100 5159208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140046&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-medication%2Fhow-to-handle-adhd-consideration-deficit-disorder-with-pure-solutions.php Tons of mother and father have discovered that making use of diet plan for consideration deficit disorder gives a risk-free and successful option to risky prescription medicines. The quantity of focus deficit problem treatment options obtainable today can be mind-boggling. Regrettably because of diligence no longer signifies just asking the health practitioner what you ought to do. They are often the first to leap on the prescription drug bandwagon. This stays so even even though the risks of ADHD medicines significantly outweigh any probable benefit to a boy or girl in individual, with ADHD. It is the parents’ judgement when it comes to attention deficit condition cure of their boy or girl. Having this large responsibility can bring about a lot of anxiety, not only physically, emoti... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140046 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5140046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139695&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOehssZVSty8%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Washington Post’s editorial board issued a challenge to the president and his Republican opponents: “show us your plans” for deficit reduction. In fact, the Post says it would be “delighted” to receive plans from its readers. However, the Post isn’t interested in “meaningless promises” to cut “waste, fraud, and abuse”—it wants specifics: Here’s what we’re not looking for: pablum about eliminating unnecessary spending without identifying where. Gauzy rhetoric about making hard choices without making them. Meaningless promises about eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Broad assertions about where to find the money — “Medicare savings,” “tax reform” — without specifics. Arbitrary spending caps without accompanying details about how those... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139695 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:16:31 +0100 5139695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107598&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F09%2Fadhd-and-marriage-boundaries-can-help-rebuild-your-relationship%2F In marriages where one spouse has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (or both do), there are often many challenges. One of them is overstepping each other’s boundaries. For instance, a partner with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might assume without asking their partner that they’ll just take over all the household responsibilities, including chores and finances, or they might refuse to treat their symptoms and give the ultimatum to “take it or leave it.” A non-ADHD spouse might take over all the responsibilities because they think their partner is incompetent or they might try to change them altogether. In her book, The ADHD Effect on Marriage: Understand and Rebuild Your Relationship in Six Steps, marriage consultant Melissa Orlov (who I recently interviewe... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107598 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:45:34 +0100 5107598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107490&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsIIy7QIG65A%2F By Daniel J. MitchellPresident Obama just spoke about the downgrade and his remarks were very disappointing. He uttered some empty platitudes, offered no plan, (amazingly) called for more government spending, and continued his advocacy of class-warfare taxation. So what does this mean? Other than expecting volatility, I have no idea what will happen in financial markets over the next few days. But I can opine about the downgrade, Obama’s unserious response, and what it means in terms of public policy over the next few years and into the future. Notwithstanding the President’s cavalier attitude, America is in trouble. But while the crisis is severe, we have some breathing room. Our fiscal crisis is akin to a very dangerous, but slow-developing cancer. It is not a car wreck with ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107490 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:59:48 +0100 5107490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096172&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtZIi4Y441gQ%2F By Chris EdwardsThe Washington Post reports that spending cuts in the budget deal threaten to slow the economy. The article quotes a number of economists who seem to harbor a rather extreme Keynesian bias in their thinking. The deal would cut discretionary spending by just $21 billion in 2012, or just 0.6 percent of total federal spending that year. And that’s after federal spending has risen 22 percent since 2008 ($2.98 trillion in 2008 to about $3.63 trillion this year). Even if you believe that government spending helps the economy, it seems rather bizarre to claim that a 0.6 percent retrenchment after a 22 percent increase would hurt. The other thing to note about these spending-cut worries is that, for Keynesians, it is the total amount of deficit spending that is the amount of econ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096172 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 21:01:31 +0100 5096172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086142&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fvob1l9ZUg34%2F By Christopher PrebleThe budget deal announced last night offers two sets of potential cuts in military spending. The first set of potential cuts, created by the budget caps, target “security” spending. That includes the Pentagon, State, foreign aid, the Department of Homeland Security and Veterans (the discretionary portion of Veterans spending, to be precise). The deal caps “security” spending at $684 billion for this fiscal year and $686 for the next. That requires little pain; the 2012 security cap is only $5 billion below what we’ll spend on those categories in fiscal 2011. The White House claims that the caps will generate $350 billion in savings from base defense spending for ten years. They get there, dubiously, by projecting security spending at the capped le... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086142 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:15:34 +0100 5086142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086148&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHxN0VDfJsuQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellPoliticians last night announced the framework of a deal to increase the debt limit. In addition to authorizing about $900 billion more red ink right away, it would require immediate budget cuts of more than $900 billion, though “immediate” means over 10 years and “budget cuts” means spending still goes up (but not as fast as previously planned). But that’s the relatively uncontroversial part. The fighting we’re seeing today revolves around a “super-committee” that’s been created to find $1.5 trillion of additional “deficit reduction” over the next 10 years (based on Washington math, of course). And much of the squabbling deals with whether the super-committee is a vehicle for higher taxes. As with all k... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086148 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:27:49 +0100 5086148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069441&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-ptqhNzL54Q%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI testified before the House Ways & Means Committee yesterday. As always, my trip inside the belly of the beast was an interesting adventure. The tax-writing committee was holding a hearing on the value-added tax. I was on a panel with five other witnesses, and all of the other people testifying were sympathetic to a VAT. But since I had truth on my side, that made it a fair fight (though it did cross my mind that it’s not a good sign when a Republican-controlled committee stacks the witnesses in favor of a European-style tax system). I made two points. First, a VAT is less destructive than the current income tax. As such, if we somehow repealed the 16th Amendment and replaced it with something ironclad that would prevent the income tax from ever again haunti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069441 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:35:13 +0100 5069441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050527&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXbSAktKmgNA%2F My colleague Dan Mitchell discussed the good, the bad, and the ugly in the deficit reduction plan released by the bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of Six.”  As Dan noted, the plan is more of an outline and a complete assessment isn’t possible until more details emerge. However, the fact that President Obama immediately embraced the plan ought to tell proponents of limited government all they need to know. Here are some random thoughts on the plan: There’s nothing impressive about the “immediate” $500 billion in deficit reduction. That figure includes revenue increases, so it’s not even $500 billion in spending cuts. And I’m not sure why they say “immediate” when they probably mean that the reductions would occur over the next several fiscal years. The d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050527 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:55:49 +0100 5050527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050583&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhy-doctors-should-participate-in-the-debt-ceiling-debate%2F2011.07.20 Joe Scarborough reminds us that the divisions in American government are hardly new, paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin’s observation that “When you assemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble . . . all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be expected?” (This comes from a September 17, 1787 speech by Mr. Franklin to urge ratification of the U.S. Constitution, read on his behalf because he was too ill to deliver it in person. The Constitution was ratified the same day.) I suppose we should be encouraged that Congress’s prejudices, passions, errors of opinion, local interests and selfish views are as American as apple pie,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050583 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0100 5050583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050535&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0FczLaTHxGI%2F At the Encyclopedia Britannica blog, I take on the argument made, for instance, by President Obama in his Friday news conference: We should not be asking sacrifices from middle-class folks who are working hard every day, from the most vulnerable in our society — we should not be asking them to make sacrifices if we’re not asking the most fortunate in our society to make some sacrifices as well. I call that a fundamentally flawed argument: The main thing our government does these days, despite the lack of any constitutional authority for it, is tax some people and transfer money to other people. …But there is no moral equivalence in the two sides of the transfer system. On the one hand, the government takes money by force from people who have earned it. On the other hand, it g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050535 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:59:23 +0100 5050535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050537&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtukJttLWUFI%2F The on-again, off-again “Gang of Six” has come back on the scene and is offering a “Bipartisan Plan to Reduce Our Nation’s Deficits.” The proposal is quite similar to the one put forth by the President’s Simpson-Bowles Commission, which isn’t too surprising since some of the same people are involved. At this stage, all I’ve seen is this summary (A BIPARTISAN PLAN TO REDUCE OUR NATIONS DEFICITS v7), so I reserve the right to modify my analysis as more details emerge (and since I fully expect the plan to look worse when additional information is available, the following is an optimistic assessment. The Good Unlike President Obama, the Gang of Six is not consumed by class-warfare resentment. The plan envisions that the top personal income tax rate will fall to no higher than ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050537 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:36:45 +0100 5050537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050952&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-books%2Fmore-attention-less-deficit-success-strategies-for-adults-with-adhd-2.php Price 19.95 Listprice $19.95 Description This is the only book on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) written in a structure that caters to the tendency for adults with ADHD to jump around. This essential guidebook begins by describing how the ADHD brain processes information and how that leads to typical challenges that people with ADHD experience, as well as why certain strategies are effective and others aren’t. This lays the foundation for everything that follows, from getting diagnosed to an overview of the research of how ADHD affects people’s lives. A thorough explanation of standard treatment options-including medication, therapy, and coaching-as well as alternative treatments, helps guide adults with ADHD to get the most from their he ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050952 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5050952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028148&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fz1Zx0QAvbHM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere are three reasons why I’m not very hopeful about the outcome of the debt-limit battle. 1. There is no unity in the GOP camp. Republicans have been all over the map during this fight. Some of them want a balanced budget amendment. Some want a one-for-one deal of $2 trillion of spending cuts in exchange for a $2 trillion increase in the debt limit. Others want some sort of spending cap, akin to Senator Corker’s CAP Act. Some want to mix all these ideas together in a cut-cap-balance package. Others want Obamacare repeal.  And the latest proposal is Sen. McConnell’s proposal to let Obama unilaterally raise the debt limit. These are mostly good ideas, but the failure to coalesce around one proposal – preferably one that is easy to understand – has made the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028148 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:00:25 +0100 5028148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008147&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFLm7kkThP6Y%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe President has issued an ultimatum that more tax revenue must be part of budget negotiations. Indeed, he endlessly repeats his desire for a “balanced approach,” implying that as much as 50 percent of the deficit reduction in any agreement should come from higher revenues. Because I am a thoughtful, middle-of-the-road, pragmatic guy, I’m willing to accept the President’s ultimatum. I do have one tiny request, however, and that is for any such deal to be based on honest math. What I mean by this is that I don’t want politicians to approve a budget that results in more spending, but then claim that they “cut spending” because the budget didn’t grow even faster. I want a spending cut to mean less spending (gee, what a novel idea). And when they talk abou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008147 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:57:21 +0100 5008147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008155&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZM20phiwWic%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m not a big fan of the rating agencies. I’ve warned in TV interviews that they generally wait too long before downgrading profligate governments. So when the rating agencies finally catch up to everyone else and lower their outlook for failing welfare states such as Greece and Portugal, one would think that this would be seen as a useful – albeit late – warning sign. But European politicians are not very happy about this development. At the risk of mixing metaphors, they want everyone to keep their heads buried in the sand and to continue complimenting the emperor on his new clothes. Here are some excerpts from a BBC report. The European Commission has strongly criticised international credit ratings agencies following the downgrade of Portugal by Moody�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008155 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:29:15 +0100 5008155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984422&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgrDzfzJqs_M%2F By Tad DeHavenCongressional Republicans have said that spending cuts must be at least as large as an increase in the debt ceiling. Negotiations over lifting the debt ceiling are ongoing, but the “magic number,” so-to-speak, would be around $2 trillion in spending cuts. Cutting $2 trillion in federal spending sounds like a lot, but it’s actually relatively small because the cuts would likely occur over ten years. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s most recent budget baseline, the federal government will spend almost $46 trillion over the next ten years. The following chart shows what $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next ten years looks like when measured against the CBO’s baseline. Even with the cuts, federal spending would still increase by $1.8 trillion: Rathe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984422 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:23:20 +0100 4984422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984500&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F29%2Fan-epidemic-of-bad-infographics-depression%2F In an effort to keep trying to get people’s attention in an increasingly attention-deficit world, we get a lot of inquiries for links to websites promoting education programs and other affiliate websites. The latest effort is focused around “infographics,” those graphics made popular by the USA Today newspaper that combines an interesting graphical element with hard data. A well done infographic ostensibly makes data more engaging. A fantastic infographic puts data into proper perspective and gives it valuable context. What these marketing firms send me, however, are not fantastic or even well-done. So in the interests of demonstrating that any infographic can be worse than no infographic, I’m going to critique one of the latest ones to have come across my desk. It&... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984500 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:34:42 +0100 4984500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975846&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FI7c-rTbplTw%2F By Chris EdwardsIn the Washington Post Friday, Ezra Klein partly confirmed what I fear the Republican strategy is for the debt-limit bill—get to the $2 trillion in cuts promised through accounting gimmicks. As I have also noted, Klein says that there is about $1 trillion in budget “savings” ($1.4 trillion with interest) to be found simply in the inflated Congressional Budget Office baseline for Iraq and Afghanistan. Klein says, “I’m told that a big chunk of these savings were included in the debt-ceiling deal” that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. Jon Kyl (D-AZ) are negotiating with the Democrats. Republican leaders have promised that spending cuts in the debt-limit deal must be at least as large as the debt-limit increase, which means $2 trillion if the debt-limit is extended ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975846 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:52:43 +0100 4975846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968579&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F24%2F9-myths-misconceptions-and-stereotypes-about-adhd%2F Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about four percent of U.S. adults (Kessler, Chiu, Demler & Walters, 2005). Still, many myths, stereotypes and downright fallacies abound — everything from questioning the very existence of ADHD to downplaying its seriousness. Below, we spoke with two experts who treat individuals with ADHD to set the record straight. 1. Myth: ADHD isn’t a real disorder. Fact: ADHD is a mental disorder with a strong biological component (like most mental disorders). This includes an inherited biological component, notes Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D, a national certified counselor and licensed mental health counselor and author of four books on adult ADD, including Adult ADD: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed. For instance, studies have identified sever... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968579 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:17:58 +0100 4968579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952987&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F20%2F4-ways-to-manage-oppositional-defiant-disorder-in-children%2F Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a childhood disorder that affects anywhere from 6 to 10 percent of children. It is characterized by a negative set of behaviors in a child directed toward the adults in their life, and can sometimes be mistaken for disorders that share some characteristics, such as conduct disorder and even attention deficit disorder. The diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder is given by mental health professionals to describe a set of behaviors a child is exhibiting that include: Often loses temper Argues with adults and authority figures Refuses to comply with adult requests Blames others for his mistakes Deliberately annoys people Is easily annoyed by others Is angry/resentful and spiteful/vindictive. Sound like a child you may know? If a child exhibits fou... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952987 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:12:36 +0100 4952987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883555&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKW1EQMnEyew%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWay back in February of 2010, I wrote that a Greek bailout would be a failure. Not surprisingly, the bureaucrats at the International Monetary Fund and the political elite from other European nations ignored my advice and gave tens of billions of dollars to Greece’s corrupt politicians. The bailout happened in part because politicians and international bureaucrats (when they’re not getting arrested for molesting hotel maids) have a compulsion to squander other people’s money. But it also should be noted that the Greek bailout was a way of indirectly bailing out the big European banks that recklessly lent money to a profligate government (as explained here). At the risk of sounding smug, let’s look at my four predictions from February 2010 and se... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883555 Tue, 31 May 2011 20:19:10 +0100 4883555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883556&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4gQD5uysK4k%2F By Tad DeHavenLast week, a motion to proceed on a budget resolution introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was decisively defeated in the Senate (7 in favor, 90 opposed). Paul’s proposal would have balanced the budget in five years (fiscal year 2016) through spending cuts and no tax increases. Social Security and Medicare would not have been altered. Instead, the proposal merely instructed relevant congressional committees to enact reforms that would achieve “solvency” over a 75-year window. That’s hardly radical. Paul’s proposed spending cuts were certainly bold by Washington’s standards, but they weren’t radical either. For example, military spending would have been cut, in part, by reducing the government’s bootprint abroad. From the Paul proposal: The ability to ut... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883556 Tue, 31 May 2011 19:14:12 +0100 4883556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841580&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fadhd-and-depression-common-bedfellows%2F Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression commonly occur together. According to Ari Tuckman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in ADHD and wrote the book More Attention, Less Deficit: Successful Strategies for Adults with ADHD: “ADHD makes people’s lives harder, so it makes sense that they have more to be depressed about. This is especially true because ADHD difficulties usually persist — it’s not like going through a bad break-up where things get better with time.” Because ADHD is lifelong, it “robs the person of optimism that things will ever improve, at least before a diagnosis is made and treatment started.” Below, Tuckman talks about both disorders, which is treated first and what readers can do. Depression Signs At f... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841580 Thu, 19 May 2011 15:35:03 +0100 4841580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828862&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIwlo5uy3QJk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere’s a lot of buzz about a Wall Street Journal interview with Stanley Druckenmiller, in which he argues that a temporary delay in making payments on U.S. government debt (which technically would be a default) would be a small price to pay if it resulted in the long-term spending reforms that are needed to save America from becoming another Greece. One of the world’s most successful money managers, the lanky, sandy-haired Mr. Druckenmiller is so concerned about the government’s ability to pay for its future obligations that he’s willing to accept a temporary delay in the interest payments he’s owed on his U.S. Treasury bonds—if the result is a Washington deal to restrain runaway entitlement costs. “I think technical default would... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828862 Mon, 16 May 2011 13:48:30 +0100 4828862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820811&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHTcYGvzkSP4%2F By Jagadeesh GokhaleThe just-released 2011 annual report of the Social Security Trustees shows a significant worsening of the program’s finances. Last year we were told that we would see payroll tax surpluses over benefit expenditures for a few more years — until 2015. That won’t happen according to the 2011 report; the program will now add to federal deficits in every future year — and increasingly so, which will ramp-up financial pressure to downsize other federal programs, increase taxes, or create yet more debt. Note that both Republicans and Democrats negotiating over how to reduce federal deficits and the national debt have resolved to leave Social Security untouched for now.  That leaves the program’s finances to fester and worsen — increasing the costs of f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820811 Fri, 13 May 2011 18:58:18 +0100 4820811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820813&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLKDab3HSOFg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI got a few cranky emails after my post suggesting the United States should copy the Baltic nations and implement genuine spending cuts. These emailers were upset that I favorably commented on the fiscal discipline of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia while failing to reveal that these nations were suffering from high unemployment. From the tone of this correspondence, my new friends obviously think this is a “gotcha” moment. The gist of their messages is that the economic downturn that hit the Baltic nations is proof that the free-market model has failed, and that I somehow was guilty of a cover-up. That’s certainly a strange interpretation, especially since I specifically noted that the three nations had suffered from an economic downturn. There’... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820813 Fri, 13 May 2011 18:10:47 +0100 4820813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813257&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDshkMs2NBsU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAll the talk of spending cuts in Washington is fictitious. Even the House Republican Study Committee budget allows spending to increase, on average, by 1.7 percent each year for the next decade. The Ryan budget, which critics deride for its “savage” cuts, allows spending to rise by an average of 2.8 percent each year. And Obama’s budget allows spending to climb, on average, by 4.7 percent each year—which is more than twice the projected rate of inflation. Too bad American policymakers can’t copy the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Like the United States, these nations got in fiscal trouble, thanks to the combination of excessive spending and an economic downturn triggered by falling real estate prices. But unlike the United S... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813257 Tue, 10 May 2011 21:24:46 +0100 4813257 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789224&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_T6uSP5kDhU%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAs I have explained elsewhere, tax increases are a bad idea – unless you favor bigger government. And I’ve already added my two cents to the tax debate between Senator Coburn and Grover Norquist regarding the desirability of higher taxes. So it won’t surprise anyone to know that I fully agree with this new video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, which offers seven reasons why higher taxes are a bad idea. The video is narrated by Piyali Bhattacharya of Young Americans for Liberty, and here are her seven reasons. Tax increases are not needed Tax increases encourage more spending Tax increases harm economic performance Tax increases foment social discord Tax increases almost never raise as much revenue as projected Tax increases encourage mor... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789224 Wed, 04 May 2011 13:58:53 +0100 4789224 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747599&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fhwji2Oqv4oo%2F By George Scoville “Sadly, in Egypt’s case, a freely elected civilian government may prove powerless in the face of the deeply entrenched and well-organized military.” “Washington politicians from both parties, and bureaucrats, have for decades successfully decreased our freedom and liberties as they have regulated more and more of our lives, including our retirement.” “The Ryan proposal correctly focuses on achieving debt reduction through spending cuts, but this very gradual debt reduction schedule is a weakness that could lead to its downfall.” “Nearly two years ago Sen. McCain, along with Senators Graham and Lieberman, was supping with Qaddafi in Tripoli, discussing the possibility of Washington providing military aid.” Cato media fello... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747599 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:03:50 +0100 4747599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742370&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDyUGDvchcKI%2F By Daniel J. MitchellUnder current law, Social Security is supposed to be an “earned benefit,” where taxes are akin to insurance premiums that finance retirement benefits for workers. And because there is a cap on retirement benefits, this means there also is a “wage-base cap” on the amount of income that is hit by the payroll tax. For 2011, the maximum annual retirement benefit is about $28,400 and the maximum amount of income subject to the payroll tax is about $107,000. It appears that President Obama wants to radically change this system so that it is based on a class-warfare model. During the 2008 campaign, for instance, then-Senator Obama suggested that the program’s giant long-run deficit could be addressed by busting the wage-base cap and imposing the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742370 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:43:46 +0100 4742370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734048&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEm4sS4pU8fY%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, speaking at Facebook headquarters, President Obama assessed the guts of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and other congressional Republicans and concluded that their deficit reduction plan isn’t “particularly courageous.” That might be accurate – their plan lacks specificity and could target a lot more for elimination — but it’s pretty rich for the President to throw out such a conclusion. After all, his whole strategy appears to be the bankruptingly lame-but-safe crying of doom for cute kids and other supposedly defenseless people no matter what the size of the proposed cut to a social program or how ineffective the program has been. That, and the constant lamentation that “the rich” – a small and th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734048 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:29:35 +0100 4734048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734049&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtbMh_wWOXwA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAmerica is in fiscal peril in the short run because of a 10-year spending binge by Bush and Obama and in the long run because of a toxic combination of entitlement programs and demographics. Congressman Paul Ryan has introduced a budget plan to address America’s fiscal crisis, but Senator Reid and President Obama have summarily rejected his proposal, so it appears the United States will continue to drift in the wrong direction. Something is needed to compel action. One might think that such an impetus would have been provided by the recent decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the fiscal outlook for the United States. But this development hasn’t affected the spending culture in Washington. But there is hope. Senator Corker has legislation tha... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734049 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 12:51:29 +0100 4734049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723786&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNFg2b0upjHA%2F By Walter OlsonAs Iain Murray points out at National Review‘s “Corner,” there’s no date on the calendar each year that reminds us, the way income tax filing day does, of the huge share of our economic labors that the government commands in the name of regulation. In part this is because the costs of regulation are even better disguised than those of taxation: while paycheck withholding may lull us into complacency about our income tax burden, it is downright transparent compared with the costs of regulation, which the ordinary citizen may never recognize when passed along in the form of higher utility bills or sluggish performance by some sector of the economy. Iain notes the good work done by his colleagues at the Competitive Enterprise Institute: Regulations cost... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723786 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:19:45 +0100 4723786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719883&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F34bI-IHWah4%2F By Daniel J. MitchellBy taking advantage of  “must-pass” pieces of legislation, Republicans have three chances this year to restrain the burden of government.  They didn’t do very well with the “CR fight” over appropriated spending for the rest of FY2011, which was their first opportunity. I was hoping for an extra-base hit off the fence, but the GOP was afraid of a government shutdown and negotiated from a position of weakness. As such, the best interpretation is that they eked out an infield single. The next chance to impose fiscal discipline will be the debt limit. Currently, the federal government “only” has the authority to borrow $14.3 trillion (including bookkeeping entries such as the IOUs in the Social Security Trust Fund). This is a ver... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719883 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:57:04 +0100 4719883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714896&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Funcovering-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-or-adhd.php In today’s world, the mass media is one of the most powerful sources of information. These have enabled people access and research any subject within a few seconds. One of the most researched subjects is medicine and diseases which are lesser known of. Thus diseases like the ADHD are one of the most researched and looked up. ADHD is a disease which mainly affect and is a neurological disorder. What is ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a disease which affects people, mainly children, with respect to aspects like impulsivity, hyperactivity, inattentivity and boredom. However there is a controversy surrounding ADHD which states that ADHD cannot be diagnosed and that there are no proper and well defined medical tests to diagnose ADHD. ADHD can also be defined as ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714896 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4714896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709193&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWnFchbuPUyw%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIn his speech this afternoon, President Obama is expected to call for, among other things,  an increase in taxes on investors, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and other “rich” people who make over $250,000 a year.  The goal, the President claims, is to reduce deficits. America has a spending problem, not a revenue problem, as the Congressional Budget Office chart below shows. The federal budget has ballooned nearly $2 trillion in the past 10 years and that increased burden of spending is undermining growth. And if left on autopilot, the spending crisis will get worse in coming decades. Rather than trying to keep up with that growing burden of government — an impossible task —  by raising taxes, our leaders should be looking at ways to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709193 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:19:10 +0100 4709193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704717&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F11%2F8-tips-to-tell-your-child-they-have-adhd%2F Regardless of your child’s age, it can be hard to tell them that they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Fortunately, today, people are more familiar with ADHD. “The good news at this point in time is that ADHD is pretty well known and many kids (or at least teens) know someone or have a friend who they know has ADHD,” according to Ari Tuckman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in ADHD and author of More Attention, Less Deficit: Successful Strategies for Adults with ADHD. Below are some ideas to help you talk to your child. 1. Come to terms with the diagnosis yourself. If you haven’t accepted the diagnosis, it’ll be much harder to talk to your child. According to psychologist Carol Brady, Ph.D, on ADDitude magazine, the best time to talk to you... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704717 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:44:49 +0100 4704717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696611&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIEBJ9rrQycA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThere were reports about 10 days ago that the crowd in Washington reached a budget deal, for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year, with $33 billion of cuts. That number was disappointingly low. I wrote at the time that if this was a kiss-your-sister deal, we didn’t have any siblings that looked like Claudia Schiffer. I knew it was unrealistic to expect the full $61 billion, but I explained that $45 billion was a realistic target. We now have a new agreement, which supposedly is final, and the amount of budget cuts has climbed to $38 billion. So our sister is getting prettier, but she still isn’t close to being a supermodel. Here are the highlights (or lowlights) from the New York Times story. Congressional leaders and President Obama headed off a shutdown ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696611 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:40:05 +0100 4696611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684261&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtbAiJU8RsZk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellJust days after the introduction of a very good plan by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, leaders from the Republican Study Committee in the House of Representatives have introduced an even better plan. In a previous post, I compared spending levels from the Obama budget and the Ryan budget and showed that the burden of federal spending would rise much faster if the White House plan was adopted. If the goal is to restrain government, the RSC blueprint is the best of all worlds. As the chart illustrates, government only grows by an average of 1.7 percent annually with that plan, compared to an average of 2.8 percent growth under Ryan's good budget and 4.7 percent average growth with Obama's head-in-the-sand proposal. According to the numbers released by the R... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684261 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:03:14 +0100 4684261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684269&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqvHpL0CFepQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWashington is filled with groups that piously express their devotion to balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility, so it is rather revealing that some of these groups have less-than-friendly responses to Congressman Ryan's budget plan. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, for instance, portrays itself as a bunch of deficit hawks. So you would think they would be doing cartwheels to celebrate a lawmaker who makes a real proposal that would control red ink. Yet Maya MacGuineas, president of the CRFB, basically rejects Ryan's plan because it fails to increase the tax burden. ...while the proposal deserves praise for being bold, the national discussion has moved beyond just finding a plan with sufficient savings to finding one that can generate enough support t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684269 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:59:07 +0100 4684269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676756&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs0h5QDv2r10%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe chairman of the House Budget Committee, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, will unveil his FY2012 budget tomorrow. Not all the details are public yet, but what we do know is very encouraging. Ryan's plan is a broad reform package, including limits on so-called discretionary spending, limits on excessive pay for federal bureaucrats, and steep reductions in corporate welfare. But the two most exciting parts are entitlement reform and tax reform. Ryan's proposals would simultaneously address the long-run threat of bloated government and put in place tax policies that will boost growth and improve competitiveness. The long-run fiscal threat to America is entitlement spending. Ryan's plan will address this crisis by block-granting Medicaid to the states (repeating the succe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676756 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:18:57 +0100 4676756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676763&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTUO4cBW_7tQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThis Thursday, April 7, Senator Corker of Tennessee will be the opening speaker at the Cato Institute's conference on "The Economic Impact of Government Spending" (an event that is free and open to the public, so register here if you want to attend). The Senator will be discussing his proposal to cap and then gradually reduce the burden of government spending, measured as a share of gross domestic product. With federal outlays currently consuming about 25 percent of economic output, excessive federal spending is America's main fiscal problem. Corker's proposal would put federal spending on a 10-year glide path so that it eventually shrinks to 20.6 percent of GDP. This chart, from the Senator's upcoming presentation, shows that government will grow at a much slower pace... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676763 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:37:10 +0100 4676763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670232&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-research%2Fhow-is-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-addadhd-diagnosed.php Assessing whether a certain individual is suffering from Attention Deficit with HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER or not is far harder than it appears to laymen like ourselves. This is because, not only does it’s symptoms largely overlap those of hyperthyroidism etc. they are also largely exhibited by ‘normal’ human beings some time or the other every single day. Therefore the first important step towards diagnosing the disease is to consult a trained health care provider regarding it. Things only seem scary when we are treading over ‘new ground’, so to speak. Take small but deliberate steps and a positive end will begin to appear on the horizion. Given that the defining factors of ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER is still quite musty and vague diagnosing the problem is dif... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670232 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4670232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670173&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F01%2F33-favorite-self-help-books-of-psychologists%2F Since the response was good from my post on 15 quotes that motivate and inspire that I pulled from LinkedIn group, The Psychology Network, I joined a few weeks ago, I thought I’d publish their recommendation for good self-help books, too. Since most of them are mental health professionals (unlike me, who just pretends she is), their list lends credibility and might be a good one to review every now and then either for yourself or in your work with patients. 1. Freedom From the Ties That Bind: The Secret of Self Liberation by Guy Finley 
 2. I Ain’t Much Baby, But I’m All I’ve Got by Jess Lair, Ph.D. 3. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, Fourth Edition 
by Edmund J. Bourne 

 4. Women with Attention Deficit Disorder: Embrace Your Differences and Transform Yo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670173 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:34:35 +0100 4670173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670092&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4FnzF_Gc8-c%2F By Daniel J. MitchellLondon was just hit by heavy riots as part of a protest against the "deep" and "savage" budget cuts of the Cameron government. This is not the first time the UK has endured riots. The welfare lobby, bureaucrats, and other recipients of taxpayer largesse are becoming increasingly agitated that their gravy train may be derailed. The vast majority of protesters have been peaceful, but some hooligans took the opportunity to wreak havoc. These nihilists apparently call themselves anarchists, but are too ignorant to understand the giant disconnect of adopting that title while at the same time rioting for bigger government and more redistribution. My anarcho-capitalist friends must be embarrassed by the potential linkage with these hooligans. Speaking of rage, Paul Krugman is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670092 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:20:09 +0100 4670092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664355&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Fvision-shopsters-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd-drug-pipeline-analysis-and-market-forecasts-to-2015.php This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in house analysis by GlobalData’s tea Read More (Source: Life With ADHD) Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664355 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4664355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653305&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fckf64u9fopA%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAccording to news reports, Democrats and Republicans are unlikely to reach any sort of budget agreement before April 8, when a short-term spending bill for the current fiscal year expires. Barring some new development, this could mean a shutdown of the non-essential parts of the government. This makes both sides very nervous. Democrats don't want the spending spigot turned off and are worried that voters might conclude that there's no reason to ever re-open departments such as Housing and Urban Development. Republicans, meanwhile, mostly worry that they might look unreasonable and get blamed if certain parts of the government are mothballed and voters can't get passports or visit national parks. Given this state of play, what's the best strategy for fiscal conservative... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653305 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:25:44 +0100 4653305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642577&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDUAjXcfKZ1Y%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI posted recently at International Liberty about the stunning political incompetence of Republican Senators, who reportedly are willing to give Obama an increase in the debt limit in exchange for a vote (yes, just a vote) on a balanced budget amendment. As I explained, there is no way they can get the necessary two-thirds support to approve an amendment, so why trade a meaningless and symbolic vote on a BBA for meaningful and real approval of more borrowing authority for Obama? My analogy yesterday was that this was like trading an all-star baseball player for a utility infielder in the minor leagues. I did acknowledge that forcing a vote on a BBA was a worthwhile endeavor, but said that the GOP has that power anyhow, so why trade away something valuable to get somethi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642577 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:29:38 +0100 4642577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4605809&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCMScOf5gXHM%2F By Tad DeHavenThe U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble. Undermined by advances in electronic communication, weighed down by excessive labor costs and operationally straitjacketed by Congress, the government’s mail monopoly is running on fumes and faces large unfunded liabilities. Socialism apparently has its limits. While the Europeans continue to shift away from government-run postal monopolies toward market liberalization, policymakers in the United States still have their heads stuck in the twentieth century. That means looking for an easy way out, which in Washington usually means a bailout. Self-interested parties – including the postal unions, mailers, and postal management – have coalesced around the notion that the U.S. Treasury owes the USPS somewhere around $50-$75 b... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4605809 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:48:34 +0100 4605809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560247&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwjlQSaASUQ4%2F By Caleb O. BrownTad recently put $61 billion in spending cuts in perspective. I've added a few bells and whistles to his data. Enjoy. Some Perspective on $61 Billion in Spending Cuts 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=4560247 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:13:53 +0100 4560247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554711&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-books%2Fmore-attention-less-deficit-success-strategies-for-adults-with-adhd.php Price 13.75 Listprice $24.95 Description This is the only book on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) written in a structure that caters to the tendency for adults with ADHD to jump around. This essential guidebook begins by describing how the ADHD brain processes information and how that leads to typical challenges that people with ADHD experience, as well as why certain strategies are effective and others aren’t. This lays the foundation for everything that follows, from getting diagnosed to an overview of the research of how ADHD affects people’s lives. A thorough explanation of standard treatment options-including medication, therapy, and coaching-as well as alternative treatments, helps guide adults with ADHD to get the most from their he ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554711 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4554711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540559&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJqdfGOdXcp8%2F By Daniel J. MitchellA large number of Democrats voted with Republicans in the House yesterday to pass a two-week spending bill that includes $4 billion in cuts compared to what Obama requested. This is a modest victory for the GOP since they can truthfully claim that they are on target to impose the equivalent of $100 billion of cuts over a full fiscal year. And it appears the Senate will go along with the House proposal, as reported in today's Washington Post: The deal, which eliminates dozens of earmarks and a handful of little-known programs that President Obama has identified as unnecessary, sailed through the House on a 335 to 91 vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who initially resisted including any cuts in a short-term funding extension, predicted that it will pas... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540559 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:37:42 +0100 4540559 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536134&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Ftax-prep-for-people-with-adhd-for-next-year%2F The key to taxes, especially if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is consistent organization. That is, once tax season rolls around, you want to have everything you need right at your fingertips. So it helps to have a simple system in place to keep you organized year-round. Procrastination is one of the challenges for people with ADHD. This is further amplified with taxes “because their tax information is so disorganized the idea of actually sitting down to complete the taxes is overwhelming,” according to Dana Rayburn, a senior certified ADHD coach and author of Organized for Life – The Step by Step Guide to Get You Organized So You Stay Organized. Here’s a plan to help. Remember that, “The system itself will probably differ from person to person but wha... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536134 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:43:12 +0100 4536134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522090&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJOOwocB9cCQ%2F By Daniel IkensonUniversity of Michigan economist and American Enterprise Institute scholar Mark Perry has an excellent oped in today’s Wall Street Journal [$] about how U.S. manufacturing is thriving.  It can’t be emphasized enough how important it is to present such illuminating, factual, compelling analyses to a public that is starved for the truth and routinely subject to lies, half-baked assertions, and irresponsibly outlandish claims about the state of American manufacturing. The truth matters because U.S. trade and economic policies—your pocketbook—hang in the balance. For more data, facts, and background about the true state of U.S. manufacturing, please see this Cato policy analysis and these opeds (one, two, three). American Manufacturing Continues to Thrive in a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522090 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:24:41 +0100 4522090 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4501637&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F21%2Ftax-prep-for-people-with-adhd-what-to-do-now%2F With the sheer pileup of paperwork alone, taxes are a pain for anybody (except for accountants, maybe, but I’m sure they feel the same way when clients swarm their offices in April). For people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), preparing taxes can feel like an impossible feat. Tax prep requires using the very skills that are challenges for people with ADHD — the symptoms of the disorder. Symptoms such as being easily distracted, being disorganized and having difficulty with details become major obstacles. But while it can seem incredibly overwhelming, tax time isn’t an insurmountable challenge. Below, experts take you through the A to Z of preparing your taxes and cutting out paper clutter. Your Tax Prep Plan One of the mistakes people with ADHD — or anyone fo... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4501637 Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:25:06 +0100 4501637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482738&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMv71wpKQzWM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellFiscal policy wonks (like me, I'm forced to admit) sometimes miss the forest because we focus too much on individual trees. So while I think my posts on the spending and revenue sides of Obama's new budget contained lots of useful information, I didn't pay any attention to the elephant in the room (I'm really going overboard with metaphors, huh?). The most important number in Obama's budget is that he is proposing $5.7 trillion of spending in 2021, about $2 trillion more than is being spent this year, according to table S-1 of the budget. Here's everything you need to know about Obama's budget, in one chart. It's important to make three additional observations. First, Obama's budget is based on all sorts of optimistic assumptions and rosy scenarios, as explained by Br... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482738 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:40:05 +0100 4482738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477693&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2_YoSWRJyGU%2F By Chris EdwardsA lot has happened since President Obama introduced his last budget in February 2010. His party took an historic "shellacking" at the polls for its big government policies, his Fiscal Commission recommended serious spending cuts, and European governments have illustrated the severe problems of deficit spending.   Given all this, did the president adopt a more frugal and prudent approach in his new budget yesterday? Not at all--the spending levels in his new budget are virtually the same as the unsustainably high spending levels in his February 2010 budget. The chart shows Obama's proposed spending for FY2012 from last year's budget, and his proposed spending for the same year from his new budget.  His new budget proposes slightly more discretionary and ent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477693 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:07:45 +0100 4477693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477697&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FP-8z4iHe-mk%2F By Chris EdwardsDespite the record $1.6 trillion deficit this year, and the consensus that exploding spending and debt is pushing the nation toward catastrophe, the Obama administration has completely chickened out on spending reforms in its new budget. The president took a “shellacking” in the November elections as a result of his big-government policies. Does his new budget reflect any movement to the fiscal center? Not at all — spending levels in his new budget are virtually the same as in last year’s budget. Read my post at NRO for full details. Federal Budget: Obama Chickens Out 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=4477697 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:16:02 +0100 4477697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477699&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTiVWVOvmBW8%2F By Christopher PreblePresident Obama might want it to appear as though he is reining in defense spending with his budget submission for FY 2012, but his approach to the Pentagon’s budget reveals the opposite. Perhaps the president hopes that his adoption of the faux cuts that Secretary Gates put on the table last month will be seen as responsible. Perhaps he is taking a prudent first step and signaling to the military, and its suppliers and contractors, that the days of double-digit increases are over. That may be; but far deeper cuts are warranted. . If the president had truly wanted to send a signal, he would have followed the advice of his own deficit reduction commission and endorsed far deeper cuts in military spending. The Department of Defense will spend $78 billion less over the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477699 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:48:26 +0100 4477699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477706&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkBtriqdFwnY%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Is the Obama budget a serious stab at deficit reduction? And do congressional Republicans have any credibility in knocking the budget plan since, other than Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), they have not detailed many cuts that would seriously slice the deficit? My response: It's Valentine's Day and love is in the air, especially on Capitol Hill where Congress anxiously awaits the 10:00 a.m. arrival of the president's FY 2012 budget. It should be well shredded by noon. And as it is, across the land we'll be hearing the cries of "Not me, please, not my sinecure" -- no more plaintively than from the minions of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. How will the average Chicago Bears fan endure without the latest BBC soap -- excuse me, Masterpiece Th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477706 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:25:55 +0100 4477706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472946&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqBapCXmGzEg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellChalk up another victory -- at least on the rhetorical level -- for the Tea Party. President Obama will release his fiscal year 2012 budget tomorrow and he's apparently become a born-again fiscal conservative. Here are some excerpts from a Washington Post story: President Obama will respond to a Republican push for a drastic reduction in government spending by proposing sharp cuts of his own in a fiscal 2012 budget blueprint that aims to trim record federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the next decade. ...two-thirds of the savings would come from spending cuts that are draconian by Democratic standards... When it lands Monday on Capitol Hill, Obama's plan will launch a bidding war with Republicans over how deeply and swiftly to cut, as the two parties seek a path to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472946 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:48:07 +0100 4472946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464477&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0a0p9LpxQTE%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe U.S. trade deficit rose in 2010, and the bilateral deficit with China reached a record high last year, according to the monthly trade report released this morning by the U.S. Commerce Department. The usual critics (such as Peter Morici of the University of Maryland) are already spinning it into yet another indictment of trade, but the report contains a lot of good news for the U.S. economy. Last year, Americans bought $2,330 billion worth of goods and services from other countries, while selling $1,832 billion, for a trade deficit of $498 billion. Our bilateral deficit with China grew to a record $273 billion. Politicians and commentators love to focus on the trade deficit, as though it were a scorecard of who is winning in global trade. But the real measure is the to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464477 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:07:35 +0100 4464477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459945&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYyUJdXxCkbg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellProponents of higher taxes are fond of claiming that Bill Clinton's 1993 tax increase was a big success because of budget surpluses that began in 1998. That's certainly a plausible hypothesis, and I'm already on record arguing that Clinton's economic record was much better than Bush's performance. But this specific assertion it is not supported by the data. In February of 1995, 18 months after the tax increase was signed into law, President Clinton's Office of Management and Budget issued projections of deficits for the next five years if existing policy was maintained (a "baseline" forecast). As the chart illustrates, OMB estimated that future deficits would be about $200 billion and would slightly increase over the five-year period. In other words, even the Clinton A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459945 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:49:13 +0100 4459945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455226&cid=t_166768_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fmuch-ado-about-adhd-research-is-there-a-misrepresentation-of-adhd-in-scientific-journals%2F The reliability of science is increasingly under fire. We all know that media often gives a distorted picture of scientific findings (i.e. Hot news: Curry, Curcumin, Cancer & cure). But there is also an ever growing number of scientific misreports or even fraud (see bmj editorial announcing retraction of the Wakefield paper about causal relation beteen MMR vaccination [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455226 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 03:16:41 +0100 4455226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436795&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F02%2F04%2Fvideo-games-adhd-and-time-management%2F You have no doubt heard of Internet addiction and its related cousin, video game addiction. These are noxious labels that have little basis in solid research. What is appropriate is to label some people’s specific activities online as problematic, whether it’s viewing porn, updating your Facebook profile, or playing video games. Professionals and researchers label this kind of behavior based upon the specific issue, for instance, “problematic video game play” (or PVGP). This is often not a time-based determinant (since time spent online doing X activity is completely relative to one’s environment, peer group, work needs, year in which measured, etc.). Is problematic video game playing something related to poor time management skills (“Oops, I just lost ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436795 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:02:51 +0100 4436795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411562&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F28%2Fadhd-tip-write-about-it%2F How many times have you returned home because you forgot something essential like your wallet? Instead of completing a big project, have you started organizing your files? Have you forgotten an important engagement altogether? For someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), these are typical occurrences. Some of the most common symptoms of ADHD are being forgetful and having a tough time concentrating. These moments tend to happen regularly and affect all areas of people’s lives. It doesn’t matter if it’s something small, such as misplacing your keys, or something big, such as forgetting to finish a work project or research paper. “After a while, it can look and feel a lot like Groundhog Day,” ADHD coach Cynthia Hammer, MSW, wrote in the Fall 2010 issue... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411562 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:46:13 +0100 4411562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405756&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi_fqsUVGRmQ%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMany of the politicians in Washington, including President Obama during his State of the Union address, piously tell us that there is no way to balance the budget without tax increases. Trying to get rid of red ink without higher taxes, they tell us, would require “savage” and “draconian” budget cuts. I would like to slash the budget and free up resources for private-sector growth, so that sounds good to me. But what’s the truth? The Congressional Budget Office has just released its 10-year projections for the budget, so I crunched the numbers to determine what it would take to balance the budget without tax hikes. Much to nobody’s surprise, the politicians are not telling the truth. The chart below shows that revenues are expected t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405756 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:00:32 +0100 4405756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405758&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYchSsanoy2s%2F By Michael F. CannonThis is how a front-page story in this morning’s Washington Post portrayed the cause of this year’s $1.5 trillion deficit: Record U.S. Deficit Projected This Year CBO forecasts tax cuts will push budget gap to $1.5 trillion The still-fragile economy and fresh tax cuts approved by Congress last month will drive the federal deficit to nearly $1.5 trillion this year, the biggest budget gap in U.S. history, congressional budget analysts said Wednesday. Federal spending and federal tax revenue play equally important roles in creating the federal budget deficit.  Yet the Post blames the deficit only on inadequate tax revenue.  Federal spending isn’t too high, the Post implies, tax revenue is too low. This may not be an example of media bias.  But it is a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405758 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:14:37 +0100 4405758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399513&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUQLK8clRt6Q%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanLindsay Graham isn’t alone when he imagines an emerging “isolationist wing” of the Republican Congress. Pundits have lately both lamented and celebrated the arrival of a Tea Party foreign policy, where deficit fears restrain military adventures and Pentagon spending. I wish there were such a thing. My op-ed in yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer shows that there isn’t.  I report there on research that I did (really research that intern Matt Fay did) on support among Republicans in the House and Senate for cutting defense spending and getting out of Afghanistan. I found little. I also tested the idea that the Tea Party is restraining Republican militarism, by comparing the 101 freshmen that largely claim adherence to that movement to other... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399513 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:03:55 +0100 4399513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394419&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUQLK8clRt6Q%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanLindsay Graham isn’t alone when he imagines an emerging “isolationist wing” of the Republican Congress. Pundits have lately both lamented and celebrated the arrival of a tea-party foreign policy, where deficit fears restrain military adventures and Pentagon spending. I wish there were such a thing. My op-ed in yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer shows that there isn’t.  I report there on research that I did (really research that intern Matt Fay did) on support among Republicans in the House and Senate for cutting defense spending and getting out of Afghanistan. I found little. I also tested the idea that the tea-party is restraining Republican militarism, by comparing the 101 freshmen that largely claim adherence to that movement to other... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394419 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:03:55 +0100 4394419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382749&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvbTJ4BCKkfc%2F By Christopher PrebleThe calls for cutting the federal budget continue to build in Congress as the new GOP members try to make good on their promise to rein in the deficit.  And, right on time, the latest issue of the Weekly Standard features an article by Robert Kagan critiquing the chorus of calls for cuts to military spending.  I think Kagan’s critique is reasonably fair, certainly more so than others of the recent past.  But his basic premise, that national security spending is unrelated to the national debt, simply is not true.  At the The Skeptics, I address this: It is of course true that entitlements and mandatory spending pose the greatest threat to the nation’s fiscal health, but $700+ billion [in defense spending] isn’t chump change. The question of what we should spe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382749 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:48:42 +0100 4382749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337911&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fy0cuASswcr4%2F By Sallie JamesLast year I wrote about the intriguing proposal by the North Dakota Farm Bureau to do away with federal farm subsidies. I expressed at the time my doubt that the proposal would find much traction with the national American Farm Bureau Federation and, indeed, the group voted yesterday (at their annual conference in Atlanta) against the milder proposition to cut direct payments — the approximately $5.2 billion per year of your money that flows to farmers regardless of what, or even whether, they farm. Those payments are becoming increasingly politically contentious at a time of growing unease about record deficits, and some farm groups had said defending (let alone receiving) them was a threat to farmers’ broader interests. Well, despite some discord among t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337911 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:37:32 +0100 4337911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337939&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealthcare-repeal-how-would-it-affect-coverage-and-cost%2F2011.01.11 [Soon] the new GOP-controlled House of Representatives will be voting on and is expected to pass a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – lock, stock, and barrel. There is virtually no chance the repeal bill will get through the Senate, though, which maintains a narrow Democratic majority, and President Obama would veto it if it did. But let’s say that the seemingly impossible happened, and the ACA was repealed. What would the impact be on healthcare coverage, costs, and the federal deficit? In a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its preliminary estimates of the impact of repeal on the deficit, uninsured, and costs of care, and found that it would make the deficit worse, result in more uninsured persons, and higher premiu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337939 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4337939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318312&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fky_aYSoPKMc%2F By Daniel IkensonAs a primer for the new Congress, my friend John Murphy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce posted the “top ten reasons why pro-growth trade and investment policies and agreements are good for America.” As usual, I agree with John’s points. And I concur that the time is particularly ripe for educating policymakers about the virtues of trade. But with all due respect to John, his list is not so much about trade and investment. It’s really about exports (one of 10 points is about imports). Informing new members and reminding old of the benefits of exports to U.S. businesses and workers is clearly a worthwhile objective of the Chamber, the business community, and really anybody interested in economic growth. But in some respect there’s a preaching-to-the-choir e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318312 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:30:22 +0100 4318312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4298670&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F29%2Fcalories-in-disguise%2F Low-carb proponents claim that eating a low-carb diet enhances weight loss irrespective of caloric content.  Low-fat proponents often make the same claim.  Many other advocates of special diets make similar claims: It’s not calories, it’s something else causing weight loss. In support of their diet’s efficacy, proponents often cite their own successes or the success of other followers. However, they often fail to acknowledge that many other people lose weight following radically different weight-loss plans.  And never mind the scientific research, as it provides evidence that all successful weight loss programs share a common characteristic: create a calorie deficit on a consistent basis and weight loss follows. Calorie Defined A calorie is a unit of energy. It is the amount ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4298670 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:20:17 +0100 4298670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258837&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FulyQiqtfxQo%2F By Tad DeHavenA major shortcoming of the deficit reduction plan concocted by the president’s Fiscal Commission is that it assumed that the federal government should continue doing everything it currently does. For example, the plan proposed a 15 cent per gallon increase in the federal gasoline tax to fund infrastructure projects. But why not allow the private sector to play a greater role in financing and maintaining infrastructure like roads? That’s the topic of a new Reason TV video: In the video, Bruce Benson explains that America has a strong history of privately-provided roads. Unfortunately, because government has come to dominate road construction, most citizens probably don’t stop to consider that the private sector can provide superior alternatives. As Benson points out, a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258837 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:20:22 +0100 4258837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258924&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F13%2Fssi-encourages-families-to-label-healthy-children-with-adhd-as-disabled%2F It’s one of those “unintended consequences” of a government program started with the best of intentions — help the poorest of the poor families in our society get adequate treatment for their severely disabled child. Yes, I’m talking about Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and The Boston Globe ran an in-depth investigative piece yesterday about some of those consequences, including rampant diagnosing of very young children and the over-prescribing of medication for them. “Many cash-strapped parents have come to believe that if only they can muster the necessary array of medical records, their children have a good shot at this benefit, even if it means carrying the stigma of the word “disabled.’’” A program that was supposed to help only a sm... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258924 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:10:15 +0100 4258924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253115&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJUZ16IwmECU%2F By David BoazJournalists talk endlessly these days about the need for more consumer spending to revive the economy, and for government programs to juice consumer spending. Economist Steven Horwitz takes on the assumption that spending is the key to economic activity: One of the most pernicious and widespread economic fallacies is the belief that consumption is the key to a healthy economy.  We hear this idea all the time in the popular press and casual conversation, particularly during economic downturns.  People say things like, “Well, if folks would just start buying things again, the economy would pick up” or “If we could only get more money in the hands of consumers, we’d get out of this recession.”  This belief in the power of consumption is also what has guided much of e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253115 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:02:34 +0100 4253115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4249043&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgwG4wkc_VpU%2F By Daniel GriswoldThis morning’s report from the U.S. Department of Commerce that the pesky trade deficit shrank unexpectedly in October is being hailed in the media as “good news” for the economy, while the real news behind the numbers remains buried. According to the latest monthly trade report, exports of U.S. goods rose in October compared to September, while imports declined slightly. Rising exports are good news in anybody’s book, but according to the conventional Keynesian and mercantilist logic, falling imports must also be good for the economy because that means consumers are spending more on domestically produced goods, right? Wrong. In the real world, that assumption is almost always false, as I did my best to document a few weeks back in an op-ed titled, “Are risi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4249043 Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:21:21 +0100 4249043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241708&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FchhWv0pjbYo%2F By Tad DeHavenA recent study by economists Alberto Alesina, Dorian Carloni, and Giampaolo Leece looked at 19 OECD countries from 1975 to 2008 and found no evidence that “governments which quickly reduce budget deficits are systematically voted out office.” Therefore, the authors conclude that governments can “decisively” reduce deficits and be returned to office by voters. A particularly interesting finding is that only 20 percent of the governments that reduced deficits by cutting spending were subsequently voted out of office. In contrast, 56 percent of governments that reduced deficits by increased taxes were given the boot. The findings are good news for the large group of incoming members of Congress who promised to cut spending during the campaign. The authors ask, “If it i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241708 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:19:46 +0100 4241708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219744&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedicares-deficit-effect-on-the-economy%2F2010.12.01 Medicare poses a deficit problem, note some very influential analysts. A former Congressional Budget Office head and a former Medicare chief chime in on the scope of the program’s impact on the economy, and the difficulties of trying to scale it back. Yet, a presidential commission is considering just that among other measures. The 18-member, bipartisan commission released its report weeks ago and was scheduled to have voted today on a shocking scope of deficit-trimming measures that included changes to military spending, Social Security and Medicare, among other areas. But they deferred the vote until Friday to try to garner more votes from members who are also currently elected officials. The panel needs 14 votes and substantive approval from its roster of Congress members to gain ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219744 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:00:00 +0100 4219744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219726&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb4TWb67KkNU%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks Will implementing President Obama’s Fiscal Commission recommendations require that everyone take a hit? My response (with tax insights from Jagadeesh Gokhale): President Obama’s Fiscal Commission Report offers a useful start in reducing our budget deficits and national debt, but it hardly goes far enough. As several of my Cato colleagues have just noted here, here, here, and here, the report recognizes, to its credit, that our corporate income tax structure puts U.S. corporations at a considerable competitive disadvantage against their foreign competitors. And the report keeps military spending cuts on the table, even if there is much more to be cut. Yet by proposing a reduction in government spending from 24.3 percent of GDP to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219726 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:21:46 +0100 4219726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219730&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3BFss3qvpBg%2F By Christopher PreblePresident Obama’s Fiscal Commission’s report is out and they have wisely kept military spending on the table. Having not seen the accompanying list of specific cuts, it seems that rather than micromanage DoD’s decisions with respect to which weapons systems to cut or keep, the commissioners have laid down a different marker: find the cuts that make sense, but understand that the business-as-usual of the past decade is over. The report fixes on a number of spending cuts and reforms that Benjamin Friedman and I call for in the Cato Policy Analysis “Budgetary Savings from Military Restraint” including cuts to the civilian workforce (see recommendation 1.10.4). They also hold fast to the proposition that all spending must be on the table, and reject out of ha... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219730 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:46:27 +0100 4219730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179307&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIy0VAwXbGjc%2F By Michael F. CannonI hit a nerve with my post, “There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Tax Expenditure.”  To recap: The federal tax code has credits, deductions, exemptions, and exclusions that reduce tax revenue.  By convention, budget experts call that forgone revenue a “tax expenditure,” a “tax subsidy,” or even “backdoor spending in the tax code.”  This is incorrect.  To claim that forgone tax revenue is a government expenditure implies that the money at stake actually belongs to the government, which is graciously letting taxpayers keep it, rather than to the people who earned it.  Government is not spending that money; it is merely not extracting that money from the private sector.  Statists deliberately use terms like “tax ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179307 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:25:08 +0100 4179307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175764&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Ffda-approves-vyvanse-for-teens%2F In this study, patients were randomized to a daily morning dose of Vyvanse (30 mg/day, 50 mg/day or 70 mg/day) or placebo [...]. All subjects receiving Vyvanse were initiated on 30 mg for the first week of treatment. Subjects assigned to the 50 mg and 70 mg dose groups were escalated by 20 mg per week until they achieved their assigned dose. The primary efficacy outcome was change in Total Score from baseline to end point in investigator ratings on the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS). [...] All Vyvanse dose groups were superior to placebo in the primary efficacy outcome. The safety of Vyvanse was also evaluated during the study. The most frequently occurring treatment-emergent adverse events reported in patients treated with Vyvanse were: decreased appetite, insomnia, and weight decrease. Saf... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175764 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:35:05 +0100 4175764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175673&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3fpiOCDUAVM%2F By Christopher PrebleOver at National Journal‘s National Security Experts blog, Megan Scully notes the military spending cuts contained within a proposal by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, the co-chairs of the president’s deficit reduction commission. Scully asks: “How feasible would it be for lawmakers to make these kinds of cuts to defense?…What kind of sway will fiscal hawks have in the next Congress – and will it be enough to push through sweeping defense cuts over the objections from pro-defense members of their party?” Government spending across the board must be cut, I explain, beginning especially with entitlements.  I continue: Other spending must also be on the table, however, and that includes the roughly 23 percent of the federal budget th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175673 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:31:09 +0100 4175673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159210&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fz9zLzPhzDlk%2F By Michael D. TannerMy colleagues, Dan Mitchell, Jagadeesh Gokhale, Michael Cannon and Chris Edwards have already provided their thoughts on the chairman’s mark released yesterday by the bipartisan deficit reduction commission.  A few additional thoughts: The commission provides a good-faith look at the magnitude of the problem we face, and the magnitude of cuts necessary to bring spending down to even 21 percent of GDP (and it really should be far lower).  In doing so they show just how unserious Republicans are in proposing a paltry $100 billion in spending cuts.  And the commission makes it clear, unlike Republicans, that both entitlements and defense spending must be on the table. The commission also starts the debate in a useful direction by implicitly acknowledging that their ne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159210 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:46:26 +0100 4159210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159219&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FujSpzFqXP-E%2F By Michael F. CannonFollowing up on what Dan and Chris have said … If the co-chairs of President Obama’s fiscal commission were serious about reducing federal spending and deficits, they would have proposed eliminating the federal deficit, rather than “reduc[ing] it to 2.2 percent of GDP by 2015.”  Yawn. They would have proposed cutting federal spending (currently, 24 percent of GDP and rising) to match federal tax revenue (currently at 15 percent of GDP).  But the co-chairs proposed only to “bring spending down to 22 percent and eventually 21 percent of GDP.”  Not only does that elicit another yawn, but since the co-chairs only asked for half a loaf, they won’t even get that much. If the co-chairs were serious about reducing federal spending ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159219 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:55:59 +0100 4159219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159222&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fzs-AIlTX99k%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI have many pet peeves, but one that causes me endless frustration is the Washington “spending cut” scam. This happens when politicians increase spending, but claim that they’re cutting spending because they previously had planned to make government even bigger. The proposal unveiled yesterday by the Co-Chairman of President Obama’s Fiscal Commission is a good example. If you read through their report, it sounds like there are lots of spending cuts. But they never explain that these supposed cuts are really just reductions in previously-planned increases. Here’s the bottom line. As shown in the graph, it is quite simple to balance the budget (and permanently extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts) if politicians simply limit spending gro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159222 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:02:04 +0100 4159222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151748&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9kSlqu3UEUs%2F By Christopher PrebleMore and more figures on the right — especially some darlings of the all-important tea party movement — are coming forward to utter a conservative heresy: that the Pentagon budget cow perhaps should not be so sacred after all. Sen.-elect Rand Paul of Kentucky was the latest, declaring on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that military spending should not be exempt from the electorate’s clear desire to reduce the massive federal deficit.  His comments follow similar musings by leading fiscal hawks Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, a presumptive contender for the GOP nomination in 2012.  Others who agree that military spending shouldn’t get a free pass as we search for savings include Sen. Johnny Isa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151748 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:14:14 +0100 4151748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133660&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FynV-4GeOFbY%2F By Chris EdwardsIn coming months, new Republican members of Congress will be looking for ways to cut the budget deficit and also to increase economic growth. One way to do both is to privatize government assets, such as the U.S. Postal Service, Amtrak, and the air traffic control system. Privatization can reduce deficits from the one-time gain of an asset sale and from the elimination of annual taxpayer subsidies. Privatization can spur economic growth by moving resources from moribund government agencies to the higher-productivity and more innovative private sector. A new report by a trade magazine specializing in privatization confirms that the United States lags many nations on innovative infrastructure financing. Public Works Financing has been tallying data on “public-private partne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133660 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 21:11:47 +0100 4133660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4119081&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F27%2Fmedhelp-scare-mongering-and-adhd%2F Hey, what’s the best way to link Halloween and an increasingly common childhood concern, such as attention deficit disorder? How about some scare-mongering in the form of an ostensibly educational article? I received an email newsletter from the website, MedHelp.org, that encouraged me to learn about “8 ADHD Culprits Lurking in Your Home: Could your home be a haven for toxins that can cause ADHD?” Hmmm, I thought, I didn’t know that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was caused by toxins in my home! I like to think I keep up with the research literature, so this was a potentially eye-opening article. Then I clicked through and found one of those infuriating “photo galleries” that show a stock photo next to each explanation of the toxin. Thes... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4119081 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:10:45 +0100 4119081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098342&cid=t_166768_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F10%2F24%2Fhow-will-i-govern-who-wants-to-know%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. How Will I Govern? Who Wants to Know? Let’s talk about my little dog Checkers.   Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: 2010 election, deficit, humor, political cartoon, republican, robert donna trussell, spending (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098342 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 06:28:14 +0100 4098342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525093&cid=t_166768_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-alternative-therapy%2F5-steps-to-a-new-life-with-adhd-natural-remedies.php Based on Western medicine, ADD is attributable to a deficiency of the neurotransmitters dopamine as well as norepinephrine. Although there’s absolutely nothing improper with linking the dysfunction to a lack of neurotransmitters, it might be nearsighted to focus on treating the situation with stimulant medicine as a substitute of looking for the basis of the deficiency. At the biological stage, all neurotransmitters are product of amino acids, the essential building protein blocks. At hand are twenty sorts of amino acids that fall into 2 groups: important amino acids, which the body cannot manufacture, as well as non-important amino acids, that the body makes from proteins and other amino acids. Eating amino acid supplements to extend neurotransmitter production – a method also... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525093 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4525093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097906&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnaJcNTL0PJA%2F By Christopher PrebleYesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Britain’s biggest defense cuts since World War II. The cuts affect the British military across the board. The Army will shed 7,000 troops; the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force will each lose 5,000 personnel; the total workforce in the Ministry of Defence, including civilians, will contract by 42,000. The Navy’s destroyer fleet will shrink from 23 to 19. Two aircraft carriers — already under construction — will be completed, but one of the two will be either mothballed or sold within a few years. Whether the one remaining flattop in the British fleet will actually deploy with an operational fixed-wing aircraft is an open question. They’ve decided to jettison their Harriers; a technological marvel ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097906 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:56:31 +0100 4097906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060575&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDhdPHcbV5bg%2F By Christopher PrebleToday ForeignPolicy.com has a feature article examining possible “Plan B’s for Obama,” with contributions coming from numerous experts. My contribution to the feature is titled “Cut (Really Cut) Military Spending.” It is time for President Obama and the administration to finally notice the increasing calls—from across the political spectrum—that the Pentagon’s budget should not be off limits when reducing the deficit.  From the Foreign Policy article: Despite all the hype about Defense Secretary Robert Gates and his cuts of big-ticket military projects, the Pentagon’s $680 billion budget is actually slated to increase in coming years. This is unconscionable at a time when taxpayers are under enormous stress and when the U.S. government must r... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060575 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:40:26 +0100 4060575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055704&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB2auZHKwH6A%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe Economist has a fascinating webpage that allows readers to look at all the world’s nations and compare them based on various measures of government debt (and for various years). The most economically relevant measure is public debt as a share of GDP, and you can see that the United States is not in great shape, though many nations have more accumulated red ink (especially Japan, where debt is much higher than it is even in Greece).  As faithful readers of this blog already understand, the real issue is the size of government, but this site is a good indicator of nations that finance their spending in a risky fashion. By the way, keep in mind that these figures do not include unfunded liabilities. For those who worry about debt, those are the truly shocking ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055704 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:13:32 +0100 4055704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036625&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-IAePP9TisM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellKeynesian economic theory is the social science version of a perpetual motion machine. It assumes that you can increase your prosperity by taking money out of your left pocket and putting it in your right pocket. Not surprisingly, nations that adopt this approach do not succeed. Deficit spending did not work for Hoover and Roosevelt is the 1930s. It did not work for Japan in the 1990s. And it hasn’t worked for Bush or Obama. The Keynesians invariably respond by arguing that these failures simply show that politicians didn’t spend enough money. I don’t know whether to be amused or horrified, but some Keynesians even say that a war would be the best way of boosting economic growth. Here’s a blurb from a story in National Journal. America’s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036625 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:38:35 +0100 4036625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031218&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbgQ2mnW-Hx0%2F By Daniel IkensonToday’s Wall Street Journal headline screams: “Americans Sour on Trade.” And why shouldn’t they? After all, the public is routinely bombarded with misleading or simplistic trade coverage that too often relies on cliché, innuendo, and regurgitated conventional wisdom: it’s Team America versus the world. Without the war metaphor, trade is just a peaceful, mutually-enriching endeavor between consenting parties. BO-RING! Dan Griswold attributes the declining sentiment to the business cycle and goes on to suggest that this “collective attitude is more reflective of the complaints people hear in the media than of any hard reality on the ground.” Let me continue with that theme because I’ve made no secret of my concern about media’s inclination ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031218 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:25:56 +0100 4031218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027153&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTK1h1wqy7Z8%2F By Daniel J. MitchellEli Lehrer has an article on the FrumForum entitled “Five Revenue Raisers the GOP Should Back.” He argues it would be good to get rid of preferences such as the state and local tax deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, and he also asserts that there should be “user fees” for things such as transportation. As an avid supporter of a flat tax and market pricing, I have no objection to these policies. Indeed, I would love to get rid of the state and local tax deduction so that taxpayers in Texas and Florida no longer have to subsidize the fiscal profligacy of politicians in California and New York. But there is a giant difference between getting rid of certain tax preferences as part of revenue-neutral (or even better, tax-cutting) tax refo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027153 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:01:57 +0100 4027153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025618&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadhd-is-it-genetic%2F2010.10.02 British scientists announced that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to deleted or duplicated DNA segments (copy number variants), which leads to developmental difference in the brains of children with the condition. Researchers scanned genomes of 366 children with ADHD and compared them with 1,047 unrelated, ethnically matched control subjects. They reported full results in The Lancet. Rare copy number variants were almost twice as common in children with ADHD compared to the other children. Researchers commented to Reuters that there was a significant overlap between copy number variants found in ADHD and elements of the genome linked to autism and schizophrenia, specifically in a region on chromosome 16. *This blog post was originally published at AC... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025618 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0100 4025618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022895&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZoYjBYbyMVU%2F By Daniel IkensonThe Chinese currency issue is in full bloom this week, as the House of Representatives passed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act of 2010 by a vote of 348-79 on Wednesday.  Though there is so much to criticize about the bill and about the layers upon layers of misinformation, myth, and subterfuge that brought us to this point, this post concerns the dubiousness of the bill’s central premise: that Yuan appreciation will significantly reduce the bilateral trade deficit. That is the position of the Peterson Institute’s Fred Bergsten and Bill Cline. The premise seems plausible enough.  At least, the economics textbooks tell us that as a nation’s currency appreciates, its people will consume more imports and foreigners will reduce consumption of that nation’s expo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022895 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:59:59 +0100 4022895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013141&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYzCYLVhN_Vg%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe House is expected to vote today on a bill that would allow U.S. companies to petition the Commerce Department for protective tariffs against imports from countries with “misaligned currencies.” Everybody knows the bill is aimed squarely at China. Advocates of the legislation say it is about jobs, and they are partly right. The bill is about saving the jobs of incumbent lawmakers who are desperate to appear tough on China trade, which they blame for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs. As my colleague Dan Ikenson and I have argued at length, in blog posts, op-eds, and longer studies, A stronger Chinese currency will not put a major dent in our large bilateral trade deficit with China, certainly not any time in the near future. The bilateral deficit with China and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013141 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:29:04 +0100 4013141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013143&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb7UUEW1Qu7s%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom my oped in today’s Investors Business Daily: Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) “Roadmap for America’s Future” proposes even tighter limits on Medicare’s growth, leading columnist Bruce Bartlett to opine, “the Medicare actuaries have shown the absurdity of the Ryan plan by denying that Medicare cuts already enacted into law are even worthy of projecting into the future.” On the contrary, experience and public choice theory suggest that the Ryan plan has a better shot at reducing future Medicare outlays than past efforts, because the Roadmap would change the lobbying game that fuels Medicare’s growth. For more on Ryan’s Roadmap, click here.  For more on Medicare, read David Hyman’s Medicare Meets Mephistophel... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013143 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:52:16 +0100 4013143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998962&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbLiCu2LAYHo%2F By Marian L. TupyHaving inherited an 8 percent budget deficit from the previous socialist government, the new conservative-liberal government of Slovakia has come up with a novel way of keeping budget deficits under control in the future. Starting in 2011, salaries of government ministers will rise and fall depending on the evolution of the fiscus. Thus, a budget deficit of 5 percent will translate to a 10 percent decrease in salaries, while an (unlikely) budget surplus of 5 percent will translate into a 10 percent rise in salaries, etc. It will be interesting to see if this new measure will truly result in a more responsible fiscal policy in the years to come. Incidentally, had the United States adopted a similar measure, President Obama’s reported salary of $400,000 in 2009 would have ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998962 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:26:56 +0100 3998962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993905&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpanelist-video-interviews-from-the-fact-or-fiction-adhd-in-america-capitol-hill-forum%2F2010.09.22 On September 16, 2010, I attended Fact or Fiction: ADHD in America, a Capitol Hill Forum, along with Dr. Val Jones of Better Health and Dr. Rob Lamberts of Musings of a Distractible Mind. The event, coinciding with ADD/ADHD Awareness Week, was a panel discussion about the impact ADHD has on our society. It was sponsored by Shire, in partnership with the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC) and the Lab School of Washington [Disclosure: I received a stipend for covering the event.] Below are interviews Rob and I did with some of the panelists. Kevin Pho interview with Michele Novotni, Ph.D., ADHD Expert and Former Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) President: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993905 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:46:38 +0100 3993905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972916&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fadhd-fact-or-fiction-join-me-on-capitol-hill%2F2010.09.15 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is probably overdiagnosed by physicians. In the lay public, the term is often used jokingly to describe the common feeling of distraction we experience in a world filled with interruptions. With a constant stream of text messages, Facebook updates, TV commercials, and fast-paced Twittering, there’s little wonder that we all feel frazzled at times. But the occasional experience of jangled nerves is not a proper basis for a diagnosis of ADHD. Unfortunately, there has been great confusion between the actual disorder, and its misuse as a label for simply feeling distracted. So to help set the record straight and to tease out fact from fiction, I’ll be attending a forum on Capitol Hill with my co-bloggers Dr. Kevin Pho and Dr. Rob Lamb... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972916 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 12:41:12 +0100 3972916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3969052&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fintroducing-autism-aspergers-and-beyond%2F In this day and age, we seem to increasingly medicalize mental disorders and their treatment, even in very young children. I believe this has significant repercussions in a child’s development, when parents turn to a psychiatric drug as the sole remedy for their child’s concerns. While no parents wants to see their child suffer needlessly, medications have become the “go to” treatment despite the efficacy and greater safety of other treatments. I’m pleased to welcome you to Autism, Asperger’s and Beyond, a blog by Diane Yapko, MA. Diane is a speech-language pathologist who for the past 30 years has specialized in working with the pediatric population in the areas of autism spectrum disorders and other developmental and neurological disabilities. After listening to her speak on ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3969052 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:08:00 +0100 3969052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911683&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlTZULwHrnwU%2F By Daniel IkensonAs usual, Dan Griswold does an excellent job today correcting fallacies about trade and the trade deficit that continue to be perpetuated in the mainstream media (particularly at the Washington Post).   I just want to add my two cents without belaboring any of Dan’s succinctly-made points.  (Besides, I’ve harped on and on and on and on and on about the problem of trade reporting this year.) It’s a shame that so much time and energy has to be diverted to cleaning up messes left by reporters and editors, who should know better by now. The bottom line is that neither imports nor trade deficits cause U.S. job loss or slower economic growth.  If anything, the charts below (all compiled from BEA and BLS data) support the conclusion that imports and the trade deficit ris... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911683 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:12:48 +0100 3911683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911685&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-EHV7yb6O3w%2F By Daniel GriswoldWhat had been a recurring story line buried in the business pages has now burst onto the front page: “Economic growth slowed by trade gap,” the Washington Post reports this morning in an above-the-fold headline. The lead sets the stage for a story long on generalizations: “A widening U.S. trade deficit has become a substantial drag on economic growth as the country’s exports struggle to keep pace with the swelling sums that Americans are again spending on imported goods.” The half truth in the story line is that exports fell by $2 billion in June compared to the month before, and that this has a negative effect on overall GDP growth. In our more globalized world, the rising wealth of our trading partners translates into more production in our own economy, an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911685 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:27:49 +0100 3911685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3891804&cid=t_166768_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F08%2F23%2Fentitlements-or-tax-cuts-lets-get-ready-to-rumble%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Entitlements? Or Tax Cuts? Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: budget, comics, deficit, economy, entitlements, humor, political cartoon, tax cuts (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3891804 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:12:16 +0100 3891804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889072&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvRa2WL-7944%2F Politico has obtained and published a confidential messaging-strategy presentation that essentially admits ObamaCare supporters are losing the battle for public opinion.  The presentation was delivered to professional leftists by the left-wing Herndon Alliance, based on public opinion research by Democratic pollsters John Anzalone, Celinda Lake, and Stan Greenberg, in a forum organized by the left-wing group Families USA,  “one of the central groups in the push for the initial legislation.”  It is a stark admission that the public has not warmed to the new health care law, despite predictions that they would do so.  Here’s how Politico describes the presentation and its implications: Key White House allies are dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889072 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:04:57 +0100 3889072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861995&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQ3W4SYstG6M%2F By Daniel GriswoldIt has become conventional wisdom that a rising trade deficit is bad news for the economy. This week’s announcement of an expanding deficit in June prompted such headlines today as this one in the news pages of the Wall Street Journal: “Wider Trade Gap Signals Weak Growth.” As my colleague David Boaz blogged earlier today, the trade deficit is even blamed for daily swings in the stock market. I’ve been studying and writing about the trade deficit for years, and devoted a whole chapter of by 2009 Cato book Mad about Trade to the subject, and I keep coming back to a basic question: If the trade deficit signals weak growth, why does the U.S. economy seem to perform so much better during periods when the trade deficit is growing, and so much worse when the trade defic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861995 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:32:45 +0100 3861995 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861999&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfrmQO2IL3NA%2F By Michael F. Cannon An article in today’s The USA Today titled, “With Many Still in Dark, Groups Shed Light on Health Care Law,” aims to correct misinformation about ObamaCare.  Ironically, the article is itself a monument to misinformation. It begins: True or false: The new health care law will cut Medicare benefits for seniors. It will slash Medicare payments to doctors. It will ration health care. In three polls conducted last month, large percentages of Americans answered “true” to each statement. All three are false. In fact, two of the three statements are 100-percent true. First, ObamaCare will cut payments to the private health insurance companies that provide coverage to the 20 percent of Medicare enrollees who participate in the Medicare Advantage ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861999 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:45:39 +0100 3861999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862000&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-nwF8LRzmpw%2F By David BoazA banner Washington Post headline (page 11, print edition; slightly different online) reads: Stocks plunge as trade deficit widens Of course, they could have gone with Stocks plunge as Linda McMahon wins Senate nomination Or my favorite: Stocks plunge as Cardinals sweep Reds Since national trade deficits are not much more meaningful than baseball scores, it’s unlikely that this month’s report drove stocks down. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862000 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:56:04 +0100 3862000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854712&cid=t_166768_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F08%2F10%2Fgop-on-the-deficit-what-part-of-balance-the-budget-dont-you-understand%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. GOP on the Deficit: What Part of ‘Balance the Budget’ Don’t You Understand? Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: bush tax cut, comics, deficit, democrat, political cartoon, republican, unemployment benefits (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854712 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:13:43 +0100 3854712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802366&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWfqem3MEhmU%2F By Sallie JamesAn update from my post yesterday about the bill to establish a Commission to End the Trade Deficit (now called the “Emergency Trade Deficit Commission”): apparently the bill that passed the House was different from the bill initially considered, and to which I linked (and commented). My apologies. The bill that was passed had many of the most egregious provisions and provocative wording stripped out. There was no talk of eliminating the trade deficit, for example. And the provision that would have prohibited congressional consideration of any trade deal before the Commission reported is, thankfully, gone too. But I would suggest that the underlying message of the bill — that individuals cannot be trusted to make their own decisions about which products to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802366 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:11:15 +0100 3802366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790690&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5u2jrZzk8jo%2F By Chris EdwardsThe debate on extending the Bush tax cuts has begun. Those opposed to extension argue that the cuts would greatly increase the federal deficit. The first thing to note is that extending all the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts would lose the government about $216 billion a year in 2012 and rising amounts after that (see page 16). By contrast, federal spending in 2011 will be almost $2 trillion higher than in 2001 when the first Bush tax cuts were passed. Thus, in a rough sense, spending increases have had a nine times greater impact on our changed budget situation since 2001 than have tax cuts. How big were the Bush tax cuts compared to previous tax legislation? One way to compare different tax bills is to look at the initial projections of the effects when they were passed... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790690 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:43:52 +0100 3790690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790752&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F26%2Foverdiagnosis-mental-disorders-and-the-dsm-5%2F Is the DSM-5 — the book professionals and researchers use to diagnose mental disorders — leading us to a society that embraces “over-diagnosis”? Or was this trend of creating “fad” diagnoses started long before the DSM-5 revision process — perhaps even starting with the DSM-IV before it? Allen Frances, who oversaw the DSM-IV revision process and has been an outspoken critic of the DSM-5, suggests melodramatically that “normality is an endangered species,” due in part to “fad diagnoses” and an “epidemic” of over-diagnosing, ominously suggesting in his opening paragraph that the “DSM5 threatens to provoke several more [epidemics].” First, when a person starts throwing around a term such as “over d... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790752 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:02:09 +0100 3790752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786159&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F24%2Fgenetic-testing-for-mental-disorders-avoid-23andme-navigenics-others-for-now%2F Genetic testing allows individuals to submit a genetic sample to a company, which then analyzes the genes for known anomalies or other problems. The idea is that by having that information, you may be able to be more aware of potential health problems down the road. Or even stave them off before they become a problem by changing your behaviors, diet, and exercise regimen. Companies like 23andme and Navigenics provide genetic DNA testing reports that purportedly tell you your risk factors for getting not only certain medical conditions, but also mental disorders, like bipolar or attention deficit disorder. This may work fine for some very well-defined health issues, like heart disease (although a recent government investigation into these companies’ abilities to provide even this info... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786159 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:35:23 +0100 3786159 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784243&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2UXkNlynyOw%2F By Michael F. CannonEzra Klein writes: So long as the political system is working reasonably well, we can get out from even quite a lot of debt. But the more it breaks down — the more the market sees things like the deficit commission rejected by its Republican sponsors in Congress, the more it hears threats to repeal the deficit reduction in health-care reform, the more it seems likely that Democrats will become just as unreasonably obstructionist when they become the minority — the more it has reason to worry. I doubt that investors worry more when they hear threats to repeal ObamaCare or its Medicare cuts, which few took seriously in the first place. Given that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the non-partisan chief actuary of the Medicare program, and even the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784243 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:18:47 +0100 3784243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776364&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH3D7MMZcfXA%2F By Michael F. CannonEzra Klein and Jonathan Chait argue the only way government could reduce inefficient Medicare spending was to create a new health care entitlement program.  Think about that. The worst part is, they’re not entirely wrong.  And that same system will now be controlling your health care and an ever-growing share of your income. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776364 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:20:38 +0100 3776364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757850&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fg0Zva-ruO1Q%2F By Tad DeHavenA recent paper by Veronique de Rugy examines how policymakers use various budgeting gimmicks to increase spending and obscure liabilities. One particularly abusive mechanism is the designation of supplemental spending as an “emergency.” The emergency designation makes it easier for policymakers to skirt budgetary rules, particularly “pay-as-you-go” (PAYGO) requirements. The following chart from the paper shows how supplemental spending, most of which was designated as “emergency,” has taken off in the last decade: As the chart notes, much of the increase is attributable to supplemental appropriations for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush administration was rightly criticized by analysts across the ideological spectrum for funding the wars outside of the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757850 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:59:40 +0100 3757850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757853&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzlUfcsucppc%2F By Tad DeHavenRepublicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee have announced support for caps on the discretionary spending portion of the federal budget. According to press reports, discretionary spending under the cap for fiscal year 2011 would be approximately $20 billion less than what the president has proposed. Appropriators — often referred to as the “third party” in Washington — exist to do one thing: spend other people’s money. Getting appropriators to agree to place any sort of limit themselves is a plus. However, it’s hard to get excited about spending $20 billion less than the president. As the following chart shows, discretionary outlays have soared in the past decade: With three months still to go in the current budget year, the federal deficit has alr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757853 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:52:58 +0100 3757853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753806&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2DOL3wUwygM%2F By Christopher PrebleThe good people at the Stimson Center’s Budget Insight blog invited me to contribute a guest post discussing the Sustainable Defense Task Force report  Debt, Deficits, & Defense: A Way Forward. Here’s an excerpt: The most common response [to the report] has been some sympathy for our argument that military spending should be subjected to the same scrutiny that should be applied to other government spending. There are still a fair number of people, however, who share our concern about the deficit, but who counter “But I want a strong defense.” Who doesn’t? The task force report was written with a single consideration in mind: in what ways, and where, could we make cuts in military spending that would not undermine U.S. security? [...] A leading c... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753806 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:33:04 +0100 3753806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721751&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fj0AldC38If0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe fault line in American politics is often not between Republicans and Democrats, but rather between taxpayers and the Washington political elite. Here are two examples that symbolize why economic policy is such a mess: First, we have President George W. Bush’s former top aide, Karl Rove, making the case in the Wall Street Journal that the Obama administration has been fiscally irresponsible. That’s certainly true, but as I’ve pointed out on previous occasions (here and here), Rove has zero credibility on these issues. In the excerpt below, Rove attacks Obama for earmarks, but this corrupt form of pork-barrel spending skyrocketed during the Bush years. Rove rips Obama for government-run healthcare, but Rove helped push through Congress a reckless n... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721751 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:44:11 +0100 3721751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3666236&cid=t_166768_151_f&fid=39090&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fhelpalcoholicfamily%2FxITS%2F%7E3%2Fo6YF5GhsJt8%2F Are you married to an alcoholic spouse that has always been disorganized and that you have helped keep on track? Does your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife start tasks they never finish or constantly lose their keys, bills, important papers etc? Are they eaasily distracted by noise? Do they procrastinate? If you answered “yes” to most of the questions, your alcoholic spouse may have an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) diagnosis. I am a psychiatrist that treats a lot of addiction. A number of my patients suffering from alcoholism and addiction have an ADD diagnosis. It seems so common, I have wondered to myself, “What is the deal”?  These two diagnoses seem to go hand in hand. So here’s the scoop: 15% of adults with an ADD diagnosis have a substance use di... Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3666236 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:39:19 +0100 3666236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662651&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPyuPJ5QUa_I%2F By Tad DeHavenPresident Obama is proposing giving the states another $50 billion. However, this would amount to another bailout for state and local government employees and their unions. The president claims that more deficit spending is necessary to sustain the nascent economic recovery. But the only thing the money would sustain is the excessive wages and benefits government employees enjoy at the expense of the private sector. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average state and local government employee receives 45 percent more in total compensation per hour worked than the average private-sector employee. Perhaps we should cut generous government wages and benefits rather than putting the federal government further into debt? Total compensation for state and local worker... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662651 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:42:42 +0100 3662651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662655&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrSSK8xUwy-Y%2F By Christopher PrebleSeveral months ago, I co-authored an op-ed in Politico with Heather Hurlburt of the National Security Network calling on the White House and Congress to include the Pentagon’s budget in any deficit reduction package. because our national security rests on our economic health as well as on the strength of our military, a liberal and a libertarian can agree that the Pentagon should no longer get a pass. That op-ed caught the attention of Congressman Barney Frank. He formed the Sustainable Defense Task Force, an ad hoc advisory panel to assemble a list of possible reductions in military spending that would not undermine essential U.S. security. Last Friday, the task force presented its findings at a press conference at the Capitol. You can read the full report ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662655 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:19:04 +0100 3662655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3644749&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeJtlJ8gf5g8%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI gave a speech in Hungary about two weeks ago and now the government has announced a big step in the direction of better fiscal policy. My role was about as meaningful as the rooster crowing, followed by the sunrise, but this is still good news. According to Reuters, “Hungary’s new government plans to introduce a flat personal income tax of 16 percent from 2011, as well as a 15 percent cut in public sector wages.” Those are the headline initiatives, but the fiscal reform package includes other good policies. Here’s a blurb from The Economist. After a three-day emergency cabinet meeting over the weekend, Viktor Orban, the prime minister, announced the government’s new economic programme this afternoon. The battered forint quickly jumped ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3644749 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:31:55 +0100 3644749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633443&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_oIAG9JbdRY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIt’s rather symbolic of what’s wrong with Washington that a commission ostensibly created to promote deficit reduction is seeking a bigger budget, as noted in the Tax Notes story excerpted below. Rather than impose a bigger burden on taxpayers, though, I will generously suggest that they could easily fulfill their mandate by perusing Cato’s Downsizing Government website. And if they really want to do the right thing, they can always just look at Article I, Section VIII, of the Constitution and get rid of existing programs and activities that are not enumerated powers of the federal government. Saddled with a tight deadline and great expectations, members of President Obama’s deficit reduction commission say they may not have the resources necess... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633443 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:47:11 +0100 3633443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629623&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRW1uWDdOyV0%2F By Steve H. HankeProf. Paul Krugman asserts in his New York Times column of May 31st that “Both textbook economics and experience say that slashing spending when you’re still suffering from high unemployment is a really bad idea — not only does it deepen the slump, but it does little to improve the budget outlook, because much of what governments save by spending less they lose as a weaker economy depresses tax receipts.” While Prof. Krugman and most other fiscalists believe this to be self-evident, it is not.  Indeed, this fiscalist dogma fails to withstand the indignity of empirical verification.  Prof. Paul Krugman’s formulation fails to mention the state of confidence.  This is an important oversight.  As Keynes himself put it: “The state of conf... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629623 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:16:13 +0100 3629623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577389&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyC8SNr6u_6M%2F By Neal McCluskeyThere’s a lot to learn about what’s going on in federal education policy today, and none of it is good. First, Steven Brill offers a revealing look at the Race to the Top evaluation process in a piece that can be added to the ever-growing pile of evidence that Race to the Top isn’t even close to the objective — or, I’d add, powerful — catalyst for meaningful reform that the Obama administration insists it is. Second, it appears that congressional Democrats are preparing to pass a Harkin-proposed, Obama-endorsed, $23 billion bailout for teachers by attaching it to an “emergency” appropriation for the war in Afghanistan. (Passing major — and highly suspect – education legislation by attaching it to something to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577389 Tue, 18 May 2010 17:39:02 +0100 3577389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549290&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhVJq0fk1kyM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI frequently argue that government spending is the problem, not budget deficits. Regardless of whether it is financed by taxing or borrowing, every penny of spending diverts resources from the productive sector of the economy. I narrated a video explaining why excessive spending is bad from a theoretical perspective. I did another looking at the empirical evidence for smaller government. And I had another video discussing why deficits are a symptom and the real problem is bloated budgets. Nonetheless, some people seem convinced that deficits and debt are the real problem. While I think that focus is a bit misguided, I certainly agree that there is something utterly immoral about spending today and imposing a fiscal burden on future taxpayers (especially since so much g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549290 Mon, 10 May 2010 14:27:15 +0100 3549290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3530028&cid=t_166768_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fk9HNoSpWCpM%2F Three years ago, a federal law was enacted that provided incentives to states to pass their own versions of the False Claims Act, which allows people who are not affiliated with the government to file lawsuits against federal contractors claiming fraud against the government. There have been a spate of these whistleblower, or qui tam, lawsuits in the pharma world lately (see here, here and here). The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice were chartered with overseeing whether the states are meeting the qualifications that would allow them to receive a share of any proceeds recovered. And so last week, Senator Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, who regularly probes drugmakers, wrote the agencies because only 14 states are... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3530028 Tue, 04 May 2010 15:44:30 +0100 3530028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526729&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGl-Vi6sm0QU%2F This study also emphasizes that where people perceive the tax rate as too high, an increase in the (marginal) tax rate will lead to a decrease in tax revenue. It is worth noting the Schneider’s research also shows why Obama’s tax policy is very misguided. The President wants to boost the top tax rate by nearly five percentage points, and that’s on top of the big increase in the tax rate on saving and investment included in Obamacare. Based on Schneider’s research, we can expect America’s underground economy to expand. Shifting back to Greece, Schneider does not claim that tax rates are the only factor determining compliance. But his research indicates that more onerous enforcement regimes are unlikely to put much of a dent in tax evasion unless accompanied by ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526729 Mon, 03 May 2010 12:41:10 +0100 3526729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508174&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGd0Qo8ejPZU%2F By David BoazIt was a good idea to get science and democracy from the ancient Greeks. It’s not such a good idea to get fiscal policy from the modern Greeks. But that’s the way we’re headed. Greece has a budget deficit of 13.6 percent. We’re not in that league — ours is only 10.6 percent, the highest level since 1945. Greece has a public debt of 113 percent of GDP. We’re not there yet. But the 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached nearly $107 trillion. Under President Obama’s budget, debt held by the public would grow from $7.5 trillion (53 percent of GDP) at the end of 2009 to $20.3 trillion (90 percent of GDP) at the end of 2020. It could rise to 215 percent of GDP in 30 year... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508174 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:13:47 +0100 3508174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3504897&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEV-gfxTNYqA%2F By David BoazConcern about the pay, benefits, and performance of government employees seems to be growing. Chris Edwards’s articles on how government pay is outpacing private-sector pay have generated media attention, cartoons, and angry rebuttals from the head of the federal Office of Personnel Management. Steven Greenhut has a new book, Plunder! How Public Employee Unions Are Raiding Treasuries, Controlling Our Lives and Bankrupting the Nation, and is writing lots of newspaper articles on the high costs of government unions, also the topic of a recent Cato Policy Analysis. New Jersey unions are not finding much sympathy as they try to hold on to their raises, benefits, pensions, and work rules in the face of Gov. Chris Christie’s attempt to cut the budget. Liberal journalist... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3504897 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:08:35 +0100 3504897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494510&cid=t_166768_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F04%2F21%2Fdemocrats-and-the-economy-its-always-happy-hour%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Democrats and the Economy: It’s Always Happy Hour. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, deficit, democrats, economy, national debt, political cartoon (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494510 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:20:42 +0100 3494510 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483080&cid=t_166768_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F04%2F19%2Fnasa-obama-and-the-angry-red-voters%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. NASA, Obama and the Angry Red Voters. Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, deficit, democrats, midterm elections, nasa, national debt, obama, political cartoon, space program (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483080 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:25:30 +0100 3483080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453888&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv4Qyws5guZs%2F By Michael F. CannonFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a speech in Dallas yesterday where he inadvertently discredited claims that ObamaCare would reduce health care costs and the federal deficit.  According to The Washington Post: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned Wednesday that Americans may have to accept higher taxes or changes in cherished entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security if the nation is to avoid staggering budget deficits that threaten to choke off economic growth… While the immediate audience for the speech was the Dallas Regional Chamber, his message was intended for Congress and the Obama administration… Bernanke has urged Congress to address long-term fiscal imbalances in congressional testimony before, but usually only when he... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453888 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:44:29 +0100 3453888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453889&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsRYR1PTv2zc%2F By Daniel J. MitchellEven though I’ve been in Washington almost 25 years, I am endlessly amazed at the chutzpah of people who support higher spending and bigger government while piously lecturing the rest of us about the need to control deficits. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is a good (though “bad” might be a better term) example of this hypocrisy. He was an avid supporter of bailouts and so-called stimulus, yet the Washington Post reports that he is now hectoring us to be fiscally responsible: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned Wednesday that Americans may have to accept higher taxes or changes in cherished entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security if the nation is to avoid staggering budget deficits that threaten to choke off economic growth. “Th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453889 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:40:54 +0100 3453889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3436289&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F03%2Ffaa-still-stigmatizes-depression-mental-illness%2F The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday cleared pilots who have depression to regain their flying privileges, with one tiny caveat — they have to be taking one of only four “approved” antidepressants. I can only express my extreme disappointment at this decision, because while it has the potential to help pilots take to the air again if they were suffering from depression, it fails to recognize other effective treatments for depression. Apparently the FAA doesn’t recognize the effectiveness of psychotherapy in the treatment of depression. This despite something on the order of four decades’ (or more) worth of research demonstrating its effectiveness for everything from mild to severe depression. In fact, if anything, there’s more resear... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3436289 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:27:15 +0100 3436289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420443&cid=t_166768_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrmtojKKPe6g%2F By Michael F. CannonFrom Robert J. Samuelson’s column in today’s Washington Post: When historians recount the momentous events of recent weeks, they will note a curious coincidence. On March 15, Moody’s Investors Service — the bond rating agency — published a paper warning that the exploding U.S. government debt could cause a downgrade of Treasury bonds. Just six days later, the House of Representatives passed President Obama’s health-care legislation costing $900 billion or so over a decade and worsening an already-bleak budget outlook. Should the United States someday suffer a budget crisis, it will be hard not to conclude that Obama and his allies sowed the seeds, because they ignored conspicuous warnings. A further irony will not escape historians. F... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420443 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:51:16 +0100 3420443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411132&cid=t_166768_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F27%2Fhealthy-minds-across-america-from-narsad%2F I’m happy to bring you the following news release from the organization formerly known as the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, but now it just goes by its acronym, NARSAD. They are hosting a number of educational discussions across the U.S. throughout April that may be of interest to you. Beginning Saturday, April 10th, thousands of families throughout the United States will have a rare opportunity to learn about new breakthroughs and emerging treatments in mental health by the nation’s best and brightest mental health researchers. “Healthy Minds Across America,” a series of free forums open to the public, will take place every weekend from April 10 – May 8, culminating with the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. The events, org... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411132 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 10:07:34 +0100 3411132