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 'house'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:53:02 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5182065&cid=t_104705_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FI8F8AzUnEz4%2F We are pleased to announce that full recordings for all presentations delivered during the 2011 SharpBrains Summit: Retooling Brain Health for the 21st Century (March 30 — April 1, 2011) are now available both to Summit Participants and to non-Participants. You can Learn More Here and Access 40+ Talks and 20+ hours of up-to-date information and analysis of brain science, technology and innovation, delivered by nothing short of a world-class faculty. –> Reg­is­tered Sum­mit Par­tic­i­pants can access all Ses­sion Record­ings by click­ing on the ses­sion titles in the Agenda page and using the same Username and Password they used to participate in the Summit. –> Didn’t Reg­is­ter to Par­tic­i­pate in the 2011 Sharp­Brains Sum­mit but want to access all Ses­... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5182065 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:21:34 +0100 5182065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5131087&cid=t_104705_180_f&fid=38612&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fpickthebrain%2FLYVv%2F%7E3%2FqA6AHmk7U7g%2F Everyone would rather do anything at all except clean the house. Time spent cleaning feels like time wasted that could be used doing something fun. When cleaning is viewed as a chore instead of as an aspect of family life, the person stuck with cleaning feels imprisoned. Spend some time deciding what you hate about cleaning and then use these ten tips to embrace housecleaning as something that can become a good habit. 1. Cleaning supplies Maintain a sufficient supply of quality cleaning solutions that work well and can be used consistently. Purchase sponges, cloths, brooms, dusters, and a vacuum cleaner that are sturdy and will last for years. Buying good quality supplies will eliminate one frustrating aspect of cleaning the house. 2. Storage areas Designate certain areas for items that ar... PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5131087 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 22:15:09 +0100 5131087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096193&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FN-g7Cqy56zw%2F By Robin Strongin. In the 1993 movie Dave, the temp agency owner posing as the President of the United States (if you haven’t seen the film, just trust me on this) is determined to come up with the funding to save a federal homeless shelter program.  Gathering all of the cabinet officials together with pencils, legal pads and calculators, they brainstorm different wasteful programs that can be cut, totaling numbers as they go, until they come up with the necessary $350 million. A bit of Hollywood silly escapism?  No doubt.  But, you can say this for President Dave and his fictional cabinet.  At least they approached the budget process with a constructive purpose and vision. We can only hope that the same holds true for the supercommittee, the panel of 12 Senators and Representatives ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096193 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:36:23 +0100 5096193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050816&cid=t_104705_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Ffunding-issues-are-here-stay Got money worries? Join the club! We’re not trying to be (too) flip, but that essentially sums up our take on a recent presentation by David W. Roberts, MPA, vice president of government relations for HIMSS, at the 20th Annual Physician-Computer Connection Symposium sponsored by the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050816 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:06:04 +0100 5050816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028153&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2BZuoMHpplg%2F By Chris EdwardsSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has offered the president a way to raise the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion without having to cut spending. The WaPo reports that “McConnell’s strategy makes no provision for spending cuts to be enacted.” This appears to be an epic cave-in and completely at odds with McConnell’s own pronouncements in recent months that major budget reforms must be tied to any debt-limit increase. House Republicans should obviously reject McConnell’s surrender, and they should do what they should have done months ago. They should put together a package of $2 trillion in real spending cuts taken straight from the Obama fiscal commission report and pass it through the House tied to a debt-limit increase of $2 trillion. Then they shouldn’t budge... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028153 Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:37:47 +0100 5028153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984688&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F00EJHTbmsSw%2F Three years after the FDA linked the Heparin scandal to contaminated supplies from China, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is expanding a probe into the episode and wrote 10 drugmakers, manufacturer reps and ingredients suppliers for documents, because the agency has indicated they have info about the Chinese heparin industry and supply chains. The move comes after the committee has twice lashed out at the FDA for failing to find those responsible for the scandal, which was linked to 81 deaths in 2007 and 2008 and traced to heparin sold by Baxter International (back story). The fatalities provoked harsh criticism of the FDA for not conducting greater oversight of foreign facilities - particularly those in China that make medicines or supply active pharmaceutical ingredients. Baxter... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984688 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:55:31 +0100 4984688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975825&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs2-Usb210eI%2F By Sallie JamesSen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,  Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the White House have just announced that they have made a deal to extend Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA, the program that extends extra unemployment and health care benefits to workers who lose their jobs because of globalization) until 2013, as part of a broader deal that would see passage of the three outstanding preferential trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The extension of TAA would be included in the legislation to implement the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, “improved” (i.e., made less liberalizing) by the administration in December. Interestingly and alarmingly, because implementing the FTAs... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975825 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:17:38 +0100 4975825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976143&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FoeS-0L-N_Ro%2F We have, here in Boulder, an excellent tea shop, shelves full of just about anything other than coffee that you’d want to steep in a pot of hot water. They have several varieties of Pu-erh tea. This is the kind that comes in large, Frisbee-shaped cakes, compressed that way to stand the rigors of traveling back to Venice with Marco Polo. Milder than I thought it would be, not as smoky. Hoping that drinking it will convince me to stop trying to write and to go to sleep like a normal person. Filed under: Ephemera Tagged: China, Pu-erh tea, tea, Tea house (Source: white pebble) white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976143 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:32:39 +0100 4976143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953139&cid=t_104705_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F06%2Faph-position-paper-on-iq-testing-with.html A new position paper (from the Accessible Tests Department of the American Printing House for the Blind) on IQ testing with individuals who are blind or visually impaired is now available here.- iPost using BlogPress from my Kevin McGrew's iPad (Source: Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner)) Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953139 Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:02:00 +0100 4953139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934437&cid=t_104705_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.whitehouse.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fuploads%2F2011ruralcouncil_eo_rel.pdf Is it even possible anymore to seem unbiased when reporting on politics or the workings of government? As hard as I try sometimes, there’s always someone who thinks I’m taking a particular side. The latest example came today in a story I wrote for InformationWeek about the Obama administration’s new White House Rural Council. Created by executive order last week, the council “will focus on actions to better coordinate and streamline federal program efforts in rural America, and to better leverage federal investments,” according to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, chair of the council. That’s obviously the Obama administration’s line. Yet within a couple of hours of the story being posted, someone offered this comment: Okay, let me see if I got the right... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934437 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:53:39 +0100 4934437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872472&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FadgmeRx2WXw%2F The Obama administration is urging the US Supreme Court to review a complicated and controversial case that may alter the way brand-name drugmakers use patent law to delay generic competition. At issue is the ability of generic drugmakers to seek FDA approval under a provision of the Hatch-Waxman Act to market a drug for uses not covered by patents held by brand-name drugmakers. Not surprisingly, the case has generated considerable interest in the generic industry, as a quick peek at the Supreme Court docket makes clear (see here to see who has filed a brief). Wall Street, for instance, has signaled that, if the status quo continues, brand-name drugmakers will have found a new means of fending off unwanted generic rivals. In a statement, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association says the Supr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872472 Fri, 27 May 2011 13:08:59 +0100 4872472 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862504&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_TuAm-tfiww%2F By Tad DeHavenHarold Camping is “flabbergasted” that the world did not end on May 21st as he had predicted. I think it’s because he didn’t account for the devastation that will be wrought by Republican budget cuts for fiscal 2012, which doesn’t begin until October 1st. Therefore, Camping’s new predication that the world will end on October 21st is much more plausible. Yesterday the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee that deals with agriculture and nutrition programs passed its bill, which will now be considered by the full committee. According to the committee’s numbers, discretionary funding for these programs in 2012 would be $17.2 billion – a $2.7 billion reduction versus 2011. According to a statement released by the subcommittee’s ranking member, Sam Far... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862504 Wed, 25 May 2011 20:28:46 +0100 4862504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853252&cid=t_104705_167_f&fid=38271&url=http%3A%2F%2Frebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F22%2Fthe-obamas-dont-diet-and-neither-should-you-its-a-lifestyle%2F My heart is full at this very moment. It’s not often that positive messages about healthy living get out there. It’s RARE that the word “DIET” is out there in a negative or neutral context. But that’s exactly what happens in this video with Sam Kass, White House Chef when he said “we don’t diet – it’s a lifestyle”. THANK YOU! It is so important for the public to hear dieting in a negative context. People equate healthy living to dieting. That is not the case. Changing your behaviors to eat more nutritious may feel like “dieting” because it is so new, but when you eat healthy, nourishing foods your body will naturally lose weight if you need to. People also equate “not dieting” to eating without any boundar... Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853252 Sun, 22 May 2011 02:23:38 +0100 4853252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820809&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwNPlaBvH9Rs%2F By Jim HarperThe fiscal 2012 Department of Homeland Security spending bill is starting to make its way through the process, and the House Appropriations Committee said in a release today that “the bill does not provide $76 million requested by the President for 275 additional advanced inspection technology (AIT) scanners nor the 535 staff requested to operate them.” If the House committee’s approach carries the day, there won’t be 275 more strip-search machines in our nation’s airports. No word on whether the committee will defund the operations of existing strip-search machines. Saving money and reducing privacy invasion? Sounds like a win-win. House Approps Strips TSA of Strip-Search Funds is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820809 Fri, 13 May 2011 19:04:39 +0100 4820809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775373&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIn343nt1Z4k%2F By George Scoville Habeas corpus applies to anyone, citizen or not, in custody under American law, no matter what President Bush and President Obama decree. House Republicans’ cuts to the Department of Education, which will spend over $70 billion next year, didn’t even amount to $1 billion. “Regardless of whether Pakistan gets its way, its impudence in pushing Afghanistan to abandon America exposes the real balance of power in the region.” “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to refer to a government whose intelligence service assists military efforts by al Qaeda and the Taliban against U.S. troops in Afghanistan as an ‘ally.’” Here are five ways to cut military spending today without changing our strategic focus: Monday Links is a post f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775373 Mon, 02 May 2011 14:29:08 +0100 4775373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753675&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXE0b4fdwzns%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Is Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s announcement today that he will not seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, and the reason he gave for his decision, the right call? My response: Gov. Barbour’s explanation for why he will not seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination — because a candidate today “is embracing a ten-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else,” and he cannot make such a commitment — is not only refreshingly candid but points to a much deeper problem. We are moving inexorably not simply to news but to politics 24/7/365. And what better example than our current part-time president who, with no primary challenger in sight, is already on the campaign trail (d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753675 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:32:23 +0100 4753675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723946&cid=t_104705_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F16%2Fcan-drug-rehabs-treat-mood-disorders%2F Awhile back the Washington Post ran an excellent article by Maia Szalavitz entited, “So, What Made Me an Addict? Experts Debate Whether Disease or Defect Is to Blame.” This question is so crucial to how we treat persons suffering from both addiction and mental disorders, and especially how we deal with those with dual-diagnoses. Just after I was discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital, a friend of mine strongly encouraged me to go away to a halfway house of sorts for three or more months … where they treat addicts primarily, and some persons battling mental illness … in order to allow time to heal. I ran it by my doctor. Did she think three months of AA meetings and yoga and group therapy would pull me out of my depression? Her response was interesting, and one I re... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723946 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 12:10:54 +0100 4723946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719882&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8cM-DqmEp10%2F By George Scoville Penalizing millionaires won’t help President Obama get re-elected, but partnering with Republicans on corporate tax reforms and spending cuts would boost the economy — and his prospects. Of course, both Republicans and President Obama will have to stop pretending to cut defense spending if either want the economy to recover. Chasing the energy independence white rabbit isn’t helping much, either. Soaking the rich definitely won’t work. When you look back at the grueling [sic] debate over an underwhelming $38 billion in spending cuts, you realize the fight was never about cutting spending–it was over how much to grow the size and scope of government: Friday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719882 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:57:51 +0100 4719882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684278&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM-AHhGfm6-Y%2F By George Scoville Republicans have a big opportunity to undo Obamacare and reform Medicaid and Medicare all at once. It's a good thing, too, because we're facing a big debt crisis and if we don't change course, federal spending will crest 42% of GDP by 2050. There's also a big elephant in the room in an excessively complicated tax code. One has to wonder if the Republicans intend to put the big sacred cow of defense spending on the table. Unrelated to the budget, education choice proponents scored a big victory in the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday in ACSTO v. Winn, a decision that upheld education tax credits: Tuesday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684278 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:13:52 +0100 4684278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676762&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fuv0ru12imco%2F By George Scoville "One of the first rules of negotiating is never to threaten to do something unless you are prepared to do it." Policymakers and pundits assume the U.S. is so dominant that we're prepared to fight multiple fronts at once, and that it won't affect our security. Candidates for office should prepare to raise money, not rely on taxpayer subsidies. More market liberalization could help prepare Japan for any other natural disaster. Are Tea Party-backed Republicans prepared to go the distance on spending cuts? Monday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676762 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:42:02 +0100 4676762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653303&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxVmzFqAFTaU%2F By Tad DeHavenLast year the House Republican leadership created the GOP’s “YouCut” website, which offers several possible spending cuts for citizens to vote on. The cut with the most votes goes to the House floor for an up-or-down vote. It’s a decent idea, but unfortunately, most of the cuts the GOP have offered thus far only amount to chump change. This week the House Republican leadership finally put the Pentagon on the YouCut chopping block. However, the possible cuts suggested by the GOP are pathetic: 1. Reduce the Department of Defense’s printing and reproduction budget by 10 percent ($36 million in savings in fiscal 2012). 2. Reduce spending for Defense studies, analysis and evaluations by 10 percent ($24 million in savings in fiscal 2012). 3. Restrict payout of annual nati... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653303 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 21:26:56 +0100 4653303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642594&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-lisa-sanders-medical-detective%2F2011.03.27 If you follow me regularly, you know I enjoy watching the Fox television drama House M.D. on Monday nights (although I often watch the recording later in the week). Doctor Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is a sorry character but a terrific diagnostician.  In almost every episode someone is on the brink of death from an elusive illness when House’s “light bulb” goes on and, in a flash, he saves the patient’s life by proving himself to being the world’s best medical detective. Doc Hollywood??? Dr. Lisa Sanders is watching 3,000 miles away in New Haven, Connecticut where she teaches first and second year med students at Yale how to learn to be House-type medical detectives – but much more respectful ones. She is like that herself. She’s so good at it she writes a medical column fo... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642594 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:00:53 +0100 4642594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622225&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWEHRDrj1FVE%2F By Tad DeHavenLast year I noted that the White House Office of Management and Budget homepage featured a call from the president to “invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt.” Yet, the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of his then-current budget proposal showed that publicly held debt as a share of GDP would rise like the steep slope of a mountain under his policies. The president’s latest budget proposal was released in February, and according to the CBO’s preliminary analysis, Obama would once again leave “our people” with a mountain of debt: Given that the quote is clearly embarrassing, one would think that the White House would have taken it down by now. But it’s still there. Return to Debt Mountain is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institut... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622225 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:01:29 +0100 4622225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600522&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FP80T-EmXiK8%2F By Jim HarperAt least one report has it that a Commerce Department official will announce the Obama administration's support for "baseline privacy legislation" at a Wednesday Senate Commerce Committee hearing. You mean, like, the Fourth Amendment? If only it were so. The action is in the House Government Reform Committee, which is holding a hearing on the Transportation Security Administration's strip-search machines. What's the administration's "baseline privacy policy" on that? I've already written two posts in the last year (1, 2) titled "Physician, Heal Thyself"... Obama Administration to Take a Stand on Privacy, But it Ain’t Fixing the Strip-Search Machine Morass 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=4600522 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:30:27 +0100 4600522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592362&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY7tesAuqJ3E%2F By Mark A. CalabriaAs Congress and the White House continue to debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, one of the oft heard concerns is that if we eliminate all the various mortgage subsidies in our system, then the cost of a mortgage will increase.  There certainly is a basic logic to that concern.  After all, why have subsidies if they don't lower the price of the subsidized good.  Of course some, if not all, of said subsidy could be eaten up by the providers/producers of that good. All this begs the question, with all the subsidies we have for mortgage finance, are mortgages actually cheaper in the U.S.?  While not perfect, one way of answering that question is to look at mortgage rates in other countries.   Although every developed country has some sort of government in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592362 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:19:20 +0100 4592362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570527&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGUU2a_74L4w%2F By Mark A. CalabriaWith State AGs and the Federal Government pushing to further extend the mortgage foreclosure process for late borrowers, one might assume that these government officials believe that further delay has no costs, and is at most a transfer from the lender to the borrower.  Judging from the results of a recent working paper, by economists Shuang Zhu and Kelley Pace at Louisiana State, they would be wrong.  Further foreclosure delays impose significant costs, not just on the economy and lenders, but also on other borrowers. Zhu and Pace start with the observation:   "The longer the period between first missing payment and foreclosure sale, the more valuable the default option becomes. The borrower preserves the option to either keep defaulting or cure the default in the f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570527 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:19:05 +0100 4570527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565902&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fniche-science-and-targeted-medicines-vs-magic-bullets%2F2011.03.09 Maybe you read the other day in The New York Times that the pharmaceutical industry has a problem. Big blockbuster drugs like Lipitor are going off patent and the industry leaders don’t have new blockbusters showing promise to replace them. So the big companies search for little companies with new discoveries and they consider buying them. Industry observers think the days of $5 billion-a-year drugs to lower cholesterol or control diabetes may be past for awhile, and the companies will have smaller hits with new compounds for autoimmune conditions and cancer. When I saw my oncologist for a checkup yesterday — the news was good — we chatted about the article and the trend toward “niche science.” We welcomed it. We didn’t think — from our perspective — the wor... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565902 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:30:58 +0100 4565902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560247&cid=t_104705_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=4549735&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXMbyjb3qMVo%2F By Tad DeHavenWhile Congress haggles over Republican ambitions to trim $61 billion in funding for domestic discretionary programs, it’s important to remember that mandatory (or “entitlement”) spending is the main driver of recent and future budget growth. The following chart compares fiscal 2007 spending to the president’s proposal for fiscal 2012 for the largest areas of overall federal spending: Note that the area of spending that has increased the most dramatically is “other mandatory.” Major programs in this category range from food stamps to retirement and disability benefits for federal workers. The following chart shows the increase in spending for the largest of these programs: This area of spending, and the programs that it consists of, are often forgotten in the deb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549735 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:54:18 +0100 4549735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4545073&cid=t_104705_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2F2auDQU_j8WI%2F CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Accelerating the Future of Personalized Medicine, Evian Gordon, MD, PhD and Stephen H. Koslow, PhD -> Learn More and Register to Participate in the Summit Here, and get a chance at getting a complimentary copy of the book Integrative Neuroscience and Personalized Medicine! (Source: SharpBrains) SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4545073 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:40:11 +0100 4545073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536049&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_5nSumydwHM%2F By Michael F. CannonYesterday, the Senate Finance and House Energy & Commerce committees released a joint report on the costs that ObamaCare’s Medicaid mandate will impose on states.  That report, which is based on other reports, likely understates the cost of that unfunded mandate. In “Estimating ObamaCare’s Effect on State Medicaid Expenditure Growth,” Cato senior fellow Jagadeesh Gokhale constructed cost projections for the five largest states -- California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas -- which account for 40 percent of the nation’s population.  Gokhale carefully decomposed and organized micro-data and state-specific administrative data on Medicaid eligibility, enrollments, benefit recipiency, and average benefits per recipient.  Gokhale’s more meticulous a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536049 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:50:03 +0100 4536049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507259&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY60N5hY7X-Q%2F By Tad DeHavenTalk of a government shutdown is heating up. The current continuing resolution funding the government is set to expire on March 4th. Last week, House Republicans passed a bill that would fund the remainder of fiscal 2011 at $61 billion below fiscal 2010 levels. Senate Democrats are balking at the $61 billion in cuts and the president has issued a veto threat. The following chart measures $61 billion in cuts against the president's fiscal 2011 estimates for total federal spending, the deficit, and interest on the debt: As the chart shows, the proposed cuts amount to less than a third of what taxpayers will pay in interest on the debt alone this year. The $61 billion in cuts, which are woefully insufficient, would come from a relatively small category of government spending (n... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507259 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:37:45 +0100 4507259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489636&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fe2n1jTBYksY%2F By Christopher PrebleIn testimony yesterday before the House Armed Service Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated that the United States has an “interest” in keeping troops in Iraq past the agreed date of withdrawal, December 31, 2011.  Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) pressed Gates by asking: How can we maintain all of these gains that we've made through so much effort if we only have 150 people there and we don't have any military there whatsoever," Hunter asked. "We'd have more military in Western European countries at that point than we'd have in Iraq, one of the most central states, as everybody knows, in the Middle East? The logic of Rep. Duncan’s question provides some interesting context. His logic implies that the thousands of U.S. troops stationed in wealthy, develo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489636 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:48:45 +0100 4489636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489648&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNnhrw_B-YzQ%2F By Chris EdwardsI testified today to a a subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee looking at the effects of the 2009 stimulus bill (the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act"). Some of the discussion regarded the continuing claims by stimulus supporters that the $800 billion bill created millions of jobs. To most people, such a claim now seems laughable--unemployment is still very high two years later and the recovery from the recession is very sluggish compared to prior recessions. Also testifying was Stanford economist John Taylor, who offered a view on why economists using Keynesian models are still claiming success for the ARRA bill: "Why do some argue that ARRA has been more effective than the facts presented here indicate? Many evaluations of the i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489648 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 21:04:46 +0100 4489648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489652&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCUijtZ1nf7g%2F By Sallie JamesWhile I fully agree with my colleagues that President Obama "chickened out" in general in his FY2012 budget proposal, in one area he had the courage to propose some cuts that have proven controversial for ages: farm subsidies.  His plan would lower the income eligibility limits for subsidies (from $500,000 to $250,000 for off-farm AGI per farmer, and an on-farm AGI limit of $500,000, down from $750,000.) It would also lower the cap on annual direct payments that individuals can receive -- from a maximum of $40,000 to $30,000. The administration's proposal would affect only about 2 percent of the total recipients of direct payments -- subsidies that flow every year regardless of prices or farm output to owners of land that may or may not still be used for farming -- and... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489652 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:21:36 +0100 4489652 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472937&cid=t_104705_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F13%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attacks-on-reproductive-rights-edition%2F Three things this week that I think are important to focus on for advocates of reproductive rights and justice: HR3, HR358, and proposed cuts to Title X family planning funding and other women’s health services. I wrote about HR3 and HR358 at Our Bodies Our Blog this week. There, I note that I particularly appreciated the succinct explanations provided by Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times, excerpted below. 1) On HR3: One bill, the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” would eliminate tax breaks for private employers who provide health coverage if their plans offer abortion services, and would forbid women who use a flexible spending plan to use pre-tax dollars for abortions. Those restrictions would go well beyond current law prohibiting the use of federal money for ab... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472937 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:36:07 +0100 4472937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455253&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-7Qp5QEoT3o%2F By Sallie JamesIn the face of a likely loss, the House Republican leadership pulled a trade bill from consideration late yesterday afternoon rather than face yet another embarrassing defeat. CQ has the details [$]. The bill would have reauthorized the Andean Trade Preference Act, which gives specific tariff reductions on certain products from Andean countries, for a further six months. Hardly the sort of significant trade liberalization that would justify passing the other part of the bill -- a $2.4 billion per year extention of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, about which I blogged on Friday. Stay tuned, because unfortunately I doubt we've heard the last of this program. Trade Adjustment Assistance Bill Pulled is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455253 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:52:07 +0100 4455253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445776&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPrWigUj_7XQ%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: At his press conference this afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs distanced the Obama administration from former Egypt envoy Frank Wisner's suggestion over the weekend that Hosni Mubarak should stay in power as Egypt transitions to a new government. Was Wisner, a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt, right about that and about the potential for a power vacuum? My response: Wisner was half right, but on the Mubarak half he was almost certainly wrong. Transitions are messy -- at best. Ask the French about theirs two centuries and more ago. Occasionally they're done pursuant to existing constitutions. Ours from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution wasn't, despite which it wasn't all that messy. We were lucky. We had a relatively... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445776 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:08:51 +0100 4445776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419113&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMCajuqraBJ8%2F By Christopher PrebleThe new Egyptian cabinet was sworn in today amidst a seventh day of protests across the country.  For the White House, the continual tweaking of their response to the crisis, and declining to call for Mubarak to step-down, has left many in Egypt and the region wondering if the United States does in fact want to see the arrival of democracy to Cairo, or if it is simply content with allowing the status-quo to remain, with minor reforms.  Or perhaps they are just waiting for the chips to fall where they may. This illustrates the conundrum facing the Obama administration.  Over at The Skeptics, I examine this a bit further: The Obama administration is stuck with a policy not entirely of its own making – decades of U.S. taxpayer support for the Mubarak regime – but i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419113 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:44:50 +0100 4419113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399499&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzlNVVkOT6N0%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Although President Obama proposed a five-year, $40 billion per year freeze in non-security, discretionary spending, and Republicans want to cut spending by at least $100 billion a year, is either side serious about real spending cuts? My response: With uncontrolled deficits well into the future and a debt exceeding $14 trillion, for Obama to propose saving only $40 billion per year in discretionary spending over the next five years, while “investing” in pie-in-the-sky things like high-speed rail, wind farms, environmentally destructive ethanol, and the like, is worse than unserious — it’s an insult to our intelligence. Like Obama, many Republicans too treat military spending, among other things, as sacrosanct, but at leas... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399499 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:22:25 +0100 4399499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377554&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTJzTFPdiFrM%2F By William A. NiskanenA new House rule requires that every new bill or joint resolution introduced in the House include a statement citing the specific powers in the Constitution granted to Congress to enact the proposed law.  In the absence of such a statement, the clerk of the House will not accept the bill and it will be returned to the sponsor. This new rule may have two potentially valuable effects: For some time, this rule may have a valuable educational effect, reminding new House members, returning members, and the public that Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution authorizes only 18 federal powers – far fewer than the powers that the federal government has assumed, especially during the past 75 years. The constitutional citations for House bills that are approved would be pa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377554 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:12:28 +0100 4377554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360956&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fx4-cyYCDNMc%2F By Chris EdwardsGross federal debt just hit $14 trillion and will soon reach the legal limit of $14.3 trillion. House Republicans are wondering what spending reforms they can extract from the Democrats for their support of a debt-limit increase. I propose a “Cut and Cap” strategy. The GOP should insist on the $100 billion in initial cuts they promised, and also demand passage of a legal cap on overall federal spending. A simple form of such a cap would specify that total federal outlays cannot rise more than inflation plus population growth each year. If it did, the law would require that the president sequester, or cut, spending across-the board to meet the limit. The chart illustrates the power of such a cap. The top line shows total spending as projected under President Obama’s b... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360956 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:45:28 +0100 4360956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337908&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGE5MNSlFpJg%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Washington Times says that the upcoming farm bill re-write could “sow division in the GOP.” While House Republican leaders John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy voted against the 2008 farm bill, the new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), is a dedicated supporter of farm subsidies. The Times recalls Boehner’s comments on the 2008 farm bill: “The farm bill has often been abused by politicians as a slush fund for bizarre earmarks and wasteful spending projects, and the latest version … is no different,” Mr. Boehner, then the GOP minority leader, said at the time. It’s too bad then that the Boehner-friendly Republican Steering Committee, which decided the committee chairs, didn’t appear to blink at handing the agric... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337908 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:39:56 +0100 4337908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322492&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FhUVgTnkdu6g%2F By Michael F. CannonOne could argue that exempting ObamaCare from the PAYGO requirement is appropriate given the defects in current budget rules. By law, the CBO must follow certain rules when doing cost estimates of legislation and projecting federal spending under current law. Under those rules, CBO projects ObamaCare will reduce the deficit. No question. But Congress often defeats those budget rules by passing legislation with “pay fors” (i.e., spending cuts) that make the budget look better, yet are highly unlikely to be sustained because they are politically implausible. A good example of this is the “sustainable growth rate” formula, where Congress promises to ratchet down the government price controls that Medicare uses to pay physicians in future years. Cong... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322492 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:06:27 +0100 4322492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318311&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdCAQMHXCqlY%2F By Chris EdwardsA top agenda item for the incoming House Republicans is to immediately start cutting spending. The GOP promised to reduce “nondefense” (or alternatively “nonsecurity”) spending for 2011 to the 2008 level, representing a $100 billion cut. GOP leaders are now being accused of backsliding on that promise, so let’s take a look at the numbers. The idea is to reduce fiscal 2011 “budget authority” to the level it was in fiscal 2008. The chart shows the growth in nondefense budget authority since 2000. The spike in 2009 is from $265 billion in discretionary spending authorized in the “stimulus” bill. Congress currently has a “continuing resolution” in place that keeps 2011 spending at about the same level as 2010, as shown in the chart. Thus, the House GOP wi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318311 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:33:55 +0100 4318311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318316&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv3Wt14owxPE%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: In light of today’s reading of the Constitution in the new House, what misinterpretations of the Constitution do you regularly see in American politics? And are House Republicans implying that the previous Democratic majority did not have a firm grasp of the government’s founding document? My response: Thanks to the Tea Party, as I wrote in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, Congress seems to be rediscovering the Constitution — or at least many House Republicans seem to be. When members read the document aloud today, apparently for the first time in the nation’s history, they’ll be throwing down a marker: “We take the Constitution seriously, and intend to abide by its principles.” If true, how refreshing.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318316 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:14:08 +0100 4318316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313987&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLOu1IAoxepY%2F By Walter OlsonWhile others wish the new Congress well today on its swearing-in, I plan to light a 100-watt incandescent bulb and hoist a caffeinated alcoholic beverage in honor of a different milestone: starting today, the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee will no longer be under the control of Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Some lawmakers can talk a decent game about lean ‘n’ smart regulation, but no one ever accused Waxman of having a light touch. (The 900-page Waxman-Markey environmental bill, mercifully killed by the Senate, included provisions letting Washington rewrite local building codes.) He’s known for aggressive micromanagement even of agencies run by putative allies: his staff has repeatedly twisted the ears of Obamanaut appointees to complain that their... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313987 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:30:34 +0100 4313987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313992&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FV2VVba4E5A0%2F By Ilya ShapiroA few responses to my mention yesterday of the new House rule requiring each introduced bill to cite a specific constitutional provision for Congress’s authority to pass it asked me to elaborate on what this would mean in practice. Well, this is apparently a new thing so nobody knows exactly, but the Republican leadership has provided a fascinating memo providing guidance to all (not just GOP) lawmakers. First of all, the Constitution has to be cited “as specifically as practicable.”  For example: ”The constitutional authority on which this bill rests is the power of Congress to make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces, as enumerated in Article I, Section 8, Clause 14 of the United States Constitution.” ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313992 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:21:41 +0100 4313992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266149&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F12%2F16%2Fjohn-boehner-cries-and-atlas-shrugs%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. John Boehner Cries and Atlas Shrugs. My mother once complained about a TV show that featured too much “full frontal crying.” James Stewart Crying is not pretty. Even the most attractive folks don’t look good with their faces scrunched up, and a swollen red nose, and tiny slits where eyes used to be. Ugh. I’ve watched the footage: John Boehner Gets Weepy, Frequently. What’s the big deal? I don’t care a thing for the Iron John defense of male crying. I just think some people live in a cornball universe. Take James Stewart. Politically he was so conservative that he and his former roommate Henry Fonda had to stop talking politics in order to continue their long friendship. Read the rest on Politics Daily. John... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266149 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:22:18 +0100 4266149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245287&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJC0c-yGFhaI%2F By Daniel GriswoldWhere will the new Tea-Party-backed members of Congress come down on trade issues, such as the newly revised trade agreement with South Korea or the next farm bill? Those elected to the House are the biggest question marks because very few of them have had to think much about trade, never mind actually cast a vote on it. In an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer this week, I try to discern what direction the new members will take the generally pro-trade Republican Party, and which direction they should take it in light of the movement’s free-market, limited-government principles. For my full take, see “Are Tea Partiers Anti-trade?” Are Tea Partiers Anti-trade? 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=4245287 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:44:07 +0100 4245287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245290&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB3kZLGLHMRY%2F By Tad DeHavenHouse Republican leaders went with Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY) – a.k.a. “The Prince of Pork” – to chair the House Appropriations Committee. As I wrote last week, the prospect of Rogers chairing Appropriations is about as inspiring as re-heated meatloaf when it comes to his potential for pushing serious spending reforms. Republican leaders in the House chose to ignore the concerns of tea party activists and other proponents of limited government, who were more supportive of Rep. Jack Kingston’s (R-GA) dark-horse push for the chairmanship. Kingston’s plan to “change the culture” on Appropriations offered a lot of positive ideas suggesting that he was more in tune with the voters that gave Republicans the majority. Politico reported that Kingston received “the cold ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245290 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:30:42 +0100 4245290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237869&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxX0pzhYgrJs%2F By Tad DeHavenIn-coming House Speaker John Boehner’s endorsement of Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) for a seat on the chamber’s appropriations committee means that it’s probably a done deal. Flake is one of the few policymakers who actually lives up to the fiscal conservative label. Thus, Flake’s appointment to a committee that many members think only exists to increase spending on special interests would be welcome news. Boehner also endorsed a suggestion from Rep. Jeff Kingston (R-GA), who has mounted a dark-horse campaign to chair the appropriations committee, to create a subcommittee focused on investigating federal programs. Flake would chair this subcommittee, and according to a release on his website, he has already lined up worthy targets like Head Start and farm subsidies. How much... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237869 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:47:18 +0100 4237869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219728&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHQOZf2f0kHs%2F By Benjamin H. FriedmanIt is unclear whether New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) will make it to the Senate floor this year or if there are 67 votes for it if it does. According to the White House and arms control boosters, that uncertainty endangers us all by leaving Russia’s nuclear arsenal unmonitored and undermining our non-proliferation agenda. According to pundits, New START’s failure to pass in the lame-duck would be a grievous political wound for Obama adminstration, which is struggling to buy enough Republican votes for ratification. In an op-ed out today on the National Interest‘s website, Owen Cote and I say this talk is mostly hot air. New START just isn’t that big a deal. We write: [New START] would provide minor increases in intelligence and R... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219728 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:04:53 +0100 4219728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4219733&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuODHB7SGWHg%2F By Walter OlsonWe are told constantly that government can play a beneficial role in the marketplace by taking steps to make sure consumers are more fully informed about the risks of the goods and services they use. But what happens when the government itself helps spread health and safety information that is false or misleading? That question came up recently in the controversy over New York City’s misleading nutrition-scare ad campaign, and it now comes up again in a controversy over a new database of complaints about consumer products sponsored by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). As part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), Congress mandated that the CPSC create a “publicly available consumer product safety information database... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4219733 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:54:55 +0100 4219733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190115&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007669.html The recession in the industrialized countries was big enough to cause a small global decline in carbon dioxide emissions. In a paper published today in Nature Geoscience, the authors found that despite the major financial crisis that hit the world last year, global CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuel in 2009 were only 1.3 per cent below the record 2008 figures. This is less than half the drop predicted a year ago. The industrialized nations saw big drops in CO2 emissions. 8.6% for UK is much deeper than GDP figures would lead one to expect. The global financial crisis severely affected western economies, leading to large reductions in CO2 emissions. For example, UK emissions were 8.6% lower in... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190115 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4190115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175901&cid=t_104705_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspiewebnet%2F%7E3%2F0gZT8-VymrM%2F There is a new actress on FOX’s hit show House – that may have Aspergers if you ask me.  Her name is Martha Masters – a med student, and shes played by Amber Tamblyn.  In the show she clearly plays a brilliant woman, who has quite a bit of social challenges.  Even though she graduated [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175901 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:41:08 +0100 4175901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151757&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbqJ7Qd5olO4%2F By Tad DeHavenFollowing last week’s electoral victory, the House Republican leadership has been talking up its pre-election pledge to return federal spending to 2008 levels. As I’ve previously discussed, the Republicans are only talking about non-security, discretionary spending. This category of spending represents a relatively small portion of the overall federal budget, and would only shave about $100 billion off of what the president wants to spend. A better idea would be to cut total spending to 2008 levels. Excluding interest, the president has proposed spending $853 billion more in fiscal 2011 than the government spent in fiscal 2008. The following table shows the increases by department. As the chart shows, federal spending for the Pentagon alone is set to increase by $126 bil... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151757 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:01:44 +0100 4151757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107948&cid=t_104705_175_f&fid=39258&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FInsidePaTraining%2F%7E3%2FugGQCecnkno%2Fphysician-assistants-represented-in-washington As strident as midterm election politics were this year, and whatever your political stripe, you’ll probably be pleased to hear that the US House of Representatives will have its first PA in office when the 122nd Congress convenes this January.  With PA training and advocacy experience, and support from the American Association of Physician Assistants [...] (Source: Inside PA Training) Inside PA Training blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107948 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:03:27 +0100 5107948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133667&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQG5MLsIH_Zg%2F By Michael F. CannonNPR found two Republicans who caution House Republicans that their efforts to investigate ObamaCare could “backfire.” But all those hearings could also have the opposite effect — giving the administration a chance to make its case in favor of the law, a case that often got drowned out during the election campaign. “The next round of this, while there will continue to be the broad sloganeering on both sides, will presumably get a little bit more into the detail,” says Martin Corry, a health care lobbyist and former official at the Department of Health and Human Services during the Bush administration. “So if you’re a family with a 22-year-old still in college, you may not want to see that provision [that lets grown children stay on t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133667 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:55:13 +0100 4133667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133674&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fcnt0vRptNwQ%2F By David BoazTea Partiers are celebrating the biggest swing against the incumbent party in the House of Representatives since 1938. It always feels great to win an election. But the real job for fiscal conservatives and smaller-government advocates starts now. The usual pattern is that after the election the voters and the activists go back to their normal lives, but the organized interests redouble their efforts to influence policymakers. That’s part of concentrated benefits and diffuse costs, which we talk a lot about here. People who want something from government organize PACs, hire lobbyists, fly to Washington, make phone calls, make political contributions, take senators to dinner, and otherwise “know no rest by day or night” (in the words of economist Vilfredo Pare... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133674 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:38:39 +0100 4133674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074372&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F10%2Ftoday-is-the-day%2F … when our new house becomes ours. Every brick, tile, beam and cranny of it. We won’t be moving in for a week or so – there’s a certain amount of painting, cleaning and shelving that needs to happen first – but still, it’s now our home. I was going to write a post about how I feel, but instead I invite you to experience my glee for yourself by doing any or all of the following: - Run around squealing until you remember that you’re too old to run around squealing. Then run around squealing a bit more anyway. - Hug people at random. Hug them really, really tightly. - Walk around with a great big grin on all day. - Think only about good and exciting things in your life/house and completely block anything that is likely to be dull/dirty/expensive until... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074372 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:05:48 +0100 4074372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074043&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaF8faw0Z0fI%2F By Mark A. CalabriaWith the recent discovery of “robo-signers” and other paperwork problems in the mortgage foreclosure process, several prominent congressional Democrats have called for a national moratorium on mortgage foreclosures.  At least one large lender has already started to implement one.  A moratorium, however, would be irresponsible and harmful. And the White House is correct to oppose it. Whatever mistakes might have been made by lenders do not change the basic fact: most foreclosures are happening because the borrower is not paying the mortgage.  I recently talked to one large lender who said of their delinquent mortgages that over a fourth have not made a payment in over two years.  How exactly is someone who has been getting two years of free rent a victim?... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074043 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 16:25:24 +0100 4074043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055701&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJLcEQVaKnlw%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Will President Obama’s campaign finance attacks on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others resonate with voters over the next three weeks? My response: With so many senior advisors leaving the White House so early in the term, you have to wonder who’s left to advise the president except, well — the president. And judging from his attacks on corporate campaign spending generally and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in particular, you’re inclined to believe that that’s the case. After all, the attacks are perfectly consistent with the president’s larger agenda. As others here at the Arena have noted, not since the New Deal have we seen so sustained an anti-business political agenda as has come from this president. U... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055701 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:27:12 +0100 4055701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036622&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtH6P4GPzYM0%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, President Obama hosted the White House Summit on Community Colleges, and in-your-face love was in the air. President Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden, a community college professor, couldn’t keep their hands off their signficant other, lavishing all sorts of praise on their favorite little schools. Swooned Dr. Biden about the dreamy things community colleges do for their students: They are students like the mother who shared her experience with us on the White House website of working towards a degree while raising three children and straddling financial challenges.  Now employed and the holder of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, she wrote, “Community colleges didn’t just change my life, they gave me my life.” Community colleges do that e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036622 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:57:54 +0100 4036622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994057&cid=t_104705_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2Fgt-kkNfI74Q%2F I knew that my previous post about the cost to update an EMR would bring out the people who like to back the SaaS EMR model versus those who like to back the Client Server EMR. As I’ve said before, it’s one of the most heated debates you can have in the EMR space. I realized in the comments of that post why it’s such a heated topic. It’s because once an EMR software chooses to go down one path or the other, it’s nearly impossible to be able to switch paths. Why? Cause if you do choose to switch you basically have to just code a new application all over. Basically, the switching costs are enormous. So, only a few software companies (let alone EMR software companies) ever change from one to the other. Considering the high switching costs, that basically means th... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994057 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:51:37 +0100 3994057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3959929&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftweeting-your-own-heart-attack%2F2010.09.11 It’s funny, until it’s not: Opportunity + Instinct = Profit. A good journalist can sense the moment that a story is developing and seize the moment. That’s why when White House correspondent Tony Christopher started having a heart attack, he immediately logged into Twitter and started covering it: Approximately at 6pm on Sunday afternoon Christopher wrote, “I gotta be me. Livetweeting my heart attack. Beat that!” Presumably a few minutes later the paramedics arrived to tell Christopher he will be stable after his crisis. An hour later Christopher joked about needing to own a cardiac cat, referencing a viral video in which a cat is trying to revive his dead feline friend. He also updated his followers about the pain he was feeling, “even after the morphine.” So is this... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3959929 Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3959929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902865&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F6-things-you-should-clean-that-you-definitely-dont%2F photo: Thinkstock We consider ourselves to be pretty clean peeps. But we’ve got to admit that we don’t always sanitize the 6 oft-forgotten household items listed below. Ewww. Thanks for the reminder, Care2. 1. Reusable grocery bags. We’ve already covered this one, but we bet a lot of you still haven’t washed them. Because we sure haven’t. 2. Showerheads. In a study at University of Colorado, 30% of showerheads tested positive for Mycobacterium avium, a particularly nasty type of germ, as well as other bacteria. We really don’t like the sound of that, because we’ve never washed our showerhead. Oops. 3. Computer Keyboards. A 2008 study in England revealed that some keyboards have five times the bacteria of a toilet seat. WTF??? So, those of us who m... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902865 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:45:12 +0100 3902865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902861&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fhugh-laurie-on-math-and-morals%2F Now, my mom always said two wrongs don’t make a right. But she never said anything about four wrongs, and that always left me confused. – Hugh Laurie Post from: BlissTree Hugh Laurie on Math and Morals (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902861 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:00:08 +0100 3902861 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899377&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB5PWPWLtndw%2F The White House’s misbegotten “Summer of Recovery” continued today with the release of another administration “analysis” that purportedly demonstrates the stimulus’s success in “transforming” the economy. Vice President Joe Biden unveiled the report alongside Energy secretary Steven Chu and numerous businesses officials willing to serve as political props in return for Uncle Sam’s free candy. Biden bemoaned the nefarious “special interests” that were coddled by the previous administration. What does the vice president think those subsidized business officials attending his speech are called? The money the White House has lavished on these privileged businesses isn’t free. The money comes from taxpayers—including businesses that do not enjoy the favor of the White ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899377 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:06:08 +0100 3899377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872540&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3fWvmCBVC6U%2F By Roger PilonPolitico Arena asks today for continued comment on Obama’s Ground Zero mosque “correction.” My response Well, well: What a difference a day makes. Yesterday [Friday] most POLITICO Arena contributors – including law professors, shockingly – were falling over themselves to defend President Obama’s Friday night Ground Zero mosque remarks — on constitutional principle, no less — while a very few of us were cutting through that nonsense. Meanwhile, the president and the White House were struggling to get the word out that constitutional principle wasn’t really the point at issue here. It was, rather, the “wisdom” of building a mosque so close to Ground Zero. Now that we’re clear about that, perhaps Aren... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872540 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:29:44 +0100 3872540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862166&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F08%2Flook-what-we-found%2F   It’s perfect. Big rooms, lovely kitchen, a room just begging to be a library and space in the garden for a craft studio/writing space for me. Close to the family and dog-friendly (which I’m sure Joy will be along to tell you about in due course). Offer made. Offer accepted. Fingers crossed. (I wrote about our plans to move here.) (Source: Bah! to cancer) Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862166 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:48:17 +0100 3862166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862149&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FsA1uWDHDNtI%2F Am I allowed to speak of it? My life. I was always assured by my mother that discussing my life with others was not only rude but forbidden. Regardless of my own reasons for speaking, she told me that it was certain that anyone else would think I was being snobbish and aloof. It was a large house, an empty house, filled with only one child and that was me. Our house was one of only a very few houses that my grandfather had allowed to be built on the vast tracts of Ohio farmland near Cincinnati that he had bought at the beginning of the depression in the early 1930’s. The house that he had built for himself and my grandmother was in the style of an Argentinian ranch house, complete with a turret on top of the roof that gave a 360° view of the surrounding countryside and of the Ohio River... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862149 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:16:59 +0100 3862149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861996&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7JRVnrsWLHs%2F By Tad DeHavenThe White House Office of Management and Budget homepage currently features the following quote from the president: President Obama says he wants to “invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt.” That’s a curious statement because the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis of the president’s current budget proposal projects that publicly held debt as a share of the economy would reach levels last seen at the end of the Second World War. When the CBO’s numbers are plugged into a bar chart, the projected Obama debt levels (red bars) look like…the upward slope of a mountain (!): To be fair, Obama’s predecessors — particularly the previous Bush administration — share in the responsibility for the mountainous rise in federal debt. How... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861996 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:34:32 +0100 3861996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3827054&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOOs_v2bAWXU%2F By Neal McCluskeySending billions of federal taxpayer dollars to teachers and other public school employees is the bailout that just won’t die. It’s been sliced, shot up in a firefight between Democrats, and even had a battle with food stamps, but it just can’t be killed! Now, let’s be clear: This is not some wonderful crusade all about helping ”the children.” It is pure political evil, a naked ploy to appease teachers’ unions and other public school employees that Democrats need motivated for the mid-term elections. It has to be, because the data are crystal clear: We’ve been adding staff by the truckload for decades without improving achievement one bit. Since 1970 (see the charts below) public school employment has increased 10 times f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3827054 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:47:12 +0100 3827054 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3822888&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F192901%2F Redoing Your Kitchen? Here’s what to keep in mind while painting to keep the process eco-friendly and safe. (via The Green Guide) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822888 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:15:56 +0100 3822888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816390&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F28ndgD5nM_s%2F By Jim HarperWhen I first began tracking the results of President Obama’s Sunlight Before Signing promise to post bills coming from Congress online for five days before signing them, I quickly noticed that the White House was holding many bills for five days in the natural course of business, but not posting them, denying itself easy successes. Followers of this blog and that issue may recall seeing columns in my Sunlight Before Signing tables titled “Five Days?” That was to say, “Hey, White House! These are easy wins for you!” Well, as I reported in my last update, the White House has now made a practice of posting all bills on a special section of the Whitehouse.gov web site. And they are posting all the bills they receive. We no longer need to highlight tho... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816390 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 11:58:31 +0100 3816390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3812944&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fhelp-we-lose-things-a-lot%2F Contrary to what you might think, we’re not perfect here at Blisstree. We lose things. Well, really just one thing — the bathroom key. (Not to get graphic, but our loo is down the hall and we share it with the rest of the floor.) Our bathroom key probably has been lost at least ten times over the last three months. Many copies have been made (as have gentle threats to fellow employees). Nothing’s worked. So we’ve had to resort to extreme measures. Meet our new bathroom key: Do we feel stupid walking to the bathroom carrying one giant neon-green flip-flop? Yes. Yes, we do. But so far, it’s working. Now we want to know how you keep from losing small things like keys or children. Eventually, we’d really love to lose this Sandal of Shame, but right now we can&... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3812944 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:28:46 +0100 3812944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3808657&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fpresident-obama-on-the-view-damage-control-central%2F photo via NPR President Obama will appear on The View this Thursday — he’s the first U.S. president to appear on the show while in office. And there’s some controversy over the reason for and timing of his visit. Most people are assuming that he’s trying to do serious damage control after the Shirley Sherrod firing fiasco – Sherrod appeared on the program last week. The “soccer mom” audience who watches The View was particularly offended by Sherrod’s abrupt and unfounded dismissal from her post at the USDA. But the Obama administration insists that Barry is dropping by The View just for the hell of it, claiming that he likes to make non-traditional TV appearances. What do you think? Is Obama going to be plugging his apology for the Sherrod ordeal th... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3808657 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:32:40 +0100 3808657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780331&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-you-sacked-shirley-sherrod%2F Like Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack did this week, because of a cleverly edited video in which Sherrod’s remarks during an NAACP speech earlier this year were deliberately taken out of context. Predictably, the media heard the sound bytes and branded her a racist. So Vilsack and the White House canned her from her position as rural development director at the USDA. But then they watched the video in its entirety. (Better late than never, guys!) Now Vilsack and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs are sheepishly offering Sherrod lame apologies and hoping to reinstate her at the USDA. Morons. via CNN Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If...You Sacked Shirley Sherrod (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780331 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:24:53 +0100 3780331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3757845&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9WPTKoivBeI%2F By John SamplesI wrote yesterday about a candidate for the House of Representatives who offered an interesting and critical look at his experience as a state legislator in Michigan. This candidate, Justin Amash, both reads the bills he votes on and posts explanations for his votes on his Facebook page. Here are two of his explanations: Justin Amash just voted no on HBs 6038 and 6226, which impose stiff penalties and prison sentences on individuals who possess or use two synthetic drugs: one that mimics the effects of ecstasy and another that mimics the effects of marijuana. I have never possessed or used illicit drugs, nor should anyone. But this legislation is more about sensationalism than actual public protection. HB 6038 passed 105-1. HB 6226 passed 104-1. Justin Amash just voted no o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3757845 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:35:31 +0100 3757845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3750046&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAaXRKOE_Z9Q%2F By Jim HarperWhen the Telecommunications Act of 1996 passed, section 254 was dubbed the “Gore Tax” by detractors of the policy and the then-Vice President whose project it was. A system of cross-subsidy that was implicit in the old AT&T was made explicit as a tax on interstate telecom services—euphemistically referred to as a “contribution”—and expanded to reach to a small universe of sympathetic interests—more accurately, the telecommunications providers serving those interests. The amount of the “contribution” would be set by the Federal Communications Commission. That is, the agency would set the level of taxes on telecommunications, then hand out the money it produced by taxing. (I wrote previously about the Taxpayers Defense A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3750046 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:00:32 +0100 3750046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733053&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fshould-obama-bypass-senate-to-appoint-health-care-official%2F President Obama announced yesterday that he will bypass congress to appoint Dr. Donald M. Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The decision, called a “recess appointment”, is going through while senate is in recess, which many find surprising because it’s only in recess for a short amount of time. White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said that the appointment is needed to carry out the new health care law, which calls for big changes in both Medicare and Medicaid, affecting about 1/3 of all Americans. The New York Times quoted his statement that “many Republicans in Congress have made it clear in recent weeks that they were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.”... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733053 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:33:41 +0100 3733053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3723298&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Ftop-10-blisstree-posts-of-the-week%2F The long July 4th holiday weekend is finally here, and we hope you can take a little time out to kick back with our Top 10 Blisstree posts of the week. Catch up with us, then go outside and play catch with someone else. 1. 4th of July Desserts: Our 15 Favorite Red, White, and Blue Recipes on the Internet 2. Eating Disorders on TV and Film: 9 Female Characters Who Eat Everything and Never Gain Weight 3. Eco-Friendly 4th of July: 10 Patriotic Party Supplies for Under $10 4. Dating Rules: Kill ‘Em With Kindness After They Break Your Heart 5. Extreme Fitness With Lacey Stone: Bring It! to BOOTYcamp! or Just Go Home! 6. What Do Eva Longoria, Venus Williams, and Chris Martin Have In Common? They Sew. 7. Ten Ways to an Eco-Friendly Kitchen: Green Your House Series 8. Meatless Monday Recipe ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3723298 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 17:00:57 +0100 3723298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695537&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F184927%2F SEX, SEX, SEX! And also a nice book giveaway from Random House. But the only way to enter is to take our (anonymous) sex poll and then re-tweet it or leave a comment under the post or on our Facebook page. So there. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695537 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:42:56 +0100 3695537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695811&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F5VfHt3HMgy0%2F The recent rash of recalls, which has sullied the storied Johnson & Johnson image, actually reflects a series of production gaffes that go back several years, according to a report from CNN, which collected various FDA inspection reports by filing with Freedom of Information Act requests (watch the video here). The healthcare giant actually committed several violations that were detailed in inspection reports. Of course, companies with extensive manufacturing operations are likely to commit errors now and then, but the point CNN tries to make is that a pattern appears to exist. A December 2003 inspection report noted a mislabeling problem related to some lots of children’s soft-chew Tylenol; packages listed an incorrect amount of an ingredient per tablet. McNeil did not recall t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695811 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:01:04 +0100 3695811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690841&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmy-brothers-keeper-revisited%2F2010.06.23 A few weeks back, I had introduced a patient who was willing to let her religious beliefs stand in the way of receiving the proper medical treatment she needed to stay alive. I want to revisit with you this dying patient, who hadn’t known me or any doctor for over 30 years. As the rest of the family, who were not as committed to a religious path, stood by her expectantly, I said to her: “I had a brother who was a true believer in the power of God and that faith could heal all things or be called God’s will. Like you, he was a competent adult in charge of his decisions. He wouldn’t listen to anyone else — not his wife, father, mother, children, brother — not even me, the doctor. He died two years ago, leaving behind 10 children and a wife who depended on him. We all bel... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690841 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:11 +0100 3690841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687357&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0iCZukJSBk4%2F Once again, the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform is asking Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon to testify about the recent recall of more than 135 million bottles of various pediatric over-the-counter medicines, including Tylenol and Motrin, after a series of ongoing quality-control problems plagued different plants run by J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit. [UPDATE: As of 6 pm EST, the initial June 30 hearing date has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict. A new date has not been set, taking some heat off Weldon for now]. In a letter today, committee chair Ed Towns, a New York Democrat, wrote the usual boilerplate invitation to Weldon, who backed out of a May 27 hearing because he was said to be recuperating from recent back surgery. In his stea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687357 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:51:17 +0100 3687357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794798&cid=t_104705_93_f&fid=34787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmore-changes.html Due to the shifting numbers in the live intern ballot and logistics involved in attempting a renovation while only one of us is working, we have decided to put off the move until next year and I will be applying for the hospital that I have been at for a while, which is only about 20 minutes from my house (in traffic). We looked at moving to a place in between our works, and there are some lovely neighbourhoods that would be closer to his work (via the motorway, cutting out the big suburbs drive that he now has), still close to where my hospital would be (as well as other hospitals I might switch to) and that would allow us to upgrade our area, if not the house as much.My husband has only been working for his current employers for a little over a year, and most employers in his industry ar... The Girl with the Blue Steth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794798 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:25:00 +0100 3794798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678505&cid=t_104705_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fhouse-senate-medicare-doc-fix%2F Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is viewing the Senate passed version of the Medicare “doc fix” warily and says she sees no reason to pass that version. Because of this, the reimbursements arm of Medicare will start issuing checks to healthcare providers at the 21% reduced rate. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678505 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 15:30:03 +0100 3678505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665953&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPz2sF1lCrPs%2F By Michael F. CannonHouse Republicans say they will force a vote to repeal ObamaCare’s individual mandate, which will subject nearly all Americans to fines and/or imprisonment if they do not purchase a government-designed health insurance plan.  They are soliciting public feedback on their America Speaking Out website, which explains: We need to repeal and replace the health care law with common sense reforms that will actually lower health care costs and let Americans keep the plan they have and like. That’s why Republicans are offering a proposal to repeal the requirement forcing Americans to buy government-approved health insurance. Twenty states and the nation’s leading small business organization agree that this law is unconstitutional and that’s why they are suing to ove... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665953 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:10:20 +0100 3665953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662608&cid=t_104705_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Frep-frank-pallone-announces-june-16-hearing-bp-oil-spill-health-effects%2F New Jersey congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. has announced that the House Energy and Commerce Health subcomittee will hold hearings on June 16 to investigate the health concerns surrounding the massive BP oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon site. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662608 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:36:22 +0100 3662608 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794799&cid=t_104705_93_f&fid=34787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegirlwiththebluesteth.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Ftime-machinations-and-all-that-stuff.html I have completely switched my preferences around for the intern ballot. I figured that it was fairer on Mr TGWTBS to move somewhere closer to his work while we have the chance to do it (relatively) easily.The only problem is that this means we have to sell our house. Which means that I have to tidy and unclutter it. REALLY unclutter.I'm not a hoarder, but we have inherited furniture from his parents when they moved interstate, plus we kept some old cupboards that we had to buy for earlier rentals (which had no built-in wardrobes). Then there is all of the clutter of 6 years that builds up with time. I really need to get vicious and go through things that we haven't used or don't need any more. A lot of it can be donated or maybe sold, I just have to work out where and who I have to contact... The Girl with the Blue Steth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794799 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:02:00 +0100 3794799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655803&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl3UdLV7oLpI%2F The Johnson & Johnson recall scandal is threatening to envelope the healthcare giant in ways that, just a few months ago, no one could imagine. The latest twist involves a series of emails that appear to lend further credence to what a Congressional committee is calling a ‘phantom recall,’ which was allegedly undertaken to obscure serious problems with widely used over-the-counter pediatric medications. The episode is part of a long-running chain of events may prompt the FDA to consider criminal charges. At issue are quality-control failures that forced J&J to recently recall tens of millions of bottles of such venerable brands as Tylenol and Motrin, among others, which had been found to contain too much active ingredient or metallic specks. But instead of issuing a r... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655803 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:05:05 +0100 3655803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3635722&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fblooming-flower-video-of-the-day%2F We’d love to see this gorgeous Amaryllis on our kitchen counter. Seeing it bloom in time lapse is pretty amazing: Post from: BlissTree Blooming Flower: Video of the Day (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3635722 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:47 +0100 3635722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3610313&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-living-15-other-ways-to-use-toothpaste%2F photo: Thinkstock Since we just learned that those who brush their teeth fewer than twice a day have a 70% greater risk of heart disease, we’ll be stocking up on toothpaste from now on. So we may as well learn some new uses for it, which will save money, and help us avoid using chemical-filled cleaning products. Check out this handy list of alternative uses for toothpaste, thanks to Care2. 1. Put a drop of toothpaste on a bug bite, sore, or blister to stop itching and decrease swelling. It will dry the blemish out, and make it heal faster. 2. If you burn yourself on a cookie sheet or anything else that results in  a minor (unopened) burn, apply toothpaste delicately to the burn after it develops. The toothpaste will cool the sting and stop the burn from opening or oozing. 3. Before ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3610313 Fri, 28 May 2010 18:15:08 +0100 3610313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3607811&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F90th-s8CyCc%2F That’s what Ed Towns would like to see. The chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which yesterday held a hearing into the Johnson & Johnson recall scandal, vowed to introduce legislation that would permit the FDA to be able to conduct mandatory recalls (see this). This came after hearing how Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit committed numerous violations - various pediatric meds, including Children’s Tylenol, may have contained too much active ingredient, metal specks or inactive ingredients that failed testing requirements, according to testimony by FDA deputy commish Josh Sharfstein. There were also lengthy and inexplicable delays in reporting and rectifying the problems. Moreover, a contractor was hired to surrepti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3607811 Fri, 28 May 2010 16:16:47 +0100 3607811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603870&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPhSiCrehX9M%2F Worried about musty smelling Tylenol caplets? What about bacteria in your Benadryl? Wondering why Johnson & Johnson shut down its Fort Washington, Pa., facility? Curious to know what, if anything, the FDA did to forestall the sorry string of product recalls throughout the Johnson & Johnson empire? Puzzled as to how J&J finds itself in this mess? Can J&J maintain its storied image? At 10 am EST - that’s this morning, folks - the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing in an attempt to come up with some answers. YOU CAN WATCH THE HEARING RIGHT HERE (look for ‘connect to live webcast’). Among those testifying is Colleen Giggins, who heads J&J’s worldwide consumer health biz (that’s because J&J ceo Bill ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603870 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:56:17 +0100 3603870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599362&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-KTiUZ4RHcw%2F By Sallie JamesHouse Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D, MN) is conducting a series of hearings in rural America to tout his support for big Ag listen to the people. In the third paragraph of page 14 of an unofficial transcript of the recent hearings in Troy, Alabama, Mr. Peterson makes an excellent point about the fundamental inability of lawmakers or Washington bureaucrats to decide which farm size is best. “We are not going to get into the business of deciding how big a farm should be because that’s way beyond our expertise.” Mr Peterson has made cutesy, self-deprecating remarks before about how Washington isn’t smart enough to make farm management decisions. I guess even incredibly powerful incumbents feel some pressure from tea partiers to make cynic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599362 Tue, 25 May 2010 16:18:53 +0100 3599362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595893&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVV0SI3kd3zg%2F The preemption debate is not yet over. Several generic drugmakers want to preempt a product liability lawsuit brought by Gladys Mensing, a Minnesota woman who took a version of Wyeth’s Reglan heartburn med and developed a neurological disorder known as tardive dyskinesia, which causes involuntary muscle movements (the lawsuit). The drugmakers won a trial, but lost on appeal and want the US Supreme Court to decide the matter. So the Supreme Court has asked the US Solicitor General for its views on whether generic drugmaker can be sued over allegations that they failed to provide adequate risk information in their product labeling (see this). The drugmakers, which include Teva Pharmaceutical and Mylan’s UDL Laboratories, claim federal law preempts the lawsuit because it would req... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595893 Tue, 25 May 2010 12:48:04 +0100 3595893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3590449&cid=t_104705_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fthomas-goetz-has-wrong-debate-fda.html I think everyone in this space has been way off base as to what the problem is with FDA and Congress wanting to investigate the DTC Genomics companies. The whole mindset is wrong. What I hear from this debate is "It's my data, mine, mine, mine. Gimmee, Gimmee, you can't keep me from my data Big Brother!"From Mr Goetz's Blog"The controversy seems to have stirred the FDA to assert its authority – and that of physicians – over any and all medical metrics." "To me, getting access to this information is a civil rights issue. It’s our data." This is a straw man argument that has been set up to make regulating these companies seem unseemly and an invasion of privacy. IT IS A DEAD WRONG ARGUMENT and I will not stand for it being perpetuated anymore. This is not about getting access to your d... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3590449 Sat, 22 May 2010 18:49:00 +0100 3590449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585577&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fgame-changers-entrepreneurs-and-social-change-qa-with-rachel-weeks-of-school-house%2F We think the world needs more female entrepreneurs, and it also needs social change, so Blisstree is always on the lookout for role models who are taking matters into their own hands. We call these women The Game-Changers, and Rachel Weeks of School House is one of them. Check out our Q&A with Rachel to find out how she’s changing the rules of the game, and what advice she has for others who want to do the same: What does your company do? We create trend-driven collegiate apparel in a living wage facility in Sri Lanka. Then we sell it. How did you start it? On a Fulbright grant to Sri Lanka, with $20,000 from the time I was hit by a car in New York while I was an undergrad. I used that capital to hire our Creative Director, Colleen McCann, and to create our first samples. What m... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585577 Thu, 20 May 2010 19:07:43 +0100 3585577 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577384&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcaUD9phe43c%2F By Jim HarperThat’s why the House of Representatives has put “Katie’s Law” (H.R. 4614, the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2010) on the “Suspension Calendar” today. That’s the procedure for considering non-controversial bills, giving them about 20 minutes of debate. The bill would promote collection of DNA samples from people based simply on their arrest for certain crimes. Needless to say, being arrested is nothing close to conviction of a crime, at which time it might be fair to collect a person’s DNA for use as a powerful identifier in later criminal investigations. And if DNA evidence is relevant, let it be collected and used according to existing procedures. But getting your DNA put in a database just because an investigator ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577384 Tue, 18 May 2010 21:26:24 +0100 3577384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573727&cid=t_104705_106_f&fid=36682&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSutureForALiving%2F%7E3%2FNuIqzckTN8Y%2Fshout-outs_18.html Maria Gifford, Better Health, is the host for this week’s Grand Rounds.    You can read this week’s edition here. As newly-appointed content manager of Better Health and editorial assistant to Dr. Val Jones, I’ve been given the honor of hosting this edition of Grand Rounds — a weekly summary of the best health blog posts on the Internet. This week’s submissions cover a nice mix of issues important to health and medicine, which I’m presenting in alphabetical order (excuse my somewhat ultra-conservative ways, as I’m originally a product of the Mayo Clinic, and even after jumping ship nearly five years ago, I’m still affected due to my unchanged, self-inflicted physical location — I’ll find my social-media legs soon, I’m sure!) From geriatrics to Viagr... Suture for a Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573727 Tue, 18 May 2010 12:13:32 +0100 3573727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573947&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FvrEXd-7mGco%2F Now that Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon has spent some time doing damage control over the growing number of embarassing product recalls, the House Committee On Oversight and Government Reform wants him to answer questions directly at a May 27 hearing (here is the letter inviting Weldon to appear). His testimony will be the first time that Weldon will have to address the manufacturing gaffes - which involved recalls of various over-the-counter meds for infants and children and an ongoing failure to follow up reports of musty smells emanating from some products (see this) - in a setting that isn’t tightly controlled. So far, Weldon has put his name to this JNJBTW blog post and granted a brief interview to Fortune magazine. His appearance may go a long way toward determining the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573947 Mon, 17 May 2010 19:14:09 +0100 3573947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3568064&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=39022&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifesandwiches.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Fwhen-all-you-can-say-is-wow.html Photos by the very talented Brady Dillsworth (George Eastman House photographer)Pinch me. I don't know that there are a lot of times in life where you take a deep breath in and think that you are dreaming. Wednesday I was having one of those nights. I won an award given by some of the people I respect most in this city.Roc City Rising is an event that invites established community leaders and groups of young professionals to the world famous George Eastman House for a night of networking and energizing. Young people with fresh ideas and perspective can mix with the likes of the mayor, the county executive and other elected officials and notable Rochesterians.When Maria Fisher (then Thomas) first approached me about attending this event three years ago, in its first year, I was more than a ... Life is like a sandwich...enjoy the big bites. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3568064 Fri, 14 May 2010 09:48:00 +0100 3568064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560186&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-miracle-product-23-ways-to-use-vinegar%2F Photo: Thinkstock It’s sitting on a high self in your pantry, ever-present and powerful – white vinegar. This all-purpose liquid has been improving lives for 10,000 years – naturally. With the current push for green household supplies, why not use vinegar – you can’t get much greener (or cheaper). Care2 put together a list of 23 surprising uses for white vinegar. You’re going to want to invest in a gold-plated spray bottle when you find out how valuable vinegar really is. 1. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to eggs while poaching them. It will keep the whites intact. 2. If your greens are wilting, let them soak in a bowl of cold water with some vinegar to reinvigorate them. Unfortunately, spritzing vinegar on a wilting up-do doesn’t work. 3. Get onion smel... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560186 Thu, 13 May 2010 13:32:11 +0100 3560186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552222&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5zsLLQTMgPE%2F By Jim HarperI was pleased last week to testify in Congress about a draft bill that would mandate “event data recorders” in all new cars. Automobile black boxes or “EDRs” are an issue that found me a few years ago when I commented on their privacy consequences to a newspaper and heard from concerned drivers across the country. My testimony to the House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection had three main themes: 1) The Constitution doesn’t give Congress authority to design automobiles or their safety features; 2) Only a relevant sample of crash data is needed to improve auto safety—overspending on a 100% EDR mandate will keep the poor in older, more dangerous cars and undermine auto safety for that cohort; an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552222 Mon, 10 May 2010 20:25:46 +0100 3552222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522612&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fthe-top-ten-this-weeks-blisstree%2F You’re busy: We get it. But now that it’s the weekend, it’s time to catch up on your Blisstree reading. Here are ten things we think you should read from the past week, in no particular order: Food Pyramid Makeover: How the South Beach Diet, Abs Diet, and Perricone Diet Stack Up – would the USDA approve of your weight loss plan? Michelle Obama’s White House Garden is Not Organic – the first lady loves her garden, but why isn’t it organic? Healthy Food: How the World’s Best Food Bloggers Stack Up – we love to drool over food blogs, but which ones are really good for you? Sandra Bullock, Kate Winslet, Michelle Obama: 30 Women Through the Ages – We Rebut Esquire’s May Issue – we don’t care what Esquire says, these wome... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522612 Sat, 01 May 2010 13:00:28 +0100 3522612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508206&cid=t_104705_99_f&fid=35344&url=http%3A%2F%2Fzackarysholemberger.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fboing-splat-boing-splat.html The fish is famous! (But buy it here, not on Amazon.) (Source: Zackary Sholem Berger) Zackary Sholem Berger blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508206 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:05:00 +0100 3508206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494269&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fearth-week-video-of-the-day-president-obama-marks-40th-anniversary-of-earth-day%2F Happy Earth Day! President Barack Obama on the environmental policy in the United States, and on what you can do to take action for Earth Day’s 40th anniversary. Visit “A New Foundation for Energy and the Environment” at WhiteHouse.gov for more info. Post from: BlissTree Earth Week Video of the Day: President Obama Marks 40th Anniversary of Earth Day (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494269 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:32:23 +0100 3494269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483039&cid=t_104705_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FUfnWUHW0C4I%2F Happy Earth Week! These eco-friendly DIY cleaning solutions use natural compounds like salt, baking soda, and vinegar to help spruce up your home without all those harsh toxic chemicals. Clean Up the Can Sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl and let it set for 15 minutes. Drizzle the baking soda with vinegar and then scrub with a toilet brush. You’ll Want to Do Windows No need for Windex or other chemical cleaners. Add three tablespoons of vinegar to one gallon of cool water to clean windows and other glass surfaces. Get a streak-free shine by using newspaper instead of paper towels. Wipe Out Mix three tablespoons baking soda to one quart warm water to create a non-toxic cleanser that can be used on counter tops, bathroom fixtures, and sinks. Oven Troubles Are Over While your oven is ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483039 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:34:27 +0100 3483039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479835&cid=t_104705_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FdZAq0arWIvI%2F Blisstree’s favorite Apartment Therapy posts from the past week: House to Drool Over: Kim & Scott’s Happy “Yellow Brick Home” DIY Project: How To Make an Indoor Wall-Mounted Clothesline Objects of Desire: Josh Jakus Smart, Sustainable Designs The Spring Cure Project: Week 5 – Getting Into The Thick Of It House Greening: Small Space Recycling Solutions Post from: BlissTree On The Couch With Apartment Therapy (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479835 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:56:36 +0100 3479835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475813&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbYTh49sJfuA%2F By Mark A. CalabriaIf there is one, almost universal, point of agreement on drivers of the financial crisis, it is that our financial system simply had way too much leverage.  Much of that discussion has focused on financial institutions, leading many to suggest increased capital standards, so that banks have more equity and less debt.  Often lost in the mix is the excessive leverage on the part of home owners. We know, for instance, that the number one predictor of mortgage default is whether the borrower has equity or not.  And while that should lead us to debate appropriate downpayment requirements, at least when the government backs the mortgage, we should not forget that our tax code encourages excessive leverage on the part of home buyers.  And there’s no bigger incentive t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475813 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:19:22 +0100 3475813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463544&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fpfizer-settles-one-lawsuit-loses.html It's deja vu all over again for Pfizer Inc, the world's largest pharmaceutical company.Settlement of Suit Alleging Neurontin Risks ConcealedPfizer has kept busy in court defending against charges that a company it acquired promoted Neurontin (gabapentin) for uses not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and not well supported by the evidence.  Most recently, it was convicted by a jury in California of being a racketeering influenced and corrupt organization (RICO) because of a long-term "racketeering conspiracy" involving Neurontin marketing (see post here). Now additionally, according to the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer Inc. said it reached a settlement agreement in a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed her husband's use of the antiseizure drug Neur... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463544 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:45:00 +0100 3463544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460140&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fquick-spring-cleaning-tips%2F Spring cleaning your home can seem like a daunting task, but these tips can make the mess feel a lot more tolerable during this necessary annual ritual. Clean one room a day – Don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking about the entire house. But make it a rule: Don’t leave the room until you’re done. Your home will be sparkling clean in no time. Get organized – Bring boxes or bins to each room labeled “Trash,” “Storage,” “Recycle,” and “Donate.” Start cleaning out the closets or cabinets first. Move on to cleaning the light fixtures, windows, counters, and other surfaces. Finish with window coverings, baseboards and floors. Don’t forget wiping out the refrigerator and oven cleaning in the kitchen. Turn up the music –... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460140 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:33:20 +0100 3460140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420702&cid=t_104705_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fautistic-appointment-placed-on-hold-council-on-disability-ari-neeman%2F Autistic Ari Ne’man’s appointment to the National Council on Disability has been placed on hold anonymously in the Senate according to news resources.  Ari Ne’man is the founding president of ASAN or the Autism Self Advocacy Network and has done large amounts of advocating on the Federal level.  Recently President Obama announced he would be [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420702 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:04:20 +0100 3420702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403853&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwalls-that-dont-talk-toxic%2F Mod Green Pod's vinyl-free wallpaper "Delight" Volatile organic compounds – also known as VOCs – don’t make good roommates. In fact, they stink. Besides their olfactory offense, VOCs have been linked to ozone depletion, smog build-up, respiratory problems, and even cancer. Yet some folks cozy up with VOCs day in day out by choosing vinyl wallpaper or carbon-loaded paint to cover their walls. But there’s no need to. In the past few years, the number of eco-friendly paints on the planet has proliferated; and now, their quality has caught up. This month, Consumer Reports published the results of its 2010 interior paint survey: Nearly all the high-scorers contained 50 grams or less of VOCs per liter. Low-VOC Behr Premium Plus Ultra received top marks in all categories (fr... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403853 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:14:54 +0100 3403853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395250&cid=t_104705_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Famacupuncturehttp%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fbribe-bully-and-buy-house-votes-to-win.html To get the 216 votes necessary congressmen had to be bought, bribed, bullied, and pressured to get the win.   We elected a president with his promise to change Washington politics.    He indeed did.  Now voters are furious with the earmarks, insider deals, and lack of transparency.As a medical physician for over 51 years, I strive to give you the best medical information on controversial medical subjects, and help your read betwwen the lines. You must come to your own conclusions. I have no ties to any organization, pharmaceutical, or lobby group. As an practicing medical acupuncturist since 1982, I find western medicine and medical acupuncture are very complimentary. This results in astounding healing in pain management, addictions to cigarette... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395250 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:46:00 +0100 3395250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3390736&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcontroversy-of-the-day-health-care-reform%2F Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Obama’s health care reform bill (without Republican support and by a slim three-vote margin), which Obama will sign into law this week. What are your thoughts on this historic vote? How will health care reform affect your life and the lives of those around you? Blisstree wants to know, so share your comments below. photo: Thinkstock Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3390736 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:35:44 +0100 3390736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382819&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F6Rr6HcI8fCE%2F The big day is almost here… The House is voting on the health care reform bill. President Obama has been calling undecideds like Rep. Jason Altmire — and about 57,000 (of the 59,000) nuns in the country defied the bishops — stood up to the man — and sent a letter supporting the bill — calling it “the real pro-life choice” because it lets pregnant moms get prenatal care. (Talk about Disruptive Women!) Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Related posts:POLL: Should Rich People Pay for Poor People’s Health Insurance? Poll: Determining the Value of an Egg Poll: The Next President’s Top Priority (Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care) Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382819 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:21:17 +0100 3382819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378436&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Frelationships-love-on-the-front-burner%2F My biggest relationship problem is that I rarely understand the problem. Instead, I develop back pain. I’m not a particularly reflective person. I’m constantly in motion (except when I’m watching “House”). In relationships, this usually means that I’m doing something for my boyfriend – cooking, or attempting to improve his footwear choices. I rarely take a moment to sit and think about the relationship in any context. I’m always trying to make something better: My apartment, my body, my skin, my gnocchi. This isn’t necessarily a bad habit, but it’s a terribly effective way to block out thought. When you’re in a relationship, you’re supposed to take time to think about how you feel and what you want. I never do that. Instead, I receive signals fro... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378436 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:47:11 +0100 3378436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378448&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMNi1Fk2h2x8%2F By John SamplesThe leaders of the House of Representatives plan to address health care through a “deem and pass” strategy.  Professor Michael McConnell believes this strategy violates the Constitution.  But put that aside for now. Ms. Pelosi has chosen “deem and pass” because, as she said, “people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill.” The “people” in question are House Democrats whose votes are essential to passing the bill.  These members fear voters would penalize them for voting for the Senate bill. As the Washington Post put it, “deem and pass” would “enable House Democrats not to be on record directly as supporting the Senate measure.”  A House Democrat running in a tough election will be able to deny ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378448 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:29:19 +0100 3378448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378449&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FD8FXSTYtAVk%2F By Michael F. CannonHouse Democrats claim that a not-yet-released Congressional Budget Office report puts the cost of their revised health care overhaul at $940 billion over the next 10 years. Though I have yet to see the CBO score, I’ll bet anyone a fancy lunch that it does not claim the legislation would cost the federal government just $940 billion from 2010 through 2019. As former Congressional Budget Office director Donald Marron has explained over and over, the figure that Democrats consistently cite for the cost of their bills is only the CBO’s estimate of the cost of federal spending related to the expansion of health insurance coverage.  It is not the full cost to the federal government, because each bill also spends taxpayer dollars on other items. Marron examined th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378449 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:26:23 +0100 3378449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378456&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZ5r_O6He898%2F By Chris Moody Busy with an ambitious domestic agenda, the Obama administration has put trade issues on the back burner. Let’s hope it stays that way. A little lesson on how government works. (As opposed to how it’s supposed to work.) There has been talk that House Democrats are planning to “deem” the health care bill into law without calling for a vote. If you’re not sure how that process works, read this. Contrary to a growing belief in Washington, revaluing China’s currency will not cure the trade deficit. Podcast: “ObamaCare Threatens Innovation” featuring Michael F. Cannon. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378456 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:10:12 +0100 3378456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374107&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBYj8y6F3eFY%2F By David BoazEveryone in America, I presume, has just received a letter from the U.S. Census Bureau urging us to fill out our Census forms. Seems like a very expensive way to tell us to watch for the form to arrive in the mail. But I’m particularly interested in why they say we should promptly fill out the form: Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of [federal] government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share. Obviously this is a zero-sum game. If my neighbors and I all fill out the form, then you and your neighbors will get less from the common federal trough. But ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374107 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:33:08 +0100 3374107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374096&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F3-things-we-think-are-cool%2F photo: Thinkstock From Blisstree to you, three things we like, in no particular order: 1. Crowdrise: A philanthropic social-networking site for hipsters? You had us at “philanthropic”. 2. Natural Wines: Different than organic wines. Cloudy, funky, unfiltered, sulfite-free, and weirdly delicious. 3. Milk Paint: Beautiful, old-timey, and environmentally friendly. What’s not to love? Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374096 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:01:06 +0100 3374096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374108&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKC4ZNnXHHFE%2F By Michael F. CannonI’ve already posted two series of such queries.  But every day brings new questions to mind.  So here are a few more: What does it say that pharmaceutical-industry lobbyists are meeting with House Democrats to write this legislation behind closed doors?  Or that the pharmaceutical industry is preparing to spend millions of dollars on advertisements in support of the legislation? Does it trouble you that a former federal judge writes, “Under Article I, Section 7, passage of one bill cannot be deemed to be enactment of another“? Does it trouble you that Speaker Pelosi says of the proposed “deeming” strategy, “I like it because people don’t have to vote on the Senate bill“? (Emphasis added.) What does it say that left-of-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374108 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:09:39 +0100 3374108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366460&cid=t_104705_180_f&fid=38619&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FALifeCoachsBlog%2F%7E3%2FaqYyXOncEbo%2F I was watching 24 the other night and thinking to myself Jack Bauer is a bit mental. I know as a Life Coach it’s not really the done thing to make such derogatory statements about people I don’t know (or even those I do know for that matter), but I’ll make an exception for the gravelly voiced one, because he really does have a few kangaroos loose in his upper paddock. If he finally breaks free of CTU he’s going to need a small army of psychotherapists, life coaches and probably even magicians to help him get his life back on track. And that’s presuming he doesn’t kill them all first for glancing at him in the wrong way, denying they’re in possession of weapons grade nuclear material or overacting more than he is. Then I thought to myself; “No, he doesn’t need a team of pe... Life Coach Blog: The Discomfort Zone : blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366460 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:56:24 +0100 3366460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358962&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FABQC4mmx4-k%2F By Michael F. CannonAccording to MSNBC, Democratic leaders have given up on trying to appease pro-life House Democrats: House leaders have concluded they cannot change a divisive abortion provision in President Barack Obama’s health care bill and will try to pass the sweeping legislation without the support of ardent anti-abortion Democrats.A break on abortion would remove a major obstacle for Democratic leaders in the final throes of a yearlong effort to change health care in America. But it sets up a risky strategy of trying to round up enough Democrats to overcome, not appease, a small but possibly decisive group of Democratic lawmakers in the House… Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee…predicted some of the anti-abo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358962 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:32:20 +0100 3358962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3354303&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8hO8LijGrCU%2F By Michael F. CannonWhat does it say that the American polity has consistently rejected a wholesale government takeover of health care for 100 years? What does it say that public opinion has been consistently against the Democrats’ health care takeover since July 2009? What does it say that Democrats are having this much difficulty enacting their health care legislation despite unified Democratic rule?  Despite large supermajorities in both chambers of Congress, including a once-filibuster-proof Senate majority (see more below)?  Despite an opportunistic change in Massachusetts law that provided that crucial 60th vote at a crucial moment?  Despite a popular and charismatic president? What does it say that 38 House Democrats voted against the president’s health plan? What does it say... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3354303 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:40:33 +0100 3354303 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350263&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FluB_VDwyGy8%2F By Julian SanchezSen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has just fired off a letter to Barack Obama urging him to finally appoint some members to the long-vacant Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, echoing a similar recent request from a coalition of civil liberties groups. I don’t think anyone should make excuses for Obama’s appalling about-face on Patriot Act reform, but at least in that case there’s a real, difficult, and complex policy debate that needs to play out in a preoccupied Congress for anything to happen. But there is no reason whatever that seats on this board should sit vacant a year into this presidency. Congress agreed to create the independent board—after a predecessor within the White House was deemed to lack sufficient independence—back in 2007. There&... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350263 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:50:14 +0100 3350263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335567&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPH9ZazU-oc0%2F A hearing on drug safety is scheduled for next Wed., March 10, and will be held by the House Energy & Commerce committee’s subcommittee on Health. And the featured speaker will be deputy FDA commish Josh Sharfstein, as well as other FDA folks, according to The Pink Sheet. No particular reason was cited, but the impetus for the hearing isn’t being attributed to Avandia. You may recall the GlaxoSmithKline diabetes pill was the subject of a recent Senate Finance Committee report that found internal dissent among FDA staffers over what to do about cardiovascular risks (see here). Importation, however, is expected to be on the agenda. The hearing will be held because the committee hasn’t had any public discussion of drug safety since the FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335567 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:00:57 +0100 3335567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331269&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuR5Ih82A_N4%2F By Daniel GriswoldPresident Obama is taking a break today from promoting a more federalized health-care system to sign a bill creating a federalized tourist promotion campaign. In a closed ceremony at the White House, the president signed the Travel Promotion Act. After gaining final passage by the Senate last week, the bill will raise an estimated $200 million a year by imposing a $10 tax on visitors to the United States from countries where they are not required to obtain a visa. The revenue will be used to create and fund a new agency, the Corporation for Travel Promotion, that would work with the U.S. tourism industry to promote the United States as a global travel destination. I’m all for promoting tourism to the United States. Tourism is an important “service export” that gener... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331269 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:57:23 +0100 3331269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306821&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Flkyb7Jpk8Wk%2F By Cato EditorsThe White House meeting on health care will begin at 10:00 AM EST Thursday and Cato health policy experts will be here to offer live commentary on the event. We’ll also stream the meeting live here at Cato@Liberty. Questions for the experts during the live-blog are welcome. Cato Experts Live-Blog Health Care Summit (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306821 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:19:10 +0100 3306821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298551&cid=t_104705_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F22%2Fthe-white-house%2F Torri is in Washington, DC this week, and she sent this picture today.  How cool!  I love history and the places where history has been made. I’m so glad they got out to see some of the sites. Possibly Related Posts: MRIs and Mutliple Myeloma and gadolinium, oh my! Required reading Pilot Mountain astronomy observation Saturday Night Miracle of survival North Carolina spider identification (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298551 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:29:50 +0100 3298551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298600&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWkDRZGE4H5o%2F The White House proposal forces both brand name and generic drugmakers to give something up. The brand-name industry will have to cough up another $10 billion - for a total of $90 billion - over 10 years to help close the Medicare donut hole. On the plus side, pharma is expected to gain revenue, and the fees won’t kick in until 2011, instead of this year. Meanwhile, just one month after the Federal Trade Commission made a very public push to end pay-to-delay deals, the White House wants to give the FTC enforcement power. The White House proposal would make any such deal “unlawful and anticompetitive” in which a generic drugmaker gets anything of value from a brand-name drug maker, and a generic drugmaker must “limit or forego” R&D, marketing, manufacturin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298600 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:10:52 +0100 3298600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272885&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Ftv-not-good-teacher-of-emergency-care%2F Many of us love to watch them: medical dramas. From Grey’s Anatomy to House now and Marcus Welby, MD, a generation or two ago, medical dramas are often a popular genre. Sometimes, these shows are quite helpful because, particularly these days, they may tackle health issues that were generally not discussed in public. But, as a nurse and former first aid instructor, I often watch and catch something – shouting out “That’s NOT the way you do it. Unfortunately, my husband is the one who gets to hear that and he’s getting less and less amused every time I do it. For sure, medical shows are getting better about being realistic. But even with their medical advisers, they still get some things wrong – and it’s frustrating from my point of view and maybe d... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272885 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:35:57 +0100 3272885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266887&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FS2p8MVmdQ_4%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe White House recently released the Economic Report of the President. In a post at the White House blog, Christina Romer brags that the stimulus legislation was a big success. This Act is the great unsung hero of the past year.  It has provided a tax cut to 95 percent of America’s working families and thousands of small businesses.  It has meant the difference between hanging on and destitution for millions of unemployed workers who had exhausted their conventional unemployment insurance benefits.  It has kept hundreds of thousands of teachers, police, and firefighters employed by helping to fill the yawning hole in state and local budgets.  And, it has made crucial long-run investments in our country’s infrastructure and jump-started the transition to the cl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266887 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:10:33 +0100 3266887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3259264&cid=t_104705_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FzgtC32NWH4A%2Fepharma-summit-2010-healthcare.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3259264 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:24:00 +0100 3259264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243786&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FpUaVfsdpLaE%2F It could not escape notice this week that the Virginia state Senate passed legislation that would make it illegal for any government body to require individuals to purchase health insurance.  The bill is expected to be passed by the state’s House of Delegates and then signed into law by Governor Bob McDonnell. Virginia is one of the first states to take such action, but it almost certainly won’t be the last.  According to the American Legislative Exchange Council, legislative measures or proposed constitutional amendments have been filed in 35 states to challenge the idea of health insurance mandates. This is a significant problem for the future of health reform.  One of the most popular components of the health reform bills that have passed both houses of Congress is the provision ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243786 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:01:03 +0100 3243786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235826&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2nRZd6KqDWQ%2F By Jim HarperThe New York Times dutifully reports that the Director of National Intelligence says it is. But it’s hard to know what that means. The word “cyberattack” has no usefully fixed definition. And the important questions—plural—include: 1) whether cyberattacks—plural—are growing in number and sophistication more quickly than the capability of infrastructure owners to fend them off and recover from them; 2) which, if any, owners lack incentives to secure their infrastructure and what security externalities they might create; and 3) what levers—such as contract liability, tort liability, or regulation—might correct any such market failures. Some lines in Director Blair’s statement are quite telling. Compare this: Terrorist g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235826 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:36:45 +0100 3235826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204835&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fd8BAbrjpHac%2F By Michael F. CannonThe American people don’t want President Obama’s health care plan (see below). Massachusetts voters don’t want it. The White House knows that the people don’t want it.  In Ohio last week, President Obama said: the process has been less than pretty. When you deal with 535 members of Congress, it’s going to be a somewhat ugly process…when you put it all together, it starts looking like just this monstrosity. And it makes people fearful. And it makes people afraid. And they start thinking, you know what, this looks like something that is going to cost me tax dollars and I already have insurance so why should I support this. Yet Democrats still want ObamaCare to become law, and they are very close to making it happen.  If Speaker Nancy... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204835 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:42:38 +0100 3204835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197610&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F46Mw8U1RmtU%2F By Daniel GriswoldThis has not been a good week for the national Democratic Party. Along with losing the Massachusetts Senate seat, the party took another step toward making hostility to trade liberalization a plank of party orthodoxy. As my Cato colleague Sallie James flagged earlier today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued a press release yesterday criticizing a Republican candidate in upstate New York for contributing to the Cato Institute. And, of course, everyone knows that Cato is “a right wing extremist group that has long been a vocal advocate for extremist, unfair trade policies that would allow companies to ship American jobs overseas.” Among our sins, in the eyes of the DCCC, is that Cato research has supported tariff-reducing trade agreements, such as t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197610 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:23:51 +0100 3197610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197613&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoUBxLSn8xTQ%2F By John SamplesThe Citizens United decision is barely out, and incumbent members of Congress are vowing to restore restrictions on political speech. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) said: “In the coming weeks, I will work with my colleagues to pass legislation restoring as many of the critical restraints on corporate control of our elections as possible.” In the House of Representatives, Robert Brady, Chairman of the House Administration Committee – the panel responsible for campaign finance regulations – sent out an email that said: “I will be working directly with my colleagues, the Leadership and the White House to study the Court’s decision and to put together a timeline for legislative action that ensures the Court’s decision will not define the ways election... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197613 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:27:56 +0100 3197613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3187965&cid=t_104705_46_f&fid=38787&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsf.ca%2Fblogs%2Fphotos%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2Fhaiti-7%2F Jacmel, haiti – January 19, 2010 Houses marked with red are to be destroyed, because they are too dangerous and risk falling apart anytime. Many houses in the lower part of Jacmel are marked with red. Yellow and black means they are to be fixed. (Source: MSF Blogs) MSF Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3187965 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:05:46 +0100 3187965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189217&cid=t_104705_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2Frevisiting-arden-house-and-the-situation-of-aging%2F For those of you who would like to do some interesting listening, here is an excellent podcast featuring Situationist friend Ellen Langer. From the BBC MindChangers Series: Arden House: (30 minutes) Claudia Hammond presents a series looking at the development of the science of psychology during the 20th century. * * * She re-visits Ellen Langer and Judith Rodin’s 1976 study, conducted in a New England nursing home, Arden House. * * * When the two psychologists set up the experiment so that residents on two floors of the 360-bed home for the elderly would experience some changes in their everyday life, they had no idea that they were introducing factors which could prolong life. * * * While residents on both floors were given plants and film shows, only those on the fourth floor ha... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189217 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:01:26 +0100 3189217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167092&cid=t_104705_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgeFiJfl40nQ%2F By Doug BandowRemember when President George W. Bush was pushing war for democracy.  Excited neoconservatives promised that a new wave of democratization was about to roll through the Middle East, sweeping out authoritarian and anti-American regimes. Oops. Reports the Washington Times: The most significant finding of the latest report is the decline in freedom in the Middle East, [Arch Puddington] said. Three countries — Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain — were reclassified from “partly free” to “not free,” and freedoms declined in Morocco and Iran. “Freedom House saw the region as a whole as headed slightly in the right direction after 9/11,” he said. “But that has changed.” Not only are countries moving backwards, but America’s friends a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167092 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:45:05 +0100 3167092