Monthly Archives: June 2007

OK, That’s Not the Analogy for Iraq You Want to Use…

Posted on June 18, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

If I were trying to convince people to stay in Iraq, I might refer to Japan or Germany as models of occupation. But General Petraeus picked a different place…
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Posted in Iraq | 12 Comments

The Mad Biologist and Science Journalists

Posted on June 18, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

If you call me out of the blue and ask to speak with me, you’ve just interrupted the work I was doing. Whenever I hear the phrase “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”, I’m always tempted to respond, “Sure, because all scientists do is sit around in our offices and jerk off all day. Thank goodness you called to save me from devastating ennui.”
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Posted in News Media | 12 Comments

Some Sunday Links

Posted on June 17, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

Lotsa links. First, the science stuff:
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Posted in Lotsa Links | 1 Comment

Opiate Addiction and National Healthcare

Posted on June 17, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

There’s an excellent article in the NY Times magazine about the problem of opiate addiction. One of the problems when distinguishing between patients and doctors who are trying to manage pain versus those who are dealing opiates is that there is no easy way to regularly track opiate prescribing.
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Posted in Drugs, Healthcare, Public Health | Comments Off on Opiate Addiction and National Healthcare

Ambulances and MRSA

Posted on June 17, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

Here’s a disturbing paper: “Can methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus be found in an ambulance fleet?” The answer?
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Posted in Antibiotics, Microbiology, MRSA | 4 Comments

Jury Duty: Do Yours

Posted on June 16, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

Nobody likes jury duty: most criminal and civil cases involve some moron doing something they shouldn’t have–and you end up have to waste time due to said moron. Nonetheless, having a jury trial is a cornerstone of our justice system. It’s also useful in the ‘smaller’ cases, since the ability of prosecutors to say “I have a jury next door waiting to hear this case” often results in plea settlements. Unfortunately, Suffolk county, MA has a jury pool problem:
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Posted in Civil Liberties, Jury Duty | 25 Comments

Maybe I’m an Extremist?

Posted on June 15, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

Joe Klein was very angry last week at ‘uncivil’ bloggers, and in a storming fit of something that kinda looks like anger, only wimpier, came up with a list of attributes belonging to “left-wing extremists.” I’ve gone through the list and added my own commentary.
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Posted in Compulsive Centrist Disorder, Progressives, Religion | 14 Comments

Bush’s Sartorial Splendor

Posted on June 15, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

I’ll get to El Jefe Maximo in a moment, but to dive into even more trivial waters, the thing I’ve never understood about the whole Paris Hilton affair is how utterly stupid she was. Her personal stupidity doesn’t shock me–it’s a miracle she doesn’t forget how to breathe. But rich people can hire smart people to think for them. Which brings us to Bush.
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Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

FaithReligion-Based Earmarks

Posted on June 14, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

While this particular program on behalf of a religious organization is not nearly as bad as the government-sanctioned anti-Semitism run out of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives*, it still is yet another example of why government and religion require a strict separation.
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Posted in Bidness, Conservatives, Funding, Religion | 3 Comments

My Microbe Article About Cefquinome

Posted on June 14, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

The misuse of cefquinome has been a pet peeve of mine. Well, I have a commentary in ASM’s Microbe about this topic.
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Posted in Antibiotics, E. coli, Microbiology, Public Health | 2 Comments