Category Archives: Framing

I Don’t Get This “Phantom Menace” Superbug Rebranding Crap

Posted on December 14, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Last week, I came across this article that referred to carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (‘CRE’) as a “phantom menace.” It struck me as odd, since the article claimed CRE is known as a phantom menace, yet I had never heard that phrase … Continue reading →

Posted in Antibiotics, Framing | 1 Comment

Don’t Give Your Talk Backwards

Posted on February 18, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

While Stephen Walt is discussing writing, I think this applies to speaking as well (boldface mine): A second reason is the failure of many scholars to appreciate the difference between the logic of discovery and the logic of presentation. Specifically, … Continue reading →

Posted in Framing | 3 Comments

This Looks Like a Good White House Petition

Posted on February 16, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

I signed this petition (actually, I was one of the first) because it raises a point that is very important: In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama said: “We know our economy is stronger when our wives, … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, Framing | 3 Comments

A Question About “Tax Cuts Must (Usually) Be Paid For”

Posted on January 27, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

In a kerfuffle between two groups of economists, both of whom as far as I can tell, currently want the same policy–deficit spending to give people jobs–Brad DeLong writes: Cutting spending in the future when you would not otherwise have … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Framing | 2 Comments

The Limits of Individualism: Why You Need to Get a Flu Shot

Posted on January 16, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Before I get into this, everyone should check out PalMD’s post on flu–it’s a neat little post. One of the reasons that people don’t get flu shots is that we haven’t done a good job of explaining to people why … Continue reading →

Posted in Framing, Influenza, Public Health, Vaccination | 4 Comments

Apparently, the Boston Public Library Is a Tax Collecting Entity

Posted on July 5, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

With the decision last week about Obamacare, in which Chief Justice Roberts defined the penalties associated with the individual mandate as a ‘tax’ (if you don’t purchase healthcare of some sort, there’s a penalty), there has been a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Framing, Healthcare | Comments Off on Apparently, the Boston Public Library Is a Tax Collecting Entity

Mario Cuomo Was Wrong: You Govern in Poetry

Posted on September 5, 2011 by mikethemadbiologist

Gov. Mario Cuomo once said, “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.” Well, a kiss-and-tell column by former Republican congressional staffer Mike Lofgren has been making the rounds. It’s a very good encapsulation of the Republican political and governing … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservatives, Democrats, Framing, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Anti-Vaxxers and the Lizard Brain

Posted on January 30, 2011 by mikethemadbiologist

Humans are stupid.
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Posted in Framing, Vaccination | 3 Comments

On Genetic Denialism

Posted on December 28, 2010 by mikethemadbiologist

Explaining heritability isn’t easy.
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Posted in Framing, Genetics, Genomics | 6 Comments

Click-Throughs, Advertising, and Branding Versus Point-of-Sale

Posted on December 14, 2010 by mikethemadbiologist

If Internet publishing is to be lucrative, it has to figure out how to viewed as an effective branding tool as opposed to a point-of-sale mechanism.
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Posted in Economics, Framing, Internet, News Media | 2 Comments