Okay, here’s another quickie post. This one is a press release from ATLA (yes, I know, biased, but the news is still interesting), about the malpractice reforms. Bush and his friends in the insurance business want everyone to believe that medical costs will magically be lowered if we put caps on monetary rewards from malpractice claims. As if that is the only reason medical care is expensive. And of course, there is no provision for insurance reform in the mania to cap monetary rewards.

Apparently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees.

Caps on Medical Malpractice Damages Unconstitutional, Wisconsin Supreme Court

Court says caps bear no “rational” relationship to lower premiums

“Victims of medical malpractice with valid and substantial claims do not seem to be the source of increased premiums for medical malpractice insurance, yet the $350,000 cap on noneconomic damages requires that they bear the burden by being deprived of full tort compensation.”

Yes, I’ve been a little bit AWOL, the reason being that I am swamped with work and have to go out of town in a few days to attend a medical conference. And then after that, I will be going on vacation. So, it’s been hectic.

So, no, the blog is not disappearing. It’s just been a little neglected due to my need to put “paying” work as a priority. Oh well, that is how life goes. Hope to get more posted tomorrow.

Here’s some food for thought:

THE GREAT DEBATE OVER CORN-BASED ETHANOL FUEL

Scientist have found that the amount of energy that corn-based ethanol provides is actually less than the amount of energy it takes to grow the corn and manufacture the ethanol in the first place. In contrast, sugar beets produce two times as much energy, and sugar cane yields eight times as much energy as is needed to produce the ethanol. Legislation has passed in the U.S. that subsidizes corn-based ethanol production. Should this legislation be revoked in favor of other types of biofuels, or should it stay in place to support U.S. corn farmers?

I guess it really depends on your definition of health. Do you think that your child should chomp down taffy that contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee? Is that healthy? Or what about souped up jelly beans, that are injected with electrolytes? Does that change them from candy to nutritious snack?

No, this is not science fiction. Apparently, the candy industry feels it’s being left out of the move towards better health and eating habits, so they’re trying to resell candy as an essential nutrient by adding “health benefits” to their product. Is that pathetic or what. Candy is candy, accept it for what it is. No one is going to buy a jelly beans because they contain a few milligrams of vitamin C.

I feel that way about some diet foods. Take low-cal cheesecake. Can anything be more disgusting? If you’re going to eat cheesecake, then eat a slice of cheesecake, and not a sad watered down low calorie version. The purpose of eating a slice of cheesecake is to indulge in a decadent snack, and eating a modified version isn’t going to satisfy. Just eat the damn thing, enjoy it, be happy, and return to green salads and grapefruits tomorrow.

Anyway, about candy. Read on:

The candy industry is setting its sights on fitness buffs and kids. At this summer’s largest candy trade show, several new lines of “energy enhancing” candies were released in an effort to capture a piece of the $3 billion/year consumers spend on performance boosters. New product lines included jelly beans packed with 120 milligrams of electrolytes and taffy pieces containing the equivalent of one coffee cup worth of caffeine in each bite. “I don’t think that the new products belong in the candy aisle,” said Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “The use of stimulants is an even greater concern because they can cause dangerous increases in a person’s heart rate and blood pressure.” Larry Graham, president of the National Confectioners Association, disagrees, saying the candy industry has every right to “build healthful benefits into their candy.”

Read the article at CNN.com

A trim, maybe a shave. That’s what barbers do, right? You know, the guys who cut hair for $2 a shot before it became trendy to spend $200 on a haircut.

But back in the good old days, a barber was more a jack of all trades. A bloody jack. In the 16th century, barbers did the majority of surgery including bloodletting, pulling of teeth, treating bone fractures and external ulcers. I guess they figured that if someone could cut hair and shave a beard, then they could cut and shave other parts of the body. King Henry VIII of England, better known as the guy who liked to behead his wives, was a patient of one of the barber-surgeons, Thomas Vicary. I guess he was so thrilled with his treatment (maybe he had blood drained from his brain?), that he allowed Vicary to talk him into making barbers officially surgeons.

So on this date in , 1540, old King Henry established the United Barber-Surgeon Company and decreed that two hanged criminals a year would be given to the organization for learning anatomy. I suppose that handing over fresh corpses was better than digging up graves for bodies. The group’s symbol, the familiar red and white barber’s pole, signified bandaging and bleeding. And here I always thought it resembled a candy cane. Well, live and learn.

Some cheery news for a Monday morning. Actually, it can’t decide here whether it wants to be a rainy morning or a sunny one. I woke up and it was dark out, like the sun had decided to sleep in. Then it rained. Then partially cleared with a drop of sun. Then dark again, a little more rain. Now it is currently cloudy with a peak of blue.

But back to the good cheer. AIDS is increasing. It is not something leftover from the 1980s or 1990s. It is here and now, and seems to be festering at a rapidly growing rate. All the more reason for putting money into generic meds, and aggressive education and prevention programs which are suited to the local community. Not lofty moralistic babble that tells prostitutes to abstain until marriage.

From the SF Chronicle:

More than 6.5 million of South Africa’s 47 million people could be infected with HIV, according to a government report released Monday, a sharp increase from previous estimates.

A 2004 Health Department survey of more than 16,000 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics indicated between 6.29 million and 6.57 million South Africans were infected with the virus that causes AIDS, compared to 5.6 million in 2003.

Young women seem to be the most vulnerable. Prevalence increased among all age groups between the two years, but was highest in women aged between 25 and 29 — nearly 40% of whom tested HIV-positive.

The old boy lost some steam and hit land as a category 3, which undoubtedly kept the damage from being worse than it is. The storm is heading inland, and even as a tropical storm, will dump a lot of rain, knock over some trees and power lines (you know, the kind that could go underground), cause some flooding, before it totally fades away.

But never fear, there are reports that a new tropical depression has formed off the coast of Africa, and could arrive in the Caribbean within four days. If it turns into a tropical storm, she will be christened Emily. Number 5.

I think this is going to be a very wet summer for some people. And possibly, a very destructive one.

In Bush science anyway, pollution is good for the planet and good for health. As long as it makes him and his friends rich, it has to be a good thing. So global warming doesn’t exist. I hope the people in Florida and the rest of the panhandle, who voted for him, are paying attention. According to a study of REAL science, it’s going to get a lot worse. So if you don’t like being wet, well, it’s not going to get any better, as long as we continue to follow the devastating path of Bush science.

According to a recent study, hurricanes will become even more intense because of global warming — the idea that greenhouse gases are heating the earth’s atmosphere and oceans.

“As a storm is moving across the ocean, it’s evaporating water from the ocean’s surface, and that’s supplying fuel for the storm,” Knutson said.

Read the rest of the story on abcnews.com, along with more reports about the antics of Dennis the Menace

Dennis is headed right smack into the Florida panhandle. Same spot where Ivan hit only 10 months ago, and where the damage still hasn’t been completely repaired or cleaned up. Why is that, I wonder. Why do we have billions to spend on Iraq, millions to spend on abstinence only sex-education, millions to spend on patent drugs to treat AIDS patients, but none to clean up the mess from a hurricane?

There seems to be plenty of moolah to dole out to most-favored companies to do reconstruction work in Iraq. So what if they’re practicing major rip-offs, as in Halliburton? Plenty of money to waste on sex-ed programs, that aside from the fact of ignoring the need for education about safe sex and contraception (hint–a huge percentage of the teens in these classes are already screwing around), the information is riddled with inaccuracies. Like even basic scientific facts, such as the number of chromosomes contained in each egg and sperm. One program spoke of men having “male and female sperm.” Does boy meet girl in the vas defrens, I wonder?

There is no oversight to these programs, no vetting via doctors and others for accuracy–and yet, millions of tax dollars spent on this dribble.

And hurricane damage sits. No money to put power lines underground (what a novel thought), or to enforce building codes for better safety. How many people are without power now? Last year, my parents had to throw out all of the food in their freezer, due to the outtages from the various hurricanes. Power outtages could easily be avoided if the lines were put underground. But alas, no money for that.

And so, it is only July 10 and a category 4 hurricane, the 4th storm of the season, it ready to make landfull. Stay tuned.

So much for getting their knickers in a twist over medical marijuana. And bashing Canada because they’re looking at constructive methods of dealing with drug users.

Seems we’re barking up the wrong tree, but as our drug czar diddles around with his grand war on drugs and plans attacks on Columbian poppy fields, the real abuse goes relatively unnoticed. And uninterrupted.

Check your medicine cabinet. If you’ve got a teen on drugs, chances are, they’re by prescription. Possibly your prescription.

From the Washington Post:

Abusers of prescription drugs — 15.1 million people — exceed the combined number abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin, the report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University said. Of those, 2.3 million are teenagers, but youngsters turn to prescription drugs at much higher rates than adults do, the study reports.

Teenagers arrange “pharming parties” where they swap drugs they have spirited from home or purchased off the streets or Internet, the report said.

Also, teens have been making good use of readily available over the counter drugs, such as cough syrups. So maybe instead of worrying about the person who uses a little pot every so often, the great war on drugs needs to refocus and pay attention to the shifting demographics.

There’s no global warming, right? No changes in our climate, subtle or otherwise. Last year there were four major hurricanes which hit the state of Florida, and this year, there have already been four storms. Four. And it is only July 9. It is the first time since hurricane tracking began in 1851, that a hurricane has formed this early in the season.

Thanks, Dubya. The people in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba thank you too. They’ve been flooded and washed by Hurricane Dennis as he hit with category 4 strength. Some people dead, but I’m sure that doesn’t concern you, George. The dead probably aren’t fanatical neocon Republicans, or pre-embryos in petri dishes, the only kind of life form you seem to care about.

Of course, we could say that global warming and manmade climatic changes and pollution have nothing to do with this. It would have happened anyway. But shouldn’t it give pause for great concern, that it is quite possible that our recklessness with our planet is the reason that Mother Earth has turned so vicious?

Anyway, Dennis is heading towards Florida’s panhandle as I type. According to Science Daily:

Hurricane Dennis is a “dangerous Category 3 hurricane” and may grow to Category 4 by the time it hits the U.S. Gulf Coast Sunday as early as Sunday.

He was a category 4 when he slammed into the Carribbean, but then weakened, as what usually happened when hurricanes make landfall.

At 7 p.m. EDT the storm was about 285 miles south of Panama City, Fla., and about 385 miles southeast of Biloxi, Miss. Maximum sustained winds were near 115 mph and the storm was moving northwest at 14 mph.

Apparently, he’s becoming a big strong boy again.

I imagine that hospitals and staff are bracing themselves, if they haven’t all been evacuated that is. Let’s hope for the best. At least 32 people died already, and probably many more injured, homeless, and hungry. According to the news, there are 10 million people in the U.S. who are sitting right in Dennis the Menace’s path.

Just a reminder that my comments are turned off. Sorry, but I need a reprieve from the spam attack. I am hoping that my blog will be dropped from the spam rolodex (at least this present crop of spammers who have been tormenting me) if they can’t get access.

So, turning off the comments is the only way I can keep the spammers out. I hope to be able to get it back on for a trial run in a week or so.

The greatest fears of the Maurading Moral Morons (MMM) has come to pass. Then again, they will undoubtedly ignore this study and call it biased or flawed–unlike their own logic, of course.

There has been no surge in “risky” sexual behavior since emergency contraception became available over the counter in January 2001, in the UK.

Imagine that. The prophesy of the MMM has not come to pass. The plague of uber-sex has not happened. According to the BBC, Researchers at Imperial College London found no change in condom use after the emergency pill became available over the counter in January 2001.

Neither had more people used the emergency pill, they told the British Medical Journal.

Surely they must be lying. The surge in risky behavior and sexually transmitted diseases probably has really happened, but this is just a massive cover-up.

“These results suggest that the predicted rise in unsafe sex has been overstated and supports the case for lifting the ban on over the counter sales in the US and other countries,” said lead researcher Dr Cicely Marston.

The number of women who used the morning after pill did not change over the three years studied – around 8% of the women or 160 in each of the years. But having it readily available undoubtedly cut down on the number of unwanted pregnancy, and abortions.

The researchers found that there was a slight increase in use among 16-19 year olds in 2001 when the change in availability of the emergency pill was made, but this dropped back down again in 2002. I would guess that the increase came about just because it was more convenient to use, and they didn’t have to go see a doctor to get it.

Jan Barlow, Chief Executive of Brook, the sexual health charity for young people, said: “This study provides a strong argument for making emergency contraception available over the counter free of charge to anyone who needs it, including those under the age of 16.

“There is no evidence that making emergency contraception easily available means people will be less responsible about other forms of contraception or use emergency contraception more often.”

Now, do you think that the results of this study will inspire the MMM in the US to rethink this? Do you think that our FDA will get a fire under their butt and approve this for the over the counter, or are they going to remain hostage to the distorted views of the MMM politicians who think that if you keep people ignorant, sex will just go away?

Anyway, this study certainly adds support to what intelligent people have known all along.

This is pretty funny, and oh so true. Which is the reason why I read the BBC and don’t ever watch (or read over the Internet) CNN or Fox.The difference? American cable tends to sensationalize and milk the story for everything that it’s worth, even if it means whipping the public up into hysterics. The BBC, on the other hand, serves to merely inform, simply and plainly.

Michael Brody, a Washington psychiatrist, says it’s healthier to watch the BBC than CNN or Fox: “American TV — particularly the all-news cable guys — is constantly hyping things up with talk of the potential for further attacks, while the BBC was trying to calm things down and reassure viewers that things were under control. As a psychiatrist, I have no doubt about the harmful effects of the former vs. the helpful effects of what I saw happening on the BBC.” He told this to the Baltimore Sun…

So in other words, if you value your mental health, stay away from Fox and CNN. If you want information, especially about tense and explosive (no pun intended) subjects like a bombin, and you want it delivered in a calm and concise fashion, then stick with the BBC.

On a bulletin board which shall remain unnamed, there was, of course, a discussion of the London bombing. And a heated discussion of how the media is focused on this incident, but doesn’t give the same passion to other horrors–such as the genocide in the Sudan, or the 3 million who have died in civil war that has been raging in the Congo, or even pay much attention to people getting killed on a regular basis in Iraq.

Yes, I will concede, Americans and Europeans are far more interested in a terrorist attack in London than say, one in India. Unless, of course, a significant amount of Europeans or Americans were killed. But more importantly, is the nature of the incident. It has a lot to do with the fact that it’s a sudden occurrence, not a daily tragedy, such as what is happening in the Sudan and Iraq.

Let’s take the analogy from a medical point of view. Your spouse dies of cancer. He has been ill for two years, and has reached a terminal state, and then dies. It is sad, it is a loss, but the death is sort of expected. It is not a surprise. The fact that it is expected doesn’t make the loss any more tolerable, but the family has had time to come to terms with the impending death.

But let’s say that this same person was suddenly killed in a car accident. One minute, the man is healthy, happy, laughing, talking about dinner plans for that evening and painting the kitchen. And then he steps out, crosses the street to mail a letter, and is gone. Run over by a drunk driver. In five seconds, the world changes.

And that is how I see the London bombing. The war in Iraq, the daily death tolls, the hardship–it is horrible and not in any way a lesser tragedy than in London. Millions killed in the Sudan, constant instability, devastation everywhere. But these incidents are long term, they are like the chronic illness. The bombing in London was a shock. It was sudden, unexpected. People were on their way to work, it was a day like any other.

While London is certainly no stranger to terrorist attacks, this one was different. More dramatic in scope, more devastating, and without warning. It was the same situation that happened in Spain. Both countries have been dealing with terrorist attacks for decades, but nothing on this magnitude.

And so, while the tragedy in London is not “worse” than what happens on a daily basis in other parts of the world, the shock of it has hit home. The same as the planes flying into the World Trade Towers–you realize that safety is an illusion.

There really is no way to protect subways, buses, railroads, and so on. Can you imagine if people have to pass through a metal detector to get on the subway in NY, or if your briefcases and packages have to go through X-ray? Can you imagine trying to do this at rush hour?

What I truly hope is that the London bombing doesn’t turn into a backlash against the city’s Muslim residents, the vast majority of whom are innocent, law-abiding citizens who are undoubtedly horrified by these events, as much as anyone else.

Peace. Have a safe evening.

Why am I not surprised. The BBC says that Blair was “visibly shocked.” Is he that dumb, or that arrogant, to believe that England would be spared? Afterall, he knowingly sent British troops to attack another country, he is still engaged in a war, so why the surprise?

But just the same old rhetoric, like he’s trying to be Winston Churchill and boost the morale.

Speaking before he left Gleneagles, he said: “It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world.

“Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.”

Like Bush, who is very good at delivering canned, meaningless rheoric, he very carefully ignores the fact that there may be some reason for this attack. I mean, Britain attacked Iraq. Why shouldn’t Iraqis and their supporters fight back–and attack Britain?

Terrorism is a terrible thing, and today’s events are truly tragic. But at long as people like Blair, who are unfortunately in power, make it sound like this type of attack is an attempt to destroy their civilized way of life, and pretend that there is no other possible explanation for it, then we’re just going to see more of the same. This is retaliation, my dear Tony. So stop being such an ass before even more people are killed. You can begin by admitting that you lied to the British people about Iraq. That would be a good start.

I didn’t really want to blog on this and get into a whole political diatribe–but yet, it’s not something to ignore. At least from the health standpoint of my blog. At last report there are at least 40 people dead and over a 1,000 wounded. I imagine the medical staff in London is quite busy at this time, doing everything they can to for the victims of this terrible incident.

This is a far cry from the clean “sterile” strike that Blair and Bush promised in Iraq. They sold the war in Iraq as if it would be over in 48 hours. That a surgical team would drop from the sky, quickly make a sterile incision, remove Saddam Hussein and replace him with a pro-West puppet, stitch it back up and leave. Painless and totally risk free.

Instead, tens of thousands have died, tens of thousands have been injured. Iraq is a semi-wasteland, ethnic tensions are brewing big time, and the nation is unstable. And oh yes, the American and British troops are still there.

What can Tony Blair possibly say? That the war in Iraq was worth getting London blown up? That they’re going to “fight on” and not let the terrorists win? That the war in Iraq was justified, and that the people who died today should be happy to sacrifice their lives for the greater cause? Really, what can the fool say this time?

Slowly but surely, I think that we are learning that we can no longer do whatever we want in far off lands, and not pay a price for it. The English have paid a terrible price today for their leader’s arrogance and dishonesty.

What next?

Oh, the joy of it. To come to my email box and not see spam. Well, I take that back. There was some spam, but not the endless row of “comments” waiting to be approved for my blog. So today was as good as spam free, since about 75% of it was missing.

It seems to come in waves. Sometimes days or weeks would go by, and my blog would be safe. And then, sometimes, I’d get a spam or two every few hours. But then it seems like they periodically launch an attack, and hundreds pour in. So until I do some upgrades, which will improve filtering and minimize the deletion process, the most efficient way I have of battling the massive attacks is just to close comments.

So they remain closed, until further notice. For my mental sanity.

Now here’s some news to the woe-is-me-we-have-a-nursing-shortage crowd. I have long contended that the shortage is of tolerable workplaces, not nurses. It has nothing to do with nursing schools needing to put out more nurses, it has to do with keeping nursing in the profession and on the job.

Listen up: Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey has an 8% turnover rate, and is primarily NOT due to job dissatisfaction. You know, people leave jobs for a variety of reason unrelated to workplace dissatisfaction, such as relocating, return to school, etc. And now…drum roll….they have more applicants for jobs than they know what to do with. A waiting list of nurses who want to work there. They haven’t used outside registries in years, and have their own in-house pool to fill gaps due to sick calls, vacation, admissions, etc.

Hackensack Medical Center is located in a busy metropolitan area and are not the only job on the block. Nurses come there because they are well paid, respected, and treated well.

So now if Hackensack can “solve” the nursing shortage, what’s keeping everyone else from doing the same? Aside from Hackensack, there are several other facilities about which I have read similar things–low vacancy, low turnover. No nursing shortage.

I just spoke with someone at Hackensack Medical Center today, for an article I am writing, so this information isn’t second or third hand. So instead of all of these “focus groups” and endless studies of studies, and hair-brained and idiotic ideas and schemes to “solve” the shortage, why don’t facilities (who are serious about it) go and talk to the people at places like Hackensack Medical Center, and see what they’re doing right. And then duplicate it.

Sound simple enough? I think so.

That’s right, this is what is has come to. I have had so much spam on my blog these past two days, that I am cutting off access to comments for a little while. At least until the spammers redirect their garbage somewhere else. Or just curl up and die. Or skewer themselves on hot coals.

Yesterday I was bombarded with more than 150. This morning, I woke up to 88 already sitting and waiting to be approved. It is overwhelming.

So for now, the comments are turned off so I can have some peace and get some work done. And not have to waste time deleting spam. I’m hoping to upgrade, so that more of this spam is just deleted automatically or filtered better.

I’ll keep you all posted. In the meanwhile, let’s all affirm for spammers to rot in hell and then some.