When I was working as a physician in the US, our Federal clinic’s policy was to order mammograms on all women starting at age 4o.
Why was this important? Because there is some indications that mammogram and early diagnosis increases the cure rate for breast cancer in young women.
This statement is not as obvious as you […]

read more from this topic.....

Quick. Name the most dangerous terrorist organization in the US, organizations that are responsible for  47 of the53 most destructive terrorist attacks in the US.
Muslims? No.
Right wing Militias? No.
The Christian fundamentalist types? No.
It’s the Animal rights extremists.
Via SecondhandsmokeBlog, quoting from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision U.S. v Christianson:
… between 2000 and 2005, 43 […]

read more from this topic.....

The real question to ask about Shell’s unbelievably crass decision not to allow the sale of poppies at their petrol stations this year is at what level the call as made. Ignore the statement from Shirley Cinco, at Shell’s “Customer Service Centre” in Manchester, that: “Rather than simply giving to worthy causes, Shell prefers to […]

read more from this topic.....

In science, there are all sorts of gossip that tweak the infallibility of scientists.
For example, the discovery of the “big bang” was postponed until they cleaned the antennae of Pigeon poop, and found it was the sky, not the poop, causing the hum of  the big bang.
And Penicillin may have been discovered because of carelessness […]

read more from this topic.....

Two governorships have fallen to Republicans, if the headlines have it right.
Yet most of the pundits are saying this is not a sign of disenchantment with the Congress and the President, but only local politics.
I’m not sure I agree. I think it is a sign that the “ordinary” folks are worried, and that they trust […]

read more from this topic.....

Ah, how quickly the grandchildren grow up. The grandsons have changed from computer game freaks to college geeks, and the granddaughters are now budding teenagers, on the threshold of being a woman.
In the past, the “Themes” for birthday parties were various Disney princesses; now little girls are starting to grow up, so the Theme of […]

read more from this topic.....

Hippocrates (or the Pythagoran writer of the oath) was well aware that patients or their caretakers frequently “fall in love” with their physicians  and openly express the desire for an affair. But experience shows that often patients/caretakers are psychologically vulnerable, and later regret their actions. That is why the Hippocratic oath expressly forbids physicians from […]

read more from this topic.....

 
When in 2002 the Benetton Formula One team morphed into Renault it was clear that what the French car giant was seeking to do was to secure brand value from the move, in return, of course, for funding. Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships in 2005 and 2006 will undoubtedly have given the brand a major boost […]

read more from this topic.....

When will Andrew Left of Citron Research get it? If he wants to criticize a company, then he should do so legitimately. His latest screed, packed with even more manure than his previous 3-part smear on World Acceptance Corp, has proven to this writer that he is deliberately spreading false information with […]

read more from this topic.....

So President Obama is scrapping the Bush “Missile Defense program” that was planned to protect Europe from Iran.
Yes, I know. There is some question if the missile defense was any good against the actual threat, and all it seemed to do is irritate Russia. And it’s not like the program would merely be scrapped: there […]

read more from this topic.....

Congress has censored the gentleman (?) who interrupted the President’s speech last week by shouting Liar.
Good for them.
One of the most terrible things about politics during the Bush administration was that those who should have known better winked at the harsh and even paranoid voices that shouted hatred at him personally. And, alas, now it […]

read more from this topic.....

Dear Mr. Cooper:
Some might say now is the time for MGM to stay conservative if it hopes to survive. That’s rubbish. Turnaround situations in the entertainment industry require bold vision and crackerjack execution. With Mr. Cooper joining the gifted Ms. Parent and Mr. Singh in the Office of the CEO, MGM has […]

read more from this topic.....

Yes, the Academy of Family Physicians has been hijacked by the Democratic party to push their health care bill.
My latest email tells me:
We are closer than ever to achieving significant health care reform in America. Unfortunately, propaganda and misunderstanding about pending legislation threaten to derail its success.
“We” are closer? That implies that all Family physicians […]

read more from this topic.....

There isn’t a lot in the local (Philippine) papers about the details of the US Health Care bill, but one article in our local newspaper mentioned that the President was getting out his own “activist base” to counter the grass roots protests at the town hall meetings.
WASHINGTON, August 18, 2009 (AFP) - President Barack Obama […]

read more from this topic.....

Saint Teresa once compared traveling to Purgatory,  because the weather, the bumpy roads, and the bad beds were something to be suffered with rather than a pleasure trip.
The latest irritant? Charging for checked luggage.
Our family just visited (one adult, three kids), and only brought carry on back packs. No, Japan Airlines still doesn’t charge per […]

read more from this topic.....

 The days when it was beneficial for an oil company to be vertically integrated with business all the way from the well head to the petrol pump are long since gone. Shell’s decision to move out of refining in the United Kingdom is logical and almost certainly the precursor of a complete withdrawal from the […]

read more from this topic.....

When agreeing to sponsor Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics, Acer, a manufacturer of laptop and netbook computers,would have been aware of well publicized complaints against the City of Vancouver of human rights abuses targeting computer users and bloggers. Acer has therefore been asked to pull out as a sponsor.  The request was made to Acer’s public relations representives Stella Chou and […]

read more from this topic.....

 Times have changed in the travel industry. For today’s traveler seeking an exceptional blend of comfort and style, the idea of finding such qualities at an airport is laughable. In fact, the quality of air travel has deteriorated so badly that a Passengers Bill of Rights is moving through Congress, in hopes of securing the […]

read more from this topic.....

Short Answer: marginally.
Long Answer: There was much sturm und drang over Extended Stay America’s (ESA) Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Monday. Of primary concern to this investor is how the filing may affect Ashford Hospitality Trust’s (AHT) $98 million mezzanine loan that was made to ESA last year.
For investors, it’s important not to panic and […]

read more from this topic.....

Short Answer: marginally.
Long Answer: There was much sturm und drang over Extended Stay America’s (ESA) Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on Monday. Of primary concern to this investor is how the filing may affect Ashford Hospitality Trust’s (AHT) $98 million mezzanine loan that was made to ESA last year.
For investors, it’s important not to panic and […]

read more from this topic.....

What backroom dealings are going on in Ohio government these days? Could it be that the forces opposed to payday lending (PDL) have given the nod and wink to the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions (DFI) to create a chilling effect on lenders? There’s certainly an argument to support that position.
A quick recap of Ohio […]

read more from this topic.....

DirecTV’s (DTV) management downplayed their Q4 results a few months ago, wisely cautioning analysts and investors of the challenging economic environment that confronts us all. However, there is no denying that their numbers were strong – simultaneous with the economic meltdown happening all around them. Their results put them in the catbird seat – and […]

read more from this topic.....

Shell’s CEO designate Peter Voser would have to have been terminally naïve to assume that his extraordinary internal Email to staff would not immediately be placed in the public domain - as indeed it was within minutes of its transmission. Assuming that Voser knew exactly what he is doing let’s analyse what this message means […]

read more from this topic.....

A year ago I called for the departure of Sir Peter Job as a non-executive director of Shell.
It has taken a full year for the media at large to realise just how unfit this man is to oversee the remuneration of Shell’s top executives. But whilst the buck undoubtedly stops on Job’s well-padded shoulders the […]

read more from this topic.....

Lawyers representing the British-based oil firm Trafigura have taken their first steps toward suing BBC’s current affairs television program, BBC Newsnight, for “libelous statements” in their May 13 investigative report, Dirty tricks and toxic waste in Ivory Coast .
The company’s law firm has yet to specify what statements in the report they […]

read more from this topic.....

Last week, Citron Research issued a report on World Acceptance Corporation (WRLD) that demonstrated a staggering degree of either ignorance or malfeasance. Their tabloid-style reporting seems designed to maximize fear in stockholders. One could reasonably assume it is because Citron is short the stock. They claim there is a disconnect between reality and what World […]

read more from this topic.....

“He’s a PR man. For an oil company. That’s bottom of the list!
 Below TV evangelist. Just above child molester.”
Michael in “Greenwash” by David Lewis
I have just been scanning through the last seven editions of “The Economist” newspaper – and as always it’s a very good read. And in these troubled times it is arguably […]

read more from this topic.....

When corporations act as dysfunctionally as all too many in the world of banking and finance have been doing over the past few years it gives the opponents of capitalism a field day.  The charge, which is impossible to refute, is one of greed and incompetence and we have seen what happens when these twin […]

read more from this topic.....

The Obama administration is planning to have the VA (Veteran’s Administration hospital/clinic system) bill private insurance for treatment of veteran’s war related injuries.
From the WashingtonPost:
The president was sympathetic to the needs of veterans, Gorman (executive director of Disabled American Veterans) said, but insisted that the insurance companies are getting away with not paying for […]

read more from this topic.....

There is a happy news for IT industry in India. Despite whatever may happen worldwide, now there is a plan for bringing in revolutionary chages that may enable India take giant steps towards realizing its goal to be an IT super power in the world.
The indications are available in the IT Vision document that BJP […]

read more from this topic.....