Not that anyone needs further evidence of how quickly markets can tumble, here are a few YouTube videos of the US real estate crash, some from as early as mid 2007, proving that the value of American housing is down about 50% in many parts of the country … and in just a few months, too.

Continue reading

copyright © 2007 Betsy L. Angert

Once again, the Clinton Clan exceeds expectations. It is widely known that the Senator and her spouse are inexorability linked to lobbyist money. The public understands Hillary Clinton’s unwillingness to commit. The American people accept that she cannot know what her friend, the son of Bill’s best bud, will leave behind. Whether we discuss war or children, George W. Bush has abandoned all. Thus, the stroll down the breezeway to the Oval Office will not be an easy jaunt. There is much damage to undo, re-do, or create anew.

Hillary holds out hope. She does not know what she will find in White House that George built. She will not assert that she can stop the Iraq war by 2013. She will put more troops in Afghanistan. Universal Health Care, well, she commands all Americans be insured. However, she offers little to those unable to pay the premiums. Hillary wants to help . . . those that help her, and lobbyists do. Continue reading

Global Snapshot Warning

Reading this page can be depressing - the news is not good. I use it as a reference point when I need a reality check about who I am and what role I can play in the global scheme of things. This is purely a collection of what I believe to be relevant metrics as to where the world is heading. I encourage you to contact me if you believe an important metric is missing.

The statistics are updated approximately every two weeks. I provide no analysis of the numbers. For an understanding of what they mean, I highly recommend a subscription to The Privateer.

For each metric I provide a reason for it’s importance, the latest available data and the source.

Take a deep breath…

Continue reading

[Note that this creed is specifically for Personal Bloggers. If you’re a Corporate Blogger you might find this Draft Code of Conduct, Corporate Blogger’s Creed, somewhat tongue-in-cheek but excellent Business Blogger’s Creed and these Legal Guidelines useful.]

What is a Creed?

‘Creed’ comes from the Latin word “credere” — to believe — and is a statement of principles or beliefs. It is different to a Code of Conduct, which is normally enforced or controlled by an industry body. A creed is a totally voluntary adoption of a framework, and often refers to a religious belief system. A belief system cannot be imposed. In this sense, a creed is simply a statement of an individual’s philosophy.

Personal bloggers, by definition, are answerable to no-one, and this invariably leads to widely differing standards of personal blogs. After a considerable and fruitless search for a simple creed I could subscribe to, I thought I’d table what is important to me. Your comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcomed. And if it makes sense to you, why not voice your support by leaving a comment. Who knows, there might even be a need to create a site listing all blogs who voluntarily subscribe to the Personal Blogger’s Creed.

The Personal Blogger’s Creed

I believe in the right to Freedom of Expression, which permits a blogger to write about anything on their mind.

I believe in personal accountability for the outcome of anything blogged.

I believe that a blogger should write only what they hold in their heart to be true; that writing purely for the sake of SEO results or advertising revenue, whether on their own blog or commenting on another’s, is indefensible.

I believe that blogging which succeeds best — and best deserves success — is considerate of the reader, and thus provides meaningful content which educates, inspires, assists and guides; that the supreme test of good blogging is the measure of usefulness to the reader.

I believe that creation is infinitely more valuable than duplication; that where duplication is necessary it should be accompanied by a new thought, an expanded idea, or a valuable discussion.

Your thoughts?

‘Twas October 18 and Congress was a twitter. Senators and Representatives fought and they flittered. Some thought society must provide for the children. Others maintained only parents need be responsible for their wards. Congressional Democrats discussed and debated. For them Health Care for the little ones, that was the issue. When suddenly they realized this pursuit was not viable. A few thought if they built a coalition, designed a compromise all would be well. Thus, a proposal was submitted. Funds for the children in the form of Abstinence Education, surely, that would fly; health insurance went bye-bye.

As Congress deliberated and did few deeds, parents congregated and presumed a great need. In the corners of Portland, Maine parents chattered and prattled. Could we, should we, would we give our Middle School students a prescription. Might contraceptives and condoms cure societal ills? For these fine citizens sex was the subject. Who might the teacher be?
These anecdotes are as one. Elders inquire; who or how might we care for the little ones. What is right and what is wrong; what is neither, just misunderstood. In the House chambers, on the Senate floor, in living rooms near and far anxious adults ponder the possibilities their parents did not. Is sex a subject to be taught by the states, or once the babies arrive at school, is it too late. Continue reading

A forum member recently shared the Carl Sagan quote, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.”

This quote assumes an objective universe, which is a rather biased way of looking at reality — and not particularly accurate either. In my opinion Carl Sagan’s quote is misleading at best.

What is proof anyway?

Proof is an artifact of viewing reality through an objective lens. However, proof is not a facet of actual reality. Reality just is. It does not need to be proven. Reality is secure enough in its own existence that it doesn’t care whether some being proves or disproves what it is. If you think reality cares about proof, you could also say it derives a sick satisfaction from all the false proofs that have been tendered in its name over the last few millennia.

Instead of proof what we really want is truth. And a good first truth to accept is that it’s only the squishy, lens-peering beings that require proof, which is actually a subjective experience. Continue reading

http://medicalveritas.com/manGirard.pdf

Link goes to external url .pdf

Marc Girard, MSc, MD
Abstract
Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) may be used to discard valuable data under the pretext that it does not correspond to the “best” criteria of proof, even when no results complying with these “best” criteria are available. Since their infrequent occurrences make it impossible to assess most adverse effects using randomised clinical trials (RCTs), drug safety offers frequent examples of selective assessment of data based upon this poor understanding of the fundamental tenets of EBM. While the gold standard of pharmaco-epidemiology (case/control studies) is usually ranked amongst the lower levels of evidence and is unattainable in many instances, the majority of safety problems are simply assessed using subjec-tive specifications (“acceptable”, “hard to interpret”, “not enough evidence”, “not causally demonstrated”). This vaccine-safety example illustrates that such specifications are almost always biased by prejudices and application inconsistencies. Continue reading

by Martha Rosenberg

It was supposed to replace Prozac profits when the patent expired in 2001 and cash in on the national love affair with antidepressants.

But Eli Lilly & Co.’s Cymbalta (duloxetine) seemed cursed from the start.

The first antidepressant to be introduced since FDA investigations into suicide/antidepressant links, Cymbalta itself was marred with suicides before it was approved.

Five occurred during Cymbalta clinical trials including previously healthy volunteer Traci Johnson who hung herself in Lilly’s Indiana University Medical School lab in 2004. Continue reading

The Brunei Times has a review of my critique of Muslim attitudes toward science, An Illusion of Harmony.

The review is interesting. Not because it has any substance; it consists largely of invective. But it’s an interesting example of what those of us who want to be critical of Islam face. Even when you avoid going on an Islam-bashing expedition, it’s very hard to get devout Muslims to pay attention to what you’re actually saying.

Next week will be an eventful week in the effort to eliminate global poverty. On October 22nd over 230 scientific journals will simultaneously publish articles on the topic of poverty and human development. You can read about the event on the NIH website (which will have a webcast event on Oct. 22nd) here. Here are some excerpts from the editorial in the latest issue of Science, by Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug:

“Feeding a Hungry World”
By Norman Borlaug

Next week, more than 200 science journals throughout the world will simultaneously publish papers on global poverty and human development–a collaborative effort to increase awareness, interest, and research about these important issues of our time. Some 800 million people still experience chronic and transitory hunger each year. Over the next 50 years, we face the daunting job of feeding 3.5 billion additional people, most of whom will begin life in poverty. The battle to alleviate poverty and improve human health and productivity will require dynamic agricultural development.

….Today, nearly two-thirds of the world’s hungry people are farmers and pastoralists who live in marginal lands in Asia and Africa, where agro-climatic stresses and/or extreme remoteness make agricultural production especially risky and costly. Africa has been the region of greatest concern. High rates of population growth and little application of improved production technology during the past three decades have resulted in declining per capita food production, escalating food deficits, deteriorating nutritional levels among the rural poor, and devastating environmental degradation. There are signs that smallholder food production may be turning around through the application of science and technology to basic food production, but this recovery is still fragile. But African capacity in science and technology needs strengthening, and massive investments in infrastructure are required, especially for roads and transport, potable water, and electricity.

Cheers,
Colin