Cox Crow

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued a draft assessment of the risks of food from cloned animals. Which begs the question, why? As far as I can tell, one would ingest the meat and fluids of cloned animals only so they would not go to waste.

Why clone the animals?

What does it take to get a real person on the phone these days?

I don’t want to talk to the computer. I’m not talking to the computer. I did not buy from a computer, and if you don’t stop sending my calls to the computer, I’ll cancel my DirecTV service and go back to reading books.

Zimran just pointed out the most interesting presentation I have seen a long, long time, in which Hans Rosling discusses global development trends over the past forty years. The data are just fantastic, but so is the animated display of the trends. Given the proper tools, it’s remarkably easy to see how the world has grown healthier and wealthier — though doubtfully wiser — over time.

More information is available at Gapminder.org.

Gillen asks, “Why the sudden increase in the incidence of peanut allergies?” But he neglected to cite his sources for the statistics, like a typical Johnnie, so we’re left to argue with sophistry.

When I was a kid, the only people I knew with allergies were adults who had hay fever. Everybody in my class ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and had a thermos of milk for lunch. Nobody went into anaphylactic shock. …. Between 1997 and 2002 alone, the rate of children suffering from peanut or other nut allergies in the US rose from 0.4% to 0.8% - doubling in only five years to one out of every 125 kids - and up from practically 0% in the 1970s-1980s. It’s gotten so bad that some schools are considering adopting official “nut-free” policies. Gluten intolerance now effects [sic] 1 out of every 133 Americans. Lactose intolerance is up from 1 in 19 in 1983 to 1 in 9 (11%) just 25 years later. By some estimates, Irritable Bowel Syndrome now affects almost 10% of Americans to one degree or another.

Well, maybe “[n]obody went into anaphylactic shock” because if they did they died, and took susceptibility to that particular allergy out of the pool. So, the reason we’re seeing more chronic health problems is simply that we’re better able to prolong life.

We’re having Christmas Eve dinner at our house this year, and we’re planning fish, though not the traditional baccala since the Little Sister is, we think, the only one who would eat it. Most of the rest don’t like fish anyway, but it’s tradition.

(more…)

The Little Sister can recognize all the famous singers. For example, she instantly recognizes Frankie Valli,

Elmo!

and Louis Armstrong,

Is this Super Grover?

I was under the impression that hospitals in New York were, in general, private entities, but it appears that I was mistaken. The New York State Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century recently released a report containing recommendations which, if not rejected by the State legislature, require the closure or merger of a number of hospitals throughout the State. Again, I was under the impression that recommendations were not mandatory, and that a report was not legislation, but apparently I was mistaken.

§ 9. Implementation of recommendations. (a) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, … the commissioner of health shall take all actions necessary to implement, in a reasonable, cost-efficient manner, the recommendations of the commission … including, but not limited to: … (ii) the rescission of operating certificates and establishment approvals issued to those facilities selected for closure by the commission; [emphasis and link mine]

Most of the discussion I’ve heard on this matter concerns whether or not certain hospitals should be closed, merged, or not. Perhaps I’m alone here, but if the State is intent on “right-sizing” health care facilities in the public interest, then perhaps the State should simply appropriate said facilities and operate them as public hospitals, rather than proceeding with this farce.

As Larry pointed out,

It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.

It seems that Congress will work a full week during the next session. I’m not so sure this is a good idea. More days in session approximately equal more chances to make mischief. On the other hand, anyone who has attended meetings knows what effects the frequency and duration of meetings have on Getting Things Done.

Are they allowing time to read the bills before they vote on them?