BRITISH SCIENTISTS SECRETLY HATE THE ENGLISH TOO
Britain. What are you people smoking over there, and where can I get some?!
Apparently, some British scientists are recommending that single servings of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins be given to fast-food customers along with their extra-value-double-up-big-whatever meal, in order to offset the damage done to the heart by eating food high in fat and cholesterol.
OK, I already dislike statins because I believe they give people the impression that they can just take a pill instead of making productive changes to their lifestyle in order to improve their health. Well, guess what? When you hand someone a statin with their Big Mac, you're not just giving an impression - you might as well hand out leaflets that say, "Stay on the couch! Eat Big Macs every day! Do not take the dog for a nice long walk - these pills will save you!"
And the worst part is, they won't. High LDL cholesterol is but one warning sign for heart problems - others include obesity, inactivity, and high blood pressure. Obesity and inactivity feed off each other, and tend to be supported by a diet rich in Chicken McNuggets and extra-large Cokes. High blood pressure is very commonly due to overconsumption of sodium - i.e., that stuff they sprinkle on your fries. Since dispensing statins along with SuperSize burgers only give the false impression that eating fast-food is okay, I can only assume that these scientists are actually secretly attempting to kill off much of the British population.
One more problem - the article states that statins cost "about the same as a packet of ketchup". Oh yeah? Then why the hell are some of my customers at the pharmacy paying ninety dollars a prescription for Lipitor?! Or is it only multi-national fast food conglomerates that get the special discount price?
RAT TAIL THE WORK OF EVIL POLITICAL OPPONENT...PROBABLY
NDP House Leader Mike Farnworth found a rat tail on his doorstep on Tuesday. He understood that a disgruntled opposition member was trying to send him a pointed message the night before a meeting that would have the NDP tabling a citizens' petition to eliminate the HST. This would be extremely cool as far as Canadian politics goes. Unfortunately, after stirring up all of this fuss, Farnworth concedes it was probably - shockingly! - his cat who was responsible for the distasteful "present" on the doorstep. Clearly, Mr. Farnworth has never seen The Godfather. The still-warm, still-dripping severed head of your favourite racehorse left in your bed is a message. A rat tail is just a sign of a cat who hasn't been declawed.
OH CRAP
This article highlights one of the ways in which our country is incredibly special - somehow, a recent Nanos poll has managed to show bad news for the NDP, the Liberals, AND the Conservatives. Normally, bad news for one party (CONSERVATIVES DOWN 20% - HARPER IS APPARENTLY A 'PUNK-ASS LOSER') means an uptick in popularity (aka "good news") for the others. How can a poll result be bad for every major party? I have no idea...except I sense we're going to be speaking a lot more French around here in the future.
Showing posts with label wasted research dollars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wasted research dollars. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
PEOPLE , CUBA & RESEARCHERS SUCK
THE CENSUS
The census long form used to be mailed to 1 out of 5 Canadian families, chosen at random, and its completion and return were mandatory. Now, the long form is being replaced by a voluntary survey that will be mailed out to 1 in 3 Canadian families. CUE MASSIVE DRAMA, WEIGH-INS FROM EVERYONE WHO EVER TOOK A STATISTICS CLASS, AND THE RESIGNATION OF THE STATSCAN BUREAU CHIEF.
So scrapping the long form was a terrible idea, and does nothing to alleviate the alleged problem of personal (though anonymous?) collected information being used for...well, whatever bad guys do with information like how many children you have and where you went to school. But this has been in the news for two weeks now. Come on, guys.
CODY LECOMPTE
Cody LeCompte is a 19-year-old Canadian who rented a car while in Cuba. Apparently you need to be 21 to do this, but the rental agency gave him a car anyway. While he was driving, a truck sideswiped him, causing an accident. For some reason, the Cuban government has decided to a) call Cody to trial JUST IN CASE the accident was his fault, and b) keep his passport for over three months until said trial and refuse to allow him to go home...wait a minute, what? Cuba, we LIKE you! We buy your cigars! We ignored the US when they went all embargo on your ass! We have never tried to kill Castro with exploding lily-pads or itching powder in his wetsuit! So what are you doing?!
(However, as a sidebar, it is worth noting that this has NOT happened because Cuba is a "filthy corrupt Communist country" as the Globe and Mail commenters would have us believe. Idiots.)
POOR PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM CANCER
In some stunning break-through research, a study published in Cancer earlier this week found that family income and 5-year survival rate are correlated in Canadian cancer patients. But how is this possible?! they query. We have universal health care! Everybody should be receiving identical treatment!
Simply put, universal health care only goes so far:
1. Lower-income families have trouble dealing with catastrophic drug costs. Newer, more effective medications are inevitably not covered by the government and inevitably cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, per dose.
2. Fighting cancer, especially after chemo when your immune system is in the toilet, takes a lot of things - lots of sleep, good food, and not too much stress. Lower-income families, especially single-parent ones, often do not have this luxury.
3. Higher-income patients have a wealth of options available to them - cue-jumping by heading Stateside for treatment, paying for experimental, non-OHIP procedures, and attending private Canadian clinics. For a lower-income patient, the only choice is to accept standard, OHIP-sanctioned treatment at a Canadian hospital, even if a more effective treatment is available elsewhere.
My point? This study's results are not a surprise, and gradual privatization and a lack of a comprehensive single-payer drug plan are turning universal health care into "universal" health care.
The census long form used to be mailed to 1 out of 5 Canadian families, chosen at random, and its completion and return were mandatory. Now, the long form is being replaced by a voluntary survey that will be mailed out to 1 in 3 Canadian families. CUE MASSIVE DRAMA, WEIGH-INS FROM EVERYONE WHO EVER TOOK A STATISTICS CLASS, AND THE RESIGNATION OF THE STATSCAN BUREAU CHIEF.
So scrapping the long form was a terrible idea, and does nothing to alleviate the alleged problem of personal (though anonymous?) collected information being used for...well, whatever bad guys do with information like how many children you have and where you went to school. But this has been in the news for two weeks now. Come on, guys.
CODY LECOMPTE
Cody LeCompte is a 19-year-old Canadian who rented a car while in Cuba. Apparently you need to be 21 to do this, but the rental agency gave him a car anyway. While he was driving, a truck sideswiped him, causing an accident. For some reason, the Cuban government has decided to a) call Cody to trial JUST IN CASE the accident was his fault, and b) keep his passport for over three months until said trial and refuse to allow him to go home...wait a minute, what? Cuba, we LIKE you! We buy your cigars! We ignored the US when they went all embargo on your ass! We have never tried to kill Castro with exploding lily-pads or itching powder in his wetsuit! So what are you doing?!
(However, as a sidebar, it is worth noting that this has NOT happened because Cuba is a "filthy corrupt Communist country" as the Globe and Mail commenters would have us believe. Idiots.)
POOR PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM CANCER
In some stunning break-through research, a study published in Cancer earlier this week found that family income and 5-year survival rate are correlated in Canadian cancer patients. But how is this possible?! they query. We have universal health care! Everybody should be receiving identical treatment!
Simply put, universal health care only goes so far:
1. Lower-income families have trouble dealing with catastrophic drug costs. Newer, more effective medications are inevitably not covered by the government and inevitably cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, per dose.
2. Fighting cancer, especially after chemo when your immune system is in the toilet, takes a lot of things - lots of sleep, good food, and not too much stress. Lower-income families, especially single-parent ones, often do not have this luxury.
3. Higher-income patients have a wealth of options available to them - cue-jumping by heading Stateside for treatment, paying for experimental, non-OHIP procedures, and attending private Canadian clinics. For a lower-income patient, the only choice is to accept standard, OHIP-sanctioned treatment at a Canadian hospital, even if a more effective treatment is available elsewhere.
My point? This study's results are not a surprise, and gradual privatization and a lack of a comprehensive single-payer drug plan are turning universal health care into "universal" health care.
Friday, 31 October 2008
THIS JUST IN:
According to Wikipedia, the Divinyl's lovely, lovely song I Touch Myself is about masturbation.
No effing way!
Additionally, a recent discovery has been made by Democrats across the nation:
SARAH PALIN IS A GIRL!
This has just been an unbelievable day, folks. Unbelievable.
No effing way!
Additionally, a recent discovery has been made by Democrats across the nation:
SARAH PALIN IS A GIRL!
This has just been an unbelievable day, folks. Unbelievable.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
THIS JUST IN:
CRAZY news, everyone. According to this excellent piece of research, when you drink a lot, you are more likely to have unsafe sex.
Can you believe this? When you have five or more drinks of ALCOHOL, a DRUG that lowers your INHIBITIONS and sense of RESPONSIBILITY, you are more likely to forget to remind your lovebunny of your cardinal rule: "No glove, no love"! Who knew?!?
This is groundbreaking stuff, people. GROUNDBREAKING. DO YOU FEEL THE GROUND CRUMBLING BENEATH YOUR FEET?
Can you believe this? When you have five or more drinks of ALCOHOL, a DRUG that lowers your INHIBITIONS and sense of RESPONSIBILITY, you are more likely to forget to remind your lovebunny of your cardinal rule: "No glove, no love"! Who knew?!?
This is groundbreaking stuff, people. GROUNDBREAKING. DO YOU FEEL THE GROUND CRUMBLING BENEATH YOUR FEET?
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