tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64173922011-07-14T20:34:41.128-04:00Reabsorbing All the News You Need - Exchanging Ions and Ideas - Now at www.proximaltubule.comTrent McBridenoreply@blogger.comBlogger2851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1115082478401777612005-05-02T21:05:00.000-04:002005-05-02T21:07:58.403-04:00

Everyone please go read this anthology my friends at Catallarchy have put together in rememberance of the casualties of political power.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1106608589337002862005-01-24T18:14:00.000-05:002005-01-24T18:16:29.336-05:00

In an article I wrote last year about the War on Drugs, I quoted the AMA’s stance on the government’s policy...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103753502071562332004-12-22T16:57:00.000-05:002004-12-22T22:06:16.026-05:00

Glen Whitman and Radley Balko respond to Matthew Yglesias and David Adesnik's call for universal college education...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103608759567874392004-12-21T01:58:00.000-05:002004-12-21T00:59:19.566-05:00

Earlier this year I wrote that the media was failing at their main function - spreading information to limit government abuse - and that this as best exemplified by...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103608689134079752004-12-21T01:57:00.000-05:002004-12-21T00:58:09.133-05:00

Yglesias is blogging up a storm lately about how there is no such thing as a Social Security crisis...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103608629942814672004-12-21T01:56:00.000-05:002004-12-21T00:57:09.943-05:00

Glen Whitman discusses natural rights vs. consequetialism in his own always unique and enlightening way...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103608556704999712004-12-21T01:54:00.000-05:002004-12-21T00:55:56.703-05:00

…and to make matters worse, we don’t know what all of them are. I am reminded of this now that...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1103313488792355462004-12-17T14:56:00.000-05:002004-12-17T14:58:08.793-05:00

Jacob Sullum has the scoop on Virginia pain doctor William Hurwitz and his recent conviction for drug trafficking...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1101260652296869022004-11-23T20:43:00.000-05:002004-11-23T20:44:12.296-05:00

Check out Trapper Michael's new isemmelweis.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1100833415000899452004-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:002004-11-18T22:03:35.000-05:00

Radley Balko points to the CDC’s disease trading cards. That’s fun, but I’ll do The Agitator one better: here’s a link to stuffed Giant Microbes. My favorites include Black Death...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1100757042578299812004-11-18T01:49:00.000-05:002004-11-18T00:50:42.576-05:00

Via Medpundit, it seems there’s a new drug to worry about...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1100580074822934592004-11-15T23:39:00.000-05:002004-11-15T23:41:14.823-05:00

Kevin, M.D. links to a story regarding Pfizer's study that shows internet adds are equally effective as TV and radio adds in conveying "a distinctive and memorable message and influence viewers." Kevin...[continue reading]

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1100572191134264142004-11-15T21:25:00.000-05:002004-11-15T21:29:51.133-05:00

I have been invited to join the guys at Catallarchy. It's an honor to be asked to join such a wonderful collection of young libertarian minds. I'm sure the next Hayek, Friedman, and Landsburg are among them somewhere, and I'm just happy to be along for the ride. You can read my debut here.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1099503703643844572004-11-03T13:40:00.000-05:002004-11-03T12:41:43.643-05:00

All the commentary seems to say the same thing: the GOP won this election on "moral" and cultural issues. Which is good. Because we need the Dems to continue supporting bad economic policies and reach across and try to capture the bigot vote. It's a good day to be a libertarian. Woo hoo.I heard a theory a while back that a Bush victory was more likely to bring a quick end to Iraq then a Kery

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1099424458688240402004-11-02T14:40:00.000-05:002004-11-02T18:17:43.406-05:00

I couldn't care less who wins, but I care supremely about being right. My prediction: I said it before and I'm saying it now - John Kerry wins. Why Bush deserves to lose: He has presided over the most anti-libertarian governing in my short lifetime. Why Kerry deserves to lose: He was handed someone like George Bush and he made me not care. Update: Jesse Walker illustrates my point:Tomorrow

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1099101690384296272004-10-29T22:00:00.000-04:002004-10-29T22:01:30.386-04:00

Back in April, I tried to calculate the amount of socialization of the US health care system by adding implicit costs of regulation to explicit costs of public funds:If I had to make a wild guess, our health care system will be paid for by explicit or implicit public funds at a rate of 65-70%. My question is this: if we have a nationalized health care system now, and that system is by your

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1099101639039616412004-10-29T21:59:00.000-04:002004-10-29T22:10:37.840-04:00

I'll take this time to re-recommend Peter Guither's Drug War Rants. It's a good time to do so because Peter finds himself in the middle of an interesting story. Peter writes his blog because he strongly believes that the drug war causes more harm than it prevents, violates rights at every turn, and is an immoral and illegal action taken by government agents. One of the features of his blog is

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098930999082345002004-10-27T22:34:00.000-04:002004-10-27T22:36:39.086-04:00

Two patients walk into an ER. Both are 45-year-old women with acute onset of chest "pressure," both of whose pain radiates into the left arm. Patient A has a totally benign past medical history. Patient B is a smoking diabetic with high cholesterol. Which patient has the greatest chance of having had an acute MI after slapping an EKG on them and drawing serial cardiac enzymes? The surprising

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098406426628638782004-10-21T20:53:00.000-04:002004-10-21T20:53:46.626-04:00

As the medical blogosphere's competitive advantage is in correcting the "conventional wisdom" of health facts, I think this needs to see a lot of light:The annual median number of deaths is 1137, of which 85% are over 65, and 2% are 15 or younger. About 10 infants a year die from influenza, which is probably comparable to the death rate among infants from lightning strikes. Also worth noting is

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098330786568265922004-10-20T23:52:00.000-04:002004-10-20T23:58:42.573-04:00

I am pleased to announce that my personal intellectual hero, Steven Landsburg, will be guest-blogging this week at Marginal Revolution. I remember staying up until 4 AM reading Fair Play, because I refused to put it down. And I will be excited everyday to read MR. Now that you know, you have no excuse!

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098288786578992362004-10-20T13:12:00.000-04:002004-10-20T12:13:06.576-04:00

We forgot to add one group to the "at-risk" list who should obtain flu vaccinations: federal legislators and their minions:While many Americans search in vain for flu shots, members and employees of Congress are able to obtain them quickly and at no charge from the Capitol's attending physician, who has urged all 535 lawmakers to get the vaccines even if they are young and healthy.You can bet

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098288735240924562004-10-20T13:11:00.000-04:002004-10-20T12:12:15.240-04:00

I'm taking the cue from Alex Tabarrok on the headline there. It is certaily apt. The FDA stands in the way of life-saving and life-improving drugs and devices all the time. That is what they do, their purpose. Only when there is clear and overwhelming evidence that they have done enough harm will they lift their bans. Of course, there are those who have recently been heard calling for

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1098064483764269562004-10-17T21:54:00.000-04:002004-10-17T21:54:43.766-04:00

Back when hurricanes where bludgeoning the Florida peninsula on a weekly basis, I wrote multiple times regarding the short-sighted, wrong-headed calls against "price gouging." It's a pretty open-and-shut case that anti-price-gouging (is that the record for most hyphens in a single paragraph? I feel like Carlos Beltran.) laws are harmful to the very people they are supposed to "protect." Well,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1097338427139084372004-10-09T13:12:00.000-04:002004-10-09T12:13:47.140-04:00

A question for the medical blogosphere - is the recent announcement of the impending shrotage in flu vaccine supply an example of a market failure or a government failure? My vote? Let's see - while I'm sure many of our liberty-hostile frineds wuld try to argue that the free market has failed us, it seems t me this is obviously an example of government failure. Vaccine production is

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1097333172827488892004-10-09T10:45:00.000-04:002004-10-09T10:46:36.736-04:00

As an extreme libertarian, I occasionally encounter ridicule over my paranoia of government intrusion. But it would be hard for the most ardent statist to go to bat for this one:People expecting children can choose a pre-approved name from a government list of 7,000 mostly Western European and English names - 3,000 for boys, 4,000 for girls. A few ethnic names, like Ali and Hassan, have recently

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096591361751615812004-09-30T20:42:00.000-04:002004-09-30T20:45:37.096-04:00

And show me a drug with "too much" risk and I'll show you someone who should mind his own damn business. Don Boudreaux weighs in onthe Vioxx controvery with this question:The arthritis drug Vioxx was pulled from the market today, by its maker Merck & Co., because of recently discovered high risks to users of heart attack and stroke... A report I heard on WTOP news radio in Washington, DC,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096503324259069942004-09-29T20:14:00.000-04:002004-09-29T21:21:14.630-04:00

Just experienced a rather harrowing event. As I was grilling a chicken breast, or, more precisely, starting my grill, a collection of gas in my patio ignited and my head was momentarily engulfed in a flame (while not, thankfully, on fire). For those of you who enjoy seeking thrills, I gotta say pass on this one, unless you're the sort of person who enjoys having your own eyebrows singed. Phew.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096501681068985422004-09-29T19:47:00.000-04:002004-09-29T19:48:01.066-04:00

Glen Whitman poses something I have privately pondered before:When it comes to marriage, what’s an atheist libertarian to do? What kind of ceremony is appropriate, and who ought to officiate? For an atheist, the obvious choice might appear to be a judge or justice-of-the-peace. But for a libertarian atheist, state idolatry is as objectionable as spiritual idolatry. Sure, libertarians recognize

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096500267604950682004-09-29T19:23:00.000-04:002004-09-29T19:24:27.603-04:00

I'm a little late to the game, but Marginal Revolution and Cafe Hayek have properly pissed on this article from USA Today that claims that the endless parade of hurricanes in Florida is actually good for the economy there:Although natural disasters spread destruction and economic pain to a wide variety of businesses, for some, it can mean a burst in activity and revenue. For that reason,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096499237895688472004-09-29T19:06:00.000-04:002004-09-29T19:07:17.896-04:00

Unfortunately, it wasn't the study that proves the efficacy for my miracle cure for aging (that one's still being peer reviewed). Baylen Linnekin has posted my first two "Paternalism in Medicine" installments over at the Drug Policy Alliance blog, D'Alliance. Gives me a good excuse to link to them. Read the first about physicians and prescription drugs here, and physicians and illicit drugs

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1096498243141906142004-09-29T18:49:00.000-04:002004-09-29T18:50:43.140-04:00

Just came off my first night on call as an acting intern. As Roy Basch would say, they can't hurt me anymore.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1095871411102946842004-09-22T13:42:00.000-04:002004-09-22T12:43:31.103-04:00

Apparently Chicago mayor Richard Daley is pushing for marijuana decriminalization:Daley emphasized that most charges involving small amounts of pot are thrown out in the state court system in Chicago. "If 99 percent of the cases are all thrown out and you have a police officer going, why? Why do we arrest the individual, seize the marijuana, [go] to court and they're all thrown out? It costs you

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1095868212439718672004-09-22T11:49:00.000-04:002004-09-22T11:50:12.440-04:00

Medrants beat me to it, but today in California the Governator signed a bill that opens the door to allowing syringes and needles to be sold over-the-counter:Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday signed into law what some advocates describe as one of the state's most important public health policies in two decades - a five-year experiment to reduce the spread of AIDS and other diseases among

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1095733719312693362004-09-20T22:27:00.000-04:002004-09-20T22:28:39.313-04:00

Last week I posted this from the anniversary of 9/11, an article whose point was we should not put our faith so blindly in government actors to protect us from terrorism. The same day I tried to illustrate this by pointing out that we couldn't even trust them to respect our oen liberties, i.e. the War on Drugs. How would they instill a government in Iraq that respects liberty? Is the

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094957655685763612004-09-11T22:52:00.000-04:002004-09-11T22:54:15.686-04:00

To expand on the post below (regarding trusting our government abroad), read this article in The New York Times about a 25-year-old man who will be sentenced to at least 55 years in prison for selling marijuana (first offense) on multiple occasions and carrying (but neither showing nor using) a gun during the deal. Note that the 55 years is the mandatory minimum sentence for this non-violent

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094946709841043842004-09-11T19:50:00.000-04:002004-09-11T19:51:49.840-04:00

Good friend, softball extraordinaire, and fellow Cub fan Scott Lange, for one day, experiences what it's like too be a Cub:We get pounded on all game, and eventually this garbage team we are playing is leading 23-8 going to the bottom of the last inning, and talking trash to boot. We plate a couple runs, make a couple outs, and I come up as the potential last out of the game. Now understand, for

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094946609725793572004-09-11T19:48:00.000-04:002004-09-11T22:57:20.596-04:00

Roderick Long points to his essay written at the second anniverary of 9/11:For me, the chief lesson of 9/11 is the simultaneous power and impotence of government. 9/11 vividly demonstrated how powerless government is to protect us and make us safe. The United States government is the most powerful organisation that has ever existed in human history. It possesses untold wealth, unmatched

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094700375253166462004-09-08T23:24:00.000-04:002004-09-08T23:29:34.350-04:00

A few random thoughts from ABCs special on the tobacco industry (all quotes approximate)(full disclosure: I'm a nominal stockholder for Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris):ABC made a big deal of the inconsistency that sees tobacco completely unregulated, yet tobacco replacement products were heavily regulated. Peter Jennings tell us cigareetes should be regulated. Unfortunately they

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094696019903649952004-09-08T22:11:00.000-04:002004-09-08T22:13:39.903-04:00

The one glaring hole in the medical blogosphere is, unless I have missed it badly, is the lack of an OB/Gyn blogger (presumably because they're all tied up in court). If there were, I would ask them about what I just saw on a show about various plastic surgeries. Apparently there are some OB/Gyn's who specialize in hymenoplasties - a surgery undergone mostly by women of Middle Eastern culture

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094691929697462092004-09-08T21:04:00.000-04:002004-09-08T21:15:44.153-04:00

Ross at The Public Health Press notes that varicella vaccination save $100 million annually in hospitalization expenses. Medpundit says not so fast:It doesn't mention how much it cost to immunize the population during that time period. A single dose of the vaccine is $88. According to the CDC, 85% of children were vaccinated against chickenpox in 2003. According to the Census Bureau, in 2000,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094690902352966272004-09-08T20:47:00.000-04:002004-09-08T20:48:22.353-04:00

The Sports Guy on how roto-league baseball consumes his life:When noncontenders started to shop assets for prospects and picks, I even negotiated a possible Ichiro trade waiting in line on the ESPYs' red carpet. A woman in front of me caught the Sports Gal's eye, and said sadly, "My husband does fantasy baseball, too." She may as well have been talking about a leper. Decked out in a black

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094690811408850912004-09-08T20:45:00.000-04:002004-09-08T20:46:51.406-04:00

Via Arnold Kling, Holman Jenkins discusses our various "unfunded mandates:"It would take $3.9 trillion today to retire the visible national debt, and $72 trillion today to pay off unfunded promises to retirees. Yet only the first debt is reported to voters. That's the kind of accounting "oversight" that, in the private sector, leads straight to a cellblock. ...Why is this important? Because

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094532739150123632004-09-07T01:51:00.000-04:002004-09-07T00:52:19.150-04:00

As I have pointed out time and time agian, the constant refrain of "pharmaceuticals spend more on sales and advertising than on R&D" is an absurd, pointless argument against the power of these companies. The relative percentages of revenues spent on any two types of costs means nothing, because believing so misses the very fundamental issue of marginal revenues and marginal costs. Companies

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094504426915951782004-09-06T16:57:00.000-04:002004-09-06T17:00:26.916-04:00

Here's a wonderful article by Roderick Long dealing with the history of some government solutions for health care:Today, we are constantly being told, the United States faces a health care crisis. Medical costs are too high, and health insurance is out of reach of the poor. The cause of this crisis is never made very clear, but the cure is obvious to nearly everybody: government must step in to

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094490123700273272004-09-06T13:00:00.000-04:002004-09-06T13:02:03.700-04:00

Some musings from the Indiana Open:I got my ass handed to me in my first tournament. Not that I was outmatched - on the contrary, I had a late lead in every match; just couldn't turn it into gold. Classic choke-artist, I guess. There are some strange birds who play backgammon - not that this is news.I couldn't get it confirmed, but it's possible that there is a radio station in Indiana that

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094263197563295202004-09-03T21:58:00.000-04:002004-09-03T22:27:07.533-04:00

Bill Clinton just told Larry King: "I was on a cholesterol medicine, but I quit taking that medication because I got my cholesterol down real low." Just goes to show, the former leader of the free world can still be non-compliant. Money quote: "The Republicans aren't the only ones who want four more years." Get well Mr. President. This is cross-posted at Galen's Log.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094261139516597382004-09-03T21:25:00.000-04:002004-09-03T21:27:20.750-04:00

Well, I'm off to Indianapolis for the 52nd Indiana Open Backgammon Tournament. I'll be kickin' asses and takin' names. Be back in a few days.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094249345190882512004-09-03T18:03:00.000-04:002004-09-03T18:09:05.190-04:00

It's funny how Matthew Holt remembers basic principles when he wants to. On tax-exempt health-saving accounts:It also means that we spend marginal dollars on health care when we should be spending on something else. But I guess they missed that day in micro-economics class when MR=MC was brought up.Geez, I think he finally learned. If now he could only apply that to pharmaceutical advertising (

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094247830943929042004-09-03T17:42:00.000-04:002004-09-03T17:43:50.943-04:00

Last week I wrote of Haper's Lewis Lapham, who made the following "prediction:"The speeches in Madison Square Garden affirmed the great truths now routinely preached from the pulpits of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal--government the problem, not the solution; the social contract a dead letter; the free market the answer to every maiden's prayer.While I complained about his lack of integrity

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094181564732364672004-09-02T23:18:00.000-04:002004-09-02T23:19:24.733-04:00

Got a few responses to yesterday's question. So far, nominations are up for antibiotics, statins, and eyeglasses (with a shout out for phenergan; yes, it's good stuff). I should be more specific about my question. I consider cervical cancer screening a huge success because a) it has brought a deadly disease to it's knees, b) it is not too costly, and c) there are virtually no health risks in

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094176285553870132004-09-02T21:50:00.000-04:002004-09-02T21:51:25.556-04:00

Graham threw out some quick and random responses to my quick and random thoughts. So in the words of Jules Winfield, allow me to retort (quick and dirty):"The administration savings argument" - Setting aside the studies for right now, the point I was making is that your whole argument rests on this; take it away, and your case crumbles. That is not even a criticism, just a fact.On a free lunch"

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094170075433221652004-09-02T20:07:00.000-04:002004-09-02T20:07:55.433-04:00

One of the best, out of a myriad, arguments for "price-gouging" is that it increases incentives for producers to keep extra supply on stock before the disatser hits. If you allow price gouging after the fact, it will increase reserve supplies before the fact. But otherwise, you get this:Many gas stations are beginning to close, Lay said, and future shipments will be limited since the Port of

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094167357679333592004-09-02T19:20:00.000-04:002004-09-02T19:22:37.680-04:00

Don Boudreaux draws the apt analogy for people who think the president creates or destroys jobs:I've noticed that Washington seems cooler this summer than in summers past. Must be due to Bush's policy to reduce global warming. This is cross-posted at Galen's Log.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094095445575007182004-09-01T23:23:00.000-04:002004-09-01T23:24:05.576-04:00

As I spend a whole quarter of my day these days looking at cervical squamous cells, I have a pretty constant reminder of the success of Pap screening for preventing cervical cancer. Combined with colposcopy and the various treatment methods for CIN, cervical cancer has been relatively defeated (which in medicine doesn't mean it's gone - a good friend's sister just passed away from cervical

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094083050043281082004-09-01T19:56:00.000-04:002004-09-01T19:57:30.043-04:00

I had "Five Things That Would Persuade Me To Vote For the Democrats" during the DNC. Here are the top five things that would persuade me to vote for the Republicans:This one by itslef would do it: stop the gay bashing. Stop covering it up in the "family" wrapping paper and calling it "values." Stop tying on the bow of your God and calling it "moral." It's hate regifted and called love. It's

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094082787652389242004-09-01T19:47:00.000-04:002004-09-01T19:53:07.653-04:00

You're a gem, Trent!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11155365395320711505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1094003805238997392004-08-31T21:34:00.000-04:002004-08-31T21:56:45.236-04:00

Exhibit #491,552 that government regulations are mainly captured by special interests, are responsible for economic harm, and usually violate rights:Anthony Howell flew to Florida last week to help out a friend whose home was badly damaged by Hurricane Charley. Now, he may face a $5,000 fine and a felony charge. ...Howell, a Rockland County licensed contractor who runs Triad Builders in the

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093995261670347232004-08-31T19:33:00.000-04:002004-08-31T19:34:21.670-04:00

Congratulations to Graham for completing his single-payer animation. I'm sure it took a lot of work. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't criticize it. A few random thoughts (and there are many more where these came from):Check out Galen's objection to the "45 million uninsured" stat. A lot of people have looked into this cliam, and all have come to the same general conclusion (even if the

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093917642145865422004-08-30T21:59:00.000-04:002004-08-31T19:34:55.726-04:00

Hilarious. Cross-posted at Galen's Log.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093915775988697672004-08-30T21:27:00.000-04:002004-08-30T22:01:29.063-04:00

Seeing the uge number of people going to New York City this week for the solepurpose of demonstrating against the Republicna administration, I can't decide which is more pathetic: that one presidential candidate is so spectacularly and thoroughly despised by such a mass of people, or that the other candidate can't cash it in for an easy certain electoral victory. Somebody help me with this one,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093913735971388722004-08-30T20:44:00.000-04:002004-08-30T21:01:53.530-04:00

The esteemed Dr. Bard Parker from To Cut Is To Cure has joined me and the man with his name on the marquee at Galen's Log. With an internist, a surgeon, and a future pathologist in the line-up, we're turning into a veritable Medical Blogger Associates&#153. It's an honor to be in their company.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093912885484222142004-08-30T20:40:00.000-04:002004-08-30T22:22:38.716-04:00

You can't invoke the name of Bill Buckner in a newspapaer article wihtout noting his famous error that might have cost the Red Sox a World Series title, thus overshadowing an otherwise solid, if not spectacular, major league career. Yet Paul Erlich lets 'em all trickle through his legs, and he still gets to be quoted credibly in the New York Times:The father of the population bomb, Dr. Ehrlich,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093883000396165692004-08-30T12:22:00.000-04:002004-08-30T12:23:20.396-04:00

When I wrote this post last night, I forgot to make the point I was wanting to make from the outset. I am wondering what the issue of marginal value had to say about the "first do no harm" ethic. And I think before I can answer that, I must state what I think it means. I suppose there are two schools of thought. It could mean that the physician should never do anything that could cause any

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093869583495610982004-08-30T08:38:00.000-04:002004-08-30T08:39:43.496-04:00

Common Knowledge says the hookers are arriving in drove to NYC and the RNC:The NYC sex market is responding to what is expected to be increased demand during the Republican National Convention:Agencies are flying in extra call girls from around the globe to meet the expected demand during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering at Madison Square Garden. "We have girls from London, Seattle, California, all

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093841300083504702004-08-30T00:46:00.000-04:002004-08-30T00:48:20.083-04:00

I could stand the anxiety pimping by the media much more if they weren't collectively so damn ignorant. This is cross-posted at Galen's Log.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093838758865723022004-08-30T00:04:00.000-04:002004-08-30T00:05:58.866-04:00

Drug War Rant is not impressed with Barack Obama:Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama has admitted to the youthful indiscretions of using marijuana and cocaine. This should be an inspiring story. Young man from difficult youth, experiments with drugs, but takes a positive route, working his way to being the keynote speaker at the Democratic convention and the new rising political star.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093838020489917412004-08-29T23:52:00.000-04:002004-08-29T23:53:40.490-04:00

I've been thinking about margins lately, actually even before this post a few days ago. The thing I like about economics the most is how the same principles keep popping up; this, I would say, is much different than medicine, where you have to think about every problem differently and there seem to be more exceptions than rules. How do business firms know when and how much to produce? As we

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093728737688658252004-08-28T17:31:00.000-04:002004-08-28T20:02:15.866-04:00

Cafe Hayek's Don Boudreaux penned this letter to The New York Times in response to this letter responding to this article:Reader Robert Lauer calls the U.S. budget deficit and trade deficit “twin 500-pound gorillas” (Letters, August 28th). He’s right to worry about the budget deficit, which reflects the administration’s and Congress’s recklessness. But the trade deficit is no cause for concern.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093724525120695832004-08-28T16:20:00.000-04:002004-08-28T16:39:13.610-04:00

This is a ridiculous, extreme scenario, but instructive I think. A new medical breakthrough is announced (it doesn't matter right now whether it's a procedure, a technology, or a drug) that will guarantee to add ten years of life to it's beneficiary. The only problem: it costs $1 million (and this is the true free equillibrium price; there is no patent involved). Obviously, only very wealthy

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093724428664934682004-08-28T15:06:00.000-04:002004-08-28T16:20:28.663-04:00

I have seen two outstanding movies the last two nights: Garden State and Maria Full Of Grace. I recommend them both highly (warning: some spoilers ahead). Garden State starts and is written/directed by Scrubs start Zach Braff. It's about a twenty-something actor who returns home to attend his mother's funeral. He had been away for several years, and through the movie we learn that 1) his

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093641611958236242004-08-27T17:18:00.000-04:002004-08-27T17:20:11.956-04:00

Perri de Haviland's thoughts on Najaf:Either conclude that following a policy of using force to confront Islamic extremism is too bloody to stomach, leading inevitably to adopting a policy of withdrawal from wherever Islamic terrorism threatens modern global civilisation... ...or conclude that once a decision to use force is taken, it will be followed through robustly and ruthlessly with the

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093638300672135502004-08-27T16:23:00.000-04:002004-08-27T16:25:00.673-04:00

Matthew Holt, who should understand these things, spreads the R&D vs. marketing misinformation I have dealt with before:Then after I spoke -- and included the share of revenue of pharma companies given to sales and marketing (c. 30%), R&D (11%) and profits (c.18%) in my talk -- Chang went on a long rant about the fact that R&D was really expensive and cost "hundreds of millions of dollars".

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093634538512597162004-08-27T15:20:00.000-04:002004-08-27T15:22:18.513-04:00

I was actually planning to do this closer to the election, but it seems someone beat me to it. A man had an EBay auction for his presidential vote taken down because, well, it's illegal:James Pengov, 36, of Elyria, said he was hoping to land enough money from selling his vote to pay medical bills. "Up for auction is MY VOTE!," said Pengov's Aug. 19 posting on the online marketplace. The item,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093634436238968042004-08-27T15:15:00.000-04:002004-08-27T15:20:36.236-04:00

Two articles today at Reason about campaign finance reform (here and here). When you make campaign finance criminal, only criminals will be able to finance a campaign (wait - how's that any different than what it is now?). This is cross-posted at Galen's Log.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093555045493549032004-08-26T17:15:00.000-04:002004-08-26T17:17:25.493-04:00

Scott Woolley discusses the problems of satellite radio:In waging a crusade to stop satellite radio, the Fritts forces exhorted the nation's radio station managers to contact their congressmen and tell the "truth about satellite radio." "They got broadcasters across the country to hammer like hell on the Congress and the FCC," says the ex-NABer. The NAB literature's central talking point was

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093553868662515782004-08-26T16:50:00.000-04:002004-08-26T16:59:21.330-04:00

Hello, sports fans! The Mergers and Acquisitions Department informs me I've just been traded from The Proximal Tubule to Galen's Log for a player to be named later. I'm informed the deal almost fell through because Galen would have had to part with his star shortstop to fit me in under the salary cap, but a midnight deal was struck by restructuring my contract. I took a huge pay cut in

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093549441262115182004-08-26T15:30:00.000-04:002004-08-26T15:44:01.263-04:00

...and Harper's Lewis Lapham found that out the embarrassingly hard way. A quote from his most recent article in the monthly magazine:The speeches in Madison Square Garden affirmed the great truths now routinely preached from the pulpits of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal--government the problem, not the solution; the social contract a dead letter; the free market the answer to every

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093492057883998622004-08-25T23:06:00.000-04:002004-08-25T23:47:37.883-04:00

There's been a few mentions (here, here, and here) regarding the recent Annals of Internal Medicine study that looked at diabetes care at 5 VA hospitals and regional HMO's. I have to say I was not impressed with the article. The fact that the two populations were very different and the authors did not investigate costs one bit leads me to question its merits. It's seem pointless, speaking as a

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093397595259218692004-08-24T21:19:00.000-04:002004-08-24T21:33:15.260-04:00

Patri Friedman discusses putting your money where your mouth is:Voicing an opinion is costless - anyone can argue that socialism is great, or that the government won’t really inflate a fiat currency. Having a false opinion may be costless if it doesn’t affect your life much, and it can produce a benefit of feeling good. So people may choose an opinion based on how it appeals to their hopes,

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093394856793919922004-08-24T20:38:00.000-04:002004-08-24T20:47:36.793-04:00

Katy Delay writes of the third way:According to its inventor Tony Blair, speaking with Clinton and other heads of state at a 1998 NYU School of Law banquet, "[the Third Way] leaves behind, if you like, the old left that was about big government or state-controlled tax-and-spend, and [here he gets a little vague] it is not the politics of laissez-faire, either . . . it is essentially a belief that

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093306811647113622004-08-23T19:02:00.000-04:002004-08-23T20:22:02.216-04:00

There has been a lot of interesting stuff about racial profiling the last few weeks. Most of it stems from the Michelle Malkin's new book "In Defense of Internment." The publisher's description (from Amazon):Everything you've been taught about the World War II "internment camps" in America is wrong: - They were not created primarily because of racism or wartime hysteria - They did not target

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093297860660255912004-08-23T17:30:00.000-04:002004-08-23T17:51:00.660-04:00

Kevin MD links to this article by a CEO of a Massachusettes HMO:FOR THE SIXTH year in a row, health care costs are rising at rates that far exceed the rate of general inflation. Studies continue to suggest that health care delivery is uneven at best, and in some cases, harmful, and everybody's got a financing scheme or a policy proposal to shift the cost and quality burden onto someone else. But

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093296085397842312004-08-23T17:16:00.000-04:002004-08-23T17:21:25.396-04:00

In stark contrast to my post below, here is an example of people not profiting from delivering others from misery, but profiting by creating misery. The Reason Public Policy Institute blog notes:In 2005, the number of federal regulators is expected to exceed 2000's mark by 40 percent. The total number of regulators will be 242,500—a new record. So says a new study by the Mercatus Center. That

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093294464655237882004-08-23T14:20:00.000-04:002004-08-23T17:00:44.726-04:00

Graham points to the first-person account of a man on the kidney-donor list who turned down a kidney:I thought it would be more difficult, or maybe more complicated, but it was neither. A transplant surgeon called from the University of Minnesota this morning to tell me they had a cadaver kidney for me (I’ve been on the transplant list for four-and-a-half years). “I’ll pass,” I said in a quiet

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093285208472014692004-08-23T14:02:00.000-04:002004-08-23T14:20:08.473-04:00

James Surowiecki, author of "The Wisdom of Crowds," and guest-blogging at Marginal Revolution, has an interesting post about election fraud in Venezuela:This is a classic example of what Nassim Taleb calls being "fooled by randomness," in his intriguing book of the same name. We think that randomness means there will be no clusters or sequences of similar behavior, and therefore when we see them

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093277811802490312004-08-23T12:12:00.000-04:002004-08-23T12:16:51.803-04:00

It seems we're one step closer to teleportation. I have argued that temportation would be more desirable, but, hell, I'm not picky.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1093032173477685822004-08-20T15:53:00.000-04:002004-08-20T16:02:53.480-04:00

Jacob Sullum expands his thoughts regarding the new DEA pain guidelines that I posted about below:Announcing the publication of the pain medication pamphlet, which was prepared in consultation with leading pain experts, the DEA's Patricia Good said the government's goal is "ensuring both the ready access to prescription opioids and the elimination of their abuse and diversion." Since pain cannot

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092981038033495152004-08-20T01:05:00.000-04:002004-08-20T01:50:38.033-04:00

Kenneth Siber at TCS argues that conservatives and libertarians are philisophically similar and could lead to a political successful "fusion":Like the man who's surprised to learn he's been speaking prose all his life, the fusionist is a political category whose members may operate without much awareness of their label. Fusionism is the idea, named and developed decades ago by Frank Meyer of

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092970543445073932004-08-19T22:48:00.000-04:002004-08-19T22:55:43.446-04:00

Celiac sprue has to be a bitch of a disease. For thise who don't know, you have to stick to a gliadin-free diet for relief of abdomianl cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes anemia. And gliadin is in everything, especially grains. Take wheat crackers, for instance. The ones Catholics use for communion - can't have 'em. So read this story of an 8-year-old sprue patient who had her first communion

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092775467770553352004-08-17T16:40:00.000-04:002004-08-17T16:44:27.770-04:00

Jeff Taylor scratches were itch:Greg Mitchell notes that contrary to WaPo executive editor Leonard Downie Jr.'s assertion, doubts about the Bush administration's Iraq policy were not just found among the lunatic fringe. Downie and company simply decided contrary views were on the fringe and refused to cover them. But Iraq and the Post is just an example of the way media outlets often define

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092697354199384012004-08-16T18:54:00.000-04:002004-08-16T19:02:34.200-04:00

Via Samizdata, Bush has recalled many troops stationed in Europe and Asia:President Bush on Monday announced plans to bring home up to 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia within a decade in a major realignment that Democrats said was politically motivated in an election year. "The world has changed a great deal and our posture must change with it," Bush said of his plan for one of the biggest

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092696592346827032004-08-16T18:36:00.000-04:002004-08-16T18:49:52.346-04:00

This price control stuff has been popping up all over the place lately in many different arenas. The good Dr. Rangel is up in arms because a man with liver cancer spent a pretty penny advertising his need for a liver transplant, and subsequently got one a week later:Todd Krampitz essentially bought his liver and screwed who knows which patient likely to be far sicker than Todd out of a chance

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092694454396535222004-08-16T17:36:00.000-04:002004-08-16T18:14:14.396-04:00

Kevin MD points to the recently released DEA guidelines for pain control. Jacob Sullum quotes from the document:Society has a compelling interest in ensuring both the ready access to controlled prescription drugs when medically needed and ongoing efforts to minimize their abuse and diversion," the DEA pamphlet says. "These two goals are not in conflict."I'm sorry, DEA, but they necessarily do

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092692061113983962004-08-16T17:22:00.000-04:002004-08-16T17:34:21.113-04:00

Matt Welch discusses his experience as a credentialed blogger at the DNC. Money quote:What was truly different this time around was that the Democratic National Committee consciously handed out around 35 of its 15,000 press credentials to independent webloggers not tethered to any traditional news organization. While statistically on the insignificant side (being outnumbered 430 to 1 and all),

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092691161778692962004-08-16T16:57:00.000-04:002004-08-16T17:19:21.776-04:00

Some anonymous coward who posts on my comments has a problem with my social security post, and he simply regurgitates the same illogical argument I was disposing of. So since I am obviously not eloquent enough to persuade, allow Arnold Kling: Bush-hating economist Brad DeLong has praise for the following argument against Social Security privatization, from Mark A.R. Kleiman: "privatization

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092629282356075922004-08-15T23:55:00.000-04:002004-08-16T00:08:02.356-04:00

Of course, Jeb Bush and others have been seen on TV strongly stating that "we will not allow price gouging." Roderick Long at L&P explains just how cruel and stupid this is:Following up a natural disaster with the artificial disaster of anti-gouging laws simply compounds the problem; first people get hit by a hurricane, which causes the shortage, and then they get hit by the government, which

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092283948332822042004-08-11T22:46:00.000-04:002004-08-12T00:12:28.333-04:00

George Bush has released a vague outline of his more specific economic proposal yet to come. In it, he alludes to a plan to partially private social security (among other things):President Bush plans shortly to ratchet up his campaign rhetoric on economic issues by announcing expanded individual investment plans - including for education, healthcare and retirement - under the rubric of building

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092278712421496012004-08-11T22:37:00.000-04:002004-08-11T22:45:12.423-04:00

Via Medpundit, some health insurers will start paying for OTC medications:When Claritin became available without a prescription, many consumers were savvy enough to ask their doctor to switch them to one of the remaining prescription non-sedating antihistamines -- Clarinex, Allegra or Zyrtec. Consequently, some insurers determined they're better off paying for the over-the-counter version of

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092278210658475682004-08-11T21:49:00.000-04:002004-08-11T22:36:50.660-04:00

Bill O'Reilly needs to spend an evening with Ricky Williams and cooool out, Ricky-style. Bill bitches and moans because Williams quit the NFL, according to O'Reilly, because Ricky liked to smoke some wacky tobacky. Much has been made of Willams' previous sanctions stemming from failing league tests for marijuana, and his assurance that athletes drank some magical formula to pass such tests.

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6417392.post-1092098118454448142004-08-09T20:29:00.000-04:002004-08-09T22:23:04.840-04:00

Travis Nelson at Boys of Summer rejoices in the Cubs chances to bring home the first World Series trophy since the days of Tinker, Evers, and Chance: This is the longest of possible plays: "Garciaparra-to-Grudzielanek-to-Lee." Trio of bear Cubs, and ethnic, I'd say, Garciaparra and Grudzielanek and Lee. Ruthlessly alternating consonants and vowels, Lineup card looks like something from my bowels-

Trent McBridenoreply@blogger.com