Amgen Gets a Gift From Congress – NYTFor a disheartening example of how intense lobbying and financial contributions can distort the legislative process in Washington, consider what happened to the “fiscal cliff” bill approved three weeks ago by Congre…
Vitamin D and Cancer in African-Americans
H/T The Breviary (here). Differences in vitamin D status may account for unexplained disparities in cancer survival rates between African and White Americans Authors: William B. Grant and Alan N. Peiris View affiliations Abstract: Considerable dispa…
Permanent Blue Eyes In 20 Seconds
If you were not fortunate at birth, like actress Reese Witherspoon (pictured), science just might give you another shot at blue eyes, but caution is advised. Gregg Homer PhD., a Los Angeles area research scientist, is working on a procedure, dubbed Lum…
Responding to Newtown, Aurora, Blacksburg, et al
I watched President Obama’s speech at the Newtown Memorial last night. My college and high school-aged kids and some of their friends and cousins were there too. It gave me a chance to not only consider how to pick myself up after such a senseless trag…
Sandy Hook School And Top Ten Myths About Mass Shootings
Reposted From Chronicle of Higher Education (here)… Top 10 Myths About Mass ShootingsDecember 18, 2012, 2:42 pm By James Alan Fox Even before the death toll in last Friday’s school massacre in Newtown, Conn., was determined, politicians, pundits, and…
Blue Eyes, Blacks And Occular Albinism
Photographs of this lad have been making the rounds, with what I believe to be a poor explanation of his blue eyes, on top of all the people who claim that it is a case of blatant photoshopping (forgery). He is from Zimbabwe and the photographer was Va…
Letter to a future Republican strategist regarding white people
The Following post in italics is from Eric Garland (here): To whom it may concern regarding the United States federal elections of 2014, 2016 and beyond: Allow me to introduce myself to you, the existing (or aspiring!) strategist for the Republican Pa…
Gov. Christie (R) Stumps For Obama
There are some moments in blah-blah-blah politics that deserve mention. This is one of them. Gov. Christie (R) New Jersey, aggressively thanking President Obama for his efforts to help the state, hit by super tropical storm Sandy. Of course, Christie l…
What About Lance Armstrong?
This is the same look that Bill Clinton gave America when it was clear that Monica Lewinsky repeatedly polished his chrome in the White House. Lance wasn’t just a doper – he was the Al Capone of dopers. In fact, all past, present, and future dopers wil…
Lance Armstrong: Fallen Hero
I’m a serious cyclist, so more than a few people have asked me my feelings about, the now ‘officially fallen’, Mr. Lance Armstrong.I must preface my thoughts by saying that I have always had a soft spot for Lance. I became a serious cyclist over twenty…