The Healthy Hospitals Act of 2007: A Good Start, but Not Enough
Occasionally, Congress crafts good, if not great, legislation regarding infection control.
Posted by Mike at 10:52 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Mike the Mad Biologist
Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology
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Profile
Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
Recent Posts
- Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Thing You Don't Expect to Hear in Boston
- Influenza and Money
- Photo Contest: What's Your Workbench Look Like?
- SUVs: Not Schadenfreude, but Accountability
- Tristero: It's Not the Politics, It's the Collection Plate
- One Quibble with (One of) Angry Bear's Rules for Discussing Climate
- How to Buy 'Liberal' Media Pundits
- Creationism and Molecular Evolution
- The Silly Distinction Between CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA
Donors Choose Drive
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Recent Comments
- Amanda Marcotte on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Felstatsu on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- phisrow on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Esteleth on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Mark on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Felstatsu on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Robert Ward on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- drdrA on Thing You Don't Expect to Hear in Boston
- Esteleth on Amanda: "I Love Vaccines"
- Brandee Mcdougal on Pandas or Wombats?
Archives
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- January 2007
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- June 2006
Blogroll
- All The World's A Stage, Act For Change
- MyDD
- Chris Mooney
- Thoughts from Kansas
- Pharyngula
- The Public Trust
- Keats' telescope
- Laughing Wild
- groupThink
- Dancing in the Divine
- Craig's Thoughts, Theories, and Tantrums
- media in trouble
- Neo Commons
- MajikThise
- Living the Scientific Life
- YoungFemaleScientist
- Respectful Insolence
- Everyone Loves Hedgical Trevor
- Salon.com
- The Gazetteer
- Nameless Rantings
- dadahead
- She Flies with Her Own Wings
- A Pondering of Fools
- Henry's Webiocosm Blog
- Jon Swift
- Divine Afflatus
- cannablog
- Independent Bloggers' Alliance
- The Thermal Vent
- The Burned Over District
- Mixter's Mix
- Lab Cat
- If I Ran the Zoo
- Rev. BigDumbChimp
- ... ponderings of a fool
- Drinking Liberally in New Milford
- Scientia Natura: Evolution and Rationality
- Middle Raged Punk
- Primordial Blog
- ... ponderings of a fool
- SuportVaccination.Org
- Aetiology
- Big Brass Blog
- driftglass
- Battlepanda
- Pandagon
- skippy the bush kangaroo
- The Scientific Activist
- Deep Weeds
- The Corpus Callosum
- Complex Medium
- This Human Project
- Left in the Heartland
- A Mind Occasionally Voyaging
- Nice Shoes, Wanna Fock?
- Societas
- Skeptico
- Tied To the Tenure Tracks
- The Raven's Gazette
- Studying Biology and Environmental Science
- postgenomic
- Welcome to Shakesville
- Military Religious Freedom Foundation Blog
- Mad Melancholic Feminista
- ¡Viva La Evolución!
- comment is free...
- Melissa McEwan
- Marisacat
- The Panda's Thumb
- King of Zembla
- are you effin' kidding me?
- Eccentricity
- A Concerned Scientist
- Utenzi Blog
- Graphic Truth
- Universal Acid
- Scriptoids
- phronesisaical
- Muton
- A Beginner's Mind
- Altair4 Redux
- PSoTD
- Liberal Street Fighter
- Jon Swift
- Tangled Up in Blue Guy
- Sorting Out Science
- The force that through...
- jobsanger
- no fish, no nuts
- The Barefoot Bum
- ywut
- miriam's ideas
- decrepitoldfool
- Philosophers' Playground
- Yhetti
- Endosymbiosis
- The Crone Speaks
- blue collar scientist
- Crinch Pin
- Moue Magazine
- Balls and Walnuts
- over the cliff, onto the rocks
- Argue With Everyone
- Passing Afternoon
- Centerface! Adventures in Post-Democracy
- La Casa de Los Gatos
- CultureVultures
- Lance Mannion
Science Links
These links do not indicate support of this blog's statements by these groups
February 29, 2008
February 28, 2008
Occasionally People Don't Suck: The Uganda Edition
Category: Basic Human Decency
The brutal Lord's Resistance Army lays down its arms.
Posted by Mike at 4:57 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Did I Mention Something About Religion, Politics, and Exclusion?
I believe I did. And on cue, a bigot steps right up
Posted by Mike at 4:55 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Mad Biologist, Slayer of Blogging
Category: Bloggity Blog
I write about politics because I'm a money-grubbing, science-hating scumbag.
Posted by Mike at 10:45 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 27, 2008
Best Comment EVAH! (Since the Last Best Comment EVAH!): The Bill Foster Edition
Category: Humor
In response to this post about scientist-turned-congressional candidate Bill Foster, a reader predicts what would happen if lots of scientists went into politics.
Posted by Mike at 5:14 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Families Share E. coli
And that includes the pets. What this means for treatment of urinary tract infections.
Posted by Mike at 10:59 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 26, 2008
Amy Sullivan: A Religious Minority Who Won't Admit She's a Minority
Most religious minorities have not looked to government for validation of their religious beliefs. Why does evangelical Democrat Amy Sullivan do so?
Posted by Mike at 5:55 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Failure of Administration and Contracts and the Rise of Torts
Category: The Rule of Law
The rise of torts is the last resort of a society that has abandoned contracts and honest administration.
Posted by Mike at 11:09 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 25, 2008
Brown University Eliminates Tuition for Families Earning Less Than $60,000
...and shifts much of its other aid packages to grants.
Posted by Mike at 5:06 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Apartment Building of the Future?
An apartment building that grows food.
Posted by Mike at 10:42 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 24, 2008
Screw the Oscars, I Received an E!
Category: Bloggity Blog
An E for Excellence, that is.
Posted by Mike at 5:07 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
OHRP Reverses Itself on ICU Checklist-More Questions
The Office of Human Research Protection's reversal on an ICU checklist raises another question: who filed the written complaint?
Posted by Mike at 10:57 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 23, 2008
Gerrymandering, Texas, and Obama
Category: Voting
Unusually high turnout is a great way to screw up attempts at gerrymandering.
Posted by Mike at 4:35 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
While We're Debating Science...
let's elect more scientists to office. A good place to start would be physicist Bill Foster.
Posted by Mike at 10:31 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 22, 2008
Best Comment EVAH! About Anti-Obama Screed
A response to my post about the ludicrous rightwing charge that Obama is a result of a Communist interracial breeding plot.
Posted by Mike at 4:52 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
California GOP to the Rest of Us: Take This Yacht and Shove It Up Your Sloophole
I think Republicans want to be cast as cartoon villains. Tax loopholes for yacht owners?
Posted by Mike at 11:08 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 21, 2008
Dems, You Don't Want McCain Knocked Out
...because then it's either Huckabee or Romney.
Posted by Mike at 4:28 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
My Suggestion for the New Massachusetts State Seal
Massachusetts needs a new state seal, and the Mad Biologist is willing to help.
Posted by Mike at 10:45 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 20, 2008
The Swiftboating of Obama Has Begun
Barack Obama is the result of a Communist interracial breeding plot. So sez a blogger at the National Review.
Posted by Mike at 4:34 PM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Thirteen Steps to Being a Creationist Propagandist
Category: BPSDB
Tristero came up with a list of thirteen things that the rightwing media does to craft its message. I've 'repurposed' and changed them for creationists.
Posted by Mike at 10:53 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 19, 2008
BPSDB.org: The Best Blog Aggregator EVAH!
This is true genius.
Posted by Mike at 12:49 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Florida Voters: Don't Know What Evolution Is, but It Triggers Something
How in the Intelligent Designer's green earth do the same number of people define evolution as creationism as do correctly define evolution? And what does that mean?
Posted by Mike at 10:41 AM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 18, 2008
NY Times Declares Autism Reporting Policy...
Category: Autism
and it's pretty damn good.
Posted by Mike at 6:10 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Bunny Rabbits Kick Ass
Category: Humor
And they have HUGE POINTY TEETH too.
Posted by Mike at 5:15 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Republican War on Art
Category: The War on Art
The Republican assault on culture continues.
Posted by Mike at 10:42 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 17, 2008
Another Way Big Sh-tpile Is Hammering Municipalities
States and local governments take another hit from the collapse of the bond insurers. Just what's needed headed into a recession.
Posted by Mike at 5:29 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
More Healthcare Mythbusting
Sara Robinson continues her assault on the lies surrounding healthcare. One target: 'rationed' healthcare.
Posted by Mike at 10:36 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 16, 2008
Some Help for SQL Beginners
Category: Bioinformatics
I agree with ScienceBlogling Sandra: many biologists need to know SQL.
Posted by Mike at 5:02 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
When "Fiscal Constraint" Means the War on the Middle Class
Maybe a good first step in deficit reduction would be raising taxes on assholes like Peterson, as opposed to screwing over middle class Americans.
Posted by Mike at 10:29 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 15, 2008
Well Done on FISA, Congressman Reyes
Here's a letter he wrote to Little Lord Pontchartrain.
Posted by Mike at 4:46 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Comment of the Day
Category: Humor
So how will bloggers treat 'peer-reviewed' creationist articles?
Posted by Mike at 12:08 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Should Personal Genetic Information Be Free?
Genetically-based discrimination by employers (except in very specific situations) should be prevented, but should genetic data--that is, identifiable genetic data--be publicly released?
Posted by Mike at 10:16 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 14, 2008
How to Publish Peer Reviewed Creationist 'Research'
Slate has the goods on the style manual for Answers Research Journal.
Posted by Mike at 4:39 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Death Primary: McCain Wins
Category: Death
So which candidate is most likely to keel over before the end of her or his term? McCain: big time.
Posted by Mike at 10:56 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 13, 2008
Senator Dodd Is Grumpy About FISA...
and rightly so.
Posted by Mike at 6:35 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party Wins an Election
Really. Donna Edwards beats Corrupticrat Al Wynn.
Posted by Mike at 12:58 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
E. coli, Vegetarians, and Resistance, Oh My!
How antibiotic resistant your E. coli are has to do with where you've been, not what you eat.
Posted by Mike at 10:45 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 12, 2008
A New Meaning of "Human Shields"
Category: A Moose Is Loose
I'm referring to moose, of course.
Posted by Mike at 4:37 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
How Congressional Democrats Betrayed the Anti-War Movement
...and rank and file Democrats too.
Posted by Mike at 11:07 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Two Good Healthcare Related Items
Category: Healthcare
ScienceBlogling Revere and Robert Kuttner.
Posted by Mike at 10:50 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 11, 2008
Evangelicals, Evolution, and Kristof
Kristof doesn't get it about most evangelicals and evolution.
Posted by Mike at 5:01 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
What Is a Disease?
So our Benevolent Seed Overlords pose the question "What is a disease?" This question merely proves that longer questions are usually easier to answer than shorter ones.
Posted by Mike at 2:49 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Israel Has Won
One of the problems I have with the U.S.'s self-appointed Jewish leadership is that too many of them appear to believe that Israel will be annihilated at any moment. In today's NY Times, Daniel Gavron puts that fear in proper context.
Posted by Mike at 12:49 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Mad Biologist's Rule of Base Ten Numbers and Abstinence-Only AIDS Non-Prevention Programs
Certain numbers should always make you suspicious.
Posted by Mike at 10:52 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 10, 2008
Why Former Nazis Shouldn't Be Popes
Welcome to the true face of theological conservatism.
Posted by Mike at 6:37 PM • 16 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Beijing Olympics: Don't Breathe the Air, or Eat the Food?
There's a good chance that the air during the Beijing Olympics in 2008 will be harmful to the athletes. Now they also can't eat the food.
Posted by Mike at 11:37 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 9, 2008
Tornado Victims Need Your Help
Category: Basic Human Decency
If you can afford it, please consider kicking in a few dollars to help the tornado victims.
Posted by Mike at 5:53 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
More on the Politics of Healthcare Mandates
Category: Healthcare
Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks mandating the purchase of private health insurance is a political train wreck.
Posted by Mike at 10:53 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 8, 2008
Ten Myths About the Canadian Healthcare System
Category: Healthcare
Sara Robinson, who has lived in both the U.S. and Canada, explodes the myths about the Canadian healthcare system.
Posted by Mike at 5:24 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
New Feature: Irregular ID Legislative Roundup
Category: Legislation
There's quite a few infectious disease-related legislative proposals floating around Congress, so I'm going to start previewing them. I'll start with an easy one: H.R. 766, which calls for a National Infection Prevention Week.
Posted by Mike at 10:25 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 7, 2008
When the Cato Institute and I Agree on McCain...
Category: 'Snuggles' McCain
there's a good chance we're both onto something: McCain's inner fascist.
Posted by Mike at 5:24 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Wealthier Democrats Prefer Obama
Obama has less support as you go down the income ladder.
Posted by Mike at 12:18 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Need for Stimulus: There Isn't An Economy, but Multiple Economies
Category: Economics
There isn't a single economy; rather, different people experience different economies. Some economies needed a stimulus a long time ago.
Posted by Mike at 11:09 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 6, 2008
Healthcare: Universal Coverage, Mandates, and Wages
A rant in Boston's Weekly Dig lays out why the healthcare problem is a wage problem.
Posted by Mike at 7:15 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
It Looks Like Primary Season Will Keep Rolling On
...and that's a good thing.
Posted by Mike at 10:32 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 5, 2008
McCain's Anger and Romney's Inadvertent Bolstering of McCain's Campaign
On his campaign website, Romney has listed ten incidents that supposedly mean McCain is unstable. Let's review them:...
Posted by Mike at 5:34 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
MRSA: Jumping from Pigs to Humans?
It certainly looks that way.
Posted by Mike at 10:50 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 4, 2008
Rolex Designers Are Stupid and Don't Know Roman Numerals
Would you spend thousands of dollars to show the world that you're illiterate?
Posted by Mike at 5:14 PM • 23 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
My Tepid Democratic Presidential Endorsement
Category: Democrats
Obama. Kinda. Sorta.
Posted by Mike at 10:29 AM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 3, 2008
Sunday Sermon: The Arrogance of Ignorance
Who is more arrogant: those who know what they're talking about, or those who don't?
Posted by Mike at 5:28 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Monopoly and News Media
How the de facto death of anti-trust legislation destroyed newspapers.
Posted by Mike at 11:56 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Merry Blogroll Amnesty Day!
Category: Bloggity Blog
A year ago to the day, skippy and Jon Swift led an uprising of little blogs.
Posted by Mike at 9:04 AM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
February 2, 2008
How Watching the Presidential Debates Makes You Stupid
One should be more informed, not less after watching a presidential debate. Thanks, Wolf Blitzer.
Posted by Mike at 5:42 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Driftglass' Reponse to Sebelius
Seven years into the reign of Little Lord Pontchartrain, some Democrats still don't get that the Republicans and movement conservatives do not reconsid