Mike the Mad Biologist
Archives for February, 2008
Screw the Oscars, I Received an E!
Posted by Mike on February 24, 2008 So, I received this award from skippy, with the stipulation that I award ten other bloggers with the coveted E. After two days of consideration, which gave others the chance to award the oodles of bloggers I wanted give the E to, I am left with a list of ten. So, in no particular order,…
OHRP Reverses Itself on ICU Checklist-More Questions
Posted by Mike on February 24, 2008 A while back I wrote about how the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) had blocked the implementation of a checklist for ICUs that would most likely prevent roughly 20,000 deaths from infectious disease annually. ScienceBlogling Revere reports that the OHRP has reversed its decision (italics mine):
Gerrymandering, Texas, and Obama
Posted by Mike on February 23, 2008 A very quick thought about Oliver Willis’ observation that African-American turnout will likely be very high in the Democratic Texas primary (also see Amanda and Sonia).
While We’re Debating Science…
Posted by Mike on February 23, 2008 …let’s elect more scientists to office. A good place to start would be physicist and congressional candidate Bill Foster, one of the developers of the Irving-Michigan-Brookhaven proton decay detector. Darksyde has a good description of Foster’s research. Go here to find out more about Foster.
Best Comment EVAH! About Anti-Obama Screed
Posted by Mike on February 22, 2008 In response to my post about the ludicrous rightwing charge that Obama is a result of a Communist interracial breeding plot, Graculus writes:
California GOP to the Rest of Us: Take This Yacht and Shove It Up Your Sloophole
Posted by Mike on February 22, 2008 I think Republicans want to be cast as cartoon villains. In California, Republicans have twice prevented a Democratic measure (supported by Republican governor Schwarzenegger) that would fix a loophole that allows yacht owners to avoid paying their sales tax.
Dems, You Don’t Want McCain Knocked Out
Posted by Mike on February 21, 2008 …because then it’s either Huckabee or Romney. And both of those guys scare me. I have no idea if Porkgate is even a real scandal, but, if you’re a Democrat, you want to run against McCain. I realize that’s contrary to the conventional wisdom (which, remember, decreed that McCain’s candidacy was circling around the bowl…
My Suggestion for the New Massachusetts State Seal
Posted by Mike on February 21, 2008 According to Boston’s The Weekly Dig, Massachusetts is casting about for a new state seal. The current one definitely needs improvement: It’s one of the oldest symbols in the US. That may be part of the problem; many think it’s outdated. On Wednesday, the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development considers a bill to…
The Swiftboating of Obama Has Begun
Posted by Mike on February 20, 2008 By way of maha (and also Roger Ailes the Good), I came across this screed from the conservative National Review’s website (italics mine):
Thirteen Steps to Being a Creationist Propagandist
Posted by Mike on February 20, 2008 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. Here’s the list with some commentary: