Scary, ’cause it’s true

Behold, the ObaMao

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Cowboy vs. Bowboy

Your Choice.

My only comment:

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Brave Texans Battle Prehistoric Monster

The Texans win, of course.

How often do you get to read the words “extremely pissed off” in a news story – even for a little local paper?  Be sure and read the entire article – it’s quite funny – especially the “beer making you bullet proof” part.

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That old “a picture is worth 1,000 words” thang

A question is asked, and then graphically answered.

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I Has Dementia – I Can Has MRI?

No, in fact, you cannot.  Well, at least not right away, you can’t.  Look at the original source for the wait times for imaging in Saskatchewan – you only have to wait 390 days for an MRI to investigate dementia.  If it’s a brain or lung tumor they’ll rush you right in – does a month from this Tuesday work for you?  Who knows how long it will actually take to get you into the OR once the MRI is performed and interpreted.

Even more enlightening is the map of available MRI facilities in Saskatchewan – there are only 6 for a province of 1 million people spread out over 591,000 square kilometers.  Compare that to Texas – with a population of 24 million spread out over 696,000 square kilometers.  Here’s a map of private MRI facilities just in the Houston area – which does not even include the large hospital complexes, many of which have multiple MRI units available.  And to make the comparison even more uncomfortable for those staunch advocates of rationed health care health insurance reform – let’s look at the MRI facilities for a city of between 250 and 350,000 in one of the poorest states in the US – Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

So, if I need an emergency MRI in Baton Rouge, Louisiana – there are 17 facilities all within a quick ambulance ride of availability.  If I live in rural Weyakwin Saskatchewan – well, let’s just say if it’s a real emergency and the outcome will be decided by my access to MRI/emergency medical care – you may want to start notifying the next of kin – 290km and 4.5 hours between me and the closest MRI might be a bit much – especially in February, if you know what I mean.

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Not Access to the Most Effective Treatment

But access to the most COSTeffective treatment.

Thousands of women are being denied better osteoporosis drugs because of unnecessarily restrictive Government guidelines, a doctor said last night.

Professor David Reid, an expert on brittle bones, said the rules are so stringent that GPs are often prevented from giving alternative treatments to those suffering side-effects from their pills.

A once-a-year jab that could save thousands from the misery of broken bones is also not going to be assessed for use on the NHS in England and Wales for at least three years, despite being available in Scotland.

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It means that sufferers are being denied drugs that could have a major impact on their health and their quality of life. The news will reignite the debate about the evaluation system used by drugs rationing body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

NICE has previously been criticised for banning or restricting breakthrough medicines for conditions such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.

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A spokesman for NICE said the guidelines ‘provide postmenopausal women with consistent access to the most costeffective treatments’. (my emphasis)

Notice the acronym – NICE.  A warm, fuzzy name for a group of bureaucrats who sit around and do a cost:benefit analysis on what drugs you should, and shouldn’t have access to.  Coming soon to a health care system near you, America.

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Environmental Jacobinism

The biggest surprise?  It’s published in the Vancouver sun.

It is, of course, not new to have a highly qualified scientist saying that global warming is an entirely natural phenomenon with many precedents in history. Many have made the argument, too, that it is rubbish to contend human behaviour is causing the current climate change. And it has often been well argued that it is totally ridiculous to suppose that changes in human behaviour — cleaning up our act through expensive slight-of-hand taxation tricks — can reverse the trend.

But most of these scientific and academic voices have fallen silent in the face of environmental Jacobinism. Purging humankind of its supposed sins of environmental degradation has become a religion with a fanatical and often intolerant priesthood, especially among the First World urban elites.

Not sure what environmental Jacobinism might be?  Well, go to the Amazon.com page for the book under discussion, and read the 1 star reviews.  Most of them start out something like “I haven’t read the book, but….” – and then proceed to bash the book and its author as “non-believers”.

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Best Headline of The Week

Ironic, No?

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More Heavy Draft Horses from the Stampede

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Finally, a bailout I approve of

Oh, wait – it’s in Amsterdam.

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