Jason's

Besmirching Medical Professionals, Part 1

Jason — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:11:57 +0000

I plan to write a massive critique of the medical profession, but for now I want to quickly criticize their interaction with patients. They treat patients as idiots unable to understand numbers, basic scientific research, and entities incapable of doing cost/benefit analysis. And while many people may suffer from one or more of these conditions, the opportunity for others to have their doctors geek out on them should be available (and bad decisions by the patients tolerated and chalked up to free will).

For example, in my initial wave of research on liver transplantation, no Web site provides numbers, references to research studies, detailed analysis of the situation, and/or in-depth discussion of post-op survival rates. Instead, each and every one of the many sites I visited–this included reputable university medical centers, renown private medical centers, and organizations dedicated to the situation–take a superficial and ultra-basic approach. While this is nice for an introduction or for people who do not care, it is unsatisfactory for those who want, or need, to know more.

While this is an extreme example, Web sites like liverdisease.com, which was recommended by USC’s Liver Transplant Program not only should have been banned from the Internet in 2000, but are criminal. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone familiar with 419 is involved.

Are You an Organ Donor?

Jason — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:29:06 +0000

Being an organ donor is important. If you are, then good. If not, then you clearly are in need of a transplant…a brain transplant. Stop screwing around.

Inequality in the United States and Its Implications

Jason — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:33:43 +0000

The United Nations released its 2008 State of the World’s Cities report, which in past years has been an excellent source about demographic shifts around the world. Unfortunately, the United Nations decides to charge people a ridiculous amount ($44) for the report rather than making it available at an affordable (or even free) rate.

Based on an FT article on the World’s Cities report, the United States was ranked disturbingly high in the degree of inequality in its cities, most notably New York, Washington DC, and Miami. It is all interesting, so go read it.

Also of note is that there is a significant amount of research on inequality and its role in fomenting revolution. And while I do not want to take the rather selfish, short-sighted, and disturbing position of the UN Human Settlements Program executive director (”Inequality is not good for the economy”), I do think inequality is a make-or-break situation for the United States in the near and middle term. Perhaps the crown jester in all this are multi-millionaire politicians boasting about who is a better defender of the middle class (with the cherry on top being no one ever mentions the lower class).

Now where’s my cake?

My Relationship with Guitars

Jason — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:54:51 +0000

This pretty much sums up how I feel about guitars:

Thanks goes to LP Cover Lover.

TVotR Reassures KC and Denver of Their Location

Jason — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:10:04 +0000

TV on the Radio is on tour, and correctly reminds citizens of Kansas City and Denver that they do, in fact, live in the United States.

TVotR's Geography Lesson

More City Paper Bashing, This Time From The City Paper

Jason — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:03:12 +0000

Just when you though the Washington City Paper couldn’t get any worse, and particularly amusing in light of my Doonesbury post yesterday, the City Paper’s parent company goes and declares bankruptcy. For some of the basics, head to DC’s most-read-and-least-qualified blog, the DCist.

DC journalism is almost as bad as the city’s summers.

A Picture is Worth A…Pointed “You’re Oblivious”

Jason — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:35:01 +0000

I know, and have known, a ton of journalists, and none of them realize the total calamity afflicting their industry. And even if they did, I know they wouldn’t have a clue as to what to do, either personally or to save their industry. And yet, they manage to laugh at the blindness of airline employees who are at just as much risk.

Okay, enough about me and my friends. Let Doonesbury tell it:

Whole Foods Chips

Jason — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:52:14 +0000

Am I the only one who feels like every single bag of tortilla chips s/he buys from Whole Foods is stale?

Good Music Lull

Jason — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:20:21 +0000

I know I’ve been out of the country a lot lately, but I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been a single album of note that’s been released in the past two months.

Quick, prove me wrong.

Sentence of the Day (not quite)

Jason — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:12:06 +0000

From a USIP Special Report titled Securing the Future:

At a minimum, the security sector includes actors directly involved in protecting civilians and the state from violent harm (e.g., police and military forces and internal intelligence agencies), institutions that govern these actors (e.g., ministries of interior, defense, and justice; and national security councils), and oversight bodies.”

Can you figure out why this is such a great sentence?