I don’t know about you, but I find something quite refreshing about Matt McCarten’s articles. They are so unremittingly red. They are beyond simple socialism and into a place where a strange mythical working man strides the world like a colossus, wreaking havoc on greedy businessmen and delivering the poor from harm. Unlike Chris Trotter, who [...]
Bruce is flying Qantas to meet his mate Wal in Auckland. Halfway through the flight the captain announces “We’ve just lost our number one engine. There is no cause for alarm, because we have three other engines, but we will be half an hour late getting into Auckland”. Bruce continues to watch the in-flight movie. About ten [...]
Yet another study linking media violence with violent behaviour in teenagers. This must make it at least thirty studies in the last ten years that come to the same conclusion. And those are only the studies I have read or heard about. The actual total number is probably nearing three figures.
I wonder how much longer [...]
Small amounts of melamine have been detected in US infant formula, according to the FDA. This has been attributed to the plastic lining of the cans it is stored in. To put it in perspective, however, the amount is minute – 137 parts per billion compared to 2,563 parts per million in the toxic milk [...]
I have to admire the inventiveness of orthopaedic surgeon Ian Denholm. His attempt to get off a DUI by claiming that he was intoxicated from using too much alcoholic hand wash is impressive. Unfortunately for him, it failed. Apparently you can’t get drunk from that stuff unless you drink it. Not a nice thought.
The judge [...]
Professor Mike Ardagh, from the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, spoke yesterday about an ethics study which showed that doctors who save patients’ lives against their wishes could open themselves up to legal action. The study proposed two scenarios – one with a young suicide who wakes from his coma just long enough [...]
My favorite curmudgeon, Garth George, writes today on how he thinks that abortion is at the heart of child and wife abuse. I find I can’t really agree with his conclusions. As I have blogged recently, I see abortion, child and spouse abuse as general symptoms of a lack of respect for the value of [...]
Sigh.
I have been tagged by Busted Blonde (thanks, BB. I think). Apparently now I have to tell you seven weird or random things about myself.
Where to start?
I was the most caned boy at high school. It was all just “high jinks” – honest.
I used to like astronomy until I met girls.
There is not a music genre I [...]
I see Prof George Jelinek from the College of Emergency Medicine is doing his nut about drug firms bribing doctors. This is an old hobby-horse of his. There is a word for the little trinkets, stationery and sponsored meetings that Drug companies so kindly provide. It is called marketing, George. The same thing that other [...]
I am somewhat disturbed by the news that the Auckland DHB is considering backing out of its multi-million dollar contract to treat patients from Tahiti. It’s not the backing out bit that concerns me as much as the what-the-hell-were-they-doing-treating-patients-from-Tahiti bit. Although I have no philosophical objection to Auckland DHB raising a bit of extra cash [...]
