Apparently, Hone Harawira thinks I am a “boorish redneck”. I have no particular objection to Mr. Harawira’s opinion, partly because I am supremely indifferent to it and partly because I make it no secret that I consider him an ill-mannered racist trougher. So we are possibly even. Maybe. Harawira reminds me of an old Afrikaaner [...]

Yesterday’s Herald contained a sad story about a young man who had been seen by the local mental health team, diagnosed him as potentially psychotic and prescribed an anti-psychotic. His counsellor later told him to stop taking the anti-psychotic and continue with counseling. He subsequently committed suicide. A young man committed suicide after his counsellor [...]

Found this in my e-mail today Hi Jim, I remember reading a while ago that you thought a medical ratings website might be a good idea. Well found this on trademe forum the other day, looks like its going to be a reality? http://www.medrate.co.nz Thanks Steve Sadly for Steve, I am generally not that much in favour of medical [...]

There is much commentary in the blogosphere about the rather poignant letter of Dr. John Pollock to the New Zealand Doctor magazine advocating euthanasia. Dr Pollock is dying from terminal malignant melanoma. While I very much empathise with Dr. Pollock, I think neither he, nor the blogosphere supporters of euthanasia, actually understand the implication of [...]

I have been following the credit card “scandal” with great interest but little shock. My only comment is that I am surprised anyone is surprised by this. What we are witnessing is the natural behaviour of a human being granted access to somebody else’s money. Although some limits might be placed on the expenditure by [...]

I have noticed that the subject of inequality has been rearing it’s head again. Tapu Misa started the ball rolling with her opinion piece on how income inequality is pushing us further apart. I find this a very superficial reading of the facts and I am not surprised that Misa used the 1999 2009 book [...]

When a serious error is made in someone’s diagnosis, investigation or treatment, we really like to blame a health practitioner or two. In the Herald today, just such a diagnostic disaster is blamed on the DHB as Ron Paterson asks them to apologise for poor service. This is pretty unfair of Mr. Paterson as it [...]

In a move that defies all logic, the FDA advisory panel investigating the contamination of Rotavirus vaccine with pig virus has recommended that vaccine use be continued because “The vaccines offer a clear public health benefit that far outweighs a “theoretical” risk from PCV (Porcine Circo-virus)”. How very reassuring. Not. PCV type 1 was found [...]

Some newspaper articles cause me to wonder what is NOT being said. The Herald today runs the headline: Denied help for sexual abuse, dead days later A review of new rules for sexual abuse counseling has come too late to save a South Auckland mother who died four days after her claim for ACC-funded counselling [...]

I’m betting that the left (when they find the article) will have something derisive to say about Muriel Newman’s point that children are not protected from overt educationallly-driven political indoctrination in New Zealand. She cites Al Gore’s strangely acclaimed powerpoint presentation An Inconvenient Truth as an example. Personally, I think Gore’s movie is nowhere near [...]