Daily Archives: March 8, 2006

Single Payer Hackery

This entry was posted in Health Care on by

In the comment thread for one of Drum’s typical single payer blurbs is this about how the US health care system sucks compared to the Canadian system:

She is also able to get to see her G.P. typically on the same day, an experience I have yet to enjoy here in the US. Instead, I’m told to go to an urgent care clinic where I pay more out of pocket.

Perhaps this guy should get a different GP! My family is routinely able to get in to see our GP on the same day. The rest of his comparisons are pretty much anecdotal apples and oranges.
As to Drum:
1) Well, yes the government incented and dominated US system has big issues. As usual Kevin wants more of the same.
2) He has the solution for both Canada and Britain’s systems: Decent funding levels would make both of them a lot better. Yep, if it ain’t working throw more money at it.

Kevin, some day the money is going to run out….oh yea, as the bushies demonstrate on a daily basis it already has.

Reforming scotus and congress

This entry was posted in Government Supreme Court (US) on by

Professors Lund and Learner, George Mason University, have a number of suggestions for reforming the us supreme court. First on their list is this:

Take away their law clerks. Each justice now has a personal staff of several top law-school graduates who serve for one year. These intelligent, energetic, and intensely ambitious young people are itching to do the hard work of studying precedents and writing opinions. It should be no surprise that modern justices have frequently assumed the more pleasant role of dictating big thoughts and deep feelings to the clerks, and editing the drafts they write.
Truly old-fashioned judges would study the precedents themselves, discuss the law with their colleagues instead of with their handpicked votaries, and write their own opinions. The Supreme Court once heard hundreds of cases each year, without law clerks to help. Today’s justices should be able to manage the 70 or 80 they consent to decide each term.

This may be a very good idea but before this happens congress should eliminate their own batch of aids and acolytes. They could then study the issues themselves, discuss proposed legislation with their colleagues and write proposed legislation themselves.
Assuming we keep them around!

Via Professor Bainbridge.

Sperm plus Egg….?

This entry was posted in Biology Science Sex on by

PZ answers the question:

“…scientifically speaking, when a sperm and egg comes together, what happens? Is death created?”

If fact, he provides answers from multiple perspectives: mathematical, patriarchal, cytological, forensical, genetical and developmental.
As an added bonus you also get the answer to this thought problem:

if a fire breaks out in a fertility clinic, who do you save — a Petri dish with five blastula or a two year-old child?.

I didn’t realize that this was even a possible issue but apparently it creates a challenge for some.

Oh yea, read the comment thread as well…always full of good material at PZ’s place.