This week's compendium

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. 20-27 February to be exact, is DonateLife Week [1a] (nee Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week). I’m still mulling over whether to be a donor [1b].

2. Michael Danby, Federal MP for Melbourne Ports (which includes Albert Park) spoke in parliament against the Grand Prix [2]. Good on you, Michael.

3. I read in treehugger that in the US solar-powered homes sell twice as quickly at a higher price than equivalent grid-powered homes [3]. Here’s hoping it’s so here too.

4. JAMA reported that mobile phone use changes the metabolism in the part of the brain closest to the phone’s antenna [4]. The clinical significance of this remains unclear.

5. further to my 24 January post [5a] the government said the axing of limited practice rights for retired doctors was ‘to protect public health and safety’ [5b]. Let’s see the evidence, then, policy czars.

6. 31 of the 33 Chilean miners rescued from a collapsed mine last October landed in Israel on Wednesday for a week-long visit [6]. I wish them an enjoyable time.

7. the Internal Medicine Journal published Tasmanian research showing knee arthritis severity’s closely correlated with the severity of x-ray changes, and independently with pain severity [7]. Odd that this had never been shown before.

8. darling Kate, in her wondrous Foxs Lane blog [8a], introduced me to the ‘sweater curse’ It’s charming how the curse’s Wikipedia entry analyses it in scientific terms [8b].

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.

farmdoc's blog post number 629

Here’s this week’s compendium. This week…

1. an ABC News headline proclaimed ‘Dubai unveils world’s tallest building’ [1]. I’ve no idea how Dubai kept it veiled until then.

2. American researchers found that antidepressants’ benefits appear greatest in those with the most severe depression [2]. Seems obvious to me. Maybe I’m missing something.

3. Ginkgo biloba extract was found to not prevent or delay cognitive decline in older adults [3]. Cross Ginkgo off the list, then.

4. but using a mobile phone may [4]. If the benefit’s due to the electro-magnetic field, then there’s no need to talk into the infernal contraption. All you have to do is turn it on and hold it near your brain.

5. a leading British cancer surgeon told of a campaign to have him struck off the UK medical register because he supported the Israel Medical Association [5]. Whatever happened to rational discussion. I guess it hasn’t permeated down to the human scum in British cesspits.

6. the Jordanians and other Palestinian Arabs made a claim on the Dead Sea Scrolls which were discovered in the West Bank in the 1940s and 1950s [6]. The West Bank’s never been part of Jordan or any other Palestinian Arab entity. Nice try, but, fellas.

7. Grammar Girl revealed that in the US not only do people say ‘y'all’ as an abbreviation for ‘you all’, but the also say ‘w'all’ as an abbreviation for ‘we all’ [7]. Yeeeeha!

8. on Thursday darling Brendon celebrated his birthday in fine style [8]. Sweetheart Vivienne and I are sorry we weren’t there. We missed out on a treat.

Finally, I wish you, dear Farmdoc’s Blog readers, a wonderful week.