Transplant surgery: quote of the day

From a recent study:

 

"We find that an organ allocation policy giving priority on waiting lists to those who previously registered as donors has a significant positive impact on registration."

 

This seems like a no-brainer to me.   

 

Link to the study:

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w17324

Americans are pre-revolutionary

“Americans’ lack of confidence in their leadership is so fervent that they are now ‘pre-revolutionary,’ according to pollster Pat Caddell… A new Rasmussen poll shows that just 17 per cent of Americans believe that the U.S. government has the consent of the governed, an all time low. This dovetails with a record low for Congress’ approval rating, which stands at a paltry 6 per cent, while 46 per cent of Americans think most members of Congress are corrupt, with just 29% believing otherwise.”

The author goes on to talk about the possibility of black swan events which could disrupt the American republic in unforeseen ways. Rick Perry talked about succession previously. Who knows, maybe he is right. Dividing The Union in two might allow some of the inter-party hatred to be swept away enough so that things could be accomplished.

We have a winner!

This is an awesome article:

 

http://www.economist.com/node/18989175

 

This needs to happen in the USA!  More efficient nation, lower taxes, less oil money for terrorists.

Obama and the Debt Ceiling

I do have to say that I am fairly taken aback by the remarkable lack of strategic planning that went into Obama's approach to the debt ceiling battle.  As I said before, he was in a position from which he could have easily won a confontation with Republicans and probably humiliated them in the process.  Their bargaining position was very weak, and their hubris *should* have left them quite exposed.

 

The idea that Obama wouldn't have wanted to win a battle is crazy, too.  I can appreciate value of a strategic retreat, which is what I figured the capitulation over the Bush-era tax cuts was.  At some point though if Obama wants to advance any of his political goals at all, he will need to stop and reverse the GOP momentum.  This was his opportunity, and he totally blew it.

 

Such an obvious demonstration of incompetence, apathy, or perhaps both explains quite a lot.

Too good to not post: costly gas = thinner people

We can save ourselves money, reduce funding for terrorists, help the environment, reduce the debt, AND make Americans healthier.

http://web.hbr.org/email/archive/dailystat.php?date=080111

Naturally, this has no chance of passing through the US Congress.