Chalkboard: The headline read “Low-fat diets beat low-carb diets handily.” This is based on an unrealistic regimen followed by 19 obese people in a laboratory setting 24/7 who, “after six days on each diet” had lost an average of 7.6 ounces more on the low-fat than the low-carb diet. The researchers reported that those on reduced-fat diets tended to burn more calories while they slept. The sex, ethnicity and degree of obesity were not reported. In small print the scientists noted that “Our study suggests it's probably the calories in a diet that matter much more than the carbohydrates or the fat”. But this was not mentioned in the headlines nor on the daily talk shows. Imagine.
Guesswork: In the UK, students might as well guess at the answers to those A-Level tests, because the exam board simply
Say/Do: China, denying that a currency war is underway, has devalued the yuan for the third consecutive day. Sure, they are attempting to decrease imports and increase exports, but that's just business.
A Closer Look: First she said, "When in doubt, it must always be the parent's choice." Then Carly Fiorino, displaying the grasp of data and command of communication with which she led HP into the basement, said that parents can make the choice to not vaccinate their children against “highly communicable diseases” like measles or mumps but have to accept a public school's right to ban their unvaccinated little carriers. But, she insists, parents should have the ability decline “some of these more esoteric immunizations... for a disease that's not communicable” without having the little darlings barred from school, because “there really isn’t any proof that they’re necessary at this point.” Nosireee, Bob. Those esoteric vaccines for non-communicable diseases...
Justice: Chelsa Manning is facing indefinite solitary confinement for reading a magazine and using too much toothpaste. Who needs Guantanamo?
Rosetta Stone: It turns out that the studies of potential gains from the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) predict that US workers would gain about 40 cents a day (their European colleagues would gain about half that). This gains would be “easily dwarfed” by the increased inequality suffered by the great majority of workers. And this is without considering the additional costs from protections for Big Pharma. So it's a “win-whine” situation.
Out Patients: There are 50 hospitals in the US that charge uninsured patients more than 10 times the actual cost of their care. One of those hospitals is not a for-profit operation.
Civil Rights: The US government says that the pursuit of happiness guaranteed by the Constitution includes the right of the homeless to sleep outside and under bridges.
Porn O'Graph: Where the boys are, and where they came from.
