In a study released by the University of California, San Francisco and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that marijuana users did not suffer any detrimental effects to lung capacity with occasional use. This is contradictory to the established notion that any smoke is going to have a negative impact.
The study notes that more frequent use does have a negative impact and made a somewhat dubious claim that smoking 20 joints a month is considered a lot and would be unusual. Anecdotal evidence suggests this amount is not as unusual as the study authors might believe based on what those surveyed reported. Continue reading →
So I started writing a column about some of the things you need to know getting the most out of your medical care, but after discussion with a few of you, I found that the questions I was answering weren’t really the ones you were asking. So I will start by answering a bit more in depth, some of the issues that have come up. Please share any knowledge you have in the comments and ask more questions. Continue reading →
As Father’s Day is quickly approaching, and I’m drowning the sound of my biological clock ticking loudly in the echo chamber created by my lack of uterus – I’ve been startled, intrigued and then creeped-out by the following story that ran across on my RSS feeds: British Woman Eva Ottoson, 56, is heading towards ground breaking surgery to donate her womb to her own daughter.
Have you heard of reflexology? It’s the fake alternative medical practice where a hippie holistic practitioner rubs the bottoms of your feet and magically heals you…. because you obviously are a moron who never realized that all your vital organs are connected to the soles of your feet. Yes, people actually believe in this.
Well apparently the reflexologists have their own cartel trade organization that wants to prevent the scourge of unlicensed foot rubbers from ever harming the good people of New York.
State Sen. Martin Golden and a handful of other lawmakers got what looked suspiciously like foot massages in the cavernous lobby of the Legislative Office Building.
“They are looking for some of our brains,” Golden (R-Brooklyn) quipped as a member of the New York State Reflexology Association rubbed down his bare feet.
“We are finding out all about reflexology,” Golden added as he sat back in a reclining chair with his feet lifted above his head.
Reflexology, for those who don’t know, is defined as the “systematic application of alternating pressure by the use of the practitioner’s hands, thumbs and fingers to reflex points on an individual’s hands, feet, face or ears.” It is promoted primarily as a stress reduction technique.
The group was in Albany pushing for passage of an Assembly bill that would require licensing of reflexologists and set competence standards
And it would also be nice if legislators would be a little more skeptical when a trade organization wants to require licensing. Sorry, but they don’t want licensing because they’re oh so concerned about public safety. It’s because they want to restrict competition by increasing the barriers to entry. There is simply no logical reason to impose higher foot rubbing costs on society under the guise of public wellness.
Or as Matt Yglesias put it: “Another day, another spurious occupational licensing effort.”
