Two new diet drugs have been approved by the FDA in a month. Qsymia and Belviq are the first two diet drugs to be approved since Roche’s Xenical in 1999. This comes as obesity rates in the U.S. top 35%. Continue reading “Drugs, Diet and Exercise”
Category: Adam Goldfein Show
Getting More Than You Paid in with Social Security and Medicare
Is Social Security an entitlement program or simply a government-run style of 401(k)? Do you get more out of Medicare than you put in? Who is benefiting at the expense of whom? Continue reading “Getting More Than You Paid in with Social Security and Medicare”
Dying of Embarrassment
Have you ever felt so embarrassed that you would rather be dead than be in the situation another second? Most of us have. However, embarrassment isn’t exactly what we think it is. In fact, feeling embarrassed generally evokes sympathy and positive emotions from the crowd who sees our foibles. Continue reading “Dying of Embarrassment”
Why the USA Doesn’t Have Direct Presidential Elections
The main purpose of the Electoral College as the framers of our Constitution envisioned was twofold:
- It insulated the election from a potentially ill-informed general population, who did not have adequate information about the person they were choosing.
- It prevented populous large states from ignoring and overriding the interests of smaller states
Continue reading “Why the USA Doesn’t Have Direct Presidential Elections”
Andrea Sneiderman Guilty
Andrea Sneiderman was found guilty of 9 of 13 counts today. She was found guilty of four counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements, one count of concealment of material facts, and one count of hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Each of the perjury charges carries 1-10 years and the rest carry 1-5 years. This adds up to a maximum possible sentence of 65 years if they are served consecutively instead of concurrently. Sentencing is scheduled for tomorrow. Continue reading “Andrea Sneiderman Guilty”
Two Plans for Defense Spending
When it comes to defense spending, the two candidates are not that far off. The President’s budget proposal provides $525.4 billion to the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY 2013, while the Ryan House budget provides $554 billion. Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) funding, which primarily is used for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, is separate from DOD funding. The President allots $97.7 billion for FY 2013, and caps spending through 2021 at $450 billion. Over the next decade Ryan provides $6.2 trillion for general defense spending, averaging $620 billion per year, which would include both DOD and OCO funding. Continue reading “Two Plans for Defense Spending”
The Death Sentence of Warren Lee Hill Jr.
Warren Lee Hill Jr. is scheduled to die at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. This is despite the fact that all the medical specialists who determined Hill to be mentally competent during his trial have recanted their statements and now believe he is unfit to receive the death penalty. One such forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas Sachy, said in an affidavit last week, “having reviewed my earlier evaluation results and the far more extensive materials from the record of this case, I believe that my judgment that Mr. Hill did not meet the criteria for mild mental retardation was in error.” Continue reading “The Death Sentence of Warren Lee Hill Jr.”
Death Sentences and Mental Aptitude
The issue of whether capital punishment is an acceptable sentence for a mentally retarded person first appeared in the public forum with Jerome Bowden’s execution. Bowden was accused and later convicted of robbing and murdering a Columbus, Georgia woman in 1976. Bowden had a measured I.Q of 59, and could not count to 10. Continue reading “Death Sentences and Mental Aptitude”
From Pets to Pests
Invasive species can destroy ecosystems and they are often introduced by your average, every-day pet owner. For example, the Burmese python has been found in the Florida wilds fighting alligators and was first introduced to the region through the exotic pet trade. These imported animals compete with natural species for resources and can sometimes have devastating effects on an ecosystem ill equipped to handle them. Continue reading “From Pets to Pests”
Predators and Pets
When Andrew F. Oberle was mauled by chimpanzees, it brought an important issue to national attention: wild animals are dangerous. Yet some people still think that bears, alligators, and chimps make great pets. Continue reading “Predators and Pets”
Ronin Pen 