After one fiasco after the other the CDC has recently racked up yet another recent embarassment.

The2007/2008 influenza vaccine apparanly only is effective against 40% of the viruses causing flu this year. 

This comes after a series of failures related to safety and supply of previous years flu vaccines.

The dishonest scaremongering by the CDC about 20-30,000 US flu deaths annually is rendered meaningless by the reality that most of these deaths are in the very frail 
aged who are likely to die of some other cause very soon.

Dr Julie Gerberding came to the head of the CDC in 2002. Her and her agency's record is abyssmal with significant erosion of trust among both health professionals and the public.

We may never see trust restored in our nation's premiere public health agency but a good start would be the resignation of Dr.Gerberding.

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton, Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Hillary's victory last night had a lot to do with gender. Or if not gender then at least Feminism. Just when I was about to give up on The New York Times the article yesterday by Gloria Steinem was a grand-slam.

Of course issues are important.

But do not underestimate the change in American consciousness if and when we elect our first female president. Also the consciousness of the world in their perception of the US will change.

While biology is certainly not destiny it does indeed count. Ignore it at your peril.

The global rise of the FEMININE in both men and women is a huge unstoppable megatrend which serves to counter the pathology in today's world.

The recent tragic death of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan- the first female leader of that Islamic nation- is very relevant.

So is the crass and ignorant phrase "girlie-men" used frequently in political venues by now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For an in depth understanding of this FEMININE megatrend I suggest you read the writings of Leonard Shlain. One of his books- The Alphabet and The Goddess is particularly relevant.

GO HILLARY!

Dr. Rick Lippin

Southampton, Pa

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

The real loser in the Hillary's misty eyed moment was undoubtedly John Edwards.

See Todd Gitlin's piece on the TPM home page.

Mr Edwards,pumped and combative these days, took the opportunity to expose his "dark shark" side by referring to the need for "The Commander and Chief to be tough"

Just what we don't need -more machoism. Please spare us.

I would NOT vote for someone who could not show honest emotion in the campaign for president.

As for crying, as a physician I have studied the "weep response" and have learned we come back stronger after we weep. See my article on on stress release.

Those who believe this show of emotion by Hillary are either blinded by "Hillaryhatred" or are hopelessly cynical about human nature.

This was a seminal moment which revealed John Edwards to be an unfeeling person.

Of course big boys don't cry. But BIG MEN do!And BIG MEN also apologize- A suggestion for Mr. Edwards.

Regrettably he will do neither which is his loss and more importantly ours.

Dr. Rick Lippin

Southampton, Pa

Melissa and Ken,

Something wonderful happened last night in Iowa. Your generation came out in large numbers-many for the first time- to provide a decisive political win to a black man in the predominantly white state of Iowa.

THIS WAS TRULY AN HISTORIC MOMENT IN US HISTORY.

We are fortunate to live in a nation where this could happen- and happen peacefully. When many of us were about to give up on this nation something like this happens making me personally very happy and very hopeful.

Not to lay a trip on you but it seems it is your generation’s turn to lead. The proverbial torch is being passed.

I know you will do what is right for our great nation. The best of my generation and my parent’s generation stand with you.

Love Always,

Dad

(Dr. Rick Lippin)

Brian McLaren's "Table for One" article on TPM Cafe yesterday stimulated my annual letter to God herein appended

Dear God;

This is my fourth annual letter to you. I hope you don’t mind one letter per year in December from me even though I know that the concept of time is just a figment of my limited earthly imagination. Your universe is timeless of course which is comforting.

Anyway, more so than my other letters to you, this one is my most optimistic. It seems that things have gotten so bad on our planet earth with the excesses of fundamentalist religions who seek to destroy that there are a group of outstanding leaders and writers who want to rescue the world and their religions from their very obvious self-destructive path.

Among these so called “radicals” are great thinkers from the Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths. There are too many to name but you know them.

They speak of their great religious tenets being “hijacked” by fundamentalists and seek a return to the roots of religion from which great goodness and healing flow.

In short God – I’m not so sure how it happened, but we screwed up badly.

I have said in the past, God, that religion is both the most destructive force on the planet or the most beneficent force. You have given us the gift of free will to choose.

Well I guess it took us coming close to the brink for these earthly “radical” leaders to promote a return to the best that religions can provide.

Of course all along you knew, God, that we would ultimately choose life over death and that you gave us the great earthly religions to seek your love and more importantly the love of each other and our planet we call earth.

So in closing I know you are well, Dear God, which provides great comfort, and as usual I am looking forward to meeting you. But please God- not too soon since I have a few loose ends I need to tidy up down here.

Love Always;

Rick Lippin

December 2007

See media frenzy on this issue.

In addition to being a political football for the religious right and progressive left the stem cell issue is a potential red-herring that could divert us from the health care reform issue.

These so called "breakthroughs" haven't produced much for US health consumers/patients recently?

But affordable,efficacious, and safe healthcare for all Americans sure would!

Let's keep our eye on the correct ball and not get duped into false promises of "miracle cures" from the BIOTECH Industry whose main interests are the financial interests of their company officers and stockholders.

Here is what my friend and colleague- a recognized leader in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Dr. Marc Micozzi says about it

"More broadly the false promises (and profits) of the entire biotech industry (if it can be called an industry without making products) are a diversion from the central issues of health. They allow deluded hopes that somehow a next generation of "miracle" cures will save us from disease, disability, death and financial disaster without having to make the tough choices that require a change in paradigm"

He is correct. And he and I are not at all anti-science. But we are both pro-health

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Read what the New York Times had to say today.

I saw this meltdown coming at least 5 years ago.

After, all how much hypocrisy can people even with a modicum of intelligence take?

The pedophile priests, the promiscuous nuns, the parade of cheating and lying evangelical leaders caught with their hands in the $ till or in sexual misadventures.

The blatant denial of well and long established scientific principles such as biological evolution.

The hypocrisy of being "pro-life" only up to the birth of the baby.

The increasingly outrageous statements made by the "leaders" such as Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell.

The poison of religious fundamentalism is dead in the US

Let us hope and pray that the rest of the world follows our lead.

Dr. Rick Lippin

Southampton, Pa

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

AlterNet ran this story today

Shame on you Mike Huckabee for comparing abortion to the holocaust. On that basis alone you should drop out of the presidential race.

I have been livid for at least 20 years that the anti-abortion zealots grabbed the phrase "pro-life"

Except for unborn fetuses (not babies) they are anything but!

Another great word and concept is BIOPHILIA=Love of life (google it)

Be Well,

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

See Huff Post Coverage today

To me THIS IS ABSOLUTELY GREAT NEWS!

It will further drive one of the final nails in the Reagan/Gingrich so called Conservative Revolution coffin.

Who would be so stupid as to vote against health care for children? Only those into political self destruction! Big time.

The penultimate political mistake.

Thank you for self destructing!

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

I know this TPM Cafe blog doesn't do much on medical sciences. (I always enjoy Maggie Mahar when she posts here) but the SCHIP vote not to override the BUSH veto on children's health, to me, begs the question about the capability of fundamentalists or some other conservatives to exhibit and exercise the potential trait of human compassion.

As a physician I have been recently reading the work of John Jost from NYU. While John Jost would not totally agree with my argument, I urge you to look at his extremely stimulating publications.

My contention is that early rigid childhood "neuro-tapes" are laid down before the age of 5 or so and may be immutable? For that premise I will assuredly be called a bigot. So be it.

In religious fundamentalist homes these tapes are extremely rigid and actually preclude open-mindedness, tolerance for others views, and-most ironic of all, true compassion in my opinion.

My hope is that you read the work of David Boulton who may very well give us hope for the future of our species in crises.

David Boulton's proposal for worldwide healthy early childhood education may very well be our best last hope. I would add early healthy education and literacy MUST include a large component of arts education.

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Southampton, Pa

AlterNet ran a a rather freightening story today about contemporary US hospitals today.

Here is my analysis as to why we have sunk so low and a few ideas to turn things around.

What AlterNet describes is the result what the excesses of reductionistic biomedicine have wrought. While looking intensely into the microscopes we have failed to use the "macroscope".

THE DANGER OF CONTEMPORARY US HOSPITALS AND THE ILL HEALTH OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS RANKS UP THERE AS PERHAPS THE TWO MOST BLATANT MODERN US CULTURAL PARADOXES

The possible solutions if we move smart and fast are-

-immediately ceasing the business model of US hospitals. Medicine is a profession. Not a business-PERIOD!

-embracing and implementing a HOLISTIC MODEL(Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual model) of health care.

PS- The patients are WAY ahead of the professionals and managers! That will help!

Dr. Rick Lippin

see my blog

Southampton, Pa

Jingoism is back thanks to Rudy Giuliani

see huff post today

I am so damn sick and tired of Rudy Giuliani using the jingoistic term "socialism". He is beginning to sound like the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

Government desperately needs to get more involved in our miserably failed embarrassing and cruel US health Care system.

If that is the best that Giuliani can do may god and the voting public spare us from his weak leadership.

Jingoism died many years ago. We don't need Giuliani to resurrect it.

I've had it with this superficial name-calling candidate and will send this post to my long list of credible political leaders from both sides of the aisle.

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

I forecasted that the bloggers would become the mainstream media 5 years ago. I was right!-(so he says immodestly:))

I tilt toward the progressive blogs myself.

I have to hand it to Huff Post

Thanks Huff Post for all your good work.Your recent capacity to attract currently serving politicians as guest bloggers is noteworthy and laudable.

HUFF POST HAS EMERGED AS THE LEAD BLOG AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.(DAILY KOS IS MORE OF A "ZOO").

I love TPM Cafe's "my own blog" feature and AlterNet is now posting ten best comments by readers in the past week-good for AlterNet!AlterNet has some damn good writers like Joshua Holland.

Credit also the highly prolific Kevin Drum on Washington Monthly

There are others-too numerous to mention :)

GO BLOGGERS!

Be Well All,

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Southampton, Pa

PS- My personal thanks to Prof.Bart Laws of Tufts University who has been my mentor in the blogosphere- who got me going at my age of 60 almost three years ago.Thxs Bart!

This is a political nightmare for "W"-the perfect storm. The average American, who doesn't have time or energy to dig into the SCHIP legislative details would see "W" as a cruel and venal person to even imagine not providing health care to US children.

I CHALLENGE TPM CAFE READERS- WHAT COULD MORE EMOTIONAL THAN THAT TOPIC?

Yet Bush in his typical self destructive stubborn style digs in his heels on any legislation that smacks of more government involvement in health care. This -despite the embarrassment of our failed US system against our peer nations.

He loses either way if he vetoes because the nation is ready for more government in health care.

What better place to start than with our children?

The DEMS will destroy "W" on this veto! And many members of his own party are defecting.This president knows no bounds in political self-detructiveness.

See more from CNN

As for me, I am for prevention (individual AND institutional) as the only way out of this whole health care mess in this country and abroad.

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

Jefferey Toobin's comment on the TPM home page today prompted me to beg for the last time- since the hour is late- "Neo" Al Gore to re-run

I say "NEO-Gore" because Al Gore has become himself! He is more passionate and less wooden and less "handled"! He always had the right stuff!

GORE should re-run in part as a service to our nation so we can cleanse ourselves of our collective guilt that we have (I for one have) about letting the courts steal the presidency away from Gore and handing it over to a person who almost destroyed our once great nation.

It's never too late to make amends

2008 Gore/Obama is a sure win

Dr. Rick Lippin

http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com