This feels to me like one of those things that's not obvious at first, but once explained(Monty's choosing gives you information to guide your choice), then it's stunningly obvious.

If he's right about how people were excluded from the choice studies, then it's similarly obvious that the studies contain an error, and no at length analysis is required.

What am I missing?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:15 PM on April 8, 2008

I think the real story here is the difference in the data presented for approval by the drug companies, and the additional unpublished data included in this analysis.

The difference being that the favorable stuff was published and the nonfavorable was not published. Of course, everyone suspected this, but now we see it laid out in gory detail.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 11:13 AM on February 26, 2008

You know this had to happen:
Correction: February 19, 2008
An article in some editions on Monday about a New York City Transit employee’s deft use of the semicolon in a public service placard was less deft in its punctuation of the title of a book by Lynne Truss, who called the placard a “lovely example” of proper punctuation. The title of the book is “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” — not “Eats Shoots & Leaves.” (The subtitle of Ms. Truss’s book is “The Zero Tolerance... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 2:59 PM on February 19, 2008

mrgrimm: "Btw, I use u, ur, w/, w/o, b/c, 4, 2, @, and all sorts of other shorthand abbreviations when writing electronically. Text messaging, dude. My phone is a Nokia 6010. It takes 2 clicks for "u" - 8 clicks for "you." "

T9. Let me show you it.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 1:08 PM on February 18, 2008

maxwelton: "At the end of the day, the only protection we have against fascism is our own common decency and that of our neighbors.

So we're totally fucked."

um, THIS.

/if I may...
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 6:32 PM on February 9, 2008

three blind mice: "One particularly bad strain of virus could wipe out an entire crop because the genetic structures are all the same.

But can't GM also introduce unprecedented genetic diversity - much greater than nature provides? The fact of the matter is that, as a result of derivatives, there is an unprecedented diversity in investment vehicles. Today's market is less sensitive than ever before to particular strains of virus.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:16 PM on February 9, 2008

The Math Art link lists Grossman first off.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 4:41 PM on February 9, 2008

They're representing one specific dimension of flavor, so the foods are examples of that characteristic.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:16 PM on December 2, 2007

piratebowling: "Mr. Gunn, please elaborate? I don't understand."

I read somewhere that each different branch is based on a specific compound(aromatic oil, flavonoid, etc.), so it doesn't necessarily mean they're a good match if they're connected, but rather if they're connected with a short branch. So Blueberry and turnip would be a better match than blueberry and artichoke, though neither might actually be that good of a match.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 9:31 PM on December 3, 2007

The pairing chart is only showing the complementation dimension, the related flavors, and it can't show the contrasting dimension of pairing, like oil and vinegar.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:40 PM on December 4, 2007

Hey, maybe this will fairly price all the lawsuits that the M. P. Ass. of America and their ilk like to file against 12 year olds.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:24 AM on November 16, 2007

All things considered, it was kinda a jokey post. I think y'all spend too much time on here and have lost your trolldar.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:01 PM on November 15, 2007

This thread needs more "Just leaving, I'll get my coat" icons.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 12:25 PM on November 14, 2007

Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America: "Only according to the Geneva Conventions. You're so quaint.

Cite this."

"the 4th convention contains the following, which strongly put together the obligation of an occupier to see to the health and safety of civilians:"

Ooh....Burn!

Personally, as a resident of New Orleans, I have... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:19 AM on November 11, 2007

In the same vein, but with a little more funny: Hot Chicks With Douchebags
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:28 PM on October 21, 2007

Basically the argument is that a simulacrum should be offensive if it's original (and long forgotten) referent would be offensive today? I don't buy that.

That's essentially the argument people were using when there was discussion about removing the elements of the confederate flag from the Mississippi state flag. I think historical parallels are interesting, but not necessarily actionable.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:02 PM on October 21, 2007

I don't think the divisibility argument works for me. People use that because they don't want to switch to the metric system. 2.5 is as easy as 1/4, and it makes calculations easier.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 6:51 PM on October 21, 2007

In other news, people still listen to talk radio.

/right behind you, rush
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:12 PM on October 3, 2007

ummm...that would be this rush, not the one being discussed.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:13 PM on October 3, 2007

The strange thing is that it's clearly a traffic-generating strategy, yet there are no ads on the pages.

Or is that my adblocking?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:08 PM on October 3, 2007

Here's a bunch of examples using the Simile project's Timeline. It's the Google Maps of timelines.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:31 PM on May 1, 2007

chuckdarwin - that's great. Be sure you don't talk to atheists, they might poison your brain.

Eventually, we'll all have to give up the "I want to be fixed in formalin and put in a box in the ground" mentality because there won't be enough room for everyone. I'd be happier if my family took what parts of me they could use, donated whatever organs aren't worn out, and ground my bones into fertilizer. They could keep my skull or femur or whatever if they... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:04 AM on April 25, 2007

Gee, churl. That's proof the search is broken, then.

I'm more interested in the ARG angle, though. Is there something we're missing? Is there a connection between the noise spectrography on the tracks and the horizontal lines across the pictures on the fake websites? I didn't ralize how big the whole production was until I found the nin wiki.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 6:29 PM on April 22, 2007

delmoi: "
That said, the fact that so many people are musically talented is great for my political position, which is the utter annihilation of the RIAA!"

Delmoi for president.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:24 PM on April 22, 2007

Didn't Malcolm Gladwell write a book about this?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:27 PM on April 22, 2007

I love the comments he gets on his stories. I can't tell if some of the commenters are sincere or not, but he stays in cardigancharacter in his reply.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:21 PM on April 22, 2007

robbyrobs: "Its seens to me that the antiabortionists are all concerened about the fetus/baby and will do anyting to prevent abortions but as soon as the child is born they (and we as a nation) want little or nothing to do with that child.
In that I mean we provide no support for the mother (parent leave) health care, pre natal care, et-cetera"

Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? and by "funny" I mean "makes me... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 9:24 AM on April 18, 2007

roll truck roll: "billysumday typed "What happens after the first trimester that gives the fetus 'personhood'? On what day does the transformation occur?"

So, I'm pro-choice. Extremely pro-choice. But I gotta say, that's a red herring. Are you actually saying that the "life begins at conception" crowd are somehow more right than the first trimester crowd?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 9:41 AM on April 18, 2007

roll truck roll: ""You may consider this wrong, but your rights are more important to this country than your beliefs."

That, succinctly, is exactly what I was getting at. It's a question of rights, not a question of morals. The ideal is moral people making secular decisions.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 9:47 AM on April 18, 2007

Armitage Shanks: "
3. A near-term fetus may "suffer" in a sense we recognize, but the woman's right to choose is more important."

What does suffering even have to do with anything? Women suffer in childbirth, and in case you don't know, having an abortion isn't exactly a pleasant experience, either. No one wants anybody to suffer unnecessarily, but laws aren't made on the basis of reducing suffering.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 10:34 AM on April 18, 2007

matteo: "they know very well that pulling the trigger is against their interest. "

That's where you're wrong. I'm all about letting the headstrong child learn from his mistakes, but this is just vindictive. The ideologues would pull the trigger in an instant, on this and many other issues and we'd all be the worse for it. Don't forget there's a certain apocalyptic end-times sect in politics today. What needs to happen is for the democratic... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 10:52 AM on April 18, 2007

Armitage Shanks: "What does suffering even have to do with anything?

So your personal beliefs line up most with #3? Or are you just arguing in the abstract?

I'm rejecting your view, and taking none of those options.

laws aren't made on the basis of reducing suffering

Really? Why can't I dump whatever toxins I want into your water supply? Why... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 11:03 AM on April 18, 2007

mullingitover: "I'm really curious where the biblical basis for opposition to abortion comes from. "

It's called rousing the base. Get it now?... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 11:09 AM on April 18, 2007

EB comes in here and says, "Well, I think 3 months should be good enough for anyone." Man, I am usually right there with ya, but WTF?

Is there something besides gut feeling behind your 3 months good/6 months bad rule that we could learn from, or are the reasons behind your position as mysterious to you as they are to us?

I'm not attacking your beliefs, but if you're going to advance some arbitrary-seeming point in time as the... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:25 PM on April 18, 2007

Ethereal Bligh: "Simply, I think that most people don't think a fertilized egg is a person and most people believe that a newborn baby is a person. I agree with them. "

That's what I'm asking about. You're declaring that "most people" believe something, and then wrapping the legitimacy of the assumed popularity of that view around your argument.

You just might be wrong about what... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:11 AM on April 19, 2007

Well, others have corrected you on your views about democracy in america, EB, so I'll leave that. The argument about where should the line be drawn and according to what criteria we'll just have to leave for another time, too.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 4:45 PM on April 19, 2007

Adam, see here. You're not the only one who wishes that the long-winded editorializing in the absence of any special knowledge or experience would cease. However, this is a significant derail so we should just try to set a good example by following our own advice and take it to metachat or email if we can't avoid saying something.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:22 AM on April 20, 2007

Nutsack costume?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:14 AM on April 20, 2007

EB, saying someone is racist isn't a trump card like you think it is. A smear tactic like that only works in the presence of corroborating evidence.

That's why Imus got canned. The remark prompted the investigation, and the investigation uncovered plenty of corroboration.

There's little corroboration here that spellin' words in the vernacular is evidence of normally carefully hidden racism. If you really care, why don't you go digging... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 7:52 AM on April 19, 2007

EB, in two recent threads about rather hot-button issues(this one and the abortion one), I've found you to have very strong opinions on the subject at hand. However, your strength of conviction doesn't seem to match up with an equally strong ability to explain why you believe what you do, and how you came to feel so strongly.

You might feel like I'm deliberately picking on you because of this, but I'm not. It's just that people with unexamined strong opinions scare me.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:22 PM on April 19, 2007

I'd just like to say that there is already a perfectly good, gender-neutral, non-specific, monosyllabic pronoun used by a large part of the world. That word is "y'all".

Y'all are re-inventing the wheel, yo.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 5:34 AM on April 19, 2007

I told Pandora months ago they needed to have a plan for moving overseas. I sure hope they can win this on appeal.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 9:46 PM on April 16, 2007

My immediate response was, "What's Top Gear?"
Then: "Oh." and "Meh."
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 10:25 AM on April 16, 2007

five fresh fish: "Top Gear is best viewed through YouTube, where you get to sample only the tastiest bits and ignore the rest."

Thanks for the tip, my friend. I hope your day gets better.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 6:45 PM on April 16, 2007

Corzine wasn't wearing his seatbelt, despite being Governor of a state that has a mandatory seatbelt law.

/hypocritical condition?
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 6:42 PM on April 16, 2007

The "slippery slope" has been so abused as an excuse for keeping non-issues alive that I've actually become prejudiced against those who use it. It's great as an attention-getting technique, but if it's the strongest argument you've got, you have no argument.

In other words, what languagehat said...
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 10:56 AM on March 18, 2007

FFF, you just need more and stronger drugs. Then you'll feel happy and not care about going on the cart.

languagehat - I don't think there's a profit motive in it for anybody, the way it's set up now, but if there was, I'd agree with you.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 8:47 PM on March 21, 2007

The point she made about people in New York sometimes forgetting that interesting things happen outside the city limits is a fairly good one.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 1:05 PM on March 21, 2007

nanojath: "one for an Ann Coulter ringtone, whatever the hell that means."

I think I found the source for the Ann Coulter ringtone.
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 10:00 AM on March 20, 2007

The St. Augustine Marching 100, the first black marching band to play in Mardi Gras, is still going strong.
Poignantly, Many of the members of this high school band have commuted in from Baton Rouge or returned to live in FEMA trailers by themselves in order to continue to be a part of the band.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Mr. Gunn at 11:33 AM on March 18, 2007