Nineteen deaths and nearly 800 life-threatening allergic reactions may be linked to contaminated heparin sold by Baxter International Inc. (“Baxter”) of Deerfield, Illinois. Heparin is used as a blood thinner in cardiac surgery and kidney dialysis. On March 20, 2008, (more…)
Archive for March, 2008
Heparin Contamination – Another Case Study for Corporate Social Responsibility
Friday, March 21st, 2008The Other Side of the Coin; a Look at Social Responsibility
Friday, March 21st, 2008The Wall Street Journal, March 15, 2008 edition “Remembrances” section printed the obituaries of Professor Joseph Weizenbaum and Mr. Elmer W. Johnson.
Joseph Weizenbaum was a computer pioneer that authored a unique program called “Eliza.” It was named after Shaw’s ingénue in “Pygmalion.” Professor Weizenbaum was a pioneer in computer development, but later on began to question the benefits and long term construct of program improvements that may lead to dangerous (more…)
Lead and Magnets – More News from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008On March 18, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Reebok International Ltd. will pay a $ 1,000,000 civil penalty for importing and distributing charm bracelets that contained toxic levels of lead. In March 2006, a four year old boy from Minneapolis swallowed the bracelet’s heart shaped pendant and died.
The penalty is the largest for a violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), which bans toxic levels of lead in toys and other children’s products. Reebok denied that it violated federal law in settling the matter according to the CPSC.
The million dollar fine will not bring the boy back to life. The CPSC took two years, since his tragic death to (more…)
Big Brother is On the Move…..again!
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008Today, March 18, 2008, the “Personal Journal” section of The Wall Street Journal carried an article titled “Why Hospitals Want Your Credit Report.” There are many companies that specialize in data mining; accumulating a mass of personal information ranging from your buying habits and political inclinations, to your credit rating. The list includes health care specialization companies such as SearchAmerica, Inc., Fair Isacc Corp, and Healthcare Analytics. It seems that hospitals want credit information in order to concentrate on patients that have the ability to pay. The next step of this slippery slope (more…)
Secession and Self-Determination – The United States and Serbia Compared
Sunday, March 16th, 2008In 1619, a ship carrying African slaves landed at Jamestown, Virginia. Even though Congress had banned the future importation of slaves in 1807; the abolition of slavery itself could not be resolved through political negotiations. The Southern states (more…)
The Court of Last Resort
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008Although there were many previous incidents, the initial alarm regarding the seriousness, depth and breadth of China’s lack of food and toy safety began in March of 2007. This was the largest recall in history regarding the import of a product from China that was mixed with pet food. This resulted in the death of thousands of America’s (more…)
The Housing Market and Economic Recovery
Saturday, March 1st, 2008The February 29, 2008 edition of The Morning News contained an editorial titled “Experts Urge Congress’ Help” which urged action to insulate commercial real estate from a still-crumbling housing market. In the meantime there are regional pockets in the U.S. where developers are still constructing commercial properties while other nearby commercial properties are vacant and in foreclosure. The question must be asked (more…)
