The Times uncovers a "Sleep-Industrial Complex"

The New York Times Magazine has a feature article on the recent boom in sleep medications and treatments. Unfortunately, the article tends to downplay the negative health impacts of sleep disorders, painting the whole thing as some kind of marketing scam. The tone of the article is essentially "I don't get what all these people are complaining about" combined with a dose of liberal guilt in the "only in America are we fortunate enough to worry about ____" vein.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the "Sleep-Industrial Complex," Big Pharma, and any other uncredited conspirators for inventing the CPAP machine (an air pump used to treat sleep apnea). For more on my perspective on this topic, check out this post from April 2006. Almost every day, someone stumbles upon that post by Googling something like "wake up with heart pounding," or "stop breathing while asleep," and nothing makes me prouder than to think that this blog can help other people understand how sleep apnea works. At the same time, if people are getting this little political blog when they Google typical sleep apnea symptoms, one wonders if the media is doing its job.

"The Sleep-Industrial Complex" [New York Times]
"Beating sleep apnea: we have the technology" [outragedmoderates.org]

AT&T whistleblower comes to DC

Mark Klein's story is one of the most under-reported aspects of the NSA wiretapping scandal - so it's good to see that he's finally getting a forum with lawmakers and the national media, especially now that Congress is debating a bill which would shield telecoms from liability in suits over privacy violations. Klein is the former AT&T technician who alleges that the telecom built a secret room to host NSA data-mining equipment in its San Francisco switching center. WIRED broke the story, and has been one of the only major media outlets to give it the coverage it deserves.

"AT&T Whistle-Blower Hits D.C. To Stop Telecom Spying Immunity" [WIRED]
"The NSA's other domestic surveillance program" [outragedmoderates.org]