MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'conspiracy'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:00:00 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4820825&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FswyzFX-ekUk%2F By Ilya ShapiroThe challenge to the constitutionality of the individual mandate — Obamacare’s central feature, without which the whole regulatory scheme collapses (practically speaking, though I agree with Judge Vinson that it also can’t be severed as a matter of law) – boils down to whether, under modern constitutional doctrine regarding what Congress can do under the guise of regulating interstate commerce, the government can force “inactive” people into a particular action, namely buying health insurance. That is, while cases like Wickard  (Congress can force farmer to meet quota and bring crops to market) and Raich (Congress can stop wholly intrastate growth and consumption of marijuana) — moving from wheat to weed — are disconcertin... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4820825 Thu, 12 May 2011 19:46:19 +0100 4820825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734207&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F20%2Fstages-of-change-and-motivation%2F In my tutoring for SAT preparation, I have come across themes and variations on the essay questions. One of the most common SAT essay questions is the topic of change and motivation. In one phrasing or another, the SAT asks if we believe that change can come from external sources or if true change comes only from within. Change, motivation, perception of reality — they are all cousins. At my husband’s work as a milieu therapist at a psychiatric hospital, he evaluates patients on their “stage of change” in order to gauge their insight into their condition. The vast majority of the people he runs into are in “pre-contemplation;” they don’t know why they’re in the hospital at all. They create wild confabulations about how the tortured cat deserved it, how they were framed,... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734207 Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:43:11 +0100 4734207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536063&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdr-ari-brown-on-dr-oz-a-very-inaccurate-view-of-vaccines%2F2011.03.01 Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician and author, was [recently] on The Dr. Oz Show. She was asked to join a discussion about autism. Dr. Brown is a board-certified developmental pediatrician, a mom of two, and an advocate for science. She is passionate and clear about what she believes. She is speaking all over the country about how to protect children from illness, particularly when making decisions about vaccines. She contributed ideas in my series in late 2010 entitled, “Do You Believe in Vaccines: Part I, Part II, and Part III.” On Dr. Oz, she was asked to contribute to a discussion about autism that ultimately focused on fears about vaccines. I worry that the discussion wasn’t a representation of most American families, and even Autism Speaks refused to join the show. Dr. Brown has s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536063 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:00:27 +0100 4536063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133711&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhat-does-anti-vaccine-really-mean%2F2010.11.04 We write a lot about vaccines here at Science-Based Medicine. Indeed, as I write this, I note that there are 155 posts under the Vaccines category, with this post to make it 156. This is third only to Science and Medicine (which is such a vague, generic category that I’ve been seriously tempted to get rid of it, anyway) and Science and the Media. There is no doubt that vaccines represent one of the most common topics that we cover here on SBM, and with good reason. That good reason is that, compared to virtually any other modality used in the world of SBM, vaccines are under the most persistent attack from a vocal group of people, who, either because they mistakenly believe that vaccines caused their children’s autism, because they don’t like being told what to do by The Man, because... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133711 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:04 +0100 4133711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133675&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5jjDY7jFbOw%2F By Walter OlsonWriting at CNN, my colleague Jeffrey Miron puts his finger on one reason for the disappointing defeat of California’s Prop 19: Prop 19 failed also because it overreached. One feature attempted to protect the “rights” of employees who get fired or disciplined for using marijuana, including a provision that employers could only discipline marijuana use that “actually impairs job performance.” That is a much higher bar than required by current policy. Like so many other developments in employment law in recent years, this would have chipped away at the basic principle of employment at will, which holds that in the absence of a contract specifying otherwise, either party to an employment relation may end that relation at any time for any reason or f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133675 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 01:39:47 +0100 4133675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880824&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwkMIVQGEgkE%2F Cato adjunct scholar David Post writes on the Volokh Conspiracy blog about the sticky copyright wicket facing some impressive jazz recordings from the 30s and 40s. I get pretty excited . . . when I read that the collection also contains live performances of a Goodman-Wilson duet on “Lady Be Good” (with Wilson playing harpsichord!), Lester Young and Herschel Evans on “Tea for Two,” Charlie Christian playing electric guitar with the Goodman sextet in a 1939 performance of “Shivers,” the Count Basie and Duke Elllington bands’ performances at the 1938 “Carnival of Swing” on Randalls Island, . . . all previously unreleased. Oh, lordy — you’ve got to be kidding me! And listening to the excerpts from the recordings here, if anything, makes me even more delirious — this is ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880824 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:28:52 +0100 3880824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453870&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fread-it-like-a-man-conspiracy-theory-books%2F photo: Thinkstock Patrick Sauer is funny. This is his second “Read It Like a Man” weekly column for Blisstree. Read the first installment here. Chapter 2: Conspiracy Theories The Overton Window is a political theory that goes something like this: Previously unaccepted theories become more mainstream when ideas from the fringe are thrown out, thus making the previously stated ideas seem less radical and extreme. (It’s also the title of Glenn Beck’s upcoming novel, natch.) The Overton Window explains why conspiracy theories are no longer the provenance of loons and how they root themselves in mainstream thought. In a word, the Internet. Remember a year ago when everyone believed in global warming? HOAX! So, conspiracy theories are everywhere, but they’re losing... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453870 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:02:52 +0100 3453870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362491&cid=t_103148_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-and-social-media%2F The topic of MS and social media brings a joke to mind: Man I: Did you hear about the latest tech news? Man II: No. Man I: YouTube, Twitter and Facebook have announced a merger. Man II: Really; what are they going to call it? Man I: YouTwitFace. I was never a social media person; remember I didn’t even know what a blog was when I was asked to start this journey.  I must, however, admit that I’ve really enjoyed being able to catch up with long-lost pals through the medium. Many people who are limited in their access to the “outside world” due to MS, find such sites and their communities at least a diversion and at best a real lifesaver. I’ve noticed, especially when it comes to the “MS Underground”, that social media sites are full of people spouting opinions as facts and dec... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362491 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:34:18 +0100 3362491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3100780&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOzOGa6jQh8Y%2F By Tim LynchHere are some interesting new items on the web: Cato Senior Fellow Nat Hentoff is interviewed by John W. Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute.  Nat says “Obama has little, if any, principles except to aggrandize and make himself more and more important.”  And “Obama is possibly the most dangerous and destructive president we have ever had.”  Go here for the full interview. Cato adjunct scholar Harvey Silverglate is blogging this week over at the Volokh Conspiracy on his new book, Three Felonies a Day.  Cato Adjunct Scholar Marie Gryphon, who is also a Senior Fellow with the Manhattan Institute, has just put out a new paper, It’s a Crime: Flaws in Federal Statutes That Punish Regular Businesspeople. Cato Media Fellow Radley Balko takes a lo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3100780 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:13:04 +0100 3100780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934756&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D2033 In the US the H1N1 vaccine has been the subject of some debate. Here is some footage from Fox News, were you can seen several incredibly dumb people discussing vaccines, including Deirdre Imus: Imus asks: “If it’s so safe, why doesn’t President Obama have his children vaccinated on TV in front of us.” Ron Paul, a Republican [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934756 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:19:28 +0100 2934756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912164&cid=t_103148_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6G5ixTDG44M%2F That’s today’s Arena question over at Politico. My response: This morning, both Bret Stephens, in the Wall Street Journal, and Mona Charen, at Real Clear Politics, catalogue Obama’s silence on human rights — China, Tibet, Sudan, Iran, Burma, Honduras — and his backpedaling from his campaign rhetoric. Meanwhile, Eric Posner, at the Volokh Conspiracy, rightly credits Obama for, among other things, not backing the Goldstone Report and pressuring Spain to water down its undemocratic “universal jurisdiction” statute, even as he condemns the administration, again rightly, for its decision to join “the comically named U.N. Human Rights Council,” bastion of some of the world’s worst human rights abusers. What’s missing, it seems, is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912164 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:46:44 +0100 2912164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881213&cid=t_103148_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FdFF-8tLHe9A%2F My post on October 10, Aspartame Causing My Wrist Pain?, is purely an anecdotal one. I was musing about the appearance of my pain, use of aspartame, and then the easing of the pain when I stopped using the aspartame. I am not yet an aspartame believer, but John E. Garst, Ph.D. (Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Nutrition), has written a great response to my concerns about aspartame. I was concerned that his comments wouldn’t be seen by many people because it is in the comment section of the aspartame post, so I asked his permission to publish it as a guest post. He kindly agreed so I am offering you his take on aspartame. Thank you Dr. Garst for both taking the time to write your thoughts, as well as provide links, and for allowing me to post his as a guest post post... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881213 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 13:16:17 +0100 2881213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2745601&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FeS5NXjcpyJM%2F Let’s say there IS a massive conspiracy and coverup. Big Pharma knowingly produces vaccines manufactured with a substance (thimerisol) that causes neurologic or immunologic damage (no one’s completely sure of the mechanism) to some children, who then become autistic. Photo courtesy of Martin Burns (flickr.com) Doctors are complicit in this malpractice: they prescribe and administer vaccines. And nurses ask you to hold the baby while they administer a shot they know could result in a devastating developmental condition. There are people who believe this. But I’m not one of them. You’re not going to meet many people who actively dislike and distrust doctors as much as I do.  Jeff and I transferred Alex as an infant from one hospital that declared, He needs a tracheo... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2745601 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:52:56 +0100 2745601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685251&cid=t_103148_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FzRwoHfuWtEk%2F Just a quick post to say that a digest of my recent articles on Oliver James’ questionable use of research is now online at Liberal Conspiracy. There’s a lively debate taking place in the comments thread, so feel free to join in. (Source: Mental Nurse) Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685251 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:36:58 +0100 2685251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556217&cid=t_103148_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fwhy-did-the-jackson-family-ask-for-a-second-autopsy%2F On Friday morning, before the first autopsy on Michael Jackson had been completed, I wrote an article in these pages to explain just what an autopsy is, why it’s done, and what we could expect from it  (I’m a former medical examiner and a board-certified forensic pathologist). As I predicted, the initial examination of his body with the naked eye, which is called the “gross” examination, was inconclusive, in part because further tests, which take days to complete under any circumstances, were required. These tests include the microscopic examination of small samples of each of the organs as well as toxicology tests of the stomach contents, blood, bile and urine. The toxicology tests look for the presence or absence any chemicals including prescription drugs, recrea... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556217 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:43:34 +0100 2556217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452738&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1977 The issue of compulsory vaccination has been raised again. A former chairman of the British Medical Association is calling for the MMR jab to be made compulsory. Public health expert Sir Sandy Macara believes children should not be able to go to school unless they have first been vaccinated. I have mixed feelings on this. The dangers [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452738 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:33:46 +0100 2452738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405464&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1962 Gives space to Andrew Wakefield, suggests a conspiracy to brain wash children, and allows the regular JABS anti-vaccine crew to vent off. Lay Scientist lays into them. (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405464 Sun, 10 May 2009 23:17:20 +0100 2405464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348640&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1952 Do you turn from a scientist who publishes an important paper on cell membranes that is cited by thousands of other papers into a man standing in front of an “Expose the 9/11 Cover-Up” poster talking about vaccine conspiracies? (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348640 Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:01:55 +0100 2348640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313536&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F04%2F08%2Fhow-depression-is-like-the-x-files%2F Huh?? That’s probably what you thought when you clicked on this blog post. Depression….. The X Files….. Right. I’ll admit, I’m a scifi fan, and the X Files is one of my all-time favorite shows. I’m old enough to have enjoyed it the first time around in the ’90s, and now I’m watching the entire series again on DVD. Yes, I’m a big nerd, but I digress. A couple of nights ago, I watched one of the many alien conspiracy episodes involving Agents Scully and Mulder, Assistant Director Skinner, Alex Krycek, and a host of other folks mixed up in a thick plot. This is somewhere in the last of nine seasons, so alien conspiracy and high drama are not new to the regular viewer by this time. I had a few thought collisions today, leading me to compar... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313536 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:24:43 +0100 2313536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2200295&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1908 In another sign of the reactionary nature of the UK’s anti-vaccine movement, it appears that they are not beyond making snide comments about people’s sexuality. After the revelations by Brian Deer that Wakefield changed and misreported results in his research and the damning judgments of the quack science the anti-vaccine is based upon in the [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2200295 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:45:02 +0100 2200295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2182286&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1903 In response to the comment by John Stone, here is a comment left at Left Brain Right Brain by Brian Deer: There’s so much in what’s going on at the moment to disturb right-thinking people. (1) It has become clear in recent days that networks of anti-MMR “campaigners” now quote each other’s website falsehoods, so as to [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2182286 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:13:34 +0100 2182286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167410&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1898 Following the legal threats against Ben Goldcare, bloggers have seen the threat as an attack on them all and banded together in common cause. Click on that last link and you will find a massive deluge of blog posts about the LBC threat. There is even a Facebook group “Defend Ben Goldacre from LBC”. Many [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167410 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:52:59 +0100 2167410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021915&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F09%2Fthe-situation-of-conspiracy-and-president-elect-obamas-origin-of-birth%2F Alex Koppelman of Salon has an interesting piece on the quixotic–and today, courtesy of the U.S. Supreme Court, rejected–claims that Barack Obama was not born a naturalized U.S. citizen, and thus should not be eligible to become President on January 20, 2009.  We excerpt the piece below. * * * Barack Obama can’t be president: He wasn’t really born in Hawaii, and the certification of live birth his campaign released is a forgery. He was born in Kenya. Or maybe Indonesia. Or, wait, maybe he was born in Hawaii — but that doesn’t matter, since he was also a British citizen at birth because of his father, and you can’t be a “natural-born citizen” in that case. (But then, maybe his “father” wasn’t really his father; maybe h... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021915 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:31:23 +0100 2021915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1932967&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1857 Obama has been elected and has delivered his victory speech. This means that science in the US will hopefully become less politicised. Christopher Hitchens noted a few days ago that the Republican party: has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1932967 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:47:16 +0100 1932967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1888949&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1850 How bizarre. Someone has decided to complain to the GMC about a group of doctors involved in the decision-making process over MMR vaccine. The complainant is Bill Walsh, the author of a particularly dumb letter about the Hornig study. Sadly he is also the President of the Autism Treatment Trust, which just shows you how some [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1888949 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:33:52 +0100 1888949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1854150&cid=t_103148_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F10%2F05%2Fthe-sweet-lif%2F Once a month a group of friends and I get together to discuss one of life’s big questions. Last month the question was: What is happiness? As the discussion progressed, two more questions emerged. At what point does happiness bleed over into ignorance and idiocy? At what point does anger become destructive instead of instructive? These days it’s all too common to pick up the paper and discover that a dozen people were shot, and the killer’s neighbors say he was a quiet man, a good neighbor, and they can’t believe he did this. The killer was that adept at disguising his rage. Till now. In the Ken Burns series The War, Sascha Weinzheimer told the story of how she nearly starved to death in a prison camp in the Philippines. After the war ended and Weinzheimer return... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1854150 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:05:16 +0100 1854150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802560&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1838 In times gone by regulatory bodies concerned with drugs were a black box. Decisions were made and conveyed to the public, with little explanation. Other concerns, that were preliminary and yet to be confirmed by further evidence might be delayed. Public engagement with regulators was minimal. For a number of years things have been changing. The [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802560 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:51:46 +0100 1802560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1763983&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fk7gJECunBBg%2F It’s not unfitting that a week in which a new study further disputing the MMR vaccine-autism link appeared would end with the publication of a book with no less a title than Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure, and by no less an author than Dr. Paul Offit, chief of Infectious Diseases, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In the words of Orac of Respectful Insolence, Dr. Offit is the “Dark Lord of Vaccination” himself, and the special target, now for some time, of the ire, rage, and general hatred of proponents of a vaccine-or-something-in-vaccines-autism link. One of those proponents, Generation Rescue founder and Editor At Large for Age of Autism J.B. Handley, has exp... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1763983 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:21:22 +0100 1763983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754501&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1832 One of the reasons it was relatively quiet here in August was because I was attending the yearly conference of the International Society of Pharmacoepidemiology in Copenhagen. It was a fascinating meeting, with some excellent speakers including Ioannidis, Avorn, and Evans, amongst others. It’s always an energising attending a conference, and you can get a [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754501 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:48:11 +0100 1754501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458603&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F294552511%2F The Pathophilia blog looks carefully at IRB Approval of Geier Autism Study: Yes or No?—–this would be the new study on thimerosal and neurodevelopmental disorders which lists David A. Geier and his father, Dr. Mark Geier, as two of the three co-authors. Aside from noting conflicts of interest, Pathophilia notes: In a February 2004 letter to the IRB administrator of Kaiser of Northern California, the then Acting Associate Director for Science of the National Immunization Program at the CDC, Jeanne Santoli, MD, warned Kaiser of “potential breaches in confidentiality and execution of analyses that were not approved in advance,” when Mark and David Geier visited the CDC Research Center in Hyattsville, MD, in October 2003 and in January 2004 to collect data from the VSD.... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458603 Tue, 20 May 2008 21:14:13 +0100 1458603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454497&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F293579170%2F There’s a new study published in the Journal of Neurological Sciences that reports an association between increased mercury (Hg) exposure from thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders (go here for a pdf file). The study has three co-authors, Heather A. Young, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, and David A. Geier and his father, Dr. Mark Geier. The Geiers have frequently been consultants in “vaccine-biologic cases before the no-faulty NVICP [National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program] and in civil litigation,” and Dr. Geier has also been an “expert witness,” as noted in the an Acknowledgment at the end of the new study. Regular observers of developments in... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454497 Mon, 19 May 2008 15:56:33 +0100 1454497 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451875&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F293324458%2F A cold wind and steady rain would seem to belie it, but “summer” starts for me today—–following Commencement at my college, the spring semester is over and the fall one does not start until late August (in fact, the first session of summer school courses starts today). Now it’s time to resume being “more of a mom” and clean up the various stacks of books and papers on my desk, dust and vacuum rather more frequently, sort through the clothes Charlie has grown out of instead of waiting for my mom to do this when she next visits… Time to be a mother and housewife, because those kinds of motherly, housewife-sort of activities are all that mothers and housewives do, no? Well, not exactly. Mothers and housewives can be pretty accomplished—-on... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451875 Mon, 19 May 2008 08:07:39 +0100 1451875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432565&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F286576626%2F That’s how Dr. Steven Novella refers to various alternative medical practices used by parents on their autistic children in the May 8th Neurologica blog. Among those practices is chelation, in which medications are administered to remove “heavy metals” from a person’s body and thereby to “detoxify” his or her system. Dr. Novella discusses the recent dropping of charges against Dr. Roy Kerry, who was accused of causing the death of 5-year-old Abubakar Tariq Nadama. In 2005 Nadama went into cardiac arrest after undergoing chelation therapy with Dr. Kerry. Dr. Novella not only points out the dangers of chelation, but also considers why parents—desperate to help a child—-might choose such untested procedures and invest both dollars and hope in th... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432565 Fri, 09 May 2008 04:55:31 +0100 1432565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1402143&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F278618848%2F Cure or acceptance? Does one strive to do everything one can to cure, heal, recover a child from autism with the goal of the child “losing” her or his diagnosis? Or, does one learn to accept that one’s child is different, disabled, autistic? Parents and others in the autism community tend to align themselves with one “side” or the other, and whether one puts oneself in the “cure” camp or the “acceptance” one tends to determine the types of therapies and treatments that one pursues. Be a “curebie” and you’re an annual attendee at DAN! conferences and (whether or not your bank account can afford it) are booking a flight to be in DC for the June 4th Green Our Vaccines rally sponsored by organizations with names such as Ta... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1402143 Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:43:40 +0100 1402143 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1397685&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F277414857%2F Considering how many pressing issues there are to talk regarding children and adults—education, employment, housing, to name a very few—-why do we keep getting stuck talking about the hypothetical claim of a link between vaccines and autism? Here’s some thoughts towards why the whole issue seems to have devolved into something approaching paranoia, not to mention pander for politicians (and all the more after what two of the presidential candidates have said about autism, vaccines, and the “autism epidemic”). In a recent essay entitled The Paranoid Style in American Science, Daniel Engbar, associate editor at Slate, writes about critics of mainstream science “whose skepticism has taken on the trappings of conspiracy theory.” Engbar is specifically ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1397685 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:53:12 +0100 1397685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373216&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34504&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blacktriangle.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1766 . Over at the UK’s leading anti-vaccine website JABS, they are discussing why the UK media is silent about the “autism epidemic” caused by vaccines. if you think the media are silent on the vaccine debate, you should take a look at the mysterious collapse of WTC7 and other anomalies in the [...] (Source: Black Triangle) Black Triangle blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373216 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:52:44 +0100 1373216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1368004&cid=t_103148_151_f&fid=35793&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thejunkyswife.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fme-and-jackie-kennedy.html Every time I've ever looked at the video of John F. Kennedy's assassination, I've watched his wife. She's the most interesting part, from her tragic loveliness to her sad pink outfit. When the bullets start firing, her behavior is odd and controversial. Some folks criticize her for appearing to crawl out of the car, for trying to flee...and even if that was what she was doing, folks were getting their heads blown off. It would make sense to flee.I always read her behavior differently, though. I thought she looked like she was reaching over the trunk of the car trying to scoop up pieces of brain. I imagine her thinking something like, "Oh no! This is bad! He's going to need this part of his head when he gets better!" I imagine her in something like denial, scooping up her dying husband's br... Heroin Addiction Codependence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1368004 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 04:07:00 +0100 1368004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286494&cid=t_103148_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fdid-god-give-you-breast-cancer%2F What kind of a question is that? Well, are you honest enough to admit that you have thought about it? Honest enough to admit that in the scheme of things you may even have thought how unfair it was that you got breast cancer? I blame God for a lot of things in my life, and I praise him for many more, but I never blamed him for breast cancer. Honestly. I have been a little angry at God though, like Jonah in the Old Testament, but then I remember that Jonah also ended up in the belly of a whale and I think it may be a better idea to get over it. My anger has been more like a sense of injustice, which includes more than just breast cancer. I get to feeling like I shouldn’t have to bear such adversity. So there is my real sin; who am I to think that I should be above trials? In fact, my bibl... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286494 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:00:59 +0100 1286494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1268689&cid=t_103148_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fcancer-cure-conspiracy-theories%2F It was pretty surprising when a woman I know to be brilliant, loving, intuitive and knowledgeable remarked to me that she is convinced that the cure for cancer exists, but “they” won’t release it because of the money that cancer research generates. I remember hearing something like this over 25 years ago from a couple that were from Mexico and owned a couple spas in Canada. They insisted that the cure for cancer had been found in their home town in Mexico but believed someone was keeping it hidden for financial gain. Actually, since then, I have it heard this cancer conspiracy theory expressed at least a half a dozen times. I am not one to think about conspiracies unless you’re talking about health insurance, pharmaceutical and oil companies. When you think about it, who stands to ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1268689 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:53:01 +0100 1268689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1156798&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F218043422%2F The Age of Autism is, its editor Dan Olmsted proclaims, “the first daily Web newspaper for the environmental-biomedical community—-those who believe autism is an environmentally induced illness, that it is treatable, and that children can recover.” Those who write for The Age of Autism do not follow “journalistic group-think” and “believe whatever ‘the experts’ tell them”—-The Age of Autism, it is promised, is going to make a “difference.” So what kind of news do we get from The Age of Autism folks? Pathbreaking discussions of new theories about the causes of autism, or treatments for autistic kids? New suggestions about how to help autistic children learn not to engage in self-injurious behavior without electroshock... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1156798 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:57:20 +0100 1156798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1139842&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F213975953%2F Katie Wright, whose parents Bob and Suzanne Wright are the founders of Autism Speaks, praises their efforts “to bring attention to the needs of our families” and criticizes the organization for not funding “impactful, breakthrough science”—-that is, “biomedical grants on GI disease, methylation pathways and toxicity, vaccinated and unvaccinated siblings.” Wright distinguishes between such biomedical research into alternative treatments what she calls “traditional research, that is, “endless gene research” (such as a new study in today’s New England Journal of Medicine about a region on chromosome 16 that appears to play an important role in susceptibility for ASDs) and also research on the brain (such as a new study about ho... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1139842 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:41:03 +0100 1139842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1138115&cid=t_103148_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F213645047%2F Lots of nights and driving in my car thinking the same. With Charlie, January and February are “moody” months—winter is settling in, the changing of the year—-so much for her (for you) to work through. I do “let” Charlie spend a lot of time at home “chilling out” with his blanket and things: It just seems to take more time for him to work through and experience changes. You’ve all had a lot to go through and more ahead: Your plans and thoughts are all ahead and onwards and you’ll get there. But a bit of rest along the way is good…… Not exactly surprisingly, proponents of the theory that mercury, and in particular mercury in the form of the preservative thimerosal, causes autism (such as Safe Minds), are less than pleas... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1138115 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:09:35 +0100 1138115 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=810000&cid=t_103148_107_f&fid=36045&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbayblab.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fstem-cell-delusion-are-they-still-stem.html On a previous episode of the bayblab podcast, I argued (rather poorly) that so-called mammalian "stem" cells are not so magical and deterministic as we think (ie they do not "exist"). Rather, I attempted to argue, the stem cell illusion is an emergent property of fundamental cell population dynamics and is even exhibited by the lowly unicellular prokaryotes, as exemplified by the phenomenon of bacterial persistence. A new PLOSone paper explores the theoretical basis of bacterial persistence as population bet-hedging:"Within a population of bacteria there exists a subgroup of cells that do not grow at the normal rate but exists in a quiescent, non-growing or slow-growing state. These cells are sometimes called persister cells [1], because they are able to persist in the face of catastrophic... Bayblab blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=810000 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:52:00 +0100 810000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=650914&cid=t_103148_123_f&fid=34879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdistractiblemind.ambulatorycomputing.com%2F2007%2F05%2F31%2Ftales-from-down-under%2F It has been a while since I have discussed the really important news going on in the world.  I have just been far too distracted by silly things such as meta-analyses,  happiness, friends being sued, and civic duty.  Enough of petty things. It always gets me worried when I see a sudden surge in news about certain subjects.  Keeping an eye out for such trends is the best way to see conspiracies as they unravel.  One such subject has been popping up at an alarming rate: underwear.  Now, I am not talking about anything to do with Brittany Spears, I am talking about stories about underwear in which the world has gone mad.  OK, that still does not rule out Brittany Spears, but trust me, these stories make Brittany seem like a Magna Cum Laude. Story #1: P... Musings of a Distractible Mind blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=650914 Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:19:30 +0100 650914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=637988&cid=t_103148_123_f&fid=34879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdistractiblemind.ambulatorycomputing.com%2F2007%2F05%2F24%2Fthoughts-on-avandia%2F When you read headlines like “Link found between diabetes drug and heart attack risks,” give a sympathetic thought  toward offices like mine. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine raised this possibility for the drug Avandia.  The study, done by Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, is a meta-analysis of previous studies done on the drug.  From MedPage Today: CLEVELAND, May 21 — A meta-analysis of data from 42 clinical trials found a 43% increase in relative risk of myocardial infarction among type 2 diabetics treated with rosiglitazone (Avandia). The odds ratio for MI was 1.43 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.98, P=0.03), said Steven E. Nissen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, lead author of the meta-analysis, which was released on... Musings of a Distractible Mind blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=637988 Thu, 24 May 2007 17:24:15 +0100 637988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=479260&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34875&url=http%3A%2F%2Fballoonballoon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fparis-britney-connection.html Paris Hilton's publicists have been vigorously bending over backwards to push away the fact that Paris and Britney Spears hung out like sisters for a brief few weeks before Britney's meltdown.And Paris' publists are right to state that there is no connection, because it's true: Britney's meltdown has nothing to do with any emotional ties or mishaps that came along while, or because of, chumming with Paris and company.What we see Britney experiencing today are the effects and after-affects of applied mind control techniques. Particular people close to Paris have used Paris as a conduit to drop hypno-tropic subliminal scripts in order to take control of (and thus destroy) Britney and her place as a media and cultural darling and money machine.Paris is tangently aware of this attempt to contr... American Center for Surreal and Paranoid Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=479260 Sat, 10 Mar 2007 07:50:00 +0100 479260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=479265&cid=t_103148_109_f&fid=34875&url=http%3A%2F%2Fballoonballoon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F01%2Fis-steve-right.html There are many conspiracy theories regarding just about everything out there these days. What is the one conspiracy theory that you've heard about recently? Not that you necessarily believe in it. But one that you simply remember hearing about.Or what about your own personal conspiracy theory?Steve's personal conspiracy theory concerns his parents and his parent's generation. Steve says, "I believe that my Baby Boomer parents and their generation as a whole consciously and deliberately place and construct obstacles in front of the generations who are behind the Baby Boomer generation (especially my generation, Generation X). I think that Baby Boomers do this mostly in the workplace, where they constantly change the rules in order to benefit themselves. And I'm convinced that these Baby Boo... American Center for Surreal and Paranoid Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=479265 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 04:35:00 +0100 479265