Homologous Trend

But What Are They Thinking About?

2010-05-08T13:52:00.002-05:00

Emily from A Life Less Ordinary?, one of my favorite blogs, recently had an email conversation with Kelly Barnhill of Thoughtful House then she blogged about it. Here's the money quote:

I'm deeply skeptical of using approaches to address disorders of an undefined etiology that result in promotion of a cottage industry of opportunists who take advantage of desperate parents willing to try anything--and spend almost anything--to see some change in their children.

Hell, yes.

Simon Singh Wins Appeal in Libel Suit

2010-04-03T11:35:00.001-05:00

Yes! Sometimes common sense shines through: From Casewatch.

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Yeah, what he said...

2010-03-28T21:22:00.001-05:00

Dubito Ergo Sum has a recent post that I wish I'd written. So I'll just link to it and pretend I did.

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Serious new acupuncture infection risks described

2010-03-26T16:28:00.002-05:00

From the always awesome Consumer Health Digest

Microbiologists at the University of Hong Kong are concerned that the threat of infections associated with acupuncture may be much greater than previously thought. In a British Medical Journal editorial, the researchers warned that bacterial infections, hepatitis B and C viruses, and possibly even HIV may be transmitted through the use of contaminated equipment and lack of adequate skin disinfection. They expressed particular concern about mycobacteria that can grow rapidly where needles are inserted and lead to large pustules, abscesses, and ulcers after several weeks to months. Two outbreaks involving more than 70 patients were reported in 2006, and a case of methicillin resistant Staph aureus (MRSA)was reported last year. [Acupuncture transmitted infections. British Medical Journal 340:c1268, 2010]

Lifelock Dinged $12 Million for Deceptive Business Practices

2010-03-09T23:44:00.002-06:00

Lifelock Dinged $12 Million for Deceptive Business Practices

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"Autism Specialists" Sued

2010-03-06T09:57:00.002-06:00

From Quackwatch's Consumer Health Digest:

A couple of seriously harmful quacks are being sued by the parent of a client for damages related to negligence, lack of informed consent, intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, battery, and civil conspiracy.

Sometimes The Good Guys Win

2010-03-05T22:07:00.001-06:00

From The Rogues Gallery: Psychic Charged With Fraud

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Why I Continue to Like Ben Goldacre

2010-03-05T21:06:00.002-06:00

Read When is it okay to ignore people you don’t trust?

Her's my favorite bit:

First they found all the papers ever published on smoking and alzheimers, using an explicit search strategy which they describe properly in the paper – because they’re scientists, not homeopaths – to make sure that they found all of the evidence, rather than just the studies they already knew about, or the ones which flattered their preconceptions.

Because that's how science works.

Hey, it was true 150 years ago, too!

2010-02-23T08:26:00.002-06:00

My favorite thing that Scientific American does is reprint articles from their earlier issues. Given how long they've been in publication, this means they can go back 150 years. Here's my favorite one so far:

Gas [for interior illumination], it is supposed, is a powerful disinfectant, and hence there is no contagion within the circle of its influence.’ We copy the above sentence for the purpose of disputing the inference that gas will protect people from the small-pox. Small-pox is doubtless uncommon among that class of people who burn gas for light in our cities, because they generally have sufficient intelligence and forethought to attend to the vaccination of their families, and its ravages are almost wholly confined to that improvident class who make no provision against the small-pox, or anything else in the future, and who live by the light of burning fluid.

Here's the rest.

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Calamities of Nature FTW!

2010-02-16T19:27:00.006-06:00

Click to embiggen.

From Calamities of Nature

We Are The World...Really?

2010-02-15T16:53:00.006-06:00

You should donate time and money to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. I have and I will probably do so again. However, that doesn't keep me from just staring at the remake of "We Are The World" that's even funnier than the benefit song from 30 Rock about that guy's kidney. Here are both songs posted without further comment:

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From Action Skeptics: Reality TV Does Something Good

2010-02-08T16:58:00.000-06:00

Oh, this is awesome: Action Skeptics: Reality TV Does Something Good

Andrew Wakefield Censured by GMC

2010-01-28T21:05:00.001-06:00

The UK's General Medical Council finds that Andrew Wakefield failed to act in interests of children and a whole raft of other things.

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Why you should be reading Dubito Ergo Sum

2010-01-24T12:16:00.001-06:00

Because he takes apart Mike Adams uninformed screed against skeptics piece by piece in This is the worst Ranger since Turbo.

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Why I Like Ben Goldacre

2010-01-15T20:08:00.003-06:00

OK, one of the reasons: He publishes things like this skewering of Tom Brooks' analysis of prehistoric sites by Matt Parker.

The money quote:

It is extremely important to look at how much data people are using to support an argument. For example, the case for global warming covers vast amounts of comprehensive evidence, but it is still possible for people to search through the data and find a few isolated examples that appear to show otherwise.

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Stephen Baldwin is a Wackjob

2010-01-09T22:29:00.002-06:00

This link gets its own post because Stephen Baldwin is just that much of a wackjob.

Behold: Let's play the unlikely martyrdom scenario game!

From The Onion AV Club

Homologous Links

2010-01-07T17:27:00.006-06:00

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry presents a collection of essays by and about Carl Sagan.

From the "well, duh" department: A report on the lack of a link between gastrointestinal disorders and autism from the journal Pediatrics. Highlights can be found in this issue of the Consumer Health Digest.

See below for more awesome blog posts:

Science-Based Medicine - A victory for science-based medicine

Respectful Insolence - The price exacted by the anti-vaccine movement

Neurologica - Chelation Fraud

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From The Onion: Confused Sumerians

2009-12-15T19:25:00.001-06:00

Sumerians Look On In Confusion As Christian God Creates World.

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Soul Pictures are the new Laser Backgrounds

2009-12-12T21:22:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what your soul looks like? Me, neither.

Ever want to laugh at a bunch of people who do? Check out Pardon Me, but Your Soul is Showing from Action Skeptics.

You'll be glad you did.

Chiropractic is Dead!

2009-12-11T14:58:00.002-06:00

Or, at least, that's what Harriet Hall and I would like for newspapers to say. Check out her article about a study by four chiropractors which finds no connection between subluxations and disease.

Of any kind.

At all.

Did I mention that the study was published by chiropractors?

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The Institute for Science in Medicine

2009-12-04T09:44:00.003-06:00

The Institute for Science in Medicine is a new organization which...you know what? I'll just reprint their mission statement:

The ISM is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting high standards of science in all areas of medicine and public health. We are a watchdog group of medical professionals who believe the best science available should be used to determine health policy and establish a standard of care that protects and promotes the public health. We oppose legislation that seeks to erode the science-based standard of care and expose the public to potentially fraudulent, worthless, or harmful medical practices or products.

And there you go. It turns out that some mission statements actually rock.

Church Canceled Due To Lack Of God

2009-12-03T20:06:00.001-06:00

Another precinct heard from on autism "cures"

2009-11-28T16:52:00.003-06:00

The always-awesome Mind Hacks has a post on on a paper written by Dr. Carlos Pardo and his colleagues which they prefaced by asking people not to use their findings as the basis for treatments.

Guess what people did. Yep.

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Abstinence Education Poster Child

2009-11-27T21:45:00.002-06:00

From Very Demotivational

Orac on the Biomed Movement

2009-11-22T23:39:00.000-06:00

The autism “biomed” movement: Uncontrolled and unethical experimentation on autistic children.

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Religion is Stupid

2009-11-22T16:14:00.003-06:00

Or, at least, it has the ability to stupid up anything it touches. Exhibit A: This article in Slate about David Hamilton and one of the weirdest arguments I've ever encountered.

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Pseudoscience! Boo!

2009-11-20T19:28:00.003-06:00

Emily from A Life Less Ordinary? does it again. This time with an excellent treatise on pseudoscience.

I really enjoy using the word 'treatise', by the way.

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Cracked.com continues to be awesome

2009-11-17T00:26:00.002-06:00

This time, they're ripping into Jenny McCarthy and Suzanne Somers: Go get 'em, guys!

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The Onion on The Constitution

2009-11-14T11:03:00.001-06:00

Area Man Passionate Defender Of What He Imagines Constitution To Be

My favorite bit: Mortensen's passion for safeguarding the elaborate fantasy world in which his conception of the Constitution resides is greatly respected by his likeminded friends and relatives, many of whom have been known to repeat his unfounded assertions verbatim when angered.

Halloween Costumes made of Awesome (and velcro)

2009-11-13T20:58:00.002-06:00

Wired recently ran a Halloween costume contest. Here are the winners!

My favorite is "Sexy cosmic microwave background radiation"!

No, really.

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Bad Science

2009-11-13T20:23:00.002-06:00

If you're not reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Science, by all means check it out.

Here's an excellent place to start.

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God Tells You How to Pee

2009-11-10T17:38:00.002-06:00

I...um. Wow. I have no words. Just check out this wackjob:

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

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I mean, dude. I'm sorry your mother never told you she loved you but don't take it out on us.

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Hey, you got your facts in my alien!

2009-11-10T10:55:00.002-06:00

No, you got your alien in my facts!

Thanks, National Geographic, for pointing out that the Panama Alien is a Sloth.

--d-d

Take THAT, Mayans!

2009-11-07T12:48:00.003-06:00

National Geographic Online debunks a bunch of lame-ass 2012 myths. Though, I have to admit that the picture to the left is totally badass.

The Adventures of God Man!

2009-11-07T12:35:00.001-06:00

From Tom the Dancing Bug, it's The Adventures of God Man!.

Teeheehee

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Teacher Claims Fingerprinting Is ‘Mark of the Beast’

2009-11-05T20:03:00.005-06:00

Sigh...

From Wired: Teacher Claims Fingerprinting Is ‘Mark of the Beast’. Ugh. Just ugh. Is she worried about the Trilateral Commission, too?

Guess what? Vaccines STILL don't cause autism.

2009-10-28T09:37:00.004-05:00

Yet another study debunks vaccination-autism link.

New findings from the CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) study have found no difference in the blood levels of mercury among children ages 2-5 with autism spectrum disorders and children who were developing normally. [Hertz-Picciotto I and others. Blood mercury concentrations in CHARGE Study: Children with and without autism. Environmental Health Perspectives, Oct 19, 2009] The complete report is available as a .pdf at this link.

From the latest Consumer Health Digest. Please check out the full issue. There's some great stuff about pop psychology and Paul Offit in there. It never fails to floor me how the people with facts on their side stick to those while their logic-challenged opponents just launch personal attacks.

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France Convicts Scientology of Fraud

2009-10-27T16:45:00.004-05:00

Let me say that again: France Convicts Scientology of Fraud

Despite being an atheist, I used to think it was OK for churches to get special treatment. I no longer believe that. Go, France!

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Get your flu shot

2009-10-21T20:16:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note:

Get your damn flu shot.

Thank you.

For more information, please check out flu.gov.

Homologous Links

2009-09-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

I didn't think Religulous added anything substantial to the overall discussion about religion. I also thought it was a crappy movie. So, to hear that the Atheist Alliance International gave Bill Mahar the Richard Dawkins Award annoys me. Then I find out that the award is usually given to someone who “advocates increased scientific knowledge” and I'm actually pissed off. Dr. Gorski's article from Science Based Medicine does a better job of laying out the arguments than I can. Check it out.

Another column worth checking out regularly is Amelie Gilette's The Hater. This time she's skewering ads for Blessed Oil. These ads have been banned in the UK because they could "discourage seriously ill people from getting medical treatment". Go, UK!

DIY Skepticism - Dragon*Con Style

2009-09-21T19:29:00.002-05:00

I'm still processing how awesome Dragon*Con 2009 was. I was in the audience for a panel called "How To Combat Woo" which featured Jeff Wagg, D. J. Grothe, Phil Plait, Maria Walters, and Naomi Baker. It was awesome. Check out this writeup by Laurie T. of Rational Moms.

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Homologous Links

2009-09-18T11:08:00.006-05:00

Rolando G. Arafiles, Jr., M.D is a jerkhole. He has brought criminal charges against two nurses who blew the whistle on him for selling herbal treatments to his patients. This move has pissed off the American Nurses Association and the Texas Nurses Association along with the Texas Medical Board. Dr. Arafiles has been disciplined by the Texas board before. Just sayin'.

Happy 3rd blogiversary to The Action Skeptics! They presented the first-ever skeptical-thinking panel at GenCon this year. That is officially awesome.

Please read this kickass post from Rational Moms about the H1N1 vaccine. It's full of excellent resources and information.

Andrew Wakefield sucks. I Speak of Dreams posts an exhaustive index of articles by Michael Fitzpatrick that gives a nice timeline of the enormity of the suckitude.

Quick Update

2009-09-13T18:34:00.002-05:00

Dragon*Con was great. I'll post some details about it soon. I got to meet some really cool people I only knew online before. One of those people is the lovely and talented Bing McGhandi. Check out this post from his blog where he takes a Borlaug hater to school.

Go, Bing!

Remaining Omnibus decisions upheld.

2009-08-21T15:40:00.005-05:00

The latest Consumer Health Digest has some great news about the Autism Omnibus. I'm just gonna quote the whole thing:

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has affirmed the Special Master's decisions that the families of Colten Snyder and Michelle Cedillo had presented no credible evidence that vaccination had caused him to develop autism. The decision is part of the Autism Omnibus Proceeding in which more than 5,000 families who claim that vaccines caused their children to become autistic are seeking compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). In February 2009, Special Masters ruled in these cases and one other selected to test how similar cases should be handled. The decisions completely debunked the alleged vaccine/autism connection and implied that the doctors who promote them are acting unethically. Autism-Watch has posted key findings at
http://www.autism-watch.org/omnibus/overview.shtml

and links to the hearing transcripts and decisions at
http://www.autism-watch.org/omnibus/document_index.shtml

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Science-Based Medicine 101

2009-08-09T16:37:00.002-05:00

Val Jones from the always-excellent Science-Based Medicine blog posts about how to judge the credibility of a medical study. This is good information for everyone, especially for parents of autistic children. There's a lot of garbage out there. Dr. Jones will help you weed it out.

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Positivity is the Ultimate Rebellion

2009-08-08T22:10:00.002-05:00

Two of my favorite bloggers have written similar posts both inspired by an annoying Age of Autism rant (that I won't link to for the same reason that Emily didn't). Also, their reactions are great!

Emily's post on Anger Management exemplifies good parenting and a good attitude and everyone should read it.

Hammie's discourse about Shiny Happy Mummies does the same thing and has a link to a student who wants to study the positive perceptions of parents of children with autism.

The two bloggers above are among my role-models. They tell it like it is, the good and the bad and you know what? It's mostly good.

The Truth Behind 5 'Real' Monsters

2009-08-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

Again with the reposting from Cracked.com: This time they show us how humor can be used in the service of skepticism with a report on The Truth Behind 5 ‘Real Monsters’ That Fooled the Internet

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The Secret

2009-08-08T11:05:00.002-05:00

From Cracked.com's If Sarasm Ruled the World feature.

Autism/Vaccination News from Consumer Health Digest

2009-07-30T20:51:00.002-05:00

The latest issue of Consumer Health Digest has three items of great interest:

1. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has upheld the decision of a Special Master that the family of William Yates Hazelhurst had presented no credible evidence that vaccination had caused him to develop regressive autism.

2. Autism not linked to GI disorders.

3. And my favorite: Huffington Post blasted for promoting crackpot theories.

Abstinence-Only Lunch Programs

2009-07-27T19:55:00.001-05:00

Abstinence-Only Lunch Programs Ineffective At Combating Teen Obesity

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Oh, hey! I have a blog.

2009-07-16T13:06:00.003-05:00

Looks like I'll start posting here again. Health update to follow. Until then, enjoy this report from The Onion:

Studies Show Alternative Medicine Ineffective

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George Hrab: Skeptical Rockstar

2009-05-02T11:58:00.007-05:00

If you've been listening to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, you've heard the abridged version of George Hrab's "Far". Here's the even more awesome full version:

George is one of my favorite musicians. He's also wicked smart and one of the most fun critical thinkers around. He was at Dragon*Con last year and will return in 2009.

Homologous Links

2009-05-01T11:26:00.004-05:00

Dallas Morning News columnnist Steve Blow has a piece on the eyebeams guy who won a Pigasus Award recently.

Speaking of James Randi, here's a link to the JREF website. Chances are, you already know about it but just in case. :)

Skeptico has an excellent piece on the non-excellent Melanie Phillips.

And to celebrate The Perky Skeptic's recent trip to the Memphis Zoo, I present cute, baby meerkats!

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Atheism's gone mainstream

2009-04-30T09:39:00.003-05:00

Why I love Cat and Girl.

Click to Embiggen

Jenny McCarthy Bodycount

2009-04-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

Things have been slow over here at Homologous Trend HQ for several reasons. The largest of which is that my laptop died. It has recently been fixed and it works so much better than before.

Actual, factual content will come but until then, check out the Jenny McCarthy Bodycount site.

Thank you and be excellent to each other.

From The Onion: Intelligent Falling

2009-03-11T19:43:00.001-05:00

This is a few years old but it's worth bringing up again:

Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory

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More studies of religion and the brain

2009-03-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

Not as entertaining as "Pinky and the Brain" but more peer-reviewed, comes an article publised in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the things in our brains that are active during religous thought. Scientific American's excellent "60-Second Psych" podcast has a bit about it, too.

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From The Onion: Earthquake Deniers

2009-03-06T12:43:00.002-06:00

San Francisco Historians Condemn 1906 Earthquake Deniers

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Happy Darwin Day!

2009-02-12T14:22:00.003-06:00

To celebrate, here's an episode of Scientific American's Science Talk podcast in which Hofstra University religion professor John Teahen discusses the study of religion from an evolutionary psychology perspective.

Being A Detective Who Talks To Ghosts Not As Exciting As It Looks On TV

2009-02-03T00:14:00.001-06:00

Being A Detective Who Talks To Ghosts Not As Exciting As It Looks On TV

From The Onion: Genetic Experiment Goes Horribly Right

2009-01-31T00:24:00.000-06:00

Genetic Experiment Goes Horribly Right

Alison Singer: My New Hero

2009-01-30T12:24:00.006-06:00

Alison Singer has stepped down as a senior vice president of communications and strategy for Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism charity. Here's why:

"Over and over, the science has shown there is no causal link between vaccines and autism. It's time to look for answers in new and different places."

She sits on the Autism Coordinating Committee which voted against committing money for two new vaccine studies. This does not fit with official Autism Speaks policy. She also said:

"...every dollar spent looking where we know the answer isn't is one less dollar we have to spend where we might find new answers,"

Good for you, Alison Singer!

Extra-special thanks to the Quackwatch newsletter for this information.
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More bad news for anti-vaccinationists

2009-01-28T00:25:00.002-06:00

Chances are, you've already heard about the study that drives yet another nail into the coffin of the idea that thimerosal causes autism. There's nothing I can say about it that the two doctors below haven't said better, so I'll let them do the talking:

Orac

Dr. Steve Novella

Also from the Mounting Evidence desk, here's yet another report that shows how much detoxification doesn't work.

Migraines

2009-01-27T14:20:00.009-06:00

One of the reasons I started this blog was to talk about my health. I realized yesterday that I have neglected to mention my most prominent health issue. I am a migraineur. Which is the official term for "migraine sufferer". I haven't thought to mention the migraines because condition is always lurking in the background of my life. It's such a part of me that I rarely even think of it as a health issue.

In my mind, it's no different from hair color except, of course, for the pain.

If you're unfamiliar with migraines (I sure wish I was) or if you think that they are "just headaches", please read this post from medical-blogging rock star Steve Novella. It is an excellent introduction to the phenomenon. I learned some new things from it.

As far as my migraines go, I think I'm about mid-range on the severity/frequency index. I average two to three migraines a month but they are rarely bad enough to keep me from doing what I want to do. I used to be laid up far more often by the attacks but I think I've built up a tolerance to them because they don't feel any better than they used to. I've realized that very little that I do during the course of a day is going to have an effect on them for good or ill and that I'd might as well get on with my life.

Some migraines, maybe one a year, will make me so sick that I relate to what Joan Didion said in her excellent essay "In Bed",

“That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing."

Those migraines are the bad ones. I have become intimately familiar with my migraines. If I'm going to have one, I generally wake up with it. There are things I can observe about them to determine whether it's there to stay or if I can try to chase it off. I'm not sure I can articulate the checklist I go through to make this decision because it's more intuitive than clinical but I'll try.

The first thing I look for is how much the right side of my head hurts upon waking. Migraines typically present only on one side of the head and mine are always on the right. Then I check the rest of my body. If all my nerve endings are more sensitive, I know it's going to be with me until I can sleep again. If I am more sensitive to light and sound, ditto. If it's just the headache and it's not making me wish I were dead, I have a chance to beat it back with a combination of drugs and a long, hot shower.

If I'm sick to my stomach, I know I need to call in sick. I almost never experience nausea with my migraines and the few times I have were the worst experiences I've ever had.

Compared to a lot of other migraineurs, I'm lucky in a lot of ways. I remain functional (if a bit scatterbrained) during most attacks, they rarely last more than a full day, I can hold most of them back with Excedrin, and they don't make me throw up.

This still doesn't make them feel any better.

The most frustrating thing about being a migraine sufferer is that the treatment for the condition is so personal. What works for one person makes another one feel worse. Hell, what works for me on one day might send me into a dark, quiet room during my next attack.

Migraineurs talk about triggers a lot. These are the things that can cause an attack. Lists of common triggers are always funny to read because they usually list "too much sleep" right under "too little sleep". Great. I can't freaking win. I have discovered a few of my triggers but it's almost never a single thing. I usually have to combine two or more of the following: Insufficient sleep, getting cold while asleep, and any number of possible food triggers.

There seems to be a genetic component to them because I have a cousin and a half sister who get them, too.

Are there any other migraneurs reading this? Or people with relatives and friends who get them? Feel free to comment if so.

And, yes, I'm having one right now.

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Critical and Political Thinking

2009-01-26T12:28:00.004-06:00

I mentioned the importance of critical thinking to the democratic process the other day and it got me thinking about my own experience with our government. The last eight years pissed me off so much and President Obama has said and done so many things just in his first few days in office that I am in an near-constant state of elation.

This is both good and bad.

The thing I have to remember is that every thing the Obama administration does isn't going to be something with which I agree. The trick, here, is going to be for me to keep a truly open mind. If they stick to their rhetoric, though, I will at least know that they are about to do something I don't like.

The very fact that this administration is doing a lot of things I have been wanting government to do for a long time means that I need to watch them even more closely. And they are providing the tools for the American people to do that watching. Chief among them, Recovery.gov (which currently has no content) and the White House's website (which has plenty of content).

No matter what your political beliefs are, make your opinion known and look for evidence behind the words of our leaders. Don't just trust or mistrust blindly because the person saying something is a career politician.

Barack Obama: Science President!

2009-01-24T10:22:00.004-06:00

The latest presidential weekly address fills me with even more hope (there's that word again) for the future of our country. The whole thing sounds great but here's my favorite bit:

To ensure our children can compete and succeed in this new economy, we’ll renovate and modernize 10,000 schools, building state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries, and labs to improve learning for over five million students. We’ll invest more in Pell Grants to make college affordable for seven million more students, provide a $2,500 college tax credit to four million students, and triple the number of fellowships in science to help spur the next generation of innovation.

President Obama recognizes not only that education (proper education!) is vitally important to the economic future of America but that science education is even more vitally importanter.

And my skeptical heart grew three sizes when I heard him say these next words:

I know that some are skeptical about the size and scale of this recovery plan. I understand that skepticism, which is why this recovery plan must and will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my Administration accountable for these results. ...every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new website called recovery.gov.

Critical thinking ain't just for analyzing bigfoot, Heaven, and UFOs, folks. It should be applied to everything, politics doubly so. This level of transparency is what government should be practicing.

Here's the whole thing:

Also, I have to say that the presidential addresses being distributed via YouTube fills me with glee. Go 21st century!

Suzanne Vega is an Evil Genius

2009-01-24T01:02:00.007-06:00

I've been catching up on the podcast version of WNYC's Radio Lab which is an awesome show that combines science and pop culture in order to lead to a greater understanding of each.

Yesterday I listened to the Pop Music episode in which the hosts mention that neither of them likes the Suzanne Vega song "Tom's Diner" but that it's got a good hook.

This morning, by coincidence, "Tom's Diner" showed up on my car radio. I listened to the lyrics closely this time and, man, that is one terrible song. The lyrics are banal, the music is an exemplar of lazy production, and the performance is lackluster.

But the Radio Lab guys are right. The hook is insidious. I'm mentally humming it now. I will continue to hum or whistle that little melodic line for the next few days. Well played, Suzanne Vega. Well played, indeed.

Good Health News

2009-01-23T12:30:00.005-06:00

A few months ago, I posted about my health. I talked about how much I like my new doctor and then about how much my new doctor scared me by checking my blood-triglyceride levels.

Back in mid-October, I weighed 224 lbs. (I'm 6 feet tall) and my triglycerides were at 310. Thanks to the 'guy sheet' that my doctor gave me and to the fact that I actually followed the suggestions I now weigh 194 lbs. and my triglyceride level is 130.

Here's how I did it:

I cut out almost all sweets. I indulged slightly during the holidays but even then I held myself to a bite of something here and there or a single pastry after a meal. I used to eat a lot of ice cream.
I replaced my two butter-covered bagels per day with two pieces of fruit. Most days, only a single apple.
I cut fried food completely out of my diet. I may have some fried fish again at some point but after several weeks of being on that wagon I find I don't crave it anymore.
I severely reduced the number of eggs I eat per week even though I'm not convinced that they are bad for me. There's a lot of conflicting information on that.
I'm eating a lot more salmon and other fatty fish along with turkey and chicken instead of beef or pork. Good news: I really like salmon. I haven't cut the other meats out of my diet but I have seriously reduced the amounts I eat.
I avoid avacadoes and olives. Who knew?
I cut the amount of food I eat in a day by one-half to two-thirds. This means almost no snacking and smaller portion sizes at meals. That's been the hardest part. I have had to redefine the word 'hungry'. Usually, when I think I need food, I'm just bored.
I have stopped putting sugar in my coffee and, for the most part, don't even use milk or cream.
I walk 30 minutes a day at a pretty fast clip. The wicked-awesome pedometer that Perky gave me for Christmas makes it even more fun.

All this has led to a loss of 30 pounds and triglycerides in the normal range. I look better, I have more energy, I sleep better, and I'm generally happier. If that's not incentive to keep up with this, I don't know what is. Those are some pretty radical changes but I think that merely being aware of what I'm putting into my body has been the biggest factor. I have a better idea of what to look for on nutrition labels.

The encouragement I've gotten from everyone I've told is a strong motivator, too. One of my co-workers noticed that I'm thinner and my doctor was exceptionally pleased even before my new numbers were in. Not to mention my mother and wife. Thanks!

My plan is to lose around ten more pounds but, really, I'm more concerned with my cholesterol levels than I am with how I look.

I also have the timing of these results to thank for my uncharacteristic determination to become healthier. My wife and son have been going to the incredible community center across from B's school for several months. Once I realized I needed to exercize, I began joining them there. It removes the bad-weather excuse from my arsenal of reasons why I can't get out and walk. Also, the sense of community I get from the other people who are working out pushes me to do better.

The one drawback is that I now have to get new pants. I look like MC Hammer.
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Restoring Science to its Rightful Place

2009-01-22T00:42:00.002-06:00

I've talked a little about President Obama's good choices for his science team. The following quote from his inaugural address give me even greater (dare I say it?) hope:

“We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

After eight years of faith-based bullshit, I am so glad to have someone who talks like this in the oval office. Oh, also? He actually mentioned non-believers.

Needless to say, I'm happy so far.

Homologous Links

2009-01-13T11:42:00.005-06:00

Here's why Overcompensating is one of my favorite webcomics and why Timecube isn't.

Hey, doctoral candidates! PhD Comics is here to help you write that abstract.

Do you know why science is awesome? I'll tell you why! Because it brings us amazing satellite images like these from boston.com's The Big Picture.

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From The Onion: Medical Payoff Scheme Smashed!

2009-01-09T21:08:00.000-06:00

Powerful Rest And Fluids Industry Influencing Doctors' Treatment Of Colds

Medical Breakthrough of the Century!

2009-01-06T00:51:00.000-06:00

Take the UFO Challenge

2009-01-05T00:34:00.002-06:00

I just discovered the existence of the Paranormal Examiner which is really just a woo-filled overlay on a link farm. The first article I read from this publication is a doozy.

Melissa Alvarez reports that there is a $10,000 prize for anyone who can debunk a set of UFO photos.

The article is filled with the usual sparse details, logical fallacies, and other things we've come to expect from woomeisters. It's worth a look, especially the pictures. However, this bit where they "explain" the revolutionary photographic technique used to capture the images contains one of the best typos I've ever read (emphasis mine):

During the penetrating photographic process special equipment uses x-ray, thermo and inferred imaging.

Wow! They accidentally said something true.

EDIT: Darn! They've fixed it. Unless the word 'infrared' is the typo now.

Keep watching the skies!

Quick note

2009-01-04T10:05:00.003-06:00

You know? I looked all over www.huffingtonpost.gov and I can't find that David Kirby post that everyone's talking about.

Must be a hoax.

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Vaccinate Your Kids

2009-01-02T12:37:00.003-06:00

I know I'm always on about this but it's important. Vaccinate your kids.

Here's a little fine tuning on that message: Vaccinate your kids according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Still need some convincing? Have you read Bob Sears's book and it's raised some questions?

This article from Pediatrics by Paul A. Offit and Charlotte A. Moser should answer those questions. They take Dr. Sears to task for threatening the herd immunity of our entire species by recommending the delay or withhold certain vaccines.

Thanks to Dr. Stephen Barrett from Quackwatch for writing about this in his latest newsletter.

Science is Awesome! Also, Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T19:15:00.002-06:00

You know why science is awesome? I'll tell you why it's awesome!

First, science gives us accurate calenders which allow us to have New Year's celebrations.

Second, science gives us fireworks! Check out the video shot by Sandra Porter from Discovering Biology in a Digital World which is one of my favorite science blogs even when she's not posting pictures of stuff blowing up.

Yes, more links

2008-12-29T22:43:00.007-06:00

I have some things to say about parenting an autistic child but lately I've been so busy helping to actually do that parenting (along with my day job) that I haven't had a chance to blog about it. The good news is that everything's going great and B loved the holidays. His mom and I did, too.

And now, some links:

If I can't talk about my personal experiences with an autistic kid, I can at least post a link to Orac's recounting of an awful episode of The Doctors which looks like it might just be an awful show. The subject was vaccines and they had that total douche Jay Gordon on there. Nuff said.

Mindhacks brings us news of a report on spurious correlations between behavior and brain activity. The report is amazing and the blog post does an excellent job of breaking it down. This is why Mindhacks is one of my favorite sites.

Finally, Pure Pedantry keeps us in the holiday spirit by talking about lying.

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Year-end roundups and other links

2008-12-28T21:32:00.002-06:00

I considered doing a Top Ten Top Ten Lists list since there are so many of them floating around the blogosphere now. Instead, here are my two favorites along with an interesting/scary article about the psychology of consumerism.

Ben Goldacre's The Year in Bad Science.

The lovely and talented Rogues Gallery hips us to the SGU's year in review.

The Economist has taken a good, long look at neuromarketing. Thanks to Mindhacks for pointing this out.

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Links and Lists

2008-12-22T14:58:00.004-06:00

Skepchick's Rebecca lists 2008's top ten jackasses. As you may have guessed, I agree with all of them.

The awesome Elles from Teen Skepchick talks about Twilight.

From Transmissions from the Overmind: Earth's age pinpointed!

Give yourself a late holiday present and subscribe to WNYC's Radio Lab podcast.

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Vaccinate your kids - Please

2008-12-22T13:02:00.005-06:00

The latest episode of This American Life includes the following story:

When they decided not to vaccinate their son against measles, two San Diego parents thought they were making the best decision for their child. But when the 7-year-old came home from an overseas trip suffering from the disease (pictured at left: measles virus), his family’s personal decision became a whole community’s problem. The resulting outbreak infected 11 children and endangered many others.

I know that anecdote is not the singular of data but there are plenty of real studies to back up the assertion that a lack of vaccination is harmful to our species. Get your flu shots and keep up with the vaccination schedules your doctor (and your child's doctor) recommend. They don't cause autism.

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Added to the blogroll: Irish Autism Action

2008-12-22T00:32:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to bring your attention to Irish Autism Action. A new blog about, well, check out the title. It's a welcome and excellent addition to the autism community.

Skeptical Parent Crossing #3

2008-12-21T13:53:00.004-06:00

PodBlack Cat is hosting the third edition of the Skeptical Parent Crossing. There's some good stuff on there. Check it out!

Obama Chooses His Science Team

2008-12-20T09:22:00.005-06:00

This is my favorite radio address so far.

President-elect Obama has made some very good choices for his science team. This makes two Nobel-prize winners on his staff. It's hard to pick a pullquote from this address because the whole thing is incredible (read the transcript here) but the following excerpt sums up why I am so glad we elected this guy (emphasis mine):

Because the truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s about protecting free and open inquiry. It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient—especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the United States.

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Homologous Links - Science!

2008-12-19T10:43:00.004-06:00

Cat and Girl explore the scientific method.

XKCD has useful educational advice.

Statsblog talks about the science of parenting and the lack thereof.

My personal science rock star, Dr. Steven Novella, takes syndromes to school.

My favorite brain blog, Mind Hacks, points out a cool interview with David Chalmers about the extended mind hypothesis.

Finally, The Perky Skeptic goes insane and takes us along for the ride.

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Interview with Sharon Long, Science Advisor to Obama

2008-12-18T10:55:00.005-06:00

Steve Mirsky from Scientific American's awesome Science Talk podcast interviewed Sharon Long, a Stanford biologist and one of the Obama campaign's science advisors the day after the election. Click here for a link to the episode along with a transcript of the interview.

My favorite bit was Dr. Long taking Sarah Palin to task for criticizing government spending on fruit-fly research.

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Today is Autism Twitter Day

2008-12-16T10:14:00.005-06:00

Autism Twitter Day is Today. There are already a lot of tweets up that you can follow by going to http://search.twitter.com/ and searching for #ASD. That will let you follow everyone who is participating.

The thing I like second best about the recent workshops Perky and I have been attending at TRIAD is the sense of community we get from being around other parents of autistic kids. My favorite thing is the amazing education we're getting. Anyway, reading the tweets from other people in the autism community gives me that feeling, too.

Check it out.

Obama's Cabinet Taking Shape - A Good Shape

2008-12-15T20:02:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note to say how glad I am about President-Elect Obama's cabinet and advisor choices, so far. Two, in particular, have me doing happy dances.

Lisa P. Jackson is the designate to head the EPA. She's the former commissioner of New Jersey's EPA and she has a master's degree in chemical engineering from Princeton instead of a law degree. She's already two up on RFK Jr.

The second designate that makes my heart grow three sizes is Steven Chu, director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for Secretary of Energy. Hell, yeah! A Nobel-Prize-winning experimental physicist! 'Nuff said.

Still no word on his science advisor but the two appointments above are encouraging.

Autism Twitter Day

2008-12-14T22:53:00.003-06:00

Autism Twitter Day is Tuesday, December 16th. Check it out. No, seriously, check it out.

White House Seance Fails

2008-12-08T01:52:00.000-06:00

Video: String Theory Primer

2008-12-07T10:20:00.002-06:00

I've been watching the Nova special The Elegant Universe lately. I'm only through the first two episodes but it has already given me more knowledge about string theory than I had before. For a quick (about an hour long) primer on the basics of the theory, check out this video from The Minnesota Channel. It's a speech by S. James Gates who thinks about things I can't even wrap my brain around. There's also an excellent argument for increased scientific funding at the end. I hope the Obama administration has good science advisors who will listen to people like Dr. Gates.

From The Onion Radio News

2008-12-07T00:53:00.002-06:00

Debunkings in the News! Mostly.

2008-12-04T00:35:00.010-06:00

An international doctors panel appointed by the Roman Catholic Church is getting out of the business of determining whether visitors to Lourdes may have experienced miraculous healing. Good for them.! Though, some of the language the spokesman for the panel uses disturbs me.

Reynold Ducasse, a Haitian physician, has a new book out which debunks the zombie myths specifically the Wilfred Doricent case. The Doricent thing has been blasted several times before (scroll down to the Zombies section) but it's nice to see a Haitian doctor take it on.

Orac takes a recent meta-analysis of acupuncture apart letter by letter. Get some popcorn and watch the fun.

If you have kids and you're on the fence about getting them vaccinated, I urge you to read this article by Dr. Steven Novella. Related topic: Dr. Jay Gordon is not just a complete douche, he's actively dangerous because he's advising people not to get vaccinations. So, when the herd immunity for our species goes away and we have epidemics of measles and influenza sweeping the nation we'll know who to blame.

I know I've said this before but here we go again: My son is autistic but I don't blame vaccines. Why don't I blame them? Is it because Orac and Dr. Novella and others told me that vaccines don't cause autism? Hell no! It's because people like Orac and Dr. Novella and Dr. Andrew Offit pointed me towards credible, scientifc studies and actual resources where I could find the information and THINK FOR MYSELF by making an informed decision about the health of my child. Don't take my word for it. If you're reading this, you're sitting at a computer with internet access. Go find the information for yourself.

Science-Based Medicine and Respectful Insolence are both great places to start.

jessiemarion of Rational Moms provides some perspective on the The Myth of the Sugar High. She even includes references and stuff.

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NaNoWriMo and Health

2008-12-03T10:59:00.002-06:00

A combination of the Thanksgiving holiday and NaNoWriMo wiped out my ability to blog during the last week of November. But now I'm back with 51,000 words badly in need of a rewrite and a bunch of stuff to blog about. The rewrite will have to wait so I'll talk about my health. But wait! There's an exciting NaNoWriMo tie in!

I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor in early January. During my last appointment he ordered me to never have any fun again for as long as I live. I am pleased to report that, so far, I'm keeping up with the program. I made it through a Thanksgiving trip to Ft. Myers with my family without overindulging or even eating anything all that bad for me. Also, a long beach on the Gulf of Mexico turns out to be great for encouraging exercise. As long as I can make it through the Christmas season without pigging out, I'll be fine.

However, it would be easier for me if I could see a graph of my progress like I had with NaNoWriMo. That was awesome. I'd write a bunch of words and once I updated my profile on the website a bar graph would appear with a cheery graphic that compared my word count to that of the last update.

I'm going to have to wait another month before I know if my efforts are having the desired effect of lowering my triglycerides. I mean, I can see that I've lost some size around my belly which is awesome but how great would it be to come home from a walk and see that my HDL number has gone up? Or when I eat an apple instead of a butter-drenched bagel for breakfast, a little monitor dings to indicate that my trigyceride level has dropped by 2%.

Let's get on that technology now! I demand instant gratification.

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Optical Illusions

2008-11-21T00:04:00.005-06:00

Scientific American has this awesome gallery of optical illusions. This batch focuses on illusory motion. My favorite one is to the left (click to embiggen).

And now a word from China's Andy Rooney

2008-11-20T00:46:00.002-06:00

When The Onion is on they really nail it:

China's Andy Rooney Has Some Funny Opinions About How Great The Chinese Government Is

It's gotta be hard to be a skeptic in China.

Special Bonus Article: I'm Not One Of Those 'Love Thy Neighbor' Christians

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Webcomics and Down Time

2008-11-19T10:29:00.004-06:00

NaNoWriMo has killed my blogging productivity for November but I am making great progress on my novel. It's the sixth year I've done it and it looks like it will be the fifth year that I will hit the goal of 50,000 words. Here's my profile if any of you are doing it and want to add me to your buddy list. Or if you just want to track my progress. Hey, it'll let you blow off work for thirty more seconds.

Anyway, regular content will resume soon but until then, check out Francesco Marciuliano's take on Galileo.

The Perky Skeptic and I heartily endorse the concept of Scientists-as-rock-stars.

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URGENT: Forced Electroshock

2008-11-08T18:30:00.004-06:00

Please click here. Read the whole thing.

Here's an excerpt:

Each and every Wednesday, early in the morning, staff shows up at Ray’s sheltered living home called Victory House in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, adjacent to Minneapolis.

Staff escorts Ray the 15 miles to Mercy Hospital. There, Ray is given another of his weekly electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments, also known as electroshock. All against his will. On an outpatient basis.

And it’s been going on for months.

Ray says the weekly forced electroshocks are “scary as hell.” He absolutely opposes having the procedure. He says it’s causing poor memory for names such as of friends and his favorite niece. “What am I supposed to do, run away?”

There are action items at the bottom of Liz's post. Also, spread the word about this.

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Obama and Science

2008-11-07T13:53:00.006-06:00

John McCain showed himself to be dangerously anti-science during his campaign. Barack Obama, on the other hand, seems to have his head on straight when it comes to these things. I say "seems" because he might be getting some bad advice and it is up to us to try to steer his administration away from quackery and towards good science policy.

For example, he might be considering Robert Kennedy Jr. as the head of the EPA. That's right, anti-vaccination RFK Jr. That would be bad. He's on Timothy Noah's list of people Obama should not choose along with those of several others.

Please get in touch with Obama's people via whatever means you have and urge him to choose someone else. He has not picked a science advisor yet. Sounds like he needs one.

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Get a flu shot

2008-11-06T12:51:00.003-06:00

USA Today (and others) are reporting on a new study published in Pediatrics that confirms the benefits of vaccinating children against respiratory diseases.

Adults should get flu shots, too. Need more encouragement? Go here and an Infectious Disease specialist will call you a dumbass.

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