Denialism

Month: July 2008

  • Vaccination and morality

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Who has the moral high ground in the vaccination wars? My initial response is that I do, “I” meaning the medical and public health fields—those of us who prevent disease, disability, and death. But it’s much more complicated. Many anti-vaccine activists are “true believers”. They really believe that vaccines do more harm than good. But,…

  • The APS should have known better

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Those reading Deltoid’s coverage of the APS fiasco are probably up to date on this issue, but I feel like we need to discuss the APS failure in more detail. For those unaware of the latest in global warming denialist nonsense, the American Physical Society made the foolish mistake of entertaining global warming denialists by…

  • Where did we go wrong? Framing vaccination

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    I’ve had a bit of writer’s block lately, but I’ve learned to take my own advice and just wait it out. And so I did. Then, today, I read Orac’s piece on framing the vaccine problem. It set my mind a-whirring, so I’ve put the coffee on, and I’m setting fingers to keyboard. I don’t…

  • The stupid continues at Channel 7

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Right now, I’m looking out my window to see the spreading pall of burning stupid rising over Channel 7’s tower in Southfield. And the stupid isn’t just for Steve Wilson anymore. What reporter Carolyn Clifford lacks in adiposity, she easily makes up for in credulity. Her “investigative report” tonight on the HPV vaccine Gardasil is…

  • Skeptics’ Circle #91

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    …is up at Sorting Out Science. Go and read it. Now.

  • Uh oh…not again

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Tonight on WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit, the station that brought us the irresponsible health reporting of Steve Wilson, there will be a report on the HPV vaccine Gardasil. Given this station’s recent history, I’m not very optimistic. The Gardasil issue has been a unique crank-magnet. It has attracted a an interesting mix of religious…

  • The economy, denialism, and perception

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    How bad is the economy? Really fucking bad. My patients are losing their jobs, the restaurants are empty, businesses are shuttered, houses empty. Really, really fucking bad. What does the government have to say about it? Not so bad. Chill. There are some good reasons for this. As the recent Indymac debacle shows, a statement…

  • No right answers

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    I take care of my own patients in the hospital. I say that because it is not a given for internists. For a number of reasons, many having to do with time management and money, most internists utilize hospitalists, internal medicine docs who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients. Taking care of patients in…

  • Medical Education—service vs. education

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Teaching new doctors is an interesting process. Much has been done over the last ten years to improve the way we teach new doctors. Medical residents still work very hard, but there are strict rules on work hours and other “service” duties that can interfere with education and safety. One of the issues that often…

  • Update: Wilson vs. Science

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    by

    MarkH
    in

    Dr. David Gorski has an excellent and comprehensive post up on Science-based medicine regarding the horrid report by Steve Wilson on Channel 7 Detroit. Go and read.