Denialism

Month: October 2008

  • Artificial Arbitration at American Apparel?

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    Chris
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    Jezebel proclaims: Dov Charney May Be More of a Scumbag than Anyone Realized, and I agree if the reporting on a sexual harassment case, Mary Nelson v. American Apparel, rings true (the opinion is unpublished, and I haven’t obtained a copy yet). Charney is the founder of American Apparel, and has been the focus of…

  • East meets West at Beth Israel—Cage Match!

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    MarkH
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    When those of us who practice real medicine write about implausible medical claims, we are often accused of lacking compassion, as if offering false hope is the same as compassion. We are also accused of turning away from therapies that “couldn’t hurt”. After all, if someone wants to use aromatherapy, what’s the harm? The truth…

  • In the Bush World, Regulation is Deregulatory

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    Chris
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    In the last days of the Bush Administration, expect it to engage in lots of rulemaking. Many businesses will seek new rules for their industries now, fearing that less favorable outcomes will occur if they chance it with the Obama Administration. This business-initiated regulation will seek “ceiling preemption,” meaning that the federal rules will supersede…

  • Tagged!

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    MarkH
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    Arghhh! I hate blog memes, but rules are rules. As Robert Service said, “a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own stern code,” and although I’m not sure how that applies, I’m forced to respond. From Abel over at TerraSig comes a random blog meme…literally. For the uninitiated a blog…

  • Im kvelling!

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    MarkH
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    I told you earlier about Proposal 2, a proposed constitutional amendment here in Michigan. The lies being spread about this proposal are thick and vicious. Orac also goes into a bit of detail about the dishonest tactics being used, mostly by religious groups, to try and stop this prop. Just to remind you, Prop 2…

  • Antibiotic-associated colitis—a difficile problem

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    MarkH
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    It’s that time of year again—the time of year when everyone gets the sniffles, and everyone wants an antibiotic. Even folks who know better, who know intellectually that an antibiotic isn’t going to fix their viral illness still harbor a strong suspicion that it just might help—and it couldn’t hurt, right? Well, I’ve got two…

  • Why good medicine requires materialism

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    MarkH
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    I don’t like to repost, but Steve Novella has some great pieces up right now, and this is directly related. –PalMD s I’ve clearly demonstrated in earlier posts, I’m no philosopher. But I am a doctor, and, I believe, a good one at that, and I find some of this talk about “non-materialist” perspectives in…

  • Do physicians really believe in placebos?

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    MarkH
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    This article is cross-posted at Science-Based Medicine. Check it out. –PalMD In a previous post, I argued that placebo is an artifact of certain clinical interactions, rather than a treatment that we can exploit. Apparently, there are a whole lot of doctors out there who don’t agree with me. Or are there? A recent study…

  • Man-cow hybrids: has the time finally come?

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    MarkH
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    In a little over a week, Michigan voters will be asked to vote on Proposal 2. The proposal is very simple. It is a constitutional amendment that makes Michigan a less hostile place for human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research. It forbids state or local government from passing laws that are more restrictive than federal…

  • Mr. President, We Must Not Allow a Cellphone Gap!

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    Chris
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    I keep on hearing that the political polls are inaccurate because pollsters do not call wireless phones. I commission polls at UC Berkeley and we call wireless phones. Seems like a no brainer to me. So, I’ve never quite understood why professional polling firms wouldn’t call cell phones. (I’m an expert in telemarketing laws; survey…